Month: July 2022

A lot of work needs to be done to bring the missing persons issue back to its proper dimension, Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou said on Thursday, noting that it is a humanitarian and not political issue.

Speaking at the International Coordinating Committee – Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), conference, in the framework of the World Conference of Overseas Cypriots that is taking place in Limassol, Photiou thanked overseas Cypriots for promoting the humanitarian problem of the missing people and urged them to continue their efforts so that Turkey finally cooperates.

The goal, he said, is to make the world and the new generation abroad as well as foreign decision making centers, aware of the problem.

“It is not possible 48 years later to still have missing persons, this is unacceptable,” he stressed.

Photiou said that the international community has double standards, since it does not react at the same manner in the case of Cyprus as it does in the case of Ukraine.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus and Greece are in constant and close coordination, especially in light of Turkish threats to create new faits accomplis both on land and at sea, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries said on Thursday, in view of the illegal drilling by the Turkish drilling rig Abdul Hamid Khan

In joint statements after their meeting in Nicosia, Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said that there are six potential sites where the illegal drilling could take place and added that actions were discussed in the hope of preventing new tensions. The Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias recalled that the relevant decisions of the European Union are in force.

“We expect the drilling rig to arrive and we have also discussed some steps, in the hope that these will prevent the creation of these tensions in our Exclusive Economic Zone,” Kasoulides said.

Moreover, he said that there are more than six sites, where the illegal drilling could take place, recalling that the decision on where exactly it will take place will be taken by the Turkish President himself. He noted that the six potential areas are not limited to the Cypriot EEZ.

The Greek Foreign Minister said that they are in constant and close coordination, especially under the threat of an attempt to create new faits accomplis, both on land and at sea, despite international law and despite the law of the sea.

He recalled that the relevant EU decisions are valid and said that “we expect Turkey to comply with these decisions”.

As regards Ukraine, Dendias noted that the international community had not reacted in the case of the Turkish invasion agaist Cyprus in same manner as it did with the invasion against Ukraine. The invasion and illegal occupation of territories in Ukraine is not the only example of invasion in Europe, he noted.

Dendias said that revisionism has ceased to be an acceptable practice and it is not possible for the international community to accept it even in a passive manner.

He recalled that both Cyprus and Greece have taken a principled stand, fully implementing the European sanctions despite the cost on their societies.

Referring to the same issue, Kasoulides stressed that just like Ukraine, the Cyprus issue was and remains a matter of invasion and occupation.

“The same principles that are violated in the case of Ukraine, are also violated in the case of Cyprus for 48 consecutive years,” he underlined.

Furthermore, Kasoulides said that the continuous violations of international law and UN resolutions as well as Turkey’s ongoing hybrid tactics create a difficult environment that we must face.

He referred to a crescendo of provocative Turkish rhetoric, constant threats on behalf of Ankara and a harsh public debate on foreign policy issues.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs assured that our side will continue to follow the path of rationality, which is none other than that of international law, international treaties, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as European principles and values.

As regards the Cyprus issue, he said that despite the efforts of Cyprus President to promote Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), the Turkish Cypriot side rejected them and talked about a ‘two state’ solution.

“The goal was and continues to be the solution of the Cyprus issue, on the agreed basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation, in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council,” he stressed.

The Greek Foreign Minister expressed his support for the CBMs submitted by the Cypriot President and expressed regret for the expected rejection by the Turkish Cypriot side.

“We share your realistic approach regarding the prospects for the resumption of the negotiations, which unfortunately are not auspicious,” Dendias said.

He rejected and condemned any proposal for a ‘two state’ solution and said that the solution of the Cyprus problem in the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation on the basis of the UN resolutions and the EU acquis is the top priority of Greek foreign policy.

The only positive thing, he concluded, is that the discussion at the UNSC on the text for the renewal of the UNFICYP mandate took place in a consensual climate, despite the general polarisation which prevails.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Rachael De Renzy Channer has been appointed the Global Head of Sustainability of Egon Zehnder, the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm.

 

“Egon Zehnder, like many other organizations, is on a sustainability journey. We are learning that our own progress is deeply connected to a change in mindset and motivation that must come first”

 

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Based in London, De Renzy Channer has led the global Sustainability Practice Group at Egon Zehnder for the past three years, helping organizations around the world develop their cultures, teams, and leaders to be forces for good. She co-authored the Firm’s recent sustainability report, which surveyed hundreds of leaders globally on the state of sustainability in their organizations. Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, De Renzy Channer led strategy in several companies, including Schneider Electric. Earlier in her career, she served in the British Army for 12 years, where a large part of her military career was spent focusing on leadership and development.

 

“Our Firm has been committed to creating a more sustainable world for years, and Rachael will bring greater visibility, alignment, and commitment to our Firm’s purpose, which is Leadership for a Better World,” said Edilson Camara, CEO of Egon Zehnder.

 

In her role as Global Head of Sustainability, De Renzy Channer will lead Egon Zehnder’s impact efforts, ranging from regional to global sustainability initiatives, to driving DEI transformation, to connecting with other organizations to improve our shared world. “Egon Zehnder, like many other organizations, is on a sustainability journey. We are learning that our own progress is deeply connected to a change in mindset and motivation that must come first,” De Renzy Channer said. “Sustainability is never about ticking boxes, but about driving forward a more inclusive and sustainable world. This change starts from within, and I am happy to continue this journey with our Firm in this new role.”

 

About Egon Zehnder

 

Egon Zehnder is the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm, inspiring leaders to navigate complex questions with human answers. We help organizations get to the heart of their leadership challenges and offer honest feedback and insights to help leaders realize their true being and purpose. Our 560 consultants across 62 offices and 35 countries are former industry and functional leaders who collaborate seamlessly across geographies, industries and functions to deliver the full power of the Firm to every client, every time.

 

We believe that together we can transform people, organizations and the world through leadership.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus aspires to act as a bridge between nations, people and ideas, facilitating communication, collaboration and knowledge transfer, Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriacos Kokkinos said on Wednesday at the Ceremony marking the accession of Cyprus to the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), that took place at the Presidential Place in Nicosia.

 

Kokkinos signed the accession documents with the Secretary-General of the DCO, Deema Al-Yahya, in the presence of the President of Cyprus’ Parliament, Annita Demetriou.

 

The Deputy Minister said in his speech that, Cyprus, as the first EU member state to join the DCO, “has a lot to offer in this multilateral equation.”

 

“We have achieved tremendous progress in developing our digital economy, investing in gigabit connectivity and emerging technologies, forming a new cybersecurity framework, promoting innovative entrepreneurship and facilitating the digital transformation of businesses, advancing the digital fitness of our workforce and citizens and implementing an aggressive e-government agenda” he said.

 

He also said that the country’s national ambitions and strategic objectives fully align with the DCO’s mission, “and we strongly believe that collaboration within the Organization will be crucial in all members achieving their own economic development goals.”

 

Kokkinos also said that, capitalizing on its geostrategic location, Cyprus has traditionally maintained strong and close ties with the countries of the region, both at bilateral and multilateral level. “As the first EU member state to join the DCO, and a natural crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, Cyprus aspires to act as a bridge between nations, people and ideas, facilitating communication, collaboration and knowledge transfer, while paving the way for others to join,” he added.

 

He expressed the belief that the Digital Cooperation Organization “will continue to grow and scale its activities, magnifying the impact of international cooperation in accelerating the growth of the digital economy and building a world that is unified, stable and prosperous.”

 

Al Yahya said that they were “particularly pleased that Cyprus is not only our eleventh member country but also our first European member state.”

 

She said this was “a significant milestone” in the ongoing expansion of the DCO and that they were looking forward to building this relationship and tapping into the experience of Cyprus in developing its own digital strategies.

 

“We believe that, by sharing knowledge, experiences and also best practices, among our member states and organisations we can enable member nations to create the best infrastructure, policies, legislation and also education that fully enable to build inclusive and equitable digital economies,” she added.

 

In Cyprus, she said, they see a nation, that has already embraced many of these goals and developed the policies and strategies to accelerate its digital economy and have already made significant progress in transforming to a knowledge-based economy.

 

Al Yahya said that they look forward to working with the government of Cyprus and also the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy to further these goals and build bridges for collaboration with the member states that represent right now, as she said, more than a 600 million population.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyta participates in the East Med Corridor (EMC) submarine cable system, following an agreement signed on Tuesday, July 26, in Athens.

 

In a press release, Cyta said that the East Med Corridor (EMC) submarine cable system is “a project of geostrategic importance, with transnational support, which exploits the geographical position of Cyprus, Greece and Saudi Arabia for creating an international digital highway that is essential for the global economy.”

 

“Starting in Singapore, the EMC will pass through Saudi Arabia, Israel, Cyprus, and Greece, and will end in Italy and France. Construction will begin next autumn and is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2025. The total cost is around $850 million and, apart from Cyta, it involves MENA HUB of Saudi Arabia and the Greek companies TTSA and PPC,” Cyta explains.

 

Cypriot Minister of Finance, Constantinos Petrides, said that “with Cyta’s investment, we are not just achieving the enhancement of Cyprus’ connectivity”.

 

Cyprus’ Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriakos Kokkinos, underlined that “Cyta’s participation in the creation of EMC strategically supports and plays an essential role in ensuring the digital connectivity of our country.”

 

In his statements, Cyta President, Michael Ioannides, noted that “we are participating in a project that creates the Cyprus – Greece telecommunications axis as the data transfer gateway of Europe.” “With EMC we are creating the conditions for significant geostrategic and tangible economic benefits for our country,” he added.

 

Cyta CEO, Andreas Neocleous, said that “we are investing in the new EMC international cable system to further enhance the quality communication experience of our customers”. “The new route will multiply the capacity of Cyta’s interconnection with the rest of the world, ensuring even higher speeds and data volumes for our customers. It will also provide resilience and redundancy to the country’s digital interconnection, with many long-term commercial and economic benefits for Cyta and for the country,” he concluded.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Today, Eight Sleep, the world’s first sleep fitness company, introduced Pod 3, a new version of their award-winning sleep technology. Pod 3 features a new quad-core CPU as well as upgrades to its sensor system, powering more accurate biometric and health tracking with twice the number of sensors and 4000x greater resolution. The new sensor system achieves 99% heart rate sensing accuracy compared to clinical reference¹. Furthermore, clinical data have shown that the technology behind Pod 3 can improve sleep quality index by up to 32%², increase deep sleep by up to 34%³, and increase heart rate variability (HRV) by up to 19%³. The release of Pod 3 is part of Eight Sleep’s journey to transform an ordinary bed into an advanced health platform that fuels both recovery and performance.

 

Eight Sleep Introduces Pod 3: The Latest Generation of Sleep Fitness Technology That Improves Sleep Quality by up to 32% (Photo: Business Wire)

 

“From the start, we set out to create the best systems in the world to power sleep optimization, and with the launch of Pod 3 we are taking a giant leap forward,” said Matteo Franceschetti, Co-founder and CEO of Eight Sleep. “Three years after the launch of the original Pod, it is rewarding to see how our innovations are improving people’s lives, with clinically validated results that prove better recovery night after night.”

 

Thermoregulating technology that improves sleep quality and increases HRV

 

The Pod’s Active Grid layer, which wraps around any mattress like a cover, continues to provide dynamic heating and cooling between 55℉ and 110℉ on each side of the bed. This allows members to maintain a comfortable temperature range during sleep, which has been clinically demonstrated to improve sleep quality index, time spent in deep sleep, as well as heart rate variability:

 

Increase deep sleep by up to 34%³: After just one week of sleeping on the Pod, individuals experienced a 10% average increase and a 34% maximum increase in deep sleep. Individuals that initially had below-average deep sleep duration had the largest increase in deep sleep after using the Pod. As deep sleep is crucial for several key bodily processes, including learning and memory, recovery from exercise, immunity, and metabolism, sleeping on the Pod can be highly beneficial for people struggling to get optimal amounts of deep sleep each night.

 

Improve clinical sleep quality by up to 32%²: The Pod has been shown to improve the sleep quality of individuals by up to 32% using standard clinical measurements. The average Pod user also experiences 34% higher daytime energy scores, 23% fewer sleep interruptions, and 44% faster sleep onset, compared to their baseline before sleeping on the Pod.

 

Increase heart rate variability (HRV) by up to 19%³: After one week of sleeping on the Pod, users show an average increase in their HRV by 6%. For one in three Eight Sleep users, HRV increases by at least 10%, and one in four users sees an HRV increase of at least 15%. Importantly, individuals with a below-average HRV experienced the largest increases in HRV after sleeping on the Pod with an average 9% increase and a 19% maximum increase. An increase in HRV indicates improved recovery, cardiovascular health, and cognitive performance.

 

While still maintaining the award-winning features of the Pod 2 Pro, the new Pod 3 includes enhanced technology and an improved user experience with the following enhancements:

 

A new quad-core CPU to increase the Pod’s computing power

 

A powerful new quad-core CPU significantly increases computing power in Pod 3 that allows for double the amount of sensors for tracking key biometrics such as heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate, sleep stages, and more. With a more robust hardware system, the Pod can now locally process more complex data and algorithms, critical for biometrics tracking during sleep. Additionally, the new hardware allows for future deep-learning-powered features to be pushed to users via frequent cloud updates.

 

Invisible Sensing design featuring twice the number of sensors and 4000x greater resolution in sleep and health tracking

 

Pod 3 includes a new Invisible Sensing design of its sensor pack to maximize comfort while providing more accurate measurements with double the amount of sensors and 4000x greater sensor resolution. Building on the previous generation’s excellent biometric accuracy³, Pod 3’s dual sensors enable a further 20% improvement in heart rate variability accuracy, as well as a maximum error of heart rate of less than 1 beat per minute compared to clinical reference.

 

Dual-band Wi-Fi chip with 5GHz compatibility for a wider connectivity range

 

A new, dual-band Wi-Fi chip in the Hub extends compatibility from 2.4GHz networks to 5GHz networks, as well as improves support for mesh networks. This update increases connection speed and Wi-Fi stability, allowing the Pod to find the best balance between long-range and high bandwidth connectivity, regardless of the layout of the user’s home.

 

The Eight Sleep app provides health insights and more with 8+

 

The powerful features of Pod 3 are managed from the Eight Sleep app which serves as a one-stop dashboard to view health and sleep metrics, adjust sleep preferences, and manage temperature settings. With an optional 8+ membership users can take their sleep to the next level. 8+ unlocks the full intelligence of the product, built utilizing insights from more than 90 million hours of sleep data. The features in the Eight Sleep App include:

 

Temperature Autopilot: Autopilot uses AI to adjust the user’s sleeping temperature in real-time based on their sleep history, past temperature preferences, bedroom temperature, local weather, and user feedback.

 

Health and Sleep Reports: A Sleep Fitness Report is available daily, and includes key health metrics such as heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep time, deep sleep, REM sleep, and respiratory rate.

 

Connection to third-party wearables: Users can link their favorite third-party fitness devices with the Eight Sleep app to understand how their daytime activities affect their sleep. Devices supported include Peloton, Oura, Garmin, Apple Health, Google Health, Fitbit, Trainingpeaks, Polar, and Zwift.

 

Behavioral Insights: 8+ offers powerful sleep and health insights, based on more than 90 million hours of sleep data, and creates personalized recommendations for each user with actionable suggestions to promote positive behavior change.

 

Content designed to help you sleep: 8+ members get access to a growing library of content including guided breathing, yoga, meditations, and more designed to help users fall asleep faster and wake up energized.

 

“Pod 3 is the next step for Eight Sleep to push the boundaries of what is possible for sleep technology that not only monitors your health, but also improves it. The new sensing and computing hardware in Pod 3 allows for more complex biometric algorithms to be deployed, giving our members the best and most innovative features for restorative and preventative health. This was all achieved while making the Pod even more comfortable with a new Invisible Sensing design,” says Dr. David He, Vice President of Research and Development at Eight Sleep.

 

Available today

 

The Eight Sleep Pod 3 is available to purchase online today. Pricing starts at $2,095 for a Full size, $2,195 for Queen, $2,395 for King and California King Pod 3 Cover. Priority upgrades are available for existing Eight Sleep members. Eight Sleep upholds its customer satisfaction, offering up to a 100-night trial and free returns. For more information about Pod 3, check out the video here and to purchase the Pod

 

About Eight Sleep

 

Eight Sleep is the world’s first sleep fitness company with a mission to fuel human potential through optimal sleep. Their hardware, software, and AI technologies power pro athletes and everyday high performers around the globe, including snowboarding sensation and Olympic Gold-Medalist Red Gerard, the world’s fittest man 2021 CrossFit Games Winner Justin Medeiros, and the 8X Formula One Champions, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. Eight Sleep was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2019 & 2022. The company was also recognized two years in a row by TIME’s “Best Inventions of the Year.” Eight Sleep is available for purchase in North America (the United States and Canada) and throughout the United Kingdom.

 

References

 

Eight Sleep Pod’s Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability Accuracy

 

Eight Sleep Pod Leads to Improved Sleep Quality

 

HRV, HR & Deep Sleep Improvement

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Presidential Commissioner Fotis Fotiou and the Deputy Minister of Education and Religious Affairs of the Hellenic Republic Zetta Makri discussed proposals for distance education and the instruction of the Greek language, as well as the organization of a major conference abroad on the Greek language, at a meeting held on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the World Conference of Overseas Cypriots.

 

In his statements after the meeting, Fotiou said that they discussed issues related to education and schools in countries where Cyprus and Greece have large communities such as London, New York, Melbourne and Sydney, adding that the ongoing close cooperation on this issue should continue.

 

He also said that they discussed holding a major event abroad before the end of the year on the Greek language, adding that they want the new generation of expatriates to know the Greek language, history and to come close to their roots.

 

“This is the only way we can keep the new generation close to us, they are the future diaspora leaders, we want them to live there and know about Cyprus and it is in this context that we discussed various programmes, various actions, such as learning the Greek language via distance education,” he said.

 

Fotiou added that Greece has an important place in the Conference, in the sense that the Greek overseas community is one, it is united, it is strong and it promotes the national issue to the governments of the countries where they live and to the decision makers.

 

For her part, Makri said that the conclusions and processes of the Conference will be very supportive for their actions. She added that the Greek and Cypriot diaspora is a common diaspora with common aspirations, common values and actions and coordination will be even better from now on.

 

Regarding her area of responsibility, she said that the Ministry of Education of Greece unreservedly accepts the proposals of Fotis Fotiou and their cooperation will continue to be very extensive, with the same efficiency and at a much faster pace.

 

In turn, she referred to the actions planned between the two countries for distance learning of the Greek language and the better coordination of teachers’ actions.

 

Regarding the event on the Greek language, she said that there are three candidate countries to hold the event abroad and it should be held in an effective, creative way that will demonstrate both extroversion and full cooperation between the two countries.

 

Source: Cyprus News Agency