Efi Xanthou announced she has left the Green Party after a 23-year association due to actions she perceived as undemocratic, including a controversial decision made at a Nicosia district party branch meeting.
Tennessee’s Republican-dominated legislature passed conservative laws this year, including allowing teachers to arm themselves in class. Other bills included providing government-funded vouchers to private schools, tax breaks to corporations, civil penalties for aiding minors with abortion, and restricting library materials. The state also passed a bill allowing public school teachers and staff to carry guns.
The project to renovate the area of the old GSP stadium in Nicosia will be completed in the autumn. The project costs around €20 million and will add to the large pedestrian area on the southwestern side of the walled city, functioning as a “green lung”.
ExxonMobil announced the closure of its Hunterdon County research facility to consolidate operations at its headquarters in Houston, resulting in most jobs being offered the opportunity to relocate.
The population in the north could be as high as 825,000, according to calculations based on domestic waste production by the ‘mayor’ of Kyrenia, Murat Senkul.
A proposal to reform San Francisco’s business tax formula is being considered for approval by voters in November. The proposal would modify the gross receipts tax to focus on a company’s sales instead of its on-site headcount, potentially leading to tax cuts for small businesses and making it more attractive for large companies to keep their workers in the city. The plan is expected to be revenue neutral over time, with initial declines in business tax revenue before increases in the following years. The proposal would also raise the threshold for exemption from gross receipts taxes for small businesses. The effort to reform the tax structure has gathered momentum over the past year and has involved major San Francisco employers, labor unions, and other stakeholders in negotiations. Labor unions are not expected to actively oppose the measure’s passage.
The traditional custom of throwing clay pitchers, known as “Botides,” takes place on the morning of Holy Saturday in Corfu. Deputy Mayor Spyros Halikiopoulos accidentally hit a woman passing by with a pitcher, causing her to fall. She was taken to the hospital and received two stitches on her head, but luckily, there were no serious injuries reported.
A dispute between a DISY municipal councillor and the mayor of Dromolaxia-Meneou escalated after they filed cross-complaints of assault. The councillor alleges that the mayor headbutted him during a confrontation at a cafe, while the mayor claims he was assaulted by the councillor and his wife. Police are investigating the incident, which was caught on CCTV, along with an earlier report of vandalism to the councillor’s vehicle. The councillor suspects the vandalism was politically motivated and believes the incidents are meant to intimidate him.
Labour Party won mayoral polls in London and central England, with Sadiq Khan being re-elected as London mayor and Labour also winning in the central West Midlands region.
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar met with Gambian President Adama Barrow. Tatar asked for Barrow’s support regarding the Cyprus problem and the embargoes placed on Turkish Cypriots. Barrow expressed awareness of the Turkish Cypriot people’s struggle and willingness to work together. Tatar is in the Gambia for the OIC’s 15th Islamic summit. He also met with Banjul mayor Rohey Malick Lowe, known for empowering women in politics.