Search

1501. Mitsotakis makes Israel his first destination

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is traveling to Israel today on his first foreign visit since the coronavirus outbreak. The message is clear, and it is being sent out in several directions. After deepening their mutually beneficial relationship (which is not aimed at any third country) for a decade, Greece and Israel are pushing ties to a new level....

1502. Athens has four deterrence scenarios over Turkey's drilling plans

In anticipation of a crisis in September, when Turkey says it plans to begin drilling activities in Greece's continental shelf, Athens has elaborated four deterrence plans, while at the same bidding to keep channels of communication open with Ankara....

1503. Anastasiades discusses Turkey, EU role with top EU officials

President Nicos Anastasiades found mutual understanding with European Council President Charles Michel and EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell regarding the role the EU must play in view of Turkey’s activities in the eastern Mediterranean....

1504. Cyprus President and Greek Premier share call to coordinate

President Nicos Anastasiades and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis shared a telephone conversation on Thursday to coordinate a series of separate contacts and deliberations the two leaders will hold with foreign leaders....

1505. Hijab and kosher end up in report on Cyprus

A State Department report has called out Cyprus on matters of religious freedom, following a number of stories in the media including the right to wear hijab in school, kosher laws, and access to religious sites...

1506. Anastasides and Merkel discuss Turkish drilling plans, Covid-19 exit strategies

President Nicos Anastasiades and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed on Thursday Turkey’s illegal drilling activities in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), but also touched on the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and EU issues....

1507. Ankara sparks renewed tensions with Athens over claim for 24 blocks

Ankara on Tuesday responded to a complaint from Athens concerning a map published in the Turkish government’s gazette outlining areas where Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) has applied for exploration licenses, including several within Greece’s continental shelf, by insisting that these areas are within the boundaries Turkey has submitted to the United Nations. ...

1508. Cyprus delegation to visit Israel at earliest date possible

President Nicos Anastasiades and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on Monday that a visit to Israel by a delegation of high ranking Cypriot officials must take place as soon as possible to cover important issues relating to the cooperation of the two countries....

1509. Migration agents raid building in Larnaca

Police and immigration agents raided a place of residence in Larnaca on Wednesday where they inspected 22 individuals in an effort to combat illegal immigration, human trafficking, and labour exploitation...

1510. Cyprus readies to deport suspected terrorists

The Republic of Cyprus says it is getting ready to deport 17 undocumented migrants suspected of having ties to foreign terrorists, but proceedings could be delayed due to ongoing pandemic and other legal issues...

1511. Cabinet approves bill imposing steep rise in penalties for decree violations

The Cabinet on Friday approved a bill seeking to see penalties for violations of coronavirus measures skyrocket, as part of government efforts to increase deterrents to disregarding decrees and regulations under the Quarantine Law as the island gradually returns to normality....

1512. Forest department issues code red

The forest department has issued a Code Red warning citizens to abstain from any activity that could cause a fire, as incidents continue to pop up across the island...

1513. Cyprus maintains low number of new COVID-19 cases

Coronavirus cases in the Republic of Cyprus rose to 907 on Thursday after two new cases emerged from the processing of 1,659 samples....

1514. EastMed a project of major geostrategic importance, Hatzidakis says

Lawmakers in Athens on Monday ratified, at the committee level, a deal for an undersea pipeline to carry gas from new offshore deposits in the southeastern Mediterranean to continental Europe signed by Greece, Cyprus and Israel earlier in the year....

1515. Tensions mount over plans for high-rises on iconic Nicosia street

After tensions mounted in recent days over plans for the construction of a high-rise building complex on the iconic Gladstone Street in central Nicosia which hosts historic and traditional listed buildings, the developers of the planned construction fired back on Monday, claiming the plans are in line with the town planning regulations of the Nicosia Master Plan....

1516. Cyprus GDP to suffer 'severe contraction' in 2020, projection shows

The University of Cyprus’ Economics Research Centre has projected that the country’s GDP is set to drop by 6.9% in 2020 under a baseline scenario and by 13.1% under an adverse scenario....

1517. Drilling activities in Cyprus EEZ postponed until 2021

After ExxonMobil recently postponed drillings scheduled for 2020 in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Italian-French ENI-TOTAL drilling consortium followed suit, it emerged on Monday....

1518. Cyprus police pick up pace in spy van probe

The surveillance company executive at the centre of a high profile spy van case in Cyprus is expected to give a police deposition as early as Tuesday, with reports saying the former Israeli intelligence officer insists he never broke the law...

1519. Cyprus announces 'timid first steps' in easing restrictions

In a televised national address on Wednesday night, President Nicos Anastasiades presented the detailed plan of the first two phases of Cyprus’ lockdown exit plan, with the first phase, which will see a timid resumption of the economy and a small loosening of restrictions on individual freedoms, set to begin on May 4....

1520. Effects of COVID-19 on businesses, wider economy

The results of the PwC Cyprus Pulse Survey on the effects of COVID-19 on businesses and the wider economy, which was conducted with the participation of 45 CFOs from Cyprus, were made public today...

1521. Attorney general weighs in on casino probe

The identity of foreign companies suspected of embezzlement of EU funds pumped into a casino project in Cyprus remains unknown, with the island’s legal department clarifying there is no evidence of local companies being involved in illegal activity...

1522. Turkey: ‘Maximalist and uncompromising attitude’ of Greece and Cyprus threatens regional peace

Turkey has reacted to Greece’s condemnation Tuesday of the country’s newly declared drilling within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus....

1523. Coronavirus hits third migrant facility as Greece plans to ease lockdown

The death of a 101-year-old woman at Sotiria Hospital in Athens took Greece’s coronavirus toll to 120 on Tuesday afternoon....

1524. Greece condemns Turkey’s drilling intentions in Cyprus’ EEZ

Greece on Tuesday condemned Turkey’s announced intention to continue drilling inside Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), saying it ignores calls by the international community to respect international law....

1525. Elections in the north postponed for six months

Elections in the north that were set to take place in April have been postponed for six months amid mounting chain reactions of the coronavirus outbreak, Turkish Cypriot media reported on Tuesday....

1526. Migrant camps on Greek islands put on lockdown

No visitors, including members of organizations and agencies, will be allowed into the migrant reception and processing centers on the Greek islands for the next two weeks at least, the Migration Ministry said yesterday, announcing a series of measures to prevent a coronavirus outbreak in any of the facilities....

1527. Two hospitalized coronavirus patients to be discharged

Two patients admitted into the Famagusta General Hospital last week with coronavirus are expected to be discharged on Monday, the Cyprus News Agency said. ...

1528. Cypriots hunker down to beat virus

Cyprus is going all out to beat the coronavirus after restrictive measures taken gradually north and south against the pandemic proved to be no match for the spread of the infectious disease...

1529. Suspension of all football leagues until end of March

1530. EU slams Trump’s Europe travel ban

The European Union has slammed the new anti-virus travel ban announced by US President Donald Trump, lashing out at an “unilateral” decision taken “without consultation.”...