France, Spain tighten security for Champions League games citing IS threats
France and Spain are increasing security measures for the Champions League quarter-finals in Madrid and Paris due to threats from the Islamic State.
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Cyprus birth rate way too low, committee hears
Cyprus has a low birth rate of 1.4 children per woman, which is below the replacement level of 2.1. In primary schools, 21% of children have two foreign parents, and in pre-schools, 25% of children have two foreign parents. Disy has proposed measures such as taxing families based on the number of members and providing support for families with three or more children.
Govt still searching for new medicine storage
The government is searching for new premises to store medicines. The current premises were destroyed in a flood, costing over €880,000. There is an investigation into why this happened. The current premises were leased by the ministry to a private contractor for €6,600 per year and then re-leased back to the ministry for €135,000 per year, a markup of more than 2,000 per cent. There is currently no shortage of medicines in Cyprus.
Simon Harris elected new Irish prime minister
Simon Harris became Ireland’s youngest ever prime minister, succeeding Leo Varadkar. He was elected unopposed as the new leader of Fine Gael and confirmed in parliament with support from independent lawmakers and coalition partners. Harris faces issues like a shortage of affordable housing and record numbers of asylum seekers. He pledged to focus on law and order, small businesses, and rural voters, and promised to address the housing crisis. Polls show support for Sinn Fein dropping, with independent candidates benefiting the most.
France, Spain tighten security for Champions League games citing Islamic State threats
France and Spain have increased security measures for the Champions League quarter-finals in Madrid and Paris due to threats from the Islamic State. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that security has been strengthened in Paris ahead of the match between Paris-St-Germain and Barcelona. Spanish police will deploy 2,000 extra officers in Madrid for the games hosted by Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. The terrorism alert level in Spain has been raised to 4 out of 5. Islamic State has allegedly threatened four venues for the matches, including the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Florida’s business rent tax set to drop to 2%
Florida’s tax on commercial leases is set to drop to 2% by June 1, two months earlier than expected, due to legislation signed by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Christodoulos Patsalides sworn in as Central Bank governor
Fact: Christodoulos Patsalides was sworn in as Central Bank governor by President Nikos Christodoulides.
State stymied by delay in proposed changes by Larnaca port company
Fact: Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades clarified that stalled works on the multimillion euro Larnaca port revamp are due to a procedural hold-up by the managing company, Cypriot-Israeli consortium Kition Ocean Holdings.
On This Day: Architect Frank Lloyd Wright died in 1959
Germany invaded Denmark and Norway in World War Two. Frank Lloyd Wright, an influential American architect, died. Hendrik Verwoerd, South African prime minister, was wounded in an assassination attempt. Niger’s president, Ibrahim Bare Mainassara, was assassinated by dissident soldiers. Denmark’s Flemmin Rasmussen set a new world record for log lifting. AMR Corp. purchased bankrupt Trans World Airlines. Saddam Hussein’s rule over Iraq ended as U.S. forces took control of Baghdad. Israel cut off contact with Hamas-led Palestinian government. Anti-U.S. protests occurred in Iraq on the fourth anniversary of the invasion. The 50th anniversary of Houston’s Astrodome stadium was celebrated.
Farah Nabulsi: Cinema holds a powerful role in addressing oppressions
Farah Nabulsi started her career as an institutional equity stockbroker but transitioned to filmmaking in her late 30s after visiting Palestine. She founded Native Liberty Productions to highlight injustices faced by Palestinians. Her work, including the short film “The Present,” has received international acclaim. Nabulsi’s latest film, “The Teacher,” will be screened at the Cyprus Film Days International Festival. She believes cinema plays a crucial role in addressing oppressive realities and hopes to contribute to a narrative that inspires change.