The Cyprus News Digest in collaboration with the Cyprus Mail

We hear the inside story of the Madleen as she sailed to break the blockade of Gaza and was hijacked by Israeli forces; citizens in Nicosia protest against the Municipal Council's plans to reopen Makarios Avenue to traffic; the Zero Trace festival takes place this weekend in Limassol.

As attempts to solve the Cyprus problem falter again, the property issue is taking on new dimensions that could impact both sides; we hear from a doctor who was on the Madleen, sailing to break Israel's blockade of Gaza when it was boarded by Israeli forces in a clear act of piracy. 

The International Monetary Fund warns Cyprus over its inflated public sector wage bill; Becky's Button aims to keep women across the globe safe from attack

A huge demonstration in Nicosia condemns the Cyprus government's complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza; an Israeli doctor from Physicians for Human Rights - Israel, who has relocated to Cyprus, says Israel is silencing opposition from within.

We are warned not to disturb turtles during the nesting season: umbrellas and sunbeds are forbidden close to nests; boats are banned from turtle beaches and swimming too close and feeding them are also against the law; Cyprus fails to join other nations calling for aid to be allowed unimpeded into Gaza; Systema Cyprus issues an appeal for unused musical instruments.

We follow an activist who is on a 5-day hunger strike sitting in an olive tree in Nicosia to highlight the plight of starving Palestinians in Gaza. 

We have a water crisis because of political expediency and years of a lack of proper planning; the Akrotiri Festival takes place this weekend.

In a landmark decision for environmental protection, the Administrative Court has issued an interim order halting the construction of a new port in Pentakomo close to a protected area.

The gender pay gap in Cyprus is going UP: why do some companies pay their female staff less than men for doing the same job? Processionary caterpillars defoliate our pine trees, but they don't kill them; will there be water rationing this summer?

The Hotel Association asks for more time to comply with safety regulations; a variety of guided tours of Nicosia start this weekend and run until December.

Is Cyprus still doing pushbacks? Why do we not have a clear picture of what happened to migrant boats in our seas last week? 70 former state officials are receiving multiple pensions and 28 serving officials are taking a salary AND a pension from a previous post.

The cost of the Vassiliko project goes up AGAIN, but while the government assures us it's doing everything to reduce sky-high electricity bills, how honest is it being? From April 2nd, you may need an Electronic Travel Authorisation to enter the UK.

We talk - yet again - about multiple pensions for government employees when ordinary citizens are struggling to pay their bills; the flamingo population in the Akrotiri wetland has dropped dramatically since development was allowed in surrounding areas.

An open discussion next week will examine growing police repression and the right to peaceful assembly and protest in Cyprus; carnival celebrations have a huge environmental impact: what can we do to make it more sustainable? 

How do you find out if your car is on the recall list and shouldn't be driven? What needs to be done to save more of our heritage buildings from the bulldozer?

How is Cyprus dealing with the regional struggles in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon? There's an open discussion at the University of Cyprus next week; and we hear about a seminar on new tools to combat the trafficking of cultural property.    

A spike in 'flu cases has seen dozens of children hospitalised - what symptoms should you look out for? Mavrokolympos dam breaks, leading to a major water loss; CSR Cyprus promotes sustainability and responsibility and its membership is growing - and even if your company is not a member you can enter their 'best practice' competition.

There's been an increase in reports about abuse of the elderly; United Cyprus is calling for more crossing points to be opened and Friends of the Earth have two upcoming workshops on climate change and biodiversity.

Invasive species are threatening Cyprus' citrus plantations, prickly pears and palm trees; the Environment department gives the go-ahead to a wind farm project that is subject to European Commission infringement proceedings.

The issue of faulty and potentially dangerous airbags rumbles on; new rules issued by some government Ministers threaten transparency and press freedom; Sistema Cyprus teams up with its Greek counterpart for its last concert of the year.

We quiz the Transport Minister about delayed and cancelled government contracts: he says the Paphos-Polis highway will be delivered in 3 years' time; experts from Sweden brief Cypriot hoteliers on sustainable practices in the tourism industry.

We talk to the Deputy Commissioner General for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) about the catastrophic situation in Gaza. 

Cyprus' Foreign Minister admits that nowhere near enough aid is getting into Gaza; the AgrOassis project aims to build climate change resilience in regions that are prone to desertification: it will also improve the life of Cypriot farmers.

Critically endangered griffon vultures are dying in Cyprus due to inaction by the authorities; a UCy project studies microplastics; the Mind Body Spirit festival takes place this weekend, and it's Italian Cuisine week

The Deputy Minister of Innovation outlines progress towards digitisation: your e-wallet should be available by year's end; Rotary is collecting winter coats and jackets for vulnerable families; an upcoming lecture will look at attitudes to adultery in Cyprus - and across the world.

Two upcoming events: a film that highlights the scourge of tuberculosis in Cyprus in the 1930s, and a journey through Nicosia recounting the folk tales of marginalised people living in European cities

Cyprus gets its first electric vessel that will survey our coastal waters; polyphenols in olive oil can have significant health benefits: volunteers are needed for a new study into the effects of a supplement on metabolic syndrome parameters; an upcoming festival celebrates Cyprus' longest river

This week it's all about Human Rights: malfeasance in the north of Cyprus, the 2024 Global Frontline Defenders Award and we talk to the Cypriot winner of that award.   --

Cyprus is elected to the UN Human Rights Council despite being found guilty by the European Court of Human Rights of infringing human rights; only 30% of Cypriots have access to bomb shelters - do you know where your nearest one is? An upcoming festival celebrates our ancient olive trees

The dismissal of Cyprus' Auditor General has raised some serious questions; join the Nicosia Dog Shelter next weekend for a Dog's Day Out.

The Ecological Movement is reporting Cyprus to the EU for mismanagement of waste disposal and possible misuse of European funds; 21st September is International Day of Peace, and there will be celebrations at the Home For Cooperation in the buffer zone 

We talk to two MPs who are preparing several bills to address the contentious issue of government employees receiving multiple pensions along with their salaries.

Will the Aphrodite gas field ever be exploited? Will the Vassiliko project ever come to fruition? Who is responsible for giving the go-ahead (or not) to the Great Sea Interconnector? Cyprus faces several energy conundrums, and the government postpones decisions yet again.

The rape of our environment continues: an illegal construction impinges on our waterways and there are plans to put sunbeds on one of our iconic beaches; the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra launches a competition to find talented young soloists; the interconnector saga rumbles on.

The so-called 'fake news' bill will stifle criticism of public figures and freedom of speech: journalists could end up in jail. Cyprus' coasts may be irrevocably changed and biodiversity destroyed if proposed new breakwaters are allowed to be constructed. 

As the government mulls penalising obstetricians and gynaecologists for carrying out an excessive number of caesarean sections, the doctors counter that women should be educated about the benefits of natural birth and the disadvantages of caesareans. The fake news law will gag free speech and independent journalism.

The Health Minister discusses the shortage of nurses and midwives, disputes about doctors' pay and the shortcomings in the laws governing medical ethics and disciplining doctors found guilty of misconduct.

As the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of the island approaches, are there any hopes for a solution to the Cyprus problem?

Cyprus is flouting International Law, Human Rights and the Geneva Convention in its treatment of the 'buffer zone migrants'; cool off in Platres, as it hosts its annual Lavender Festival this weekend

Will the new EU Parliament roll back plans to restore nature, and what impact would this have on farmers and our environment? The Cyprus Women's Bicommunal Coalition is mobilising support for a more inclusive approach to solving the Cyprus problem. 

We need to rethink our approach to energy efficient buildings; the 'Life With Vultures' project will continue until the griffon vulture population in Cyprus is sustainable; the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra & Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra team up for a final concert. 

What do the recent elections tell us about Cypriot politics? Cyprus is breaking International and EU law by pushing asylum seekers into the Buffer Zone; there have been some improvements to the plans for the Akamas National Park, but there's still a serious threat to protected areas

Wild donkeys in northern Cyprus are multiplying so fast that a Turkish newspaper has suggested they be euthanised; the Stelios Foundation issues a call for applications from Youth Entrepreneurs with 100,000 euros in prizes. 

"Immigration: Five questions" is the title of a discussion organised by the OPEK Association for Social Reform that will be live streamed tonight and the discussants will take questions from the audience; 'Birds in the Air' is a family event on Sunday in the Athalassa National Forest Park

What impact will the ICC prosecutor's request for warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders have on events in the Middle East and elsewhere? The Cyprus Integrity Forum calls for more oversight of GESY; the Refugee Council prepares for its annual street Festival.

Could arbitration be the solution to solving the Cyprus Problem? We talk to a renowned arbitration lawyer who is the keynote speaker at a conference tonight in Nicosia.

We get the lowdown on the upcoming elections from the Chief Returning Officer; a new book lifts the lid on American involvement in Cyprus in the '60s and '70s

The Education Minister promises reforms and the introduction of critical thinking in our schools;  the Fire Service gears up for the wildfire season; the Interior Ministry is investigating fraudulent voter registrations.

A bee park opens outside Nicosia; Cypriot winemakers showcase their products; young people compete at the SCyence Fair; Systema Cyprus teams up with young french musicians for Melange Musical.

The government mulls charging for the park and ride scheme; large numbers of jellyfish are lurking off the south coast; demonstrators vent their anger at President Christodoulides' lacklustre response to Israel's continued atrocities in Gaza.

Israel denies deliberately targeting aid workers in Gaza, while reactions to the assassination elicit differing responses; 'All you need to know about photovoltaics': a public lecture at the University of Cyprus and there's more illegal building by the Church.