TURKEY CRITICIZES US DECISION TO LIFE CYPRUS ARMS EMBARGO

 Associated Press 2 September 2020 -By SUZAN FRASER and MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS, Associated Press

© Provided by Associated Press In this photo provided on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, by the Greek Defense Ministry, worships from Greece, Italy, Cyprus and France, participate in a joint military exercise which was held from 26-28 of August, south of Turkey in eastern Mediterranean sea. Turkey on Monday, Aug. 31, accused Greece of "piracy" and warned it will stand up to Athens' alleged efforts to militarize islands near its coast.(Greek Defense Ministry via AP)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has called on the United States to reconsider a decision to partially lift a 33-year-old arms embargo against Cyprus, saying the move disrupts “equality and balance” between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities on the ethnically divided island nation.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said Ankara would continue to take steps to guarantee the security and welfare of the self-declared Turkish Cypriot state and of the Turkish Cypriot people “against such positions that increase the risk of confrontation in the region."

Oktay said Wednesday that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot state are "aware of the games that are being played against them.”

The arms embargo, which was imposed in 1987, was designed to prevent an arms race that would hinder U.N.-facilitated reunification efforts.

The embargo was directed against the southern, Greek Cypriot part of the island where the internationally recognized government is seated.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence in the north and maintains more than 35,000 troops there.

© Provided by Associated Press In this photo provided on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, by the Greek Defense Ministry, worships from Greece, Italy, Cyprus and France, participate in a joint military exercise which was held from 26-28 of August, south of Turkey in eastern Mediterranean sea. Turkey on Monday, Aug. 31, accused Greece of "piracy" and warned it will stand up to Athens' alleged efforts to militarize islands near its coast. (Greek Defense Ministry via AP)

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the U.S. decision harms efforts to reunify Cyprus, “poisons” regional stability and goes against the “spirit of alliance” between the U.S. and Turkey.

Turkish Cypriot officials called the decision “mistaken" and that it weighs against Turkish Cypriots while helping to encourage Greek Cypriot “intransigence."

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informed Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades in a telephone call late Tuesday that the U.S. was partially lifting the arms embargo against Cyprus for one year — with the option of renewal — to enable the island nation to procure non-lethal equipment.

© Provided by Associated Press In this photo provided on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, by the Greek Defense Ministry, worships from Greece, Italy, Cyprus and France, participate in a joint military exercise which was held from 26-28 of August, south of Turkey in eastern Mediterranean sea. Turkey on Monday, Aug. 31, accused Greece of "piracy" and warned it will stand up to Athens' alleged efforts to militarize islands near its coast. (Greek Defense Ministry via AP)

Cyprus’ government spokesman, Kyriakos Koushos, told The Associated Press that this is less about bolstering the country militarily than underscoring the significant role that Washington attributes to Cyprus in helping to strengthen regional security and stability.

Koushos said Pompeo also noted the need for dialogue based on the rule of law as an essential element to creating conditions of stability.

The move came at a time of heightened tensions between Turkey and its eastern Mediterranean neighbors, Greece and Cyprus, over the offshore energy explorations rights in the region. Warships from the two NATO allies have been shadowing each other in recent weeks as Turkish survey vessels and drill ships continue to prospect for hydrocarbons in waters where Greece and Cyprus claim exclusive economic rights.

© Provided by Associated Press Turkey's President Recep Erdogan speaks during a meeting, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Erdogan has threatened Greece with military action and described Turkey's activities in the eastern Mediterranean as the " pursuit of (its) rights and justice " and denounced what he said were Greek efforts to " imprison " Turkey to a small region surrounding its coast. (Turkish Presidency via AP, Pool)

The U.S.'s ambassador to Cyprus, Judith Garber, said the lifting of the embargo strengthens the U.S.-Cyprus security partnership while boosting regional security. She said Washington informed Turkey of the embargo lifting late Tuesday and urged that “there not be an over-reaction to this decision.”

“This decision is not about Turkey, this decision is about greater security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean and to counter malign actors in the region," Garber told reporters on Wednesday.

Garber said the aim of the embargo lifting is to make Cyprus a “more capable partner” in dealing with challenges like terrorism, weapons trafficking and maritime security without having to sell the the country lethal weapons.

The ambassador said Washington waived a requirement that Cyprus ceases to offer refueling and other port services to Russian warships, but that it would continue to “encourage" Cypriot government authorities to deny those services.

“We believe that Russia is playing a very destabilizing role in the region, especially in Syria,” said Garber.

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ITALIAN GRAND PRIX - 4-6 September

 The Telegraph 2 September 2020 -

What is it?

The 2020 Italian Grand Prix, the eighth round of the 2020 Formula One World Championship, which takes place at Monza. 

When is it?

The first two free practice sessions take place on Friday, September 4, with final practice and qualifying on Saturday, September 5. The Italian Grand Prix itself takes place on Sunday, September 6. 

What time does it start?

First practice starts at 10am on Friday, second free practice is at 2pm on Friday. Final practice is at 11am on Saturday and qualifying begins at 2pm the same day. The Grand Prix starts at the now customary time of 2.10pm BST. 

What TV channel is it on?

Sky Sports F1 have exclusive coverage rights in the UK this year and indeed for the next few. Their qualifying program starts at 1pm, with race coverage on Sunday at 12.30pm. 

Channel 4 have highlights for this year. Their qualifying program starts at 6.30pm on Saturday and their race highlights at the same time on Sunday. 

What do we know about the Autodromo Nazionale Monza?

• Circuit length: 5.793km
• First grand prix: 1950
• Laps: 53
• Race distance: 306.72km
• Race lap record: 1:21.046 (Rubens Barrichello, 2004)
• 2019 winner: Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
• Number of corners: 11
• Overtaking chances: It's not a track with tons of corners but the first two chicanes and the pit straight, aided by DRS, give drivers the best chance of an overtake. The problem at Monza is more getting close enough to do that. With this being the most power-hungry track on the calendar, cars tend to separate by engine supplier and dreaded field spread appears quite early on. 

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TURKISH SERVICE - JIHADISTS PLANNED ATTACK ON HAGIA SOPHIA

Filenews 2 September 2020

 

An attack on Hagia Sophia was planned by turkey's jihadist leader Mahmoud Ozden who was arrested on August 20th, according to Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu.

The Turkish Minister told the Hurriyet newspaper that they studied the electronic material held by the head of the jihadists in Turkey and found that preparations for the attack on Hagia Sophia had been going on for a month and a half.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said they were organising groups of 10-12 people who carried out the attacks. He and Mahmoud Ozden have also been arrested and other jihadists are being questioned.

Source: Eyenews / CYPE

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ROBOT CONTROLS CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOMS REMOTELY

 Filenews 2 September 2020

A hospital in Massachusetts has found a new job for Spot, the Boston Dynamics dog-like robot: to be a doctor.

The four-legged yellow-and-black robot proved capable of getting vital patient readings from a distance of more than 1.8 metres. As the Daily Mail points out, this could allow healthcare workers to keep a distance from patients who may be infected with the coronavirus or other disease.

So far, Spot has only been tested on healthy patients at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School, and the next step would be to be tested in an emergency room.

The Boston hospital initially used Spot simply to carry an iPad that was placed on his "face," allowing doctors to talk to patients who were on their way to the hospital and assess who needed immediate care. The robot works remotely using a portable device, according to MIT News.

But in a new report, MIT researchers say they have proven that Spot can measure pulses, temperature and receive other diagnostic data from a distance of more than 1.8 meters. To achieve this, they developed the VitalCam, four different cameras mounted on the Spot.

An infrared camera measures temperature and breathing rate, even through a mask, while three other cameras filter different wavelengths of light to measure the pulses and oxygen saturation in the blood.

Spot's abilities have only been tested on healthy subjects, but the team says it's ready for real-world application.

Even if it meets the conditions for FDA approval, VitalCam could save time, resources and potentially save lives.

"In robotics, one of our goals is to use automation and robotic technology to remove people from dangerous jobs," Henwei Huang, an MIT graduate student working on the project, said in a statement. "We thought we should be able to use a robot to remove the care worker from the risk of direct exposure to the patient."

The aim is for Spot to be able to be used to allow doctors to continue to monitor patients without going to their room.

Funded by MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering, the study was published on the preprint server techRxiv, but has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed medical or scientific journal, the procedure used to publish studies in scientific inspections.

Source: iefimerida.gr

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CORONAVIRUS - INCREASE IN NUMBERS EXPECTED IN COLDER MONTHS

Cyprus Mail 2 September 2020 - by Evie Andreou

An increase in coronavirus cases is expected in Cyprus during autumn and winter in common with other countries due to the weather conditions and crowding indoors, an expert said on Tuesday.

There is however optimism, however, things will not get out of control.

According to member of the coronavirus advisory committee, assistant professor in internal medicine and infection prevention and control at the European University of Cyprus, Dr Constantinos Tsioutis, case numbers are expected to rise as the temperature goes down.

“It would be desirable for this increase to be controlled and each of us follow in the coming months of autumn and winter what we have learned in the last six months, such as social distancing, avoiding crowded areas and poor ventilation,” Tisoutis told the Cyprus News Agency.

He said that all countries, not only Cyprus, are concerned about how things will evolve in the colder months as life will move indoors and seasonal viruses and flu will return.

Cyprus’ health system, he said, is now armed with experience in dealing with the pandemic while the people are trained in protection measures but extensive planning is still needed on many levels and services including the education and business sectors, the health system, but also at individual level.

An outbreak, he said, could easily happen and would be quite difficult to control due to the increase in viruses in autumn and winter which will lead to more people with respiratory symptoms.

“We will have to wait for more coronavirus cases and be prepared to identify them in time so that numbers are limited but also that cases receive the medical care they need,” Tsioutis said.

On how one can tell the difference between coronavirus and flu symptoms, Tsioutis admitted it will be difficult despite there being differences in the clinical outlook.

“What will definitely play a role is the epidemiological history of the symptoms of a person but also if they have been vaccinated for flu that greatly reduces the chances of them having flu,” he said.

He added that the flu vaccine does not help against coronavirus.

On the debate on the coronavirus vaccine’s side effects, Tsioutis said this is something always discussed when a new vaccine is presented.

“All the vaccines that are approved by the national vaccination programmes are very safe and some side effects can be observed at a low rate and are not worrying,” he added.

Publications from phase two of the clinical trials for the coronavirus vaccine have shown it is safe while the long-term health effects have not been confirmed so far. “When phase three of the clinical trials are completed, we will have information on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines and a better picture. However, the international organisations that approve the administration of the vaccines analyse the data very thoroughly before proceeding with approval and the first thing they look at is safety,” he said.

Cyprus, as other EU members, is expected to receive the Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. The EU is in negotiations with the company for the vaccine in question. Cyprus has asked for 1.2 million Covid-19 vaccines.

 

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THOUSANDS PROTEST AGAINST BULGARIAN GOVERNMENT, SCUFFLE WITH POLICE

 Cyprus Mail 2 September 2020 - Reuters News Service

People scuffle with police officers at the anti-government demonstration in Sofia, Bulgaria, September 2, 2020. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

Thousands of Bulgarians rallied in front of the parliament in Sofia on Wednesday in one of the biggest protests so far in two months of demonstrations calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.

Scuffles broke out between protesters and police, who fired pepper spray and made several arrests. Protesters threw eggs, apples and garbage against the heavily guarded parliament.

They also shook police vehicles, and about 20 officers were affected by an unknown substance aimed at them by protesters, Sofia Police Chief Georgi Hadzhiev said

The rally took place on the first sitting of parliament after summer recess. Protesters called it the “Grand National Uprising” in response the government’s plan for a new constitution.

Protesters accuse three-times premier Borissov, 61, of failing to fight the corruption that erodes the rule of law and benefits powerful tycoons in the European Union’s poorest country.

In parliament, President Rumen Radev called for the resignation of Borissov’s centre-right government and appealed to deputies to dismiss the plans for a new constitution.

“It was not the lack of new constitution that brought the people on the streets, but the lack of morality in the leadership, the erosion of statehood and the corruption,” he said.

Borissov has pledged to resign if parliament approves his call for the election of a grand national assembly tasked with voting on a new constitution. However, he is not likely to get enough votes to push ahead with his plan.

Protesters, as well as opposition parties, have dismissed the proposal as a ploy aimed at keeping Borissov in office longer.

Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, ranks as its most corrupt member according to Transparency International, and is yet to jail a senior official on corruption charges.

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PAPHOS HOTELS BRACE FOR TOUGH AUTUMN

 Cyprus Mail 2 September 2020 - by Staff Reporter

Paphos hoteliers expect occupancies to hover at just 15% in September and with only a trickle of new reservations coming in, are considering closing in autumn, the president of the Paphos branch of the Cyprus Hotels Association Thanos Michaelides told the Cyprus News Agency on Wednesday.

The tourism sector has taken a pummeling from the coronavirus pandemic, and despite some respite from locals over the busy August holidays, prospects for the usually lucrative autumn months look bleak.

Michaelides said hoteliers expect average occupancy in September to be around 15%. They are now mulling whether to remain open throughout the month and in October.

Unless there is a change with the UK market, a number of hotels in the Paphos district are expected to close from October. This means that hotels that would normally have stayed open over winter will close until April next year.

Paphos hoteliers are waiting to see whether Tui – that starts flights to Cyprus tomorrow — can bring in tourists in September. Initial indications are not encouraging, CNA said.

As regards the summer, Michaelides said occupancy levels ranged between 20% to 30%, fueled primarily by locals. But the market is too small to generate substantial numbers, he said.

He spoke to CNA a day after Paphos hoteliers met to review the situation and discuss prospects for September and October.

He said there was concern because countries change classification, creating problems in tourist arrivals.

Hotels that traditionally remained open in the winter relied on high occupancies to cover costs as prices are low. If occupancies are not high, then hotels will not be in a position to cover operating costs, he said.

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NEW SCHOOL PLAN FOR THE SUPPORT OF IMMIGRANT STUDENTS

 in-cyprus 2 September 2020 - by Maria Bitar

A plan for the reception and integration of immigrant students in the island’s educational system has been drafted aiming to facilitate schools on this crucial issue, Philenews reported on Wednesday.

Prepared by the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute and the Department of Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education, the plan which has already been sent out to schools, includes the following:

» A detailed syllabus for Greek as a second language in pre-primary and school education that incorporates:

a) Success and Adequacy Indicators per thematic language courses and per level of Greek learning.
b) A brief overview of teaching approaches.

c) A presentation of ways of diagnosis and alternative/dynamic evaluation of the learning process.

» A guide for the reception and integration of immigrant students in secondary schools.

» A translation of basic school communication forms for families of immigrant students and basic announcements of Secondary schools in the mother tongues of the students.

The languages in which the forms have been translated in so far are: English, French, Arabic, Russian, Bulgarian and Romanian.

» An assessment of immigrant students in Greek as a Second Language and a diagnostic assessment in Mathematics, Physics and Biology.

» Lifelong and distance learning and interaction of teachers who teach immigrant students with them. Two school groups will operate as follows:

a) A group of Greek language teachers who teach Greek as a second language.

b) A group of Maths and Natural Sciences teachers who teach immigrant students.

In the meantime, some schools have already set up entire classes with immigrant students so that these children may get better support in learning Greek, according to Philenews.

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BILL TO PROTECT 'Z' CAR COMPANIES OVER OUT-OF-COURT FINES LEFT PENDING

 in-cyprus 2 September 2020 - by Maria Bitar

A new bill is under public discussion providing that settlement of out-of-court fines for traffic violations committed by tourists/drivers of rental cars will be their own responsibility.

And that a provision is there to protect the company which rents out the ‘Z’ car in the case where the fine is not paid promptly by the one who got it.

The Ministry of Transport’s draft bill was sent to the Legal Service last May and its final version has been completed recently, according to Philenews.

The basic provision of the bill is that the responsibility for out-of-court fines received while driving “Z” vehicles will be borne by the driver/tourist, but if they don’t pay the fine on time, then the responsibility is transferred to the rental company who owns the vehicle.

Thus, each “Z” rental company, will have to bind its customer in a way that ensures the timely settlement of the out-of-court fine.

In other countries, the most common practice is for rental companies to bind their customers by holding an amount through their credit cards for a reasonable period of time.

Thus, a clear message is given to tourists that they will not “escape” fines.

At the same time, it increases road safety and the responsibility of tourists/drivers.

According to data, there are about 25,000 pending cases of out of court fines for traffic violations of tourists with all types of “Z” vehicles like cars, motorcycles, quads etc.

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CCA ASKS FOR REVISION OF SALE PRICE OF SURGICAL MASKS

 in-cyprus 2 September 2020 - by Maria Bitar

The Cyprus Consumers Association (CCA) is asking the Minister of Health to revise the maximum retail price of simple surgical masks immediately.

In an announcement the CCA mentions that the Ministers Decree no. 38 setting the maximum retail price of surgical masks at €0.70 cents a piece is over the top and does not contribute to the protection of the financial interests of consumers.

Under the current circumstances, masks are one of the most basic and essential goods that consumers need. So their retail price should correspond to their usefulness and necessity.

The CCA, taking into account the international wholesale prices of these masks from their manufacturers and the average retail price in Cyprus, estimates that their maximum retail price should not exceed €0.50 cents per piece.

Setting by the maximum retail price at €0.70 cents per piece has the effect of maintaining high prices to the detriment of consumers, instead of holding back the high prices that were the purpose of issuing the Decree.

(Philenews/CNA)

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