Current Events

Cyprus has been found to have the 3^rd highest share of workers who work part-time due to the unavailability of a full-time job.

According to a study by Eurostat, over 70 percent of the 65 percent people of the total population who worked part time jobs was because they simply could not find a job that employs them full time and pays accordingly. Given the lack of choices and the requirements of life (family, bills, loans, etc.) these people opted for part-time employment to escape unemployment. Other reasons were being in education, holding another part-time job, and having to spend time to look after family members and relatives. Several women reported to resort to part time jobs in order to balance their other responsibilities.

Among the EU member states, the highest share of people working part-time went to Greece (70%), followed by Italy (66%), Cyprus stood third, after which came Bulgaria (59%).

The lowest shares were taken up by Estonia at 6% followed by Slovenia, Belgium, and Czechia at 7% each.

Legislators all over the island nation have asked for an independent study to be made to research the potential health hazards of 5G before it is actually approved.

Akel MP Adamos Adamou announced to reporters that before issuing 5G licenses, a thorough account of the health of people must be taken into account. He added that while the addition of new technology would leave both the private and public sectors profited, the health and safety of citizens always comes first.

In recent days, professors and scientists have done and cited research that show that areas with higher levels of electromagnetic radiation tend to have more cases of cancer. According to the headmaster of a primary school in Nicosia, a cluster of cancer cases had occurred after the installation of three mobile phone masts – all within 20 metres of the school.

Whereas the pilot program for testing 5G is yet to happen in Cyprus, a couple of 5G Antennas have been installed in the town centre and along the coast of Limassol as a part of Cyta’s preparation phase phase. It is one of the many local telecom companies that have been given the license to run pilot 5G programmes subject to the approval of the legislature.

The youth in Cyprus are set to gather outside the House of Representatives to demand active participation to combat climate change.

According to the organizers of the event, the threat of climate change is no more a future one – rather it is as present as it can get. They emphasized on how scores of communities all over the world are striving to gain access to clean air, water and other natural resources – which are constantly getting scarcer due to overconsumption and lack of sustainable living – as well as powerful entities such as governments doing nothing about it.

They focused on the Energy Action Plan 2021-2030, which seems to have no bearing from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)’s reports and is unclear at best. They also added how the execution of said plan will additionally lead to massive fines being levied on Cyprus by the EU.

In response to the youth’s actions, the Ministry of Education taken their mass participation into account and has duly informed secondary institutions’ head teachers to mark those students as present who have in their hand a signed consent form from their parent or guardian and do participate in the protest. That said, any student found to be using the protest as an excuse to skip school will immediately be marked absent, with further actions pending.

Natasa Pilides, the Deputy Minister of Shipping of Cyprus, has announced to the parliament that the ferry link between Greece and the island nation is set to be reinstated with the help of a ferry service between the two countries that will reportedly begin in May 2020.

With the establishment of this line, an almost two decade long disconnected link will become history. Ms. Pilides added that the Shipping Ministry will be submitting a request to the European Commission to finance said project as well as prepare tenders for route operations.

Ms. Pilides and her team in the Ministry aims to finish up with all prework procedures before EU’s approval, so that once they do get the approval, they can call for tenders immediately and work fast enough to reinstate the line by May in 2020.

The ferry route is planned to operate once every week between May and September, and once every fortnight during the remaining winter months. The trip will take up about 30 hours, and prices will be much cheaper than that of flights in the same route.

The ports in question here are most likely to be the Piraeus port in Greece and the Port of Limassol in Cyprus.

Cyprus’ pharmaceutical services have recalled all medications that contain ranitidine due to concerns that It has possible links with cancer.

The measure has been taken in response to FDA’s announcement of the detection of low levels of NDMA – a carcinogen that is probably present in ranitidine. Tests done on animals have shown that NDMA does indeed have risks of inducing cancer in those consuming it.

Commonly taken for heartburn and minor digestive issues, ranitidine’s main function is to block stomach acid. Products that contain ranitidine include were Zantac injection and tablets, Lumaren injection and tablets, Ranitidine Accord tablets, and Verlost oral solution.

The cease will continue till the European Medicines agency makes its own tests to determine the actual safety of the drug – or lack thereof.

For now, patients who are on said medications on a regular basis have been advised to visit their doctor and/or pharmacist to get tested for issues or to get prescribed an alternative medication.

Both European and U.S. drug regulators are currently reviewing the safety of ranitidine after having made the shockingly breakthrough discovery.

A series of explosions at an army ammunition depot in Cyprus left at least 12 injured and several fleeing to save their lives.

Tourists described what seemed like “several fireballs rising” from the Turkish military base, where a fire has been determined as the cause for the blasts. According to several witnesses who were at the scene, there a large number of deafening bangs were head and many pieces of shrapnel were seen flying and falling around.

The blasts, which happened in the village of Catalkoy in the Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus practically shattered the windows of the Acapulco Hotel nearby, leaving several injured. Most of the injured were guests. Needless to say, the Acapulco Hotel was considerably damaged due to the blasts.

Kudret Ozersay, Foreign Minister for Turkish Cyprus later announced on Facebook that the area was cordoned off due to continued explosions at the military base. Additionally, guests at the Acapulco Hotel were evacuated and moved to a safer spot.

The  Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB) General Director Michalis Antoniou has announced that the OEB has openly asked the government for six tax reliefs, that amount to €500 million annually combined.

Speaking at a working breakfast, General Director Antoniou explained to journalists how said proposed tax reliefs will help increase state revenue by €650 million in the next three years and add at least 9,000 new jobs within the same time period.

Proposals include – abolition of employers’ contribution to Social Cohesion Fund, reduction of percentage of the employers’ contributions to the Protection of Employees’ Rights Fund and the Redundant Employees Fund in the event of an employer’s insolvency, resetting the natural persons’ tax rate, Reduction of interest rate of deposits on national defense contribution from 30% to 15%, Abolition of €350 compulsory company fee to the Official Registrar, and finally, the abolition and/or reduction of deemed dividend distribution.

George Petrou, board chairman of the OEB said that the conditions now being mature enough for tax reliefs in return to payments to the island’s fledgling General Health Scheme (Gesy), businesses can now maintain their edge.

Both France’s Total and Italy’s ENI are now approved to legally explore Block 7 of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) – and legally conduct nine different drilling operations over the following two years.

EEZ Block 7’s access, which is also claimed by Turkey was finalized in a cabinet meeting – the companies had originally applied for the access in November 2018.

Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone is divided into thirteen blocks. Thus far, Turkey claims to have drilling rights in various parts of blocks 1, 4, 6 and 7.

A statement from Energy Minister Fatih Dönmez has revealed that that a second Turkish drillship – the Yavuz will be starting to drill for gas and oil off of Cyprus’ coast. The ship, which was sent by Turkey on the 20^th of June, 2019 will be exploring up until the Karpasian peninsula.

The Yavuz was escorted by Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as the Barbaros frigate, one of Turkey’s premier warships. The ship has also had of F-16 jets saluting Yavuz, which have promptly been shared on social media.

The first of such vessels, the Fatih, is currently drilling in the search for oil and gas off of Cyprus.

It is a notable fact that Turkey has continued its drilling process, despite warnings from several EU states. Turkey has, however – and continues to – assert that it – along with Ankara do have the right to drill off of the Mediterranean area – Cyprus included.

A woman stabbed her 12-year-old son to death and thereafter attempted to commit suicide.

The act was discovered when the woman’s husband and child’s stepfather, a Greek Cypriot man of 52 years of age, could not enter his own flat on account of the locked door and no answers on knocking. A traffic policeman himself, he called the fire department, who broke in through the window to discover the child dead in his bed, along with the woman unconscious in the hall.

Medical examination proved that the child was killed from being strangulated by his mother. Other wounds and corresponding sharp objects were also found, which is determined to probably have been used in the crime.

The woman, who was found injured and unconscious was taken to Nicosia General Hospital by ambulance, where she had to undergo surgery, he said. The 40-year-old Kazakhstani woman, who committed the crime in Yeri, Nicosia, is currently serious but not critical condition.

In what is being considered a very interesting development in the Cypriot community, Cyprus will be getting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to name an exoplanet.

Coming right after the accession of the Cyprus Space Exploration Organization’s (CSEO) to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the process of naming will start with a crowd-based campaign. A press conference to be held at a later date will announce other details such as timeframes, the details of the exoplanet, and of course, what the name itself will be.

Founded in 1919 the IAU aims of safeguard and promote the interests of the astronomy community all over the world via international cooperation. It currently stands as the largest body in the world serving the interests of astronomers. Members includes professional astronomers from the world over.

In addition to the above, the IAU functions to assign designations to and surface features on celestial bodies.

In a tragic accident that has many in Cyprus in mourning a 62-year-old man has by falling from a scaffolding in an under-construction building.

According to a statement from the labor inspection department, Demitris Georgiou fell from the scaffolding on the 4^th floor – at a height of 10 meters from a building in Limassol that was under construction.

Work was halted at the site the moment the incident took place. According to Inspector Kypros Kyprou, who conducted the preliminary investigation, the platform that Georgiou was working on was rather narrow and had no side rails.

Crime has been on the rise in Cyprus, but the latest development proves that so has the justice system. The suspect for the murder of 52-year-old Gökhan Naim has been remanded for three days by a court in North Cyprus.

The suspect, İmran Arşad – a citizen of Pakistan, was transferred by the Greek police to their Turkish Cypriot counterparts. He has run away to government-controlled areas after having gunned down Naim just outside of his residence in Nicosia.

Another suspect, Azmad Ali Virk, was later handed over to Turkish Cypriot police by the Greek police. Additionally, another two were arrested in connection with the shooting, bringing the total number to four.

In what is being considered a landmark move in the science and technology department, the Department of Land and Survey in Cyprus has partnered with signed an agreement with Erathosthenes SA from Greece and Sintegra SAS from France to take on a project taking aerial photos of Cyprus that are more enhanced and accurate.

The project, which is expected to continue for a year will be conducted with the purpose of providing high-precision aerial photos of the island nation with the help of precision software and cutting-edge technology. Data collected in the process will be admitted to land information system – it will be an open source resource and can be used by department staff, government staff, private companies and even citizens.

The new and more accurate photos will allow the police to better investigate difficult cases by using cartographic data that is more reliable and accurate.

In addition to the ten Kuwaitis arrested for the brawl at Ayia Napa, two additional arrests have been made.

The two arrested are a 30-year-old UK national and a 37-year-old South African national. Both were in connection with the incident which left the victims seriously injured.

The incident involved a group of people – mostly Kuwaiti and British nationals, who started a fight in a hotel complex in Ayia Napa in the presence of at least 250 persons. Starting near the swimming pool, the fight was stopped by security guards, but only temporarily, as it resumed outside the hotel complex itself.

The incident left two Britons severely wounded, who were later taken to Famagusta hospital for treatment. Also among the injured, were some Kuwaitis, albeit less so with scratches and bruises only. In the meantime, the Kuwaiti nationals arrested were remanded for 6 days.

In what is being considered a new development in the process of reopening of the city of Varosha (Maraş), a group of journalists from Turkey have made a visit to the closed city.

The visit to the city, which has been closed to outsiders since 1974, was organized by the Foreign Ministry as well as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister the Turkish Northern Cyprus.

The journalists were accompanied by special guides, given that only Turkish army members have the right to enter the ghost town. Also accompanying them was Abdulhamit Gül, the Justice Minister of Turkey.

As a part of the initiative to reopen Varosha, which has essentially been a ghost town since 1974, the Turkish Cypriot government has announced its decision to undertake ownership inventory work there.

In accordance with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s announcement, a fourth research vessel from Turkey – the Oruc Reis – has set sail towards Cyprus.

The vessel, which started its journey from a port in Istanbul was reportedly on its way to another in Tasucu opposite to Cyprus’ northern coast, where it will be refueling before resuming its activities.

The plan for the Oruc Reis is to apparently and ultimately encircle the island nation of Cyprus – the Yavuz and Fatih drill ships are already active in the island nation’s eastern and western coast respectively while the Barbaros is on its way to the south.

In the meantime, Greek authorities in Athens are making their attempts to assess whether the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does actually plan to create a crisis situation, or is simple sizing up its neighbors.

A spokesman for the Cyprus’ government has announced that President Nicos Anastasiades will be undergoing surgery to repair the femur fracture, otherwise known as a thighbone fracture, that he has sustained on his right leg.

The Spokesman, Mr. Prodromos Prodromou made a written statement saying that the procedure was completely safe and sound and posed no threat to the health of the president – general or otherwise. According to Mr. Prodromou, President Anastasiades suffered the fracture while he was in Limassol.

The 72-year-old President Anastasiades, who is presently in the second year of the second consecutive term as president, has previously undergone a heart surgery to repair dodgy heart valves back in December 2014.

After seeing the considerable impact filming has on a country’s perception and economy, Cyprus too is making its own set of efforts to establish itself as a filming destination for film makers far and wide.

Branding their work as Olivewood, the island nation has decided to offer lucrative incentives to film makers who choose to film in the country. Incentives are many, and include seamless paperwork process, less red tape, tax credit of up to 35 percent, and cash rebates of up to 35 percent as well. is

According to Antonis Antoniou, a contributor for Forbes, not only is the effort lucrative because of the incentives in question, they extend beyond films and to other media formats such as mini-series, TV series, Made-for-TV movies, documentaries, and animations. The aim here is not just to attract film makers but to attract new talent and capital from producers all over the globe.

Mr. Antoniou also remarked on the smart move of naming the industry as ‘Olivewood,’ much on the lines of Bollywood and Hollywood, paying reference to the famous olive fields of the island nation.

Two films are currently undergoing shooting in Cyprus – William Baldwin-starrer ‘S.O.S: Survive or Sacrifice’ and Nicolas Cage-starrer ‘Jiu-Jitsu.’

An undisturbed Roman shipwreck has been discovered off of Cyprus’ southern coast.

The antiquities department has announced that the shipwreck – the first ever discovered in Cyprus – was filled with transport amphorae, is undisturbed, and is in all possibility from Cilicia and Syria.

Originally spotted near the Protaras beach resort by volunteer divers from an archaeological research team as a new unidentified object in the water, the “object” was later found to be the shipwreck. Not much later did the antiquities department announce that it has secured funding for a complete investigation, pending commencement soon. They are also working on proper protection and documentation for the site.

An amphora is a special kind of Roman jar that is narrow at the neck and is made to store liquids such as wine and oil.