Day: March 12, 2024

ANKARA: At least five people were killed and two others were missing when a warehouse of a coal mine collapsed in northern China, state-run media said on Tuesday. The incident occurred in Taoyuan Xinlong coal industrial corporation in Shanxi Province's Zhongyang County late Monday, Xinhua News reported. Bodies of five people were pulled out by rescuers from debris while a search for the remaining people has been underway. Last year in November, at least 26 people were killed in a fire that broke out in a building of a coal mine company in Shanxi, northern China. Source: Anadolu Agency

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has expressed his readiness to meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, in the presence of UN Secretary General's personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar. President Christodoulides was replying to journalists' questions upon his arrival at an event in Nicosia, on Tuesday evening. Asked whether a meeting will take place with Tatar and Holguin, he said that a meeting has been scheduled also on Saturday with Holguin, adding that "we also spoke on the phone today." "I am ready to meet with Tatar in the presence of Holguin, if his response is also positive," President Christodoulides added. Replying to a question about a visit he will pay to Mount Athos he said that he will be in Salonica tomorrow where he will meetings. On Thursday, he added, he will pay Mount Athos an official visit, adding that he believes the last time such a visit took place was during the presidency of Glafcos Clerides. "I felt it was important since I would be in Salonica to also visit M ount Athos," he said. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. In January UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed Holguin as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Russia said early Tuesday that two of its fuel facilities in the country's Oryol and Nizhny Novgorod regions were hit in mass Ukrainian airstrikes that also affected other regions, including the capital Moscow. 'In the morning, the Kstovo industrial zone, a fuel and energy complex facility, was attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles. Now special services are working on the spot, using all the necessary forces and means to localize the fire at one of the oil refining installations,' Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin said on Telegram. The LUKOIL-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery belonging to Russia's multinational oil and natural gas firm Lukoil announced in a statement that the operation of the facility in the town of Kstovo, located about 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of Moscow, was temporarily stopped 'due to an incident." Meanwhile, the Russian Railways told the state news agency RIA that a fire train is taking part in extinguishing a fire on the grounds of the refinery. Another fuel and e nergy facility was hit in the city of Oryol during a drone attack, Governor Andrey Klychkov noted on Telegram, saying special services are working at the site to contain a fire. Oryol is situated around 368 kilometers (228 miles) southwest of the Russian capital. 'In Oryol, the consequences of an evening drone attack have been eliminated. The resulting smoke does not pose any danger and is a consequence of the work of the fire services. There were no casualties,' he later reported. In Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said a drone was downed in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region, resulting in no damage or casualties. Local authorities in the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions bordering Ukraine, as well as the Leningrad and Tula regions, also reported the downing of drones. Russia's Defense Ministry said in a separate statement that it prevented drone attacks, involving a total of 25 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in several regions of the country. 'On-duty air defense systems interc epted and destroyed drones over the territories of Moscow (2 UAVs), Leningrad (1 UAV), Belgorod (7 UAVs), Kursk (11 UAVs), Bryansk (1 UAV), Tula (1 UAV), and Oryol (2 UAVs) regions,' the statement said. It also reported earlier that nine Ukrainian missiles were downed by the country's air defense over the Belgorod region. Later statements reported the downing of five more drones, four over the Kursk region and another over Belgorod. Ukrainian authorities have yet to comment on the reports. Source: Anadolu Agency

The "Open Arms" aid ship left Larnaca port and commenced its journey to Gaza on Tuesday morning, carrying almost 200 tons of humanitarian aid, as part of Amalthea initiative, in which the Cyprus government played a key role along with other partners. Open Arms sailed just before 9.00 am (local time) from Larnaca port and is expected to reach its destination in about two days. Earlier today, the boat attached the platform carrying the humanitarian aid. The boat is transferring food and some medical aid and it is set to reach Gaza in two days. NGO World Central Kitchen, to which the boat belongs, posted on X that the aid set sail for Gaza with dispatched aid of almost 200 tons of food-rice, flour, legumes, canned veggies and proteins. ''Our relief team is working to send as many aid boats as possible'', the post says. The boat was supposed to depart Larnaca port yesterday, however there was a delay for technical reasons. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: France does not rule out any options in its efforts to maintain support for Ukraine, the country's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Tuesday. "We will not abandon Ukraine, and we do not rule out any option on principle," Attal told lawmakers in the National Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament ahead of a vote on a proposal concerning France's strategy to support Kyiv in its war with Russia, now in its third year. "Our president's message was clear ... We stay in a well-thought framework to reaffirm our support for Ukraine, without warring with Russia, and refusing all logic of escalation," Attal added. He was referring to much-debated remarks French President Emmanuel Macron made last month, indicating that sending Western troops to Ukraine was an option "to make sure Russia does not prevail," an idea rejected by allies including Germany. Reports have emerged, however, that Paris is building an alliance of countries open to the idea. "We do not set ourselves limits against Russia, which does not fix any (for itself)," Attal stressed, criticizing groups inside Russia of "imperialism" and hailing Ukraine's "exceptional" resistance. "(Russian President) Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine, but he declared war on our values, mostly," Attal said. "Turning our back on Ukraine would be turning our back on our values." He reiterated that France would continue supporting Ukraine and "as much as needed." "By launching this offensive, Vladimir Putin was thinking of dividing Europe. He was wrong. Since the first hours, particularly under the initiative of the president (Macron), Europe reacted," he said, praising the EU and NATO's unity against Moscow in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war. He also pointed out France's humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine. The French premier also accused Russia of destabilizing other countries, including in Africa, as well as organizing cyberattacks and spreading disinformation. A Russian victory over Ukraine would mean "the end of the international order based on law" and weakened European security, new migration flows, energy instability, food insecurity, and difficulties in the French economy, Attal warned. Attal concluded his speech by saying that rejecting the strategy to support Ukraine would mean "questioning France's and its allies' two-year efforts," while abstention would amount to "fleeing from responsibilities." Legislators will vote on Paris' strategy, with senators due to cast their ballots on it on Wednesday. The voting is symbolic and is not binding. Source: Anadolu Agency

Director of the Pediatric Department at Makarios Hospital in Nicosia, Dr. Avraam Elias, has told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that two children aged 17 and 22 months who contracted measles were discharged on Tuesday, while a 7-month-old infant remains hospitalised. He expressed concern over a possible community spread and urged parents to vaccinate their children. "In total we have had five cases. We are concerned because the measles virus is a virus that spreads very easily. Since there is a large portion of the population with no vaccination history, there is always risk that this virus will be transmitted to other people," Dr. Elias stressed. He said that all five children have no vaccination history. The one who is 7 months old, he noted, could not get the vaccine because of his age, explaining that the first dose of the vaccine is given at the age of 12 months and the second dose a few months later. Dr Elias said that the very first case concerned an adult who traveled abroad and transmitted it to a child, while two other children were subsequently infected. He referred to the importance of vaccination saying that currently the percentage concerning the vaccination for measles stands at around 80%, which is considered low, noting that in order to achieve immunity, it must exceed 95%. Children who have not been vaccinated and are 12 months old should get the vaccine as soon as possible, he concluded. Measles cases record an increase in Europe causing concern. Cyprus Ministry of Health has said that it is monitoring the epidemiological data in Cyprus and Europe. Source: Cyprus News Agency

The departure of the first ship to leave Cyprus for the Gaza Strip through the maritime aid corridor is a 'sign of hope', European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote in a tweet on X, adding that work will continue for more ships to follow, and thanking President Christodoulides for Cyprus' leadership. 'Thank you President Christodoulides for Cyprus' leadership in setting up the humanitarian maritime corridor to Gaza', Von der Leyen wrote in a post sharing an earlier post by Christodoulides. 'The departure of the first ship is a sign of hope. We will work hard together for many more ships to follow. We will do everything in our power for aid to reach Palestinians', she added. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said Tuesday that the "Amalthea" humanitarian aid operation for Gaza will continue and be further intensified so as to increase the humanitarian aid that will be sent to the civilian population in Gaza. Cyprus, he said during a press briefing, has created, presented and implemented, an additional tool at the disposal of the international community to supplement existing and future aid channels, the full implementation of which needs the synergies of regional and international actors for the disposal of the appropriate maritime means and the safe transport and distribution of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Today's pilot effort, he said, referring to the first aid ship that left Larnaca port and commenced its journey to Gaza, activates the operational mechanisms of the Amalthea Plan, the maritime corridor for humanitarian aid, and is the beginning of the implementation of this very important initiative that will facilitate the full operational systematization of the ma ritime corridor. "We will continue our effort in understanding with the partners who want to contribute" he said, and noted that the President of the European Commission in her speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg today "welcomed the launch of the initiative and praised the leadership of President Christodoulides and Cyprus in undertaking the initiative and referred to the joint efforts with other countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, the United Kingdom". "Our efforts will continue and will be intensified, with the aim to further strengthen the humanitarian aid that will be sent to the civilian population of Gaza. Like Amalthea, the nurturing goddess gave life according to the Greek mythology, the sea corridor is a thread of life. The journey has just begun", he said. He noted that Cyprus, as the EU member state in the region, since the beginning of the current humanitarian crisis, has taken the initiative of the maritime corridor, based on the internation al humanitarian law. He also said that Cyprus has the geographical proximity as well as excellent relations with all directly involved parties. Asked if Greece is participating in the initiative, he said that Greece is one of the countries that participated in the Joint Declaration issued on 8 March. In addition to the reference of the President of the European Commission, and the Joint Declaration of March 8, he added, "Greece is among the countries that supported and supports this initiative. We are constantly in contact with other states so that they can contribute and help in this very important initiative", he added. Replying to another question, he said that from the very beginning the government took this initiative, coming up with a very specific plan which it presented in international fora, but also before the European Council. "It took a lot of effort and persistence on our part to convince some people outside Cyprus and, unfortunately, in Cyprus as well. What we are pleased to announce today is a meaningful initiative, which is giving life to civilians in the Gaza Strip" he pointed out. Letymbiotis noted that "it is initiatives like this one that further enhance the role of our country in the region, and highlight what our country can achieve through proper planning, through the undertaking of initiatives". Asked to comment on a press report that Israel is interested in purchasing a port in Cyprus, the Spokesperson said that this claim is unfounded and that the article is false. Source: Cyprus News Agency

A series of recent successes of Cypriot cinema in the international commercial and festival scene highlight the creative contribution of Cypriot film projects internationally, the Deputy Ministry of Culture has said. In a press release the Deputy Ministry refers to the fact that director-producer Stelana Kliris' film "Find Me Falling" was purchased by Netflix, the world's largest streaming platform. "This important development for the film, its collaborators and producers ensures its promotion and, by extension, the promotion of Cyprus to millions of viewers", it says, congratulating the film's team and especially Kliris for the way which they envisioned and brought their goal to such levels of fruition. The internationally famous actor Harry Connick Jr is among the protagonists of the film. Agni Scott, Ali Fumiko Whitney and others also stand out with their performances, it adds. The film will begin streaming on Netflix on July 19. The cinema release will be announced at a later date. At the same time, t he film "Africa Star" by the multi-awarded director-screenwriter Adonis Florides secured a place in the competition section of the "28th Sofia International Film Festival", where the world premiere will take place on March 18. Also, Constantinos Patsalides' short film "Milk-Rose" continues its successful festival run, as an official selection in the competition part of the "21st Annual Greek Film Festival" in San Francisco. All the above productions are co-financed by the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture through the special programmes for cinema, the press release concludes. Source: Cyprus News Agency