Men in Black

2012-02-09

Last Monday, Savvas Kakos, president of Anorthosis football club, issued a statement strongly attacking the Cyprus Football Association (KOP). He stated that his team is the victim of an orchestrated attempt to deprive them of their chance of winning the league. He concluded, “Anorthosis will provide very shortly audiovisual proof that shows football results are not determined by how a team performs on the field as game officials appointments, penalties, red cards among others, are all made ‘on demand’.”

Syrian authorities kill at least 29 in Homs assault

2012-02-09

Syrian forces killed at least 29 people this morning, firing rockets and mortars on five districts in the city of Homs to supress anti-Assad activists, sources said.

According to British-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 12 people had been killed earlier in two of the five districts, Baba Amro and another in Khalidiya.

The death toll since the government’s assault on Homs began last week – the heaviest assault since the uprising against Assad began in March – is now in the hundreds according local reports. 

Syrian authorities say they are fighting foreign backed “terrorists” in Homs.

Venizelos goes to Brussels empty handed after inconclusive bailout talks

2012-02-09

GREEK finance minister Evangelos Venizelos is en route to Brussels without a deal on austerity measures after Greek leaders failed to reach an agreement last night.

Their failure to agree on essential measures has exasperated its EU and IMF partners, who are demanding the new austerity measures and financial reforms in return for a €130 billion bailout.

Pressure is now mounting on Greece ahead of a March 20 bond redemption.

Speaking after all night talks between the three coalition parties, and EU and IMF inspectors, Venizelos said this morning: “I am leaving for Brussels in a short while with the hope that the Eurogroup meeting will be held, and a positive decision on the new programme will be taken.”

Cyprus Airways shares trading suspended after reports of possible sale

2012-02-09

 

Shares in national carrier Cyprus Airways were suspended from trading today after media reports about its potential sale and financial situation, the Cyprus bourse said.

Cyprus’ cabinet on Wednesday authorised the finance minister to negotiate the sale of a stake in the state-controlled airline. One newspaper said today a potential suitor was Aeroflot, the Russian flag carrier.

The recommendation to suspend trading came from the Securities Commission, the stock exchange said. It cited “uncertainty” arising from statements and press reports on the company’s prospects and financial standing, and said it expected a clarification from the airline.

Omonia rout Salamina, Anorthosis through

2012-02-09

OMONIA manager Neophytos Larkou was pleased with his side’s 8-1 thrashing of Nea Salamina in the second leg of their Coca Cola Cup Last 16 clash at the Ammochostos Stadium in Larnaca on Wednesday.

“Our aim was to go through. We approached the game seriously and achieved our goal. It is difficult to motivate the team in games like this, but I am very happy that our new signings showed readiness and willingness to perform at the required level.

“Now we must focus on the upcoming league game this weekend,” Larkou said.

Family feud leads to brutal murder in Paphos

2012-02-09

 

A FORMER policeman was remanded in custody for eight days by the Paphos district court yesterday after being considered the prime suspect in a brutal murder which took place in Tala village yesterday morning.

The suspect, a 64-year-old Greek Cypriot is accused of shooting Ivan Granchev, a 34-year-old Bulgarian on the doorstep of the victim’s home in the Paphos district village.

Paphos police spokesman, Nicos Tsappis, told the Cyprus Mail yesterday: “The Bulgarian national died immediately from a gunshot wound to the chest. His fiancée, a 36 year old Cypriot woman, was previously married to the suspect’s son.”

Our View: National cheese merits more effort to end registration dispute

2012-02-09

AFTER years of squabbling among the interested parties, the government was finally forced to withdraw the application to the European Union to register halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product. The government had been left with no choice as the Association of Dairy Product Manufacturers insisted on ignoring the traditional ingredients for Cyprus’ national cheese and introducing a new recipe, because this was the practical solution.

Green light for CY to raise fresh capital

2012-02-09

THE government said yesterday that ailing Cyprus Airways (CY) could raise fresh capital as it announced its decision to sell down its own stake in the state-controlled carrier.

Government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the amount of capital which will be raised was up to the board of the airline, in which the state holds a 69.5 per cent stake. 

The remainder is owned by private investors.

Cabinet, the spokesman said, “approved participation of government as the main shareholder in new capital issue … and has also decided to authorise the finance minister (Kikis Kazamias) to negotiate the sale of government shares in Cyprus Airways.” 

The government’s involvement in the capital increase must be approved by the commissioner for state aid.

US stations regional energy officer at Nicosia embassy

2012-02-09

CYPRUS has been chosen as the headquarters for the US State Department’s regional  officer for energy issues in South Europe and North Africa.

Karen Enstrom, an official of the State Department’s newly established Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR), will use the US Embassy in Cyprus as her headquarters for the diplomatic involvement of the US in energy developments in the Mediterranean.  

According to the relevant statement, the creation of the Bureau reflects the emphasis the US places on energy in the region.

The Bureau was set up in November 2011, and is headed by former US Ambassador to Mexico and Ukraine, Carlos Pascual, who is now the State Department’s Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs.

Limassol to host Davis Cup

2012-02-09

LIMASSOL will host this week the three-day long Davis Cup between Cyprus and Morocco and will feature Cypriot champion Marcos Baghdatis .

The Group II tie between Cyprus and Morocco will take place at the Palais des Sports – Spyros Kyprianou Indoor Stadium, in Limassol – Cyprus, between the February 10 and 12.

The captain of the Cypriot team Yiannos Hadjigeorgiou said that the goal is to win the trophy and the team hopes to prevail at least in three of the five games, to move on to the next round and to remain in the ranking.

Baghdatis expressed his happiness to be back on the island to represent his country. 

“I will always be here. I feel very well, my year so far was good. I played 13-14 games and won ten,” he said.

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.