government

Methane to become key criteria for future EU energy imports, official says

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Methane to become key criteria for future EU energy imports, official says

– The European Union plans to use methane emissions as a criterion for deciding its energy suppliers in the future.
– A U.N. methane conference took place in Geneva from March 18-21, with over 1,000 participants from 100 countries.
– Methane is the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide and has a higher warming effect in the short term.
– The EU will focus on the environmental impact and carbon intensity of its energy purchases.
– In November, the EU agreed to impose methane emissions limits on its oil and gas imports from 2030.
– The EU will create “methane performance profiles” for countries and companies, favoring those that reduce emissions.
– The Geneva forum aims to advance methane emissions reduction efforts ahead of the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.

In Gaza, starving children fill hospital wards as famine looms

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In Gaza, starving children fill hospital wards as famine looms

Six-year-old Fadi al-Zant from Gaza is acutely malnourished, unable to walk, and suffers from cystic fibrosis. His health has deteriorated since the conflict began, as his medication is no longer available and his diet has been severely restricted. The Kamal Adwan hospital, where Fadi is being treated, has seen most of the 27 children who have died from malnutrition and dehydration recently. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that famine is imminent in northern Gaza, affecting over two-thirds of the people there. Despite Israel’s claims of not limiting aid, shortages of food, medicines, and clean water persist. Fadi’s condition worsened about two months ago, with his weight dropping from 30kg to 12kg. The U.N. children’s agency UNICEF reports nearly 1 in 3 children under two in northern Gaza suffer from acute malnutrition. Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of obstructing the provision of basic services and lifesaving aid, which Israel denies. Conditions in Gaza have been exacerbated by disease, with a significant increase in diarrhoea cases among children under 5, further hastening malnutrition.

Govt given 15 days to decide who will run marinas

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Govt given 15 days to decide who will run marinas

The House commerce committee in Cyprus has given the government a 15-day deadline to clarify which entity will oversee the country’s marinas. Committee chairman Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis highlighted internal conflicts within government departments regarding this issue and suggested that the tourism deputy ministry should take responsibility. He emphasized the importance of the marinas for maritime tourism and warned that without a government response, the committee would vote to assign oversight to the tourism deputy ministry to foster the sector’s development.

Akamas road works moving forward

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Akamas road works moving forward

The Akamas National Forest Park road projects will restart in April, as announced by Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou. The projects aim to prioritize environmental preservation. This decision was made during a cabinet meeting. The government plans to balance development with environmental conservation in the park, ensuring minimal environmental impact and visitor safety while adhering to legal requirements. A project team will be established for environmental and technical monitoring, and a steering committee will be appointed for decision-making. Consultations with NGOs and local communities will be part of the process.

Minister to deal , ‘aggressively’ with illegal work

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Minister to deal , ‘aggressively’ with illegal work

Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou of Cyprus announced plans to address illegal employment through increased workplace inspections and an electronic census of workers. The government aims to improve the categorization of self-employed individuals for social insurance, enhance work conditions, align with EU directives on minimum wages, and support working parents with state benefits and timely maternity pay. Efforts will also focus on raising local employment rates, attracting workers from the EU and EEA, and signing agreements with third countries for medium and low-skilled workers. Panayiotou highlighted past achievements, including raising the minimum wage, improving the cost-of-living allowance, ensuring timely pension and unemployment benefit payments, and extending maternity leave for new mothers.

‘The elderly’s problems are not government’s priority’

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‘The elderly’s problems are not government’s priority’

– House Labour committee chairman and Akel MP Andreas Kafkalias claimed that the problems of the elderly are not a priority for the government.
– Issues discussed six years ago regarding services for the elderly have not been addressed by the government.
– The institutional care allowance for the elderly is €750 per month, while the costs often exceed €1,400 per month.
– The implementation of “red buttons” in elderly people’s homes for emergency assistance has been pending since 2019, with no updates provided to the committee.
– The social welfare deputy minister will be questioned about pension payments in a forthcoming committee meeting.
– Disy MP Fotini Tsiridou emphasized the urgency of addressing elderly issues and mentioned the significant increase in car insurance premiums for drivers over 70.
– The low-income pensioners’ allowance was increased by five percent, resulting in an increase of three to eleven euros for most, which is considered insufficient.

Audit office raises illegalities at justice ministry

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Audit office raises illegalities at justice ministry

The Audit Office reported that the justice ministry needs to develop a reliable internal audit system for receipts and payments, highlighting weaknesses in compliance with relevant laws and regulations regarding spending for the fiscal year 2022. It found irregularities in the disbursement of down payments for programmes related to the National Mechanism for Women’s Rights, with payments made without supporting documentation for actual expenditures. The Audit Office recommends legal action against recipients of these funds and deducting the amount given from the next state grant if beneficiaries also receive an annual state grant. It noted issues with invoices under the National Mechanism for Women’s Rights lacking supplier details and receipt dates. The report also mentioned that parole supervisors are overburdened, affecting their performance, and recommended setting a maximum number of parolees per supervisor. Additionally, it flagged the use of a building by the justice ministry without a final certificate of approval, a discrepancy in inmate account balances at prisons, and overpayments to two retired prison guards. The fire service was noted for not having dedicated functionaries to check invoices before payments, and a separate report was published for the police force in November 2023.

Government ire at , ‘all Cyprus could be Turkish’ comment

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Government ire at , ‘all Cyprus could be Turkish’ comment

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made statements suggesting that if Turkish forces had advanced further during the 1974 invasion of Cyprus, the entire island could have been Turkish. These remarks were criticized by Cyprus government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis as “unacceptable” and “provocative.” Letymbiotis emphasized that Cyprus, a European Union member state, has been under occupation since the 1974 invasion, which he described as “barbaric.” Erdogan’s comments were also seen as disrespectful to international law, European principles, UN Security Council resolutions, and the UN Secretary-General. Despite Erdogan’s divisive statements, the Cypriot government remains committed to resolving the Cyprus issue through negotiations based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, in line with UN resolutions.

Christodoulides in Brussels for EU Council

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Christodoulides in Brussels for EU Council

President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus will visit Belgium to attend the College of Europe in Bruges, participate in the European Council summit in Brussels, and engage in both public and private meetings with officials. He will also attend a working lunch with the UN Secretary General and other EU member state leaders, focusing on the Middle East and Ukraine. Additionally, Christodoulides will visit the College of Europe following an invitation from the Society of Cypriot Students and will meet with Federica Mogherini, the college’s rector and former Vice President of the European Commission. He will also meet with Margaritis Schinas, the Vice President of the European Commission, before attending activities of the European People’s Party and a commemorative event for the 30th anniversary of the European Economic Area. Christodoulides will return to Cyprus on Friday evening.

Musk defends his ketamine use as beneficial for investors

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Musk defends his ketamine use as beneficial for investors

Elon Musk stated in a video interview that his ketamine prescription has been beneficial for Tesla’s investors, as it helps him manage a condition similar to depression. He mentioned that from Wall Street’s perspective, execution is what matters and argued that Tesla’s valuation is as much as the rest of the car industry combined. A Wall Street Journal investigation had previously reported Musk’s use of drugs, raising concerns about potential violations of federal policies that could affect SpaceX’s government contracts. Musk responded to these concerns by stating he agreed to three years of random drug testing by NASA, with no trace quantities of drugs or alcohol found. He confirmed having a doctor’s prescription for ketamine, taking a small amount every other week.