Day: March 18, 2023

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Ali Aboutaam Presents One of the Most Important Early Greek Coins in Existence

Exhibition is on display at 6, rue Verdaine, Geneva, Switzerland.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Classical masterpieces are on display by Ali Aboutaam of Phoenix Ancient Art at its main gallery, which is located in the center of Geneva’s old town. He is showcasing a variety of antiquities that combine artistic excellence, historical intrigue, and the enthusiasm of the famous collections that they once belonged to. Several of these artifacts have provenance as early as the 18th century and were frequently published up until the present.

Ali Aboutaam – Kraay and Hermer Potidaea Coin
Silver coin of Poseidon on Horseback, Potidaea (modern day Cassandrea), a Chalcidian city, circa 540-520 B.C.

Ali Aboutaam says: “I am excited to be holding in my hand one of the most important early Greek coins in existence: the coin is from Potidaea (modern day Cassandrea), a Chalcidian city in Northern Greece, which contrary to other Chalcidian cities, was founded by the Corinthians, not the Euboeans. It shows the earliest representation of Poseidon on horseback on coinage from around 540-520 B.C. We can see the letter ‘P’ under the horse for “Potidaea”, and Poseidon, holding his trident, is riding a very noble and archaic styled horse. This can be compared to the best of Corinthian black figure pottery, also dated to the same period. If we turn to the reverse, it shows a triangular incuse which is extremely rare on archaic Greek coinage, as it would otherwise typically be squared. This coin is in excellent condition, and as far as we know, it is unique. It had belonged to some of the most important collectors of Greek coins, including the Jameson collection, and has been published several times, notably in the famous Kraay & Hirmer book (Greek Coins) with a big enlargement. Kraay & Hirmer’s 1966 publication is an important reference for the most beautiful ancient Greek coins from private collections and museums.”

Alongside the exquisite coin of Poseidon is a lovely Hellenistic cornelian gem portraying the same god. The juxtaposition of the two miniature masterpieces from 400 years apart is extraordinary. And from 2000 years earlier, visitors can see an outstanding Cycladic marble idol among the display: a treat for contemporary creative tastes.

The exhibition is on display at 6, rue Verdaine in Old Town, Geneva, until the end of June 2023.

ABOUT PHOENIX ANCIENT ART

With galleries in New York City (Electrum) and Geneva, Switzerland, Phoenix Ancient Art is one of the world’s leading dealers in rare and exquisite antiquities with a focus on Greek and Roman, Near Eastern and Egyptian art. Its works of art have been acquired by world-class museums around the world, as well as by private collectors. Phoenix Ancient Art is a second-generation family business that was founded by Sleiman Aboutaam in 1968 and continues today under the leadership of his sons, Ali and Hicham Aboutaam.

For more information, contact info@phoenixancientart.com or visit www.phoenixancientart.com.

Contact Information

Alexander Gherardi
Director
alex@phoenixancientart.com
2122887518

SOURCE: Phoenix Ancient Art

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Application to register Commandaria wine in UNESCO’s list ongoing, Cyprus Commission President tells CNA

The process to register Commandaria – a sweet Cypriot wine produced from some of the oldest grape varieties in the world – in the International List of Intangible Cultural Heritage is ongoing, Loukia Loizou Hadjigavriel, President of the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, has told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA). Cyprus has already registered elements such as the embroidery from Lefkara village, the ‘tsiattista’ traditional verses, Mediterranean diet, and other elements such as chanting and midwifery. At the same time, five new proposals have been submitted for registration in the National Catalogue. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, Hadjigavriel was invited by CNA to speak about the milestones in the Commission’s journey. The first step, she said, was the appointment of the first representative of the Republic of Cyprus to UNESCO in 1962, as well as the establishment of the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, which aims to implement and monitor what is happening in Cyprus regarding the conventions voted by the states members and implemented by UNESCO. Another major milestone, Hadjigavriel continued, was the signing of the Convention on the Looting of Antiquities, which especially after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 helps with the issue of stolen antiquities found abroad. The President of the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO told CNA that another important milestone was the signing of the Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006, through which Cyprus was able to register several elements in the International List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Such elements are the embroidery from Lefkara village (2009), the ‘tsiattista’ traditional verses (2011), Mediterranean diet (2013), “xerolithia” or dry-stone wall (2018), chanting (2019), while the last element registered by Cyprus is midwifery. “Now there is a process to register Commandaria wine in that list,” Hadjigavriel told CNA. Asked about the next plans of the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, its President told CNA that in order for an element to be submitted for registration on the International List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, a thorough investigation must be done on its historical course and its evolution over time. “There are several nominations for registration,” she added. At the same time, the other major work that is being done with the help of experts is the preparation of the National Catalogue of Intangible Cultural Heritage, said Loukia Loizou Hadjigavriel, clarifying that the elements included in the National Catalogue characterise the popular Cypriot culture and do not necessarily belong to the international list, since similar elements are found in other countries. Such elements, she explained, are the pottery from the areas of Lapithos and Agios Demetrios Marathasa. Asked about the five new proposals submitted for registration in the National Catalogue, Hadjigavriel explained that the scientific aspect of the item being listed has been completed. Proposals include the Geroskipou delights, Kythrea cabbage and the traditional recipes that are made of it, a number of traditional events as well as the Saint Irene traditional fair in Farmakas village, in Nicosia district. “If an element of the National List is not presented anywhere else in the world, an application can be submitted for inclusion in the International List,” said the President of the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO. “There is a priority order in the International List, to the point that even if Cyprus submits an application, it is impossible to be considered in the next three years, due to the large number of nominations from many countries”, she underlined. Another area in which the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO is active are the seven UNESCO chairs in Cypriot universities, said Hadjigavriel, adding that the twinning of chairs with UNESCO chairs from abroad is underway. “We are one of the leading countries in terms of population and universities in this field, because the chairs can branch out and develop programs together with other chairs abroad,” she pointed out.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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President Christodoulides declares the start of Limassol marathon, says politics is a marathon as well

We need more events like this,” said the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, declaring the start of the OPAP Limassol Marathon, which took place on the city’s seafront on Saturday morning. In his statements to journalists after the start of the marathon, the President of the Republic said, “I congratulate the organizers, this is the 11th marathon that takes place, and we need more events of this kind.” He emphasized that there are 3,000 participants from 70 countries, in addition to locals, “and we clearly need to invest more in such major sporting events that also have a charitable character, as they support the efforts of the Karaiskakion Foundation.” He also underlined the collaboration between the private and public sectors and the longstanding support of OPAP for such events, expressing his gratitude to OPAP Managing Director, Dimitris Aletrari. Asked about running in the marathon, he said, “I would definitely prefer to run, I did it in the past and promise that I will do it next year as well.” When asked which team he would run with, he said, “I can join many teams as was evident during the pre-election campaign. I will encourage some members of the Council of Ministers to run with us.” To a question if cabinet members can run a marathon or a sprint, President said that “certainly (politics) is a marathon and politics in general is not a 100-meter race. Cabinet members will prepare this year to be able to cope with at least 5 kilometres next year.” In her remarks, President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou said ‘we train daily in the political arena’. She said she was happy to be attending the marathon once again, to convey a message for a world without leukemia, a more humane world for people who are facing these challenges. We are running and training and offer whatever we can and I am glad that every year people support such events and initiatives, she added. Demetriou thanked all who participated and especially the volunteers who supported the runners. Chairman of the organisation of Opap Limassol Marathon Spyros Spyrou said they had a record number of participations this year. ‘We were worried about the weather but people defied the rain’, he said. Our aim is for the Limassol marathon to evolve beyond a sports’ event. ‘It is a celebration of humanity, support for fellow beings, volunteerism and giving, he added. He also said that 10 thousand people registered to take part in the corporate run today while around 2000 children will take part in the kids’ marathon at midday. On Sunday there will be 4000 people in the four special running events.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Foreign Minister travels to Brussels for Council meetings and bilateral contacts

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Dr. Constantinos Kombos, departs for Brussels on Sunday where on Monday he will take part in the Foreign Affairs Council, and on Tuesday in the General Affairs Council. The Minister is expected to have a series of meetings with European counterparts and officials, including the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Police, Josep Borrell and the President of the European Parliament. The Foreign Affairs Council will discuss the Russian aggression against Ukraine and exchange views on Tunisia. It will also be informed about current affairs. In the afternoon, EU Foreign Affairs Ministers will hold a joint session with EU Defence Ministers to discuss the implementation of the Strategic Compass one year after its approval, and EU support to Ukraine. Dr. Kombos will also hold meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France, Sweden and Hungary, Parallel to the Foreign Affairs Council, a Donors’ Conference will be held on 20 March 2023 in Brussels to help mobilise support from the international community in dealing with the devastating aftermath of the quake in Turkey and Syria. The aim of the Donors’ Conference is to raise funds and coordinate the relief response in the areas affected in both countries. The conference will be organised in coordination with Turkish authorities. Minister Kombos will also participate in the Schuman Security and Defence Partnership Forum. On Tuesday, Dr. Kombos, will attend the General Affairs Council in Brussels to prepare for the European Council meeting on 23-24 March, adopt Council decisions on EU-UK relations within the Windsor Framework and initiate the annual rule of law dialogue. Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, has been invited to an informal lunch with the General Affairs Council. In Brussels, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will hold separate meetings with Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, as well as Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides. He will also meet with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, and will hold a joint meeting with Cypriot MEPs. The Minister of Foreign Affairs returns to Cyprus on Wednesday 22 March.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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PRESS RELEASE – BW – The Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator Celebrates Three-Year Anniversary Milestone at Geneva Event with the Launch of the Digital Innovation Challenge

Recognizing the intersecting relationship between innovation, technology, the digital space and gender inequality, the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) brought together senior representatives of its founding partners to mark its three-year anniversary with a timely discussion ahead of CSW67 on how to move the needle to create a more gender-inclusive innovation eco-system and to address the digital gender gap. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005336/en/ For the first time since its inception, CSW67 holistically examined the theme of innovation and technology from a gender perspective, presenting a unique opportunity to explore the gendered impacts of innovation and technology with recommendations that will set a course for a more inclusive and equitable digital economy. With a mission to address the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), WEA is working to create an enabling digital innovation eco-system for women entrepreneurs to ensure countries reap the benefits of the digital transformation underway to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable world. Hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, and convening WEA’s five other UN partners, the WEA anniversary event highlighted the need to invest in women entrepreneurs through digital to scale their businesses. The event underscored how the digital revolution offers tremendous opportunities to advance women’s economic status by opening up access to knowledge and international markets, and by enabling women to engage with a broader network. The event also served to highlight the risks posed by the digital transformation underway in perpetuating existing patterns of gender inequality. Key take-aways from the event included: Existing innovation and start-up eco-systems greatly lack gender diversity and are characterized by an uneven distribution of opportunity and financial resources. Women entrepreneurs are consistently faced with a lack of capital and investment to scale their businesses,1 limited access to connectivity and to information and communication technologies (ICTs), as well as to opportunities to learn the critical skills necessary to compete in the digital economy.2 Digital technologies, platforms and tools can also reinforce harmful gender stereotypes and discriminate against women and girls, unless they are designed to be safe, inclusive and accessible from the outset. For example, gender biases found in data sets and coded in AI algorithm products may lead to systems and services that replicate patterns of discrimination. Women and girls, and especially those who are at greater risk for multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, are also the primary targets of online violence and abuse, which push them out of public participation, conversations and digital spaces more broadly. These are just some of the pressing challenges that call for gender-inclusive solutions in the digital age. Did You Know: 37% of women in the world do not have access to the internet.3 By 2050, 75% of jobs will be related to STEM areas.4 Today, women hold just 22% of positions working in artificial intelligence and only 1 in 3 global researchers are women.5 Only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of graduates in computer science are women.6 Women’s exclusion from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries in the last decade.7 Launch of the WEA Digital Innovation Challenge The event officially launched the WEA Digital Innovation Challenge by ITU with the support of Mary Kay Inc, as a key opportunity to advance this agenda. The global challenge selects 10 digital best practices and digital solutions with potential to create a more gender-inclusive eco-system for start-ups and scale-ups. These winners will gain access to the Digital Innovation Eco-System Program where they will receive capacity-building training to help further refine their business plans as well as specialized mentorship and access to a network of change-makers. Extracts from the anniversary WEA event: Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of International Telecommunication Union, spoke of the proven economic impact in bridging the digital gender gap, noting how in 2020 alone, potential revenues that were lost due to the lack of women’s access to entrepreneurial opportunities was calculated at $126 billion. Bogdan-Martin called for more to be done to develop a gender-inclusive digital eco-system through partnerships with business, civil society organizations, policy makers, regulators and UN sister agencies. Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer at Mary Kay, noted that while the pivot to digital provides a unique window of opportunity for women to innovate and scale their businesses, the digital acceleration can also perpetuate inequalities. To this end, Gibbins called for inequities to be addressed and the creation of an enabling environment for women to fully participate in the digital economy. The Digital Innovation Challenge is the latest initiative of WEA. Throughout the event, WEA partners highlighted key areas of work they have advanced in support of women entrepreneurship since the inception of this transformative multi-stakeholder partnership. Online Entrepreneurship Skills Development The International Trade Centre (ITC) highlighted the first-ever free online Entrepreneurship Certificate Programme developed in support of WEA and launched in January 2022. The 27 module-digital curriculum covers the 7 key stages of the entrepreneurial journey and is available in English, Spanish, French – and soon Arabic, Russian and Chinese. The curriculum is enriched with 200 videos and aims to teach aspiring and established entrepreneurs the skills to design and set up their businesses. Participants learn how to adopt an entrepreneurship culture, develop business ideas and learn start-up methodologies, prepare a business model, design a pitch, identify sources of funding, find the right partners and mentors, and build a team. Private Sector Advocacy on Gender-Responsive Procurement UN Women recalled its work to advance gender-responsive procurement highlighting last year’s publication of an Advocacy Brief, with support from the UN Global Compact, titled Procurement’s Strategic Value. Why gender-responsive procurement makes business sense. The Brief presents compelling evidence of the benefits for strengthening the participation of women in private sector supply chains in realizing inclusive economic growth and sustainable development. Addressing the Barriers Faced by Women-Owned and -Led Start-ups UN Women in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region spoke of the first ever Women’s Entrepreneurship EXPO – a bootcamp held across the region in 2021 to increase the capacities of women entrepreneurs to attract investment. This culminated in an Investors Pitch Finale in April 2022 where 25 women entrepreneurs from 9 countries (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, North Macedonia, Moldova, and Serbia) pitched their early-stage start-ups and business plans to address one of the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs face in growing their businesses – access to capital. Following their pitches, investors offered financial support, mentorship and networking opportunities to women entrepreneurs to help scale their businesses. In November 2022, the second live Women’s Entrepreneurship EXPO, in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Yildiz Holding brought women entrepreneurs and business partners together to mobilize and take forward specific action to advance the landscape for women’s entrepreneurship development in the ECA region. Women Entrepreneurship Policy and Advocacy in the LATAM Region The International Labour Organization (ILO) introduced its policy and advocacy work in support of women’s entrepreneurship development in LATAM. Over the course of 2020-2021, ILO conducted and released a Women’s Entrepreneurship Development (WED) assessment of policy conditions that impact women’s entrepreneurship focused on the commerce and industry sectors in Mexico City in support of WEA. The assessment included a series of 19 actionable recommendations to address the institutional gaps that exist for women entrepreneurs. In Brazil, ILO worked with Serviçio Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial (SENAI) to advocate for women’s entrepreneurship development through a package of communication and awareness-raising campaigns, capacity-building workshops and events. A recording of the event is available here. About the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator The Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) is a multi-stakeholder partnership on women’s entrepreneurship established during UNGA 74. It convenes six UN agencies, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Trade Centre (ITC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Global Compact (UNGC), UN Women and Mary Kay Inc. to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2030. The ultimate goal of the initiative is to maximize the development impact of women entrepreneurship in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating an enabling eco-system for women entrepreneurs around the world. The Accelerator exemplifies the transformational power of a multi-partnership of unique magnitude to harness the potential of women entrepreneurs. Learn more at we-accelerate. Follow us: Twitter (We_Accelerator), Instagram (@we_accelerator), Facebook (@womensentrepreneurshipaccelerator), LinkedIn (@womensentrepreneurshipaccelerator) 1 Research suggests that women entrepreneurs face $1.5 trillion financing deficits. MSME Finance Gap, International Finance Corporation, 2017. https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/03522e90-a13d-4a02-87cd-9ee9a297b311/121264-WP-PUBLIC-M SMEReportFINAL.pdf?MOD=AJPERES and CVID=m5SwAQA 2 Of the estimated 2.9 billion people still offline, the majority are women and girls who are less likely to use a phone, access the Internet or have the skills to leverage digital technology. https://www.gsma.com/r/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-Mobile-Gender-Gap-Report-2022.pdf?utm_source=website and utm_medium=download-button and utm_campaign=gender-gap-2022 3 ITU (2022). Facts and Figures 2022 – The gender digital divide (itu.int) 4 A smart move (pwc.com.au) 5 https://www.unesco.org/reports/science/2021/en/women-digital-revolution 6 We need more girls and women in science. What are three ways in which we can support them? (worldbank.org) 7 UN Women. Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. The Gender Snapshot 2022.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Center for Cooperation inaugurated in Turkish-occupied Kormakitis

The Opening Ceremony of Kormakitis Center for Cooperation took place Saturday at Turkish occupied Kormakitis village, with the participation of the European Commission, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the diplomatic community as well as the different local communities on the island. According to a press release by UNDP , the project commenced in September 2021 and was completed in January 2023, with funding from the EU for the amount of EUR 1,238,506. The Kormakitis Centre for Cooperation aims to offer a wide range of programmes and learning opportunities, including languages and traditions, nature preservation, recycling and the agricultural development of organic products. The centre will also host events promoting multiculturalism both in Cyprus and beyond. In addition, young artists will have opportunities to showcase their artistic talents and skills through cultural activities. With regards to facilities, the centre will be equipped to provide basic accommodation and catering for groups of up to 60 people. Olive trees were planted by members of the Maronite community in memory of those who lost their lives as a result of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, as well as the train crash in Greece in February 2023. The Centre was constructed as part of efforts to contribute towards reconciliation and coexistence in the multi-communal landscape of Cyprus. According to the press release UNDP aims to contribute and support the peace-building process in Cyprus and to enhance cooperation between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots by implementing a range of confidence building measures. 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

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Meteorology Department issues yellow warning for thunderstorms on Sunday

The Meteorology Department issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms. The warning is valid from 11.00 until 17.00 (local time) on Sunday. Isolated thunderstorms are expected to affect mainly the northern, mountainous and inland parts of the island. Rainfall is expected to temporarily exceed the rate of 35 millimeters per hour, while hail is likely.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Collective effort required to protect our cultural heritage in Cyprus’ Turkish-occupied areas, House President says

President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou said on Saturday that the attempt to misrepresent historical memory is a continuing policy on the part of Turkey, and one with visible effects in long-suffering Cyprus as well. It takes a collective effort to restore historic truth and to protect meaningfully all monuments, she noted. Demetriou was addressing the presentation of the volume “Hagia Sophia: The churches of the wisdom of God in history and in the world”, which took place in Limassol, on the sidelines of the Extended Session of the International Secretariat, of the Presidents and rapporteurs of the Committees of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO). The volume published by IAO presents a total of 37 churches of the wisdom of God, including the two Cypriot churches of the same name in Nicosia and Paphos and highlights the issue of the conversion of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople into a mosque. Demetriou said that it was a valuable publication in response to Turkey’s lawless action to turn the most iconic Christian church into a mosque, and “an action and reaction to Turkish intolerance and religious fanaticism.” “The multilingual edition is an important mean of informing and raising awareness among the international audience about this universal and unique monument, Hagia Sophia, which is a common cultural heritage for all humanity,” she added. At the same time, the House President said that the attempt to misrepresent historical memory was a continuing policy of Turkey, with visible effects “in our long-suffering Cyprus” and that the cultural and religious monuments in the occupied part of the island were irrefutable witnesses of the Turkish intolerance. “Indeed, the opening of the closed city of Famagusta constitutes another shocking example of the violation of basic rights and the circumvention of fundamental international and European agreements”, she added. ‘For almost 50 years we have been watching with pain and agony the violation and destruction of our holy temples and monuments in our occupied homeland, Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol said in his speech at the event. As Metropolitan Athanasios pointed out, “all these tragic dramas are not just stories about distant places, but our daily traumas and painful experiences.” Head of the Cypriot parliament in the IAO, MP Panikos Leonidou, said that the goal of the publication was to highlight the spiritual unity of the Christian world and also of the European civilization. At the same time he said that the aim was to denounce everywhere the conversion of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, the “eternal beacon of Orthodoxy”, into a mosque by the Turkish leadership. Addressing the event Mayor of Limassol Nicos Nicolaides said that Limassol, a city with a history of 4 thousand years, formed strong ties with Orthodoxy for centuries, after the passage of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas from the island. Secretary General of the International Secretariat of IAO, Maximos Charakopoulos, expressed his joy for the sincere, as he said, interest of the Cypriots in the issues of Christian, Orthodox identity, tradition and history. He also said that the issue of converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque was one of the main preoccupations of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy, which was trying to raise awareness among the international public audience, with events like this one in Limassol. 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. Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’, despite the UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) urging that the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha, on October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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Judoka Yiannis Antoniou makes history by winning gold in IJF World Tour

Yiannis Antoniou made history when he won a gold medal in the IJF World Tour( U21) in Algeria. The young athlete has swept all competitions he took part in the last two weeks. He won a silver medal in men’s pre-Olympic games in Tunisia (12/3/23), a gold medal in the Junior World Cup (U21) in Tunisia (10/3/23), and a bronze medal in the European Under 21 Championship (U21) in Lignano, Italy (5/3/23). After these continuous successes, the young judoka climbed to third place in the world rankings. With his victories, he secured competition in the Men’s World Championships, which will take place in May in Qatar. Antoniou is expected to be one of the youngest to compete in this major event among the best judo athletes worldwide. Knowing that he would be a step closer to qualifying for Qatar, he emerged victorious from the tatami on Friday. From the +100 kg category, he initially defeated Fares Boukedjar (Algeria), then Mohamed Amokrane Sebki (Algeria), and finally Mohamed El Mahdi Masahel (Algeria), achieving new victories for Cypriot Judo and raising the Cypriot flag to the top of the podium.

Source: Cyprus News Agency