Lebanese Helicopters to Join Greek and Jordanian Aircraft to Help Cyprus Fight a Forest Fire 

Smoke billows from a fire in the Cypriot village of Paramytha, on August 6, 2023. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a fire in the Cypriot village of Paramytha, on August 6, 2023. (AFP)
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Lebanese Helicopters to Join Greek and Jordanian Aircraft to Help Cyprus Fight a Forest Fire 

Smoke billows from a fire in the Cypriot village of Paramytha, on August 6, 2023. (AFP)
Smoke billows from a fire in the Cypriot village of Paramytha, on August 6, 2023. (AFP)

Lebanon is sending two helicopters to join Greek and Jordanian aircraft in helping European Union member Cyprus fight a blaze that has scorched miles of mountainous terrain, an official said Monday.

Cyprus Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis told The Associated Press that neighboring Lebanon is expected to send a pair of choppers as the wildfire continues to reignite on several fronts.

Two Greek Canadair aircraft have been dispatched to help douse the fire in the mountains about 11 miles (17 kilometers) north of the coastal town of Limassol. Jordan is sending three aircraft of its own, including two Super Puma helicopters and a Russian-made Mi26 helicopter. The multinational effort is battling a blaze that has scorched as much as 4 square miles (10 square kilometers) of land.

Environment Ministry Secretary Andreas Gregoriou, who is coordinating firefighting efforts, told state-run Cyprus News Agency that talks are ongoing with Israel for additional air support if needed.

Greece's Civil Protection Ministry said 20 tons of fire retardant is also on its way to Cyprus.

Fire Department spokesman Andreas Kettis posted on the platform known as X, formerly Twitter, that although the fire was brought under partial control early Monday, it rekindled along several areas, forcing air and ground crews to again mobilize.

The spokesman had earlier posted that ground crews were working to hem in the blaze by building firebreaks.

Officials expressed concerns that the fire could rekindle because of expected strong winds later in the day.

Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou tweeted on X that he has given instructions for an initial estimate of the damage to private and state-owned property.

Officials said the residents of three villages have returned to their homes after being instructed to evacuate as a precaution.

Gregoriou, who surveyed the area by helicopter along with the country’s fire chief, told state broadcaster CyBC that “hundreds” of fire fighters, including volunteers, managed to contain the fire overnight because winds had died down considerably.

The fire started Friday, but authorities said a day later it had been contained. Gregoriou said the blaze apparently reignited on its own, dispelling suggestions that it could’ve been the work of arsonists.



WHO Says Member States Reach Agreement to Tackle Future Pandemics 

This photograph shows a sign of the World Health Organization (WHO) displayed at their headquarters in Geneva on March 13, 2025. (AFP) 
This photograph shows a sign of the World Health Organization (WHO) displayed at their headquarters in Geneva on March 13, 2025. (AFP) 
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WHO Says Member States Reach Agreement to Tackle Future Pandemics 

This photograph shows a sign of the World Health Organization (WHO) displayed at their headquarters in Geneva on March 13, 2025. (AFP) 
This photograph shows a sign of the World Health Organization (WHO) displayed at their headquarters in Geneva on March 13, 2025. (AFP) 

Members of the World Health Organization reached an agreement to prepare the world for future pandemics after more than three years of negotiations, the organization said early on Wednesday.

The legally binding pact is intended to shore up the world's defenses against new pathogens after the COVID-19 pandemic killed millions of people in 2020-22.

The proposal outlines measures to prevent future pandemics and strengthen global collaboration. This includes establishing a pathogen access and benefit sharing system and building geographically diverse research capacities among others.

The agreement also proposes a global supply chain and logistics network while emphasizing stronger health system resilience and preparedness.

"After more than three years of intensive negotiations, WHO member states took a major step forward in efforts to make the world safer from pandemics," the health body said in a statement.

The agreement is widely seen as a victory for the global health agency, at a time when multilateral organizations like the WHO have been battered by sharp cuts in US foreign funding.

The United States, which was slow to join the early talks, left the discussions this year after new President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February withdrawing the US from the WHO and the talks.

The proposal will be considered at the World Health Assembly policy meeting in May, the WHO said.

"This is a historic moment and a show, that with or without the US, countries are committed to working together and to the power of multilateralism," Nina Schwalbe the founder of global health think tank Spark Street Advisors, told Reuters.