Day: July 19, 2022

? fire that broke out on Tuesday afternoon in the community of Agios Amvrosios, in Limassol district, is under control, according to a post on twitter by Andreas Kettis, Spokesperson of the Fire Department. Earlier today, the blaze was ranging in three fronts, including the communities of Vouni and Pachna.

Only a small active front remains, and according to Kettis, firefighting forces continue their efforts on site to suppress it.

The fire, which broke out after 14.00 (local time) consumed a total area of approximately 2 square kilometers. According to Agios Amvrosios community leader, Stelios Gregoriou, two summer residences have been destroyed by the flames, while other houses in the region have been evacuated, with the help of Police and Civil Defence.

In a previous tweet, Kettis said that fire engines from all districts rushed to the scene to extinguish the fire. Moreover “Ikaros 2” plan was put into effect with the use of seven aircraft – airplanes of the Forestry Department and helicopters of the Police Aviation Unit, the British Bases and the National Guard. They were also supported by water tankers and dozers of the Limassol District Administration.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, assured on Tuesday that the Cypriot state will continue its efforts, despite all difficulties, with a view to investigate and ascertain the fate of all missing persons, on the basis of official documents and evidence.

In his address, read out by Labour and Social Insurance Minister, Kyriakos Koushos, during an event held on the occasion of the anniversaries of the 1974 coup and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, at a memorial site for the missing persons of Cyprus, in Kornos village, Anastasiades noted that the fate of 775 Greek Cypriots and Greeks, who went missing has not yet been established.

He also said that the Turkish side still refuses to cooperate and provide information to the Committee on Missing Persons, in order to have further progress to the investigations.

Anastasiades said that acting with particular sensitivity along with the Presidential Commissioner and the Greek Cypriot member of the Committee on Missing Persons they are pursuing to enhance the efficiency of the efforts being made.

In this framework, he added, the competent services are continuously evaluating the results, as well as the problems which come up, with a view to improve the pursued results.

The President said that at the same time by undertaking an intense diplomatic activity and by utilizing the Republic of Cyprus’ participation in various decision-making centres and international fora, we have achieved to raise more awareness and exert more pressure, for Turkey to undertake its responsibilities.

“We demand both from the UN, the EU and the international community in general that Turkey abides by its legal and moral obligation on the basis of the international law and cooperate for an effective investigate of the missing persons’ fate,” he added.

He noted that contribution to discovering the whereabouts of the missing persons will contribute to the creation of a climate conducive to any effort for substantial negotiations that will create the preconditions so that Cyprus becomes a really sovereign and independent state, a peaceful and prosperous state, with security for all of its citizens.

A state in which the democratic institutions, human rights, the EU acquis, the EU and the UN principles and values will be implemented and respected, he added.

Anastasiades said that he has been making clear this position both to the UN Secretary – General, the EU partners, the Security Council permanent and non-permanent members and the international community in general.

He assured of “our constant commitment to the goal for liberating and reuniting our country, in the framework of a just, viable and functional solution that will rid our country from the obsolete system of guarantees and occupation armies.”

The President called on everyone possessing information about missing persons, that will lead to establishing their fate, to present this information.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.

The Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) increased by 9% in June, when compared to the index of June 2021, setting a new record high, while continuing its upward course for the 16th consecutive month, pushed by the consecutive appreciations mainly in energy prices.

According to data published by the Statistical Service on Tuesday, when compared to the index of May 2022, the HICP increased by 1.2%. For the period January – June 2022 the HICP recorded an increase of 7.3% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Compared to June 2021, the largest changes were noted in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, that increased by 23%, Transport by 20% and Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages by 8.2%. Compared to May 2022, the largest change was recorded in category Transport that increased by 4.6%.

As regards the economic origin, the largest change when compared both to the index of June 2021 and to the index of the previous month, was observed in Energy with percentages of 43.6% and 7% respectively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The exhibition of the artists Stefania Pennacchio and Vasilis Vasiliades in Syracuse, which takes place as part of the cross-cultural event “Neighbours, only space remembers”, has been extended until the end of August. The first phase of the event, which included a conference, took place on July 2.

According to a press release, the proceedings of the conference “Time, a meeting between Greeks of the East and Greeks of the West” were hosted in the main hall of the Palazzo Vermexio town hall, in the presence of local government representatives, academics from all over Italy, researchers, journalists, artists and art lovers.

During the conference, the videotaped greeting message of the Minister of Education, Culture and Youth of Cyprus, Prodromos Prodromou, was also shown, since the event is also held under the auspices of his Ministry.

The conference was followed by the opening of the exhibition by Stefania Pennacchio and Vasilis Vasiliades in the ex Convento del Ritiro, an ancient baroque chapel in the old town of Syracuse.

The exhibition that was scheduled to remain open until August 10 will be extended until the end of the month after a proposal by the Municipality of Syracuse.

The second phase of the event is scheduled for October 13 in Athens, the press release concludes.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (‘CySEC’) announced a new investor protection campaign to help tackle the growing international scourge of investment harm.

In a press release, CySEC particularly warns of rising adoption of ‘finfluencers’ and “gamification” techniques being used on social media channels to manipulate young investors.

Launching the campaign, Dr George Theocharides, Chairman of CySEC, said that rapid technological development, uncertain market conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic have all contributed to a significant increase in online retail trading in recent years.

“CySEC is concerned at the growing participation of younger inexperienced investors, and the proliferation of material on social media and online platforms to promote complex products that are not always what they seem. It is particularly worrying that already low financial literacy levels are also declining and this has exacerbated the risk of young people not fully understanding the unique characteristics and risks that trading in these products can carry and many will get in over their head,” he said.

According to the press release, social media channels are increasingly being used to promote complex and risky products, like crypto-assets, with some employing celebrities and online influencers that may sway investors to invest in products and services they may know very little about, and which may turn out to be unsuitable for them. The gamification of investing is also raising red flags.

“Not surprisingly these gamification techniques are particularly attractive to younger people, many of whom with little experience in investing and will likely end up losing their money,” said Dr Theocharides.

CySEC’s new campaign will warn investors not to make decisions based on emotions and social pressure but rather through rational thinking and acquiring more knowledge of the products they’re buying and who they are buying them from.

The campaign complements CySEC’s ongoing supervisory work to clamp down on unlicensed investment services and to warn licensed entities of their legal obligation to protect their investing customers’ interests in all of their communications. Financial penalties are imposed for non-compliance.

Dr Theocharides also said that there is a crucial need for financial education programmes to help people develop new skills, and this has been recognised in the recently approved national strategy on the promotion of financial literacy.

The CySEC campaign includes a series of investor guides, available on a special section of the CySEC website dedicated to financial education (https://www.cysec.gov.cy/en-GB/investor-protection/financial-education/) The campaign will make substantial use of social media to target younger audiences, backed up by the comprehensive step by step guides and advice to help retail investors safely navigate investment markets.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades has tested positive for COVID-19.

Government Spokesman Marios Pelekanos said today in a written statement, that during a routine check-up on Tuesday morning the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, was diagnosed positive for the coronavirus disease.

Pelekanos said that in line with the health protocols, the President will abstain from his duties for the day, expressing his deep regret for this.

The Spokesman also says that the President has mild symptoms and his health is considered to be very good.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

OAG, the world’s leading provider of travel data and insight, announces the release of Flight Status Data into its Flight Info Direct solution, delivering instant access to the full lifecycle of a flight. Powered by its Snowflake-enabled data platform OAG Metis, Flight Info Direct currently provides instant access to OAG’s high-value database, including Global Airline Schedules Data, Emissions Data, and Connections Data. Starting today, the release of Flight Status Data will give customers a seamless view of a flight – from its planned schedule to when it lands at its destination.

As demand for high-value insights and operational data soars, being able to view flight data as one by accessing, integrating and blending it into other sources will deliver valuable business benefits and efficiencies to customers, such as removing the silos of legacy systems, delivering end-to-end journey data, and rectifying reconciliation and quality issues.

“Our accelerated solutions and partnerships with leading technology platforms Snowflake and Microsoft Azure make us the perfect partner to help our customers rise above a complex legacy technology landscape,” said Phil Callow, CEO at OAG. “The scale of data-driven opportunities across the entire travel ecosystem – search and booking, hospitality, payments and retail, and more – is enormous. Our versatile, cloud-based data platform seamlessly connects the ecosystem together, and all in one view, to help our customers grow, streamline their operations, and work flexibly at scale.”

This recent release of data onto the platform is the latest evolution of OAG’s product-led growth journey to connect ecosystems and markets with data that empowers better decision-making and innovation.

Callow adds, “We are moving the industry forward by providing frictionless access to high-quality travel data. Being able to view holistic flight data information with the best technology available is a sizeable shift away from the old schedules and status silos of the past.”

OAG has customers across the entire travel ecosystem and is embedded in booking engines, travel and hospitality apps, airline apps, online travel agencies, metasearch, search engines, and flight tracking apps.

To learn more about Flight Status Data, visit https://www.oag.com/status-direct

About OAG

OAG is the leading data platform for the global travel industry, powering the growth and innovation of the air travel ecosystem since 1929. Headquartered in the UK, OAG has operations in the USA, Singapore, Japan, China and Lithuania., Visit: www.oag.com and follow us on Twitter @OAG Aviation.

This material is not a CNA editorial material and CNA shall not bear responsibility for the accuracy of its content. In case you have any questions about the content, kindly refer to the contact person mentioned in the text of the press release.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

New research from the University of Cyprus on structural malformations during the fetal period sheds light on the mechanisms that control the formation of the central nervous system in vertebrates during embryogenesis.

A press release by the University of Cyprus says that the findings of this pioneering study will enrich the existing knowledge about the cellular behaviors leading to the formation of the central nervous system and in the long term will contribute to the development of methods to more effectively prevent central nervous system malformations.

The research, conducted by post-doctoral researcher Neophytos Christodoulou and Head of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Cyprus Professor Paris Skourides was published recently in the scientific magazine Development.

In the article, authors say that “neural tube closure (NTC) is a fundamental process during vertebrate development and is indispensable for the formation of the central nervous system. Here, using Xenopus laevis embryos, live imaging, single-cell tracking, optogenetics and loss-of-function experiments, we examine the roles of convergent extension and apical constriction, and define the role of the surface ectoderm during NTC. We show that NTC is a two-stage process with distinct spatiotemporal contributions of convergent extension and apical constriction at each stage”.

“Convergent extension takes place during the first stage and is spatially restricted at the posterior tissue, whereas apical constriction occurs during the second stage throughout the neural plate. We also show that the surface ectoderm is mechanically coupled with the neural plate and its movement during NTC is driven by neural plate morphogenesis. Finally, we show that an increase in surface ectoderm resistive forces is detrimental for neural plate morphogenesis” they add.

According to the World Health Organisation, 240,000 newborns under the age of one year die each year due to fetal malformations. In addition, fetal structural malformations are the cause of death for 170,000 children aged 1-5 years and the cause of long-term disability for millions of people.

It is therefore extremely important to understand the mechanisms that lead to the formation of the central nervous system in order to develop additional methods for the prevention and treatment of its malformations.

The research entitled “Distinct spatiotemporal contribution of morphogenetic events and mechanical tissue coupling during Xenopus neural tube closure” is found under https://doi.org/10.1242/dev.200358.

The study was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation and by the European Commission through a postdoctoral scholarship “Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship”.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY LARNAKA AIRPORT

WARNING NR: 21

EXTREME HIGH TEMPERATURE WARNING

AWARENESS LEVEL: YELLOW

DATE OF ISSUE: 19/07/2022 TIME OF ISSUE: 1600 L.T.

VALID FROM: 2200 L.T. 19/07/2022 TILL: 0600 L.T. 20/07/2022

TONIGHT THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE IS EXPECTED TO FALL ?? AROUND 26 DEGREES CELSIUS OVER THE INLAND, THE SOUTH AND THE EAST COASTS AND ?? AROUND 25 DEGREES CELSIUS OVER THE WEST AND THE NORTH COASTS.

YELLOW

BE AWARE that high temperatures are expected. Some health risks amongst vulnerable people e.g. the elderly and very young are possible.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) today announced that it has opened a new office in Zurich, Switzerland, and appointed Leander Metzger as Country Manager.

“Establishing this new office in Zurich reflects our focus on expanding our presence and relationships throughout the DACH region. It is another important step in our strategy to steadily grow our capabilities, our team, and our local presence throughout Europe,” said Andreas Krause, Head of DACH, BHSI. “Leander has had great success building European relationships and we are excited to have him lead our expansion in Switzerland.”

BHSI is now underwriting property, casualty, and executive and professional lines in Switzerland and expects to launch several other product lines there in the coming months.

“We look forward to building our team in Zurich and bringing BHSI’s commitment to excellent technical underwriting and service and our CLAIMS IS OUR PRODUCT® philosophy to customers and brokers throughout Switzerland,” said Leander Metzger, Country Manager Switzerland. Leander has more than 25 years of industry experience. He joined BHSI in June 2016 as Head of Property, Engineering Lines and Risk Control, and will retain that position along with his new role. Before coming to BHSI, Leander held management positions with both insurance brokers and insurers.

The new BHSI office is located at: Fraumuensterstrasse 16, 8001 Zurich, Switzerland

Leander can be reached +41 (0)76 394 7007, or via email at Leander.Metzger@bhspecialty.com

In Switzerland, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) trades under Berkshire Hathaway International Insurance Limited (BHIIL). BHIIL is an incorporated England and Wales limited liability company, Registration Number 3230337 and Registered Office at 8 Fenchurch Place, 4th Floor, London EC3M 4AJ, United Kingdom. BHIIL is an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (BHSIC), a Nebraska USA domiciled corporation, which provides commercial property, casualty, healthcare professional liability, executive and professional lines, transactional liability, surety, marine, travel, programs, accident and health, medical stop loss, homeowners, and multinational insurance. BHSIC and BHIIL are subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway’s National Indemnity group of insurance companies, which hold financial strength ratings of A++ from AM Best and AA+ from Standard and Poor’s. Based in Boston, BHSI has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Irvine, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, San Ramon, Seattle, Stevens Point, Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Cologne, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Lyon, Macau, Madrid, Manchester, Melbourne, Munich, Paris, Perth, Singapore, Sydney, and Toronto.

Source: Cyprus News Agency