Day: March 17, 2023

What is important for the UN Secretary-General is to hear back directly and personally from Rosemary DiCarlo when she returns to New York, “and then we’ll see what next steps are taken”, Antonio Guterres’ Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Thursday. He was asked during yesterday’s press briefing at UN Headquarters, if there is any possibility for a new initiative by the Secretary-General on Cyprus and to confirm whether the Secretary-General is thinking after the trip of DiCarlo, to ask the President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar to come to New York.

Dujarric noted that the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, is continuing her visit to Cyprus. He said that DiCarlo visited the historic city of Famagusta to learn about the important work on preserving cultural heritage shared by all Cypriots.

“She expressed confidence that achievements in this area will help build bridges in the future”, the Spokesperson said.

He continued by saying that the Under Secretary-General also met with youth representatives, stressing that the voices of young women and men are vital for a durable peace solution in Cyprus and elsewhere.

“She said the United Nations would continue our efforts to bring more youth to the table”, Dujarric added.

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

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for isolated and probably heavy thunderstorms to affect the Cyprus region.

In a Tweet, it said the warning is in effect from 05:30 until 1400. Isolated, probably heavy thunderstorms are likely to affect the area at times. In that case, it added, precipitation rates are expected to range between 35-50 millimeters per hour while hail is also likely.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

(Story repeated with correction in the title and the text, on the basis of a Ministry of Health announcement, saying that no death of an 8-year-old child occurred due to Influenza. This inaccurate information, which CNA also obtained, was a result of a typing error in the Health Ministry’s database, the Ministry clarifies. The specific case concerns an elderly person, admitted to Limassol hospital on February 15, 2023 and died ten days later. The Ministry of Health issued today an announcement, to clarify the issue following a thorough inquiry on the data released on Thursday. The corrected text follows)

Fourteen people have died from Influenza in Cyprus this winter.

According to official data that CNA has obtained from the Ministry of Health, in total the hospitalized cases of Flu amount to 440, of which 274 concern children under 15 years of age.

The official data are for the period between December 26, 2022 to March 6, 2023.

More than 50% of cases are children under 15 years of age.

The median age in relation to the flu cases that have been hospitalized in the week of February 27 to March 6 is 8 years.

In statements to CNA, Valentinos Silvestros, Epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health, said that the vast majority of deaths have been recorded in Limassol, while three deaths out of 14 have been recorded in Larnaca.

In addition, in January a 24-year-old died from Influenza A and a 37-year-old from Influenza B. Among the dead is a 48-year-old woman, as well as a 56-year-old man. The remaining nine dead were over 70 years old.

He also said that in the week between February 27 to March 6, 6% of total hospital admissions are for respiratory viruses, such as Influenza, RSV and COVID, adding that 3.34% of the 6% are admissions due to Influenza.

Concluding, he said that at the moment Influenza B is stronger in the community.

Meanwhile, Maria Koliou, Assistant Professor of Paediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Cyprus Medical School told CNA that admissions of children to the Makarios Hospital have increased.

She also said that Influenza is an aggravating factor in respiratory infections and can potentially worsen other diseases.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cypriot sailor Pavlos Kontides won the bronze medal at the European Laser Championship, held in Andora, Italy, after a tremendous effort on the last day of the event during which he managed to climb from the 8th to the 3rd position.

According to a press release, Croatians Stipanovic and Jurisic, members of Kontides’ training team, finished first and second respectively, in a dream race for team coach Jozo Jakelic.

On the final day, Kontides was 21st, 6th and 8th, and finished fourth overall, but Australia’s Wearn, who was third, was not in contention for medals.

This was Pavlos Kontides’ fifth medal at a European Championship, having won two gold medals in 2018 and 2022 and two bronze ones in 2017 and 2009. In 2012, Kontides won silver at the London Olympic Games.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Ioanna Panayiotou, former Commissioner of Environment and Cyprus’ National Representative at the European Social Marketing Association, received an award for her contribution in environmental issues, by the Municipality of Lysi.

Panayiotou was honoured by the Municipality during a ceremony on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, according to an announcement.

Addressing the ceremony, she said that women are gravely affected by the current crisis and noted that women’s contribution to Cyprus can safeguard and showcase the cultural heritage and even guarantee the economic recovery of the country, through green business initiatives.

Concluding, Panayiotou reassured that she will continue to fight for a Green Cyprus, that will respect and truly protect the environment, and promote sustainable development.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The importance of promoting the identity and culture of Cyprus was stressed on Friday by Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, who also highlighted the risks arising due to the Turkish invasion and continued occupation of the island to do with the maintenance of the country’s monuments and the preservation of its cultural heritage.

Addressing the proceedings of the 4th International Conference of Byzantine and Medieval Studies, organised in Nicosia by the Byzantinist Society of Cyprus, he wished more engagement with unexplored aspects of the history and culture of Cyprus and the region.

In his address, which was delivered by the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Athena Michaelidou, President Christodoulides said that conferences make Cyprus and the wider Mediterranean region a centre of scientific interest and are a wonderful means of getting to know the historical course and the religious and cultural life of our country.

“At the same time, through the promotion of our identity and culture, the conference participants become aware of the problem we face due to the Turkish invasion and the ongoing occupation, something particularly important, since the dangers are obvious on many fronts, such as that of preserving our monuments and preserving our cultural heritage,’ he said.

Taking a look back at the long history of Cyprus, President Christodoulides said that “during all these years in Cyprus the arts and letters developed, the Christian faith spread and the spiritual life flourished, churches were built and monasteries, icons and mosaics were painted”.

He added that the fact that prominent and renowned university teachers and young scientists and researchers will be present at the Conference is ”remarkable”.

Furthermore, President Christodoulides congratulated the President and the members of the Board of Directors of the Byzantinist Society of Cyprus “for the promotion of research, teaching and dissemination of Byzantine and more broadly Medieval Studies in Cyprus and abroad, but also more generally for the possibilities opened up through the International Conferences they organise.”

Since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, hundreds of valuable artefacts have been stolen from the northern Turkish occupied areas of the island and found their way into the black market overseas. More than 500 churches have been pillaged, destroyed or turned into museum, inns or silos. Many archaeological sites and other places belonging to the country’s 9,000 year old cultural heritage have been abandoned to the elements.

The Church of Cyprus has, at different times, managed to secure the return of stolen religious items, illegally stolen and sold on the black market abroad.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The annual Harmonised inflation rate in Cyprus for February dropped to 6.7%, continuing its downward trend for a seventh consecutive month following the peak of 10.6% registered in July last year.

According to data published by the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat), the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HCIP) amounted to 111.23 units, marking a reduction of 0.8% compared with January 2023.

For the period January – February 2023 the HICP rose by 6,8% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Compared to February 2022, the largest changes were recorded in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels with an increase of 18.8% and Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages with 9,5%.

According to Cystat only the category of communication marked an annual reduction with 3.3%.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

European Commission’s Director General for Structural Reforms, Mario Nava, said contributions beyond the local bodies are needed for the bicommunal waste water treatment plant in Nicosia.

In a tweet, he said that he had a good meeting with Mehmet Harmanci, so called “mayor” of the Turkish occupied part of Nicosia, where they discussed EU-funded projects and EU priorities in Nicosia.

Nava said “we need a sustainable solution for the Turkish Cypriot debt for the bi-communal waste water treatment plant”.

Benefits, he added, “go well beyond Nicosia, so need contributions beyond the local bodies”.

Source: Cyprus News Agency