NEW PROCEDURE FOR DRIVING LICENCES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS AND EU CITIZENS

 Filenews 10 September 2020 - by Petros Theoharidis

No more "tricks" with foreigners who are in Cyprus exceptionally or without legal documents, but find ways, with the help of others to obtain driver's licenses.

In a circular issued by the Department of Road Transport, agreed with Minister Giannis Karussos, the Deputy Minister of The Ministry of Road Transport, Director of the Department Giannis Nikolaidis has set out a new much stricter procedure so that foreigners can obtain a driver's license, even a student in Cyprus, to ensure that their presence in Cyprus is legal.

From next Monday the Department of Road Transport, the Citizen Service Centres and the Central Postal Offices will not accept applications and payments, either for student permits, for examinations, for regular or for changes to permits of other countries, if the persons concerned do not present themselves and if the necessary documents required by the new arrangements are not the originals.

Please note that the new requirements also apply to citizens of third countries and citizens of Member States of the European Union. It is necessary to present a valid and valid residence permit (original, not a copy) issued by the Department of Population and Migration Archive by the applicant himself. In other words, copies, photocopies, etc. are not accepted, nor is the production of documents by third parties or representatives of driving schools.

Please note that proof of application for a residence permit, various certificates and letters, proof of payment, proof of application for international protection and various notifications will not be accepted.

Also, for the purpose of proving the applicant's six-month stay in the Republic of Cyprus, an adequate presumption of proof (original - not a copy) should be presented by the applicant himself, such as certificates of payment of social security contributions for each month (at least for six months) or a utility bill (electricity and water). Phone or mobile accounts will not be accepted. The evidence should have been issued within the last 12 months of the date of the application.

For foreigners under the age of nineteen, provided that they hold a valid and valid Residence License, the six-month stay in the Republic of Cyprus may also be demonstrated by an original certificate of attendance at a private or public secondary school.

It is expected that the new arrangements will bring some reactions from affected interests, but the ministry is determined to impose the right measures, a transport ministry source told "F".

 

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BATTERY-POWERED FACE MASK SEEKS TO FIGHT COVID AND FOGGY GLASSES

 Cyprus Mail 10 September 2020 - by Reuters News Service

A South Korean company has invented a battery-powered filtered face mask designed to reduce annoying problems associated with conventional designs, such as breathing difficulties and fogged-up glasses.

LG Electronics’ PuriCare Wearable, which comes in one size and weighs as much as a pair of ski goggles, features two fans and high-efficiency particle air filters that clean air coming in and exhaled breath going out.

As authorities increasingly urge the public use of face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, manufacturers have turned their attention to making such gear more comfortable without compromising safety.

Among problems mask wearers face are breathing difficulties and fogged-up glasses as the warm breath escapes from the top of the mask toward the eyes.

“Breathing is the biggest concern when it comes to wearing a face mask and disposable masks come with a huge environment cost,” Choi Yoon-hee, a senior official at LG Electronics’ air solution product team, told Reuters.

The mask comes with a case that charges the battery and disinfects the mask with UV light.

The device will be available in the fourth quarter in select markets. LG is yet to set a price.

LG said the mask has a battery life of about eight hours on low-power settings and two hours on its highest setting.

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The Count and Countess of Paris Depart Dreux Amid Conflict With The Fondation Saint-Louis

The Count and Countess of Paris with their children at Dreux in May.
Photograph (c) David Nivière.

This week, the Count and Countess of Paris packed a few suitcases, gathered their five children, and left their home at the Royal Domain of Dreux. This comes as the relationship between the Count, who has the right to live at the domain, and the Fondation Saint-Louis, which manages the estate, has deteriorated significantly. Prince Jean d'Orléans explained to L'Écho Républicain: "This is not an exile or a flight. I am just taking my family to another location until the situation improves."

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The Count of Paris believes that the Fondation Saint-Louis, of which he is honorary president, has been slowly trying to make life at Dreux more difficult on the Count and his family. This has included such incidences as foundation staff making derogatory comments about the family's dog, someone on staff running over one of the chickens that the Orléans children raise, and the foundation's administration making part of the vegetable garden inaccessible to the family. Prince Jean thinks that the Fondation Saint-Louis has perhaps overextended their security measures by installing CCTV cameras all over the estate, which has created a feeling of a lack of privacy within the Orléans family. Furthermore, during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Fondation Saint Louis instituted new regulations that would limit the daily life of the Count and Countess of Paris and their children. "They took advantage of this period to issue four pages of regulations under the pretext of health security. This document, which I do not recognise as having any legal value, is in fact only a series of measures aimed at us," Prince Jean stated in his recent comments. “One of the measures obliges us to no longer enter the domain by the main entrance, but to do so by the rampart walk, where they want to install an electric gate: an unnecessary, absurd and dangerous expense since the rampart walk which connects the houses is not made to support cars."

Maison Philidor, home of Madame the Duchess of Montpensier.

This is not the first clash between the Orléans and the Foundation Saint Louis. In 2016, the foundation took measures to try and end the right of Princess Marie-Thérèse, Duchess of Montpensier, to live at the Maison Philidor in Dreux, which has been her home for many years. Ultimately, the foundation relented, and Jean's mother was able to stay in her home.

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Reaction to the news of the departure of the Count and Countess of Paris has been mostly been met with sympathy. The exception to this would be the statement of Marc Métay, Secretary General of the Fondation Saint-Louis: "What happens between the Saint-Louis Foundation and the Count of Paris is a strictly private matter on which I do not have to comment." However, Stéphane Bern, a well-known French journalist with connections to many European royal houses, is understanding of concerns of the Count of Paris; moreover, Monsieur Bern is also on the board of directors of the foundation. Bern stated, "We cannot attack our honorary president in this way. It shows a lack of respect towards his father and his grandfather. We must not forget that the foundation exists by the will of the latter. It is paradoxical to attack the Orléans family when one belongs to a foundation whose precise purpose is to defend the family's heritage. The foundation takes refuge behind the law. Of course, we must respect the rules, but we also must respect the princes of the family of France." The Mayor of Dreux, Pierre-Frédéric Billet, has also weighed in on the situation: "We have met with Marc Métay. The City is keen to establish a collaboration with the foundation to develop the royal domain [according to the foundation's plans]. We are going to put in the means for that. But, therefore, I have asked to join the council of administration [of the Fondation Saint-Louis] in the same way as the Mayor of Amboise, who is a member already." Monsieur Billet continued that the royal domain of Dreux "benefits from the presence of the family of the Count of Paris. They have every right to be there. They are part of the history of Dreux. Many Drouais are also attached to their presence."

The Fondation Saint-Louis was established in 1974 by Prince Henri the Elder d'Orléans (1908-1999), Count of Paris and Head of the Royal House of France. The late Count of Paris placed the following assets into the foundation: the Château d'Amboise, the Royal Domain of Dreux, the Chapelle Royale Saint-Louis at Dreux, the Château de Bourbon-l'Archambault, the church Notre Dame de la Compassion, and the colonne des princes de Condé. After Henri the Elder's death, his son Prince Henri the Younger d'Orléans (1933-2019), Count of Paris, and then his grandson Prince Jean d'Orléans, Count of Paris, have served as honorary presidents of the foundation. The Fondation Saint-Louis is controlled by a board of directors; the current President of the Fondation Saint-Louis is Monsieur François Voss. No member of the Orléans family has a position on the board of directors of the foundation which controls its patrimony. In 2011, the nine surviving children of Henri the Elder, Count of Paris, sought to have the Fondation Saint-Louis dissolved so as to regain control over the former properties of their ancestors; this lawsuit did not result in a victory for the Orléans princes and princesses.

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Çocuğunuz süt sevmiyor mu? Sütü Sevdirecek harika bir tarifim var!

Dün bir arkadaşıma çaya davetliydim. Öğleden sonra olduğu için çocukları evdeydi. Ben de giderken onların sevebileceği lezzetli bir şeyler almak istedim. Ufak tefek atıştırmalık yiyeceklerin yanında marketten en sevdiğim markanın ambalajlı sütünü aldım. Süt, bizim evde çok tüketildiği için artık her alışverişlerimde sanırım hiç düşünmeden sepete ekliyorum.



Evlerine gittiğimde arkadaşım

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RESURFACING WORK UNDERWAY ON MAIN ROAD INTO KAMARES

 

Work has started on the resurfacing of the main road into Kamares.

Thanks to Irina Yakimovich for the pictures.

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BREXIT LEGISLATION THAT BREACHES INTERNATIONAL LAW PUBLISHED AS EU ANGER GROWS

     The Evening Standard 9 September 2020 - by Rebecca Speare-Cole

© Provided by Evening Standard

The Government has published a controversial bill which overrides part of Boris Johnson's Brexit deal with the EU and breaches international law.

The Internal Markets Bill is intended to ensure Northern Ireland can continue to enjoy unfettered access to markets in the rest of the UK, according to the Government.

However Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told MPs on Tuesday the legislation would breach international law in a "very specific and limited way".

The comment by Mr Lewis provoked a furious reaction, including from some Tory MPs.

The Government has now published the new legislation which has intensified further anger in Westminster, Brussels and the international community.

© Provided by Evening Standard Michel Barnier arrives in London for the latest round of negotiations (PA)

The bill gives ministers the power to decide themselves - rather than in agreement with Europe - about checks on goods between Northern Ireland and the mainland as well as on state aid.

It also says that the provisions in the bill "must be introduced notwithstanding any relevant international or domestic law" - meaning that this legislation must be regarded first.

The European Commission has called for urgent talks with Britain as the Government set out its plans to override key elements of the Brexit deal signed by Boris Johnson.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was “very concerned about announcements from the British government on its intentions to breach the Withdrawal Agreement”.

She tweeted: “This would break international law and undermines trust. Pacta sunt servanda = the foundation of prosperous future relations.”

European Council president Charles Michel also said: “The Withdrawal agreement was concluded and ratified by both sides, it has to be applied in full.

“Breaking international law is not acceptable and does not create the confidence we need to build our future relationship.”

Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic said he was seeking an urgent meeting of the joint EU-UK committee on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement to enable the British to “elaborate” on their plans.

Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, Mr Sefcovic said he had raised his concerns in a phone call on Tuesday with Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove – his co-chair on the committee.

“I expressed our strong concerns and sought assurances that the UK will fully and timely comply with the Withdrawal Agreement, including the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland,” he said.

In the Commons, Mr Johnson defended the legislation, saying it provided a “legal safety net” to protect against “extreme or irrational interpretations” of the Northern Ireland provisions of the agreement which could lead to the creation of “a border down the Irish Sea”.

Influential Irish-American US Congressman Richard Neal has urged the UK to “uphold the rule of law” and warned that any US-UK trade deal would be dependent on protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

Rep Neal, who chairs the country’s Ways and Means Committee which oversees trade deals, said in a statement: “The United States is a guarantor of that historic peace accord, which was approved by the people of Ireland, north and south, in an unprecedented referendum.”

He added: “Every political party on the island opposes a return of a hard border. I sincerely hope the British government upholds the rule of law and delivers on the commitments it made during Brexit negotiations, particularly in regard to Irish border protocols.”

© Provided by Evening Standard Flags flying in central London amid the latest Brexit row (AP)

The Labour party said it is looking at “potential amendments” to the UK Internal Markets Bill amid “serious concerns”.

Keir Starmer's spokesman said: “The Bill has just been published and we will publish a full response as soon as possible and look at any potential amendments.

“There are obviously serious concerns about the contents of the Bill, the implications on devolution and the implications on the Northern Ireland Protocol.”

The spokesman said Boris Johnson was “not very well briefed” over the allegation that Sir Keir was silent on Brexit after the Labour leader gave interviews on the subject on Tuesday.

Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “In the General Election it was, according to the PM ‘oven ready’ – now, when they want to jettison it in breach of international law, it was ‘signed in a rush’. What a bunch of incompetent and unscrupulous chancers – and they are trashing the UK’s international reputation.”

Downing Street denied the UK Internal Market Bill is a power grab and said devolved administrations will instead see a “power surge”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Absolutely not. What the devolved administrations will enjoy is a power surge when the transition period ends in December.

“There will be no change to the powers the devolved administrations already have and the vast majority of powers with devolved competencies returning from Brussels will go straight to Holyrood, Stormont and Cardiff Bay.

“This will be a significant increase in the powers of the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Parliament, and the Northern Ireland Assembly, which are already among the most powerful devolved administrations in the world.

“Where powers are coming back to the UK Government this is to protect the economy.”

Downing Street has also sought to justify the bill, saying the deal was written “at pace” in “the most challenging” circumstances.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol aren’t like any other treaty.

“It was agreed at pace in the most challenging possible political circumstances to deliver on a clear political decision by the British people with the clear overriding purpose of protecting the special circumstances of Northern Ireland.

“It contains ambiguities and in key areas there is a lack of clarity. It was written on the assumption that subsequent agreements to clarify these aspects could be reached between us and the EU on the details and that may yet be possible.”

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THREE NEW CASES TODAY

 Filenews 9 September 2020

The Ministry of Health informs that, according to an update received today by the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit from contracting laboratories, a total of 2,251 laboratory diagnoses identified 3 new cases of COVID-19 disease.

In detail, virus-positive individuals emerged as follows:

• Of 240 samples taken through a private initiative, 1 case was identified.
• Of 194 samples taken from the Microbiological Laboratories of the General Hospitals, 1 case was detected.
• Of 92 samples taken as part of the migrant structure control programme, 1 case was identified.

Specific:

• 1 at the Pornara migrant shelter: This is a person from Syria who came through Turkey and occupied territory on 5/9.
• 1 from a private initiative: This is a man who came from the Philippines on 4/9 to work on a shipping company ship. He has symptoms (fever and iosmia) since the day he arrived and underwent a laboratory examination privately on 6/9. He was transferred to Eden.
• 1 from Microbiological Laboratories of General Hospitals: This is a person from Cyprus with symptoms (myalgia and iosmia).

In addition, the following laboratory tests were carried out, without the detection of a case:

• From samples taken through the process of tracing contacts of already confirmed cases, 206 laboratory diagnoses were carried out,
• From samples taken as part of a passenger and repatriated check, 1,063 laboratory tests were carried out,
• From samples taken as part of the control programme for pupils, teachers and school staff, 128 laboratory diagnoses were completed,
• From samples taken at the barricades, 55 laboratory tests were completed,
• Of the samples taken by the residents of Kato Pyrgos Tylliria, 2 laboratory diagnoses were completed,
• From the student control programme, 15 laboratory tests were carried out, and
• From samples taken under the programme of referrals from Personal Physicians and special team control through the Public Health Clinics, 256 laboratory diagnoses were completed.

Therefore , and on the basis of the data so far, the total number of cases amounts to 1,514.

In addition, three people positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus are being treated at Famagusta General Hospital, one of whom is in the Increased Care Unit. A COVID-19 patient remains intubated in the Intensive Care Unit of nicosia General Hospital.

Source: Eyenews

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PROFESSIONAL FISHERMEN OF PAPHOS SEEK HELP

 Filenews 9 September 2020 - by Dora Christodoulou

The problems they face at work and in their daily lives were examined yesterday by the professional fishermen of Paphos, at an extraordinary General Meeting they held. Their main problem, as mentioned by the president of the Paphos Coastal Fisheries Association, Leonidas Leonidou, is the placement by the Port Authority with the agreement of the Municipality, of a controlled entrance gate with an electrical mechanism to the square area of the Castle, where they go to begin their work.

"This," he said, "causes us problems since we cannot carry out our work, for which we must go and park our cars next to the boats that are docked in this area. We are now also having problems with issues such as the transport of fuel for our vessels, or the transport of networks and other co-operations for our work."

The controlled entrance gate has been installed in order to deal with the problem created by young people mainly, entering with vehicles in the square area of the Castle and acting in a dangerous way for visitors.

At the meeting it was decided to request a meeting with the Port Authority and the Municipality of Paphos to discuss the matter, and a memorandum has been sent to the relevant ministries. If the situation does not improve immediately, the president of professional fishermen warned, then vigorous measures will be taken.

The extraordinary Board of Directors of the Paphos Coastal Fisheries Association also dealt with other problems of concern to the sector, such as changes in contributions to the Social Insurance Fund, the reduction of fish stocks and illegal fishing.

 

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PARK & RIDE SYSTEM IMPLEMENTED BY LIMASSOL MUNICIPALITY

 Filenews 9 September 2020

The "park & ride" system will be implemented from next week by the Limassol Municipality, in cooperation with the Limassol Passenger Transport Company (EMEL), to serve mainly as long as they work or attend the city center.

Today, Limassol mayor Nikos Nikolaidis met with the management of EMEL, where it was agreed to implement the "park & ride", which will allow those who wish to park their vehicles free of charge in a predetermined municipal parking lot, near Leontio Street (outdoor popular market) and board a minibus that will take them to the city center.

As Mr. Nikolaidis said, the system will operate from Monday to Friday, and citizens will be transported to the city center for a fee of 75 cents for a one-way trip and €1.50 return. More details on timetables, which will be every 15 to 20 minutes, will be announced next week, he added.

The Mayor of Limassol expressed his confidence that the implementation of the "park & ride" would serve many citizens and students who had criticized the installation of a system of controlled use of the large municipal parking lot of Themistokleous Street, in the center of the city.

Source: Eyenews / CYPE

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FITCH SWITCHES BREXIT VIEW TO UK GOING TO WTO TERMS

 Cyprus Mail 9 September 2020 - Reuters News Service

Credit rating agency Fitch has revised its Brexit view and now expects the UK-EU trade relationship to move to World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms at the start of next year due to the lack of progress in talks.

“With limited progress so far in negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) and time running out… we now assume that UK-EU trade will move to WTO terms in January,” Fitch’s chief economist, Brian Coulton, said during an online conference on Wednesday.

“It is very hard to model this but we have knocked around 2 per cent off our 2021 forecast for the UK because of this change in assumption,” he said, adding the ratings agency expected the UK’s economic recovery to stall in the first half of next year.

Fitch is due to review the UK’s AA- negative outlook rating on 25 September. The switch to WTO terms not only indicates the failure of Brexit talks, but also means that the UK will see slower growth in 2021, according to the ratings agency.

Trade talks between London and Brussels resumed on Tuesday, with prime minister Boris Johnson  insisting a deal must be struck by 15 October. EU Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier replied “Good luck!” with regard to this demand by the British Prime Minister. The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said there will be a “huge difference” between a deal and no deal outcome, warning “there is no reason to underestimate the consequences for many people, many sectors of a no deal”. Mr Barnier said at an event organised by an Irish think tank last week.

At the same time, the EU is demanding review of measures taken by the British government.

If the Brexit transition period ends on 31 January without an agreed trade deal in place, the UK will have to trade with the bloc on standard World Trade Organisation terms.

 

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