Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-01-13 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] UN's Eide: Opening remarks on Cyprus showed there's hope for a solution [02] Council of State ruling seals failure of government's plan for the media, ND says [03] Four metro stations to remain closed on Saturday and Sunday [04] Funeral of Greece's ambassador to Brazil to be held in Thessaloniki on Sunday --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] UN's Eide: Opening remarks on Cyprus showed there's hope for a solution NICOSIA (A. Viketos) - The opening remarks made in Geneva on Cyprus talks showed there's hope that this dispute can be resolved, but difficult issues remain, UN's Special Adviser on Cyprus Espen Barth Eide said on Friday during a press conference in Geneva. Eide noted that Thursday's remarks "conveyed a strong message of hope that this long-standing dispute can now finally be laid to rest and a united federal Cyprus can emerge and be embraced in a security arrangement that is mutually acceptable for all sides." "There are difficult issues to overcome on the chapter of security and guarantees but there is will to overcome them," he added. Asked about a statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that Turkey will be in Cyprus forever, Eide responded that some discussions were held on Thursday, not on substance, which may have caused a reaction but added that there are no indications that any problems were caused to the process. "But we take note of that [Erdogan's statement]," he said. [02] Council of State ruling seals failure of government's plan for the media, ND says The Council of State ruling on the tender to award nationwide television licences also formally "condemned" the law "of failed 'TV Czar' minister [Nikos] Pappas and the government's totalitarian plans, which included full control of the mass media," main opposition New Democracy commented in a press release on Friday. According to the party, the ruling was a "clearcut victory for democracy and a clearcut defeat for the outgoing government." Order in the broadcasting sector will be imposed on transparent terms by the constitutionally established agencies of the state, it added. Regarding the statement from the Digital Policy, Telecommunications and News ministry, ND said it "understood the difficult position that Pappas now finds himself in" and recommended that "he use the weekend to more carefully read the court's reasoning." The opposition Potami party also welcomed the ruling, saying it fully vindicated the party's position that only the National Council for Radio and Television was empowered to organise a procedure to award television licences. It noted that Pappas had failed in his efforts to become "Supreme TV czar" and fully control the media, adding that "in a normal country he would have gone home". [03] Four metro stations to remain closed on Saturday and Sunday The Athens metro stations Sepolia, Metaxourgio, Evangelismos and Katehaki will remain closed on Saturday and Sunday for technical works referring to the installation of the new automatic ticket service. Trains will pass through these stations without stop. [04] Funeral of Greece's ambassador to Brazil to be held in Thessaloniki on Sunday The funeral of Greece's ambassador to Brazil Kyriakos Amiridis, who was murdered last December while on leave for the Christmas holidays will be held on Sunday in Thessaloniki. Amiridis' body was found in a burned-out car abandoned under a bridge in the Nova Iguaçu neighbourhood where the ambassador went missing. Police in Brazil have questioned his wife, a military police officer and his cousin for the crime. The Greek foreign ministry will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Amanatidis.