Cyprus Beat

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.

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, turkey is planning to start drilling for natural gas off the coast of Cyprus “in the near future”, Turkish Petroleum Corporation (Tpao) research and development centre department head Muhammet Fatih Ayyildiz said on Tuesday.After a weekend marred by law breaking behaviour at Easter bonfires, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis on Tuesday said he would write to the Supreme Court to request that cases involving people arrested in “serious cases of juvenile delinquency” over the Easter weekend proceed to trial immediately.Elsewhere, President Nikos Christodoulides will attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.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, families preparing their Easter feasts this year will face higher prices at the checkout, with some vegetables nearly tripling in cost, according to new data.Elsewhere, the Great Sea Interconnector project was absent from announcements and discussions in Greece following a meeting of the country's National Security Council (Kysea)Also, the government is to create a national unit for the implementation of financial sanctions, Finance Minister Makis Keravnos said.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, Cyprus' average monthly salary reached “almost €2,500” last year, Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou said.Elsewhere, Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar called on central Asian Turkic states to “be more careful”, amid a wave of anger in Turkey after five central Asian countries signed a joint declaration with the European Union which ruled out the prospect of any of them recognising the north as an independent country.Also, over 200 alien marine species have been recorded in the waters off Cyprus, fisheries department officer Katerina Georgiou said.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, fresh discussions on the Cost of Living Allowance (CoLA) are set to resume after the Easter holiday, according to reports on Monday. Elsewhere, dilling at the Elektra-1 well in Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone has located natural gas, though not in quantities large enough for commercial use, the energy ministry said on Monday.Also, the court of appeals has rejected a man's attempt to overturn a €1,350 fine he received for wearing a face mask below his chin during the Covid-19 pandemic.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, serious concerns over delays in locating and informing car owners about safety recalls, particularly those involving defective Takata airbags, were raised on Wednesday during testimony before a parliamentary committee investigating the vehicle recall system in Cyprus.Elsewhere, Limassol district court ruled on Wednesday that the remains of murdered conscript Thanasis Nicolaou must be handed over to his family for reburial within seven days.Also, the government's proposed legislation to regulate traditional Easter bonfires—known as “lambriadjies”—will not be passed before Easter, it was confirmed on Wednesday.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, a staggering 44 per cent of workers would consider moving to another country for better pay, Sek trade union said on Tuesday.Elsewhere, a village priest accused of disturbing the peace with prolonged and too loud church bell ringing appeared before the Nicosia District Court on Tuesday facing a total of 20 charges.Also, a new list of harsher sentences for crimes against animals appeared in the north's official gazette, paving the way for those found guilty of crimes against animals to receive lengthy jail terms.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. 

In today's episode, bill has been submitted to the United States' House of Representative which foresees the permanent lifting of the US arms embargo in place against Cyprus since 1987.Elsewhere, data published on Monday captured the scale of traffic congestion on the main roads of the island, with the Limassol bypass shown to be the busiest.Also, a 49-year-old man from Sweden was on Monday sentenced to 18 months in prison after having escaped from police custody at a private clinic in Larnaca in December.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, April 1 is a milestone in the history of Cyprus, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday night addressing an event to mark 70 years since the Eoka struggle against British rule started.Elsewhere, three teenagers were arrested on Tuesday after a 16-year-old reported he was attacked by 15 people the previous day outside a church in Pyrgos, Limassol.Also, football clubs that owe the state millions in tax have apparently received a new reprieve until the end of April to repay part of their debts.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, two lorries crashed on the Nicosia-Limassol motorway near Choirokoitia on Monday, closing all lanes. Both drivers were seriously injured and taken to hospital.Elsewhere, the government has requested an additional €70 million to complete the long-delayed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Vasiliko, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou told MPs on Monday. Also, April 1 marks 70 years since the start of the Eoka uprising (1955-1959) against British rule.All this and more in today's Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.