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61. Minister points finger at north over barbwire

Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris has fired back at critics in the north over the south’s decision to install barbwire near the UN buffer zone to halt illegal crossings, blaming the need for a fence on lack of action on the part of Turkish Cypriot authorities...

62. Greece finalizes plan to build wall on border with Turkey

Greece's government says it has finalized plans to extend a wall along its northeast border with Turkey, over concerns that migrants may try to stage mass crossings into the European Union country....

63. Fires erupt at Moria refugee camp

Thousands of migrants fled a camp under COVID-19 lockdown after multiple fires gutted much of the site on the Greek island of Lesvos, authorities said early Wednesday...

64. Turkey says Greece making a ‘big fuss’

Ankara has accused Athens of having “no legal basis” for raising objections over Turkish exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, as Greek armed forces were placed on high alert Monday after Turkey sent a seismic survey vessel in contested waters...

65. UNSG report on his good offices in Cyprus obtained by Kathimerini Cyprus

The 39-page advance copy of the Report of the UN Secretary-General on his mission of good offices in Cyprus was obtained by Kathimerini Cyprus....

66. The growing complications of the reopening of checkpoints

The discussion for the reopening of checkpoints will be anything but an easy feat, as in addition to the role played by the epidemiological situation, the matter is inevitably being politicized in view of ‘elections’ set to take place in the north, but also in light of the UNSG’s report expected around the end of June....

67. Biker dies after car cuts him off

A local biker from Limassol was killed in a road accident on Monday after he crashed into a vehicle that crossed the road and blocked his way...

68. Erdogan likens Greek authorities to Nazis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said there is “no difference” between Nazis and the Greek authorities trying to hold the country’s border against the influx of thousands of migrants and refugees spurred to push into the European Union by Ankara....

69. Cyprus scrambles to contain coronavirus risk

A police station and an army camp in Nicosia went under quarantine on Sunday following two suspected cases of the coronavirus, with health officials on the edge of their seat waiting for lab test results for over 30 individuals...

70. EU criticizes Turkey on migration as border clashes resume

Clashes between Greek riot police and migrants attempting to cross the border from Turkey erupted anew Friday as European Union foreign ministers took aim at what they called “Turkey’s use of migratory pressure for political purposes.” ...

71. Turkey deploys 1,000 police at Greek border to stem pushback of migrants

Turkey is deploying 1,000 special police forces along its border with Greece on Thursday to halt the pushback of migrants toward its territory, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said, adding that 164 migrants had been wounded by Greek authorities....

72. Two more charged in Ledra protest

Two more people were detained for questioning in connection with the Ledra protest last week, with police seeking out more individuals...

73. Akinci tells UNFICYP head coronavirus has nothing to do with checkpoint closures

The Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met with UNFICYP head Elizabeth Spehar on Wednesday to discuss the move by the Greek Cypriot Government to shut four crossings along then UN-controlled Buffer Zone last week....

74. Greek forces use tear gas to repel migrants

Greek riot police and troops used water cannon and tear gas on Wednesday against hundreds of migrants as they made another attempt to cross the border from Turkey into Greece....

75. EU interior ministers to pledge ‘all necessary measures’ to stop illegal crossings

EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels on Wednesday will pledge “all necessary measures” to prevent illegal crossings into the bloc’s external borders, according to a draft of their conclusions seen by Kathimerini, which also calls upon Turkey to abide by the terms of a 2016 deal to stem flows in the Aegean....

76. Man in custody over Ledra protest

A local resident was remanded in custody on Sunday over a Saturday incident at Nicosia's Ledra crossing, when protesters broke through barriers that had been set up in response to the coronavirus threat...

77. Guards use tear gas to disperse hundreds of migrants at Greek-Turkish border

Guards on Greece’s northeastern land border with Turkey made “deterrent use” of tear gas to disperse some 500 refugees and migrants trying to enter the country and the European Union after Ankara loosened controls on migrant flows....

78. Armed patrols begin this weekend

Armed soldiers and police officers will very soon be holding joint patrols in downtown Nicosia, with the justice minister saying the measures are being taken to combat crime, terrorism, and illegal immigration...

79. Minister determined to fight ‘green line abuse'

The Cypriot government is cautiously moving forward with plans to reduce illegal migration to Cyprus through the north, including checkpoint stations and surveillance of remote areas along the Green Line...

80. Common interest for talks but disagreements remain

President Anastasiades said that there is a positive climate and a common basis on which the talks for a Cyprus settlement can take place, noting, at the same time, that disagreements on serious issues remain, but there is an agreement that differences cannot be bridged without dialogue. ...

81. Ankara threatens Nicosia over arrest warrants

82. Tough traffic bill heads to the House

A government bill package heading to the House on Friday is not only proposing stiffer penalties for traffic violations but also fast-tracking many ways of dealing with offenders...

83. Illegal migrant arrivals fall but stronger borders needed, says Frontex chief

The number of illegal migrants entering the European Union fell sharply for the third year in a row in 2018 but arrivals remain high and stronger border controls are needed, the head of the EU's border control agency Frontex said Wednesday....

84. North cries foul over Israelis denied entry

A recent denial of entry to Israeli nationals at Larnaca airport has caused uproar in the north, with Turkish Cypriot officials accusing the Republic of Cyprus of blocking travelers without basis...

85. New bicycle law goes into effect

A new bicycle law on rights and responsibilities puts restrictions on where and how cyclists can legally ride their bikes while also targeting discourteous drivers who put cyclists in danger...

86. Father-son duo released in the north

The father and son, who were arrested in the north on entry violations, have been released from custody after being fined 215 euros each for illegally crossing into a military zone...

87. State Department welcomes soldiers' return from Turkey

The US State Department has welcomed the return of the two Greek soldiers to Greece after five months’ imprisonment in Turkey, congratulating the Greek people and the foreign ministry. ...

88. Two Greek soldiers released from Turkish jail return home

Two Greek soldiers freed after months in a Turkish prison returned to Greece by government jet early Wednesday after their unexpected release by a provincial court....

89. EU leaders under pressure to curb migration

European Union leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday to agree new measures to restrict arrivals across the Mediterranean as growing popular discontent over immigration puts pressure on governments from Germany to Italy....

90. Probe into lawyers involved in migrant smuggling rackets

Judicial authorities in northern Greece are investigating the involvement of local lawyers in rackets smuggling migrants and refugees across Greece’s Evros River border from Turkey...