Category: General

A ceremony was held on Wednesday in Nicosia in the Ministry of Health to honor the members of the Cypriot mission who contributed to the fight against the wildfires in Greece. The Cypriot mission included members of the Fire Department, the Civil Defence, and the Ambulance Service. The event was attended among others by the Minister of Health, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, officials from the Civil Defence, the Fire Department and the health services. In her speech at the event, Minister of Health Dr. Popi Kanari, thanked the members of the mission on behalf of the state for their valuable contribution to the Greek state. She noted that the team was called at midnight to respond outside Cyprus in a dangerous field and leave their families behind. Doing this, she added, “without a second thought, is not easy at all, and for that we are all very proud of you and we would like with today’s event to express our warm thanks and gratitude”, she noted. Minister of Justice and Public Order, Anna Koukkides Prokopiou, said she was proud for the Cypriot mission who helped the Greek authorities in the fight against the wildfires that threatened a large part of the country. ‘We managed to organize this mission within two hours. We received the request at 7pm and within two hours all colleagues responded immediately,” she said. After the ceremony, the 59 members of the Cyprus mission were awarded with honorary diplomas.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Foreign Minister, Constantinos Kombos, has underlined that the dialogue and the coordination among the EU Mediterranean member states aiming to address common challenges and to promote issues of mutual interest in the European agenda has yielded tangible results and must further be reinforced. Kombos was speaking in the framework of the MED9 (Cyprus, Greece, Malta, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Croatia) Ministers of European Affairs Meeting that took place on September 12 and 13 in Malta. According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release, Kombos referred also to the need for an enhanced cooperation with partners in the Southern Neighbourhood, with a view to create conditions of peace, stability and progress in the Mediterranean. Referring to the recent natural disasters in Morocco, Libya, Greece, Slovenia and Spain he underlined that they constitute another proof of the serious regional challenges that we need to address in a collective way. As it is noted during the Ministerial Meeting, which prepares the MED9 Summit that will take place at the end of this month, views were exchanged on the relations of the EU with the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood, the revision of the Multiannual Fiscal Framework, and MED9 future structure and objectives. Kombos had a bilateral meeting with his Maltese counterpart Ian Borg on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting. He returns home on Wednesday night.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

This year’s August was particularly warm, with a record high maximum and minimum daily temperature recorded in the mountains, according to the Department of Meteorology. Specifically, at the Forestry College station in Prodromos (altitude 1,376 meters) a sequence of eight consecutive days with temperatures over 31 degrees Celsius was recorded. In total, 14 days were recorded at this particular station where the daily maximum temperature exceeded 31 degrees. In addition, this August, a record temperature was recorded at the Department’s station at the Forestry College of Prodromos, with its daily maximum temperature reaching 38.4 degrees Celsius. The second highest daily maximum temperature recorded to date at this weather station was 37 degrees in 2020. At the same time, the highest daily minimum temperature that has ever been recorded at this station since its day of operation was also recorded, at 29.5 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, at Athalassa weather station a total of nine days in which the daily maximum temperature was greater than or equal to 40 degrees was recorded. At this station, the second highest daily maximum temperature was also recorded, at 45.3 degrees, after 45.6 in August 2010. “The general conclusion is that this year’s August is, for the island, one of the warmest Augusts in which several temperature records have either been re-introduced or were surpassed”, the Department of Meteorology reports. The Department of Meteorology in its August report also mentions the rainfall that occurred on August 28th, describing it as “particularly impressive”. As reported by the Department of Meteorology, this type of nocturnal stormy activity during the month of August is rare and a similar phenomenon was recorded again in Cyprus in August 1999.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

No new work has taken place within the Buffer Zone in the Pyla area during the last 24 hours, UNFICYP Spokesperson Aleem Siddique told CNA on Tuesday.

Asked to comment on reports in the Turkish Cypriot press about the commencement of construction work on the Pyla-Arsos road at 3.30 p.m. yesterday, the UN official said there had been no change in the area within the Buffer Zone.

He added that members of the peacekeeping force continue to monitor the situation in the area, where he said so far there is calm.

Members of the Security Council condemned on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, the incidents in the buffer zone, in the village of Pyla, in Larnaca district, with assaults against UN peacekeepers, reiterating their full support for UNFICYP

They also condemned the attacks on UN peacekeepers and the damage to UN vehicles by Turkish Cypriot personnel and wished a speedy and full recovery to the peacekeepers who were injured. They emphasized that “attacks against peacekeepers may constitute crimes under international law and reaffirmed their full commitment to the safety of all UN personnel.”

On Friday August 18, 2023 Turkish Cypriots punched and kicked a group of international peacekeepers who obstructed crews illegally working on a road that would encroach on a U.N. controlled buffer zone.

The attack happened as peacekeepers stood in the way of work crews building a road to connect the Turkish occupied village of Arsos with the mixed Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot village of Pyla, inside the buffer zone.

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

Over 1,270 alien species, some of which are invasive, have been recorded in Cyprus, according to surveys by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Health Unit in Cyprus, while an international report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services notes that in combination with climate change and urbanisation, invasive species can have a particularly devastating impact on the island’s biodiversity and natural protected areas, or even lead to the extinction of endemic species that are unique to Cyprus.

According to a press release from the Cyprus Institute, the same study points out that the global cost of the impact of invasive species is estimated at 423 billion dollars per year and is expected to continue to increase four times per decade, while invasive alien species are the main cause of the extinction of 60% of the world’s animals and plants.

The international report of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), entitled “Invasive Alien Species and their Control”, was prepared with the participation of 86 researchers from 49 countries, including Dr. Angeliki Martinou, an entomologist at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Health Unit at Akrotiri, and a research associate at the Cyprus Institute’s Centre of Excellence for Climate and Atmospheric Research (CARE-C).

It is noted that alien-invasive or invasive species, as referred to in the study, are organisms that are transported to new locations outside their natural range, unintentionally or intentionally, through human activities.

There are an estimated 37,000 alien species worldwide, of which around 3,500 are invasive, and the introduction of these invasive species into new areas has negative impact on the biodiversity of the area concerned, as well as on ecosystem services, sustainable development, and human health.

As reported, according to surveys by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Health Unit, around 1270 alien species have been recorded in Cyprus, some of which are invasive (https://ris-ky.info/cydas).

According to the press release, special emphasis should be placed on studying the impact of invasive species, as in combination with climate change and urbanisation, they can have a particularly devastating impact on the island’s biodiversity and natural protected areas, or even lead to the extinction of endemic species that are unique to Cyprus.

It is noted that better information of citizens and their involvement in the documentation of invasive species is extremely important as prevention and early detection is usually the only way to successfully combat them.

It is stated that for more information on the study, interested parties can visit the following website: https://www.ipbes.net/IASmediarelease?fbclid=IwAR2ZxDcsLsv5fWvC-gHcf-G0Vub-0RVCR_NAtHp-AvSvz15PBhw4KvGEjac

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Four Cypriot MEPs will abstain from voting on the European Parliament’s report on Turkey, which will take place on Wednesday. Following the statement of the Cypriot Left MEPs on Tuesday, the Cypriot delegation of the European People’s Party (EPP) said it would also abstain from voting on the report in question. Cypriot MEPs from the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats stated that their stance would depend on the outcome of the vote.

Fourlas and Stavrou to abstain

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The Cypriot delegation of the European People’s Party (EPP) will abstain from voting on the European Parliament’s report on Turkey.

As the MEPs of the European People’s Party (EPP), Loukas Fourlas and Eleni Stavrou, said, speaking to journalists on Tuesday, they will not vote positively due to an amendment in paragraph 34, according to which Turkey is invited again to provide the Turkish Cypriot community with the necessary space in order to act in accordance with its role as a legal community of the island, a right guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. According to the same amendment, the European Commission is invited to cooperate with the Turkish Cypriot community, reminding that the position of the latter is in the EU. Also, the amendment notes that the Republic of Cyprus has the responsibility to intensify its efforts to facilitate the cooperation of the Turkish Cypriots with the EU.

Until today, as Fourlas and Stavrou stated, “we have been trying to either withdraw or amend the controversial amendment”. “Even if the EPP requests its withdrawal, this can not be withdrawn, so we cannot vote positively,” they explained.

In addition, as they said, there is also the report on Turkey’s Customs Union with the EU, which is more positive, because its wording satisfies Nicosia. “However, our position is that this thing will only happen when the conditions that have been imposed on Turkey are met,” they clarified.

Mavrides and Papadakis identify weaknesses in report

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Weaknesses in the European Parliament’s report on Turkey are identified by the two Cypriot MEPs of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Costas Mavrides and Demetris Papadakis, in their statements to journalists on Tuesday.

MEP Costas Mavrides initially stated that the evaluation of the report on Turkey is not based on its quantity, but on its quality, adding that there are key issues concerning EU-Turkish relations and the Republic of Cyprus. “In essence, it is the strictest report ever made, but it has two very serious weaknesses,” he pointed out. First, he said, the word “sanctions” is nowhere to be found in the report, which was there in earlier reports. He clarified that he is referring to sanctions concerning Cyprus and the internal situation in Turkey.

The second weakness, as Mavrides went on to say, concerns wording which is of decisive importance for Cyprus. He indicated that any initiation of discussions on upgrading Turkey’s Customs Union with the EU must presuppose the fulfilment of Turkey’s existing legal obligations to the EU regarding Cyprus.

Asked about the position he will take in the vote on the report, Mavrides explained that if the final text includes amendments concerning sanctions against Turkey and especially the condition of fulfilling Turkey’s legal obligations from the existing customs union concerning Cyprus, he will vote in favour. Otherwise, as he said, he will abstain.

On his part, MEP Demetris Papadakis emphasised that “as a whole, the report does not change much compared to previous years”. Furthermore, he indicated that “since Turkey continues to imprison its dissident citizens, violate their human rights, while exporting nationalism and imperialism and continues to occupy an EU member state, we should talk about a report of Turkey’s regression “.

Unfortunately, he continued, “this has not been understood by all our European partners, who should understand that the logic of taming the beast and the blackmail imposed by Turkey leads nowhere.” The goal, as he said, must be to support those forces within Turkey that will lead to substantial democratisation of the country. “Only then will Turkey become a factor of stability in the region and not a factor of anomaly”, he concluded.

Asked by journalists about his stance on the vote on the report, Demetris Papadakis noted that he has not decided what he will vote on the report, clarifying that he is thinking of voting in favour of it or to abstain.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Petros Xenophontos met Tuesday with the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Cyprus Vladimir Nemec and they discussed issues related to water scarcity.

During the meeting, which took place in a warm atmosphere, a statement by the Ministry says, the two men confirmed the long-standing excellent relations between the two countries and discussed issues of common interest and ways to further strengthen the bilateral ties.

The Minister informed Nemec about the impact of climate change on the quality and availability of water resources, not only in the Mediterranean region, where Cyprus is located, but also in central Europe, where the Czech Republic is situated.

The Minister said that Cyprus has always implemented good water management policies as well as measures aimed at increasing water availability and water security with the aim of meeting the demand for water for domestic, agricultural, industrial, environmental and other uses.

They discussed recent participation of the Agricultural Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture in the program “Innovative and Sustainable Water Conservation Measures in the Agricultural Landscape – AGRIWATER (ERASMUS+)”, coordinated by the Association of Private Agriculture of the Czech Republic, as well as possible cooperation of the Institute with Charles University, which is one of the oldest universities in Europe.

Nemec expressed his satisfaction and his wish to strengthen cooperation and expand it to new areas.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Acting Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Tuesday that his country has asked the International Criminal Court and Ukraine to investigate the death of a Spanish aid worker as a possible war crime.

Speaking from Strasbourg, Albares said Spain would provide the human and material resources needed to clarify what happened.

Spanish aid worker Emma Igual, 32 was killed last weekend in what Spanish officials and her organization said was a Russian attack.

Igual, who was the co-founder and director of the Road to Relief NGO, was traveling to a town west of Bakhmut, Ukraine to deliver aid alongside three other volunteers.

Midway, a Russian missile appears to have struck their vehicle. Spain’s Acting Defense Minister Margarita Robles said the vehicle was blown up.

Canadian volunteer Anthony ‘Tonko’ Ihnat was also killed. The other two survived despite being ‘badly injured,’ according to Road to Relief.

According to international law, intentionally targeting personnel involved in humanitarian assistance constitutes a war crime.

‘What I am very certain about is that, even if indirectly, the responsibility lies with the party that launched this war of aggression,’ said Albares, and he promised Igual’s family that he would ‘get to the bottom’ of what happened.

Road to Relief was working on the frontlines of Ukraine, delivering aid, providing medical attention and carrying out evacuations in some of the country’s most dangerous areas.

On Tuesday, Spain awarded Igual a posthumous Spanish civil order and honor granted in recognition of her extraordinary services.

Source: Anadolu Agency

France demanded Tuesday that Niger immediately release an advisor for French citizens abroad.

“France is following with the utmost attention the situation of Stephane Jullien, advisor to the French abroad based in Niger, arrested on September 8 by Nigerien security forces,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We call for his immediate release.’

It said its embassy has been fully mobilized to ensure the ‘consular protection of our compatriot’ since the first day of the coup.

Niger was plunged into turmoil July 26 when Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, a former commander of the presidential guard, led a military intervention that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The military recently instructed French officials to depart the country. But France has refused to comply, arguing that the junta is not Niger’s legitimate authority.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The number of Americans living in poverty has increased for the first time since 2010, the US Census Bureau said Tuesday.

The supplemental poverty rate increased to 12.4% from 7.8% in 2022, data showed.

Data also showed a 2.3% decrease in median household income, from $76,330 in 2021 to $74,580 in 2022.

The official poverty rate stood at 11.5% in 2022, compared to 11.6% in 2021.

An estimated 25.9 million (7.9% of population) did not have health insurance at any point in 2022, according to the data.

Source: Anadolu Agency