Saturday, February 1/2025

 

Market morning and the first Saturday probably since November that it’s been shirtsleeves weather in the morning, though it often is at noon or early afternoon on the patio. Hard not to welcome sunny days but they do come with warnings of probable water shortages in the summer as the island experiences the second year in a row of severe drought. We have never experienced water cuts here. May be lucky in location and also we’re not here in summer when it’s driest.

Complaints in the Republic of Cyprus (South) that Israeli security personnel have been operating along with Greek Cypriots at the Larnaca and Paphos airports, including perimeters and control towers. This follows reports of Americans assisting in upgrading Greek Cypriot air and naval bases “for humanitarian purposes”. Opposition party AKEL has asked for confirmation of the accounts of Israeli personnel - and received silence. Leading the very centre road Cyprus Mail to suggest in an editorial that this is a surrender of sovereignty:

“The government’s failure to deny reports about the presence of Israeli security personnel at the perimeter of the Larnaca Airport fence and in the air traffic control-tower was not a good sign. It suggested the reports were correct and that the Republic had surrendered the security of its main airport to the security forces of another state.”

And tonight the early night sky features a single star above a sliver of crescent moon, like a tilted Turkish flag. Actually the TRNC flag is the same design with reversed colours - but the world of emojis, like most of the rest of the world, doesn’t recognise it.