Great year for Nadal but Serena leaves vacuum

2010-12-23

A YEAR that began with doubts over Rafael Nadal’s body and continued with worries over Roger Federer’s head ended with both men at the peak of their powers and promising some juicy new chapters of their rivalry in 2011.

The sight of the two greatest players of their generation jousting on opposite sides of the net at London’s O2 Arena as the men’s season came to a spectacular conclusion was a heart-warming one for fans the world over.

A paltry four meetings between the Spaniard and the Swiss in the past two years has left tennis followers feeling slightly short-changed but as the Australian Open looms both are eager to square off for the major prizes.

Huge political fallout after match violence

2010-12-23

HOOLIGAN attacks involving some 500 APOEL fans, following a FIBA Eurochallenge basketball game against a Turkish team in Nicosia on Tuesday night, took on massive political proportions yesterday.

At around the stroke of midnight, the phone lines between Turkey, Athens, Brussels and both sides of the divide in Nicosia worked overtime as Turkey’s leaders did their best to get the Turkish team out of the government-controlled areas, which the Cyprus government prevented from happening.

Christofias: no solution without unity

2010-12-23

PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias yesterday made a renewed plea for unity so that the Cyprus issue could be solved in 2011.

Speaking during a visit to a National Guard post at Mammari Christofias said: “As long as we are divided, there is no way we will be able to succeed. We need to unite and to understand how difficult the times are, and that our opponent is not joking around but has all the means to misinform his own (Turkish), and international public opinion”.

“I want to give the message that we must appreciate that Turkish Cypriots are children of the same country and they will take part in the governing of the state,” he added.

Those who were not comfortable with the idea would just have to live with it, he added.

Stavrakis: economy not out of the woods yet

2010-12-23

THE RECESSION may be technically over but risks to the economy’s growth remain due to the unpredictable external environment Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis warned yesterday.

Stavrakis said Cyprus expected to cut its public deficit to 3.8 percent in 2011, while almost doubling its growth rate compared to this year’s 0.8 per cent.

The economy contracted for the first time in more than three decades in 2009 — by 1.7 percent — on the back of a decline in tourism and construction. While construction is still negative, tourism and financial services have picked up.

‘Our deal with Israel none of Turkey’s business’

2010-12-23

INTERNATIONAL agreements signed by Cyprus and activities to promote its financial interests have nothing to do with the ongoing efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem, the Foreign ministry said yesterday.

The ministry was responding to statements from Ankara on last week’s agreement signed with Israel to delimit the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between the two countries as part of exploration for oil and gas.

”Issues concerning the Republic of Cyprus and the exercise of its sovereign rights do not concern any other third state,” ministry said.

Airlines try to accommodate stranded passengers

2010-12-23

EASYJET yesterday announced that it would allow its passengers who have had their flights disrupted due to the bad weather in Europe, to transfer their return flights free of charge to any airport served by the airline, in an effort to enable more people to get to their destination in time for Christmas.

The no-frills budget airline flies to 129 airports in 30 countries. According to the easyJet announcement, the move will give new options for those passengers whose flights were unfortunately cancelled due to the adverse weather over the weekend.

EasyJet is planning to operate around 1,000 flights a day during the festive period – providing over 150,000 seats for passengers.

Church studying Eurocypria plan

2010-12-23

THE Church will study a five-year business plan regarding the reactivation of Eurocypria airlines – which went bust in last month – and decide whether to get involved, it emerged yesterday.

Chris Iakovides, the liquidator appointed by creditors to oversee the wind up of the company, reiterated yesterday that numerous investors, including the Church of Cyprus, have shown interest in taking over the company.

Iakovides said Archbishop Chrysostomos aimed in reactivating the airline and was expecting the five-year business plan to study it with his advisers and decide whether to get involved.

Iakovides said Paphos hoteliers have also shown an interest in the company, looking to base it in their town.

Wanted man

2010-12-23

POLICE are on the lookout for a man aged between 20 and 30 years old, in connection with a case of illegal entry, assault and threatening behaviour that took place on December 12 in Nicosia.

The man is around 1.85 metres tall, well built and dark skinned, with green eyes a slight beard and a number of earrings on both ears.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is requested to contact the nearest police station, Lakatamia Police Station or the civilians’ hotline on 1460.

Short film on UN work

2010-12-23

THE UNITED Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) yesterday announced the release of a short documentary film on the work of the UN in Cyprus.

The film – “UNFICYP: Building Peace in Cyprus” – summarises the continuing efforts and the diversity of support offered by UNFICYP to encourage peace in Cyprus.  It provides a factual overview of one the longest running international peacekeeping mandates by the UN since 1964.

This 11-minute film can be viewed on either the UNFICYP or Good Offices websites or viaUNFICYP’s YouTube page.

The film is also available in Greek and Turkish subtitled versions.

 

Our View: Minister’s misplaced comments not helpful

2010-12-23

MINISTER of Commerce and Industry, Antonis Paschalides visited several supermarkets earlier in the week in order to check out prices and see how the retail business was doing. He saw a ‘sluggishness’ in the market, saying that consumers were restrained and very cautious about spending, which had had an effect on the retail business.

He attributed the sluggishness to “the existence of a negative psychology, created by the daily bombardment of consumers with reports that we are on the brink of destruction.” Paschalides said that people and shops should be left alone and that competition would ensure that everything would go well, eventually.

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.