mismanagement

UK Conservative mayor keeps distance from Sunak in bid to avoid local election wipeout

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UK Conservative mayor keeps distance from Sunak in bid to avoid local election wipeout

Andy Street, the mayor of the West Midlands, is distancing himself from British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government ahead of local elections. Street, a Conservative, has built a personal brand that downplays his party allegiance and has even had public disagreements with Sunak. The upcoming local elections are seen as a defensive one for the Conservatives, with Street facing a tough race against the Labour candidate despite his positive approval ratings. Street’s ability to attract voters who wouldn’t usually vote Conservative may give him a chance in the election.

Union head claims police chief , ‘silenced him’

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Union head claims police chief , ‘silenced him’

Fact: Head of the police branch of Isotita trade union Nikos Loizides received a threatening letter from police chief Stelios Papatheodorou for disclosing internal police matters and using offensive language in televised interviews.

Our View: State bureaucratic inefficiency is a running joke

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Our View: State bureaucratic inefficiency is a running joke

– Bureaucratic inefficiency in state services leads to delays in processing citizens’ applications.
– Almost 20,000 applications are pending at town planning authorities and 100,000 cases are open at Lands and Surveys offices.
– Applications for benefits and pensions take months to be processed.
– Deputies are spending 80% of their time dealing with citizens’ application delays.
– Interior Minister attributes delays to incomplete forms, understaffing, and poor digitalization.
– Evaluation of public employees is unrelated to deliverables and meeting targets.
– Government has failed to improve service to citizens due to fear of Pasydy, lack of service culture, and slow digitalization.
– Christodoulides government has not taken significant action to improve service to citizens.

National guard chief: Auditor, ’s report risks military secrets

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National guard chief: Auditor, ’s report risks military secrets

The head of the national guard expressed concern about potentially sensitive information regarding the military being revealed by the auditor-general, including details about weapons storage depots and the state of munitions. He emphasized the need to conceal such information for security reasons and to avoid creating a sense of insecurity among the population.

Closed for the summer: farewell to easy-living Polis campsite

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Closed for the summer: farewell to easy-living Polis campsite

Fact: The Polis Chrysochous beach campsite, beloved by many for over 40 years, is undergoing a massive makeover after a ten-year legal battle, with plans to preserve existing vegetation, including iconic eucalyptus trees, and upgrade facilities.

Our View: MPs, ’ ATM gripe undermines profitable business model

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Our View: MPs, ’ ATM gripe undermines profitable business model

Deputies in Cyprus criticized banks for not having enough ATMs, especially in rural areas, during a House commerce committee meeting. The chairman of the committee stated that banks were lacking social responsibility and prioritizing profit over serving the community. Despite the criticism, banks explained that operating ATMs is costly and they plan to reduce them to improve profitability, which is necessary for a dynamic economy. The closure of the cooperative bank was also mentioned as a result of prioritizing social responsibility over profits.

AG briefed over monks, ’ cash and sex scandal

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AG briefed over monks, ’ cash and sex scandal

Attorney General George Savvides was briefed on an ongoing investigation into a cash scandal involving monks at the monastery of Saint Avvakoum. Monks were allegedly found in possession of €800,000 in cash and were also discovered to own property in Greece and Limassol. The investigation includes allegations of money laundering and obtaining money with false representations. The police are working to identify whether felonies have been committed and initial findings were presented to the Attorney General. The monastery has faced criticism for allegedly receiving donations through fake “miracles” and promises to people suffering from diseases. The monks have vehemently denied the accusations, claiming there has been no financial mismanagement. The monastery has also been accused of engaging in sexual acts on CCTV footage, with one monk reported for sexual harassment. The scandals have raised concerns about potential money laundering through church donations.

Audit service defends looking into all government spending

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Audit service defends looking into all government spending

The audit service’s job is to monitor all government spending, including the defense ministry and national guard. The audit service found that the mislabeling and inappropriate storage of weapons in national guard camps, which had been previously ignored, led to the devastating explosion in Mari in 2011.

Chocolate prices to keep rising as West Africa’s cocoa crisis deepens

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Chocolate prices to keep rising as West Africa’s cocoa crisis deepens

– Janet Gyamfi’s farm in western Ghana, which was covered with nearly 6,000 cocoa trees, has been destroyed by illegal gold miners, leaving less than a dozen trees remaining.
– Ghana and Ivory Coast, the world’s top cocoa producers, are facing catastrophic harvests due to illegal mining, climate change, mismanagement, and disease.
– Ghana’s cocoa plantations are being infected with swollen shoot virus, leading to long-term decline in production.
– Cocoa prices have doubled this year, leading to higher chocolate prices for consumers.
– Illegal gold mining is rapidly expanding in Ghana, leading to the destruction of cocoa plantations.
– Cocobod, the regulatory body for cocoa in Ghana, is struggling to address the challenges facing the sector, including disease and climate change.
– Experts predict that Latin American countries like Ecuador will overtake Ghana as the world’s number 2 cocoa producer by 2027.

Greek PM faces no-confidence vote over 2023 train crash

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Greek PM faces no-confidence vote over 2023 train crash

The government of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis faces a no-confidence vote over the handling of a train crash that killed 57 people. Media reports alleged manipulation of evidence in the investigation of the crash.