PETROLINA CONTINUES PRESENCE AT RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2020

Cyprus Mail 17 July 2020 - by Kyraicos Nicolaou

With five racing crews, Petrolina’s Racing Team has a strong presence in the 2nd race of the Cyprus Rally Championship 2020.

The Palm Trees Rally, organized by the Larnaca Motorsport Club, under the auspices of the Cyprus Motorsport Federation, will be held on the weekend of 18-19 July.

This much-anticipated race includes 8 special stages, starting and ending at the GSZ Stadium, while the finish ceremony will be held at Finikoudes Avenue on Sunday afternoon.

Petrolina’s Racing Team crews:

Simos Galatariotis – Antonis Ioannou, driving a VW Polo R5
Alexandros Tsouloftas – Stelios Ilia, driving a VW Polo R5
Panayiotis Yiangou – Panayiotis Kyriakou, driving a Hyundai i20 R5
Christos Demosthenous – Constantinos Pavlou, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX
Costas Laos – Michalis Stylianou, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO IX

So far, Petrolina’s Racing Team is leading the Championship race with Simos Galatariotis and Antonis Ioannou, who will attempt to double their wins at the Palm Trees Rally in order to stay at the top spot.

For more information about the results and schedules, please visit the official webpage of the Cyprus Motorsport Federation www.webcfm.com.

Petrolina supports motorsports throughout the years, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility programme. The company wishes every success to all participating crews.

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CORONAVIRUS - 62% OF CASES IN EARLY JULY IMPORTED

Cyprus Mail 17 July 2020 - by Nick Theodoulou

In the first two weeks of July, 62 per cent of confirmed Covid-19 cases on the island were imported – in other words, of the 26 cases, 16 had a recent travel history.

The data was compiled and announced in a report issued by the ministry of health’s epidemiological surveillance unit on Friday.

As of July 14 there were 1,024 confirmed cases and 26 deaths, resulting in a 2.5 per cent mortality rate among confirmed cases.

The report further broke down the number, stating that 18.8 per cent of cases were amongst health workers (192), 3.9 per cent were doctors (40), 9.5 per cent nurses (97), 1.3 per cent other health professionals (13) and 4.1 per cent were support staff (42).

The median age of those confirmed to have had Covid-19 was 44, while 51.8 per cent were men and 48.2 per cent were women.

The report also stated that the cases of domestic transmission stood at 687, or 78.2 per cent of the 879 cases for which contact history is known.

Of these cases, 84 were recorded in Aradippou (12.2 per cent) and 57 had links to Paphos general hospital (8.3) per cent.

Other notable data includes that 181 of confirmed cases received hospital care (17.7 per cent). The median age of those who received hospital care is 62 years and 64.6 per cent were men.

There are currently no patients in the intensive care units and only two are receiving hospital treatment.

The report concluded that as of July 14 a total of 176,174 tests were carried out, corresponding to 20,113 tests per 100,000 people.

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FRIDAY JULY 17 - CORONAVIRUS GLOBAL UPDATE

Reuters 17 July 2020 

© Reuters/FRANCIS MASCARENHAS Spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mumbai (Reuters)  

India became the third country in the world to record more than one million coronavirus cases, while the list of U.S. states requiring face coverings in public grew as the country reported at least 70,000 new cases, a record daily jump for the seventh time this month.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.

* For a U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county map, open https://tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an external browser.

EUROPE

* A German abattoir at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak will be allowed to resume meat packing and processing on Friday, after a new health and hygiene concept was approved, authorities said.

* Russia's death toll from the novel coronavirus passed 12,000 on Friday, as the country reported 186 new deaths in the past 24 hours.

* Britain has not achieved a good outcome in dealing with the pandemic, the government's chief scientific adviser said.

AMERICAS

* Restrictions on non-essential travel at U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will be extended through Aug. 21, Canada and the United States announced.

* Lockdown measures in Brazil led to the temporary or permanent closure of 522,700 firms in the first two weeks of June, while the number of cases is set to cross 2 million.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* The Japanese government is facing potentially damaging blowback after excluding Tokyo residents from a multibillion dollar campaign aimed at reviving domestic tourism, even as the capital on Friday reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases.

* Urumqi, the capital of China's far western region of Xinjiang, reported five new coronavirus cases by noon (0400 GMT) on Friday, after the report of an earlier case, its first in months, led to hundreds of flights being cancelled.

* Indonesia on Friday reported 1,462 new coronavirus infections, bringing total cases to 83,130, its Health Ministry said.

* Hong Kong authorities reported 50 locally transmitted coronavirus cases on Friday, stoking further concern about an escalating third wave of infections in the global financial hub.

* Australia's Victoria state on Friday reported a record daily increase in COVID-19 cases while neighbouring New South Wales said it was banning dancing, singing and mingling at weddings as authorities struggle to contain a new wave of infections.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Coronavirus support to poor countries has been "grossly inadequate and that's dangerously shortsighted," U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock said, asking wealthy countries for billions more dollars to help 63 states, mainly in Africa and Latin America.

* Hospitals in Iran face acute shortages of medical personnel and beds as the country tackles a powerful second wave of infections.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* India's Zydus Cadila plans to complete late-stage trials for its potential coronavirus vaccine in March 2021 and could produce up to 100 million doses a year if trials are successful, Chairman Pankaj Patel told Reuters.

* Johnson & Johnson is in talks with Japan and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation about locking up allocations of its potential COVID-19 vaccine as it prepares to kick off human trials.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

* Asian shares eked out gains and U.S. stock futures bounced back on Friday as hopes of more government spending around the globe outweighed concerns about rising coronavirus infections and worsening tensions between Washington and Beijing.

* South Africa's rand was unchanged early on Friday as investors reassessed the impact of coronavirus, with infections locally and worldwide continuing to climb.

(Compiled by Anna Rzhevkina, Devika Syamnath and Ramakrishnan M; Edited by Arun Koyyur, Subhranshu Sahu and Tomasz Janowski)

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BRITISH AIRWAYS RETIRES 747 FLEET DUE TO PANDEMIC

pa media 17 July 2020 -By Neil Lancefield and Alexander Britton, PA

© Andrew Matthews British Airways has retired its fleet of Boeing 747s (Andrew Matthews/PA)

British Airways has retired its fleet of Boeing 747s with immediate effect.

The airline was the world’s biggest operator of the 747-400 model.

It was planning to ground its fleet of 31 jumbo jets in 2024 but the end has been hastened by coronavirus.

The company said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm we are proposing to retire our entire 747 fleet with immediate effect.

“It is unlikely our magnificent ‘queen of the skies’ will ever operate commercial services for British Airways again due to the downturn in travel caused by the Covid-19 global pandemic.

“While the aircraft will always have a special place in our heart, as we head into the future we will be operating more flights on modern, fuel-efficient aircraft such as our new A350s and 787s, to help us achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

British Airways’ 747-400s have a capacity of 345 passengers and can reach a top speed of 614mph.

It used them for flights to destinations in China, the US, Canada and Africa.

Aviation consultant John Strickland told the PA news agency that the lack of demand for transatlantic travel has hastened the demise of the 747.

He said: “The US market doesn’t really exist at the moment. That’s where BA substantially deploys its 747 fleet.

“Without the US peak summer programme operating and with winter being leaner, it was already looking like this fleet was going to be on the ground for quite some time.”

Mr Strickland said industry forecasts indicate passenger demand may not return to pre-pandemic levels until between 2023 and 2025.

“That was the timescale the 747s were going to be gone anyway,” he added.

British Airways’ predecessor BOAC first used the jumbo jets in 1971.

The 747 was the world’s first wide-bodied jet.

More than 1,500 have been produced by Boeing, and it has historically been a commercial success for the manufacturer and the airlines.

But Bloomberg reported earlier this month that, after more than 50 years of service, Boeing plans to end production of the jumbo jets in around two years due to airlines turning to smaller planes that burn less fuel for long-haul flights.

Just 30 of the planes were in service as of Tuesday with a further 132 in storage, according to aviation data firm Cirium.

© Provided by PA Media Air Force One (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The US’s presidential aircraft fleet includes two identical jets which are modified versions of the 747.

The planes – known as Air Force One when the president is flying on them – are being replaced by two new aircraft, which will also be variants of the jumbo jet.

Mr Strickland said: “The economics of this larger plane meant it was possible to offer lower fares to customers.

“It really expanded the ability of the general public worldwide to travel.”

UK airlines have struggled to cope with the collapse in demand caused by the coronavirus crisis, with British Airways, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic all announcing job cuts and reduced operations.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is among more than 100 MPs supporting a campaign by union Unite for British Airways to lose some of its lucrative slots at Heathrow due to the treatment of its workforce.

Unite has accused the company of planning a “fire and rehire” system which will involve remaining employees having their terms and conditions downgraded.

The airline has insisted its proposals have been put forward with a view to consultation, adding that no decisions have been taken with regard to actual redundancies.

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RYANAIR REFUSES TO REFUND FLIGHTS TO CYPRUS EVEN THOUGH UK HOLIDAYMAKERS AREN'T ALLOWED IN

The Independent 17 July 2020 -  by Helen Coffey

© Provided by The Independent

Ryanair is refusing to refund customers who have booked flights to Cyprus, even though passengers from the UK are currently being denied entry into the country.

The Foreign Office advice reads: “You cannot enter Cyprus if you have been in the UK in the last 14 days. You can only enter Cyprus if you can show proof that you are a legal resident of Cyprus or a Cypriot ID holder and a negative PCR test result (taken in the previous 72 hours).”

But the airline has said that, since flights are still going ahead, passengers are not entitled to their money back.

Alternatively, passengers can rebook their flights for a later date. But while other carriers are waiving their normal fee for doing this, Ryanair is not.

Sarah Hutchinson, who had booked flights from Liverpool to Cyprus back in January departing this week, told Which?: “It took me five days to get through to Ryanair, then the woman just told me that they weren’t offering refunds because the flights were going, but how could I get on the flight when I wouldn’t have been allowed into Cyprus?”

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YOUNG CYPRIOT JUDOKAS FLYING HIGH

Cyprus Mail 17 July 2020 - by Kyriacos Nicolaou

Cypriot judokas are amongst the best ranked in the world in the under-18 and under-21 categories

The International Judo Federation (IJF) has recently published its updated global rankings, which find Cypriot judokas amongst the best ranked in the under-18 and under-21 categories.

Several Cypriots also enjoy high-ranking spots in their weight classes, a reflection of the work being carried out by the Pancyprian Judo Federation as well as the clubs and academies training the athletes.

This effort has also been reflected in major international tournaments. In 2018, Cypriot judo was represented in that year’s Summer Youth Olympics with the participation of judoka Giorgos Balardjishvili. In addition, 2019 also saw Cyprus claiming some of its best results in the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), as well as a participation in the Minsk 2019 European Games.

The Cypriot federation has also acknowledged that the success of Cypriot judokas and their high rankings in the aforementioned age groups could not have been possible were it not for the immense sacrifices of the athletes’ parents, both in terms of financial support, but in other ways as well.

In the under-18 category and the under-50 kilograms weight class, Petros Christodoulides, who is also the son of 2004 Olympian Christos Christodoulides, has managed to climb up to fifth place worldwide. This is well in advance of his expected timeline as his age of 16 means that he has two more years in that particular age group. Also, his 136 points total means that he is within reach of third place in the rankings.

Under-18 judoka Odysseas Georgakis has also managed to climb up to fifth position, albeit in the under-90 kilogram weight class, with a total of 102 points. Meanwhile, Janet Michaelidou has risen to an impressive sixth spot in the over-70 kilogram weight class in the under-18 category.

In additional under-18 rankings, Charis Iordanou finds herself in 10th spot worldwide in the under-48 kilogram weight class, while Giannis Antoniou is 13th in the over-90 kilogram weight class.

In the under-21 category, Sophia Asvesta continues her high-level performances. The Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner is 19th worldwide at the moment in the under-52 kilogram weight class.

The Pancyprian Judo Federation has also offered its appreciation towards its sponsors for their support. These include Opap Cyprus, Petrolina, Suzuki, the Cyprus Sports Organisation and the Cyprus Olympic Committee.

As with other sports, the coronavirus outbreak has put the brakes on competitive judo tournaments, forcing the Cypriot federation to rethink its calendar. For now, the first post-lockdown major international tournaments are scheduled for September, while more tournaments are planned for October.

Judo is an Olympic sport and means ‘gentle way’ in Japanese. It is a martial art which requires the participant to use both their hands and legs to throw the opponent to the ground (or tatami as its known in judo).

A judoka can get an automatic win when they achieve an ippon, meaning a throw which results in the opponent landing on the tatami on their back. If an ippon is not achieved during a fight, the winner is determined through a points tally.

Judo first became an Olympic sport during the 1964 Games, while it was made a permanent fixture in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Judo first allowed the participation of female judokas in the Olympics in 1992.

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'FOOD DELIVERY APPS SHOULD HAVE OPT OUT FOR SINGLE-USE ITEMS'

Cyprus Mail 17 July 2020 - by Jonathan Shkurko

Environmental NGO ‘Let’s Make Cyprus Green’ is calling on food delivery providers, which have seen business boom during the coronavirus pandemic, to put pressure on the restaurants and cafes they cooperate with to be more sustainable when it comes to single-use packaging.

The NGO claims that customers do not need items such as straws, cutlery, condiments, and napkins, almost always made of plastic or paper as most of them already have these items at home.

’Let’s Make Cyprus Green’ has been putting pressure on food delivery providers in Cyprus to offer their customers an ‘Eco Option’, which will allow them to decide for themselves if they would like their delivery orders to arrive without any single-use items,” the NGO’s chairwoman Eleni Kazelas told Cyprus Mail.

“We would like to put the word out about this initiative to encourage restaurants and cafes which are cooperating with delivery apps to add our suggested option to their stores within the app.

“It’s something simple that will help them to reduce their environmental footprint while at the same time save money.”

Kazelas also said that some cafes on the island are offering plant-based straws that are falsely labelled as biodegradable or compostable.

“However, claims that these products are compostable are very misleading, as they require a commercial composting facility to break down, which we don’t have here in Cyprus,” she said.

“As a result, businesses are paying more money for bio-plastic straws which are just as harmful to the environment as conventional plastic straws if they are not commercially composted.”

Kazelas finally called on restaurants and cafes on food delivery apps interested in including a more environmentally-friendly option in their menus to contact the NGO through the website https://www.letsmakecyprusgreen.com/.

“The more businesses we get on board, the more chances we have to get food delivery apps to add this option as a default setting for orders or to ask the businesses they cooperate with if they would like to have this option.”

 

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DRIVERS SET TO FACE STEEPER AND MORE TARGETED FINES

Cyprus Mail 17 July 2020 - by Nick Theodoulou

Drivers are set to face steeper and more targeted fines in October, as parliament is set to vote next week vote on seven bills to introduce the changes.

The simple take-away is that fines are set to increase across the board. In most cases, the fines have been doubled with provisions for even steeper penalties for repeat offences within certain period of time.

The bills are set to pass next week but the new measures will not come into effect until October.

During the intervening two months, authorities will carry out a large-scale information campaign to inform the public of the new measures.

As one MP told the Cyprus Mail: “It’s complex set of changes that will occur and people will have to familiarise themselves with the new measures.”

It appears that there was some haggling over how steep to the fines should be.

It is understood that the justice ministry had lobbied for heftier fines, such as a penalty of €300 for using the phone while driving. The transport committee, however, proposed a fine of €150 which could reach €300 for a repeat offence.

The reasoning behind this, a member of the transport committee told the Cyprus Mail, is that “the fines should be high enough to act as a deterrent but not overly strict so as to bankrupt someone.”

The transport committee and justice ministry also hope to cover some loopholes. Currently, as the MP told the Cyprus Mail, it is cheaper to pay the fine for driving without a licence than it is to buy the licence itself.

The exact details of the new measures are set to be made available shortly as the information campaign begins.

 

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CYPRUS HAS AMONG LEAST SAFE ROADS IN EUROPE

Cyprus Mail 17 July 2020 -by Annette Chrysostomou

Cyprus is near the bottom of European countries when it comes to the number of road fatalities per million inhabitants, according to figures released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).

While Sweden has the safest roads, with 25 road deaths per million people, the UK is second with 28 and Cyprus is ranked at number 20 with 62.

Road fatalities are at their highest in eastern Europe. Romania has the worst record, with 99 fatalities per million inhabitants. Bulgaria comes close with 96. Next on the list are Croatia, Poland and Latvia.

The EU average is 49 fatalities per million.

According to the ACEA, road traffic deaths have been falling in the EU for the past two decades. In 2001, there were 54,900 fatalities. By 2017 this had fallen to 25,300.

However, more needs to be done, EU Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska, responsible for internal market and industry, said.

“We can and must act to change this. With the new advanced safety features that will become mandatory, we can have the same kind of impact as when safety belts were first introduced,” she commented.

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BIRTHS OUTSIDE MARRIAGE IN EU ON THE RISE, NOT SO IN CYPRUS

in-cyprus 17 July 2020 -ByAnnie Charalambous

The proportion of live births outside marriage in the European Union is on the rise but not so in Cyprus and Greece, according to the latest Eurostat figures.

While 42% of live births in the EU are outside marriage, 70% of live births in Cyprus and Greece were registered within marriage.

The EU’s percentage, recorded in 2018, is 17 points above the value in 2000, according to the figures released in Brussels on Friday.

“It signals new patterns of family formation alongside the more traditional model where children were born within a marriage. Extramarital births occur in non-marital relationships, among cohabiting couples and to lone parents,” Eurostat analysts said.

In 2018, extramarital births outnumbered births inside marriages in eight EU Member States.

Specifically, France (60%), Bulgaria (59%), Slovenia (58%), Portugal (56%), Sweden (55%), Denmark and Estonia (both 54%) as well as the Netherlands (52%).

 

 

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