Cyprus Beat

In this episode, Limassol police have launched a murder inquiry after Christos Charilaou, aged 39, was killed outside his Parekklisia home in Limassol on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Sixteen kilos of cannabis was found in the luggage of a man arriving at Larnaca airport, police said on Sunday. Elswhere, Cyprus has taken the necessary steps at all levels, the foreign ministry confirmed on Sunday afte...

In today’s episode, over €30 million in pandemic support was disbursed to almost 5,000 beneficiaries who did not qualify, and no effort has been made to recover the money, MPs heard on Thursday. Elsewhere, by a nearly unanimous vote, and under the watchful eye of Brussels, parliament on Thursday passed a law allowing for a reduced VAT rate of 5 per cent levied on first homes. Also, a trial for two...

In today's episode, a bill aiming to regulate the contentious issue of government advisors was discussed at the House institutions committee on Wednesday. After weeks of ridicule over questionable appointments for ministerial advisors, the government shared an unofficial draft of the bill with MPs. Meanwhile, the Nicosia criminal court threw out the ‘golden passports’ case on Wednesday, citing...

In today's episode, the five youths who assaulted a food courier on Saturday “showed great remorse for their actions,” Limassol police spokesman Lefteris Kyriacou said on Tuesday. In other news, the 24-year-old suspect facing charges of the premeditated murder of missing 31-year-old Angelos Perikleous – presumed dead – appeared in Nicosia criminal court on Tuesday. And experts on Tuesday warne...

In today's episode, the environment department gave the green light for a large photovoltaic park in Trimiklini, despite the local community’s initial objections. In other news, police on Tuesday reported that a third person seems to have been involved in the assault of a 25-year-old Turkish Cypriot woman in Ayia Napa. And the government will make full use of recommendations by the Group of St...

In today’s episode, Larnaca criminal court erupted into chants of “filthy rapist” after former Kiti bishop Chrysostomos was handed a 12-month suspended prison sentence for three years. Elsewhere, Health Minister Dr Popi Kanari said that Covid-19 prevented the adoption of quality checks within the national health scheme, an issue the new government plans to tackle. In other news, the family of a 17...

In today’svepisode, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou dismissed media reports on Wednesday which downplayed the government’s reorientation on energy as “wrong”, stating that energy companies and the government are on the same page. Elsewhere, Nicosia district court ruled that the Republic of Cyprus violated the human rights of former defence minister Costas Papacostas during his incarceration i...

In today's episode, tourism to Cyprus seems to have recovered from Russian sanctions as arrivals so far this year are eight per cent higher than the record year of 2019 and 38 per cent higher than last year, Deputy Tourism Minister Kostas Koumis told MPs. In other news, the sports ethics committee has appointed investigators to look into four top-flight matches, which were played in the last f...

In today’s episode, the president vowed that Cyprus is shifting gears to end its energy isolation and it is uniquely positioned to contribute to the Eastern Mediterranean’s energy solutions. Elsewhere, the European Commission disagreed with parliament’s compromise proposal over reduced VAT on homes, amid an impending deadline just over a week from now. There’s also Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tat...

In today's episode, Energy Minister Giorgos Papanastasiou said the energy workshop taking place on Monday in Nicosia is the first significant milestone in shaping the decisions for the national energy policy. Meanwhile, authorities are investigating the causes of the fire that broke out near Akamas area over the weekend and destroyed 300,000 square metres of forest vegetation. Elsewhere, the e...

In today's episode, the Electricity Authority of Cyprus is partly to blame for Cyprus’ energy woes and high prices, but the state has let the people down, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou said on Thursday. Meanwhile, German chancellor Olaf Scholz said it will take great courage to break the impasse on the Cyprus problem negotiations, questioning whether all sides have enough willpower to d...

Former President Nikos Anastasiades again strongly rejected “malicious allegations” over interference in match-fixing investigations on Wednesday as former chairman of the sports ethics committee Andreas Papacharalambous doubled down on his claims. Elsewhere, a 67-year-old man was on Wednesday found guilty of causing the catastrophic fires of July 2021 which left four dead and forced the evacuatio...

In today's episode, retired British miner David Hunter did everything he could to help his terminally ill wife Janice as her condition deteriorated in the last few years of her life and became increasingly depressed, the Paphos criminal court heard on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Attorney-general Giorgos Savvides said that the audit service is engaging in character assassination and overstepping the li...

In today's episode, Deputy attorney-general Savvas Angelides delivered a stinging verbal attack on the auditor-general, whom he accused of a deliberate and concerted campaign to blacken his name, vowing that he would no longer put up with this situation. In other news, Medical experts and cancer patients alike hope to see new and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the disease...

In today’s episode, Cyprus strongly condemned Turkey’s move to reserve areas for naval exercises encompassing north Famagusta. Elsewhere, over 90 per cent of Greek nationals living in Cyprus cast their vote for Greece’s parliamentary elections, which ended with New Democracy having a clear lead. There’s also the latest Cyprus Mail report which detailed the ongoing stress caused to residents in Pis...

In today’s episode, cabinet revoked the Cypriot citizenship of Malaysian-born Jho Low, a fugitive wanted internationally for allegedly orchestrating the theft of $4.5 billion from the Southeast Asian country’s sovereign wealth fund. Elsewhere, three law firms have been reported to the police over suspicions they have violated EU sanctions, the Cyprus Bar Association said. There’s also the row betw...

In today's episode, President Christodoulides discussed his proposal for a more active EU role in the efforts to resume talks and reach a solution of the Cyprus problem, as well as the next steps forward during separate meetings he had with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and European Council President Charles Michel. Meanwhile, Cyprus is 29th out of 49 countries in the Council of Europe when...

In today's episode, the Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the appeal of Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz against his extradition to Germany, as President Nikos Christodoulides said he will raise the issue with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin next week while on a state visit. In other news, MPs on Tuesday sought to put an end to the discrimination among refugees by amending the law to allow...

In this episode, British pensioner David Hunter, who killed wife, told the court he ‘regretted what he had to do’. Elsewhere, the payment of the cost of living allowance could saddle taxpayers with a whopping €1.2 billion over the next three-year period, it was reported on Monday. In other news, the energy minister said Cyprus and Israel are working on a deal for a pipeline carrying natural gas fr...

In today's episode, Diko is proud to have played a decisive role in the “selection, support and election of Nikos Christodoulides to the presidency of the Republic,” party leader Nicholas Papadopoulos said on Sunday saying the party had backed “an independent candidate who was not part of the traditional political system”. Meanwhile, the traffic police have been kept busy with more than 2,300...

In today’s episode, the government promised to deliver a ‘road map’ on tackling traffic congestion – but also pollution from vehicles – while warning that Cyprus could end up paying tens of millions for carbon allowances for emissions from transport. In other news, Nicosia criminal court on Thursday handed down sentences to four persons, having found them guilty of fraudulently securing papers all...

In this episode, following heavy criticism in the last few days about people being given government jobs they were not qualified for, President Nikos Christodoulides said a bill will be drawn up to deal with the issue of consultant appointments. In other news, there has been no impact to Cyprus’ financial stability as a result of recent US and UK sanctions, only to its international reputation, Ce...

In today's episode, President Nikos Christodoulides said the government has received the first batch of information on natural and legal persons included on the US sanctions list, while two more packages are expected soon. In other news, a final call by David Hunter’s defence team to have his wife’s killing tried as manslaughter as opposed to premeditated murder failed on Tuesday, after the ju...

In this episode, President Christodoulides assured that nothing will be done outside the law after the audit office lambasted the deputy tourism minister’s decision to appoint a 19-year-old without a university degree as his associate. Elsewhere, the trial of Briton David Hunter resumed at Paphos criminal court, where prosecution aimed to get the facts on record of how police were alerted to the m...

In today's episode, authorities were looking for a 25-year-old man to shed light into the premediated murder case of a 35-year-old woman whose body was found in a Germasoya apartment early on Sunday. The woman was found half-naked, bound and gagged on the ground of the Limassol apartment around 1am. Meanwhile, the uncle of the man suspected of killing 31-year-old Andreas Perikleous, a 24-year-...