Strikes on Libya set to slow, stalemate feared

2011-03-22

ATTACKS on Libya are likely to slow in the coming days, a US general said yesterday, as Western powers consolidate a no-fly zone that some say is unlikely to bring an early end to the country’s civil war.

Rebels who began a revolt against Muammar Gaddafi a month ago have so far done little to capitalise on a two-day bombardment that halted an advance by government forces on their Benghazi stronghold and targeted Libya’s air defences.

But Washington, wary of being sucked into another war after long campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, has ruled out specific action to overthrow Gaddafi, though France said yesterday it hoped the Libyan government would collapse from within.

Our View: Rationality has no place in AKEL’s hackneyed hatred of West

2011-03-22

THE ANTI-WEST leadership of AKEL and President Christofias seized the opportunity to attack the coalition forces that have bombed targets in Libya. “Merciless bombing”, said yesterday’s banner headline of the party mouthpiece, while the previous day, Christofias made it clear that “we do not give our blessing to military operations, even of this type.”

EU warned minister about CY 20m euro payment

2011-03-22

AS EARLY as late February, the European Commission had advised the government that it may have to take back the €20 million it wanted to give to ailing Cyprus Airways, local media reports said yesterday.

Moreover, politicians appear to have been kept in the dark about the Commission’s warning to the Finance Ministry when they gave the nod to the €20 million on March 3.

According to Politis, on 28 February the European Commission Directorate General (DG) for Competition informed Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis that any state aid must have the prior approval of the Commission.

CY and defunct Eurocypria fight over Russia route

2011-03-22

THE first hearing in the lawsuit filed by Eurocypria’s liquidator against the Republic and Cyprus Airways (CY) took place at the Larnaca district court yesterday.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Eurocypria’s liquidator Chris Iacovides, accuses the state and CY of conspiring to defraud Eurocypria and its investors of the airline’s assets.

Iacovides claims the state and CY effectively stole from Eurocypria the latter’s Larnaca/Paphos to St. Petersburg route. He says the rights to the route were conferred on Eurocypria in February 2005 via a memorandum signed between the governments of Cyprus and Russia, and that no act has since been passed revoking those rights.

Farmers crying and spilling milk

2011-03-22

GOAT farmers from across the island yesterday spilt thousands of tonnes of milk onto the roads to protest the government’s lack of action in ensuring the halloumi prototype is followed.

The farmers cut off the roads at the Rizoelia roundabout in Larnaca and the Konia roundabout in Paphos, to protest the violation of regulations for the creation of halloumi, which state that 51 per cent of the milk used should be goat’s milk.

They said only one local industry used the amounts demanded by the law, resulting in farmers being left with thousands of tonnes of excess milk.

President inaugurates Paphos wind farm

2011-03-22

Cyprus’ first wind park at Orithes in the Paphos district was inaugurated on Sunday by President Demetris Christofias,

The €170 million project aims to provide eight per cent of the island’s electricity generation and has been operational since last year.

Despite heavy rain on Sunday about 500 invited guests attended the event at Orites. They included the Bishop of Paphos Giorgos, Matthew Kidd, the British High Commissioner to Cyprus, and Paphos Mayor Savvas Vergas.

The project has been a labour of love for Cypriot businessman Akis Ellinas. The 49-year-old graduate of the London School of Economics and former 400-metres hurdler said: “This project was something I passionately believed in as I worry about CO2 emissions.”

Cyprus to host prestigious conference

2011-03-22

CYPRUS IS to host an international arbitration conference at the end of this month, which will line up a series of prominent speakers from here and abroad, the Cyprus Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KEVE) said yesterday.

KEVE honorary president Vassilis Rologis said the conference, titled ‘Arbitration in International Trade’ would be held on Monday and Tuesday next week in Nicosia. The aim is to promote Cyprus as an international arbitration centre for business.

According to Rologis, Cyprus has an abundance of professionals, such as legal practitioners and accountants, who could take on the role of arbitrators.

Certificates for Japanese food products

2011-03-22

MINISTER of Health Christos Patsalides yesterday sent a draft to the attorney general, Petros Clerides, suggesting that food products from Japan should come with a certificate rendering them free of radioactivity. If they do not come with this certificate they will be sent back.

Patsalides expects the draft to be sent back to him by today.

‘Unprecedented’ rise in racist crime

2011-03-22

DATA COLLECTED by anti-racist civil society groups reveal that Cyprus has seen “an unprecedented rise in racist crime and racist violence particularly against migrants and asylum seekers” as well as the rise of far-right nationalistic groups and parties.

A press release issued by the Cyprus branch of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) yesterday to mark International Day against Racial Discrimination, reports point to manifestations of racism across Europe in a broad range of areas, including employment, housing, education, health, policing, access to goods and services, and the media..

The pending release of the reports covering the 2009-2010 period is expected to highlight that extremism and racist violence are on the rise in Europe.

Turkish Cypriots take austerity package protest to Brussels

2011-03-22

REPRESENTATIVES FROM ten Turkish Cypriot unions headed to Brussels yesterday to carry out protests against Ankara’s austerity package in the north and its policy on the Cyprus problem.

The delegation of unionists will hold contacts with political groups of the European Parliament and officials from the European Commission to pass on the message given at the mass protests held by Turkish Cypriots over the last two months in the north.

On January 28 and March 2, thousands of protestors called on Turkey to let Turkish Cypriots run their own house and not impose on them measures by force. Many Turkish Cypriots also expressed fear that their own identity was at risk due to the large number of Turkish nationals brought to the north.

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.