Hewitt looks forward to next Baghdatis encounter

2010-01-21

Lleyton Hewitt dug deep into his reserves of time-honoured grit to defeat American Donald Young on Thursday and set up an enticing third round encounter with Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.

Hewitt and Baghdatis’s last meeting at the Australian Open was another third round encounter in 2008, a five-set marathon that had both players slugging it out until after 4:30 a.m. — the tournament’s latest ever finish.

The 22nd seeded Australian won the match but Baghdatis, who rallied to defeat Spain’s David Ferrer earlier on Thursday, avenged the loss in a hard-fought three-set win at the Sydney International last week.

Some serious questions that beg answering

2010-01-21

I HAVE been reading with increasing concern over the past year statements issued by the spokesperson of the “TRNC and the TRNC President”.
Their statement of January 19, criticising the decision of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales on the Orams’ case (which upheld the decision of the Cypriot court) ended with the sentence “the TRNC Presidency is determined to enact the necessary measures as soon as possible for [the TRNC] economy to survive [the UK Court’s] decision with the least possible impact through a complete harmony and co-operation with the [TRNC] government and all the relevant sectors”.

Apostolides lawyer: we’ll target tourists next

2010-01-21

DOZENS OF tourists who stayed in the Dome Hotel in Kyrenia face being sued for trespass, after the building’s Greek Cypriot owners decided to seek legal redress, Constantis Candounas, lawyer for Melitis Apostolides, said yesterday.
“It’s just been decided that the owners of the Dome Hotel in Kyrenia will be suing tourists that have trespassed on the hotel. It’s a very interesting case,” Candounas told the Cyprus Mail last night.
“It brings a new dimension, as it will affect a completely different industry in the north,” he said, referring to this week’s landmark victory in the Orams’ case, which is expected to seriously destabilise the illicit market for Greek Cypriot properties in the north.

Our View: What good can the Greeks do at this late stage?

2010-01-21

POLITICAL parties across the spectrum welcomed Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou’s decision to attend a National Council meeting discussing our side’s next moves on the Cyprus problem. Parties also welcomed the decision to set up a team of legal experts at the Greek foreign ministry to offer President Christofias advice about the talks.

TV host says her life was threatened after Hadjicostis murder

2010-01-21

POLICE YESTERDAY issued European and international arrest warrants for the fourth suspect wanted in connection with the murder of media mogul Andis Hadjicostis last week.
Gregoris Xenofontos, 29, has been sought by police since last Saturday in connection with the murder which took place outside Hadjicostis’ home on January 11.
It has been reported that Xenofontos left for Moldova, where his wife was born, 48 hours before his arrest warrant was issued.
According to the state broadcaster last night, the suspect told police that he went there for a holiday. Police are expected this Saturday to seek a renewal of the remand of the three suspects currently in custody in connection with the case.

Contracts signed for revamp of Limassol centre

2010-01-21

THE Limassol Municipality yesterday signed two contracts with two construction companies for the upgrade of the town’s centre.
The project will cost €18 million, 80 per cent of which is covered by EU structural funds and will encompass a total transformation of the town’s historic and commercial area.
“Not a single cent or a single day of work will be lost so that the project is completed within the timeline of 36 months,” said Mayor of Limassol, Andreas Christou.
The historic centre segment upgrade will take place first in the area to the west of Anexartisias street. Due to the centrality of the project’s location, in the busiest and most congested area of Limassol, construction work is expected to create considerable inconvenience to locals.

Trial explores line between obscenity and satire

2010-01-21

A NICOSIA man has been charged with publishing obscenities in his monthly newspaper in what his defence team consider a violation of his right to satirise public figures.
Vassos Ftohopoulos, the owner and publisher of satirical Enosis newspaper, was charged with publishing obscenities about President Demetris Christofias, DISY MEP Ioannis Kasoulides, and a string of other deputies and public figures.

DISY leader meets with UBP’s Eroglu

2010-01-21

DISY LEADER Nicos Anastassiades and National Unity Party (UBP) head Dervis Eroglu yesterday highlighted the importance of reaching a mutually accepted solution to the Cyprus problem.
Eroglu, who crossed to the government-controlled areas for what is believed to be his first time since the checkpoints opened, led a delegation of UBP members on a visit to DISY headquarters in Nicosia.
The two issued a joint communiqué after the meeting, stating that “the two leaders and their delegations have had the opportunity to continue their dialogue and to exchange views in the same cordial atmosphere that was established on their first meeting.

State publishes Christofias’ leaked letter to Security Council

2010-01-21

THE GOVERNMENT decided yesterday to publicise the letter sent recently by President Demetris Christofias to the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council and the heads of EU member-states “because it had been leaked to the media with certain distortions”, Government Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said yesterday.
Stefanou said that the letter – copies of which were provided to members of the National Council – aimed to “demonstrate and condemn the unacceptable aspect of the Turkish proposals”, adding people should be able to “read it, assess it, and judge it” for themselves.

‘Church owes nothing to anyone’

2010-01-21

THE CHURCH yesterday claimed it did not owe a cent to the state, denying it owed some €169 million in tax arrears.
“I want to say that the Church does not owe a single cent to anyone,” said Yiannis Charilaou, the Archbishopric’s financial controller.
And despite not being obliged to pay any taxes, “on the contrary, the Church willingly pays taxes,” Charilaou said.
However, according to the auditor-general’s report, on December 31, 2008, the Church owed around €169 million: €138 million in immovable property tax and €30 million in capital gains tax.
Auditor-general Chrystalla Yiorkadji said the constitution did not exempt the Church from taxation.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.