PLEASE BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SILVER HONDA CRV, HAT 092

 

Please be on the lookout for a Silver Honda CRV - HAT 092.

The Police suspect the vehicle was involved in a burglary.   If you have any information please call 26 806060, or 1460

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DESPITE HOT WEATHER FIRST RAINFALL TO COME ON SATURDAY

 in-cyprus 9 September 2020 - by Maria Bitar

Despite the hot weather prevailing in Cyprus, rain and even a thunderstorm are in the forecast for Saturday, according to the Meteorological Service.

Wednesday’s temperatures remain extremely high, with 41°C inland, 34 C in the mountains and between 33 C and 35 C in coastal areas.

On Wednesday evening, temperatures set to drop to around 24°C inland, 25°C in the coasts and 23°C in the mountains.

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the weather will be mainly fine while in the afternoons locally increased cloud is expected in the mountains that will potentially lead to isolated rain or a thunderstorm on Saturday.

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WHAT NO-DEAL BREXIT MEANS, HOW IT MIGHT HAPPEN, AND HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT DAILY LIFE IN THE UK

 The Telegraph 9 September 2020 -by Peter Foster, Daniel Capurro, Anna Isaac, James Crisp, Asa Bennett 

© Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves as he leaves 10 Downing Street in central London on Sep... Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves as he leaves 10 Downing Street in central London on September 8, 2020 to walk across to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to chair the weekly meeting of the cabinet. - Britain demanded "more realism" from the European Union ahead of crucial post-Brexit trade talks on Tuesday, but the mood was soured by reports that London was looking to rewrite an agreement the two sides had already signed. (Photo by Niklas HALLE'N / AFP) (Photo by NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP via Getty Images)

Is no deal Brexit possible?

Yes, although the precise nature of "no deal" has changed given that the United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020 under the renegotiated terms of withdrawal agreed by Boris Johnson and ratified by Parliament.

Since then, the United Kingdom has been busy working to agree its future relationship, in line with the guidelines set out under the Political Declaration. With no extension to this period in limbo, which simulates the terms of still being in the EU while legally acknowledging its independence, the UK will be fully out of the EU by the end of 2020. 

That means, unless a future relationship is agreed, the UK will leave the EU after December 31 without any agreed framework in place. The Withdrawal Agreement will still be place, so issues like the Irish border and the so-called "divorce bill" will be settled under its terms, but other matters will not have been so summarily nailed down.7

In other words, the original "no deal" may not be possible, but what is now known is "no deal" might better be viewed as a "no trade deal" exit. 

What would no deal look like?

The European Union is adamant that there is no such thing as a “managed” no deal - fearful that making a no deal look too comfortable risks turning it into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Michel Barnier, the EU chief negotiator, has insisted there will be no "mini-deals". To ram home the point the EU published a highly confrontational no deal planning document which set out “limited” and one-sided measures defending it from the “significant disruption” of a no deal.

But behind the scenes, member states are questioning whether such a hardline approach is really viable.

© ASSOCIATED PRESS EU Chief negotiator Michel Barnier arrives at St. Pancras international train station in London, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. UK and EU officials begin the eighth round of Brexit negotiations in London. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)Experts believe that, if the UK plays its cards right politically, a managed no deal could emerge.

Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Reform, is confident that if the crunch comes EU member states will strike bilateral side-deals with the UK to cushion the blow. “For now the Commission is taking a strong line, but EU member states will have to look after their own interests”, he predicts.

So for all the catastrophist predictions, the reality of a no deal is likely to be disruptive, but not world-ending. Or in the earthy phrasing of a senior diplomat from an EU trading power: “no deal won't be an explosion, it will be a wet fart.”

Finance & the City

The EU is heavily reliant on the UK for financial services and capital, which means that regulators are already in the process of setting up a series of ‘mini-deals’ to avoid the risks posed to the City of London. A deal is already close to offer legal certainty to £41 trillion worth of derivatives contracts.

If the EU Commission moved to support these deals – and in reality it will have little choice – the City will have what Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, has termed a “glass half-full” no deal situation. “It’s cold comfort, but it will be worse in Europe than it is here,” he told MPs.

Still, even allowing stimulus measures such as cutting interest rates, house prices could take a significant hit. Economists believe no deal could shave at least two per cent off GDP by the end of 2020.

It might not be a full-blown catastrophe, says Andrew Goodwin of Oxford Economics, but, no deal would still cause massive economic disruption and shake confidence.

“Markets have only priced in 20-30 per cent chance of no deal. Obviously if no deal actually happened I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a 10 per cent drop in the value of sterling,” he says.

© Xinhua News Agency LONDON, Sept. 8, 2020-- Photo taken on Sept. 8, 2020 shows the European Parliament Liaison Office in the United Kingdom in London, Britain.Trade & Customs

Without any formal trade deal, the UK would have to rely on WTO rules - in a model described by Brexiteers as an "Australia-style" relationship.

However, the current default EU Commission position is “all relevant” EU legislation will apply to imports and exports, including tariffs, VAT and a total ban on food of animal origin until the UK registers as a ‘third country’. The result would be a virtual blockade.

Already Dutch and French diplomats have clashed with the Commission on this approach, with one French diplomat angrily pointing out that it would require a 40 kilometre (25 mile) customs terminal to comply with necessary checks. The French government is already putting in place laws to give it extraordinary powers to temporarily recognise certifications of UK companies and workers.

The European Union's (EU) recently appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom, Joao Vale de Almeida, arrives by car at Europe House in central London on September 8, 2020. - UK and EU negotiators on Tuesday resumed Brexit talks, after warnings last-minute changes to domestic legislation risked derailing the process, threatened peace in Northern Ireland and even a showcase UK-US trade deal. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has angered EU officials by insisting there was now an "unforeseen" risk that Northern Ireland would be cut off from the rest of the United Kingdom. (Photo by Niklas HALLE'N / AFP) (Photo by NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP via Getty Images)Similarly, when it comes to hauliers, the Commission is saying the UK must apply to a licence scheme that currently only cover 5 per cent of the volume of traffic. But again, affected member states including Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Belgium and Ireland are pressing for more.

So in a benign no deal scenario, the EU could introduce temporary measures to keep goods trade flowing, allowing the UK to register as a ‘third country’ in order to create a new legal base for exports. The UK has already said that it will not impose controls in the first instance.

Alex Stojanovic of the Institute for Government says the door is open for the EU to create a fast track equivalence deal, of the kind it has with New Zealand for example, which obviates the need for a large number of checks.

In this scenario there would still be costly frictions, and the UK would be at the mercy of the EU as how serious these would be. “They could do more, but you can’t predict whether they will,” he adds, “and in some areas it might not be in their interest to act.”

Data

UK Services trade with the EU was worth £89bn last year, all of which is heavily reliant on the ability to transfer data across borders. The UK has already put the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) onto its statute book.

For now the EU is refusing to say it will reciprocate the UK’s stated intention of allowing data to flow freely from the EU, but industry experts note that when the US-EU data Safe Harbour data deal collapsed the EU allowed a period of non-enforcement of its rules.

Giles Derrington of Tech UK says the EU and UK are “increasingly looking at something similar” in the event of no-deal but even if a ‘data drawbridge’ did go up, other legal avenues such as ‘standard contract clauses’ are also available. These are not a fail-safe, but already cover some 80 per cent of personal data transfers.

In short, in the right political environment, the data would keep flowing.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der LeyenConclusion

If a point is reached when no deal becomes inevitable, then the interests of both sides would become equally aligned in avoiding a catastrophic outcome.

Even with temporary measures in place, the fundamental question of what future relationship Britain and the EU want – and how this can be squared with a mutual commitment to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland will remain.

A punishment approach from the European Union, beyond gratifying a short-term desire to demonstrate the bloc’s power, will not advance the search for answers.

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RYANAIR - TICKET SALES OFFER

 Filenews 9 September 2020

50% discount on 750,000 seats for all those who book tickets by the end of October 2021 announced by low-cost airline Ryan Air.

Based on the offer in Cyprus there are tickets from €12.62 to 25 destinations.

The offer will be valid until the 750,000 seats are exhausted.

Detailed tickets for flights from the two Cypriot airports:

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STOLEN CAR FOUND WITH STOLEN AMBULANCE PLATES

 Filenews 9 September 2020 - by Dora Christodoulou

A car that had recently been stolen from the area of Lemba was spotted being driven on Tuesday night in the center of Paphos by a 19-year-old and even carrying license plates belonging to... an Ambulance.

The vehicle was stopped for inspection on a downtown street by officers on patrol. The driver of the vehicle attempted to flee, but was stopped by members of the force. A follow-up check found that the driver was a 19-year-old Romanian resident of Paphos, who is well known to the authorities for various illegal acts in which he was involved.

The check showed that the vehicle the young man was driving had recently been stolen from Lemba. It was also found that the license plates on the car corresponded to an ambulance and are apparently stolen.

The 19-year-old was arrested and taken into custody while police investigations continue.

 

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NO SPECTATORS AT OCTOBER 1 PARADE BECAUSE OF COVID-19

 Cyprus Mail 9 September 2020 - by Staff Reporter

The October 1 military parade to mark the independence of the Republic of Cyprus will go ahead, but without spectators, the Council of Ministers decided on Wednesday.

The decision was announced by deputy government spokesman Panayiotis Sentonas at the end of today’s meeting.

“The Council of Ministers decided that the military parade of October 1 will be carried out only in the presence of officials, in line with protocols, and without the presence of the public and this because of the conditions created by the conoronavirus pandemic,”   he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, media reports had said a meeting was scheduled at the defence ministry on Friday to discuss the organisation of the parade in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Republic of Cyprus this year marks the 60th anniversary of its independence.

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PRESCRIPTIONS FOR GESY PATIENTS FROM NON-GESY SPECIALIST DOCTORS SCRAPPED

 in-cyprus 9 September 2020 - by Evie Andreou

The health ministry on Wednesday said specialist doctors not under Gesy will no longer be able to prescribe specialised drugs to beneficiaries of the public health scheme since these have now been included on the Gesy list of pharmaceuticals.

A special arrangement approved by cabinet in July 2019 enabling specialists not operating under Gesy to prescribe some pharmaceuticals has been abolished since September 1, the ministry added.

The special arrangement concerned oncologists, rheumatologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and gastroenterologists.

To facilitate patients who have such prescriptions issued until August 31, pharmacies in state hospitals, the Bank of Cyprus oncology centre and the Institute of Neurology and Genetics will be execute them until the end of September.

Moreover, specialists not under Gesy will be able to issue prescriptions to Gesy beneficiaries until September 15 to cover their patients’ needs for up to a month. These prescriptions too need to be executed by the end of September.

The health ministry urges Gesy beneficiaries to find specialists registered with the public health scheme for new prescriptions after those dates because Gesy will not cover the drug costs if they are issued by physicians not part of the system.

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CORONAVIRUS - NORTH SUSPENDS INBOUND FLIGHTS IN QUARANTINE SQUEEZE

 Cyprus Mail 9 September 2020 - by Evie Andreou

Turkish Cypriots will temporarily halt inbound flights to the north citing inadequate quarantine space for arriving passengers, Yeni Duzen news portal reported on Wednesday.

The temporary arrangement is slated to be in effect from Wednesday evening.

Turkish Cypriot news portal Yeni Duzen quoted ‘deputy prime minister’ Kudret Ozersay saying the decision was taken because there is no more space in the quarantine places.

Turkish Cypriot authorities require people arriving from category B countries to quarantine for seven days, and people from category C countries for 14 days. People testing positive to coronavirus are also quarantined as are their contacts. These people stay in hotels monitored by authorities.

Ozersay told the news portal that there are around 400 to 450 people at the moment in these hotels. He also said that for every person testing positive, they also send to these hotels between 10 to 15 of their contacts.

The north has seen a steep rise in coronavirus cases in recent days. On Tuesday, 38 new cases were announced, the highest daily figure so far, with 15 of them being local and 19 being contacts of people who already tested positive and are in quarantine. The remainder are people who arrived from abroad.

Ozersay said it was more important to focus on the internal situation and for that reason it was deemed necessary to temporarily halt inbound flights to the north.

No information was given as yet as to how long this measure will remain in place.

 

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WOMAN FINED €800 FOR BREAKING SELF-ISOLATION RULES

 Cyprus Mail 9 September 2020 - by Staff Reporter

Larnaca Court

Larnaca district court on Wednesday fined a woman €800 after finding her guilty of breaking rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Cyprus News Agency reports.

The 47-year old woman, who had come to Cyprus from the USA in July, had failed to self-isolate for two weeks as required by health ministry decrees but had instead participated in a number social gatherings, infecting others with the coronavirus, the news agency said.

She was found guilty after facing a charge regarding measures introduced to contain the coronavirus outbreak and paid the fine the same day.

The court took as mitigating factor the fact that the woman was not familiar with the quarantine law because she had been abroad

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ISLAND OF LESBOS IN STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR FOUR DAYS STARTING TODAY

 in-cyprus 9 September 2020 - by Maria Bitar

The island of Lesbos was declared in state of emergency for four days starting from today, Wednesday, at the order of Deputy Civil Protection and Management Crises Minister Nikos Hardalias and by decision of the general secretary of civil protection Vassilis Papageorgiou.

The state of emergency was declared for reasons of public health, the civil protection general secretariat announced.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired an extraordinary inter-ministerial meeting at the Maximos Mansion, with the participation of Civil Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias, Migration Policy and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi, the Commander of the Greek Intelligence Service (EYP) Panagiotis Kontoleontas and the head of GEETHA Konstantinos Floros.

The participants discussed the situation at Moria hotspot and the measures to be taken to deal with the situation after a fire broke out earlier in the day.

A fire broke out at Moria hotspot on the island of Lesbos at 2 am after clashes began when some of the 35 refugees who tested positive for Covid-19 refused to move into isolation with their families.

Interior MInister Takis Theodorikakos, Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarachi and the president of the National Organisation for Public Health (NPHO) Panagiotis Arkoumaneas will depart for Lesbos on Wednesday to be briefed on the condition in Moria, government spokesperson Stelios Petsas announced after the conclusion of the extraordinary government meeting held earlier at the Maximos Mansion.

Petsas also said that the three top officials will give a press conference at 18:00 on Wednesday.

Alternate Migration and Asylum Minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos briefed the press at 13:00 pm.

“The disaster at Moria is total”, Secretary General of the Reception of Asylum Seekers of the Migration Policy Ministry Manos Logothetis stated to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) and added: “By order of Migration Policy and Asylum Minister, I am going to the island to assess the situation. We must see in cooperation with all institutions what solutions we can provide for the temporary and long-term hospitality of the residents there. It is a first priority for everyone.”.

Meanwhile, police have sent reinforcements to the island to deal with the situation.

The area outside the reception and identification centre has been totally destroyed while a large part of the area inside the centre has suffered serious damage.

The asylum centre and its equipment have reportedly been burnt while the Intensive Care Unit has also been damaged.

A large part of the population of Moria has fled to the surrounding areas, while another part has moved to the city of Mytilene.

A strong police force has been lined up close to the PPC facilities not allowing them to enter the city.

(amna.gr)

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