Search

1111. 522 Cyprus army recruits planning to study at UK universities

A total of 522 incoming army recruits have informed the Education Ministry that they are either candidates for or have secured a spot at a UK university for the 2020-21 academic year, but who plan to defer their offer until the following year, when home fee status and loans for EU students will be scrapped, due to their 14-month military service requirement....

1112. It's time for dynamic EU action against Turkey, Greek PM says

Turkey’s repeated violations of Greece and Cyprus’ sovereign rights in the Mediterranean and its “unnecessary and petty” decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia into a mosque “require a comprehensive European response,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday....

1113. Anastasiades lauds France as a pillar of stability in EastMed region

In a period of immense challenges and illegal actions, the presence of the French naval force in the broader geographical region tangibly proves the readiness and determination of France to act as a pillar of stability in the region, while it sends a clear message to those who aim at escalating tensions by acting in an unacceptable way, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said Monday....

1114. Asylum seeker delivery man gets arrested

A food delivery guy was arrested on suspicion of illegal employment in Paphos after he went to take food to the town’s police headquarters...

1115. As EU mulls sanctions, Turkey defiant

The European Union is seeking ways of imposing sanctions on Turkey in the event that its transgressions in the East Mediterranean are scaled up, and in the wake of its decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque. ...

1116. Christodoulides, Dendias discuss Turkey with Borrell on sidelines of EU meeting

Relations between the European Union and Turkey were at the center of talks Monday between the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides....

1117. Harsh words for Turkey from archbishop

Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos has slammed Turkey over the country’s decision to allow Hagia Sophia to revert from museum back to mosque status, accusing Turks of having no respect for the civilized world...

1118. Turkish court rules to let Hagia Sophia return as mosque

1119. Divided Cyprus reacts to Hagia Sophia

Cyprus has weighed in on Turkey’s controversial decision to allow Muslim prayer inside Hagia Sophia, with different reactions across the divided island and amid reports of nuanced differences in President Erdogan's statements in two different languages...

1120. Anastasiades: Patriotic realism dictates solution through diplomacy, not weapons

Instead of a catastrophic scenario, we opt for diplomacy, the weapons of international law and Cyprus’ status as an EU member state. This is what is dictated by patriotic realism and rationalism, and not a rhetoric of empty slogans. The coming days are crucial as regards initiatives taken by the EU and the US in view of preventing a potential crisis through targeted measures towards Turkey....

1121. US ambassador sees opportunities in Cyprus

US Ambassador to Nicosia Judy Garber says the pandemic aftermath in Cyprus could be seen as an opportunity for the island, praising officials for managing the crisis and calling the country a “fantastic place for people” to do business...

1122. Aegean tension fueling Berlin concern

With Germany assuming the European Union presidency on Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed concern over developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Greek-Turkish relations in response to questions from MPs in the Bundestag....

1123. 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....

1124. Govt mulling over state guarantee scheme for Cyprus students in UK

Cyprus Ministers and MPs put their heads together on Wednesday to find ways of dealing with the UK’s decision to end home fee status for EU students from the 2021-22 academic year....

1125. EPP head calls for more EU support for Greece, Cyprus vis-a-vis Turkey

The chairman of the European People’s Party (EPP) and German MEP on Tuesday urged the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, to call for debate on “ongoing and repeated Turkish aggressions” against Greece and Cyprus....

1126. EU top official and Cyprus defence minister fly over Cyprus' EEZ by helicopter

The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell joined the Cyprus defence minister Savvas Angelides on a helicopter ride over the Republic’s exclusive economic zone to observe the sea areas that are increasingly emerging as zones of contention....

1127. Cyprus FM on 'short but important' visit to Israel

The “short but important” visit of Cyprus foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides to Israel on Tuesday, as his Isreali counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi described it in a tweet, is set to focus on ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. ...

1128. Cyprus FM holds telephone conversation with new Iraqi FM

Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides shared on Thursday a telephone conversation with the new Foreign Minister of Iraq Fuad Hussein...

1129. Cyprus outlines drastic step on migration

Republic of Cyprus Interior Minister Nikos Nouris is urgently seeking a constitutional amendment to shorten the time of due process for asylum applicants, calling a set of government-sponsored bills a “holistic approach” to immigration during a press conference on Thursday...

1130. Foreign Ministers of Cyprus and Russia discuss Cyprus question, EastMed and Lybia

The Cyprus problem, developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, and Libya, were among the topics discussed over the phone between the Cyprus foreign minister Nicos Christodoulides and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavov on Wednesday....

1131. 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....

1132. Letter to UNSG denounces Turkey's violations of Cyprus' airspace, maritime zones

A letter dated May 28 sent by the Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the UN Andreas Mavroyiannis to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that denounced Turkish violations of the island’s airspace and maritime zones was released on Thursday as an official document in the General Assembly of the UN Security Council....

1133. Downtown clashes continue on the island

Police officers have been busy over the weekend with public incidents in two districts, with a number of arrests taking place in Paphos and three people ending up in hospital in Nicosia...

1134. 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....

1135. Cyprus to launch SMS campaign to stem migrant arrivals

Cyprus is launching a multilingual SMS campaign to head off more migrant arrivals by dispelling the mistaken belief the European Union member country is a gateway to the continent, the Cypriot interior minister said Sunday....

1136. Cyprus records third least coronavirus cases in EU

Among all European countries, Cyprus has so far recorded the third least coronavirus cases, data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on Wednesday showed....

1137. President: Lockdown measures extended until end of April

Lockdown and other measures in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak will be extended until April 30, with no exceptions to be made during the Orthodox Easter period, President Nicos Anastasiades said in his televised national address on Wednesday night....

1138. NGOs raise alarm over inhumane conditions at overcrowded migrant camp

Two migrant and refugee support NGOs, Cyprus Refugee Council and Caritas Cyprus, have raised the alarm over the inhumane conditions that have developed in the Kokkinitrimithia camp, particularly since the coronavirus pandemic broke out on the island....

1139. China's ambassador responds to US criticism

The Chinese ambassador in Nicosia is firing back at US and media criticism over his country’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, adding that he believes Cyprus will win the battle against the coronavirus...

1140. EU leaders call for recovery plan

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades took part in a video conference with the EU leaders, as the bloc sought to find common ground on how best to share the burden...