WAR UNLAWFUL EXCEPT IN SELF DEFENCE

 Cyprus Mail 6 September 2020 - by Alper Ali Riza

Margaret Thatcher's Sinking Of The Battleship Belgrano Still Divides Opinion

By Alper Ali Riza

Casus Belli is a Latin tag used by diplomats and political leaders to mean a hostile act that justifies use of force against the perpetrator state. The most egregious example was Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour that caused US to declare war on Japan on December 6, 1941. President Roosevelt called it the day of infamy in his speech asking Congress to declare war.

There are many other examples, but the mere fact that an act is claimed by a state to justify going to war does not mean that the use of force that ensues is lawful.

War and the threat of war are both unlawful under the 1945 UN Charter. Only the inherent right of self defence in the event of an armed attack is lawful, and then only if it is necessary and proportionate.

Different considerations apply if use of force is authorised by the UN Security Council, but as unanimity is rare among its permanent members, for all practical purposes, self defence is the only lawful use of force available to states, and the only question to ponder here is the ambit of self defence between states at loggerheads.

That having been said, it is a truism that states do not comply with international law in matters of war and peace. This is because national interest dictates policy and the number of wars since 1945 bears witness to the harsh reality of war as an instrument of foreign policy.

The primary role of the UN is to maintain peace and security in the world, and, being an organisation dedicated to peace, the UN Charter had to make the use of force unlawful. After two world wars the framers of the UN Charter were more aspirational than realistic, but for small and less powerful states this has been a welcome if imperfect state of affairs

The obligation to suppress aggressive wars has been particularly useful, not least because since 2010 aggressive war is not only illegal, it is also criminal for which persons in leadership positions can be prosecuted: the procedure is convoluted and cumbersome but it is there.

Under the UN Charter member states undertook to refrain from the use of force and agreed to delegate the maintenance of peace to the UN Security Council of which the victors of World War II are all permanent members. But member states did not renounce the use of force in the resolution of disputes. This has constrained the vanquished states of World War II like Germany and Japan, though not the victors who have become the usual suspects in most wars across the globe since 1945.

States delegated the power to use force to the UN Security Council but, as mentioned earlier, preserved the inherent right to self defence.

Self defence has always been part of customary international law as integral to the Just War tradition under which engaging in war was permissible as a last resort, provided civilians were not targeted, the rules of war between combatants were respected, and the use of force was more likely to do good than harm.

The UK and US got into a lot of trouble over this in the 2003 war in Iraq. The British attorney general got himself in a bit of pickle over the legality of the war in Iraq because he first advised that attacking Iraq was unlawful in the absence of a UN Security Council approval, and then changed his advice seemingly on the basis of self defence, for which the evidence had been “sexed up.”

The Chilcot Inquiry into the circumstances in which the UK was taken to war concluded that the threat of weapons of mass destruction from Iraq was not imminent – if it existed at all – and the attack on Iraq was not a last resort but rather, as the US conceded, in furtherance of regime change in manifest breach of at least two articles of the UN Charter.

Self defence has been stretched to its limits in cases of pre-emptive self defence, which is part of the criminal law in most systems of law but not necessarily part of international treaty law. It is not authorised by the UN Charter, but it is, arguably, part customary international law.  Just like in criminal law you do not have to wait passively in the face of an imminent attack; states too must be entitled to use force pre-emptively where an attack is imminent.

Margaret Thatcher justified the sinking of the Argentine battleship The Belgrano during the Falklands war on the basis that it represented an imminent threat to the British task force even though it was outside the exclusion zone set by Britain and even though it was heading in the opposite direction. Her logic was that it could easily have changed course and pose an unacceptable risk to the task force. The incident still divides opinion and the late Labour MP Tam Dalyell was never convinced that sinking The Belgrano was justified on military grounds.

Preventive, as opposed to pre-emptive, self defence, however, is unlawful because an attack is not imminent and as such falls foul of the requirement that the use of force must be a last resort.

Humanitarian intervention to defend persecuted groups that cannot look to the state of a country for protection is also unlawful. It was the justification for the intervention by Britain, France and the US in Libya, but that was authorised by the UN Security Council rather than by customary international law. Humanitarian intervention is difficult: most people believe something must be done where human suffering is so obviously in need of relief.

The truth about humanitarian intervention, however, is that it falls foul of the Just War tradition because more often than not it does more harm than good.

 

Alper Ali Riza is a queen’s counsel in private practice and a retired part time judge.

Read More

THE OBSERVER VIEW ON BORIS JOHNSON'S DISASTROUS PATH TO A COVID-19 BREXIT

 The Guardian 6 September 2020 - Observer editorial

© Provided by The Guardian Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA

Covid-19 has pushed the economy into the worst recession on record. GDP fell by a fifth in the three months to June, the biggest quarterly drop of any G7 nation. This is surely the worst possible moment for the government to choose to inflict a further economic shock on the country. Yet that is exactly what Boris Johnson is planning to do. On 1 January, the Brexit transition period will come to an end and Britain will either trade on a no-deal basis with the European Union or, at best, with a bare-bones free trade agreement.

The government’s economic forecasts predict that a no-deal Brexit would depress GDP by more than seven percentage points over 15 years and that a free trade deal outside the customs union and single market would reduce it by just under five points. But even Brexit’s most ardent proponents, who implausibly deny that creating friction in the trading relationship with our closest neighbours would significantly reduce growth over the long term, would concede that there will be a short-term shock to moving to a different relationship. It is a mark of just how mind-bogglingly ideological Johnson and his cabinet are that they refused to ask the EU for the transition period extension earlier this year that would surely have been granted.

But regardless of the ruinous impact of Covid-19, the government’s mantra continues to be Brexit at any cost. The negotiations this week move into a critical phase. A trade deal must be reached by the end of October to allow time to ratify any agreement. Yet the sticking point remains the same: the government wants to maintain the benefits of a close trading relationship with the EU without reaching agreement on a shared set of regulatory standards and state aid rules – the so-called “level playing field” – that would prevent either UK or EU businesses being able to undercut each other in the other’s markets.

The government is using critical trade negotiations for domestic political posturing. It is highly irresponsible

For Boris Johnson, Brexit was about “taking back control”, a populist slogan that trips off the tongue but that is misleading in the extreme. The reality of the 21st-century’s interdependent global economy is that economic success is heavily reliant on reaching trade deals. The very nature of trade deals is that they involve sacrificing old-fashioned notions of national sovereignty in relation to regulatory standards in exchange for access to each others’ markets. With the EU, there are at least democratic mechanisms to hold its institutions to account for those standards. If Brexit Britain were to become more reliant on trade deals with countries such as the US and China, we would be pushed into weaker environmental, consumer and employment standards as a price of such deals with little democratic scrutiny of those agreements.

© Photograph: Neil Hall/EPA Catchy slogan, bad policy: an anti-Brexit protester in Parliament Square, London, at the start of this year.

There will be no trade deal with the EU next year unless both sides can agree on fishing rights and on a state aid regime. It is not in the EU’s interests to compromise the integrity of its single market by yielding to UK demands on state aid; the UK has not even published a draft post-Brexit state aid regime to inform the talks. Save for some vague briefing to the press about big subsidies for UK technology companies, it is not even clear what freedoms the government wants on state aid that would not be permitted under EU rules, which already allow a significant degree of flexibility. The government seems to expect to be able to advance a negotiation without setting out what it wants. It is using critical trade negotiations for domestic political posturing. It is highly irresponsible.

The UK government’s terrible handling of the pandemic has strengthened the cause for Scottish independence

The risk of a no deal remains very real. But even were the sort of bare-bones trade deal the government is aiming for to be reached, the costs would be high. There will still be a huge amount of disruption in January as businesses adapt to a new customs regime. Government data suggests that, unsurprisingly, in the wake of Covid-19, most companies have not begun to prepare and the focus of Whitehall and local government has rightly been on managing the public health crisis.

Any form of hard Brexit, whether a basic free trade agreement or a no deal, will also gravely endanger the union. The Northern Ireland protocol guarantees there will be no border checks on the island of Ireland, but it remains to be seen what impact imposing a customs border and, potentially tariffs, on the movement of goods across the Irish Sea will have on the politics and economy of Northern Ireland. The UK government’s terrible handling of the pandemic has strengthened the cause for Scottish independence and the fallout from a hard Brexit will probably boost the SNP in next May’s Holyrood elections, making it more difficult for Westminster to continue to refuse Nicola Sturgeon a second independence referendum. Johnson may well go down in history as the prime minister who not just oversaw one of the world’s worst Covid-19 death rates, or took Britain out of the EU in a damaging Brexit, but who paved the way for the dissolution of the union.

This is shocking but not surprising. Johnson won the referendum, then his premiership and an election, using an empty populist slogan that provides no substantial basis for government. Brexit has hollowed out the Conservative party, largely stripping the cabinet of its reserves of competence and talent, leaving behind some of the least able ministers in living memory. We have paid a terrible price for this in our battle with the coronavirus, but with the next phase of Brexit and its potential impact on the union, worse may come.

Read More

ARRESTS AFTER ARRIVAL OF MIGRANT GROUP, ANOTHER ONE SENT BACK

Cyprus Mail 6 September - by Evie Andreou

Thirty-three migrants who arrived off Limassol on Saturday afternoon were sent early on Sunday back to Lebanon which is where most of them come from.

In the meantime, police arrested four men who were among a group of 51 migrants – Syrians and Lebanese – that landed by boat in Kapparis area in Famagusta, also on Saturday. They are being investigated for people smuggling.

The boat with the 33 migrants – 30 Lebanese and three Syrians – was spotted off Limassol on Saturday afternoon. After consultations with the Lebanese authorities, it was decided that the group would be sent back to Lebanon.

Since the boat they were in was in very bad shape, Cypriot authorities leased a private boat to take the group of 14 children, six women and 13 men back to their country. The boat set off for Lebanon at around 3.30 am. Onto the boat, the Cypriot authorities also loaded foodstuff and essential items.

The group was escorted back to Lebanon with nurses, an interpreter, migration and police officers.

This was the second group arriving in Cyprus on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, 51 migrants landed in the buffer zone in the Kapparis area and crossed to the government-controlled area.

Police said the boat arrived from Lebanon. Initially, it was carrying 55 people but officers of the marine police that had spotted the vessel off Cape Greco prior to its landing in Kapparis picked up on Friday a woman and three babies with health problems and took them to hospital. They are now at the Makarios children’s hospital in Nicosia.

Police on Sunday said they arrested four of the men in that group, three from Syria aged 31, 25 and 21, and one from Lebanon, 19, on suspicion of people smuggling. They are believed to be the owners and drivers of the boat.

They were remanded for eight days. The rest of the group have been taken to the migrant reception centre in Kokkinotrimithia.

Read More

BEWARE PEOPLE COLLECTING MONEY AT THE DOOR FOR CHARITIES

 Filenews 6 September 2020

Deft people claiming to be holding a fundraiser in support of the Cyprus Cancer Association are visiting homes and illegally obtaining money, the Association said in a statement.

The Cyprus Cancer Association points out that the Association's fundraiser is held with the relevant Fundraising License by the competent authorities, all its volunteers have with them a photocopy of this license.

"With your contribution our volunteers give you back a relevant contribution form with the distinctive logos of our campaign and the number of the aforementioned Fundraising License. Our fundraiser is held by our volunteers outside shops and supermarkets and by no reason door to door. We ask all our fellow citizens to report incidents of this kind to the relevant police authorities," he notes.

It also states that it is regrettable for the Association and its purpose in dealing with these illegal incidents.

"We remain committed to our work and continue to offer our services to thousands of our fellow human beings with cancer experience and we are confident that Cypriot society will once again support us in our fundraiser that is always prepared on the basis of all legal procedures," he concludes.

Source:eyenews/CYPE

Read More

'ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS CREATE TRANSMISSION CHAINS'

 Filenews 6 September 2020 - by Giannis Antoniou

At any time the data can be reversed and the risk of virus outbreak is always possible, the Director of Medical and Public Health Services, head of the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Elizabeth Konstantinou, tells "F". It underlines as a worrying fact the infection of young people aged 20 – 40 years, who are usually asymptomatic. Because they have intense activities and are not limited, they have many close contacts resulting in creating transmission chains with an increased risk of spreading the virus.

-Are we facing a new wave of infection or are the cases detected considered isolated?

-At this stage, according to the epidemiological data to date, it appears that the situation had a slight deterioration during the period July-August. However, following early interventions and additional health measures by the Ministry of Health, the situation in Cyprus is currently fully controlled. Of course, this should not lead to complacency either from the citizens or from those responsible. At any time the data can be overturned. The risk of virus outbreak is always possible. Most cases are currently imported from other countries. However, with the regular laboratory checks of incoming passengers in the Republic of Cyprus and the re-evaluation of the epidemiological picture of the countries, we seek to exclude the possibility of a resurgence of the pandemic in Cyprus.

-The case of other countries, as well as recent cases in Cyprus, show how volatile the situation is. What is it that worries you the most?

-What seems to be worrying is the infection with the virus of young people aged 20 – 40 years who are usually asymptomatic. These people have intense daily activities resulting in many close contacts. Also these individuals are difficult to limit until the end of the incubation time of the virus, which is 14 days. In this way they create transmission chains with an increased risk of the virus spreading in the community. We are particularly concerned about the opening of borders because of imported cases, which are mainly asymptomatic. Furthermore, I am concerned about possible fatigue in the world leading to a relaxation in the observance of sanitary measures.

-In addition to personal hygiene measures, what should be the line of defence of each individual citizen but also at the collective level?

-Clear guidelines and precautionary measures are given through the Health Protocols issued by the Ministry of Health to prevent and address the effects of coronavirus in all areas. In fear of unforeseen data on the outbreak and spread of the virus and in particular its effects on vulnerable population groups, the line of defence of each conscientious citizen individually for the protection of all of us is to maintain physical distancing, to make mandatory and correct use of masks where provided, to avoid gatherings with large and uncontrolled numbers of people, to diligently disinfect spaces and objects of common use and to educate our children about behaviour under these circumstances.

Approaches by the Ministry of Health and the Infectious Diseases Epidemiological Surveillance and Control Unit to case management are adapted to the situation at national and local level. Despite the government's already burdened work, Cyprus is treating the pandemic in an exemplary manner on the basis of guidelines from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). In fact, it has received credit from the ECDC and from various countries for the strategy of strict tracing, a difficult process carried out by the Office of which I am head.

- Until now, few were aware of the existence of the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit. What are its main responsibilities?

-Indeed, the work of the Infectious Diseases Epidemiological Surveillance and Control Unit is not widely known. The Unit was established in 2003 at the same time as the creation of the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) and constitutes an infrastructure vital for the Ministry of Health and public health of citizens. Its main responsibilities are: Epidemiological monitoring and control of infectious diseases in the Republic of Cyprus in cooperation on a regular basis with similar international organisations such as ECDC and WHO, risk assessment for immediate prevention and response measures in cases of epidemic or pandemic, research, education and communication with both health professionals and the public and finally , the evaluation and strengthening of vaccination programmes.

- But the pandemic came and brought new responsibilities.

-The Unit is more responsible than all other services with the issue of pandemic due to competence even before outbreaks in Cyprus. In this context, laboratory epidemiological surveillance, the coordination of clinical laboratories, the issue of epidemiological bulletins and the re-evaluation of the epidemiological picture of the various countries with regard to COVID-19 disease also fall within the competence of the Unit. All cases are also monitored. The ultimate objective of the Unit is to coordinate everyone and respond in a timely manner in relation to the treatment of old and new infectious diseases, especially if they involve a risk of transmission and threaten public health.

- Are health services checking? There has been a lot of discussion about the effectiveness of controls at marinas and airports.

-The regulatory framework to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is established by the Ministry of Health. The competent services responsible for monitoring the implementation of this framework are the Health Services of Medical and Public Health Services, the Cyprus Police and the Department of Labour Inspection. In this context, the Health Services in cooperation with the Police carry out intensive checks to monitor the implementation of the measures and the findings of this programme are communicated in a press release to the media. In addition, after the opening of airports, ports and marinas, more scientific checks are carried out. A programme based on three pillars shall be applied to controls:

1. Countries shall be assessed and categorised into three groups according to the epidemiological risk.

2. There are 4 services (The Medical and Public Health Services, the Port Authority, the Civil Aviation Department and the Cyprus Police) that cooperate on the checks on the arrival of passengers.

3. In addition to the above measures, a random check shall be carried out upon arrival of the passengers.

Based on the information obtained from ecdc and the results of the above audits, a weekly reassessment of the categorization of countries is carried out. The points of entry into the Republic of Cyprus are crucial, which is why the Department of Medical Services, in cooperation with the other services, makes every effort to avoid the entry of cases into the Republic.

Early tracing, laboratory checks and quarantine

-Of the last cases detected in Cyprus, very few have been sick to the extent that they require medical attention. Does that mean anything, or is it a co-ownership?

-The last cases in the period July 2020 - August 2020 mainly concern young people aged 20-40 years. These individuals usually have very good physical condition without underlying diseases. That is the main reason why I attribute the low number of admissions to our hospitals. A factor that according to the latest risk assessment by ecdc, is important for the risk assessment of each country from the virus.

-Unlike the first wave of the pandemic there is now no element of surprise, there is time to prepare.

-During the first wave of the pandemic, both the Member States and the competent ECDC and WHO organisations had the time to study the behaviour of the virus and prepare themselves by taking appropriate health measures. Therefore, with the triptych "early detection – laboratory testing – quarantine" an effective mechanism has been created to prevent the spread of the virus in the community.

Coverage of the Cypriot population with the vaccine

-From your contacts with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), what picture prevails at European level?

-ECDC informs about the current threat to human health from COVID-19 disease and supports us in our efforts for preparedness and rapid response. All publications published by ECDC aim to support a pan-European communication approach, currently focused on the completion of vaccine studies, in order to enable it to be provided. The Centre has been alarmed and concerned that for more than five weeks, during the summer months, epidemiological indicators in many European countries have increased on the basis of measurable indicators. In general, the Centre is alert, updating its epidemiological data, protocols and/or recommendations.

- And globally? Attention is now turning to the vaccine. Obviously until it's ready, we're going to have to learn to live with the virus.

-At both global and European level, all public health mechanisms are being put in place and not only around tackling/intercepting and combating the pandemic. All experts and non-experts are currently researching, studying and learning the new virus. There is generally a lot of concern around the issue, but I do not consider the enemy to be invincible. International organisations and all states strive to contribute to tackling the pandemic in every way and equally. Surely the completion of studies on the manufacture of a vaccine effective against coronavirus will be the solution to the problem, which is expected to take place around December. Also the discovery of new anti-ing drugs would help a lot. At this point I mention that Cyprus participates in the Joint Procurement (Joint Negotiating Initiative) of the European Commission, for the supply of the vaccine, with all the manufacturers, which ensures its guarantee for Cyprus and actions are being taken to cover the whole population. In this hope, until such a vaccine is implemented, we must continue to protect and safeguard public health. Our daily lives have been adapted to the ways of dealing with the virus invasion by us. We have now learned to live with the virus, waiting for spring without the virus or more correctly with weapons to deal with it.

 

Read More

BREXIT, YOUR MONEY AND THE UK

 Cyprus Mail 6 September 2020 - by Andrew Rosenbaum

What does a Hard Brexit mean for your savings or investment in the UK?

On Monday, the EU’s chief negotiator again warned that the UK will “have to move” if it wants a post-Brexit trade deal by the end of 2020.

Michel Barnier said he was “worried and disappointed” about the lack of concessions from his British counterpart, David Frost, and he said the end of October was a “strict deadline” to finalise an agreement for next year.

We’ve been hearing this for some time now, and it looks like Brussels and London have slid all the way down the slippery slope to a Hard Brexit.

The good news is that if you’ve already put your money in a UK bank, or invested on the London Stock Exchange, you’re not likely to have any worries about keeping or managing your funds or investment – but you will have to watch the pound (more about this below).

You can put your money into a bank in almost any country (watch out for sanctions though) and access it normally. The UK will still retain its advantages of solid banking and stability, and you will still manage your money online.

If you’ve invested in a stock on the LSE, you can also manage it online, sell it and buy others without any issues – although the downward pressure Brexit is putting on the UK economy might deter you from picking national companies. But do bear in mind that a disruption like Brexit could also cause a drop in prices on the FTSE, and that creates an opportunity to buy the FTSE 100 at a much lower price than it would be without the Brexit risk.

Obviously, the biggest risk here is the foreign exchange dilemma – if the pound plummets, the value of your investment, even if it has risen considerably in value, won’t be worth much in euro terms.

There have been two big upsets to the pound/dollar rate in the last 12 years – the drop to €1.02 to the pound after the financial crisis and the further decline to as low as €1.07 in the period after the 2016 Brexit vote. For now, the pound is at currently at a relatively high of 1.13 to the euro, but a Hard Brexit could knock it down much lower.

As regards real estate, there are certain types of investment that need attention. Do you own a UK building and have tenants? Since the pandemic, tenants have a right to negotiate rent concessions and restructuring. These discussions will be complicated if there is a Hard Brexit, as the downward pressure on the UK economy is likely to delay some tenants in making rent payments that have been on hold.

If you are in the midst of construction, be aware that the industry is set for a terrific disruption in the case of a Hard Brexit.  About 15 per cent of the construction industry workforce is comprised of immigrant Europeans. As they lose the right to work in the UK, getting the labour you need to finish your project may not be easy. Construction materials may also become scarce as EU imports dwindle.

Irrespective of the type of investment you’ve made, Brexit is almost certain to make it more costly. Fund management costs are expected to rise; bank charges will probably increase, especially for large transfers; real estate taxes may be expected to rise, along with management costs.

There is also a specific kind of trouble if you’ve invested in certain kinds of funds, for example, a UK UCITS (mutual fund). This kind of fund is governed by EU directives, and, needless to say, those go out of effect in the UK in the case of a Hard Brexit.

UCITS will be reclassified as Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) under UK law in this case. The question then arises as whether a retail investor will still have access to the funds they’ve invested in.

There’s a difference in financial law in most countries between the retail investor (ordinary blokes like you and me) and the qualified investor – this is someone with real specialist financial knowledge. A great many investments are not available under law to a retail investor, and the UK financial authorities might decide that the fund you’ve invested in shouldn’t be available to you.

Then, there is the problem of the fund manager. Under EU law, UCITS funds and their managers must be established and registered in the EU to manage and market funds to retail and professional investors in the 27 Member States. So when the funds are classified as AIFs, AIF managers need to be established and authorised in the EU to be allowed to manage funds across the EU.

Most of these fund managers, however, are still based in the UK. As a result, this is still a hot topic amongst the many in Brexit issues. It is possible that UK firms may still be able to work with EU investors through the so-called National Private Placement Regimes (NPPR), which see firms agree a deal with national regulators in order to access their markets.

No one knows, yet, how this will play out as Brussels and London wrangle over solutions, but if you have this type of investment, keep watch on the news — here at Cyprus Mail, of course.

 

Read More

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6 - CORONAVIRUS GLOBAL UPDATE

 in-cyprus 6 September 2020

More than 26.75 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 875,419​ have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

At the same time, the coronavirus is still making its mark on sporting events: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has dampened hopes that spectators would be allowed to attend football matches from the start of the new season, saying it would be inappropriate at the present time.

And the professional riders’ association (CPA) called on cycling fans to wear face masks along the route of the Tour de France.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

EUROPE

* Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is in a stable condition two days after being hospitalised with the coronavirus, his doctor said on Sunday.

* Pope Francis will next month visit the Italian town of Assisi, his first trip out of Rome since the pandemic hit the country in February, and will sign a new encyclical, a spokesman for the Assisi Basilica said late on Saturday.

* Brussels honoured health workers battling the pandemic on Saturday by dressing up the Belgian capital’s famed bronze statue of the Manneken Pis as a doctor in a white gown and wearing a protective face mask.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* India’s total coronavirus cases surged beyond 4 million with a rise of 86,432 infections on Saturday, making it the third country in the world to surpass that mark, following the United States and Brazil. The number of deaths rose by more than 1,000 to 69,561.

* Protesters against a COVID-19 lockdown defied police in Australia’s hotspot on Saturday, prompting 15 arrests, even as the state of Victoria continued its gradual improvement in stemming new cases due to the nearly five weeks of restrictions.

AMERICAS

* Democratic U.S. vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris said she would not take President Donald Trump’s word alone on any potential coronavirus vaccine.

* U.S. deaths from the virus will reach 410,000 by the end of the year, more than double the current death toll, and deaths could soar to 3,000 per day in December, the University of Washington’s health institute forecast.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Schools in Iran re-opened to 15 million students on Saturday after a seven-month closure despite concerns over increased spread of the coronavirus in the country.

* Iranian President Hassan Rouhani castigated Iran’s friends on Saturday for not standing up to the United States and ignoring U.S. sanctions during the pandemic.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Sanofi’s chief in France, Olivier Bogillot, said on Saturday that its future COVID-19 vaccine was likely to be priced below 10 euros per shot.

* Several COVID-19 vaccine developers, including Pfizer Inc , Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Inc, plan to issue a public pledge not to seek government approval until their vaccine candidates are proven to be safe and effective, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Read More

FIRST VISITORS AFTER CYPRUS AIRPORTS REOPENED WERE FROM GREECE, GERMANY, POLAND

 in-cyprus 6 September 2020 - by Annie Charalambous

Coronavirus fear has forced many to cancel tourism plans this summer but those who dared come over to Cyprus after the reopening of airports were mainly from Greece, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Denmark and Austria, Philenews reports.

Cyprus reopened for tourism and started accepting visitors from a green list of countries in early June, and data compiled from the CyprusFlightPass platform shows the total number of visitors in July standing at 64,914.

Specifically, 10,824 (16.67%) came from Greece, 9,651 (14.87%) from Germany, 7,477 (11.52%) from Poland, 6,263 (9.65%) from Switzerland (including Lichtenstein), 3,863 (5.95%) from Denmark, 3,115 (4.80%) from Austria and 23,721 from other countries.

The data also indicates that arrivals from Greece decreased by 9.7% in July compared with the same month last year. Those from Germany were down by 28.3%, Poland’s by 14.3%, Switzerland’s by 39.7%, Denmark’s by 52.8% and 42.8% by those from Austria.

The reason behind the trip for 70.6% of arrivals in July was vacation, 20.1% came over to visit relatives and friends and 9.3% for professional reasons.

Read More

Marriage for the Earl of Southesk and Camille Ascoli

Charlie and Camille

The Earl of Southesk and his fiancée Camille Ascoli were married today, 5 September. The Countess of Southesk wore the Fife Fringe Tiara, which had been on exhibition at Kensington Palace. The tiara was taken off display for the Carnegie/Ascoli nuptials.

Their marriage was announced in Le Figaro by their respective parents, the Duke and Duchess of Fife and Monsieur and Madame Roberto Ascoli:

M. et Mme Roberto ASCOLI

le duc et la duchesse de FIFE

sont heureux de faire part

du mariage de leurs enfants 

Camille et Charlie 

ce samedi 5 septembre 2020.

Charles "Charlie" Duff Carnegie, Earl of Southesk, was born on 1 July 1989. He is the eldest of three sons of David Carnegie, 4th Duke of Fife, and his wife, the former Caroline Ann Bunting. Charlie Southesk is a great-great-grandson of King Edward VII.

Camille Ascoli was born on 6 March 1990. She is the daughter of Roberto Ascoli and his wife, the former Valerie Ledoux.

Congratulations to the Earl and Countess of Southesk!

Source: Earl of Southesk weds Camille Ascoli

Read More

Centennial of the Death of Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr.

Centennial of the Death of Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr.

Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna of Russia

(1854-1920)

Born at Schloß Ludwigslust on May 14, 1854, as the daughter of Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1823-1883) and his first wife, the former Princess Auguste Reuß. In August 1874, Marie married Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (1847-1909) and adopted the Russian name "Marie Pavlovna." 

The couple had five children: Alexander (1875-1877); Kirill (1876-1938), who married Princess Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Edinburgh (1876-1936); Boris (1877-1943); Andrei (1879-1956); and Helen (1882-1957), who married Prince Nicholas of Greece.

During her marriage, Marie Pavlovna was one of the luminaries of Saint Petersburg society, perhaps its unrivaled leader. This position was one that she retained even after the death of her husband in 1909. 

During the Great War, Marie Pavlovna directed several hospitals and gave her full support to bringing medical assistance to the Russian soldiery. Her hospital trains, which criss-crossed the front, were seen as a source of much relief and hope by those who were tended to in them.

Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr. and her daughter Grand Duchess Helen Vladimirovna, 

Princess Nicholas of Greece.

When revolution overthrew the Tsar, Marie Pavlovna retreated to Kislovodsk in the war-torn Caucasus. From there, still riding her private train wagon, she made it to Novorossiysk on the Black Sea Coast. En-route, she ran into her niece Olga Alexandrovna, who later described the experience: "Disregarding peril and hardship, she stubbornly kept all the trimmings of bygone splendor and glory. And somehow she carried it off..When even generals found themselves lucky to find a horse cart and an old nag to bring them to safety, Aunt Miechen made a long journey in her own train. It was battered all right ... but it was hers. Fort the first time in my life I found it a pleasure to kiss her..."

Eventually, she made it to Venice, from where she traveled to Switzerland, finally reaching her beloved French resort at Contrexéville. The she stayed at her villa, where surrounded by her family, she died on September 6, 1920.

She was laid to rest in a small chapel, which her descendants had restored a few years ago.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

The Centennial of the Death of Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Senior of Russia

by Nicholas Nicholson for Eurohistory

As July drew to a close, Maria Pavlovna’s famous health and energy was beginning to leave her.  Alone in her rooms at the Hôtel la Souveraine, she began her decline.  Ducky and Kirill, who had been visiting with Queen Marie of Romania in Paris cut short their time to rush to her side at the once-fashionable Vosges resort. From Contréxeville, Ducky wrote her sister: “we found my mother-in-law in almost dying condition with an old ass of a Kurarzt[1] who has no notion what to do & a lady & gentleman at the end of their resources and the poor old lady crying in her bed for want of her family, feeling herself dying and deserted by all. She was so pleasant and touched that we came that it repays one for very much what one has been through. I cannot say if she will recover.  At moments one thinks there is but little hope, at other moments she rallies & talks but she is very weak, can take no food without hours of deadly sickness afterwards. They seem to think that one of her kidneys has … brought on a sort of blood poisoning. The old fool of a doctor here started her on the full cure[2]like in olden days which set all this matter in motion, causing an acute attack of the kidneys with excessive pain, followed by complete heart failure. The pulse almost stopped, and this off and on for nearly a week now.  We are awaiting your Doctor Abrams with greatest impatience.  One keeps her going with camphor injections but they make her suffer terribly. This is a medeavel [sic] place, awful bare little rooms & no food or things to be got in the house.  One has to send for everything… I never saw such an arrangement.”[3]  The Grand Duchess was dying slowly of a combination of heart and renal failure with nothing to relieve her pain.  She floated in and out of consciousness for weeks as her family gathered by her side.  Boris arrived in early August and was followed by Andrei and Ellen.  

 

Prince Nicholas of Greece, Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich, Princess Nicholas of Greece, Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich, Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr., and Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich.

Ellen wrote later to her mother’s old friend Princess Galitzine: “It was épouvantable for several days, but then she at last seemed at some peace -- sometimes calling out for Papa Wladimir! In a weak voice. There were a few days when she seemed almost well, but then on the last day it was a great struggle until at last she slept deeply, and the end came.”[4]  Ducky wrote Missy: “…Aunt Miechen died, repentant like one only reads in books. Asking pardon all round for all the harm she had done, even blaming herself more than seemed necessary to me. She suffered inhumanely and only the last day was quite unconscious. The death struggle lasted 14 hours. I was really, really sad as she was more than nice & touching to me in the end. If she could have lived as she died, what invincible friends we would have been.”[5]

 

Grand Duchess Marie Pavlovna Sr. and her granddaughter 

Princess Olga of Greece.

The funeral service was intimate and held in the tiny chapel of Sts. Vladimir and Mary Magdalene which she had built in 1909 to commemorate the death of her husband and her own conversion to the Orthodox faith. The “Grandest” of the Grand Duchesses, Maria Pavlovna was the last Romanov to leave Russia, and the first to die in exile.  Buried in a simple white marble sarcophagus as she would have been in Russia, outside the chapel a sign reads : “In this chapel raised by her own hands lies H.I.H. the Grand Duchess Wladimir, died at Contrexéville 6 September 1920.”

---

[1] A Spa physician

[2] Hot spa treatments, mineral waters, and enemas.

[3] Fond Regina Maria: Dos V/3393/1920, Royal Archives Bucharest; John Wimbles Papers, Archivio Orléans-Borbón, Sanlucar de Barrmeda, Spain.

[4] Princess Nicholas of Greece to Pcess Galitzine, 10 Sept 1920, private collection, USA.

[5] Fond Regina Maria: Dos V/3395/1920, Wimbles, op cit.

Read More