https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/people-around-the-world-are-booking-airbnbs-in-ukraine-but-they-don-t-plan-to-check-in
One of the social media influencers behind the Airbnb effort also has encouraged his followers to patronize Ukrainian merchants on Etsy but ask sellers not to ship any goods. Etsy has announced it's canceling the current balances and fees owed by all sellers in Ukraine....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/uk-man-hands-cyprus-church-icon-taken-by-his-officer-father
An 18th-century icon that a British officer spirited out of war-wracked Cyprus in 1974 was returned Wednesday to the island’s Orthodox Church by the officer’s son to reunite it with those “who really appreciate what it stands for.”...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/nato-jets-in-cyprus-draw-split-reactions
Claims between East and West over the situation in Ukraine were hard to hold down over the weekend, but reports of more British fighter jets landing in Cyprus to deter Russia drew mixed reactions on the island where even the Church is feeling the heat as it prepares for elections...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/aimful-priests-in-cyprus-put-steel-on-target
Greek Orthodox priests in the Republic of Cyprus were unable to resist temptation on Tuesday at the inauguration of a brand new shooting range, with some daredevil clerics taking up arms to keep their aiming muscles toned...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-archbishop-sends-unvaxxed-priests-home
Cyprus’ Archbishop announced over the weekend that he would send unvaccinated priests home on a mandatory leave of absence, saying they could face even tougher measures if they fail to obey their chief bishop...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/francis-in-cyprus-calls-for-end-to-walls-of-fear
Pope Francis verged into the world of poetry on Thursday at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia where he likened Cyprus to the painful process of producing a beautiful pearl, calling for an end to 'walls of fear' and urging people off all cultures to embrace one another...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/live-the-pope-has-arrived-in-cyprus
Pope Francis arrived in Cyprus on Thursday afternoon. The Cypriot government, through its Deputy Spokesman Niovis Parisinou, had described the Pope's visit as "an important event of international scope that is of global interest"....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/anastasiades-meets-elpidophoros-after-tweet
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades reversed an earlier decision and finally met with Archbishop Elpidophoros in New York, after the head of the Greek Orthodox Church in America had issued a statement on Twitter calling for unity...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/elpidophoros-clears-up-turkish-house-incident
Archbishop Elpidophoros says he is 'sincerely sorry' for pain he may have caused to Cypriot and Greek Americans by attending the opening of a Turkish House in New York City, while pointing out he has always sought 'honest and courageous' dialogue for peace and religious freedom...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cypriot-president-snubs-archbishop-in-new-york
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has canceled a meeting with Archbishop Elpidophoros in New York City, amid reports that Nicosia and Athens were displeased after the high churchman attended the opening of a Turkish House a day earlier...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/1-turkey-west-poised-to-dance-a-‘violent-tango-foreign-policy-expert-tells-k
A lot of Erdogan’s rhetoric focuses on making Turkey a great power. He sees that as challenging European hegemony....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/believers-exchange-blows-outside-church
Police had to step in when an altercation got physical outside a church in Larnaca district, after Orthodox followers reacted to a rival group that went to change the locks following a court ruling on ownership...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-ends-lockdown-with-safe-pass
A third lockdown in the Republic of Cyprus ended on Sunday as new measures went into effect Monday including a controversial safety pass, with the government betting on a slight improvement as it pushes for gradual return to normality...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/all-eyes-on-positivity-rate-this-week
The positivity rate in the Republic of Cyprus registered a drop to just below 1% at the end of the holiday weekend, but officials say it is too early to know whether lockdown measures have been effective during Holy Week...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-under-siege-as-it-celebrates-easter
Towns across the Republic of Cyprus were overrun with anarchists on Holy Saturday, when street fires and loud explosions dominated urban areas late into the night amid pandemic lockdown and midnight mass...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/teens-wreak-havoc-on-holy-thursday
Four teenagers were arrested on Friday morning in connection with a group delinquency incident in Limassol, where youths started fires near a local church and then attacked fire fighters and police officers who rushed to the scene...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/sms-not-needed-for-holy-week-churchgoers
Eastern Orthodox churchgoers in the Republic of Cyprus no longer need to send an SMS before attending service during Holy Week, based on an FAQ issued by the government on Monday revising and clarifying the latest lockdown measures...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/lockdown-begins-amid-legal-challenges
The Republic of Cyprus entered a two-week lockdown on Monday, the start of the Holy Week for the Greek Orthodox community, with critics crying foul over some measures including proof of vaccination...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cabinet-decides-lockdown-after-golgotha-meeting
After a tough debate amongst ministers over how the government ought to respond to a deteriorating pandemic situation, a proposal for a short and partial lockdown was approved at the last minute after the Cypriot health minister ascended his Calvary to secure a lockdown ahead of Orthodox Holy Week...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/decisions-on-hold-as-palace-summons-experts
The President’s Cabinet failed to reach a decision on pandemic measures following intense debate on Thursday afternoon, with reports saying an announcement was pushed back a day to give health experts time to visit the Palace for more consultations...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/holy-moly-ahead-of-holy-week-decision
The President’s Cabinet is expected on Thursday to announce a way forward ahead of Greek Orthodox Holy Week, with the health minister not favoring tougher pandemic measures but also warning a lockdown was not off the table...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/experts-tell-government-not-to-relax-this-easter
Cyprus registered a record number of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, reaching 941 and the numbers are only expected to increase, according to a local health expert...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/contentious-tv-drama-airs-on-eoka-day
A new series about ethnic warfare in Cyprus from a Turkish Cypriot point of view was launched in the north on Thursday, a national holiday for Greek Cypriots in the south, eliciting comments from the leaders of both communities on the divided island...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/bishop-apologises-over-reporter-incident
Bishop Nikiforos of Kykkos, who told a reporter to “shut up” on Wednesday as cameras were rolling, has issued an apology, saying he regretted his behaviour, with the incident revealing tensions remain high over the Ukrainian issue...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/church-bells-toll-for-hagia-sophia
Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos has ordered church bells across the island to ring on Friday, marking what he described as a “criminal conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque"...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/hagia-sophia-verdict-expected-within-15-days-says-report
A verdict on whether Hagia Sophia in Istanbul will be converted into a mosque is to be issued within 15 days, Turkey’s Daily Sabah reported Thursday....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/student-s-letter-causes-media-storm
A student in Nicosia is taking social media by storm, after she wrote a letter criticizing school prayer and how religion is being taught in state schools in the Republic of Cyprus...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/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...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/holy-synod-says-yoga-no-good
The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece rebuffed a call for dialogue between Orthodox churches regarding Holy Communion in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, while also denouncing yoga and warning cleric to stay away from the Lions...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/communion-ritual-unchanged-in-orthodox-church-despite-virus
One by one, the children and adults line up for the centuries-old ritual of Holy Communion, trying to keep a proper social distance. The priest dips a spoon into the chalice of bread and wine, which the faithful believe is the body and blood of Christ, and puts it into the mouth of the first person in line....
