FIGURES given by the President of the Cyprus Hoteliers Association Haris Loizides at the Association’s AGM on Wednesday painted a very gloomy picture of tourism industry in terminal decline. “In 2009 we recorded the biggest drop in arrivals compared to all our competitors,” he said. Arrivals fell by 11 per cent but, worse still, revenue shrank by 17 per cent compared to the previous year.

CYPRUS was covered in dust again yesterday but unlike previous clouds, which have come from the Sahara and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, the current dust cloud appears to have come from the south, south east, and even mainland Turkey.

Harris Zachariades, Meteorological Service Officer, said yesterday this dust cloud was the result of a low pressure system over the eastern Mediterranean. “This enables the dust to lift up into the air. As the low pressure system weakens I expect the dust levels will decrease.”

Asked about the time frame, he said that by the end of today, the air should have cleared. “From the weather conditions today I can deduce that tomorrow (Saturday) the dust situation will improve.”

A PAPHOS policeman was arrested, detained and suspended yesterday after being accused of allegedly blackmailing an illegal immigrant to save him from being deported.

The policeman in question said he had sought money from the 25-year-old Syrian after realising that the latter had allegedly stolen his car’s rims.

A disciplinary investigation into the case has also been launched.

According to the police, the whole affair started back in September during a police operation on a building site, where the illegal Syrian was working. Noticing the police, the 26-year-old fled the scene, leaving his car behind.

FOUR of the five Cyprus Airways (CY) unions said yesterday  they were “satisfied” after receiving a briefing from Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis on the study into the possible merger between CY and state-owned Eurocypria.

“We are fairly satisfied after the meeting, and we are waiting to be invited soon to receive a further briefing”, said President Andreas Pierides, head of the national carrier’s biggest union CYNIKA.

The report on the merger is being carried out by consultants KPMG.

“We believe that the struggle begun by the CY staff, for the creation of a single national carrier that will be strong and competitive within the new environment developing in Europe, can become a reality,” said Pierides.

TONIGHT Jon Lilygreen and the islanders will go up against 24 other contestants in this year’s Eurovision song contest final, after a triumphant performance in the semis, in which seven nations were eliminated.

The last time Cyprus participated in the Eurovision final was in 2004 with Lisa Andreas singing Stronger Every Minute, which came in fifth place

Lilygreen’s ballad, Life Looks Better in Spring received praise from voters, but he faces some tough competition from the German frontrunner, Lena Meyer-Landrut, who is looking for the first German victory since 1982 with the poppy summer hit, “Satellite”.

THE HEAD of the Turkish Cypriot ‘Religious Affairs Department’ Dr. Yusuf Suicmez said yesterday his office had invited Pope Benedict to visit the occupied areas during his visit to the island next weekend.

Suicmez said he had not yet received an answer to his invitation.

According to reports from the north, Suicmez said that if the Pope visited the occupied areas it would be a good opportunity to send a message in support of peace. He added that religious leaders had the ability to send a message supporting a lasting peace in Cyprus.

ANGRY environmentalists say they are planning to hold a concert at the Dikomo (Dikmen) rubbish dump in the north of Nicosia in protest at the continued use of the site for disposing of 3,000 tonnes daily of household and industrial waste.

The protest comes after decades of promises to clean up the site and begin processing waste in a non-hazardous manner.

“For more than 30 years we have had to live with this foul pollution. Now we have reached the point where we are angry,” spokesman for the newly formed Environmental Platform Dogan Sahir told the Cyprus Mail.

FINANCE Minister Charilaos Stavrakis met representatives of two of the main student organisations yesterday morning and exchanged views on the government’s plans to means-test the provision of student grants.

Representatives of the Pancyprian Federation of Student Unions (POFEN) and the Student Union of the University of Cyprus (FEPAN) presented their own proposals to Stavrakis regarding the government’s intention to replace the basic grant of €1,708 for all Cypriot students with a grant of up to €2,000 according to income criteria.