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Future Geopolitics

Yes, GPS Is Getting Worse — Will We Have To Go Back To Regular Maps?

From war zone risks to head-scratching tourists, the manipulation of the GPS navigation system by hackers (jamming and spoofing) can wreak havoc on our modern habits of relying on real-time digital mapping apps. The surest alternative may be going back to paper maps.

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This Happened

A Country’s Independence To A Feminist Revolution — On This Day In History February 19

A nation gaining independence, the passing of a key Chinese leader, and a book that sparked a feminist revolution.

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Geopolitics Russia-Ukraine War War in Ukraine

Ukraine Negotiations: Here Are Four Ways The War Could End

U.S President Donald Trump appears to be pushing forward his pledge for a quick peace in Ukraine, following his surprise call Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But what would a ceasefire look like? And how doe we get there?

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Future Geopolitics

Why GPS Is Getting Worse — And May Force Us To Revert To Old-School Maps

From war zone risks to head-scratching tourists, the manipulation of the GPS navigation system by hackers (jamming and spoofing) can wreak havoc on our modern habits of relying on real-time digital mapping apps. The surest alternative may be going back to paper maps.

Categories
Economy Russia-Ukraine War

London-Vienna, Caribbean-Côte d’Azur: How A Putin Crony Funds A Western Life Of Luxury

Andrei Akimov runs state-controlled Gazprombank and is part of the Russian leader’s inner circle, aligned with the condemnation of the “collective West” conflict. He also oversees a web of luxury holdings across the same West, thanks to schemes to hide behind the names of relatives.

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Economy Ideas

Golden Passports, Citizenship For Sale From Cyprus To The Caribbean

MOSCOW — ​Last month, the Interior Minister of Cyprus Constantinos Petrides announced the revocation of 26 “citizenships by investment” that had been granted before stricter criteria of this program was introduced in 2018. Though Petrides refused to name those who had lost their so-called “golden passports’, Kommersant has recently revealed some of the names on […]

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In The News

Where Beauty Was Born

According to legend, the rocks of Petra tou Romiou in southwestern Cyprus, is where the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, was born. I’ll spare you the full (and quite graphic) myth of her birth — it may spoil the serenity of this coastline.

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In The News

Striking Politics When Drilling For Gas In Mediterranean

-Analysis- PARIS — Drilling operations have begun off the coast of Cyprus despite Ankara’s threats against the Cypriot government. And for French oil and gas multinational Total and its Italian partner, ENI, hopes for a huge payout are running high. As IHS Markit reported earlier this year, the “Onisiforos’ operation, as it’s known, is expected […]

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In The News

A Pelican’s Pause

When the famous pelicans of Mykonos get tired of all the attention, do they take a break and fly down to the calmer shores of Cyprus? See more slides from My Grand-Père’s World.

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Economy Geopolitics

When Brexit Hits Cyprus, Isle Of Offshore Banking And British Expats

Britain’s decision to leave the EU is having a ripple effect on the island nation of Cyprus, where ex-pats and tourism operators are already feeling the pinch. But there may be a more long-term windfall in the finance industry.

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blog

August 16

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blog

Lonely Dilma, Hijackass, Pope’s Fiat

MYANMAR PRESIDENT SWORN-IN Htin Kyaw has been sworn in as Myanmar’s first elected civilian president in more than 50 years. In his first address as president, the 69-year-old, a close aide to Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, promised “national reconciliation” and a new Constitution guaranteeing a federal democracy and “the lifting up […]

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blog

Extra! The ‘Hijackass’ And The Selfie That Wasn’t

“It has to be the best selfie ever,” Ben Innes, a British passenger who was on the EgyptAir flight hijacked yesterday, told The Sun about his picture with the hijacker. The 26-year-old health and safety worker explained he wanted to take a closer look at the fake explosives belt Mustafa, the “hijackass,” was wearing. But […]

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blog

February 19

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blog

Snow White Revisited

In the fairy tale, the evil queen disguises herself as an old woman and tries to kill Snow White with a poisoned apple. What the story left out is that she then moved to Cyprus to sell jars of marmalade.

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blog

Stalling Stall

“Tony” the Cypriot shoe seller definitely had a knack for presenting shoes in a novel way.

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Economy

Winners And Losers From Massive Gas Discovery Off Egypt

Italian energy giant ENI has reported an unprecedented discovery of gas reserves off the coast of Egypt. It’s no quick fix for the troubled Egyptian economy.

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blog

Iconic Cyprus

The Stavrovouni Monastery in southern Cyprus is one of the few places that boasts a piece of the Holy Cross. It was particularly interesting to see how one of the oldest monasteries in the world manages to maintain the island’s tradition of Byzantine icon painting.

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blog

Eurovision 2015 Contestants: Cyprus

Cyprus is making its return to the Eurovision this year, after being absent last year for financial crisis-related reasons (i.e. the fear of winning the contest and having to organize it the following year). This means Greece will benefit from 12 extra points this year thanks to their Cypriot neighbors. The small island has participated […]

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Geopolitics

Real Passports, Fake Drivers’ Licenses – How Hezbollah Slowly Infiltrated Europe

SOFIA – While Cyprus was in the middle of a financial crisis, the court of Limassol, the island’s second largest city, made a ruling that largely went unnoticed. Yet it was a judicial first. On March 28, the Cyprus court condemned a 24-year-old Swedish-Lebanese man, Hossam Taleb Yaacoub, to four years in prison for helping […]

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Economy

From Poland, No Pity For Cypriots — Or Ourselves

When a crooked system is allowed to fester, there are few who are free of blame — and little chance we will remained unscathed. A view from the European Union’s eastern front.

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Economy

Cyprus Not Leaving Euro, Bank Withdrawal Curbs To Last A Month

AP (USA), BBC, THE GUARDIAN (UK) Worldcrunch NICOSIA – Cyprus has no intention of leaving the euro zone, President Nicos Anastasiades said in a press conference on Friday. “In no way will we experiment with the future of our country,” declared President Anastasiades. He said the situation of the country had been “contained” following its […]

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Economy

Banks Reopen in Cyprus After Two-Week Closure

BBC, REUTERS, TWITTER Worldcrunch NICOSIA – Banks in Cyprus have reopened Thursday after a two-week closure as the government was forced to accept a strict European Union rescue package to avoid bankrupcy. As discussions between the EU and the International Monetary Fund took place, eventually culminating in Sunday night’s late bailout deal, the doors had […]

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Economy

Vultures Circle Over Cyprus – Will Bailout Deal Spell Doom For Island Nation?

NICOSIA – The festival atmosphere on this sunny morning in Nicosia doesn’t match the bad vibes coming out of Brussels. The Faneromeni church in the heart of Cyprus’s capital is decked out with garlands made of hundreds of blue and white Greek flags and Cypriot flags with the shape of the island nation depicted in […]

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Ideas

Bailout Paradox: Who Earns More Than Germans? Italians, Spaniards…And Cypriots Too

A new report finds that southern European households have higher net household income than places like Germany, which is shelling out euro bailout cash. Things must change.

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Economy

European Shares Rally As Cyprus Agrees To Last-Minute Bailout Deal

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS Worldcrunch BRUSSELS – European banks climbed after Cyprus reached an overnight, last-minute deal with its international creditors on a 10 billion-euro ($13 billion) bailout. European and Asian shares rallied on Monday at the news of the rescue bailout, with U.S. yields also rising, thus ending a week of financial panic worldwide. In Brussels, […]

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Economy

After Cyprus, Will Luxembourg Be Next Euro Banking Haven To Implode?

LUXEMBOURG – For Wolfgang Schäuble, the world is sometimes a pretty simple place. Cyprus, for example, just had the wrong business model. Those were the words the German Finance Minister used to explain the problems that that European Union island nation is experiencing now. According to Schäuble, the Mediterranean state counted too much on its […]

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Economy

Our Country In Ruins – Young People In Cyprus Start To Panic

NICOSIA – Cyprus is in a state of shock. The banks have been closed for days and somehow, the country has to raise 5.8 billion euros to qualify for the bailout package proposed by euro zone finance ministers. The initial rejection by the Cypriot parliament to the controversial bank account levy plan, has left this […]

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Economy

The Hidden Truth In Russia’s Opposition To Cyprus Bailout Deal

NICOSIA – The Cyprus Parliament’s initial rejection of the terms of the European Union bailout plan is bad news for Russia. The opposition to the required taxes on bank deposits means the risk is rising of a long-term freezing of corporate assets in Cyprus. Meanwhile new proposals for taxes on depositors in the island could […]

Categories
Future

Today’s Top Stories As Told By GIFs – Thank You Google!

Worldcrunch MOUNTAIN VIEW – Google has made it easier to search for GIFs and other animations on their Google image search engine. Enter your search term into Google images, click the search tools button and under Any Type, click animations on the drop down menu – voilà! In celebration of this, here are some of […]

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Economy

Cyprus Bailout Has Strings Attached – Well, It’s About Time

It’s the failure of an entire business model, not just a few banks. Who might be next?

Categories
Economy

Euro, Stocks Dive As Cyprus Bank Run Follows Bailout Levy

REUTERS, BLOOMBERG Worldcrunch NICOSIA – Global markets tumbled Monday as new doubts spread about the solvency of the eurozone with the Cypriot government preparing to impose a new levy on bank deposits in order to qualify for bailout funds. Finance ministers in the eurozone Sunday had demanded that Cypriots pay up to 10% of their […]

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Economy

A Visit To The Island Nation Of Cyprus, Europe’s Dodgy New Fiscal Haven

NICOSIA – The moment you arrive in Cyprus you sense something about the little eastern Mediterranean island that sets it apart from its European neighbors. There are an unusual number of men in suits carrying briefcases. And the bright billboards on the streets leading from the airport have Cyrillic writing on them. Some of the […]

Categories
Economy

Fitch Downgrades Cyprus, As EU Worries About Spain Deepen

AP, ICN, EL MUNDO LONDON – In the latest hit for a euro-zone economy, Fitch ratings agency downgraded Cyprus’ sovereign credit grade to junk status, lowering the country’s rating by one notch to BB+ from BBB-, AP reports. “Fitch acknowledges that its estimates of the losses and capital needs of Cypriot banks are subject to […]

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