Search

3331. Reactions point to Varosha election gimmick

Political reactions have been getting stronger by the day on both sides of divided Cyprus over a recent announcement to open a beach strip in ghost town Varosha in the north, just days ahead of a general election...

3332. Erdogan-Tatar: Varosha to open to the public on Thursday

Developments regarding Varosha were moving full speed ahead on Tuesday after rumours regarding the reopening of the fenced-off town were confirmed. In statements, Tayyip Erdogan and Ersin Tatar said that on Thursday, the public will be able to visit the areas that will open....

3333. Nicosia in the midst of diplomatic marathon over Varosha

Ersin Tatar’s descent upon Ankara but also the intense rumours regarding a reopening of the coastal front of the fenced-off city of Varosha have over the past days mobilized Nicosia....

3334. Man finds shrapnel grenade in Larnaca

Larnaca police officers were on full alert on Monday after a hand grenade was found at a local community out in the open within a built-up area...

3335. Michel’s first draft falls through

Little or no progress was made at the Special European Council by Thursday early evening, with reports saying Greece and Cyprus did not agree with a draft statement on EU relations with Turkey...

3336. Spanish FM stresses solidarity with Cyprus, importance of dialogue

Spain’s Foreign Affairs Minister Arancha González Laya expressed her country’s solidarity and support for Cyprus in the face of tensions with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean....

3337. Bill to update definition of rape, tighten penalty to life

A bill tightening the penalty for rape to life in prison is set to be tabled before Parliament next week....

3338. Greek FM in Cyprus ahead of Brussels summit

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is visiting Nicosia on Wednesday for talks with his Cypriot counterpart ahead of a crucial Special European Council meeting later this week...

3339. What Berlin made clear to Nicosia

German officials coordinating with Nicosia, after the Republic of Cyprus told the foreign affairs council that it would use its veto power if sanctions against Belarus are not linked with those against Turkey, said that the prospect of sanctions against Turkey is a distant scenario....

3340. Greece, US affirm commitment to boosting ties after high-level review

Greece and the US on Monday issued a joint statement following a high-level review of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue that took place in Thessaloniki amid a visit to the northern port by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias....

3341. Cyprus weighs in on Armenia-Azerbaijan

Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides has spoken with his Armenian counterpart, calling on all sides involved in Nagorno-Karabakh to resolve the conflict diplomatically while also accusing Azerbaijan of violating a fragile truce...

3342. Bad blood continues over golden passports

A prolonged and bitter dispute between the interior minister and auditor general, over probing Cyprus’ golden passports scheme, was renewed this week following a mini report with details on a number of applications through citizenship by investment...

3343. Another refugee boat intercepted off Cyprus

Syrian refugees on a boat that was blocked from disembarking were eventually on their way to Pournara migrant camp after reaching shore Wednesday morning, with one child hospitalized for unspecified reasons...

3344. The four scenarios after the 'veto'

The decision on EU sanctions has been postponed for the meeting of the 27 leaders of member states, likely to take place on October 1 and 2 due to a case of coronavirus. At that meeting, it will become clear whether the case of Belarus will be linked with whether sanctions will be imposed on Turkey for its provocations in the Cyprus EEZ or not. Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides made it clear to the Council of Foreign Ministers that what was agreed in Berlin should be respected, in essence using his veto. Whether Nicosia will maintain this position until the end will be seen at the summit of the 27....

3345. Search still on for school prank instigators

Police are still trying to identify a number of suspects in an animal cruelty case in Paralimni, while at least 20 students reportedly have admitted they played a role in the school prank...

3346. France stands behind Cyprus, defends sanctions against Turkey

The EU must be ready to activate all its tools, including sanctions, against Turkey, French State Secretary for European Affairs Clément Beaune said Friday during a visit to Cyprus....

3347. Tips trickle in on Paralimni school pranksters

Police are learning valuable information that could crack wide open a shocking school prank in Paralimni, where animals were killed during a battlefield-style back-to-school display, but investigators say they want a larger pool of witnesses before they can identify perpetrators or even say whether non-students had been involved...

3348. Berlin to take in 1,553 refugees from Greece

As Germany indicated on Tuesday that it would take in more than 1,500 refugees from Lesvos and other Greek islands, the Greek government welcomed the move, indicating however that it should not be seen as rewarding irregular immigration. ...

3349. EU solidarity to go beyond words, Michel tells Anastasiades

In a meeting with the European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday, the President of the Republic of Cyprus expressed hope that EU member states will show a united front during next week’s extraordinary European Council summit on Turkey....

3350. Multiple offences in Paralimni school prank

Police have launched an investigation into a high school prank in Paralimni where animals were abused and/or slaughtered in front of cheering teens but also teachers and shocked schoolmates who were reduced to tears...

3351. The Cypriot aspect of the eastern Mediterranean crisis

A few days ago, the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community made an important statement, involving the future of the Cyprus Problem. At a time when Greek-Turkish relations are highly tense, and just before the withdrawal of the Oruc Reis from the waters of the eastern Mediterranean, Mustafa Akinci announced that a new conference on the Cyprus Problem is imminent....

3352. Yiolitis clarifies role in passport applications

Cypriot Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis has issued a statement on Twitter concerning her involvement in “golden passports” applications during the time when she was a founding partner at a law firm...

3353. Animals abused during battlefield school prank

Shocking reports of animal cruelty at Paralimni High School emerged on Monday, during a series of high school senior pranks that took place in many towns to mark first day of classes...

3354. Man arrested for shooting pregnant ex

A local woman in Famagusta district is in the hospital and her ex in police custody, after she was shot from a distance while sitting on her porch Sunday evening...

3355. Pompeo coming to sound Nicosia out

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to arrive in Cyprus on Saturday evening, a day after surprising reporters on a plane en route to Doha saying he wanted to swing by the island to hear a fresh perspective on regional tensions...

3356. Police request for 'golden passports' documents from Parliament unconstitutional, lawyers say

Lawyers from whom Parliament requested advice after law enforcement officials said they would crack down on the Cyprus Papers whistleblower(s) said Parliament’s non-compliance with police requests for documents relating to the investment scheme is reasonable, as such a request is “not constitutionally legitimate”....

3357. EU must go beyond words, Cyprus President says

The EU must go beyond words, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said during a teleconference on Wednesday evening with European Council President Charles Michel, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU member states leaders ahead of the European Council Summit that will take place in Brussels on September 24-25....

3358. AstraZeneca vaccine study on hold

AstraZeneca Plc said it has paused global trials, including large late-stage trials, of its experimental coronavirus vaccine due to an unexplained illness in a study participant...

3359. EU calls on Cyprus to manage migration flows in line with EU law

The EU said Tuesday that it acknowledges the difficulties faced by the Republic of Cyprus in terms of the flow of refugees it is called to deal with, but stressed that basic principles and EU legislation must be respected....

3360. Passports under the watchful eye of the Commission