Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 02-07-12

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Army chief to be buried today

[02] Cyprus and Greece bid Florakis farewell

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[05] Attorney General: We have lost nothing at the talks

[06] New National Guard Commander appointed

[07] Florakis laid to rest in Paphos

[08] Greece and Cyprus follow developments in Turkey

[09] Third helicopter victim buried this afternoon

[10] Papantoniou says Cyprus talks not progressing

[11] Cyprus signs El Teide Statement

[01] Army chief to be buried today

0900:CYPPRESS:01

Army chief to be buried today

Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) -- Cyprus' political, church and military leadership will bid farewell today to National Guard Commander, Lieutenant General Evangelos Florakis, who was killed in a helicopter crash Wednesday, near Paphos. Four other army officers were also killed.

Florakis' funeral will take place at 11 am local time at Panagia Eyangelistria church in Pallouriotissa, Nicosia.

Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and other high-ranking officials will attend the funeral.

The Greek government will be represented by National Defence Minister Yiannos Papantoniou. He will be accompanied by high-ranking officers of Greece's armed forces.

The burial will take place in Paphos, where the Florakis family lives.

The other four officers killed in the helicopter crash are Air Force Commander Stelios Demenagas, Lieutenant Nikos Georgiou, Flight Lieutenant Paris Athanasiades and Flank Officer Michalis Shakallis.

[02] Cyprus and Greece bid Florakis farewell

1410:CYPPRESS:02

Cyprus and Greece bid Florakis farewell

Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) -- In an emotionally charged atmosphere, hundreds of people attended today the funeral of the National Guard Commander, Lieutenant General Evangelos Florakis, 59, killed with another four army officers Wednesday in a helicopter crash.

President Glafcos Clerides, government officials, House President Demetris Christofias, deputies, members of the clergy and the military were among those attending the funeral. The Greek government was represented by the National Defence Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, who arrived this morning, accompanied by high-ranking officials of the Greek armed forces.

A guard of honour, comprising air, navvy and army servicemen, was outside the church of Panayia Evangelistria here and presented arms as the funeral cortege passed by.

"The Commander of the National Guard was a tireless soldier, who was on duty 24 hours a day, always ready for action in his mission, that entrusted him with the defence of the country," Cyprus Defence Minister said as he delivered the funeral oration.

Florakis, he said, devoted his entire being, body and soul, to his mission and was killed in the line of duty.

"His men knew him as a man who was with them, in firing ranges, in training exercises, everywhere they were. He was not a chief of staff who distanced himself from the men and women who served with him in the armed forces, he was over and above a soldier and he handed down orders by setting an example for others," Hasikos said.

As the minister bid the last farewell to Florakis he said the Commander was "a valuable, worthy, faithful and very capable associate".

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1505:CYPPRESS:03

Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) - The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

CSE General Index                               91,28  ( 0,83)

Traded Value                  CYP    584.183

FTSE/CYSE 20                  CYP    319.612   388,22  ( 0,58)

Sectoral Indices

Banks                         CYP    196.097   109,58  ( 0,39)
Approved Investment
Companies                 CYP     25.521    82,34  ( 1,02)
Insurance Companies           CYP      1.656    26,20  ( 0,69)
Manufacturing Companies       CYP     17.273    60,09  ( 0,12)
Tourism Companies             CYP     15.975    82,27  ( 3,60)
Trading Companies             CYP     12.482    19,30  ( 1,47)
Building and Cement Companies CYP     23.844    52,07  (-0,59)
Énformation Technology
Companies                 CYP     18.915     3,12  ( 4,00)
Financial Services Companies  CYP     25.403    13,85  ( 1,02)
Fish Culture Companies        CYP      1.205    15,63  ( 0,58)
Hotels                        CYP     66.472    50,76  ( 2,17)
Other Companies               CYP    157.782    84,84  ( 1,59)

* The third column presents the percentage variation of

[04] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1605:CYPPRESS:04

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) - Today's weather and temperatures for Cyprus,
according to the Meteorological Service at Larnaca International
Airport are:

Temperatures (degrees Celcius)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Station               Maximum     Minimum       Weather
(At 1200 UTC)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nicosia                  33          22          CLOUDY
Larnaca                  31          22          FINE
Limassol                 32          23          FAIR
Paphos                   30          22          FAIR

[05] Attorney General: We have lost nothing at the talks

1620:CYPPRESS:05

Attorney General: We have lost nothing at the talks

by Maria Myles Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) -- The Greek Cypriot side has not lost anything during the past six months of direct talks with the Turkish Cypriot side, Attorney General and member of the Greek Cypriot negotiating team Alecos Markides has said.

In an interview with CNA days before the resumption of the talks, after a brief break, he said that in the next two or three months the UN will most probably put forward a detailed solution plan for negotiation and pointed out that there is no reason for the Greek Cypriot side to change the positions it has already tabled at the talks.

[06] New National Guard Commander appointed

1720:CYPPRESS:06

New National Guard Commander appointed

Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) -- Lieutenant General Athanasios Nicolodemos is the new Commander of the National Guard, the Republic's armed forces.

He replaces Lieutenant General Evangelos Florakis, who was killed on Wednesday in a helicopter crash, along with four other army officers.

Defence Minister Socrates Hasikos told the press after an extraordinary cabinet meeting that the Council of Ministers "decided today to appoint Lieutenant General Athanasios Nicolodemos to the post of Commander of the National Guard."

Hasikos said the Council adopted a suggestion put before it, after discussions between him and the Greek Minister of National Defence Yiannos Papantoniou.

[07] Florakis laid to rest in Paphos

1920:CYPPRESS:07

Florakis laid to rest in Paphos

Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) - National Guard Commander Lieutenant General Evangelos Florakis was laid to rest today. His funeral was held in Nicosia and he was buried in Paphos.

A guard of honour, comprising air, navy and army servicemen, was outside the church of Panayia Evangelistria in Nicosia and presented arms as the funeral cortege passed by. A few hours later, another guard of honour awaited the Lieutenant General at the Greek Cemetery in Paphos, where hundreds of people were gathered to bid the Commander the last farewell.

When the cortege entered the cemetery, the sound of the National Guard Philharmonic, playing a funeral march, was muffled by the applause the crowd broke into.

The burial was attended, apart from Florakis' wife and two daughters, and his brother, by Minister of Defence Socratis Hasikos, members of the House of Representatives Defence Committee, National Guard and Police officers, representatives of the local authorities, foreign dignitaries and hundreds of people.

During the burial, an honour guard fired a salute over the gravesite, while in a symbolic gesture three new National Guard Russian-made MIL MI-35 helicopters flew over the Lieutenant General's resting place, in their first public appearance.

Moments before the National Guard Commander was placed in his grave, his cap and the flags covering his coffin were handed to his wife.

The army chief was killed in the early hours on Wednesday, when his helicopter crashed and burst into flames in the Paphos district, also taking the lives of the four other officers on board.

The last chapters of the tragedy close tomorrow with the funerals of Air Force Commander Brigadier Stelios Demenagas in Athens and Lieutenant Nikos Georgiou in Nicosia.

[08] Greece and Cyprus follow developments in Turkey

1935:CYPPRESS:08

Greece and Cyprus follow developments in Turkey

Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) - Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said today that Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit, in a desperate effort to remain in power, is embracing the most extreme nationalist elements of the Turkish establishment.

He also said that the government must monitor developments in Turkey calmly and be ready to make the necessary moves at the right moment.

[09] Third helicopter victim buried this afternoon

2015:CYPPRESS:09

Third helicopter victim buried this afternoon

Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) - Flight Lieutenant Paris Athanasiades, one of five National Guard officers killed in a helicopter crash on Wednesday morning in the Paphos district, was buried today.

[10] Papantoniou says Cyprus talks not progressing

2020:CYPPRESS:10

Papantoniou says Cyprus talks not progressing

Nicosia, Jul 12 (CNA) - Greek Minister of National Defence Yiannos Papantoniou said today that UN-led talks to solve the Cyprus problem were not progressing in a satisfactory manner, due to continued Turkish intransigence.

[11] Cyprus signs El Teide Statement

2030:CYPPRESS:11

Cyprus signs El Teide Statement

by Nicos Bellos

Brussels, Jul 12 (CNA) - The Ministers of the Environment of candidate countries for European Union membership signed today in Brussels their accession to the El Teide Statement on the protection of biodiversity in Europe.

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