WIZZ AIR TO CUT FLIGHTS FROM HUNGARY, TO EXPAND IN UK

 Cyprus Mail 31 August 2020 - Reuters News Service

Wizz Air (WIZZ.L) will sharply reduce weekly flights to and from Hungary from Sept. 7, the airline said, after the government announced it would ban the entry of foreigners to try to rein in the coronavirus outbreak.

Hungary announced on Friday that it would close its borders to foreigners from Sept. 1 to curb a rise in infections and Hungarians returning from abroad will have to go into quarantine.

Wizz Air said in a statement that it would operate 32 flights per week between Sept. 7 and 30, down from around 126 flights in the Sept. 1-6 period.

On Sunday, Hungary recorded 292 new infections, the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic. Hungary has had a total of 5,961 coronavirus cases and 614 deaths.

“From Sept. 7 until 30 a greater reduction in flights can be expected, and only the most popular routes will remain available for passengers,” the airline said.

The low-cost airline, which in recent years has expanded from eastern into western Europe, has been one of the fastest airlines to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.

Wizz Air warned last week that its recovery could stall as COVID-19 warnings and restrictions hamper travel across Europe but said Britain’s quarantine rules had not led it reconsider long-term expansion plans there.

The low-cost airline, which in recent years has expanded from eastern into western Europe, has been one of the fastest airlines to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, currently flying at 80% of last year’s capacity.

However, ticket data shows Europe’s travel recovery began to stall in August after a stronger performance in July, and Wizz said 80 per cent capacity was as high as it could go under current circumstances, and that capacity might fall again.

“From here on, either you’re going to be able to hold the line or somewhat come down on capacity,” CEO Jozsef Varadi told Reuters. Bigger rival Ryanair said last week it was scaling back plans to run up to 70 per cent of its capacity by October, while easyJet plans to fly 40 per cent of last year’s capacity by the fourth quarter. Since the pandemic struck, Wizz has stuck to expansion plans, announcing ten new bases in the last three months, but Varadi conceded “we are not immune from the short term issues.”

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WINDFARMS AND BIRDS A DEADLY MIX

 Cyprus Mail 30 August 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou

The Windfarm at Orites

A new Norwegian study has concluded that if just one of the four white blades of a wind turbine is painted black, it would cut bird deaths by 72 per cent.

Colouring the blades makes it easier for the birds to spot and avoid flying into them.

Which begs the question of what the Cyprus government is doing to prevent the killing of birds and bats by turbine blades, given the largest wind farm, Orites, alone has 41 turbines.

Orites is indeed the most problematic farm of its kind on the island, bird lovers and the government agree.

Windfarms are also often located in the wrong areas, head of BirdLife Cyprus Martin Hellicar said.

“Cyprus often gets it wrong. The biggest farm, in Orites, between Limassol and Paphos, is in a Natura 2000 site and is an area where large birds fly, such as vultures which are extremely endangered in Cyprus. There is a serious collision risk.”

The government agrees there have been problems.

Its location inside a Natura area has prompted the EU to launch official complaints, officer at the department of the environment Irene Constantinou commented.

This in turn has prompted the government to propose a specific programme, which she says has been accepted by the European Union.

The owners have been forced to take measures, such as making the area where the turbines are less attractive to birds, by installing equipment which gives off noises the birds dislike and unattractive lighting.

At the same time, the surrounding safe area has been made more attractive, by planting trees and placing boxes for them to nest in and providing food.

“This has been done after a lot of research and guidance by the EU to mitigate the impact,” Constantinou added.

Though this has apparently appeased the EU, how much it is being mitigated is hard to say.

“One problem is it is not easily studied unless you have a carefully designed monitor system. The bird is hit and falls to the ground and most likely will be eaten by a fox so it is not easy to count how many are killed,” Hellicar explained. “You need a proper monitoring system to start with.”

One way is to install a radar system which stops the blades from running when a bird approaches, he said. “But all such systems involve money and this is where it stops in Cyprus.”

It took the Norwegian scientists ten years to come to their conclusions, during which they conducted 1,275 searches of areas under blades to scour for bird carcasses.

What happens in Cyprus is similar – in a way.

“The owners are required to monitor the situation, and report how many birds have been found in the different seasons,” Constantinou said.

The owners hire the experts doing the monitoring, but they are not independent consultants.

“The government also does its own monitoring and compares it with what the owners report,” she said.

In any case, there is not a large number killed in Cyprus, according to the environmental officer – though given the potential flaws in the monitoring system and the fact that the dead birds might be eaten before they can be counted surely mean this is far from a certainty.

What both agree on is the farms are good for the environment, but saving the birds is also important. They don’t agree on the methods however.

“It is a serious issue and there have been a lot of studies. Of course we want wind power, it is an important solution to climate change but we have to balance it with the negative impact on biodiversity,” the BirdLife Cyprus director said.

“For sure you should not put wind farms in a protected area,” he stressed. “The one in Orites is, there is another one in Kalochorio too close to a protected area and one has been licensed in a protected area in the Larnaca district.”

“We are aware that there is a negative impact on the birds. We examine all applications together with the Game Fund,” Constantinou commented. “Depending on the location we impose terms and conditions.”

 

 

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23 MIGRANTS TAKEN TO POURNARA CAMP

 Cyprus Mail 31 August 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou

Pournara migrant reception centre (File photo)

A total of 23 illegal migrants from Syria arrived by boat in Pervolia on Sunday evening.

The boat landed at the beach in Pervolia in the Larnaca district at around 8.15pm.

14 men, two women and seven minors disembarked and were taken to the reception centre in Kokkinotrimithia after the necessary formalities were completed.

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CORONAVIRUS - 32 PEOPLE, 13 ESTABLISHMENTS BOOKED

 Cyprus Mail 31 August 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou

Police booked 32 individuals and 13 establishment for violating measures to contain the coronavirus from Sunday morning until Monday at 6am.

Officers checked 851 premises and people during 24 hours.

In Nicosia, three premises were booked, in Limassol six, in Larnaca one, in Paphos two and in the Famagusta district one.

A total of 17 individuals were booked in the capital, four in Limassol, seven in Larnaca, one in Paphos and three in Famagusta.

No violations were recorded in the Morphou district.

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WORLDWIDE CORONAVIRUS CASES CROSS 25.1 MILLION

 in-cyprus 31 August 2020 - by Annie Charalambous

More than 25.1 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 842,633​ 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 United Kingdom recorded 1,715 daily confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to government data on Sunday, compared with 1,108 a day earlier.

One person had died after they tested positive for the disease within 28 days, it said.

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ZANTE FLIGHT TO CARDIFF TOLD TO SELF ISOLATE AFTER COVID CASES FOUND

 in-cyprus 31 August 2020 - by Annie Charalambous

Passengers who were on a flight from Zante on the Greek island of Zakynthos to Cardiff in Wales last week have been told to isolate after it was identified as the source of at least seven confirmed coronavirus cases, Public Health Wales said late on Sunday.

Greece, which is not on the list of countries under British quarantine rules, is a popular holiday destination and more tourists are expected to have visited this year after several other favourites, such as Spain, were put under restrictions.

“Cardiff and Vale Test Trace Protect and Public Health Wales have identified at least seven confirmed cases of COVID-19 from three different parties who were infectious on TUI Flight 6215 from Zante to Cardiff on 25 August,” said Giri Shankar, incident director for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales.

“As a result, we are advising that all passengers on this flight are considered close contacts and must self-isolate,” he said in a statement.

Shankar added that investigations had found that the virus had spread to other groups of people because of “a lack of social distancing, in particular by a minority of the 20-30 year age group”.

After a stringent lockdown to combat the coronavirus pandemic, Britain is easing restrictions to try to boost the economy, but its four nations – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – have made changes at different speeds.

(Reuters)

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RAF VOYAGER CAPTAIN STILL IN DETENTION AFTER ARREST ON SUSPICION OF DRINK-FLYING

 in-cyprus 31 August 2020 - by Annie Charalambous

A captain of an RAF Voyager on Monday was still held in a military detention centre after his arrest on suspicion of drink-flying moments before his jet was due to take off from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

“Yes, he is still in detention…investigations are ongoing, all in line with military procedures,” a British bases spokesperson told in-cyprus.com

Military police last week stopped the refuelling tanker as it was taxiing down the runway, according to a report by the Mail on Sunday.

The pilot and one crew member were arrested after allegedly failing a breathalyser test.

An insider said it came after station commanders became aware of a ‘riotous’ party at the base the night before in which fire extinguishers were set off as a prank.

The source said: ‘An officer who got rudely woken up by the party decided to get his revenge on the Voyager crew by tipping off top brass at the air base.

‘The Voyager got as far as the runway “hold short” location before military police ordered it to stop.

They had really infuriated people the night before with their behaviour so somebody was always going to get their own back.

‘When people found out the drunken crew were due to fly the next day they had to brief the chain of command because at that stage there was a serious safety issue.’

Voyagers – known as the petrol stations of the skies – support sorties by RAF Lightning and Typhoon strike aircraft used for precision bombing of Islamic State strongholds in Iraq.

The RAF confirmed last week’s incident but declined to answer questions about the nature of the Voyager’s mission.

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Nobuyuki Ichikawa

 Nobuyuki Ichikawa 

Competition Spring 2019

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The Week in Sales at Eurohistory...the winner is...

 This week we have been quite busy shipping out books to happy buyers...we have done everything we can to have a 24-hour turnaround from the moment your order is reported to us...and so far, we have managed to even ship books out on the same day of the order comes in, as long as the mailman has not come by yet!
Clients have been quick to let us know how happy they are with the speed of our shipping and we intend to keep it up!
Many, many thanks for your continue support!
Here are the week's best seller results of the top 5 bestselling books!

NUMBER 1: 58% percent of top-5 book orders were for purchases of our newest book...ROYAL COLLECTIONS IV: THE GRAND DUCAL HOUSE of HESSE!
To order click on this link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1944207082

When Arturo E. Beéche founded Eurohistory in 1997, he envisioned the creation of a library of royal books encompassing all of Europe’s ruling and formerly ruling dynasties. Two decades later, and after more than 30 books and over 120 issues of Eurohistory, the royalty journal he founded in 1997, we bring you The Grand Ducal House of Hesse. This is the third German dynasty that Eurohistory publishes a book about, the first two being the Ducal House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and the Royal House of Bavaria (Volume I). This project is the culmination of more than two decades of research conducted by the authors. Beéche having already cooperated on several books and articles with Ms. Miller, a regular contributor to Eurohistory, pairing for another collaborative project was seamless. The Hesse and by Rhine Dynasty is one which Ms. Miller, better-known for her extensive work on the four daughters of Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse and by Rhine, with particular interest on Victoria Milford Haven, also feels passionately about. The result of years of research in Europe allowed Ms. Miller a unique insight into the lives of these four tragic sisters. The storyline begins in 1567. This was the year when the sons of Landgrave Philip "the Magnanimous” divided his vast lands among them. All branches of the Hessian dynasty stem from this territorial division. The Grand Ducal House of Hesse and by Rhine is among the most important German dynasties. Its members form a kaleidoscope of unique human beings: military and religious leaders, peculiar and heroic figures, talented artists and scientists, patrons of the arts and music, visionary and romantic architects, lucky and tragic people, dilettantes more interested in passing by than making a mark. They simply had it all. Their mark, not only in Darmstadt, but also throughout the Rhineland, is palpable in nearly every aspect of the region’s history, arts, letters, music, and architecture.

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NUMBER 2: 17% percent of top-5 book orders were for purchases of ... SISTERS: Daisy of Pless and Shelagh, Duchess of Westminster!

To order click here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/8394176348

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NUMBER 3: 16% percent of top-5 book orders were for purchases of ... THE OTHER GRAND DUKES: Sons and Grandsons of Russia's Grand Dukes!

To order click here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0985460393

Included in this unique work, the Second Volume in a two-volume series, are 18 biographies of Russian grand dukes. These were the junior lines of the Russian Imperial Family at the time of the Revolution in 1917: Vladimirovichi, Pavlovichi, Konstantinovichi, Nikolaevichi and Mikhailovichi. The book is illustrated with exquisite and rare photographs of these intriguing men, their families and descendants. It also includes several family trees. The chapters were authored by some of today's most recognised authors and scholars on the Romanov Dynasty.

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NUMBER 4: 5% percent of top-5 book orders were for purchases of ... THE FOUR GRACES: Queen Victoria's Hessian Granddaughters!

To order click here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097719616X

Eurohistory brings you Ilana Miller's amazing story of Victoria, Elisabeth, Irene and Alix of Hesse and by Rhine, Queen Victoria's Hessian granddaughters, The Four Graces. This excellent book covers the lifespan of these four very tragic sisters. Ms. Miller did extensive research to bring us closer to the four sisters of Hesse. The thrilling narrative is certain to keep the reader grasped as the lives of these women unfold. Handsomely illustrated with unique photos of the Hessian sisters and their descendants, this hardbound book promises to become a "must-read" for anyone interested in European royal history and the Russian Imperial Family. The book also includes several family trees helping the reader place the extensive cast of characters in historical perspective.

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NUMBER 5: 4% percent of top-5 book orders were for purchases of ... ROYAL COLLRECTIONS III: The Royal House of Bavaria, Volume 1.

To order click here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1944207090

The Wittelsbachs ruled over Bavaria and the Rhineland Palatinate for nearly 750 years, this fact made their dynasty one of Europe's longest-ruling families. Theirs is a history of not only sublime exaltation, but also deep and sorrowful loss. They were patrons of the arts and letters, incredible builders, scientists, politicians, visionaries, and maddening personalities. This first volume covers the history of the family from its beginning in the XI century to the life of Crown Prince Rupprecht, who died in 1955. In fact, the book is dedicated to him, "the best king Bavaria never had.”

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Email: eurohistory@comcast.net or aebeeche@mac.com

Phone: 510.236.1730

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FOUR NEW CASES TODAY

 Filenews 30 August 2020 

The Ministry of Health informs that, according to an update received today by the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit from contracting laboratories, a total of 2,845 laboratory diagnoses identified 4 new cases of COVID-19 disease.

In detail, virus-positive individuals emerged as follows:

• Of 207 samples taken as part of the referral programme by Personal Physicians and special teams control through the Public Health Clinics, 1 case was identified.

• Of 2,074 samples taken as part of a passenger and repatriated check, 3 cases were identified.

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

• From samples taken through a private initiative, 334 laboratory diagnoses were completed,

• From samples taken from the Microbiological Laboratories of the General Hospitals, 148 laboratory diagnoses were carried out, and

• From samples taken through the process of tracing contacts of already confirmed cases, 82 laboratory diagnoses were carried out.

With regard to the results of laboratory tests for COVID-19, the following results were obtained:

• 3 x flights

1. The 1st person is a Greek permanent resident of Cyprus who came from Athens on 27/8 and has no symptoms.

2. The other 2 people are from a flight that came on 29/8 from Budapest to Paphos. One person is a British permanent resident of Cyprus and the other is a Cypriot. They both have symptoms. They're not related to each other.

• 1 x Public Health Clinics: This is a person who has had symptoms and has been referred by the Medical Staff to the Public Health Clinics.

Therefore, and on the basis of the data so far, the total number of cases is 1,487.

In addition, six COVID-19 patients are being treated at Famagusta General Hospital, including one in the Increased Care Unit. In the Intensive Care Unit of the Nicosia General Hospital, a patient is still being treated intubated.

Source: eyenews

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