Latest news with #Christodoulides
San Francisco Chronicle
12 hours ago
- Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle
Person found dead in a car as a wildfire forces the evacuation of a dozen villages in Cyprus
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Police in Cyprus police found a person dead inside a car Wednesday near a massive wildfire that has destroyed numerous homes and forced the evacuation of a dozen villages on the southern side of the island nation's Troodos mountain range. Police confirmed to The Associated Press that the individual's death appeared to have been caused by the fire which continues to uncontrollably over a number of fronts and is visible from the coastal resort town of Limassol. Investigators are on the scene but police did not release any additional details about the victim. The Cyprus Interior Ministry issued instructions for the immediate evacuation of villages along a 14-kilometer (8.7 mile) stretch of mountainous terrain. Children from at least one camping ground near the village of Lofou were also evacuated. Media reports showed some gutted homes smoldering as the flames swept through the outskirts of some villages. Images broadcast on media showed flames consuming trees, brush and other vegetation along a huge front burning bright orange against the backdrop of a nighttime sky. Police blocked road access to the fire-afflicted communities while some villagers were reportedly reluctant to flee their homes. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides sped to a fire fighting coordination center in the village of Ayios Efraim to be briefed on efforts to contain the blaze as crews struggled because of very windy conditions that quickly shifted the flames' direction. Christodoulides said more than 250 firefighters from across the island nation are at the front and expressed hope that winds would die down overnight according to a Weather Service forecast. 'I want to make a public appeal to all, I completely understand the issue with property, but people must follow the instructions from those who know best and evacuate their homes,' the Cypriot president said. He wouldn't say how large the fire is or offer any information about how it started, insisting that 'now is not the time.' Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said that Spain would be sending two fire fighting aircraft Thursday morning to assist local crews. Some 13 aircraft had been fighting the blaze until sundown and will resume their work at first light. Jordan is helping with two of its own helicopters that had been deployed in Cyprus for firefighting needs. An RAF Chinook helicopter that operates from one of two British Bases on Cyprus is also assisting. Limassol Municipality and the local soccer club Apollonas offered apartments and a basketball court respectively to temporarily house evacuees.
Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Person found dead in a car as a wildfire forces the evacuation of a dozen villages in Cyprus
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Police in Cyprus police found a person dead inside a car Wednesday near a massive wildfire that has destroyed numerous homes and forced the evacuation of a dozen villages on the southern side of the island nation's Troodos mountain range. Police confirmed to The Associated Press that the individual's death appeared to have been caused by the fire which continues to uncontrollably over a number of fronts and is visible from the coastal resort town of Limassol. Investigators are on the scene but police did not release any additional details about the victim. The Cyprus Interior Ministry issued instructions for the immediate evacuation of villages along a 14-kilometer (8.7 mile) stretch of mountainous terrain. Children from at least one camping ground near the village of Lofou were also evacuated. Media reports showed some gutted homes smoldering as the flames swept through the outskirts of some villages. Images broadcast on media showed flames consuming trees, brush and other vegetation along a huge front burning bright orange against the backdrop of a nighttime sky. Police blocked road access to the fire-afflicted communities while some villagers were reportedly reluctant to flee their homes. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides sped to a fire fighting coordination center in the village of Ayios Efraim to be briefed on efforts to contain the blaze as crews struggled because of very windy conditions that quickly shifted the flames' direction. Christodoulides said more than 250 firefighters from across the island nation are at the front and expressed hope that winds would die down overnight according to a Weather Service forecast. 'I want to make a public appeal to all, I completely understand the issue with property, but people must follow the instructions from those who know best and evacuate their homes,' the Cypriot president said. He wouldn't say how large the fire is or offer any information about how it started, insisting that 'now is not the time.' Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said that Spain would be sending two fire fighting aircraft Thursday morning to assist local crews. Some 13 aircraft had been fighting the blaze until sundown and will resume their work at first light. Jordan is helping with two of its own helicopters that had been deployed in Cyprus for firefighting needs. An RAF Chinook helicopter that operates from one of two British Bases on Cyprus is also assisting. Limassol Municipality and the local soccer club Apollonas offered apartments and a basketball court respectively to temporarily house evacuees. Cyprus has been on high alert for fires this summer after three consecutive arid winters.
Mint
20 hours ago
- Climate
- Mint
Person found dead in a car as a wildfire forces the evacuation of a dozen villages in Cyprus
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Police in Cyprus police found a person dead inside a car Wednesday near a massive wildfire that has destroyed numerous homes and forced the evacuation of a dozen villages on the southern side of the island nation's Troodos mountain range. Police confirmed to The Associated Press that the individual's death appeared to have been caused by the fire which continues to uncontrollably over a number of fronts and is visible from the coastal resort town of Limassol. Investigators are on the scene but police did not release any additional details about the victim. The Cyprus Interior Ministry issued instructions for the immediate evacuation of villages along a 14-kilometer (8.7 mile) stretch of mountainous terrain. Children from at least one camping ground near the village of Lofou were also evacuated. Media reports showed some gutted homes smoldering as the flames swept through the outskirts of some villages. Images broadcast on media showed flames consuming trees, brush and other vegetation along a huge front burning bright orange against the backdrop of a nighttime sky. Police blocked road access to the fire-afflicted communities while some villagers were reportedly reluctant to flee their homes. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides sped to a fire fighting coordination center in the village of Ayios Efraim to be briefed on efforts to contain the blaze as crews struggled because of very windy conditions that quickly shifted the flames' direction. Christodoulides said more than 250 firefighters from across the island nation are at the front and expressed hope that winds would die down overnight according to a Weather Service forecast. 'I want to make a public appeal to all, I completely understand the issue with property, but people must follow the instructions from those who know best and evacuate their homes,' the Cypriot president said. He wouldn't say how large the fire is or offer any information about how it started, insisting that 'now is not the time.' Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said that Spain would be sending two fire fighting aircraft Thursday morning to assist local crews. Some 13 aircraft had been fighting the blaze until sundown and will resume their work at first light. Jordan is helping with two of its own helicopters that had been deployed in Cyprus for firefighting needs. An RAF Chinook helicopter that operates from one of two British Bases on Cyprus is also assisting. Limassol Municipality and the local soccer club Apollonas offered apartments and a basketball court respectively to temporarily house evacuees. Cyprus has been on high alert for fires this summer after three consecutive arid winters.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Cyprus talks end without resolution, leaders to meet in September
Five-party negotiations on the Cyprus problem concluded on Thursday without resolving key disputes. However, participants agreed to continue discussions under the guidance of the UN. The informal talks between Greek Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, and representatives from Greece, Turkey and the UK produced no agreement on reopening crossing points between the island's two parts. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has scheduled additional meetings for September. "We are seeing small but significant progress, step by step, towards the major goal which is the resumption of talks and the resolution of the Cyprus problem," Christodoulides said after the meeting. Guterres confirmed that four of six measures agreed in Geneva in March — establishing a technical committee on youth issues, environmental and climate change initiatives, cemetery rehabilitation, and a de-mining agreement, which is awaiting final technical details — have been implemented. Crossing points remain an issue Two measures remain unresolved: opening four transit points and installing solar power in the buffer zone. The crossing points remained the key issue, with Guterres making what officials described as significant efforts to reach an agreement. "There are very different views on both sides with regard to the solution of the Cyprus problem, but I think we are building, step by step, trust and creating the conditions to do concrete things for the benefit of the Cypriot people," Guterres said. Greek Cypriots accepted Turkish Cypriot proposals to open crossings at Mia Milia and Louroutzina, but received no response regarding other proposed routes, Christodoulides said. Discussions on opening a crossing from Athienou to Aglandjia stalled when Turkish representatives stated that they needed to consult with Turkish military officials. The talks produced three new measures: establishing an advisory body for civil society participation, exchanging cultural artefacts and monitoring air quality while addressing microplastic pollution. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis called the discussion "extremely productive," but that negotiations had been dormant for eight years since the failed Crans-Montana talks. "It is extremely important that the Cyprus problem is now at the top of the agenda of the UN Secretary General, who has appointed a personal envoy," Gerapetritis said. A trilateral meeting between Christodoulides, Tatar and Guterres is scheduled to take place in September during the UN General Assembly. Another five-party meeting is planned for after the elections in Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus in 2025. UN secretary-general's personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin will continue working on the crossing points issue between meetings. Christodoulides also met privately with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for nearly an hour after the dinner on Wednesday. "Today we did not hear anything different from Turkey's well-known public statements," Christodoulides said of the broader talks. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey occupied the northern third of the island following a coup attempt. The Republic of Cyprus which encompasses the southern two-thirds of the island is internationally recognised and an EU member state, while the breakaway entity in northern Cyprus remains recognised only by Turkey. The UN has maintained a peacekeeping force in Cyprus since 1964.
LBCI
30-06-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Cyprus invites Turkey's Erdogan to summit despite long rift over 1974 invasion
Cyprus said on Monday it would invite arch-foe Turkey to a summit during its European Union presidency next year despite a decades-long rift over Ankara's 1974 invasion and its backing of a breakaway state on the divided island. Nicosia will hold the rotating EU presidency in the first six months of 2026 and plans a summit of regional leaders, including Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, on issues related to the Middle East, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said. "You can't change geography - Turkey will always be a neighbor state to the Republic of Cyprus .. Mr. Erdogan will of course be welcome to this summit to discuss developments in the area," he told journalists in Nicosia. Christodoulides had earlier said the same in a British podcast aired on Monday in response to a question, saying the summit was planned for April 2026. Reuters
