By Sabina Zawadzki and Balazs Koranyi

Danish authorities had a Copenhagen gunman in their sights even before his attacks on Saturday but did not consider him a threat, police said on Tuesday, even as reports emerged that he had served time in prison with a Muslim radical.

The gunman, reported in Danish media to be Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein, was known for violence and gang activity, and served time in jail for stabbing a man. But intelligence services concluded there was no risk of an attack even as prison officials raised the alarm that his behaviour was changing.

The man first attacked a cafe hosting a free speech event, probably trying to kill Lars Vilks, a Swedish artist who has received death threats for drawings of the Prophet Mohammad. Though Vilks was unharmed, a 55-year-old film maker participating in the event was killed.

The gunman also attacked a synagogue, killing a guard, before police killed him in Sunday morning shootout.

Police said the man appeared to have acted alone and was not part of a cell, although they also arrested two people on Monday accused of helping him.

Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet said El-Hussein served time with Danish-Moroccan Sam Mansour, convicted several times for inciting terrorism with Facebook comments like “Jihad is a duty.”

Prison officials declined to comment but the paper said Muslim inmates have joint Friday prayers at the prison, regularly followed by discussions in Arabic.

Police released no new information about the case on Tuesday and the government also declined to comment. But the anti-immigration populist Danish People’s Party, the likely kingmaker in elections due later this year, said the attacks proved the case for more radical action against immigration.

“People who support criminal activity like terror and fraud should have their citizenship taken away,” Peter Skaarup, the deputy chairman and justice spokesman for the Danish People’s Party told Reuters. “The same goes for people travelling as ‘holy warriors’ to Syria and Iraq.”

“We want tough border controls with real guards and gates so we can control who enters the country,” Skaarup said.

The son of Palestinian immigrants, El-Hussein was not known as an Islamist radical and his religious devotion was average, his father told Danish TV2.

An avid kick boxer in his younger years growing up in a relatively poor immigrant community, El-Hussein was known as a good student who had a short temper and grew increasingly frustrated over personal issues.

Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt called the weekend’s events a terrorist attack and police said they were possibly modelled on attacks by Islamic militants in Paris that killed 17 including journalists at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper last month.

By Pierre Savary

A French prosecutor asked a criminal court on Tuesday to acquit former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of a pimping charge for his role in what investigating magistrates argued was an organised sex ring using prostitutes.

Strauss-Kahn was tipped to become French president before being accused of sexual assault by a New York hotel chambermaid in 2011. US criminal charges were subsequently dropped, and the allegations that he participated in a French sex ring centred in the northern French city of Lille emerged later.

“Did Dominique Strauss-Kahn pay prostitutes? The answer is no. Did he pimp prostitutes for others? The answer is no,” Lille Prosecutor Frederic Fevre told the court before requesting Strauss-Kahn’s acquittal.

The prosecution’s demand highlighted the difficulty of a potential conviction of Strauss-Kahn, 65. The trial is due to finish this week, with closing statements from the defence on Wednesday, but a verdict is not expected immediately.

Investigating magistrates, who originally sent the case against Strauss-Kahn to trial over the objections of the same prosecutor, argued that the prominent Socialist was the instigator of parties involving prostitutes from 2008 to 2011 in Lille, Brussels, Paris and Washington.

Under French law, investigating magistrates have the right to overrule prosecutors’ initial recommendations to drop a case.

The charge of pimping, or “procuring with aggravating circumstances”, was justified, magistrates said, because Strauss-Kahn took a principal role in planning the parties, and knew that the women who attended them were prostitutes.

But during the three-week trial in Lille, characterised by sordid detail about Strauss-Kahn’s sexual behaviour from former prostitutes, the star defendant consistently maintained he had no idea the women at the sex parties were prostitutes, and that he had not organised the parties himself.

“Everyone is free to live out their sexuality how they wish,” Fevre said. “Neither the prosecutor nor the judge can set himself up as the guardian of moral order.”

Thirteen other defendants similarly are being judged for their role in the alleged sex ring that Strauss-Kahn says was simply a group of like-minded swingers.

Asking the court to take into account that the defendants had already payed “a heavy price”, Fevre said their actions were those of “a group of friends who were satisfying their egos, ambitions and simply their sexual desires.”

As for Strauss-Kahn, Fevre said he was “troubled by the recurring mention of (his) sexual practices,” which he said was not the case for his co-defendants.

Fevre indirectly criticised the three investigating magistrates for pursuing a case that provoked a media firestorm.

“Without this defendant, this case would have been settled a long time ago,” he told the court.

On Monday, lawyers for the four prostitutes who participated in the parties said they were giving up their claim of damages from Strauss-Kahn, citing insufficient evidence to prove the pimping charge.

Strauss-Kahn, if convicted, risked a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 1.5 million euros ($1.70 million).

Parliament will review the law on public contracts with a view to amend it to prevent the mismanagement and squandering of taxpayer money.

House Ethics Committee deputy chairman Demetris Syllouris said the aim was for the review, to be done in co-operation with Frederick University, the auditor-general, the treasurer, the attorney-general, and the competition commission, to be completed in 100 days.

A lot must change in the current framework including extending it to cover semi-government organisations, and local authorities, he said.

DIKO chairman Nicolas Papadopoulos proposed to have an insurance company guaranteeing the contract.

This would mean better supervision, since the project would be evaluated by a private firm, Papadopoulos said. If it went over the budget, the additional amount would be covered by the insurance company, which would complete the project and take legal measures against the contractor later.

“We are prepared to discuss practices in place in other countries to find ways to have better administration and avoid mismanagement and fraud,” he said.

Greece intends to ask for an extension of its loan agreement with the euro zone on Wednesday, a source in Brussels said, distinguishing this from the country’s full bailout programme.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that Athens would request up to a six month extension but the conditions were still under negotiation.

The new government of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has refused to seek an extension of Greece’s bailout programme which expires on February 28, rejecting its requirements that austerity policies be imposed.

However, Tsipras has made a distinction between the full bailout programme and the issue of Greece’s debts. “A loan agreement is different from a bailout,” Tsipras told lawmakers from his left-wing Syriza party in Athens earlier in the day.

By staff reporter

Close to 3,400 Cypriots with deposits abroad have been charged €7.5 million in tax, lawmakers heard on Tuesday, as they discussed the issue of alleged tax evaders supposedly included on a list of people with deposits in HSBC Switzerland.

Tax Commissioner Yiannakis Lazarou told MPs that between 2006 and 2012, authorities found 3,353 Cypriots with deposits abroad, taxing them €7.5 million in total.

Lazarou said authorities were expecting the list of overseas depositors for the period between 2012 and 2014.

MPs, members of the House Watchdog Committee, also want more information on a list of Cyprus-affiliated individuals and companies included in the revelations relating to Swiss HSBC account-holders.

The committee will revisit the issue in the near future and will seek clarification from the finance minister regarding the list.

The ‘Cypriot’ list, according to Greek paper Ta Nea, which took part in a global investigation that led to the revelations about HSBC, showed 308 account-holders who maintained balances of $647m in the Swiss bank.

Of these, eight people had stated Greek residential addresses, two being Greek nationals.

These eight individuals accounted for $11.5m in deposits, while other entries in the Cypriot list were found to hold accounts in which amounts flowing in mirrored those of Greek account-holders exactly, suggesting a link between the two.

Although holding overseas bank accounts is neither illegal, nor indicative of wrongdoing, it has been widely speculated that the leaked information may include evidence of undeclared income, which was moved to Switzerland to take advantage of its ultra-strict bank secrecy laws.

By Jean Christou

Tourism prospects this year will be just as challenging as the last, tourism minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said on Tuesday.

Lakkotrypis said last year had shown just how “vulnerable, sensitive and changeable” the tourism industry was.
“The year just passed showed us two faces,” he said, addressing the annual conference of the Cyprus Hotel Association (PASYXE) in Nicosia. The first half, Lakkotrypis added, was satisfactory both in terms of arrivals, and in terms of revenue with a six per cent increase in the former and a 12 per cent increase in the latter, “showing that initial estimates for a good year would come to pass”.
“In the second half, however, things changed,” the minister added, “showing once again what all those involved in the sector have experienced repeatedly; that tourism is vulnerable, sensitive and changeable”.

Lakkotrypis said priority markets such as the UK, the Nordic countries and especially Russia had gone downhill in the second half and only barely made it to the previous year’s levels of arrivals.

The year ended with a slight increase in arrivals of 1.5 per cent, or some 2.4 million.

This year would also be difficult and challenging, he said.
“The Russian market is uncertain and tour operators there are considering whether and to what extent they will take risks. On the other hand, there are encouraging signs from other major markets, such as the UK and Germany, but also in smaller markets of Central Europe and the Arab Gulf,” he said.

The Cyprus Tourism Organisation has already said that the sector could withstand a drop from Russia of no more than 25 per cent as anything up to that could be made up from other markets. If this drop was bigger, then Cyprus would face serious problems. Indications from the UK last week showed that bookings were up for the coming summer season due mainly to a more attractive exchange rate for Britons.

Lakkotrypis said the government had also succeeded in promoting new air routes to and from Cyprus from Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Vienna and other cities. Beyond that, he said there were plans for promotional campaigns which would include outdoor ads, radio and online advertising.

“We are also promoting new partnerships with tour operators, which are expected to deliver significant results,” he said. He also spoke of investment in a new marina in Ayia Napa and the creation of a casino resort, a new push towards business tourism, and cultural and religious tourism.

PASYXE chief Haris Loizides said “unfortunately”, bureaucracy remained an obstacle to efforts to restart the economy and attract investment, though he acknowledged that perhaps for the first time the problem looked like it might be addressed by the current government, which says it is bent on public service reform.

Tourism, he said was not “just another section of the economy” and that during the financial collapse, it again became the mainstay of the economy in 2013, which had even been acknowledged by the Troika of international lenders.

“Our country is ‘doomed’ to be an attractive tourist destination. The sooner we realise this, the more collective and more organised we can be to take the actions needed to support the sector and upgrade our product,” Loizides said.

He repeated long-standing demands of hoteliers for incentives and tax breaks, and said that in particular the recent introduction of the “unbearable” property tax, and the high cost of electricity were crippling many hoteliers, and that was in addition to loan payments and high interest rates.

“All these make us uncompetitive compared to other tourist destinations targeting the same markets,” he said. The data, he added, and the economic developments in Russia, did not leave much room for optimism for 2015 but it did offer the opportunity to expand into new markets “reducing our dependence on our two principal markets [Russia and the UK] and intensifying efforts to regain lost ground from our traditional markets of central and northern Europe,” he said.

The future of a state and its people are not secured with nice words and slogans, Finance Minister Harris Georgiades said on Tuesday, warning opposition parties that they were leading the country down a dangerous path.

Commenting on Monday’s developments at the Eurogroup meeting, which failed to strike a deal on Greece, Georgiades said “we must also realise in Cyprus that the dignity and prospects of a state, or a people, are not secured by nice sounding words, slogans, or refusal, but through difficult, but necessary, and correct decisions.”

“We must get serious in Cyprus and finally decide what path to follow,” he added.

Georgiades was referring to opposition parties seeking to score political points by adopting the rhetoric of the new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Opposition parties have already damaged the island’s credibility by suspending a law on foreclosures, a move that prompted international lenders to interrupt the adjustment programme.

The opposition claims it did so to protect crisis-stricken vulnerable groups until the insolvency framework came into force. The government countered that it was unwarranted because the regulations necessary for foreclosures were not in place.

Opposition parties have been accused that in reality they were acting on behalf of large borrowers, developers mainly, using vulnerable groups as an excuse.

Others have suggested that derailing the economy would also serve political aspirations.

“We must understand that one cannot play political games with the economy and a country’s prospects,” Georgiades said. “As long as we refuse to speak or hear the truth, and we resort to a known delusion, we will be digging our grave.”

The minister warned that Cyprus must either act seriously and responsibly or be prepared to face reality at some stage.

Georgiades took flak for his remarks by opposition parties later in the day.

“The Finance minister […] spoke like [German finance minister] Schaeuble,” AKEL said in a statement. “Not only did he admit that he offered no support to Greece’s effort, but once again he derided its demands.”

The Citizens’ Alliance suggested Georgiades was concerned by a potential win by the Greek government.

“Essentially, he admitted that not only did he not support Greece at the Eurogroup summit, but he fully adopted the German rhetoric and argumentation,” the party said. “It seems that the sketch artists that showed the President worried at the prospect of success by the Greek Premier were right, after all.”

President Nicos Anastasiades had telephone conversations with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker late Tuesday in an effort to mediate a resolution of the stand-off between Greece and its Eurozone partners, government sources said.

In a statement, the government said Anastasiades discussed “issues relating to the ongoing dialogue in search of an agreement for Greece”.

“President Anastasiades had today a long telephone communication with the Greek Prime Minister Mr Alexis Tsipras and, following an understanding between them, President Anastasiades later on had a telephone communication with the President of the European Commission Mr Jean-Claude Juncker,” a statement by government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said.

However, the sources said, although Tsipras said he was “fully aware of the risks”, he appeared unwilling to budge from his publicly-stated positions.

A 27-year-old man was killed during an attack on the home of Alexis Mavromichalis – aka Alexoui – in Strovolos, Nicosia on Tuesday night, police sources said.

The two perpetrators fired an anti-tank rocket and several rounds of bullets using an AK-47 rifle in the direction of the house before fleeing the scene.

Although Alexoui had been the intended target, he was unharmed by the attack as he had been inside the house. Instead, the perpetrators hit his security guard, who died shortly after he was rushed to the hospital.

Following the attack, police launched a hunt for a car seen leaving the scene and thought to belong to the perpetrators.

Alexoui was arrested in March 2014 upon his arrival from Athens at Larnaca airport. He was one of the island’s most wanted, having been linked to the attempted murder of Andreas Gregoriou in 2009, as well as the murder of Andis Hadjicostis in 2010.

Hadjicostis was the CEO of DIAS publishing group, a media company which owns the daily Simerini and the Sigma TV station. Gregoriou was later sentenced to life in prison for his role in the assassination of Hadjicostis.

Mavromichalis was implicated in both cases by Giorgos Zavrantonas, one of the prosecution witnesses in the Hadjicostis trial. Zavrantonas had been arrested in February 2014 for his participation in a shootout in Peristerona village. Zavrantonas had broken his parole; he was supposed to be abroad in the witness protection programme.

Alexoui was released without charges in May 2014, after Zavrantonas made clear that he wouldn’t appear in court to testify against him.

Last June, Alexoui was investigated for his role in the assassination of Yiannis Kalopsidiotis, father to businessman Phanos Kalopsidiotis, but no evidence against him was found.

Yiannis Kalopsidiotis, 77, was killed outside his home in Paralimni after being shot in the chest. He was found dead by his wife who ran outside after him when she heard gunshots.

According to the police report, Kalopsidiotis went outside to check on his dogs when he was shot, possibly using a G3 military rifle, the kind issued to reservists to store at home.

The victim’s widow accused police of negligence, claiming that they had ignored threats on her husband’s life.

By Bejay Browne

RYANAIR officials were in Paphos for a few hours on Wednesday to celebrate the low cost airlines 30^th  year of operation and a seat sale with  very short-notice 30 per cent off all fares for travel in March and April for which bookings would have to be made by midnight Wednesday.

Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, David O’Brien, during a news conference in Paphos said that  prices were astronomically high at both of Cyprus airports, which deters airlines, he said.

“Cyprus is a good example of what not to do. Excellently run airports which are operationally excellent, they look good, but they are too expensive. There are many markets which want developing ones such as Poland, but we will have to consider where we will allocate this capacity.”

Paphos is the Cultural Capital 2017, which according to figures from previous title holders, will see an increase of around 20-25 per cent more passengers to the city. But O’Brien warned that although there was a published incentive scheme for the airports, it was restrictive and costs remained high. Airport costs would have to be slashed, as the Chief Commercial Officer said it would be foolish to allocate capacity to a high price location.

“Pricing in Cyprus is going to have to change, there is no point in having 20 per cent more passengers if it’s very expensive to us. Carrying 20 per cent more is a serious consideration as we would have to put extra aircraft capacity to Paphos. We would do this, but at the right price.”

Ryanair’s Paphos summer schedule 2015 will see two aircraft based at the airport and 53 weekly flights.

“We are going to carry approximately 650,000 passengers this year, a 12 per cent increase on last year for Cyprus. We will continue to put low fares in the market, in a time of turmoil in aviation in Cyprus, Ryanair is a constant,” he said.

O’Brien, said he was visiting all significant markets and bases and from as far west as the Azores, the airlines newest base, to their most Eastern base in Cyprus.

He said that the airline, now Europe’s biggest, was also celebrating record advanced bookings for the Paphos summer schedule which includes a route to Rome Ciampino- there are now ten in total- and extra flights to Athens and London, which will deliver over 650,000 customers per annum and support 650 ‘on-site’ jobs at Paphos airport.

Andreas Demetriades of the Board of Directors of Paphos Regional board of tourism congratulated the airline for its successful operation and flight programme to date and said that he hoped Ryanair would consider the possibility of connecting further airports and countries which have existing business demands such as Holland, Copenhagen, Paris in France, Tel Aviv and Dublin, noting that research shows that substantial numbers would fly to Paphos from these destinations.

O’Brien, said that in the last year, the airline had invested heavily in a new research and development department and set up Ryanair laboratories. The company has employed 120 highly skilled developers and programmers to work on projects, he said.

“Their job is to make us the best when it comes to airline and travel digital platforms. We will be producing a new mobile app in March and we will have further improved our website by April.”

This new website will also include a price comparison feature which will show other airlines fares alongside Ryanair’s.

“This means there is only one website that people will go to for of their travel needs and we will be happy for a user to move from our website to someone else’s to book with them if they’re cheaper; but we’re confident this won’t happen as we ‘re always going to be the cheapest. It’s also a way of keeping us honest.”

O’Brien also highlighted the company’s ‘Always getting better programme’ which he said was a sign of the airlines continuing commitment to improve.

“There were three key things that people wanted to change and help us to get better and we are listening to our customers. We have improved our website, passengers are able to have a second bag and we now also provide allocated seating.”

The Chief Commercial Officer also noted that the airline had moved into new sectors and they now offered family discounts for children, as well as a business product.

He said the airline was  broadening its appeal, the implementation of the ‘getting better programme’ is bringing positive results.

“Our forward bookings are very strong and we have great confidence that our 380 aircraft order will take us to 160 million passengers- that’s 70 million more passengers within ten years.”

He said that this growth would be achieved through the new Boeing 737 MAX  aircraft which would start being delivered in 2019.  It will be the most modern aircraft in the world with more seats which will allow the airline to reduce costs and pass on lower fares to customers, he said. The seats will also be more comfortable and it will have a generally nicer appearance. Ryanair is becoming sensitive over the years and caring more about such things, he added.

“Crucially this aircraft will burn less fuel and will have 40 per cent lower emission, it will be the most environmentally efficient aircraft in the world.”

By 2024, Ryanair will accommodate 160 million passengers annually which is about 100 million more than for example Lufthansa in Europe, he noted. Traffic for year ending March showed that Ryanair carried 90 million passengers and next year expected around 100 million passengers, making it the first airline in Europe to achieve this.

Ryanair currently has 72 bases and 189 airports and has more coverage than any other airline in Europe, which he said was important for Paphos, as their bases presented a range of possibilities.

By Maria Gregoriou

The Nicosia Municipal Arts Foundation will be screening two films tonight with content that is very close to home.

The first film, to be screened at 6pm, is Letters to Cyprus, directed by Sholeh Zahraei and Kamil Saldun.

The 24-minute film, in English, Turkish and Greek, is set in 2016, when Cyprus is reunited and after 42 years of waiting, peace has finally arrived. The plot revolves around a Cypriot woman who returns back to the home she was forced to leave in 1974.

This return is the beginning of an emotional and painful journey to the past. Memories start flooding in and as she remembers, she is also confronted with the aftermath of war.

The film is based on original letters from 1974 that were sent from the UK to Cyprus between two pen-pals.

At 6.30 the film Akamas, directd by Panicos Chrysanthou, will be screened.

Akamas is a film whose main character is Omeris, a Turkish Cypriot boy who grows up with Greek Cypriots during a time of peace and tranquility on the island.

Because of this upbringing he has been taught that all Cypriots have no differences, though they call themselves Greeks, Turks, Armenians, Maronites, Moslem or Orthodox or Catholic Christians.

But when he falls in love with a Greek Cypriot girl, Rodou, he realises that the world around him is not exactly as he thought it was. Because of their cultural differences, the two find it hard to be together. Omeris goes through much heartache and struggle to be with his beloved at a time when almost everyone around them is moving towards separation.

The two young lovers do everything in their power to resist the irrational nationalism that surrounds them and to stay outside the fanaticism which is slowly dividing Cyprus.

Letters to Cyprus
Screening of the film directed by Sholeh Zahraei and Kamil Saldun. February 18. Nicosia Municipal Arts Foundation, 19 Palias Ilektrikis, Nicosia. 6pm. Free. English, Turkish and Greek with English subtitles. Tel: 22-797400

Akamas
Screening of the film directed by Panicos Chrysanthou. February 18. Nicosia Municipal Arts Foundation, 19 Palias Ilektrikis, Nicosia. 6.30pm. Free. Greek with English subtitles. Tel: 22-797400

By George Psyllides

Former Paphos mayor Savvas Vergas and the head of the town’s sewerage board were sentenced on Wednesday to six years in jail each in connection with corruption charges relating to the construction of the town’s sewerage system.

Vergas and former sewerage board head, Eftychios Malekides, are guilty of receiving bribes and money laundering, offences committed during the construction of the town’s sewerage system.

The offences took place between 1999 and 2014.

Vergas admitted to receiving €520,000 in bribes and Malekides pleaded guilty to receiving €498,000. Both have returned immovable property and cash in a bid for leniency.

The pair had been receiving kickbacks from construction companies in return for contracts.

The scam saddled the municipality, and subsequently the taxpayer, with extra costs due to often-unnecessary additional work on the project. The project came in some €40m over budget.

Presiding judge Dora Socratous said the defendants’ behaviour and actions had no justification or excuse apart from greed, appropriation of money, abuse of authority, and abuse of trust.

Vergas, an elected official, betrayed the people’s trust, his promises, and obligations, the judge said.

Malekides exploited the position the state entrusted him with in the worst possible manner, Socratous said. From the initial stages a project necessary for Paphos he wasted no time in gaining benefits instead of working for the common good.

The town’s progressive projects were turned into sources of profit during difficult times. Both defendants made thousands at the expense of the state, the town, each and every taxpayer. The judge said the manner was “provocative, dishonest, and illegal.”

They had acted in a methodical and blatant way, Socratous said.

They exploited the entrepreneurs’ need for profit, work, and activity, without however, stopping at that.

The contractors’ claims for payment of lawful demands was another chance for financial gain, the court said.

Companies involved in the construction of the project have admitted to paying bribes but the state opted not to prosecute them.

“We are not in position to know what material or testimony there is against these individuals, apart of course, from the facts put before us: that these individuals bribed the defendants to win tenders,” the judge said.

The court said that despite having no right to judge the attorney-general’s discretion not to prosecute the contractors it “has a right and usually takes into consideration” this fact as a mitigating factor for the defendants based on the principle of equal treatment.

Not prosecuting a third party involved in a crime was not a mitigating factor in itself, the judge said, unless a violator had been favourably treated by prosecutors.

Their act to voluntarily return property and cash equal to the amount they had appropriated was correct but did not lessen the crimes or mitigate them entirely.

But the signs of remorse would be given the necessary gravity by the court.

The court also took into account the willingness to testify as prosecution witnesses against others implicated in the scandal.

They are former DISY municipal councillor Giorgos Michaelides, former DIKO councillor Efstathios Efstathiou, former AKEL councillor Vasos Vasiliou and current AKEL municipal councillor Giorgos Shiailis.

They face a total of 42 charges.

Michaelides, Efstathiou, and Vasiliou will appear in court on April 20. On March 3, the court will decide whether Shiailis should be included on the same chargesheet as the other defendants.

By Maria Gregoriou

Kypriaki Gonia in Larnaca will be exhibiting the solo exhibition by Nefeli Ptochopoulou entitled Musical World as of Friday.

Ptochopoulou brings to life on canvas a dreamy world of music expressed through the interplay of colour and expressive shapes. These two intertwine to guide the viewer into a musical world, unfolded art.

The art brings together a sight to not only arouse sight, but also play on the sense of sound. This sensation, as the artist explains “touches the soul of each human being, giving the opportunity to each spectator to travel in the world of music and vision.”

Ptochopoulou, from Larnaca, graduated with a formal art education at Aristotelio University, Thessaloniki, Greece. Although she has participated in a number of group exhibitions, this is the first time she has exhibited solo.

The exhibition will be opened by the Mayor of Larnaca, Andreas Louroutziatis.

Musical World
Solo exhibition by Nefeli Ptochopoulou. Opens February 20, 7.30pm until March 3. Gallery Kypriaki Gonia, 45 Stadiou Street, Larnaca. Monday-Saturday: 10am-1pm & 4.30pm-8pm. unday:11am-2pm & 4pm-7pm. Tel: 24-621109

Bulgarian Atanas Mitev Atanasov, 44, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday by the Larnaca Assize Court after he was found guilty to charges of possession of two kilos of cocaine.

Atanasov was arrested on November 23, 2014, when he arrived at the Larnaca airport from Sao Paolo, Brazil, via Dubai.

Following a search of his luggage by members of the Customs department and the police drug squad, two kilos of cocaine were found and seized.

The 44-year-old was arrested and charged with smuggling and possession of drugs, intent to sell to others, and conspiracy to commit a felony.

In Wednesday’s ruling, the Assize Court handed Atanasov a 10-year jail sentence for smuggling the cocaine, and an additional 10 years for possession of a controlled substance.

The two sentences are concurrent.

By Tony Jimenez

Excellent communication skills and a wealth of experience were two of the reasons Darren Clarke was named Europe’s 2016 Ryder Cup captain on Wednesday, said selection panel member Colin Montgomerie.

The Northern Irishman was appointed to succeed triumphant 2014 skipper Paul McGinley for the clash at Hazeltine, Minnesota after a five-man panel met at the European Tour’s Wentworth headquarters on the outskirts of London.

Clarke, 46, was one of three contenders for the job, along with Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark.

He was described as “an exceptional candidate” by victorious 2010 skipper Montgomerie.
“It was a unanimous decision to announce Darren as captain,” Montgomerie told Sky Sports television.
“I think he’ll be a very good communicator which is most important. He has the respect of the players, is a British Open champion (2011) and has a very good Ryder Cup record.”

Clarke has tasted defeat just once in seven previous appearances in the biennial team event, five times as a player and twice as a vice-captain, and seems to have the backing of most of the team that won the trophy in Scotland in September.

World number one Rory McIlroy said last month that his compatriot would be a perfect fit for the US where he is a popular figure.
“I am naturally extremely proud to be selected,” Clarke said in a news release. “The Ryder Cup has been a massive part of my life and my career so to have the chance to lead Europe is a huge honour.
“I am lucky to have played and worked under some fantastic captains … and I look forward to the challenge of trying to follow in their footsteps and help Europe to a fourth consecutive victory.”

Clarke is particularly synonymous with the 2006 Ryder Cup in Ireland where, despite fighting a constant battle to control his emotions after his wife Heather had died of cancer just before the event, he won all three of his matches.

He is likely to be going head-to-head with Davis Love III at Hazeltine after the Golf Channel reported on Monday that the 1997 US PGA Championship winner would be named American skipper next week.

It would be the second time Love, 50, has led the team after he oversaw the ‘Miracle of Medinah’ defeat in 2012 when Olazabal’s side stormed back to win from 10-4 down.

Hellenic Bank on Wednesday announced lowering its interest rates by 1 per cent as of March 1, after its announcement last Friday that it would do so as soon as the Central Bank of Cyprus’ proposal was issued.

The reduction will apply to all loans connected to the bank’s basic interest rate, both serviced and non-performing.

In a statement, the bank listed the rates to which the reduction will apply. Namely, its basic interest rate will fall from 5.25 to 4.25 per cent; basic rate on business loans and business overdrafts to 3.25 per cent; basic rate on housing loans to 2.65 per cent; and basic rate on housing loans (connected to Hellenic’s older basic rate) to 3.50 per cent.

Hellenic said that March 1 would also see a reduction of 1 per cent on all credit card rates.

“Hellenic Bank believes that its decision contributes one more step towards restarting the economy of Cyprus,” the statement said.

“At the same time, it reaffirms its commitment to continue working with the Central Bank and the Finance ministry with a view to finding solutions to the complex problems caused by the financial crisis.”

The move came on the back of a similar announcement by the Bank of Cyprus on Monday, and the Co-operative Central Bank last week.

Last Monday, the Central Bank of Cyprus announced a reduction of its maximum deposit rate for commercial banks by one per cent, in hopes that it would encourage them to lower their own lending rates.

“The CBC, having considered the governor’s prior consultations on this matter with representatives of the banks, is certain that credit institutions will proceed to commensurate reductions in lending rates promptly,” an announcement said.

By Angelos Anastasiou

POLICE arrested two suspects on Wednesday in relation to the attack on the house of Alexis Mavromichalis – aka ‘Alexoui’ on Tuesday night, which left his 28-year-old security guard Stefanos Papadopoulos dead.

The police have yet to any information on the identities of the persons arrested.

According to reports, one the men is thought to be the owner of a car found torched near the village of Ergates, near Nicosia, which according to witnesses was used in the attack.

The other is believed to be an inmate at the Central Prisons.

The attack took place at 7:45 pm on Tuesday, while Mavromichalis was in his house with three other individuals, reportedly his wife, child and a friend.

At the time, Papadopoulos was inside a car parked outside the house in the Strovolos suburb near the French ambassador’s residence. The perpetrators fired an anti-tank rocket and a round of bullets at the car.

“We are evaluating closed-circuit recordings from the house, and we will see what comes out of that,” Nicosia police chief Demetris Demetriou said yesterday.

Although police suspect that the intended target had been Mavromichalis, the attack left his security guard seriously injured – he succumbed shortly after being rushed to the hospital – and everyone inside the house unharmed.

Mavromichalis had been known to the police for some time, as a result of his involvement in the high-profile murder of Dias media group CEO Andis Hadjicostis in 2010 and other serious cases.

Alexis Mavromichalis

Shortly after midnight, witness descriptions of a car seen fleeing the scene led police to a white Seat Ibiza found torched near the village of Ergates, Nicosia.

Demetriou said the car’s chassis number revealed that it had various owners, but was not reported stolen.

“We will await the result of further investigation to establish what the findings are,” he said.

With regard to the weapons used, police confirmed that an anti-tank rocket-launcher, as well as a military-issue assault rifle were used.

Although the weapons are thought to have been smuggled in from the Turkish-occupied areas, the Defence ministry has launched an investigation into any missing anti-tank rocket launchers.

But while confirming that a probe had been launched, a Defence ministry spokesperson said the ministry didn’t know the type of weapon used in the attack, and couldn’t even confirm whether it was, in fact, an anti-tank rocket-launcher – though the latter was made public by the police.

“We don’t know – it’s possible the National Guard has been informed of the exact type, but we haven’t,” the spokesperson said.

Demetriou later confirmed that the weapon used was a rocket-launcher not held by the National Guard, suggesting it was smuggled into the country.

Asked whether the police had been tipped off that Mavromichalis was about to be attacked, the Nicosia police chief said that although such information is “received all the time”, the police can’t “stand behind every person, or outside every house, or behind every car”.

Demetriou noted that both the place and time of the murder were extremely dangerous as innocent bystanders could have been injured.

“People were moving through the area at the time,” he said. “The incident took place in a residential area and could have claimed many victims.”

Following are the results of the Cyprus Cup quarter-final matches played on Wednesday:

1st Leg:
AEL 1-0 Ermis

2nd Leg:
AEK 4-0 Othellos Athienou
Aggregate: 5-1

Karmiotissa 0-5 Omonia
Aggregate: 0-7

By Paul Carrel

THE European Central Bank agreed on Wednesday to raise the emergency funding available to Greek banks to 68.3 billion euros, a slight increase on the previous limit, a person familiar with the ECB talks said.

The rise in the provision of Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA), over which the ECB has control, is critical for Greece’s banks, and gives Athens some leeway while it tries to negotiate a financing deal with European partners.

The ECB had already raised the ELA available to Greek banks by 5 billion euros to about 65 billion last Thursday. The new cap is roughly 3.3 billion euros higher.

The person familiar with the talks said the Greek central bank had requested an extension of roughly 10 billion euros.

With Wednesday’s further modest increase, the ECB is keeping Greece’s banks – and thereby the government in Athens – on a tight leash.
“An extension and a small increase (in ELA) has been agreed,” said the person familiar with the talks.

The ECB Governing Council is due to meet again in two weeks.

The rules governing ELA stipulate that it is for the short term and should only be provided to solvent banks. But the solvency of Greece’s banks is tied closely to that of the state, which needs funding tied to its bailout programme.

Greece will submit a request to the euro zone on Thursday to extend a “loan agreement” for up to six months though Germany says no such deal is on offer and Athens must stick to the terms of its existing international bailout.

By Daniel Flynn

Niger, Chad and Cameroon are seeking to pin down Boko Haram within Nigeria’s borders ahead of a ground-and-air offensive by a regional task-force due to start from the end of next month, a senior Niger military official told Reuters.

The Islamist group, which has killed thousands of people in a six-year insurgency in Nigeria, has fought fierce battles with the three countries’ armies in southern Niger and northern Cameroon, near Nigeria’s borders, in recent weeks.

Chadian forces have made incursions into Nigeria to push back the jihadist fighters, hundreds of whom have been killed.

Military chiefs will meet in the Chadian capital N’Djamena next week to finalise strategy for the 8,700-strong task-force of troops from Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin and Niger, said Colonel Mahamane Laminou Sani, director of documentation and military intelligence of Niger’s armed forces.

“All we are doing right now is stopping Boko Haram from entering Niger: if they attack our positions we push them back a certain distance and Nigeria pushes from the other side to contain the situation,” he said, on the sidelines of the annual US-sponsored ‘Flintlock’ counter-terrorism exercises in Chad.

“There are initiatives by our countries to make sure Boko Haram doesn’t get out of control, but we have a deadline of end-March to put the joint force into practice,” he told Reuters late on Wednesday.

Highlighting the cross-border threat, militants attacked Niger overnight, killing three before they were driven back.

The force’s first commander will be a Nigerian and the position will then rotate annually among members, Sani said.

The implementation of the force has been delayed by tensions between Nigeria and Cameroon over the right to pursue militants across the border into each other’s countries, sources said.

Niger and Chad already have agreements in place covering that with each other and with Nigeria. Nigeria and Cameroon will be under pressure to iron out their differences.

“This should be the last meeting, I think. We don’t have any choice,” Sani said. “If we don’t go to find Boko Haram, they are going to come and find us.”

US INTEL SUPPORT

Niger’s military has carried out air strikes against Boko Haram positions and used ground forces to mop up the survivors, Sani said.

Sahelien.com, a regional news website, reported raids by Niger’s troops who entered the Nigerian town of Marara on Feb. 15 and air strikes on Damasak on Feb. 16. A security source said the reports were accurate but gave no further details.

Sani denied the Niger air force was responsible for an attack on Tuesday that killed at least 36 civilians at a funeral in the border village of Abadam.

A local mayor said he believed a Nigerian military plane was responsible. Nigeria has denied this and Niger has said it is investigating.

Air power will play a key role but ground troops will then used to neutralise survivors in the wooded and mountainous terrain occupied by the Sunni jihadist group, Sani said

“Information on their location needs to come from human sources first, then you send technological resources to check it, and you maintain observation on them until air strikes arrive,” he said.

Asked whether the US military could help with drone intelligence on fighters’ movements, he said: “That is already a reality. They help us in that sense.”

“This is no longer a issue of national security for Nigeria, it’s a question of regional and international security,” he said. “If Nigeria implodes then the whole of Africa will feel it.”