Murray slumps to defeat against Ferrer

2011-11-21

 Andy Murray could find no way through the formidable defences of Spain’s David Ferrer as the home favourite slumped to a 6-4 7-5 defeat in his opening group match at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday.

The world number three had won all five previous meetings with Ferrer on hardcourts but produced a flat, error-strewn performance to leave his hopes of reaching the semi-finals at the season-ender in serious jeopardy.

Murray broke serve first in both sets but failed to build any momentum as the tenacious Ferrer returned everything the Scot could throw at him.

Ferrer sealed the opening set after 57 minutes when Murray hooked a forehand wide, after which the labouring Murray required treatment on his legs.

Stakes rise in Champions League qualifiers

2011-11-21

After a week of controversy caused mainly by FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s comments about racism, UEFA will hope that action on the pitch dominates this week’s Champions League headlines as the group stage reaches crunch time.

Former European champions Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Ajax Amsterdam will bid to seal their places in the last 16 and join Real Madrid, AC Milan and holders Barcelona in the knockout rounds.

English trio Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea can also take their places with a match to spare while this season’s surprise packages APOEL Nicosia will become the first team from Cyprus to reach the last 16 if they win at Zenit St Petersburg.

Caanen and AEK Larnaca FC split

2011-11-21

17:48 AEK Larnaca FC and coach Ton Caanen have parted ways after a disappointing start to the UEFA Europa League and Cypriot First Division season.

The club praised Caanen’s contribution in a statement after Saturday’s goalless draw against AEL Limassol: “Without a doubt, Ton Caanen has earned himself the reputation of being the most successful coach in AEK’s history and the club would like to wish him the very best both professionally and personally.”

It added: “This was a difficult decision for our club to make and we would like to thank Ton Caanen for his loyalty and for the success that he brought to our club during the last year and a half,”

Israel boosts naval patrols around eastern Med

2011-11-21

Israel has gradually boosted naval patrols around its east Mediterranean natural gas fields for fear of guerrilla attacks and as maritime rivalry with Turkey deepens, an Israeli official said on Monday.

Missile boats have stepped up missions around the Tamar and Leviathan platforms over the past year, as well as coordination with private security firms contracted by the U.S.-Israeli exploration consortium, the official said.

“We have replicated the arrangements already in place at Yam Tethys,” the official said, referring to another Israeli gas field 40 km (25 miles) off southern Ashkelon port, near the waters of the Palestinian territory Gaza.

Christofias: Cyprus will continue offshore gas search

2011-11-21

 

PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias said the government would press ahead with the search for hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone and the next round of licensing round soon.

Christofias made the comments during today’s visit to Noble Energy’s Homer Ferrington gas drilling rig south of the Mediterranean island, a project that Turkey disputes. It was his first visit since U.S. concession partners Noble started an exploratory drill in September.

“My presence here underlines the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus which we are determined to exercise,” Christofias said, according to a statement issued by the government press office.

Turkey has challenged the jurisdiction of Cyprus in searching for oil and gas.

CY passenger numbers down 15 per cent

2011-11-21

 

14:40 CYPRUS Airways (CY) passenger numbers fell 15 per cent between January and October this year compared to the same period in 2010 due to  increased competition and the economic crisis, the national carrier said.

In a statement to the Cyprus Stock Exchange, CY said: ”The number of passengers carried… were lower by approximately 210,000, or 15 per cent, from last year and the passenger load factor rose to 73.1 per cent in comparison to 71.6 per cent in the respective period of last year.”

Hermes off the hook after off-season sale

2011-11-21

 

14:37 LIMASSOL District court has acquitted Hermes department stores from the charge of selling discount goods outside of the legal sales period.

This was the second acquittal for the Shacolas Group subsidiary company, confirming a July 2011 court decision.

Both decisions accept the legal position of the company that forbidding sales outside of sales periods violates the EU directive 2005/29/EC.

In the past two years, several high street stores in the group, including Debenhams, Next and Peacocks have begun sales before the government’s decreed sales period, typically around the beginning of the second week in January.

 

LESSONS

2011-11-21

Private greek language lessons are available from an experienced native Greek language teacher for adults and children. Price: €15 per hour. If interested please contact Ioanna  at 99547152 (Nicosia area) 

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.