Day: September 1, 2022

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot trade unions have asked for the immediate termination of the war in Ukraine on the occasion of the Action Day of Trade Unions for Peace, that was established by the World Federation of Trade Unions on the 1st of September, the anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War due to the attack of Nazi Germany on Poland.

Greek Cypriot trade union PEO together with Turkish Cypriot trade unions and the bicommunal peace initiative “United Cyprus” organised on Thursday in Nicosia an event to mark the Action Day, noting in a joint declaration that this Day is more significant this year as dramatic developments in Ukraine after Russia’s invasion have caused huge human and material losses, more militarisation and have stepped up the military buildup.

Moreover they said that Cypriot employees express their support to the people suffering from war, condemn the violation of the international law, and demand the immediate termination of the war in Ukraine and to find a peaceful settlement on the basis of the international law.

As regards the Cyprus problem, the joint declaration stressed the need for the resumption of the negotiations for its solution, expressing support to a just and mutually acceptable settlement in the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single international personality, with political equality as defined by the UN resolutions, for a demilitarised and independent state that will serve Cypriots and will make the country a bridge of peace and stability for all the region.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Cyprus News Agency

All people who live in Cyprus are equal before the laws of the Republic which must be fully adhered to, Government Spokesperson Marios Pelecanos told CNA on Thursday.

He also said the government condemns the alleged attack of a Russian woman by a Ukrainian national in Larnaca last month.

A 55 year-old woman is expected to appear before Larnaca District Court on 19th September to answer to charges of allegedly assaulting Russian citizens who were demonstrating in Larnaca on 22 August.

Invited by CNA to comment on the attack, Pelecanos said “all citizens residing in Cyprus are equal before the laws of the Republic and they should be fully respected by all.”

He also said the government has been informed by the Police on the case.

The alleged action and attack against citizens is reprehensible and the issue is already before justice, the Spokesman added.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, condemns, in a letter he has sent to the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, Turkish illegal actions, the Government Spokesman, Marios Pelekanos, said on Thursday in a written statement.

Pelekanos noted that the Prime Minister of Spain, in his reply letter to President Anastasiades, reiterates the condemnation by the Spanish government of any unilateral actions “that endanger stability in the region, including the ongoing illegal actions by Turkey in the fenced-off area of Varosha”.

The Spokesman added that Prime Minister Sanchez expresses hope for the resumption of the negotiation process to resolve the Cyprus issue as soon as possible. Furthermore, he reaffirms Spain’s support to the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, both with regard to the status of Varosha and the intended solution of the Cyprus problem, which should be fully compatible with International Law.

“Finally, Sanchez underlines the need to maintain security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, emphasising at the same time that Spain is not going to accept the continuation of the deadlock observed for decades in the Cyprus issue,” Pelekanos concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Cyprus News Agency

The percentage of organ donors in Cyprus remains at very low levels compared to the rest of Europe, the Minister of Health Michalis Hadjipantela, said on Thursday.

According to figures, since 2011, 173 transplants have been carried out from living donors and 80 from posthumous ones.

Hadjipantela spoke to the press following his visit with Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias, at the Transplantation Clinic of the Nicosia General Hospital.

He said that the average number of transplants per year is 21 and the aim is to increase this figures, drawing help from countries that are pioneers in the field, such as Spain.

The Transplantation Clinic became operational again today after two years during which it had remained closed due to the pandemic. It was founded in 2011.

During their visit to the Clinic the Ministers of Health of Cyprus and Spain were briefed by doctors about the operations and treatment activities and the operation of the ICU.

A meeting has been arranged later today to further discuss ways of cooperation with Spain in the field of transplantation.

The Spanish Minister of Health Carolina Darias, said that the percentage of donors in her country has increased by 40% and is among the highest in the EU.

She noted that Spain wants to continue cooperation with Cyprus in this field in order to keep saving lives.

State health services organization (OKYpY) Director Kypros Stavrides said that the Clinic is really a national treasure for Cyprus.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Quorum Software (Quorum), a global software leader dedicated to the energy industry, announced today that Chief Executive Officer Gene Austin will be stepping down from this position to become the company’s Chairman of the Board of Directors and President Paul Langenbahn will succeed Austin and serve as both President and CEO. This transition will be effective October 1.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as Quorum’s CEO,” said Austin. “The tremendous growth over the past four years including six successful acquisitions and the merger with Aucerna, has positioned Quorum as a global market leader in energy software, exceeding company growth targets year-over-year. Working alongside Paul for the last year and the wealth of executive experience he brings from enterprise technology companies, I can say with certainty that he is the right leader to continue driving Quorum’s vision and growth strategy.”

Langenbahn has served as President of Quorum since May 2021, where he is primarily responsible for overseeing the company’s worldwide customer-facing operations. He has an extensive background in senior leadership roles in management, sales, and professional services for global enterprise technology providers, including President of the Commerce business unit of NCR Corporation and President of the hospitality division of Radiant Systems.

“I would like to thank Gene and the Board for the opportunity to lead Quorum through this next phase of growth for the company and industry transition,” said Langenbahn. “It’s an exciting time in oil and gas with the accelerated need for cloud-based digital transformation to deliver fast, accurate, decision-ready data to power critical operations for energy companies around the world. I’m confident that the direction Gene forged, coupled with the sophistication of our best-in-class solutions, have positioned us well for long-term success.”

“We are tremendously grateful for Gene’s many great contributions to Quorum and the foundation he laid for the company’s next phase of growth,” said Scott Crabill, Managing Partner, Thoma Bravo. “We look forward to partnering with Paul and the leadership team to continue that momentum and advance the company’s mission of transforming the business of energy through technology.”

About Quorum Software

Quorum Software is a leading provider of energy software worldwide, serving more than 1,800 customers across the entire energy value chain in 55 countries. Quorum’s solutions power growth and profitability for energy businesses by connecting people, workflows, and systems with decision-ready data. Twenty years ago, we delivered the industry’s first software for gas plant accountants, and today our solutions streamline business operations with industry forward data standards and integrations. The global energy industry trusts Quorum’s experts and applications to successfully navigate the energy transition while delivering value today and into the future.

Cyprus News Agency

The Turnover Value Index of Retail Trade for July 2022 increased by 11.4% and the Turnover Volume Index of Retail Trade increased by 1.5%, compared to the corresponding month of the previous year, according to data published by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.

The largest increase in value was recorded in the retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores, marking 26% from July 2021. Textiles, clothing, footwear follow with an increase of 13.8% and electrical household appliances, furniture, lighting, equipment, construction materials, etc. recorded an increase of 12.4%.

In contrast, the retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores saw the largest decline in volume, recording a 14.4% decrease in July 2022 compared to July 2021. The largest increase in volume was recorded by sales of textiles, clothing and footwear, with 11.5%.

For the period January-July 2022, the value index is estimated to have recorded an increase of 11.9%, with the largest change recorded in the retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores, up by 37.5% compared to the same period in 2021.

For the same period, the volume index increased by 2.3% compared to January-July 2021, with textiles, clothing and footwear recording the largest increase, by 21.6%.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

A total of 30.5 tons of garbage, mainly plastic, were collected in a course of three years from volunteers all over Cyprus in a campaign titled #potavristou, which means roughly translated “move and help”.

The waste was collected by 5,016 volunteers in 134 spots island-wide, a press release by AKTI Project and Research Center says.

In 2019 on the occasion of the International Volunteer Coastal Cleanup Day, the organisers called on the public to help clean up our seas and shores, in an effort to raise awareness.

From that year on and in a course of 3 years, 30.5 tons of waste were collected. More volunteers joined the efforts and even more spots were cleaned up. The press release says that the majority of the waste was plastic.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The European Medicines Agency has given a positive opinion on the use of the first two variant-adapted COVID-19 booster vaccines, produced by BioNTech-Pfizer (Comirnaty) and Moderna (Spikevax) to protect against the Omicron BA.1 subvariant.

In a statement, EU Commissioner for, Health Stella Kyriakides, said that these two adapted vaccines are important because they will contribute to protecting Europeans against likely new waves of the virus in autumn and winter. “We need to be ready to face another winter with COVID-19” she said.

Kyriakides explained that the Commission will proceed with an accelerated authorisation of the two vaccines. “The adapted versions of these vaccines are to be used as booster doses that target the original virus and the Omicron BA.1 sub-variant” the Commissioner explained.

She added that “they are developed to offer increased, broader protection against current and future variants” and noted that the Commission expects an opinion on Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 adapted vaccines by the EMA in the coming weeks, recalling that the Commission’s contracts with the producing companies were amended to ensure that all member states will have access to adapted vaccines.

“Everyone eligible for a vaccine or booster dose should get it as soon as possible. The pandemic is not over, but the swift development and adaptation of vaccines to respond to this virus is one of the greatest successes in the modern history of medicine” Commissioner Kyriakides said, calling on member states to plan and launch new vaccination campaigns.

According to the EMA, studies have shown showed that Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 and Spikevax Bivalent Original/Omicron BA.1 can trigger strong immune responses against Omicron BA.1 and the original SARS-CoV-2 strain in people previously vaccinated. In particular, they were more effective at triggering immune responses against the BA.1 subvariant than the original vaccines.

Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus GDP growth rate in real terms during the second quarter of 2022 is positive and it is estimated at 5.8% over the corresponding quarter of 2021, according to data published by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.

Based on seasonally and working day adjusted data, GDP growth rate in real terms is estimated at 6.1%.

The Statistical Service said that the positive GDP growth rate is mainly attributed to the sectors of “Hotels and Restaurants”, “Transport and Storage”, “Information and Communication”, “Wholesale and Retail Trade, Repair of Motor Vehicles”, “Arts, Entertainment and Recreation”, “Other Service Activities”.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Today, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has given a positive opinion on the first two variant-adapted COVID-19 booster vaccines: Comirnaty and Spikevax, by BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna respectively. Welcoming this important development in the fight against COVID-19, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, said:

“Today’s positive opinions by the European Medicines Agency on the first two variant-adapted mRNA vaccines, from BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna, are important to protect Europeans against the likely risk of autumn and winter waves of infections. We need to be ready to face another winter with COVID-19.

We will now proceed with an accelerated authorisation of these vaccines to ensure that they can be rolled out quickly across the EU. The adapted versions of these vaccines are to be used as booster doses that target the original virus and the Omicron BA.1 sub-variant. They are developed to offer increased, broader protection against current and future variants. Subject to the scientific assessment of the EMA, we also expect an opinion on Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 adapted vaccines in the coming weeks as part of our broad vaccines portfolio approach that has characterised our work since the outset.

With our Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), we acted swiftly last spring already to make sure that contracts were amended so that all Member States have access to adapted vaccines in quantities needed in autumn and winter to protect citizens. This is European collaboration and solidarity in action, the key principle of the EU Vaccines Strategy.

I call again on Member States to plan and launch their vaccination campaigns, including adapted vaccines. It is essential to continue prioritising an uptake of the primary vaccination and first booster dose among all eligible individuals. To support Member States efforts, the Commission will soon present actions for COVID-19 vaccination strategies and set out measures to help avoid a surge of COVID-19 this autumn and winter. The European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control will also shortly publish considerations on the roll-out of adapted vaccines.

Everyone eligible for a vaccine or booster dose should get it as soon as possible. The pandemic is not over, but the swift development and adaptation of vaccines to respond to this virus is one of the greatest successes in the modern history of medicine: let’s now make sure that we protect as many as possible, for ourselves and our loved ones.”

Cyprus News Agency