VIENNA: Some 40 asylum seekers were eating again yesterday after calling a temporary halt to a 31-day hunger strike in a Vienna church against conditions for refugees in Austria. “We are interrupting our hunger strike for several days,” 20-year-old Pakistani Sayed Muhammed Mustafa told the Kurier daily, without giving a reason for the halt. “But we are going to stay in the church.” Doctors had begun to express serious concerns about the strikers, who on average have lost 15 percent of their body weight, with ambulances being called out to the Votivkirche in central Vienna around 30 times to provide treatment. The protesters’ demands include being able to choose where they live, access to jobs, schools and social security and no more forced deportations. They had consumed nothing but water, tea and clear soup since late December. Klaus Schwertner from the charity Caritas welcomed the halt to the hunger strike, telling Kurier that he hoped the government “will now take steps to engage with the refugees”.
Italy approves cyber security measures
ROME: Italy’s government said yesterday it had approved new measures to beef up online security and protect critical infrastructure from increasing cyber assaults. Attacks on computer security have risen significantly in recent years, the government said, citing data from the information technology organisation Assinform indicating that 40 percent of attacks take at least four days to resolve. In 90 percent of cases, attacks succeeded because cyber security systems had not been set up properly. Mario Monti’s cabinet said the decree signed on Wednesday established a structure for national cyber security, including a permanent support unit and a separate arm to manage emergencies.
Mozambique to free journalist murderer
MAPUT: Mozambique will free one of the men convicted of killing celebrated journalist Carlos Cardoso in 2000, in a crime that implicated the president’s family, state media reported yesterday. A judge signed an early release order for Vicente Ramaya on the grounds of good behaviour, his lawyer told Radio Mozambique. “At the moment we are waiting for the court’s decision to be carried out,” Abdul Gani told the radio. The actual release date has not been finalised. Ramaya was jailed in 2003 —along five others — for Cardoso’s murder, but has served only 10 of a 23-year sentence.Agencies
