Day: January 21, 2023

NEW YORK: The Empire State Building today kicked off celebrations for Lunar New Year with a tower lighting ceremony and music performance; festive pop-up with NYC food vendor Sheng Mary Bakery; a corner display on the building’s iconic 86th Floor Observatory; and reveal of the Fifth Avenue Lobby window installation to honor the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Rabbit.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230120005461/en/

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING KICKS OFF LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

“We are pleased to continue our annual Lunar New Year celebration and spread good fortune to the Chinese community here in the United States, in China, and around the world,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Building Observatory. “Lunar New Year is the perfect time for Chinese visitors to take in New York City’s best views and discover our reimagined Observatory Experience and its immersive exhibits as they celebrate this joyous holiday.”

For the first time since 2020, the Empire State Building held an in-person lighting ceremony to celebrate Chinese New Year and the Spring Festival alongside the Chinese Consul General of New York. The ceremony concluded with a traditional performance in the Observatory lobby.

ESB’s iconic Fifth Avenue Lobby windows were unveiled to feature dynamic imagery that celebrate the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Rabbit, with the animal’s silhouette among colorful landscapes of Chinese lanterns, flowers, and trees, on display until Feb. 15. A dimensional corner photo display now graces the northwest corner of the 86th Floor Observatory deck, with lanterns, blossoms and floral urns in a gold arch. Flushing’s Sheng Mary Bakery will reside on the building’s 86th Floor to offer traditional Chinese treats to guests from Jan. 20–29 from open to 3 pm.

Tonight, New Yorkers can look skyward to see the Empire State Building’s world-famous tower lights lit up in red to honor Lunar New Year.

More information about the Empire State Building’s tower lights can be found online.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades continues tours throughout Cyprus before the end of his presidency, with a visit to Larnaca, Troodos and Vasiliko next week for inaugurations of development projects, review of ongoing projects and laying of the foundation stone for new ones.

A press release issued by the Director of the President’s office, Andreas Iosif said that among Anastasiades’ activities will be to honour nurses for their services during the pandemic. The event will take place in Larnaca on Thursday, 26 January.

On Monday, January 23 President Anastasiades will lay the foundation stone of the new Archaeological Museum. The museum has been described as a major development project that will be built on the site of the old General Hospital in Nicosia. In close proximity are the Archaeological Museum, the House of Representatives, the Nicosia Municipal Theatre and the Cyprus Theatre Organization, making the museum, perhaps, the most significant investment the state has made in cultural infrastructure, with great importance for the capital, but also for Cyprus as a whole.

President Anastasiades will also present the Pancyprian Awards for Green Cities and Green Communities” as well as environmental awards for organisations and businesses.

The awards aim to recognize and acknowledge cities, communities, organizations, and businesses that have adopted and developed environmentally-friendly policies and practices, and contribute to sustainable development, improvement of citizens’ quality of life, and protection of the environment.

On Friday he will dedicate the day to Larnaca. President Anastasiades will tour the site where the refineries were located, on the coastal front of Larnaca-Dhekelia. He will inspect the area and be informed about the development procedures. Efforts to remove the refineries began in the 1990s and were recently completed.

The President will also inaugurate the renovated Archaeological Museum and the new Zouhouri Square which is next to the new Larnaca Municipal Market. He will also inaugurate the new wing of the Larnaca General Hospital and the Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center.

On Saturday, President Anastasiades will visit Troodos to inspect the construction of the Limassol – Saittas motorway that is expected to boost many communities in the region.

He will also inspect the Troodos Planetarium at Agridia, the Troodos Regional Hospital in Kyperounta and lay the foundation of the Troodos Ski Centre.

On Sunday, 29 January, he will visit Vasiliko where he will meet the leaders of the nine communities of the area.

He will then inaugurate the LPG terminal of the VLPG company, visit the Energy Centre at Vasiliko and inaugurate the new fire service at Vasiliko.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Foreign Ministry expresses Cyprus’ condolences to the government and people of Gabon for the passing of its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Michael Moussa Adamo. In a message, posted on Twitter, the Foreign Ministry speaks of an “irreparable loss.”

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades on Sunday will lay the foundation stone for the upgraded fishing shelter in Liopetri in the southeastern coast of Cyprus.

According to a press release issued by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, the project is considered as one of the largest infrastructure works in the fishing sector of Cyprus and is estimated to be concluded in November 2023 with a total cost of €11 million.

The works in the fishing shelter, which will have 112 berths, include wooden docks, launching ramp, dry docking and storage facilities.

At the same time the project also features the upgrading of the surrounding areas, contributing to the preservation of the natural environment in the region of the Liopetri river, such as fishing training centre, space for event hosting, pedestrian and cycle lanes and parking areas.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades has pledged the country’s firm commitment to the One China Policy and said that Nicosia remains a staunch supporter of the integrity, unity and sovereignty of China, while thanking China for its unwavering support and principled stance with regard to the Cyprus issue.

He made the remark in a letter this week to President Xi Jinping and Chinese people on the occasion of the Chinese New Year.

In his message, President Anastasiades said he joined celebrations “on the joyous occasion of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rabbit, a symbol of good fortune, great ambition, bright future, wealth and prosperity” and wholeheartedly extended to Xi “and the friendly people of China, our most sincere and warmest wishes for a happy, prosperous and healthy New Year.”

He said among the most ancient civilizations of the world, “Cyprus and China share a strong and deep-rooted friendship that is time-tested and which is founded on a common adherence to international law and world peace.”

During his ten-year tenure as President of the Republic of Cyprus, he went on, he was particularly pleased to attest that – despite the geographical distance and notable difference in size between our two countries – “we have managed to embark into a new era of partnership with substantial geopolitical meaning.”

Furthermore, in the framework of the European Union, Cyprus, he added, “always emphasizes the need for engagement and cooperation with China in addressing global and regional challenges. Cyprus will also continue to advocate working with Beijing in many different areas, such as trade and investment, sustainable development, food security, climate change and environmental protection, education, and so on.”

President Anastasiades further said that “Cyprus and China adhere to the values and principles of the United Nations and international law, both aspiring to safeguarding peace, security and stability in our respective regions and the world at large.”

He also extended “our deepest appreciation for your country’s unwavering support and principled stance with regard to the Cyprus issue, taking also into account China’s important role as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, in reaching a lasting and viable solution.”

In the same vein, the President added, “I also wish to reiterate that Cyprus remains firmly committed to the One China Policy and a staunch supporter of the integrity, unity and sovereignty of China.”

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.

Source: Cyprus News Agency