A 36-year old man was arrested on Wednesday in connection with possession of child pornography and exposing a minor to child pornography.

The man was arrested in his house in  Nicosia and his personal computer was seized by police for examination.

On September 1, Limassol police arrested a 21-year-old man on suspicion of possessing child pornography.

The suspect was arrested after members of the cyber crime squad conducted a search of his home in Limassol, police said.

Preliminary examination of a laptop and three external hard drives seized at the house came up with archives containing child pornography, police said, without providing more details.

By staff reporter

British bases authorities (SBA) arrested a local man for bird trapping during a large scale operation in the Cape Pyla area on Tuesday morning.

SBA said in a statement on Wednesday that police conducted an early morning raid in various locations in the area and found the suspect in possession of two mist nets, three loud speakers used to attract migrating birds, 10 metres of cable, one radio cassette, and six metal poles.

The raid, which is part of the SBA Police’s ongoing Operation Freedom campaign, was headed by Chief Inspector Mustafa Kemal, who feels both the arrest and the seizures sends out a strong message to would-be bird trappers.

“Overall this was a very successful operation and it sends out the message that bird trapping will simply not be tolerated,” Kemal said. “We operate a zero tolerance policy on bird trapping and it remains a force priority for the SBA Police.”

Kemal warned bird trappers that the will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law no matter “who you are.”

SBA police conduct operations throughout the year but have stepped up efforts in August as more migratory birds enter Cyprus.

Since the beginning of last month, excluding Tuesday morning’s operation, five arrests have been made and 31 mist nets have been seized, along with numerous other poaching-related paraphernalia, SBA authorities said.

Conservation organisation BirdLife Cyprus estimates that 2.5 million birds are illegally trapped every year in Cyprus, including threatened and endangered species.

Tiny songbirds, locally known as ambelopoulia, end up served as the tastiest of delicacies. Others are killed and thrown away as collateral damage.

Despite the laws in place, poachers and restaurateurs still get away with serving ambelopoulia.

Restaurants are rarely prosecuted for serving ambelopoulia and there are politicians who are openly sympathetic towards trappers.

By Elias Hazou

THE Supreme Court is to fast-track the repossessions-related bills referred to it due to the gravity of the situation, its president said yesterday.

“What I can say is that in light of the nature of these cases the Supreme Court will give them priority, realising the gravity and the implications these have,” Supreme Court President Myron Nikolatos told the Cyprus News Agency.

He declined to give a tentative timeline for a Supreme Court ruling, however.

Four out of six bills voted by parliament last Saturday to limit the scope of the controversial foreclosures bill were found to be conflicting with the constitution of Cyprus and referred to the Supreme Court for a ruling.

Yesterday, President Nicos Anastasiades informed party leaders of his decision to send the other two bills back to parliament. Parliament can now accept his referral or send them back to the Presidential Palace and see this matter also settled by the Supreme Court.

The President was expected today to refer the four items to the Supreme Court and the other two to the House.

Once the legislative proposals are sent back, MPs have a maximum 15 days in which to respond. Depending on the President’s arguments for returning the bills, the House may agree to amend them or withdraw them altogether.

Government sources, however, told the Mail these two items are of ‘lesser concern’ than the four referred to the Supreme Court, since they do not significantly subvert the philosophy of the core foreclosures legislation.

The parties’ move to pass a slew of bills complementary to the government’s main repossessions law has prompted the European Commission to withhold the next tranche of financial assistance.

The Commission said parts of the legislation passed by parliament were incompatible with the terms of the island’s bailout.

The six contentious bills, which were tabled and voted by opposition parties as a “safety net” to vulnerable groups against the risk of foreclosure, had been referred to the Attorney-general by the President on Monday for a constitutionality review, following the Troika’s explicit opposition to their provisions.

Cyprus may have missed today’s deadline for the disbursement of the next bailout tranche, but it is possible for the Eurogroup to convene extraordinarily at a subsequent date, including via conference call and give the nod for the cash, provided the troika is satisfied.

That gives the island a bit of breathing space – but not much. Without the troika cash injection, the state is essentially insolvent, thus the sooner the issue is settled the better.

According to former Attorney-general Alekos Markides, it is possible over the next fortnight for the Supreme Court to deliver a ruling on the constitutionality of the four bills referred to it.

The Supreme Court’s standing record for delivering a judgment on a Presidential referral is 15 days, in a case dating back to 1985, Markides told the state broadcaster.

Markides fully endorsed the President’s decision to take a shortcut by referring the four bills straight to the Supreme Court, rather than first sending them back to the House, as per usual procedure.

Given that the House majority would have rejected the President’s pleas for a rethink, wasting even more time, the President’s move was wise, he said.

The former AG and one-time presidential candidate sided with the administration against the parties, whom he accused of cheap political gamesmanship by insisting on a so-called ‘safety net’ for vulnerable groups.

In particular, Markides attacked a bill – authored jointly by AKEL and EDEK – exempting primary residences worth up to €350,000, as well as small-business premises, from foreclosure if the debtor can demonstrate that his inability to repay the mortgage was the result of the current economic crisis.

“Whom is this supposed to protect? Are we to believe that €350,000 is an amount to frown upon?” Markides said.

“If someone has a house worth €350,000, then more likely than not he or she is a millionaire. Are these the vulnerable people whom the opposition parties want to protect?”

The former AG also lashed out at the mentality of certain quarters in Cyprus who treat the island’s creditors as “our adversaries.”

Markides said warnings of mass evictions of people from their homes are tantamount to scaremongering.

Central Bank data show that non-performing loans on primary residences, especially on the lower end of the market, represent only a fraction of total NPLs – strongly suggesting that these won’t be the debtors that commercial banks will be chasing first.

And at any rate, under the bill drafted by the government, primary residences are exempted until January from the initiation of repossessions proceedings.

THE SOONER the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) is privatised the better it will be for everyone. The politicians would no longer be able to interfere in its decision-making, dictating its pricing policies and using it for conducting state welfare policy. And the political interference in appointments and promotions, which is the standard practice, would also stop.

But until it is sold off, the politicians will carry on behaving like ‘shareholders’ of the Authority. Of course, if they behaved like normal shareholders, seeking the maximisation of profits, they may have made a positive contribution to its operation, keeping costs low and ensuring high productivity; they could also have exploited the monopolistic status to charge even higher rates.

Instead the sensitive and caring politicians have been using the Authority as a charity vehicle for buying votes. This attitude was displayed at the legislature earlier this week, with deputies urging the management of the EAC to rescind the decision to charge interest on bills that were not settled on time. But the generosity of deputies did not stop at that. They also demanded that the EAC included the unemployed in the category of ‘vulnerable consumers’ who were paying lower electricity rates (discounted by 20 per cent) than the rest of the subscribers, after a decree issued by the Christofias government.

This is a ridiculous practice. If the state wanted to help vulnerable consumers it should contribute 20 per cent towards their bill instead of ordering the Authority to charge less and urging it not to cut the supply of vulnerable consumers who did not pay their bills. What will the state do when the Authority is privatised? But the deputies seemed to want the EAC to also carry out means-testing of all its subscribers so as not to charge interest on the bills of people who lost a big chunk of their salary or were being paid €600 a month in wages.

It is all for effect, because the interest charge on a late bill might be a couple of euro. Should the Authority waste its resources, means-testing its customers, which should not be its job, in order for deputies to boast that they saved the lowly paid one or two euro per bill? Needless to say that we have never heard deputies complain about the extortionate salaries being paid to EAC staff, which also affects electricity rates. The parties want an electricity supplier that pays its staff obscenely high salaries and pensions but also gives discounts to the poor and needy. And of course the rest of the EAC’s customers are forced to pay higher rates to fund the politicians’ charitable acts.

Is it any wonder the parties are so strongly opposed to privatisation?

By George Psyllides

THE government said yesterday it was doing its best to limit any fallout from the foreclosures debacle as the Eurogroup meets today to discuss the island’s progress in implementing its adjustment programme.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), a member of the island’s troika of lenders, echoed the European Commission yesterday in saying that the laws passed by parliament were not compatible with the terms of the bailout.

The foreclosures law is “decisive in tackling the high and rising non performing loans, resuming the supply of credit, and Cyprus’ return to viable growth,” deputy IMF spokesman William Murray said. “The current package is not compatible with these objectives and we expect to be briefed by the authorities on how they plan to proceed.”

Cyprus is concerned about today’s Eurogroup meeting and the possibility of any negative references in its report having passed all of its previous troika reviews with flying colours.

“You can understand what consequences a negative reference would have,” Government Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said, but declined to elaborate lest he was accused of scare mongering.

“The situation is very difficult and what is worse is that it was created unnecessarily,” he said.

Last Saturday MPs passed six bills that limited the scope of the foreclosures legislation – which they also approved – despite being warned that something like that would preclude Cyprus from receiving its next tranche of financial assistance.

President Nicos Anastasiades has said he would send back to parliament two pieces of the legislation found to be incompatible with the terms of the island’s bailout.

Anastasiades is also to refer the four other contentious pieces to the Supreme Court, which will have to decide whether they are constitutional.

But yesterday, main opposition AKEL appeared prepared to inflict more damage on the economy, saying it would try to suspend the application of the foreclosures bill because the president sent the two pieces of legislation back to parliament.

One of the two sent back concerns the right of borrowers to report a bank to the Central Bank governor if they think the lender violates the code on loan restructuring, and the other one gives the Central Bank the authority to step in and stop mass foreclosures.

From the four sent to the Supreme Court, the first allows distressed borrowers with non-performing housing loans up to €350,000 to apply for court-ordered protection against foreclosure, while the second stipulates that foreclosing properties would relieve small borrowers of any further obligation, even if the property’s auctioned value does not cover the outstanding loan.

The third relieves guarantors of any obligations after the property is sold, and the fourth links the foreclosures bill with the insolvency framework.

The government spokesman yesterday wondered what the “real intentions” of certain parties were after AKEL issued its threat.

“The only path to secure the continuation of the recovery course and stabilisation of the economy, as well as ensuring the broader interests of our people, especially vulnerable groups, is the implementation of the support programme and parties know this well. The choice and responsibility is theirs,” Christodoulides said.

Earlier, he told the state broadcaster that the government was trying to minimise the effects of not receiving the next tranche.

“It is a negative development without a doubt and I think no one disagrees,” he said, stressing that Cyprus must get the money as soon as possible.

Cyprus was meant to receive some €485 million – it has so far received €5.1 billion with €4.9 billion to go.

The programme can continue in theory, but the issue will remain pending and it could affect future reviews. Plus, the government would have to raise the money from somewhere and that could mean additional spending cuts.

AKEL dug its heels deeper, accusing the government of engaging in unilateral actions and creating new fait accompli that could not be accepted.

“From the moment the president chose to eliminate the protection net of vulnerable groups and the offsetting measures against the risk of mass and indiscriminate foreclosures, AKEL will seek to restore balance by suspending the foreclosures law,” spokesman Giorgos Loukaides said.

DIKO called on Anastasiades to sign the law linking foreclosures with the implementation of the insolvency framework and prepare legislation regarding the latter as soon as possible.

DISY leader Averof Neophytou highlighted the need to find common ground without blowing up the country’s stability programme.

Neophytou said international lenders stepped in because of “our mistakes. It is respected and understandable to have opposing views in a democracy but we have a huge obligation towards our country, society, and our children, to find solutions and not repeat our mistakes. We must save the country and the economy.”

By Adrian Croft

The European Union put into effect on Friday a new round of sanctions against Russia over its role in Ukraine, including restrictions on financing for some Russian state-owned companies and asset freezes on leading Russian politicians.

The EU and the United States have been stepping up pressure on Moscow after its annexation of Crimea in March and what the West sees as an effort since then to further destabilise Ukraine by backing pro-Russian separatists in the east with troops and arms.

The EU has held out an olive branch, however, by saying it could lift some or even all of the sanctions within weeks – if Moscow abides by a fragile truce and respects a peace plan.

The United States has said it will give details of new tougher sanctions on Russia later on Friday.

Sanctions published in the EU’s Official Journal on Friday included asset freezes and travel bans on Igor Lebedev and other deputy speakers of the Russian lower house of parliament, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, an outspoken nationalist politician, and a number of leaders of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Also sanctioned was Sergei Chemezov, described as a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin from his KGB days in Dresden. He is chairman of Rostec, a leading defence and industrial group that includes arms supplier Rosoboronexport and a firm that is planning to build energy plants in Crimea.

State-owned Rosoboronexport said it did not expect the sanctions to have an impact on its business.

OIL FIRMS
As EU officials have said before, the new sanctions put Russia’s top oil producers and pipeline operator, Rosneft, Transneft and Gazprom Neft, on a list of state-owned firms that face restrictions on raising capital on European markets.

EU sanctions do not include the gas sector and in particular state-owned Gazprom, the world’s biggest gas producer and the biggest gas supplier to Europe.

Under the EU penalties, firms in the bloc will be barred from providing drilling or well testing services for deepwater oil exploration, Arctic oil exploration or production and shale oil projects in Russia.

Battle-tank maker Uralvagonzavod, aerospace company Oboronprom, maker of Mil military helicopters, and state-controlled United Aircraft Corp (UAC), which produces MiG and Sukhoi warplanes, are barred from issuing raising new capital in Europe via securities with a maturity of more than 30 days.

Russia’s foreign ministry said on Thursday that, by backing new penalties, the European Union had “made its choice against” the current peace road map aimed at ending the worst confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.

Russian and Ukrainian ministers are to meet EU officials in Brussels later on Friday to discuss trade agreements. Diplomats say the EU will offer Russia more time to adjust to a European free-trade pact with Ukraine that has been the trigger for the conflict and which Moscow fears would hit is exports to Ukraine.

Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said the fresh EU sanctions highlighted the support his country was receiving: “I never felt before this level of solidarity,” Poroshenko told a conference in Kiev, also citing the pledges of support he received at a NATO summit in Wales last week.

“I feel myself a full member of the European family.”

By Humeyra Pamuk

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan approved a law tightening government control of the Internet and expanding the powers of the telecoms authority late on Thursday, part of the first legislative package he has effected as head of state.

Parliament passed the law late on Monday.

The new law comes on top of legislation passed in February that made it easier for the authorities to block access to web pages without a prior court order, prompting public anger and raising concern about freedom of speech.

The new law expands those powers, allowing the TIB telecoms authority – headed by a former intelligence official – to block sites if deemed necessary for matters of “national security, the restoration of public order and the prevention of crimes”.

The February law limited these powers to cases of privacy violations and was only passed after former President Abdullah Gul requested amendments watering down some of the clauses.

The main opposition CHP said it would appeal to the constitutional court to try to overturn the new law, passed only weeks after a new government took office in the wake of Erdogan’s election last month as president.

The February legislation was seen by critics of Erdogan, then prime minister, as an authoritarian response to a corruption inquiry shaking his government and as a bid to stop leaks circulating online.

Turkey, which hosted the international Internet Governance Forum only days ago, temporarily blocked access to Twitter in March, after recordings allegedly portraying Erdogan and his inner circle’s links to the corruption scandal. The move triggered public uproar and drew international criticism.

Erdogan cast the scandal as a plot orchestrated by his ally-turned-foe, US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose followers wield influence in the police and judiciary.

By Kim Palmer

A teenager who escaped from a northwestern Ohio prison with another inmate on Thursday while serving a life sentence for shooting three students to death at a Cleveland-area high school in 2012 has been taken back into custody, police said.

T.J. Lane, 19, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole last year for the attack at Chardon High School near Cleveland, escaped with fellow inmate Clifford Opperud, 45, from the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio, the local police department said in a Facebook message.

A dispatcher with the Ohio State Highway Patrol confirmed early on Friday morning that Lane had been taken back into custody, but declined to provide additional information.

Lane and Opperud, who is serving a sentence for aggravated robbery, escaped at about 7.40pm and were said to be wearing blue prison uniforms, police said. The circumstances of their escape from the facility with more than 1,600 inmates were not immediately known.

Lane’s former attorney, Ian Friedman, warned that Lane could be dangerous and was one of the few maximum security prisoners at the facility. He had recently lost an appeal.

“He was on trial for horrendous nightmare crimes and he is facing life and you have to wonder what he feels he needs to do to stay out of prison,” Friedman said.

Police warned residents not to let strangers into their homes or to pick up hitchhikers.

Prison officials and police backed by a helicopter using infrared detection equipment had launched an “extensive manhunt” in the area.

Lane was arrested shortly after the school attack and confessed to firing 10 rounds from a .22-caliber pistol at students in the school cafeteria, killing three. Another student was left paralyzed from the waist down.

The February 2012 rampage was one of several mass shootings in the United States that year, including the massacre of 20 children at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, in December.

Chardon, a small town near Cleveland, is about 320 kilometers east of the prison.

Chardon Local School District schools will be closed on Friday but will still provide counseling services, Superintendent Michael Hanlon said in a statement.

“Chardon remains a strong and resilient community that has rallied around each other before and I am confident that we will continue to do so,” Hanlon said.

Lane wore a T-shirt with “killer” scrawled on it and gave a profane statement in court when he was sentenced to three life terms for the aggravated murders and a total of 37 years for the wounding of other students, with sentences ordered to be served consecutively.

Lane killed Demetrius Hewlin, 16; Russell King Jr., 17; and Daniel Parmertor, 16. He wounded Nick Walczak, who was left paralyzed, as well as Nate Mueller and Joy Rickers.

By Stella Mapenzauswa

Oscar Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide on Friday, having escaped the more serious charge of murder for the killing of his girlfriend, and the Olympic and Paralympic track star could face a lengthy prison sentence.

The 27-year-old double amputee, who became one of the biggest names in world athletics, stood impassively in the dock, his hands folded in front of him, as Judge Thokozila Masipa delivered her verdict.

Pistorius was also cleared of two unrelated firearms charges – illegal possession of ammunition, and firing a pistol out of the sun-roof of a car – but was convicted of firing a pistol under the table of a packed Johannesburg restaurant.

Masipa based her culpable homicide decision on the fact that Pistorius had acted unreasonably and negligently when he fired four shots from a 9mm pistol into a toilet door in his luxury Pretoria home, killing Steenkamp, who was behind it, almost instantly.

Culpable homicide – South Africa’s equivalent to manslaughter – carries up to 15 years in prison.

The state had argued that Pistorius was deliberately trying to kill Steenkamp, a law graduate and model, after a row in the early hours of Valentine’s Day last year, but Masipa ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove the allegations.

Pistorius said he had fired in the mistaken belief that an intruder had broken into his bathroom and was hiding in the toilet cubicle.

By Matt Siegel

Australia on Friday raised its terror threat level to ‘high’ for the first ever time, citing the likelihood of terrorist attacks by Australian citizens radicalised in Iraq or Syria, despite stressing there was no knowledge of a specific attack plan.

Australia is concerned over the number of its citizens believed to be fighting overseas with Islamist militant groups, including a suicide bomber who killed three people in Baghdad in July and two men shown in images on social media holding the severed heads of Syrian soldiers.

David Irvine, the director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), flagged the prospect of lifting the threat level on Tuesday, citing the growing risk posed by the returning fighters.

“Last night the director general of security raised the terror threat to high, consequently today the government is raising the public awareness level to high,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a news conference in Melbourne.

“I want to stress that this does not mean that a terror attack is imminent. We have no specific intelligence of particular plots. What we do have is intelligence that there are people with the intent and capability to mount attacks here in Australia.”

Australia had been at the “medium” alert level since a four-tier system was introduced in 2003. A “high” alert level is used when officials believe an attack is likely, while a “severe” level means they believe an attack is imminent or has occurred.

Australian police on Wednesday arrested two men suspected of helping Australian citizens fight alongside militants in Syria on terrorism-related charges.

Up to 160 Australians have either been involved in fighting there or actively supported it, officials say, and at least 20 have returned to Australia after fighting in the Middle East and pose a national security risk.

WAR ABROAD, EXTREMISM AT HOME?

Abbott, whose conservative Liberal-National coalition has struggled in the polls since winning elections last year, is pursuing an increasingly muscular foreign policy that has moved him closer to the United States on crises like Iraq and Ukraine.

Voter support for Abbott’s coalition tanked after handing down an unpopular budget in May, but his tough stance over the shooting down of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 in eastern Ukraine in July delivered a sharp popularity boost.

Opposition Greens Party leader Senator Christine Milne said she accepted security advice behind the heightened alert, but said Abbott’s support for a US-led military campaign against the Islamic State militant group was helping to drive extremism in Australia.

“We cannot bring Australians together and combat extremism at home by blindly following the USA into yet another Iraq war,” she said in a statement.

The UN Security Council is planning to demand countries “prevent and suppress” the recruitment and travel of foreign fighters to join extremist militant groups like Islamic State by ensuring it is considered a serious criminal offence under domestic laws.

The United States circulated a draft resolution late on Monday, obtained by Reuters, to the 15-member Security Council and hopes it can be unanimously adopted at a meeting chaired by US President Barack Obama on Sept. 24.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Andrew Colvin said that the police presence would be boosted in light of the threat, especially at airports, although he would not outline specific additional measures law enforcement were taking.

Heightened security will also be in place at major sporting arenas in coming weeks when Australia’s football codes conduct final series matches.

“I want to reassure the public again that we want them to be aware, but assured. They may see more police, but it won’t get in the way of them going about their daily business,” Colvin told reporters.

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

Undefeated welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he expects Argentina’s Marcos Maidanato be “once again extremely dirty and wild” in their heavily anticipated re-match in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Mayweather improved his perfect professional record to 46-0 with a majority decision victory when they first clashed in the ring on May 4, a fight in which the American felt the Argentine did “a little bit of everything.”

While Maidana has urged his opponent “to stop crying and just fight” in their re-match, Mayweather plans to go about his business as usual when he defends his World Boxing Association belt and his World Boxing Council title.

“I just have to go out there and just be me and be first,” five-division world champion Mayweather, 37, told reporters while preparing for the scheduled 12-round bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“I can’t really say how the fight is going to play out, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to be once again extremely dirty and wild. My job is to keep everything under control the best way that I can.”

Maidana made a fast start to their May 4 bout, launching a blizzard of punches and trapping his opponent against the ropes at every turn in the first few rounds.

Mayweather, widely regarded as the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer, went on to dominate the contest before one judge ruled the fight a 114-114 draw while the other two scored the bout 117-111 and 116-112 in his favour.

“The fight was not close,” said Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs). “He came out, he won the first round, I won the second round, he won the third and the fourth, and from the fifth on he lost every round.
“If you guys notice, I got tackled, the guy tried to knee me, I got a head butt, there were rabbit punches, there were low blows and the list goes on and on.
“He did a little bit of everything. That night I had to do two jobs; I had to be the boxer and referee, so I had to do two jobs,” said the American, who is viewed as one of the best defensive fighters of all time.

Asked how he would prepare for similar tactics by Maidana in their re-match, Mayweather replied: “My job is to prepare for everything all around the board, but I’m going to let the referee do his job and be fair to both parties.

“I’m just going to let the fight play out like it plays out and go out there and do what I do best. If a knockout presents itself, of course I’m going to take full advantage of a knockout.

“I always find a way. Whether I am 26 or 37, I still find the way to win.”
For his part, Maidana believes that the first fight was so close that he simply needs to make a few refinements to gain a result in his favour.
“I feel that I just have to make a few adjustments, put a little more pressure on, land better punches, and yes I can win, I can win by decision,” said the hard-hitting Argentine.

“But obviously the knockout would be nice, and that’s a possibility as well. In the first fight my attack, the pressure, was very good, but I didn’t do well with my distance control.
“I smothered a lot of my punches, I wasn’t able to really catch him with good solid shots, being able to extend my punches, and that’s one of the things that I’m working on.”

Maidana was totally unfazed by Mayweather’s claims that he was a dirty fighter.
“You know what? It doesn’t bother me,” said the 31-year-old (35-4, 31 KOs). “It doesn’t bother me. There’s things that he does as well in there, so it’s time for him to stop crying and just fight.

“This second fight I hope he decides to stand and fight with me, to fight like a man. I hope he doesn’t start running or trying to move away.”

The government is committed to continue working for the further advancement of women despite the global economic crisis, which has negatively affected the country’s economy and social cohesion, Justice Ministry permanent secretary Andreas Louca said.

“The greatest challenge for the future is to maintain and secure the necessary resources for the further development of programmes promoting gender equality,” he said. “After all, gender equality should not be regarded as an economic burden for the society, but should be regarded as a prerequisite for social development and growth.”

Addressing a Gala Dinner in Nicosia organised by the Nicosia Association of Business and Professional Women on the occasion of the twinning with the Association of Business and Professional Women of Basel, Switzerland, Louca said Cyprus had made a lot of progress in recent years in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women.

However, women still lagged way behind men when it came to large company board membership.

“Despite the fact that women constitute 51 per cent of the population and have limitless educational qualifications and skills, they represent only 8.9 per cent of the members of boards in the largest publicly listed companies against 91.1 per cent of the male rate,” Louca said.

He stressed that more dynamic policies were needed in this field for reasons of equality and justice on the one hand, and to ensure competitiveness in a globalized business environment on the other.

“Besides, there is extensive evidence demonstrating that companies that embrace diversity and equality yield great profits,” he said.

By Evie Andreou

THE number of fires has dropped by almost half this summer, department’s spokeswoman Lisa Kemidji said yesterday as five separate fires broke out in the Limassol and Paphos districts.

Kemidji said the 48 per cent reduction in the number of fires between May and August was partly down to the fire department’s campaign informing the public of the dangers and how to avoid accidentally setting a fire.

She also said that the NGO REACTION had sent out volunteers who patrolled the forest areas this year.

“Their presence prevented any possible arsonists from setting fires maliciously,” Kemidji said. Last year a number of devastating fires had been set maliciously, authorities said.

Kemidji said suspicions had been aroused yesterday when five fires had broken out in short succession in areas of Limassol and Paphos. “The fires broke out one after the other so there is a possibility of arson but it’s too early to say anything yet, but we rule out nothing” Kemidji told the Cyprus Mail.

It took three and a half hours to bring under control the fire that broke out at 3pm in the Stavros tis Minthis area, near Marathounta and Armou villages in Paphos that threatened farmhouses and burned 15 hectares of trees, shrubs and wild vegetation.

According to Kemidji, two fire department aircraft, two police helicopters and two army helicopters assisted firemen on the ground as the location was difficult to reach. In total 17 vehicles were used for the task.

At around 3.15pm another fire broke out in Argaka, also in Paphos and was put under control at around 4.50pm. It burned eight donums of pine trees and wild bushes.

According to the forestry department, 50 people, members of the forest and fire departments, game and fauna service as well as locals worked together to put it out assisted by 10 fire trucks and two helicopters.

A third fire broke out at 3.30pm in Mousere area, again in Paphos. Three fire trucks and an army helicopter helped bring it under control at around 6.30pm. It burned 1.5 hectares of wild vegetation.

Strong winds made fire-fighting more difficult in Limassol where two fires broke out, one in Lofou and the other in Trimiklini.

At around noon, the fire in Zalaka locality in Trimiklini burnt four hectares of pine trees and wild shrubs and at around 2pm another fire broke out in Lofou, which burned three hectares of wild vegetation.

The fires were put under control at 5pm by 70 members of the fire and forestry departments with 10 fire trucks and the assistance of local residents with tractors.

Kemidji said that the crews would remain all night in Stavros tis Minthis, Mousere and the two sites in Limassol, to prevent a possible re-ignition.

By Constantinos Psillides

URBAN Gorillas, a NGO dealing in urban development, is launching a campaign to stop Larnaca municipality from turning an old Turkish Cypriot cinema into a parking spot for over 200 cars.

Marina Neofytou, head of Urban Gorillas, and Veronika Antoniou, the NGO’s creative director, have sent out an SOS to garner support for their initiative to force Larnaca municipality to rethink its decision to demolish the building and instead turn it into a cultural centre.

The cinema is located along the Piale Pasia street in Larnaca, in an area commonly known as the Turkish Cypriot quarter, which has recently been revamped by local authorities. The cinema was built in 1959 and ceased operations in 1974.

The decision to demolish the cinema was made public by mayor Andreas Louroudjiatis back in March. Urban Gorillas have been trying to save the building since 2012.

“Our team would like to appeal to you to help us with our efforts to save this building from demolition after our two-year-long formal procedural actions have been ignored. The Cinema is a culturally, historically and architecturally important building, and in fact one of the few remaining buildings representing Cypriot industrial and socio-cultural heritage left in Larnaca,” said the appeal from Urban Gorillas.

“The cinema consists of a large yard leading to an industrial building that is now used as a warehouse.

Industrial sites like this one are highly sought after in other European countries. With its ample space, any numbers of activities could place there,” Neofytou told the Cyprus Mail, adding that the Turkish Cypriot cinema was probably the only industrial site in Cyprus that is next to the sea.

The NGO also took the initiative and collected signatures from former Turkish Cypriots residents of the area, to emphasise the site’s cultural importance.

Demolishing the cinema is part of the revamping of Piale Pasia, a trade hub in the making.

Louroudjiatis told the Cyprus Mail that he would be meeting representatives from Urban Gorillas within the next week to alleviate their fears on the planned development.

“Our goal isn’t to destroy our cultural heritage. We are open to dialogue and suggestions,” said Louroudjiatis, explaining that the municipality’s plan is turn the site into an outdoor cinema, along with the creation of space for parking.

Louroudjiatis added that the building was structurally unsound and that there was also a public health issue.

“The roof of the cinema is made of asbestos sheets. They need to be removed before any construction takes place there. This is a public safety risk.”

Asked when the municipality plans to go ahead with it’s plans for the outdoor cinema, Louroudjiatis refrained from answering, explaining that he must first meet with the NGO.

Urban Gorillas offered a number of alternatives for the outdoor cinema –including securing funds from the EU to have the site renovated and turned into a cultural centre- but the municipality never replied to their suggestions, they said.

The Larnaca municipality might soon have another wrench thrown in the works, according to the Urban Gorillas head.

The Turkish Cypriot owner of the building – which now is under the supervision of the Guardian of the Turkish Cypriots Properties – has moved back to Larnaca and is currently in the process of reclaiming the building.

Neofytou admitted that she had no indication as to what the original owner planned to with the building, if he succeeded in reclaiming it through the courts .

By Constantinos Psillides

THERE is a total lack of coordinated management when it comes to the island’s beaches, a lack of oversight by local authorities, a lack of environmental policies, and unchecked development, Auditor-general Odysseas Michaelides said yesterday.

In a lengthy audit of the situation, he called on the interior ministry to take action.

According to the report, made public yesterday, the competent authority, the Cyprus Beach Committee, is unable to effectively oversee the island’s coastlines, opting instead to delegate the task to local authorities.

“There is no approved, general course of action on how to best manage a beach. Community and municipality councils decide on how to best manage a beach and their decisions vary depending on the situation,” said the report, adding that prices and public services varied from beach to beach.

The report also noted that employees in district offices tasked with carrying out inspections on beaches almost never do; in some cases local authorities didn’t even bother with appointing anyone to that post.

Michaelides argues that properly managing Cyprus’s beaches could yield significant revenue. The Auditor-general said that awarding tenders through murky procedures discouraged competition, resulting in loss of income for the state.

The non-existent policy on how to manage beaches also took its toll on the environment, according to the report.

A list with endangered species is yet to be drafted, a violation of EU law. The Auditor-general notes that Cyprus’ policy on protecting sea turtles and the Mediterranean seal has been rated by the EU as “bad” and “insufficient”.

The report also notes that Cyprus is in constant violation of EU law when it comes to nature reserves, since beaches included in the Natura 2000 protected zones have not been specified by state decree.

Cyprus has been warned by the EU on the subject repeatedly, it added.

Michaelides said the island’s runs the risk of being fined for its delay to designate the Natura 2000 protected areas. The nature reserve plans cannot move forward since Akamas residents are heavily protesting the fact that their properties are included in the nature reserve. No government has been able to resolve the issue for the last 10 years.

The report also hints at a possible scandal, saying a local authority issued a building permit for a golf course which is partly located inside the Natura 2000 zone.

The violation occurs in area near a green turtle nesting area, according to the report.

Questions were also raised regarding the policy on mapping out conservation areas. Local authorities, Michaelides said, tended to issue development permits in supposedly protected areas without adequate justification, and even in cases were a violation occurs the violators are not punished.

In a large number of cases, developers filed for a permit after they began construction within the protected area, while others appear to not file for building permits at all. According to the report, government officials have been very tolerant towards violators, preferring to cover up for them instead of reporting them.

The report also sheds light on boats’ waste disposal. Michaelides noted that the responsibility for monitoring proper waste disposal by boats is spread across too many services, with no clear indication as to who is in charge. Regular inspections are not carried out and no one was ever punished for violating the law.

It concludes that a lack of national policy on managing the coastline hurts everyone involved.

By David Lidington

THIS week the European Union imposed further sanctions on Russia. This decision followed months of destabilisation of Ukraine by Russia, and months of political and diplomatic efforts to restore peace and stability.

The EU did not take this step lightly. But we decided collectively that we cannot stand by, while President Putin tramples over international law and the rights of a sovereign neighbour. We cannot ignore the deaths and destruction that Russia’s actions have led to on our shared continent.

Sanctions are a critical part of the EU’s response. Not from choice, but because we believe that they are necessary, effective and timely. Let us take each in turn.

They are necessary for one simple reason: Russia’s actions in Ukraine are unacceptable. Russia refuses to recognise Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. It has annexed Ukrainian territory at the barrel of a gun; first Crimea, and then sending its army into swathes of Ukraine’s eastern regions.

This is not an idle assertion. It is fact. We know that thousands of Russian troops and dozens of Russian tanks have been operating in Ukraine. I have heard eyewitness accounts; been presented with hard intelligence; and seen media reports.

Second, sanctions are effective. They are clearly having an impact on Russia’s economy, which shrank in the first quarter of this year. Growth is hovering around 0%, and inflation is predicted to approach double-digits.

Not a single dollar, Euro or Swiss Franc was lent to a Russian company in July. Eurobonds issued to Russian companies since the start of 2014 have dropped by an incredible 93%. The rouble has hit an historic low against the dollar. Capital flight will be around $80bn this year.

Not only are sanctions biting; but Russia’s own decision to limit food imports has pushed up prices of certain goods by over 30%, and up to 60% in some extreme cases, creating a new black market in imports from Belarus. The economic impact of this conflict can be felt by every ordinary family in Russia.

Third, these sanctions are timely. While a ceasefire was announced last week, we need to see Russia and the so-called separatists it backs hold to that commitment.

In such circumstances, it was the right decision to proceed with sanctions, while discussion of a peace plan goes ahead. We could always take the decision to reverse them in the future. But that requires a fundamental change of direction from Moscow.

The ball is in Russia’s court. It could withdraw its troops and arms, stop arming the separatists, let Ukraine conduct democratic elections in October and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia is a major power; it should live up to its international responsibilities.

The other option is continued meddling in Ukraine. Which would mean further violence, needless deaths and more hardship in the region.

The choice is with Russia’s leadership. I sincerely hope it avoids the needless escalation of economic measures, and the equally needless isolation of its own people.

As I discussed with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin at last week’s NATO Summit, the people of Ukraine deserve the support of the global community at this critical point in their history. And we all deserve a future of shared prosperity and stability.

David Lidington is Britain’s Minister for Europe. This op-ed is exclusive to the Cyprus Mail

THE knee-jerk reaction of the political parties and newspapers, sparked by the London meeting of Turkish Cypriot ‘foreign minister’ Ozdil Nami with Britain’s Minister for Europe, David Lidington could not have surprised anyone. Any meeting of Turkish Cypriot officials with representatives of foreign governments abroad is guaranteed to provoke a chorus of disapproving announcement by the parties, all expressing fears about the ‘upgrading of the pseudo-state’. This alleged upgrading, has been taking place for years.

The Cyprus government, fearing it might be accused by the parties and some newspapers of a taking a soft line on the meeting decided to enter the fray. The foreign ministry issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the meeting which “was held despite the intense and repeated warnings of the Republic at various levels, which have been disregarded by London.” It said the assurances that Britain did not recognise the ‘TRNC’ could “not be considered satisfactory.”

Anticipating similar contacts in Washington, which Nami was also scheduled to visit, government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said “it is possible problems would be created in relations between the Cyprus Republic and the countries that facilitate this type of contacts.” He did not elaborate on the nature of the problems that would be created, probably because he did not know. We presume this was just an idle threat to keep the newspapers and political parties happy.

It would be no exaggeration to say that the government was taking part in the Cyprus problem theatre which follows a very rigid script. When a newspaper or a political party identifies the danger of the ‘upgrading the pseudo-state’ it alerts society and the government immediately issue statements of condemnation and makes representations to the country or countries supposedly facilitating this upgrading.

We have been witnessing this ‘theatre of the reactions’ for decades now because the politicians still believe it pays off domestically. It is unfortunate that the government feels it has a national duty to take part in this theatre which achieves nothing except to illustrate its bad faith.

It is not as if the regular representations have stopped countries from granting meetings to Turkish Cypriot officials. These are obviously ignored as the meetings keep taking place, exposing the government’s weakness and reliance on hollow words.

The upgrading that everyone is terrified of never actually takes place but this is not because the government makes representations and the parties issue fiery declarations. It is because the international community still believes there could be a Cyprus settlement. But when it decides that this will never happen we may witness the only upgrading that will matter.

By Angelos Anastasiou

PUBLIC sector union PASYDY chief Glafcos Hadjipetrou yesterday accused the government of launching a crusade against them as employees passed a motion for a one-day warning strike next Friday, and threats of more to come.

Speaking after the meeting, called to protest against the finance ministry ‘proposal to tax public servants’ retirement bonuses, Hadjipetrou lambasted the “targeting” of public servants, calling it a “crusade” against them. He said the finance minister’s remarks were “untimely” and “contrary to common sense.”

“Based on the general principles of administrative law, the state may not defraud its citizens, and when it offers something it may not revoke its offer at a later date, if it has formed a key part of a person’s decision to work in the public sector,” he argued.

Earlier this week, Finance Minister Harris Georgiades, in addition to his revelation about taxing the lump sum, talked of turning the recent salary cuts imposed on government employees into permanent reductions. He later confirmed that the issues would be brought before the cabinet next week.

Yesterday’s PASYDY vote gave the green light to all public sector and broader public sector employees to stage a one- strike next Friday as an initial warning.

“The Executive Committee reminds that despite the repeated cuts against public-sector employees, PASYDY consciously and responsibly refrained from mobilising at the expense of the economy, and limited itself to filing cases with the Supreme Court,” the union said in a statement.

PASYDY was referring to court appeals against the constitutionality of a 2012 law, which exempts retirement lump-sum bonuses for government employees from taxation only until the end of 2012, with any contributions as of January 1, 2013, subject to income tax. The case remains pending with the Supreme Court.

“The Executive Committee was gravely disappointed to note that the finance minister, completely ignoring official assurances and the goodwill shown by the union, insists on promoting new unilateral measures against government employees, whom he continues to target provocatively,” the statement said.

At noon yesterday, PASYDY hosted a meeting of all government-employee unions at its headquarters, in order to come to joint decisions on how to respond to Georgiades’ announcements. The joint session was attended by schoolteachers’ unions OELMEK, OLTEK and POED, school inspectors’ union OEDE, the Police Association, and the National Guard’s staff associations.

Following heated debate in which Hadjipetrou was reported as saying “this is unconstitutional, it can’t pass,” the unions decided to adopt PASYDY’s suggestion to stage a one-day warning strike as an initial measure.

The unions said that measures may escalate “according to developments.”

Friday’s strike will be staged by employees at ministries and government services, schoolteachers and healthcare staff, while the police, fire brigade and army services will participate symbolically through their union heads.

As a result of the strike all public schools will remain closed on Friday.

Police association chief Andreas Symeou said that the measures would be escalated if necessary.
“These measures will have continuity and persistence – we will not settle for warnings,” he said.

OELMEK’s chairman Demetris Taliadoros said that “the raising of the issue by the government was an unnecessary step, as it has tried to stir up an issue that had been settled two years ago.”

“Those who cause strikes should have second thoughts,” he said.

THE strike decision came on the back of a spike in early retirement applications by panicking public servants who wish to receive their bonus before any taxation decision has been made. Sources cited by local daily Phileleftheros claimed that the government was looking at levying a tax of approximately 20 per cent.

Speaking on state radio, Public Service Commission (PSC) head Pavlos Papageorgiou said that although he had noticed a slight increase in applications for early retirement in recent days, which may be considered negligible, he has received numerous phone calls from concerned government employees who have expressed interest in early retirement.

“There is a lead time of about 15 days between filing an application and the application reaching the PSC,” he said. “We might see a serious influx in the coming days.”

Papageorgiou said most interest in retiring early has been exhibited by employees over 60 years of age, who stand to receive the largest bonuses – and thus lose most if they are taxed.

“In many cases in the past, where there have been rumours in the press of incorporating bonuses in the income tax code, there has been increased interest in early retirement,” he said.

“In this case, there is an official announcement that it will be discussed by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Following this announcement, all employees with one or two years left to retire stand to have their €100.000 or €150.000 bonus taxed, and they are the ones most concerned.”

Various union reps have revealed that increased interest in early retirement has been expressed by healthcare practitioners, schoolteachers, police officers and employees at port authorities.

By Michael Hann

ARSENAL and Manchester City meet at The Emirateson Saturday (2.45pm) when both teams will seek to roar into life after making spluttering starts to their Premier League campaigns.

A month after demolishing City 3-0 in the Community Shield at Wembley, seventh-placed Arsenal have failed to reach the same high notes, drawing their last two league matches and losing French striker Olivier Giroud to injury.

While a shortage of strikers cannot be blamed for City’s inconsistent start, manager Manuel Pellegrini said they lacked a creative spark when they slipped to a surprise 1-0 home defeat by Stoke City last time out.

In a bid to ease their attacking woes, Arsenal snapped up Danny Welbeck on the final day of the transfer window and the former Manchester United striker is confident his style of play will fit in perfectly at The Emirates.

“I’ve envisaged myself playing in this team before. For it to finally happen is very exciting,” said Welbeck, who scored both goals in England’s opening Euro 2016 qualifying campaign victory over Switzerland on Monday.
“At Arsenal, we’re not short of combination football and I like to join in on that and get in behind defenders and try to get shots off at goal. I want to score some goals and help the team to achieve the right results.”

Along with Giroud, midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who has scored in two of Arsenal’s three Premier League games this season, could miss today’s clash after twisting his ankle in Wales’ 2-1 win over Andorra on Tuesday.

Champions City, so potent in front of goal last season, head to north London having let Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo join Valencia, while in-form forward Stevan Jovetic, who scored two goals against Liverpool, is struggling with a hamstring injury.

“It will be difficult, but I’m an optimist,” said Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko, who could lead City’s attack against Arsenal.

Table-toppers Chelsea have suffered no problems in front of goal this season thanks largely to the efforts of Diego Costa but the Spaniard could miss the encounter with second-placed Swansea City at Stamford Bridge (5pm) because of a leg injury.

Costa, who has scored four goals in three appearances for Chelsea this season, pulled out of Spain’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Macedonia on Monday with a hamstring injury and his absence would come as a blow to manager Jose Mourinho.

“He produced a fantastic performance in every aspect,” Mourinho said after Costa netted twice against Everton in Chelsea’s 6-3 victory at Goodison Park. “Diego is maybe the best player in the league in these first three matches.”
If Costa fails to recover in time then French striker Loic Remy, who joined from local rivals Queens Park Rangers, could make his

Chelsea debut against a Swansea side that have looked well organised under inexperienced manager Garry Monk.
West Bromwich Albion manager Alan Irvine faces Everton, the club where he spent time as assistant manager to David Moyes and more recently as academy manager, but Roberto Martinez says there will be no room for sentiment on Saturday.

“He (Irvine) did a terrific job at our club in different roles and we wish him the very best of luck in his new project – but just not for this weekend,” said the Everton boss.

Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping to get back on track against Sunderland (5pm) after their steady start came crashing down with a 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Liverpool host Aston Villa (7.30pm), Southampton entertain Newcastle United, Stoke City face Leicester City and Burnley travel to Crystal Palace (all 5pm) hoping to build on their draw against Manchester United.

On Sunday, an air of mystery will descend on Old Trafford when Manchester United face QPR (6pm) with manager Louis van Gaal looking to accommodate a squad that includes strikers Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and new loan signing Radamel Falcao.

Dutch striker Van Persie is confident Van Gaal will find the right blend to reignite a disjointed United side that have claimed two points from their first three matches.

“It’s plain and simple. The manager chooses his tactics,” Van Persie said. “We, the players, have nothing else to do than to execute what the manager has in his mind.

“Tactics and formation are matters of the manager and his staff, not something the players must get involved in.”
Eleventh-placed West Ham United travel to Hull City in Monday’s only fixture (10pm).

By Zoran Milosavljevic

Serbia continued their remarkable run in the basketball World Cup knockout rounds after a 90-85 win over European champions France on Friday steered them into Sunday’s final against holders United States.

The Serbs, who have secured their first World Cup podium finish as an independent nation, will head into the showdown with the US under no pressure after punching well above their weight in the 24-nation tournament.

They squeezed into the last 16 from a tough preliminary group with a 2-3 record but then brushed aside more fancied Greece and Brazil before an impressive win against the French.

“It was a great match and this victory means the world to us and our fans back home,” forward Nikola Kalinic told Serbian television in a courtside interview.

“We will head into the final with our heads high and determined to play our best basketball.

“The match against the Americans will be a great experience for us. We won’t make idle threats of course but we won’t roll over either.”

An inspired performance by Milos Teodosic paved the way for the Serbs as the 27-year old playmaker nailed 24 points, 18 of them in the first half when his team built a 46-32 lead.

France headed into the clash as favourites after stunning hosts Spain in the quarter-finals but were overran in the opening 20 minutes by a fast-flowing Serbian outfit who engineered plenty of easy baskets.

Teodosic nailed seven of eight shots from the field and also dished our four telling assists converted by centre Miroslav Raduljica, whose physical presence stifled an athletic French team.

France tightened their defence in the second half and cut the deficit to 84-82 with a flurry of three-pointers but Serbia held on in the closing stages, sparking loud celebrations among their fans in Madrid’s City Arena.

Five other Serbian players finished with double scoring digits to cancel out a valiant solo effort by France shooting guard Nicolas Batum, the game’s top scorer with 35 points.

“We had a great first half but in the second we suffered because a physically superior French team made life difficult for us,” Serbia coach Aleksandar Djordjevic said.

“After beating Brazil and Greece in the previous two rounds we realised just how compact a unit we really are and it was a massive confidence boost for us.

“I am really proud of my players as they exceeded all expectations,” added the 47-year old former playmaker, who won a haul of international medals with the former Yugoslavia.

France will meet Lithuania in the bronze medal game on Saturday after the Baltic nation were beaten 96-68 by the United States in the other semi-final on Thursday.