Category: General

During today’s press briefing at UN Headquarters, Dujarric responded to a question with regard to the UN statement that was expected to be issued following the meeting.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said he “had not seen anything” with regard to a UN press release concerning the meeting of the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres with the President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades and Ersin Tatar, the Turkish Cypriot leader.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas and Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson presented a Report on Migration and Asylum on Wednesday, one year since the adoption of the Commission’s proposal for a New Pact on Migration and Asylum.

The report makes specific references to the situation in Cyprus, with Johansson citing Cyprus as an example of a country where migrants are taken advantage of by smugglers, during a press conference after the regular meeting of the College of the Commissioners.

“I was in Cyprus yesterday, I spoke to Frontex (…) and they estimated that 99% have used smugglers.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

EU research ministers met on Tuesday 28th September to discuss the creation of an effective governance framework for the European Research Area during the first day of the meeting of the Competitiveness Council in Brussels.

Cyprus was represented by Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Kyriacos Kokkinos. The meeting was presided by Slovenian Minister for Education, Science and Sport Simona Kustec and the European Commission was represented by Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Landlines recorded a drop in the first six months of this year compared to the second half of 2020, while fixed broadband access and users of mobile telephony, data released by the Office of the Commissioner for Electronic Communications and Postal Regulation (OCECPR).

In particular, according to the data during the first six months of 2021 a drop of 2.7% was observed in total connections of landlines in relation to the second half of 2020.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said she hopes to find common ground with Turkey regarding the irregular arrivals especially towards Cyprus and Italy in her forthcoming visit to Turkey in two weeks.

Replying to a question on the different EU policy towards Belarus and Turkey regarding migration, while paying a visit in Cyprus, the Commissioner said that there are significant differences with Lukashenko and Belarus and the cooperation the EU needs to have with Turkey. As she said Lukashenko can’t deal with EU sanctions and is acting in desperation importing people with the only purpose to push them in the EU and Lukashenko is not a partner that the EU is ready to cooperate with.

SOURCE: CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

The High Commissioner of Canada to Cyprus, based in Athens, Mark Gregory Allen, has reconfirmed his country`s position of principles in favour of the sovereignty, the independence and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, during a meeting he had on Tuesday with the House of Representatives President, Annita Demetriou.

According to a press release issued by the Parliament, during the meeting the very good relations between Cyprus and Canada, which are based on common principles and values were noted, while Demetriou expressed gratitude for the long standing stance of principles which Canada maintains on the Cyprus problems and efforts to solve it according to the international law and the UN relevant resolutions.

Referring to the Turkish provocations in the fenced off city of Famagusta (Varosha), Demetriou underlined the expressed willingness

SOURCE: CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

The Cyprus Composite Leading Economic Index (CCLEI) recorded a year-over-year increase of 10.8% in August 2021, reaching a level of 114.1, after year-over-year increases of 11.2% in July and 11.7% in June.

According to a Hellenic Bank’s press release, the CCLEI continues to record positive year-over-year growth rates in July and August 2021, albeit somewhat weaker.

More specifically, according to preliminary data in August, a positive effect on the CCLEI and domestic economic activity is still exerted by tourist arrivals, which present a relatively good tourist depiction in August amid a 4th wave of the pandemic, as well as the volume of retail sales.

Moreover, the positive year-over-year performance of the CCLEI is also due to the total number of property sales contracts, as well as the value of credit card transactions. In addition, the

SOURCE: CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

Cypriot company Safe.T.First was awarded the EU Product Safety Award for protecting the safety of vulnerable consumer groups, in the SMEs category.

The award was presented to the company during an online ceremony on Tuesday, for promoting pool safety with a range of affordable, secure, and easy-to-use fences.

Eleven companies from eight different countries were celebrated for their innovations and investments to protect consumers, in separate categories for SMEs and large companies.

The awards focus on two aspects of innovation: protecting vulnerable consumer groups and the use of new technologies to enhance consumer safety. This is the second edition of the awards, which are given out every two years.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said he hopes that the efforts of the winners

SOURCE: CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

The percentage of people employed in the field of sport in Cyprus passed the EU’s average in 2020 compared to the 2015 numbers, according to Eurostat, the EU’s statistical service.

The share of people working in sport in Cyprus increased from 0.5% in 2015 to 0.9% in 2020. In the EU, the average percentage rose from 0.6% in 2015 to 0.7% in 2020.

In 2020, 1.3 million people were employed in the field of sport in the EU, accounting for 0.7% of total employment. The EU countries with the highest share of people working in the field of sport were Sweden (1.6%), Finland (1.4%), Spain and the Netherlands (both 1.0%).

Between 2015 and 2020, employment in sport rose on average by 1.6% each year, compared with an 0.8% increase for total employment.

This represents an increase of around 100,000 people employed in sports, with Italy, Sp

SOURCE: CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY