US bans incoming parcels via passenger plane

2010-11-18

The United states has banned passenger airlines from importing all parcels over 450 grams, after the discovery of two mail bombs sent to the states from Yemen.

The Cyprus post office confirmed the stoppage was in effect since yesterday, while early reports indicate the US government’s Transport Security Administration (TSA) directive will be in effect for 30 days, covering the peak Christmas mail rush.

The ban has already cost one Paphos based businessman hundreds of Euros in lost business. OST Cosmetics manager Neil Hart normally exports between five and ten packages to the US daily, each worth up to €200, but he has sent none since Tuesday.

Private ‘courts’ undermining legal system

2010-11-18

THE ISLAND’S civil courts are being undermined by extra-judicial rings using violence and threats to settle financial disputes, the House Finance Committee heard yesterday.

The revelation was made by Attorney-general Petros Clerides and DISY’s Ionas Nicolaou, during discussions on the budget for the Legal Services.

Deputies heard that there had been a 33 per cent reduction in civil court cases due to more people turning to private debt collectors who were running their own “courts”, which were using the threat of violence as an incentive to resolve financial disputes.

AG Clerides admitted there were “extrajudicial rings” operating in Cyprus, settling affairs out of court but using unlawful means such as blackmail and threats.

Blame game starts over economy downgrade

2010-11-18

RATINGS agency Standard and Poor’s observations about the economy, despite downgrading it, contain positive and promising assessments the government said yesterday.

On Tuesday, S&P downgraded the economy to ‘A with a negative outlook’ citing the banking sector’s high exposure to debt-riddled Greece.

The agency said its action reflected “increased vulnerabilities from embedded credit risk of the Cypriot financial system’s external assets and domestic loan book, and the impact these could ultimately have on public finances”.

The government defended the banking sector, adding that S&P’s comments contained “positive and positive assessments for the Cypriot economy.”

DISY: we hate to say, we told you so

2010-11-18

DISY LEADER Nicos Anastassiades yesterday called for a radical overhaul of the 2011 state budget, noting that his party was ready to share responsibility for the difficult decisions that lay ahead.

Speaking after DISY’s Executive Bureau met to discuss Standard and Poor’s downgrading of Cyprus, Anastassiades highlighted that apart from the measures that had to be taken, a “radical revision” of the 2011 state budget was needed.

“Apart from the structural measures that must be taken immediately, what is urgent is the radical revision of the state budget for 2011 aiming for a reduction of government spending and curbing the deficit to below 4.5 per cent, as is our obligation to the EU anyway.”

Two leaders in New York for key UN meeting

2010-11-18

THE FINAL touches were last night still being put on the details of today’s key meeting in New York between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the two leaders.

President Demetris Christofias, who arrived in New York yesterday, was due to meet with UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer yesterday to discuss the day’s agenda for the meeting with Ban and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.

According to CyBC’s New York correspondent, the provisional timetable provides that the meeting will start at 1pm local time (8pm in Cyprus) with a working lunch attended by five representatives of each community, lasting 90 minutes. After a half hour break, the tripartite meeting will commence with each leader bringing four aides to the table.

CyTA switches off ‘money grubbing’ spam filter

2010-11-18

INTERNET service provider (ISP) CyTA yesterday switched off a spam-email filtering services after legitimate users reported that it had blocked their emails and wanted money to release them.

CyTA was using a service called SORBS, which blocks emails coming from IP addresses that are known sources of spam.

However, in recent days SORBS appears to have added several legitimate IP addresses to its black-list, and were refusing to remove these users unless they paid a USD $55 ‘fine’ which is regarded in several internet forums as extortion.

Paphos resident Colin Pearson was one such user who discovered he was wrongly added to SORBS’ blacklist when he tried to send an email from Yorkshire in the UK to his solicitor in Cyprus.

Troubled CY gets boost from chartered flights

2010-11-18

 

CYPRUS Airways (CY), the loss-making flag carrier which has said it needs drastic measures to safeguard its viability, said chartered flights helped lift passenger numbers from January to October.

“Cyprus Airways transported some 37,000 more passengers compared to the corresponding period last year … mainly because of the operation of charter flights, which comprise one of the measures which the company has taken to confront the after-effects from limited demand,” the airline said in a statement yesterday.

Students mark 1973 Polytechnic uprising

2010-11-18

STUDENTS and pupils yesterday marked the 37th anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising against the Greek junta with a march to the American Embassy.

A delegation from students’ union POFEN and pupils’ union PSEM presented a resolution addressed to US Ambassador Frank Urbancic, which was picked up by an embassy official.

The students had gathered at the old Nicosia General Hospital in Nicosia to start their march holding banners saying: “The people never forget the fascists and the tanks.”

Along the way, they shouted slogans, such as: ‘Bread – education – freedom’ and ‘NATO –CIA treachery’, and sang patriotic songs.

Facebook video a violation of child’s rights

2010-11-18

COMMISSIONER for Children’s Rights, Leda Koursoumba yesterday branded the video of a child waving a toy gun around and parroting his grandfather’s call to shoot Turks and communists, as a flagrant violation of the four-year-old boy’s rights.

“Any training or guidance should prepare the child for a responsible life in a free society in the spirit of understanding,” said Koursoumba.

The video was posted two weeks ago on Facebook by the boy’s grandfather, a senior official in the public service. However within minutes of the story being broadcast on CyBC on Tuesday night, the video was removed from the sight of the general public.

Deputy’s allegations of ‘immigrant blackmailers’ falls short of claim

2010-11-18

THE POLICE have looked into claims by DISY deputy Kyriacos Hadjiyiannis that groups of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers were threatening and blackmailing employers and found only one complaint in the Larnaca district, said police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos yesterday.

Hadjiyiannis told reporters on Tuesday that groups of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers were operating an “organised ring” blackmailing employers in order to keep receiving benefits.

He said it was “inconceivable that this is happening in such a massive and organised manner and we are mere spectators”, adding that employers in Larnaca and Famagusta have complained to the police but nothing has been done about it.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.