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151. 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...

152. Religious event in Israel turns deadly

At least 44 people were crushed to death at an over-crowded religious bonfire festival in Israel on Friday, medics said, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a 'heavy disaster'...

153. 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...

154. 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...

155. Cyprus decides lockdown in 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...

156. Cabinet split as measures gain on lockdown

The Cabinet is set to announce later on Friday a new set of measures to curb the COVID-19 spread in the community, as daily cases continue to rise with a situation in hospitals extremely alarming...

157. 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...

158. 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...

159. 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...

160. Cyprus tackles Russian Question as time flies

Thousands of cancelations from Russia to Cyprus in just a matter of hours are testing the island’s response to the health crisis, with companies pushing their programs later in the summer pending improvement on the pandemic front...

161. Greek Easter relaxation hopes put to rest

Cyprus’ current epidemiological situation is behind the government’s latest decision to freeze possible relaxation of restrictions ahead of Greek Orthodox Easter, with the administration focusing on vaccinations but also not ruling out further measures...

162. Minister says Cyprus facing ‘fragile situation’

Cypriot Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou is urging people to comply with health measures, saying the epidemiological outlook in the country remains fragile and the situation could get out of control...

163. 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...

164. Cyprus moves forward with more relaxations

Cypriot Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou has announced a new set of relaxation of measures for April, including an increase in the number of permitted outings for legitimatize purposes but only on the weekend...

165. Cyprus hopes for breather on Green Monday

People in Cyprus are hoping to catch a break on Green Monday, with the government easing restrictions on nature outings on the public holiday and forecasters unsure if weather will cooperate...

166. UN pick Greek Holy Week for sitdown

An informal 'five plus one' meeting on Cyprus will take place in Geneva during Greek Orthodox Holy Week, after a UN spokesperson confirmed location and dates for yet another historic sitdown...

167. Guterres reassures Cyprus’ UN ambassador

Secretary General Antonio Guterres has told the new Cypriot UN Ambassador that the international organization and himself personally are “committed” to Cyprus and its people, reiterating his intention to convene an informal 5+1 sitdown soon...

168. 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...

169. Dendias, Lavrov discuss Cyprus in Athens meeting

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Athens on Monday, at the start of the foreign official's visit to the Greek capital....

170. 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"...

171. Turkish court rules to let Hagia Sophia return as mosque

172. Mother detained in child abuse case

Police brought to light a suspected child abuse case in Limassol this week, during an investigation into an assault complaint launched against the parents by the baby’s grandmother who said she was assaulted by her son and daughter-in-law...

173. Hagia Sophia mosque conversion 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....

174. 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...

175. 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...

176. Greek PM says Greece ready for any challenge

Amid renewed tensions with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed on Wednesday that Greece “will face all challenges with consistency, stability, confidence and always with a commitment to international law, as it always does.”...

177. 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...

178. Police vague over clues in downtown deaths

Police continue to search for clues in connection with the death of two foreign nationals in downtown Nicosia on Sunday, with investigators not ruling out double murder or murder-suicide...

179. 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....

180. Nicosia youth who lost fingers speaks out

A teenager, who blew off three of his fingers after a firework tube exploded in his hand, took to social media to warn his peers against the use of illegal pyrotechnics...