Latest news with #GreekCypriot
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Cross-border entrepreneur awards to launch in Monaghan
A new initiative will be launched in Co Monaghan today aimed at promoting cross-border entrepreneurship on the island of Ireland. The North-South Business Cooperation Awards are being launched by the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and follow similar award programmes that the foundation runs in countries such as Cyprus, Greece and the UK. A total prize fund of €500,000 will be awarded to 18 entrepreneurs across nine enterprises, who have started businesses registered in the Republic of Ireland or in Northern Ireland within the past five years and are now involved in cross-border trading. The awards are backed by Greek Cypriot entrepreneur, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the founder and owner of the "easyGroup", which includes British airline EasyJet. An event will be held at Monaghan Peace Campus this morning to mark the launch of the awards, which are being supported by peacebuilding charity Co-operation Ireland. Speaking ahead of this morning's launch event, Mr Haji-Ioannou said: "These awards represent more than just recognition - they embody a commitment to building a better, more connected future on the island of Ireland. "When businesses from both sides of the border collaborate, they do more than drive economic growth; they build trust, create lasting jobs, and strengthen the social and economic fabric of our communities. "We are working for lasting peace and economic prosperity on the island of Ireland," Mr Haji-Ioannou added. Meanwhile, Ian Jeffers, Chief Executive of Co-operation Ireland, said cross-border business partnerships can play a "powerful" role in promoting peace, prosperity and shared understanding. He said: "These awards recognise that co-operation is not just a shared ideal - it's a powerful driver of real economic progress. Sir Stelios' commitment to backing ambitious entrepreneurs across the island is both timely and inspiring. By supporting ventures that operate beyond traditional boundaries, we're helping to embed lasting economic ties that benefit communities North and South." Applications for the awards are now open with more information available on the Stelios Foundation website.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Modi visits Greek Cyprus strengthening bilateral ties
Listen to article Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's has made a landmark visit to Greek Cyprus with the aim of strengthening strategic ties between New Delhi and Nicosia. According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides was the first by an Indian premier to Greek Cyprus in over two decades. The two sides welcomed recent progress in 'economic, technological, and people-to-people ties, reflective of the dynamic and evolving nature of the relationship," said the statement by New Delhi. It added that the two sides discussed the "need for reform of the United Nations Security Council, including ways to make it more effective, efficient, and representative of contemporary geopolitical challenges.' The Greek Cypriot side also pledged to support reaching an EU-India free trade agreement by the end of this year. The warming of ties between New Delhi and Nicosia comes after Turkiye's pro-Pakistan stance during the recent India-Pakistan conflict. Turkiye has vocally supported Pakistan on Kashmir and has even called for international mediation over the dispute. Cyprus & Kashmir The Cyprus dispute (Greek Cypriot vs Turkish Cypriots) and Kashmir issue (India-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir vs. Azad Jammu and kashmir) share striking parallels—not just in division, but in the external interventions that triggered military escalations. Turkiye militarily intervened in Cyprus after a Greek junta-backed coup was carried out seeking to annex Cyprus to Greece. Similary Pakistan tribesmen had marched into Kashmir after India's controversial accession of the Muslim-majority region, that has fuelled decades of unrest.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Watch: Nicosia council member touches Modi's feet - PM's Cyprus visit
Screengrab ANI NEW DELHI: Michaela Kythreoti Mhlapa, a member of the council of Nicosia, touched Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's feet as a mark of respect. Mhlapa was welcoming Prime Minister Modi at the historic Centre of Nicosia. The historic Centre of Nicosia is the old walled part of Cyprus's capital, renowned for its Venetian fortifications, traditional architecture, and vibrant markets. It stands as a living reminder of the city's diverse cultural heritage, positioned along the Green Line that divides the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sectors. In 2023, in an exemplary gesture of respect, Papua New Guinea prime minister James Marape touched the feet of PM Narendra Modi, who visited the island nation. As he alighted from the aircraft, PM Modi was greeted by Marape, who then bent down to touch his feet. Papua New Guinea has a tradition of not welcoming anyone post sunset but PM Modi was given a gun salute, a red carpet welcome and was personally welcomed by Marape. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Cyprus, the first by an Indian leader in 23 years, is being seen in Nicosia as a strong diplomatic message to Turkey, which has occupied nearly one-third of the island since 1974 and recently supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor . PM Modi's trip, his first international visit since the military action against Pakistan, carries added significance in this backdrop. He is visiting Cyprus at the invitation of President Nicos Christodoulides and is accompanied by a high-level delegation of about 100 officials. Cyprus is the first stop in Modi's three-nation tour, which will also take him to Canada for the G-7 Summit and to Croatia, marking the first-ever visit there by an Indian Prime Minister. The Cyprus leg of the tour holds strategic, diplomatic, economic, and geopolitical importance, underlining the island nation's growing relevance in India's wider regional and global strategy.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Demis Hassabis educational qualification: How a child chess prodigy became the brain behind Google DeepMind
Demis Hassabis speaks at SXSW London 2025 on AI frontiers panel. (Getty Images) Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind and recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has followed an extraordinary path marked by academic brilliance, scientific curiosity, and technological innovation. From mastering chess at the age of four to leading one of the world's most influential AI research companies, Hassabis's journey is deeply rooted in a lifelong dedication to learning—especially in the fields of science and technology. Speaking at SXSW London, Hassabis emphasized the continuing importance of a strong academic foundation. Despite the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, he believes that the key to thriving in the AI era still lies in mastering core disciplines such as mathematics, physics, and computer science. "It's still important to understand fundamentals,' he said, urging students to combine traditional STEM education with hands-on experience in AI tools to stay relevant and competitive. From early education to Cambridge excellence Born on July 27, 1976, in the United Kingdom, Demis Hassabis was raised in North London by a Greek Cypriot father and a Singaporean mother. He showed exceptional talent from an early age, becoming a chess prodigy by four and reaching master standard by thirteen, with an Elo rating of 2300. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The price of dental implants may surprise you Dental Implants | Search Ads Search Now Undo As a teenager, he captained England's junior chess teams and later represented Cambridge in the Oxford–Cambridge varsity matches. After attending Queen Elizabeth's School in Barnet and spending time being home-schooled, Hassabis completed his A-levels at just 16. During this period, he used his chess tournament winnings to buy a ZX Spectrum 48K computer and taught himself programming. He later attended Christ's College, Finchley, before entering Queens' College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1997 with a double first-class honours degree in computer science. Shifting from game design to brain science After university, Hassabis joined the video game industry, working at Bullfrog Productions and Lionhead Studios. At just 17, he co-designed and lead-programmed Theme Park, a globally successful simulation game. He later founded Elixir Studios, producing games such as Republic: The Revolution and Evil Genius, which featured advanced AI mechanics. Driven by a deeper interest in how the human mind works, Hassabis returned to academia and earned a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from University College London in 2009, under the supervision of Professor Eleanor Maguire. His groundbreaking research revealed how damage to the hippocampus affects both memory and imagination, and his work was widely published in journals including Nature, Science, and PNAS. He later conducted research at MIT and Harvard before receiving a Henry Wellcome Fellowship at UCL's Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit. Building DeepMind and reshaping AI In 2010, Hassabis co-founded DeepMind with Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman, aiming to "solve intelligence' and use it to address global challenges. The company quickly gained attention for its achievements in AI, including teaching neural networks to play Atari games and building AlphaGo, the first program to defeat a world champion in Go. DeepMind's most celebrated breakthrough came with AlphaFold2, which solved the decades-old challenge of protein structure prediction and led to Hassabis receiving the Nobel Prize. Today, as AI reshapes industries, Hassabis remains both a leading innovator and a passionate advocate for scientific education as the key to unlocking humanity's future. Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Euronews
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Turkish Cypriot leader rules out prospect of tripartite meeting
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar on Monday shot down the idea of a tripartite meeting between himself, Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides and UN envoy María Angela Holguín. Following a meeting with Holguín, Tatar lashed out at the authorities of the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus over recent arrests of individuals suspected of selling Greek Cypriot-owned property in the Turkish-occupied north. Referring to the arrests as "terrorist activies", Tatar said he had told Holguín during their meeting in Cyprus that "there was no need for a tripartite meeting." "I said that a meeting with Christodoulides could not be held in such an environment, that there was discomfort on the issue of property, and that it would not be right to create such an environment without resolving these issues,' Tatar told public broadcaster CyBC. The island nation of Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded following a coup backed by the Greek junta, which aimed at a union with Greece. The Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence in the island's northern third is recognised only by Turkey, which maintains around 35,000 troops there. The Republic of Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, but only the Greek Cypriot south, where the island's internationally recognised government is based, enjoys full benefits. A spate of recent arrests targeted people over the illegal development of property in the north which is owned by Greek Cypriot refugees, who fled south during the 1974 invasion. Two Hungarian nationals were the first to be sentenced to prison over the issue earlier this month. Tatar asked Holguín to convey his position to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, adding that "All this must stop," as "the real victims are the Turkish Cypriot people." Christodoulides had met with Holguín on Saturday, after which he indicated the Republic of Cyprus would be "here to respond" in the event of a positive response from Tatar. Referring to the latter's comments on Monday, the Cypriot president said he was "saddened". He insisted that the judiciary was responsible for the arrests, saying "the executive authority of does not interfere in the judicial authority under any circumstances." He also reiterated previous comments that "it would be good for the three of us to sit around a table to discuss and have a free discussion so that we can get closer to the goal of July, so that there are positive developments," adding that he would "definitely" be holding a new meeting with Holguín. Christodoulides added that Holguín's meetings outside Cyprus and especially Turkey would be "decisive". The UN envoy is also scheduled to visit Greece, the UK and Brussels. Christodoulides and Tatar last met in Geneva in mid-March, after which a series of modest confidence-building measures were announced. Guterres announced a similar meeting is to be held at the end of July. He appointed Holguín as his personal envoy on Cyprus in early May. She had previously been in the same role between January and July 2024. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has criticised Israel's plans to take control of Gaza and hold up to 75% of the Strip, stating he "no longer understands" the end goal. "The Israeli government must not do anything that even its best friends are no longer willing to accept," said Merz at the WDR Europaforum in Berlin on Monday. "What the Israeli army is now doing in the Gaza Strip, I frankly no longer understand with what goal," he added. The German chancellor also commented on the fact that Palestinians in the Strip are dependent on international aid deliveries, which Israel had blocked until recently with the argument that Hamas would benefit from them. "To cause such suffering to the civilian population, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified by the fight against Hamas terrorism," Merz said. Merz's words point to a shift in tone in another ally of Israel, after the leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada last week condemned what they called Israel's "egregious" military actions in Gaza and warned that they would take "concrete actions" if Netanyahu didn't change course, particularly regarding humanitarian aid. On Friday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the trio of being on the "wrong side of history" and siding with Hamas after they all called for an end to Israel's military operation in Gaza and restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid. "When mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers thank you, you're on the wrong side of justice, you're on the wrong side of humanity and you're on the wrong side of history," he said in remarks on Friday, name-checking Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and Mark Carney. "Now, these leaders may think that they're advancing peace, they're not. They're emboldening Hamas to continue fighting forever and they give them hope to establish a second Palestinian state from which Hamas will again seek to destroy the Jewish state - and mind you, it's not going to be a state free of Hamas." After an almost three-month blockade on all aid entering the Strip, dozens of trucks were allowed to enter Gaza again last week, but the UN said that the amount entering was a "drop in the ocean" compared to what was needed. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) launched a renewed offensive on Hamas in Gaza, codenamed Operation Gideon's Chariots, in mid-May. The major ground offensive in northern and southern Gaza is backed by the Israeli air force and aims to expand "operational control" over the Strip and free the remaining hostages still being held by Hamas.
