Day: March 19, 2024

World Central Kitchen provided almost 200 tons of food to communities in northern Gaza that arrived in the first maritime aid shipment, a press release issued on Tuesday says. 'The food reached families facing starvation arrived aboard the first humanitarian shipment to reach the Gazan coast in nearly two decades. Alongside local and international partners, WCK has provided more than 39 million meals by land, sea, and air to Palestinians in need', the press release reads. It is added that today's delivery of rice, flour, legumes, vegetables, and proteins to families in the north, where access to aid is highly restricted, proves desperately needed food can be delivered by sea. 'In addition to the food that arrived on the Open Arms boat, today's convoy to the north also carried ready-to-eat meals. For months, our teams across the region have worked nonstop to open this maritime aid route into Gaza. We are sourcing and loading food onto boats in Cyprus and built our own jetty in Gaza using rubble from bombed buildings to safely unload cargo', the press release notes. WCK will eventually be able to provide 'huge quantities of food daily into the shores of Gaza,' said José Andrés, WCK's founder. It is added that the NGO's teams are currently preparing to dispatch a second maritime shipment that will include food and heavy machinery that will expedite the offloading process. Jose noted that still, much more needs to be done and called for a ceasefire and opening of as many land crossings as possible as the best ways to ensure Palestinians get the meals and water they need. 'To date, we have dispatched more than 1,500 trucks and know that many more are needed to meet the urgent needs of communities all across Gaza. This remains a quickly evolving situation', the press release concludes. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Russia on Tuesday said it sent a demarche to the British ambassador over the UK embassy's posts during the March 15-17 presidential election. The British mission's account on X had criticized that election was also being held in four Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia in 2022, as well as Crimea. Incumbent President Vladimir Putin won by a landslide, getting over 87% of the vote. A statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry said it drew attention to the 'unacceptable propaganda publications' of the UK mission, which were aimed at 'disrupting the election process in new Russian territories.' 'We pointed out the absolute inadmissibility of such activities, which we consider as interference in the internal affairs of Russia and a hostile attempt to put pressure on the independent electoral system in our country and influence the election results,' it said. These actions, the ministry said, show the UK's violation of the 'fundamental principles of diplomatic communication' enshrined in the Vienna Con vention, while also running counter to the status of the British diplomatic mission. The statement said the election demonstrated the 'unprecedented unity' of the Russian people in support of Putin and his policies, adding that the UK envoy was recommended to 'pay attention to the situation in Great Britain, where a power crisis is clearly brewing.' Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Tuesday that he believes the US will provide aid to Kyiv, as the American Congress is yet to decide on a $60 billion aid package to the war-torn country. "First, I think American aid will come. Second, we see our European partners significantly increasing their military production and purchases in third countries to help Ukraine," Kuleba told journalists in an online news conference. Expressing that efforts by Kyiv's European partners are helping the country fill the gap created by the delay in the US Congress decision, Kuleba said it does not completely solve the problem, but "helps maintain pressure." Kuleba said the "clever use of available weapons and heroism of soldiers" is the solution to the lack of weaponry, and Ukraine is in a constant and permanent effort to find new sources of weapons and ammunition for its army in the background. "We have solved many problems. For example, this year Ukraine will produce more than a million unmanned aerial v ehicles for the front line alone, and this is a very significant figure," he said. Speaking about the Russia-Ukraine war, Kuleba said Moscow wants to "destroy the country" and Kyiv has "no doubt" that Russia will continue to attack "other countries in Europe or Central Asia" if they are successful, because "expansionist logic and ambition guide them." "Our country and our people never wanted this war. We have never attacked anyone and we have not given anyone a reason to attack us," he said. He said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 10-step peace formula is the "only realistic" plan for the 25-month conflict. "China has absolutely huge potential in putting an end to this Russian aggression against Ukraine because of the special relationship that China has with Russia," he added. Kuleba also described the recent Russian presidential election as "beyond reality," and said recent attacks on oil refineries in Russia must be explained by Moscow. "There is a direct consequence of Russia's illegal and unprovoked attack on Ukraine. If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin had not launched this attack, thousands of Russians would not have been killed in Ukraine and nothing would have happened in Russia," he said. Source: Anadolu Agency

The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy plans to undertake initiatives to highlight the destruction and desecration of Christian monuments in the Turkish occupied territories. According to a press release by the Cypriot delegation to the IAO, a relevant discussion took place in the House of Representatives, between the Committee of Cyprus Occupied Municipalities, and the IAO leadership, which was in Cyprus to work on the amendment of the Constitutive Act of the institution. "The issue of our cultural and religious heritage is one of the major issues on which we must inform the international community," the press release said. It further noted that what the mayors and representatives of the occupied municipalities said about what is happening in churches, monasteries and cemeteries in the occupied territories "should have stirred up the civilized world, which is supposed to care about universal human values." The 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus and the subsequent occupation of the island, has heavily affected Cyprus' cultural heritage and despite existing internationally binding treaties regarding the protection of cultural heritage, Turkey chooses to ignore the treaties and continues its destructive agenda. The damages are grave and in many cases, irreversible. The occupied museums have been looted and so have many private collections of antiquities. Churches have been vandalised; ecclesiastical icons and vessels stolen, church frescoes and mosaics have been removed and in many cases have been traced in Europe's illegal antiquities trade markets and in auctions around the world. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: A recent survey suggests that Australia's ruling Labour Party is fast losing support among Muslim voters over Canberra's support for Israel amid its offensive on the Gaza Strip, according to local media on Tuesday. In two 18-person focus groups, pollster Redbridge Group reported that people from the Arabic and Turkish communities of the Calwell area in Melbourne, where the Labour party has historically enjoyed strong support, were "were ready to swing hard against the government," public broadcaster ABC reported. ABC noted that Muslims number over 810,000 in Australia's 25 million population as of 2021, forming important voter constituencies in some areas, including Calwell, where they make up 13% of residents. According to Redbridge's director Kos Samaras, who once managed election campaigns for the Labor Party, participants in the focus groups expressed outrage at Labour's stance on Israel's war on Gaza, with many planning to vote instead for independent candidates. "For both female and male p articipants, the Labor government's response to the conflict in Gaza is a reminder of why they, as a community, have decided to stop voting Labor. "Both groups share a sense of betrayal by Labor, over several years, economically and now via the conflict in Gaza," Samaras was quoted as saying by ABC. Maria Vamvakinou, who won the House of Representatives seat in Calwell with a lead of nearly 9% in the 2022 election, told ABC that voters in areas like hers have sent "all politicians a clear message" that they should not be taken for granted. "I have a long history in working for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and will continue to do so. I'm heartened that parts of my community are aware of this work," Vamvakinou said. "However, it's clear that voters in electorates like mine from diverse communities are far more politically alert as to who represents them than ever before." Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2 023 which killed nearly 1,200 people. More than 31,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in the enclave, and nearly 73,700 others injured, besides mass destruction, displacement and shortages of necessities. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday said the delimitation and demarcation process of border with Azerbaijan is entering the 'practical stage.' 'This means that it is necessary to clarify where the Armenian border actually lies,' Pashinyan said during a meeting with local residents in the village of Voskepar in the northeastern Tavush region. 'We see that we can start a real process of delimitation and demarcation in this section from Baghanis to Berkaber (villages),' Pashinyan said, adding that a war could start if Armenia opposes the process with Azerbaijan but his policy is to avoid such a situation. 'We are doing this not only for Armenia, but also specifically for the villages of Voskepar and Kirants, to ensure the safety of these villages,' he said. Relations between Baku and Yerevan have remained tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions. Most of the territ ory was liberated by Azerbaijan during a war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement that also opened the door to normalization. Azerbaijan established full sovereignty in Karabakh after an "anti-terrorism operation" in September 2023, after which separatist forces in the region surrendered. Both countries continue discussions to determine their mutual border, with talks having been held between the border commissions on seven occasions since May 2022. Source: Anadolu Agency

Minister of Labour and Social Insurance Yiannis Panayiotou presented on Tuesday an outline of the work achieved by the Ministry during the first year the current government, as well as the plans for the second year, while expressing at the same time the certainty that most of the needs of the labour market will be covered as a result of the actions that the Ministry intends to undertake. He also assured the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund, reiterating the Government's intention for the first time in many decades to rationalise the investment policy of the Social Insurance Fund to stop the increase in the State's debt to the Fund. Panayiotou took stock of the Ministry's work as it marks one year since the beginning of the Nikos Christodoulides administration. The Labour Minister referred to the significant results that have been achieved, citing, among other things, enhanced remuneration for workers, improved working conditions, better service to citizens and greater support for young workers. I n addition, he presented detailed data on the acceleration of the payment of unemployment benefits, according to which the process has been accelerated and now over 80% of claimants receive the first payment in about one and a half months from the first renewal of their registration in the unemployment register, as opposed to the long delays of the past. In the second section of the presentation, Panayiotou presented the Ministry's plans for the second year, which, he said, are based on better regulation of terms and conditions of employment, more effective staffing of the labour market, further support for working parents, a faster response to citizens' needs, drastic action against illegal employment, investment in learning and growth of workers, strategic upgrading of safety at work, etc. Asked at the end of the presentation whether he believes that most of the needs of the labour market will be met as a result of the actions the Ministry intends to undertake, given the difficulties that many businesses face in finding suitable labour, Panayiotou expressed confidence that the labour market will be staffed according to its needs, using both domestic human resources and workers from abroad in cases this is not sufficient. He also expressed optimism about the prospect of better cooperation between the social partners on issues related to labour market staffing and the arrival of workers from third countries, adding that in his view the economy would not be negatively affected by insufficient staffing of the labour market. In response to another question on whether there was any area in the first year of the new administration where the Ministry failed to make the progress it had planned, the Labour Minister said that the President's programme of government was formulated in a realistic and rational manner, therefore there were no surprises in this first year of implementation of the government's programme. He added that in the process it is becoming apparent that the social dialogue may take more time than i nitially estimated, but it is nevertheless necessary for consensus-based decision-making, while in the effort to speed up the review of various requests, physical constraints arise within the existing technological infrastructure, noting that in any case the Ministry has achieved the desired results in collaboration with its staff and all stakeholders. Asked about the amount of the state debt to the Social Security Fund and whether there are measures to reduce it, Panayiotou said that the Fund is sustainable for the next and future generations and by continuing its careful management it will remain sustainable for many decades. He added that the government has publicly expressed a clear political will to streamline the Fund's investment policy through the forthcoming pension reform, in respect of which the Ministry of Labour is in close communication with the Ministry of Finance so that, in parallel with the achievement of fiscal targets and the reduction of public debt, part of the Fund's capacity can be u sed for enhancing investments in response to the increased needs arising from the modern global environment. He concluded by stressing that there is no cause for concern about the sustainability of the Fund and reiterated the government's intention for the first time in decades to rationalise the investment policy of the SSF to stop the increase in the State's debt to the Fund, which has exceeded pound 10 billion. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: At least 14,000 children are among the at least 31,810 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since last October, the media office in the Palestinian enclave said on Tuesday. Israeli forces have committed 2,807 massacres in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, the media office said in a new report. It said the victims also include at least 9,220 women, while 7,000 remained under the rubble or were missing. The report said 72% of the victims were women and children, while 27 people also died of malnutrition as Israel prevents the entry of much-needed humanitarian aid into the blockaded territory. It shared that of the killed, 364 were health workers, 48 civil defense officers and 135 journalists. As many as 17,000 children in Gaza are now without one or both of their parents due to the relentless attacks that Israel launched in response to a cross-border incursion by Hamas that killed 1,200 people. The media office said 11,000 people with life-threatening injuries need to be treated outsi de Gaza, while 10,000 cancer patients are at risk due to inadequate health services. The condition of about 60,000 pregnant women, and 350,000 people with chronic diseases was described as life-threatening. According to the statistics, more than 70,000 houses have been completely destroyed in Israeli bombardment while 290,000 houses were damaged and rendered uninhabitable. It was noted that the Israeli army destroyed 168 government facilities and 100 schools and universities, while 305 schools and universities were partially damaged. The report said the attacks also damaged 290 mosques, 224 of which were completely destroyed, while 155 health institutions were targeted. Source: Anadolu Agency

The launch of the joint initiative to use culture as a means to promote the health and well-being of patients was announced by Minister of Health, Michael Damianos, and Deputy Minister of Culture, Vasiliki Kassianidou, during their visit on Tuesday at the Paediatric Oncology and Paediatric Hematology Clinics of Makarios Hospital, in Nicosia. In his statements, Damianos said that culture is a fundamental means of promoting health and emphasised the will of the Ministry to include culture and art in the treatment of patients. "As recent studies show, culture contributes to the mental and physical health of patients," he added. On her part, Kassianidou said that this is an initiative that the Deputy Ministry of Culture is launching together with the Ministry of Health, so that, as she said, "we can bring culture to hospitals, that is, we can bring literary books, theatrical performances and actions, to help patients overcome whatever problem they have faster, offering them a way out." As she explained, this is done first in the paediatric clinics of Makarios Hospital. "We would like to work together to slowly bring it to adult patients in other hospitals," Kassianidou said, thanking the Minister of Health for his response to this collaboration. She also expressed the view that "the result will be excellent and will help many of our fellow citizens." Replying to a question about the extension of the initiative to the rest of the hospitals, Kassianidou stated that "it has not yet been planned exactly, but the goal is to launch it in the coming months." Source: Cyprus News Agency