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network54.com ( ANSAmed ) - NICOSIA, MARCH North Cyprus: Turkish pipeline to pump water from July - It will carry 75 mln cubic meters of drinking water annually. An 80km under-sea pipeline, 120 metres beneath the Mediterranean, will start pumping water from Turkey to occupied northern Cyprus in July as Famagusta Gazette online reports. The pipeline will supply 75 million cubic meters of water annually from Turkey. The water coming from Turkey will be stored in a dam near Keryneia. The laying of the foundation stone of the Alakopru Dam, which was the first leg of the project, took place in 2009. "Its primary aim is to provide quality water to the Turkish Cypriot people and to secure that this is sold in reasonable prices", Turkish ambassador Halil Ibrahim Akca said yesterday. He added that the plan is for this water to be filtered after its use in order to be used again in agricultural production, but some problems exist on this issue. lgcnews.com

cyprus-mail.com ( ANSAmed ) - NICOSIA, MARCH - Crisis: IMF will decide on March 28th on next Cyprus' tranche... The International Monetary Fund (Imf) board will gather on March 28 to decide on the disbursement of the next tranche of its contribution in Cyprus' bailout, as Cna reports. Replying to a question IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said that that the Imf mission, together with its partners in the EU and the European Central Bank completed on February 11 their talks with the Cypriot government in the context of the third review of Cyprus' programme. The Imf's board, he continued, has scheduled to discuss the third review on March 28, adding that as usual the mission's report will then be published. Replying to a question over the resignation of Cyprus Central Bank Governor Panicos Demetriades and the appointment of Chrystalla Georghadji, Rice said that the Imf looks forward in engaging with the new governor in the context of talks with Cypriot authorities

The Cyprus problem ... A glimmer of hope Yet another round of talks to reunify the divided island begins AFTER years of foot-dragging by Greek-Cypriot leaders, who have been keener to block Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union than to end the island’s 40-year division, new talks on reunifying Cyprus are to start. Unlike his predecessors, President Nicos Anastasiades wants a deal with Dervis Eroglu, his Turkish-Cypriot counterpart. According to a “road-map” put forward by the two men when they met on the UN’s “green line” on February 11th, the two communities would unite under a confederation but run their affairs as “constituent states”. So far, so good. But can tricky issues like property and security, which have sunk previous talks, be resolved this time? It helps that the Americans are involved; they have prodded officials in Ankara and Nicosia to back the new proposal. The talks will be held as usual under UN sponsorship. For the first time the two leaders insist tha

(CNN) -- They call it "Stinky Thursday." In Greek, "Tsiknopempti." Ελληνικά "Τσικνοπέμπτη." It's a lot more appetizing than it sounds. Tsikna describes the mouthwatering aroma of lamb and pork, seasoned with rosemary, as it's grilled or slowly spit-roasted. Every February this smell fills the air in Limassol, Cyprus. It's a signal that Limassol Carnival, the liveliest, most colorful event of the year on the island, is around the corner. Limassol's big festival -- running this year from February 20 to March 2 -- has to be spectacular to stand out. Cyprus's calendar is crammed with festivals celebrating everything from wine and food to drama and dance. Limassol Carnival satire: this year's carnival "king" is surrounded by euro signs, symbolizing Europe's economic crisis

Less than 24 hours since the United States Soccer Federation announced that its March 5 friendly against Ukraine had been moved from Kharkiv to Larnaca, Cyprus because of the tenuous security situation in Ukraine, the game is again in doubt. Early Friday morning, a car bomb affixed to the car of Leontios Trattos, the head of Cyprus' referees'€™ association, had been detonated, according to the Associated Press. Nobody was injured, but the Cypriot federation has decided to postpone all first division games this weekend. The friendly with Ukraine is slated for Wednesday and falls on the final international FIFA match date, meaning it is the last chance for US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann to call up his full squad. On Thursday, he announced a side made up mostly of European-based players, opting to get a last look at his domestically-based players in an April 2 game against Mexico in Phoenix, Ariz. The Americans open their World Cup camp in mid-May.

ΚΕΡΥΝΕΙΑ - KIRNI, Cyprus—Mehmet Eligon points to a yellow patch of grass on his sprawling farm to show how this year’s meager rains are drying up feed for his goats, sheep and Holstein cows. “Because of the drought this year, there’s no water in our wells and the crops are drying,” says the 49 year-old Turkish Cypriot wearing military-style fatigues — popular attire for farmers on both sides of Cyprus, split between ethnic Greek and Turkish camps. He and his two brothers who have worked since childhood on the 2,000-acre (800-hectare) farm have one source of hope: a new water pipeline that will soon link Turkey with Cyprus’ Turkish side and potentially eliminate chronic water shortages for generations. In this Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014, a pile of iron pipeline segments rests next to a road as in the background seen on a mountain the painted Turkish Cypriot breakaway flag and Turkish in the northern Turkish Cypriot part of Cyprus’ divided capital Nicosia. The pipeline is part of

Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Χαραλάμπους (Κοντέας) churchofcyprus.org.cy KONTEA, Cyprus — ΚΟΝΤΕΑ ΚΥΠΡΟΣ In the days before this island was cleft between Greek and Turkish control, the church of St. Charalambos in this tiny village was a gathering place for all. But after decades of division, and fruitless talks between political leaders, local people grew tired of watching its paint peel and its altar decay. They took matters into their own hands. Like the church, relations between the two communities had crumbled after the island was partitioned after the Turkish military invasion of 1974. But this month, Turkish artisans’ drills buzzed. Greek woodworkers carved flourishes into the altar. After two years of work, craftsmen from both communities hurriedly polished the church in time for a grand rechristening that united nearly 500 Greek and Turkish Cypriots in a celebration under its lofty vaults — the first time the church had been used in 40 years. A mosque stands near the

Officials say there may be as much as 60 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in Cypriot waters, enough to turn the 1.1m islanders into the "Norwegians" of the Mediterranean. Cyprus has vowed to press ahead with the exploration and drilling of its vast gas reserves despite threats from Turkey to block extraction by military force if there is no prior deal to reunify the divided island. "The whole world, including the United States, recognises the right of Cyprus to exploit the right of its own exclusive economic resources," said Ioannis Kasoulides, the Cypriot foreign minister. Gymnasium with its columned Palaestra, Ancient city of Salamis, courtyard, Salamis ruins, Salamis, Cyprus Cyprus has carried out a diplomatic pivot, tightening its relations with Israel and abruptly ending its historic neutrality to apply for NATO's Partnership for Peace status Photo: Alamy

Recovery looks feasible for the island whose economy crashed less than a year ago What a difference a year makes: protests in Nicosia in March 2013 against a  tax on bank deposits to boost Cyprus’s EU rescue loan What a difference a year makes: protests in Nicosia last March over a tax on deposits to boost Cyprus’s EU rescue loan Photo: Bloomberg Cyprus has pulled off a minor miracle. Less than a year after crashing into the arms of the Troika (the EC, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank), the outlines of recovery are near. There have been no riots. The tight-knit society of 840,000 has held together, helped by sacrifice at the top. Ministers took a 45pc pay cut, the lowest-paid public workers just 6.5pc. Those on under €1,000 (£825) a month were spared. The country elected a no-nonsense government that is abiding strictly to the terms of the EU-IMF memorandum. Cypriots speak Greek, but the political climate is a far cry from the tumult of Athens where

A few months ago, this blog noted a push by Cypriot leaders to present the immense gas potential of the Eastern Mediterranean as a diplomatic catalyst in a fragmented region. After decades of tension and division at home, Cyprus reasoned that billions in energy revenue and the potential for energy independence would be enough to revive and stabilize reunification talks between the island’s two parts after nearly 40 years of division. Further, they saw the trillions of cubic feet of natural gas in nearby waters as a way to ease tensions throughout the region. Now, with reunification talks back on the table with U.S. support, Cyprus’ positive diplomatic outlook is gaining steam. This week, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades told the Associated Press that reuniting the Mediterranean island was the surest way to ensure energy cooperation throughout the region, allowing Turkey easier access to plentiful gas reserves and even put them on track towards closer relations with Israel. “A

By predicting likely stumbling blocks, I do not wish to be seen as a doomsayer. On the contrary, there is nothing more than I want to see a united, peaceful and prosperous Cyprus. The new initiative announced by the leaders of the Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus to reunify their island is, indeed, very good news. The joint statement agreed by the two Cypriot leaders, Nicos Anastasiades and Derviş Eroğlu is a significant step forward. The revived negotiations will still be under the auspices of the United Nations but this time, the United States will play an important role. The American involvement may prove to be decisive in this process. The UN Secretary General’s Good Offices missions alone have not managed to broker an agreement in Cyprus so far. The role played by the European Union has been somewhat divisive rather than unifying since the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union on the 1st May 2004. Far from being a catalyst for solving the Cyp

It was the second time that Kasoulines had called on Peres in an eleven months period. President Shimon Peres with Cypriot FM Ioannis Kasoulide. Israel and Cyprus are at an unprecedented level of cooperation and have been developing fast, Ioannis Kasoulines, the Foreign Minister of Cyprus said on Wednesday in the course of a visit with President Shimon Peres at the president’s official residence. It was the second time that Kasoulines had called on Peres in an eleven-month period. In welcoming him to the residence, Peres said that Israel has been following Cyprus’s struggle with its economic crisis and was impressed with the manner in which it was extricating itself. President Shimon Peres with Cypriot FM Ioannis Kasoulide. Photo: Mark Neiman/GPO Relations between

Turkish Cypriot President says Turkish troops' presence on divided island is red line for Turkey LEFKOSA (NICOSIA - LEFKOSIA) At the end of Wednesday's preliminary talks on the Cyprus issue, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Dervis Eroglu refuted earlier rumors that Turkish troops will leave the island. "The presence of Turkish troops in Cyprus is a red line for Turkey and it will never approve their withdrawal," Eroglu stressed. Their presence complies with the agreement between Turkey, the United Kingdom and Greece, which appoints the three states as guarantors of the island’s two communities, Eroglu told the Anadolu Agency.

FBi U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a lengthy phone conversation Feb. 18 to discuss developments in Syria and the launch of talks to reach a solution in Cyprus. In their first phone conversation in six months, Obama and Erdoğan talked for nearly one-and-a-half hours and exchanged views on strategic issues. The two sides mutually decided to hold the phone call in the wake of the launch of the new round of unification negotiations in Cyprus, according to diplomatic sources. Speaking on condition of anonymity, sources said the two leaders’ agenda did not include the ongoing corruption operation or the government’s legal amendments on key issues, such as the bills on the Internet and the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK). Obama's call was the first phone conversation between the two leaders in the past six months.

IF  you know of Famagusta, the city on the eastern seaboard of the small island of Cyprus, located beneath Turkey in the Mediterranean Sea, it is probably because you have heard about a beautiful ghost town within it called Varosha, frozen in time for 40 years now. You may have heard about its once-regal status as the Middle East's Mayan Riviera, of its crescent white sand beach that lured 10,000 tourists at a time, from all over the world. Movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and pop groups like ABBA. You may have heard that the region's waterfront hotels are now empty and rotting, crawling with snakes, fenced off at each end of the beach and guarded by young conscripts of the Turkish army who whistle sharply at tourists daring to flaunt the signs that ban anyone from aiming even a camera into the ghost city, much less stepping on the wrong side of the fence. You may have seen haunting photographs on the Internet, and maybe you thought, Wow, I wonder what it's like in the

  Nikosia (dpa) - Nach zwei Jahren Blockade haben heute neue Gespräche über eine Wiedervereinigung Zyperns begonnen. Die Führer der griechischen und der türkischen Zyprer, Nikos Anastasiades und Dervis Eroglu, kamen unter der Schirmherrschaft der Vereinten Nationen am alten Flughafen von Nikosia zusammen, wie Bilder des zyprischen Fernsehens zeigten. Gesucht wird nach einer Lösung in Form einer Föderation von zwei Bundesstaaten auf der Grundlage von politischer Gleichheit der beiden Volksgruppen. Die Mittelmeerinsel ist seit fast 40 Jahren geteilt - Folge eines griechischen Putsches und einer türkischen Militärintervention im Juli 1974. Im Norden gibt es seit 1983 die nur von der Türkei anerkannte Türkische Republik Nordzypern. Die Republik Zypern, die den Südteil der Insel kontrolliert, ist seit 2004 EU-Mitglied. Gesperrter Grenzübergang in der Ledrastraße mitten in Nikosia. Foto: Katia Christodoulou borkenerzeitung.de

The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, For Immediate Release February 11, 2014 Statement by the Press Secretary on Cyprus President Obama and the United States welcome the meeting today of the two Cypriot leaders, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades and Mr. Dervish Eroglu, and the renewal of negotiations on a Cyprus settlement under the auspices of the United Nations.  The Joint Statement agreed by the two leaders reflects a spirit of compromise and lays a solid foundation for results-oriented talks. The United States congratulates the two leaders for the courage and vision that enabled them to reach agreement on this important statement, which embodies key principles to guide their further work.  The United States also welcomes the constructive role played in this effort by Turkey and Greece, led by Prime Minister Erdogan and Prime Minister Samaras, as well as other international parties.  The division of Cyprus has endured for far too long.  Through a settlement, both communities c

CPI deflation in services is most likely buoyed by “state services” . 13 February 2014 fortheisland.wordpress.com A bit more detail on the disinflation. All categories of services are in deflation or disinflation, except for star services, which are increasing quite drastically under MoU conditions. Impressive decline on rents, partially due to legislative intervention that forced reductions. We are also noting Health and Education, two of the main drivers of inflation in previous periods/years. Overall Services are deflating by 1.7%, versus the overall CPI decline of 2.9%, y-o-y for January (chart below). ServicesCPIJan14 12 February 2014 More adjustment, continuing. With even deeper y-o-y CPI declines, the economy is still moving fast towards “internal devaluation”. Note that “core CPI”, which excludes fuel and edibles (the latter not on the chart) is even deeper in negative territory. Also note that domestic goods are showing deeper deflation than imports. The “tra

collaboristablog.com It’s not a good day for Bitcoin . Over on Japan-based Mt. Gox, one of the major exchanges for trading the virtual currency, withdrawals have been halted and the price has dropped . Several thousand miles away on the tiny island of Cyprus, the central bank has weighed in on the virtual currency too, and it’s not happy. Throughout this year, Cyprus has been touted in the media as fertile ground for Bitcoin growth. Remember that, since March, it’s had capital controls in place, leaving residents cash-restricted. That left Bitcoin with a potentially starring-role.   In November the University of Nicosia in Cyprus said it would accept bitcoin  as payment for everything from tuition to rent to books at the bookstore and meals in the cafeteria. It even started offering a Master’s course in virtual currencies. Bitcoin  has been gaining popularity in Cyprus.   Reuters

* UNic accepts payment, ‘Bee’ card wallet soon * Love it or hate it, the age of the Bitcoin is upon us. Valued at $840 or 620 euros on the open market, it is gradually creeping into more services and establishments in Cyprus, while the authorities are still pondering whether to regulate the virtual currency as a form of legal tender for equities, forex, futures or other products, but not necessarily the trade of the Bitcoin itself. To begin with, Neo & Bee LMB Subsidiaries bit-banking.eu will be opening a shop (a real one) in Nicosia later this month and gradually branching out across the island to promote the virtues of the Bitcoin. CEO Danny Brewster told the Financial Mirror that the first branch will open on February 24 and will be branded as a ‘Neo public information store’. The company already employs 35 people and has hired services from a further 25 software developers. The University of Nicosia that announced late last year that it, too, would accept fee paymen