Cyprus broadcaster airs former leader's message in New Year blunder

Cyprus's public broadcaster inadvertently broadcast the opening seconds of an old New Year's message from the country's former leader instead of from President Nicos Anastasiades, prompting an embarrassed apology on Thursday.

The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) said it had realised its mistake within seconds of the broadcast going out on the afternoon of Dec. 31 and had halted transmission of the address from former president Demetris Christofias.

The broadcaster is now conducting an internal inquiry into the "very serious" error, CyBC said in a statement carried by the Cyprus News Agency. Christofias bowed out after Anastasiades won an election in February 2013.