Cyprus Beat

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the week ahead will be “critical” for the Cyprus problem, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Sunday.Meanwhile, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar doubled down on his opposition to the appointment of Johannes Hahn as the European Union's envoy for the Cyprus problem.Elsewhere, it's “too early to judge” whether or not last year's sweeping government reforms were a success, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the European Commission's 2025 rule of law report, released Wednesday, praised Cyprus for its reforms in the legal service, particularly efforts to separate the attorney-general's advisory and prosecutorial roles. Elsewhere, President Nikos Christodoulides hailed Cyprus' “excellent relations” with Lebanon during Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's visit to Nicosia on Wednesday.Also, an 80-year-old man was murdered at his Limassol home early Wednesday, with his 47-year-old son admitting to the stabbing.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, drilling at the Pegasus-1 well has detected a 350-metre column of natural gas, the government announced on Monday, giving no more clues about the significance of the find – but separately sources told the Cyprus Mail that the “news from Pegasus is good”.Elsewhere, the United Nations is “working hard to get results” on confidence-building measures regarding the Cyprus problem ahead of next week's enlarged meeting in New York, UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin said.Also, Cyprus was touted as a potential location for a planned camp to be built to house Palestinian people who are to be “temporarily” relocated out of Gaza, according to reports.All this and more in todays' Daily News Briefing brought you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the results of the latest drilling in Cyprus' EEZ, at the Pegasus site in Blok 10 are set to be announced today by Energy Minister George Papanastasiou.Elsewhere, a disagreement over land boundaries is behind an attempted murder in Paphos on Saturday night, assistant Paphos police chief Michalis Nicolaou said on Sunday.Also, conditions for the resumption of negotiations must be created at the upcoming enlarged meeting on the Cyprus problem in New York, deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said on Sunday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. 

In today's episode, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that Cyprus violated key human rights in its handling of a rape case involving Disy politician Andreas Ttaouxis, sharply criticising the authorities and deputy attorney-general Savvas Angelides. Also, President Nikos Christodoulides will travel to New York for an expanded UN-led meeting on the Cyprus problem, to be held on July 16 and 17, without political party leaders, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said Thursday.Elsewhere, former district court judge Doria Varoshiotou will appeal her dismissal at the end of her two-year probation, her lawyer Achilleas Demetriades said Thursday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, Cyprus' Cabinet has approved draft laws to modernise the country's legal and audit services, seen as a key pledge of President Nikos Christodoulides' government. Elsewhere, Cyprus' government has urged the Supreme Judicial Council to publicly explain why Doria Varoshiotou was denied a permanent judgeship.Also, the parents of a 22-month-old child hospitalised with severe burns were remanded for five days on Wednesday in Limassol.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the design of new ‘smart' bus stops across the country is “unprecedented and unacceptable” due to poor visibility for passengers and drivers, the Audit Office said on Tuesday in a report into the issue, in which it also criticised the department of public works.Elsewhere, one day after the shortage of lifeguards in Larnaca was lamented, a similar situation was reported in Limassol where only 43 out of 79 approved lifeguard positions have been filled.Also, Cyprus ranks first worldwide for the share of female OnlyFans content creators according to newly released statistics from a marketing company specialising in adult content.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. 

In today's episode, the prisons department on Monday sought to rubbish allegations of unhygienic conditions for inmates – including tainted food and unclean showers – attributing such claims to “ulterior motives”.Elsewhere, Cyprus' rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2026 offers a “unique opportunity” for the country to promote itself “as a trustworthy partner, with added value in a region of crucial importance”, President Nikos Christodoulides said.Also, only 11 of 19 lifeguard towers in Larnaca have any lifeguards, district supervisor of Larnaca lifeguards Savvas Ioannou, said on Monday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, a holidaymaker in Ayia Napa has reported valuables worth over eleven thousand euros stolen from his beach bag while swimming on Saturday.Elsewhere, Cyprus has finally joined a Europe-wide push to protect people in bars and clubs, years after other EU nations rolled out safety schemes like ‘Ask for Angela'.Also, Cyprus' agriculture minister says climate change and rising costs are putting big pressure on the country's farmers.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, a law designed to help thousands of ‘trapped buyers' get a title deed on their property which they have paid for in full was passed by the House plenum on Thursday as the government hailed the development.Elsewhere, the government's plan for the introduction of courses in foreign languages at state universities is to serve interests other than those of the universities themselves, Akel warned on Thursday.Also, the European People's Party on Thursday offered its support to Cyprus' efforts to join Europe's Schengen zone.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the cabinet suspended former head of the central prisons Anna Aristotelous from her present post at the defence ministry on Wednesday over the classified state documents found in the residence of the prisons' chief warden.Elsewhere, the permanent criminal court of Paphos will announce its sentence on July 8 for convicted murderer Doros Theofanous, known as “the hairdresser”, who escaped from custody last year.Also, the central government has allocated €8 million worth of funding to Cyprus' five district governments to deal with “water supply and water loss issues”, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Wednesday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. 

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, there are “about 14” British Typhoon fighter jets currently stationed at the United Kingdom's Akrotiri base in Cyprus, the country's parliamentary under-secretary of state for the armed forces Luke Pollard said on Monday night.Elsewhere, President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday said Cyprus is counting on the European Union's support to bring about a return to negotiations on the Cyprus problem.Also, road safety in Cyprus appears to have taken a downward path, with the number of fatalities rising by 21 per cent in 2024, according to a European report.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. 

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, efforts to repatriate Israelis continued on Thursday, with 21 outbound flights from Cyprus and the Crown Iris cruise ship departing Limassol, carrying around 1,600 Israelis home. Also, petrol prices in Cyprus have begun to rise due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, with two fuel importers already increasing wholesale rates, and others expected to follow, petrol station owners' association chairman Savvas Prokopiou said on Thursday.Elsewhere, hotels and tourist accommodations in Cyprus operating without full permits have been granted another one-year extension to comply, following a unanimous vote by MPs on Thursday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the United Kingdom's bases in Cyprus are “hugely important at this time”, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said, amid an escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.Elsewhere, there has been “no wave of cancellations” of tourist bookings in Cyprus in recent days while the conflict Israel and Iran has escalated, Cyprus chamber of commerce and industry (Keve) chairman Philokypros Rousounides said on Tuesday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, India expects to finalise a free trade agreement with the EU by the end of this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, while Cyprus, which assumes the EU presidency in 2026, said better ties would be its priority.Elsewhere, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Sunday confirmed the country would increase its presence in the Middle East, with the BBC reporting this increased presence will include Typhoon fighter jets and air-to-air refueler aircraft.Also, the drug problem in the island's schools has risen to the level of organised crime involving recruitment, trafficking and distribution and the failure to put a stop to it is systemic, MPs heard on Monday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, President Nikos Christodoulides met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday during the Ocean Conference in Nice.Elsewhere, Cyprus celebrated the Kataklysmos festival on Monday, a water-linked tradition marking 50 days after Easter.Also, Police launched an investigation on Monday after a quad bike was found burning in Ayia Napa at around 2.45am.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, President Nikos Christodoulides on Thursday laid the foundation stone for Phase 2 of Cyprus' airport expansion project, which is set to increase capacity to over 17 million passengers annually by 2027. Elsewhere, the old state fairgrounds in Nicosia will be transformed into a 250,000-square-metre nature park, scrapping earlier plans for a tech hub and commercial development, MPs heard on Thursday.Also, lawmakers on Thursday voiced frustration over continued delays in expanding the neonatal intensive care unit at Makarios Hospital, with construction stalled due to a legal dispute between the contractor and the state health services organisation (Okypy).All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. 

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, House president Annita Demetriou spent over €18,700 on hotel accommodation during a July 2023 trip to London, with €15,172 covering rooms for her entourage of eight—including officials, CyBC staff, and a security guard—and €3,621 for her own stay, according to a report by the audit office. Elsewhere, Nicosia municipality is under fire over its decision to partly reopen Makarios avenue to private vehicles, a move critics say undermines sustainable urban mobility goals.Also, the government has no plans to scrap the 12 per cent pension ‘penalty' for those retiring early at 63, Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou told MPs on Tuesday, sparking a heated exchange in parliament.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. 

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the government pledged that it would cover the state health services organisation (Okypy)'s financial deficits until the end of next year, with the deficits expected to reach around €70 million.Meanwhile, President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday said he would be open to Turkish participation in the European Union's €150 billion defence programme, “if Turkey means what it says” in relation to the strengthening of its relations with the EU.Elsewhere, banana farmers in the Paphos district are “on the brink of disaster” over ongoing water shortages which are impacting the island.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. 

In today's episode, President Nikos Christodoulides vowed that arrests of individuals accused of usurping Greek Cypriot-owned property in northern Cyprus “will certainly not stop, no matter what Tatar says.” Elsewhere, a new audit report has revealed financial irregularities among all seven political parties represented in Cyprus' parliament during the 2016–2021 term.Also, Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis dismissed accusations that President Nikos Christodoulides used the presidential jet for a domestic flight between Larnaca and Paphos as “ridiculous” and “a joke.”All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, a peaceful protest was held on Sunday evening in Paphos over the suspension of Metropolitan Bishop Tychikos. It began at 6.30pm in Town Hall Square, organised by parishioners from the Holy Metropolis of Paphos. Elsewhere, three men aged 30, 39 and 41 were remanded in custody for eight days on Sunday in connection with recent house burglaries in Paphos.Also, Parliament's finance committee will on Monday begin discussing a bill offering tax breaks to skilled Cypriots abroad, aiming to reverse brain drain under the “Minds in Cyprus” campaign.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, parliament on Thursday approved a constitutional amendment lowering the voting age to 17, with the change to take effect from July 1, 2027. The first election to include 17-year-old voters will be the 2028 presidential election.Elsewhere, Cyprus spent €500 million on migration management between 2021 and 2024, a third of which came from EU funds, Auditor-general Andreas Papaconstantinou told the House audit committee on Thursday. Around 41,000 asylum applications were filed during this period, 78 per cent via the north and 22 per cent by sea.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought other you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the cabinet approved a general action plan on Tuesday which will be presented in London today to encourage Cypriot experts living there to return to the island by offering tax cuts and other benefits.Also, forty-six-year-old Costas Soteriou was on Tuesday sentenced to life with a minimum term of 28 years in prison at the court on the British base of Dhekelia for the murder of Charalambos Constantinides.Elsewhere, the Forestry Department has failed to protect Cyprus against fires in terms of both sufficient air and land equipment, auditor-general Andreas Papaconstantinou said in a report made public on Tuesday.All this and more in toady's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, police in Paphos arrested a 39-year-old man under suspicion of attempted murder and robbery, while three other persons were arrested for the offence of providing asylum to a wanted person.Elsewhere, president Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday he will have a meeting with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Cyprus, María Angela Holguín Cuellar, next Saturday, May 25, reiterating the readiness of the Greek Cypriot side to continue efforts to restart negotiations.Also, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, represented on Sunday the president at the enthronement ceremony of Pope Leo XIV.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, a House audit committee session investigating how defunct company Blue Ocean left behind €14 million in unpaid taxes ended abruptly on Thursday, following heated clashes and accusations of obstruction by a state attorney.Elsewhere, medical students at the University of Cyprus have decried years-long delays in establishing university clinics, saying the lack of progress is pushing them to seek specialist training abroad — often without returning.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, most authorities backed the creation of a national financial sanctions implementation unit, meeting Cyprus' obligations to EU law, but lawyers bucked the trend and pointed to problems with the underlying legislation.Meanwhile, The Electricity Authority of Cyprus and the energy regulator will meet sometime this week in a bid to settle on a formula on how to bring down the price of electricity, the government spokesman said on Monday.Also, two boats carrying Syrian migrants to Cyprus were intercepted and returned to Syria without entering the Republic's ports, via an agreement between the Cypriot government and the transitional Syrian regime of Ahmed al-Sharaa, it was reported on Monday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, Cyprus will join the Schengen zone in 2026, President Nikos Christodoulides said.Meanwhile, Greece's independent transmission system operator Admie denied that it has plans to build an electricity interconnector to the country's Dodecanese islands rather than to Cyprus.Also, President Nikos Christodoulides said he is to meet United Nations envoy Maria Angela Holguin before the end of May.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the European Union “consistently defends the rights of Cyprus and Cypriot citizens”, MEP Nacho Sanchez Amor said on Wednesday.Elsewhere, President Nikos Christodoulides welcomed Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas to Nicosia on Wednesday in a ceremonial event marking his first foreign visit since taking office.Also, a proposal aiming to resolve the issue of ‘trapped' property buyers is being forwarded to the House plenum for a vote before parliament's summer break.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, three of President Nikos Christodoulides' proposals in talks on Monday on confidence building measures with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar were rejected, with the latter said to have taken up more than half the meeting complaining about the arrests made in the south for the usurpation of Greek Cypriot property in the north.Elsewhere, A 52-year-old man has confessed to killing Yiannis Argyrou who was found dead on Sunday, admitting to the stabbing during a drug-fuelled night in a private garage in Limassol, police told the court on Monday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, Cyprus is one of Israel's closest friends, Israeli President told his Cyprus counterpart Nikos Christodoulides on Sunday during the latter's visit to the neighbouring state.Elsewhere, peace in Ukraine could see a quarter of the Ukrainians who have moved to Cyprus and their businesses return home, creating a potential threat to the island's economy.Also, two people were arrested on Sunday after police launched a murder investigation following the discovery of the dead body of 45-year-old Yiannis Argyrou in the parking area of an apartment block in the Neapolis area of Limassol.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, plans to link Cyprus and Lebanon with a passenger ferry service, were confirmed on Tuesday by Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades.Elsewhere, the government on Tuesday hit back at opposition party Akel after the latter pilloried President Nikos Christodoulides for his upcoming trip to Israel.Also, Greek and Turkish Cypriot trade unions are to hold a joint event to celebrate Labour Day on May 1 which will see two marches converge in the buffer zone in front of the Ledra Palace hotel.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.