Day: March 6, 2023

The CASSINI Hackathon, that kicks off on March 24th, will focus on Cyber Security and Defence issues. The Hackathon is organised by the NGO, C.I.P Citizens In Power in Cyprus and held under the auspices of the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO). It begins Friday, March 24 and ends on Sunday, March 26, 2023. According to the CSEO, at the conclusion of the two-day Hackathon on Sunday, prizes will be awarded to the successful teams and certificates of participation issued. Pre-hackathon events are also organised and offered to all participants during the 2 weeks prior to the Hackathon Weekend and they are called ‘Big Ideas Campaign – BIC’. ?he CASSINI Hackathon and Mentoring is the first action in the implementation of CASSINI, the European Commission’s new initiative to support innovative entrepreneurs, start-ups, and SMEs in the space industry, including New Space, during 2021-2027. The CASSINI Hackathons are a series of semi-annual hackathons that tackle global challenges with European space technologies. Each hackathon is a hybrid event that takes place in 10 different locations across Europe simultaneously. The purpose to bring together young entrepreneurs, technologists and researchers from around Europe, and to provide an attractive environment to develop innovative applications and learn about the European space programmes. Participants will be supported with training resources and dedicated sessions on how to access these data and services, and with training to publicly showcase their solutions. The three winners of each hackathon receive access to CASSINI Mentoring, a tailor-made mentoring and coaching scheme. At the 5th CASSINI Hackathon, participants are invited to use space data and signals to develop defence and security solutions for Europe. The event is open to everyone, the Hackathon will offer comprehensive digital resources to enable participants to utilise space data and develop an innovative business pitch. In Cyprus, prizes will include pound 1,000 and additional business support. Registration for the 5th CASSINI Hackathon is now open at https://www.cassini.eu/hackathons/cyprus The event will take place at the Information Centre and Training for Employment and Entrepreneurship of the Municipality of Nicosia.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides contacted the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and offered the Republic’s assistance in putting out a fire that broke out early on Monday afternoon in the Turkish-occupied part of Nicosia. The fire broke out at the industrial zone and black smoke could be seen from a distance. ?he fire was put under control a few hours later. Sources told the Cyprus News Agency that Tatar thanked the President for his help and said that “the fire has been extinguished.”

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, had on Monday afternoon a telephone conversation with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, whom he preliminary briefed on his intention to pursue a more active and substantive involvement of the EU to efforts to break the deadlock and resume talks for a Cyprus settlement. According to a press release issued by the Presidency, during their telephone conversation, Michel congratulated the President of the Republic over his election and expressed his will for close and productive cooperation in the framework of the European Council. On his part, President Christodoulides thanked Michel for his wishes and briefed him on his priorities based on his governance program. Moreover he briefed him preliminary about his intention to pursue a more active and substantive involvement of the EU both in efforts to break the deadlock and for the resumption of talks for a Cyprus settlement, an issue which the Cyprus President will discuss in detail with the President of the European Council and the Presidents of the other EU institutions as well as with his counterparts during his forthcoming visit to Brussels. In this framework, according to the press release, President Christodoulides briefed President Michel about his recent meetings with the Turkish Cypriot leader and with the UNSG’s Special Representative in Cyprus, as well as the forthcoming visit of a high ranking UN official to Cyprus. Moreover, President Christodoulides expresses his aspiration for a speedy implementation of the provision of the European Council Conclusions issued on February for drafting an action plan about the Eastern Mediterranean migration route, in cooperation with the affected member states. Also the two Presidents had the opportunity to review the agenda of the European Council meeting that will take place on March 23 and 24, which includes, among others, the competitiveness of the European economy, the issue of Ukraine, Energy and migration, the press release 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.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus Foreign Minister, Constantinos Kombos, had on Monday a meeting with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Cyprus, Murat Ziazikov, with whom he discussed the Cyprus problem, bilateral, regional and international issues. The Foreign Ministry said in a post on its Twitter account that Combos had today a meeting with Ambassador Ziazikov and that “they exchanged views on issues on the bilateral, regional and international agenda, as well as in relation to the Cyprus question.”

Source: Cyprus News Agency