court

Romanian court approves request to extradite internet personality Tate

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Romanian court approves request to extradite internet personality Tate

A Romanian court approved Britain’s request to extradite internet personality Andrew Tate but postponed the extradition until Romanian trial proceedings are concluded. The court also ordered the immediate release of Tate and his brother Tristan from police custody. They had been detained over allegations of sexual aggression dating back to 2012-15, which they deny. Tate and his brother, along with two Romanian women, were indicted in Romania for human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang for sexual exploitation, charges they have denied. The Tate brothers were in police custody from late December 2022 until April, followed by house arrest until August, and are now under judicial control, requiring regular police check-ins but allowing free movement within the country.

Monks protest handling of Church scandal case

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Monks protest handling of Church scandal case

Two monks from the Monastery of Saint Habakkuk in Fterikoudi are contesting the Holy Synod’s management of their case, planning to send a letter outlining their objections to the investigation and trial procedures. Their lawyers argue that the six-member Synodal Court was irregularly appointed, violating the Church’s statutes which require a five-member court with an initial investigator. The monks claim they have not received a formal indictment, evidence, or sufficient preparation time, and were summoned unexpectedly via text message. They face charges of financial misconduct and inappropriate sexual behavior but deny the sexual misconduct allegations. They intend to present evidence against Bishop Isaias of Tamassos and Orini at their court hearing. The court is led by Bishop Nectarios of Kition.

Monks granted permission to release evidence in monastery scandal

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Monks granted permission to release evidence in monastery scandal

Two monks involved in a scandal at the Monastery of Saint Habakkuk have been authorized by the Data Protection Commissioner to release video footage and text messages as evidence in their defense against accusations made by Bishop Issaias of Tamassos. The evidence includes CCTV footage showing masked individuals entering the monastery and SMS messages allegedly from the Bishop containing threats. This evidence is expected to be presented to the police and submitted at the Synodical Court.

Police remove Greta Thunberg from blocking Swedish parliament

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Police remove Greta Thunberg from blocking Swedish parliament

Swedish police forcibly removed Greta Thunberg and other climate activists from blocking the entrance to the Swedish parliament on a Tuesday. The activists were protesting for the second consecutive day against climate change and political inaction. Thunberg, 21, known for initiating a global youth movement for climate action starting in 2018, has been detained or removed from protests in Sweden, Norway, and Germany in the past year. A British court recently acquitted her of a public order offence related to a protest in London.

Meeting on LNG expected by end of this week

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Meeting on LNG expected by end of this week

This week is crucial for the development of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project at Vasiliko, with Energy Minister George Papanastasiou meeting officials from CPP-Metron Consortium Ltd (CMC). The government may exit the deal due to disputes, as the consortium halted work and sought €200 million in arbitration. A top executive from the consortium is set to discuss project resumption in Cyprus. The government insists on not paying additional claims outside the Arbitral Tribunal in London and demands a project resumption date. The project, including an FSRU, jetty, mooring facilities, a pipeline, and a PV storage system, has received a €101 million EU grant and additional financing from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Romanian court approves request to extradite internet personality Tate

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Romanian court approves request to extradite internet personality Tate

A Romanian court has approved Britain’s extradition request for internet personality Andrew Tate but postponed the extradition until Romanian trial proceedings are concluded. The court also ordered the immediate release of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan from police custody. They were detained on allegations of sexual aggression from 2012-15, which they deny. Additionally, Andrew Tate and his brother, along with two Romanian women, were indicted in Romania in June for human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, charges they have denied. The Tate brothers were held in police custody from late December 2022 until April, then under house arrest until August, and are now under judicial control, requiring regular police check-ins but allowing free movement within the country.

Sole defendant for military death acquitted

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Sole defendant for military death acquitted

The Nicosia military court acquitted the sole defendant in the case of the accident that resulted in the death of 27-year-old Corporal Natali Neophytou while on military duty. The court dismissed 12 out of 14 prosecution witnesses as unreliable, finding them guilty of selective memory and lying to implicate the accused non-commissioned officer, who was not present at the accident site. The legal service and the defence ministry are reviewing the decision, with Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas considering prosecution against the unreliable witnesses. The law firm representing the acquitted officer has called for a comprehensive reinvestigation, criticizing the exclusion of others involved from the indictment. Neophytou died after a military jeep she was in during a training exercise overturned, and despite being rushed to Nicosia general hospital and intubated, she could not be saved.

After EU court ruling, Isotita calls for civil service changes

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After EU court ruling, Isotita calls for civil service changes

A recent judgment by the EU’s Court of Justice (CJEU) could allow thousands of civil servants on fixed-term employment to become permanent workers, according to the Isotita union. The union has urged the government to make these employees permanent, following the CJEU’s judgment on February 22, which ruled that the indefinite extension of fixed-term employment contracts without a vacancy notice is an abuse that member states must prevent. The CJEU stated that simple compensation for unfair dismissal or awarding posts through competitions are not sufficient measures to prevent such abuses. The judgment implies that converting temporary contracts into permanent ones could be a necessary measure to address the issue. Isotita has reminded the government of the president’s pre-election promises regarding employment conditions and has called for immediate action to comply with EU law by making all affected workers permanent.

Call for labour compensation fund

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Call for labour compensation fund

The House labour committee discussed the need for establishing a labour compensation fund. A request was sent to the labour minister to explore the creation of a workers’ compensation insurance fund and to contribute to creating a legislative framework for it. A bill passed in 1989 provided for the creation of such a fund, which would compensate workers in case of work accidents, similar to the fund for motor vehicle insurers that compensates uninsured drivers. The need arises because employees without employer’s liability insurance or those whose insurers went bankrupt are not compensated in case of work accidents, leading to significant social problems.

Cyprus on alert after record migrant arrival

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Cyprus on alert after record migrant arrival

The Cyprus authorities are on high alert due to fears of a potential surge in migrant arrivals by sea from Lebanon and Syria, following the largest arrival recorded in recent years on Monday. A total of six boats carrying 458 migrants onboard were spotted on Monday, with authorities saying that measures are being taken at various levels to prevent further influxes. According to a police report, the first boat was carrying a total of 30 people: 18 men, 3 women, 7 children, and 2 unaccompanied children. Onboard the second boat, there were 24 individuals: 14 men, 3 women, 5 children, and 2 unaccompanied. The third boat had 62 people: 36 men, 6 women, 11 children, and 9 unaccompanied children. The fourth boat had 37 individuals: 14 men, 4 women, 18 children, and 1 unaccompanied child. The fifth boat had 22 people: 14 men, 1 woman, 3 children, and 4 unaccompanied children. In the sixth boat, there were 283 individuals: 162 men, 27 women, 79 children, and 15 unaccompanied children. Police have made two arrests so far, a 31-year-old from Lebanon and a 23-year-old from Syria, who are alleged to be navigating the boat with 283 individuals. The suspects appeared before the Famagusta District Court on Tuesday, where they were detained for eight days. The six boats were detected off Cape Greco by the Republic of Cyprus radars on Monday afternoon. Four Coast Guard and Naval Police vessels were immediately mobilised. After a lengthy operation, the migrants were gradually transported to the Ayia Napa Marina. During their statements to the police, migrants reported that the six vessels departed from the shores of Lebanon, and each person paid ,500-3,000 to unknown people.