World
Ex-foreign minister Christodoulides wins Cyprus presidential vote
Turnout for the runoff stood at 72.2 p.c, marginally greater than within the first spherical of voting.
Cyprus voters have elected the previous International Minister Nikos Christodoulides as the subsequent president of the small European Union member state, together with his rival conceding defeat and congratulating him.
Christodoulides, 49, defeated fellow diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis with 51.9 p.c of the vote in comparison with 48.1 p.c on the divided Mediterranean island on Sunday.
Mavroyiannis, 66, advised reporters: “Tonight a journey has ended, a fantastic journey that I shared with 1000’s of individuals. I remorse we couldn’t obtain the change that Cyprus wanted.”
Christodoulides, who defected from the conservative ruling DISY occasion to run as an impartial, scored 32 p.c every week in the past in opposition to 29.6 p.c for Mavroyiannis, who additionally ran as an impartial backed by the communist AKEL occasion.
Extensively tapped because the election favorite through the marketing campaign, Christodoulides is seen more likely to take a tough line on moribund United Nations-backed talks on ending the island’s decades-old division.
Former high diplomat Christodoulides earlier voiced confidence a couple of win when he advised reporters: “The Cypriot individuals know and perceive what’s at stake … I’ve full confidence of their judgement.”
Rising costs
Voter turnout was 72.4 p.c with greater than 405,000 residents casting a poll, a fraction greater than within the first spherical.
Prime considerations for a lot of voters are the price of dwelling disaster, irregular immigration, and the island’s nearly half-century of division between the Greek-speaking south and a Turkish-occupied breakaway statelet within the north that’s recognised solely by Ankara.
However many disaffected voters merely regarded for “the least worse candidate – a attribute in most elections, however extra so on this one”, mentioned Andreas Theophanous of the Cyprus Middle for European and Worldwide Affairs.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish forces occupied its northern third in response to a Greek-sponsored coup, however voters appeared break up over whether or not the division was a precedence within the election.
Retiree Dora Petsa, 75, mentioned she expects the brand new president “to settle the Cypriot query”.
However Louis Loizides, 51, mentioned the nation has “too many inside issues” from the financial system to immigration, having taken in giant numbers of asylum seekers, together with many who cross the UN-patrolled Inexperienced Line.
‘Wealthy even richer’
The ruling DISY had been knocked out of the presidential race for the primary time in its historical past, and the conservative occasion’s resolution to again neither candidate threw the runoff large open.
Pre-poll favorite Christodoulides final week squeezed out DISY chief Averof Neofytou, 61, who got here third with 26.11 p.c within the first spherical, regardless of the incumbent’s endorsement.
Mavroyiannis shocked observers by beating Neofytou and shutting the hole with Christodoulides final week.
The brand new authorities might be below stress to root out corruption and tackle greater power payments, labour disputes and the struggling financial system.
Vasso Pelekanou, a 47-year-old lady, mentioned the brand new president ought to assist the center class, which she believes was deserted by the final authorities.
“The wealthy have change into even richer,” she mentioned.
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World
Hurricane Beryl: Newlyweds among American tourists stuck in Jamaica as storm hits
Some American tourists are still stuck in Jamaica as Hurricane Beryl continues to pound the Caribbean Sea en route to Mexico.
Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 storm, has been making its way through the southeast Caribbean this week. The storm hit Jamaica on Wednesday.
Newlywed Casey Haley told Fox News Digital that she recently flew into Jamaica to celebrate her honeymoon. She and her husband got married on Saturday, and they arrived in the country on Sunday morning.
“We were originally told not to worry and that everything would be fine. Now they are doing lots of storm prep,” she explained.
HURRICANE SEASON BEARS DOWN AS BIPARTISAN LAWMAKERS PUSH TO DETACH FEMA FROM ‘PARTISAN’ DHS
The bride noticed people at their resort leaving on Monday evening. When she and her husband inquired about the situation to hotel staff, they were given mixed messages.
“Our room is on the 10th floor, you’re not supposed to stay up that high during [a] hurricane,” Haley said. “So we decided to find a safe place within our building. We found an inner stairwell that is away from all windows and doesn’t have a ton of ceiling above us.”
The couple was then moved to a conference room. Haley noted that the resort “seems a little frantic.”
“It was calm right up until this morning,” she said. “Lots of last minute boarding up and prep.”
“That’s when the reality of the situation set in, but we took a breath, said a prayer, and did all the prep we could,” she said. “The storm is hitting now, so we will likely be losing all contact soon.”
Despite the uncertainty, Haley affirmed that she still hopes for the best.
MAN AND HIS DOG ELECTROCUTED IN FREAK ACCIDENT DURING THUNDERSTORM
“We feel prepared and we are prayerful,” she said. “Everything else is now out of our control and our goal is to respond to whatever happens with level heads.”
Tourist Kiki Barry, who is vacationing in Jamaica with her friend, told Fox News Digital that she was due to leave on Wednesday before Sangster International Airport (MBJ) closed due to the storm.
“We are in a safe place, they have converted the movie theater and convention center inside into a shelter,” she explained. “We have plenty [of] food, drinks, some indoor fans and portable air conditioners. We have movies and games the staff have planned.”
Barry added that she felt “calm but anxious,” and commended her hotel for keeping guests “in good spirits.”
“We had a very good trip, just ready to get home to our husbands and children,” she said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, at least six people have been killed amid the storm. AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter said he was “very concerned about a wide variety of life-threatening impacts in Jamaica.”
“[This is] the strongest and most dangerous hurricane threat that Jamaica has faced, probably, in decades,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
World
Bulgaria's parliament votes down centre-right minority government
The GERB party, which proposed the minority government, finished first in the June elections but has only 68 legislators in the 240-seat National Assembly.
Bulgaria’s parliament on Wednesday rejected a minority government proposed by the centre-right GERB party, likely bringing the country closer to new elections.
Lawmakers voted 138-98 to reject a proposal designed to make Rosen Zhelyazkov, a 56-year-old lawyer and former speaker of parliament, the next prime minister.
The GERB party, which proposed the minority government, finished first in the June elections but has only 68 legislators in the 240-seat National Assembly.
The party picked Zhelyazkov to head a new government over its leader, Boyko Borissov, who led three governments between 2009 and 2021. His third cabinet resigned following major anti-corruption protests.
The move comes after six elections over the last three years that resulted in shaky coalitions.
Although Borissov tried to find coalition partners in the fragmented legislature by refusing to become prime minister for a fourth time, his offer could not garner enough support.
The country’s president will now hand the next mandate for forming a government to the runner-up in the elections — the MRF party.
Analysts predict that after the first vote failed, it will be hard to cobble together a viable coalition in this parliament. The likely option is a new election, which will deepen the political crisis in the European Union’s poorest member country.
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