Bullets mailed to Italian PM and politicians

2011-12-16

ITALIAN Prime Minister Mario Monti, politicians and newspaper editors have been sent letters containing bullets and threats over government austerity measures, police said today.

In the latest episode of mailed threats in Italy, police said they intercepted 10 envelopes at a postal sorting office in Catanzaro in the southern region of Calabria.

Each envelope contained a bullet and a letter signed by a group calling itself the Armed Proletarian Movement with insults and threats regarding austerity measures, a police spokesman said. Investigators said the group had been unknown previously.

Russian aid convoy enters Kosovo after border row

2011-12-16

A RUSSIAN aid convoy held up for days by a dispute between Serbia and Kosovo over control of part of their border passed into the former Serbian province today after a deal stipulating it would be escorted only by EU police.

Kosovo, 90 per cent ethnic Albanian, declared independence from Serbia in 2008. But Serbs dominate in a small swathe of the north bordering Serbia and continue to function as part of the Serbian state, resisting efforts by the Kosovo government to extend its authority. The row cost Serbia official candidate status for membership of the European Union last week.

US navy may station ships in Singapore and Philippines

2011-12-16

THE US Navy said it would station several new coastal combat ships in Singapore and perhaps in the Philippines in coming years, moves likely to fuel China’s fears of being encircled and pressured in the South China Sea dispute.

Regional defence analysts said the ships were small, but agreed the symbolism of the moves, which come after Washington announced it was increasing its engagement in Asia, would upset Beijing.

Last month the United States and Australia announced plans to deepen the US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region, with 2,500 US Marines operating out of a de facto base in Darwin in northern Australia.

APOEL face Lyon clash

2011-12-16

 

CYPRUS champions APOEL have been handed a tough tie against French side Lyon in the last 16 of the Champions League.

The Nicosia side have been the surprise package of the competition so far, qualifying first from a group containing Zenit St Petersburg, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk.

While avoiding seven-time champions AC Milan, there is no doubt that Lyon are difficult opponents for Ivan Jovanovic’s side.

They have been the most successful French club of the last decade, having won all seven of their league titles since 2002.

Despite not enjoying their best season, they are still ranked ninth in Europe according to UEFA and have traditionally fared well in the Champions League, reaching the semi-finals two years ago.

Three more arrested in Oborok murder case

2011-12-16

 

Three more suspects were last night arrested in connection with the murder of Julia Oborok, 24, and her three year old daughter Victoria, who were found brutally murdered in Yeroskipou on Tuesday.

Police arrested the three on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a crime, collaboration after a crime, destruction of evidence and obstructing the course of justice.

The suspects are the 56 year old mother and 54 year old aunt of Oborok’s former boyfriend, who is currently in custody, and a 16 year old who was employed at his salon.

You can read the Cyprus Mail pdf edition here

2011-12-16

House to vote on 2012 state budget

2011-12-16

 

Parliament will vote today on the 2012 state budget.

The plenary session will begin early in the afternoon, when 56 members of Parliament will hold their final discussion on the state budget and voting will follow. 

The budget total revenue for 2012, excluding loans, are estimated at €7,740 million and total expenditure (including loan repayments) at €8,924 million, compared to €8,860 million budgeted for 2011.

 

Election to go ahead with or without civil servants

2011-12-16

SUNDAY’S municipal elections will take place, the government said yesterday, despite teacher and civil service unions urging their members not to work on the day, in an apparent bid to disrupt the poll.

But it appeared yesterday that many PASYDY members would not heed their union’s recommendation.

Speaking after a meeting with election and party officials, Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis said the election procedure was the most important expression of democracy “and cannot be suspended”.

Authorities, in cooperation with political parties, are looking into tackling personnel problems should members of PASYDY decide not to show up on Sunday.

Our View: Genuine state of municipal finances strangely ignored by candidates

2011-12-16

THE MUNICIPAL elections campaign may have been slightly overshadowed by the squabbling over the economy and the antics of unions, but candidates were still given ample time to put their views across. They have been guests on television and radio shows almost daily in the last couple of weeks, making all sorts of promises about making us proud, improving our quality of life, undertaking new projects, giving us the town we deserve or making it the cultural capital of Europe.

Civil servants stage 12-hour strike

2011-12-16

 

THE PUBLIC sector paralysed yesterday as government workers union PASYDY staged a planned 12-hour strike over a two-year wage freeze for civil servants, which they say was passed without prior dialogue.

The PASYDY strike was coupled with a 12-hour strike, from 9am to 9pm, by air traffic controllers in Cyprus’ two airports, which disrupted airline schedules.

Ministries and public services struggled to operate since only a handful of their personnel, belonging to PEO and SEK, checked-in for work, while semi-governmental organisations, such as CyTA and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) operated as normal.

“Almost no one came in today, and those who have can’t really do much,” said a finance ministry employee who had turned up for work.

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.