AUTHORITIES continue locking up in poor conditions those migrants who enter the island illegally or whose asylum application is rejected, without considering any alternatives, Amnesty International has said. In its annual 2013 report looking back on the state of human rights in 2012, Amnesty International said in Cyprus, “irregular migrants, rejected asylum-seekers and certain categories of asylum-seekers were detained for prolonged periods.” “Detention appeared routine with no alternative measures being considered,” the report said. People were locked up in “poor conditions in unsuitable facilities, such as short-stay police cells and two wings of Nicosia Central Prison,” Amnesty International said. ... Read on

THE wife of a well known Paphos artist is opening up her late husband’s studio to the public for the last time.Prolific artist David Lester died at 65 in October 2012, and his wife, Cathy, will open his studio to the public for the last time this month, to give people an opportunity to view his latest work and to purchase their favourites pieces.Lester took part in a number of exhibitions in Cyprus including the Kyklos gallery and En Plo. He is also the author of a published autobiography, Wishful thinking.David Lester’s distinctive and modern style saw him use a number of mediums for his paintings including watercolours and oils. He is best known for his abstract and semi abstract oil paintings which use bold and vibrant colours. ... Read on

THE TRIAL of the 62-year-old former policeman, Nicos Iordanous, who is accused of the premeditated murder of his 56-year-old wife Stavroulla has been postponed until September 17. The defendant allegedly shot his wife in the head with a shotgun at their flat in Aradippou on December 10 of last year.The Criminal Court, chaired yesterday by Haris Poyadjis in Larnaca revealed that due to its heavy workload with the Mari Naval Base disaster case and the Ayia Napa multiple murder trial the case would have to be postponed.The hearings for the case will take place on September 17, 18 and 26 and the court decided the defendant would remain in custody at the central prisons... Read on

 PRESIDENT NICOS Anastasiades yesterday asked the European Union to provide additional funding to help Cyprus get out of the mess it’s in. Speaking from Brussels where he attended the European Council meeting on energy and tax evasion and held bilateral contacts with EU leaders, Anastasiades said he asked the EU to increase economic aid earmarked for Cyprus within the multi-annual financial framework and to take a greater role in the co-financing of Cyprus-based projects. According to the president, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy responded positively to the request. ... 14 comments

THE way the public debt was being managed by former finance minister Charilaos Stavrakis could have caused the state’s liquidity problems, a finance ministry technocrat who later recommended seeking EU financial assistance as early as July 2011, told an inquiry yesterday.Phedon Kalozois, the director of the finance ministry’s debt management office, had warned in February 2011 of the risks of the minister’s short-term borrowing policy, effectively falling out with his superior over the issue.“The lack of medium-term strategic management of public debt and flexible yearly borrowing policy inevitably leads to transactions of an opportunistic nature with the only parameter being temporary lending cost and uncontrollable levels of fiscal risks,” Kalozois said in a memo... 4 comments

CYPRUS is confronted with an “extremely challenging road ahead” with the outcome by no means certain, warned Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) Governor Panicos Demetriades yesterday.In a speech delivered by a CBC senior manager on behalf of the governor who was visiting Israel, Demetriades warned that Cyprus faces substantial risks to its economic outlook while the anticipated recession could be deeper than expected.  ... 7 comments

THE board of stricken lender Bank of Cyprus (BoC) has decided on a new CEO and has passed on its proposal to the Central Bank (CBC), which will have the final say.The name of the chosen candidate was not officially released but reports suggested it was banker Michalis Kolakides, currently the deputy CEO of Greek lender Eurobank.Kolakides, 59, has also worked for Greek banks Citibank, National Bank, and Piraeus.The final decision will be taken by the Central Bank (CBC) as the resolution authority.It followed a Eurogroup decision to resolve Cyprus’ second biggest bank Laiki and transfer part of its assets to BoC while financing BoC’s recapitalisation by taking a chunk of uninsured deposits – over €100,000... 3 comments

LIMASSOL Marina has welcomed the first yachts just months after delivering the 94 luxury Nereids Residence apartments.“The delivery of the south eastern breakwater and the arrival of the first yachts mark a new era for Cyprus,” Limassol Marina public relations officer, Sophia Paraskeva said.The new marina boasts a capacity of 650 berths, for yachts up to 115 metres in length and is the first full service super-yacht marina on the island. It provides facilities and services of the highest standard, combined with a team of experienced marina professionals to ensure the smooth running of all operations. ... 12 comments

SIGMA TV channel employees went on strike yesterday in protest at proposed pay-cuts and redundancies as staff at the brand new Hard Rock Cafι in Nicosia have also been striking since Tuesday because they have not been paid for the last two months.Employees from the TV channel gathered outside Sigma headquarters in the capital at 8am yesterday to protest against the decision by the channels top brass to go ahead unilaterally with pay-cuts and lay-offs. Employees working for magazine publications for the DIAS media group, of which Sigma is a part, also went a two-hour strike to mark their support, Cyprus News Agency said... 8 comments

 A TEAM of World Bank and British experts are on the island to support the reform of public administration, the commissioner for civil service reform Emanuella Moushioutta Lambrianidou has said. The team of experts are to follow the Cyprus authorities’ reform policy to guide a plan for reforms and support their implementation, Lambrianidou said according to online news portal Sigmalive. A British High Commission spokesperson confirmed at their end that two UK experts have been on the island to see what technical assistance they could offer but added that talks are at initial stage. ... 12 comments