Cyprus Beat

In today’s episode, an earthquake was felt in Cyprus and in southern Turkey, Syria and Lebanon about 7pm on Monday. In other news, House President Annita Demetriou is poised to throw her hat in the running for DISY’s upcoming leadership elections, ahead of the deadline for submitting candidacies today.  And an investigation has been launched into an incident regarding a patient who was left n...

In today's episode, President-elect Nikos Christodoulides will do everything possible to achieve some kind of result during his informal meeting next week with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, he said on Sunday. In other news, Archimandrite Tychik o s Vry o nis, Archimandrite Ioannis Ioannou and Bishop Amathountos Nikolaos have made the top three in the elections for a new bishop of Paphos; the...

In today’s episode, there’s the latest on President-elect Nikos Christodoulides who will meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar next week. Elsewhere, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said his time in politics has come to a close after 10 years. There’s also the continued aid drive by Cyprus for the earthquake victims in neighbouring Turkey and Syria. And don’t miss the latest carnival...

In today's episode, President-elect Nikos Christodoulides met with Disy leader Averof Neophytou at the former’s political office on Wednesday, with both saying it was time to turn the page on the bitterness of the election campaign. Left-wing Akel made a similar assertion, after its general-secretary Stefanos Stefanou held a meeting with Christodoulides. Stefanou heard Christodoulides’ plans to dr...

In today’s episode, as the leadership race in the island’s largest party heats up, its current number two Harris Georgiades has announced his candidacy. In other news, a man who committed the “extremely vile” crimes of sexually abusing three children and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in a “blatantly inadequate sentence” has now had his sentence extended for a further five years by the Suprem...

In today's episode, a day after Nikos Christodoulides was voted in as Cyprus’ elected president, the horse trading over cabinet members appeared to be in full swing. The president-elect has highlighted his cabinet will be formed by new faces, people who have not served as ministers before. In other news, a Turkish Cypriot mother and earthquake survivor, who lost her 11-year-old daughter in the wre...

In today's episode, Nikos Christodoulides was on Sunday voted the eighth President of the Republic, with the day ending in a declaration ceremony at Eleftheria Stadium in Nicosia which rocked to cheers of his name, applause and loud music. Christodoulides, aged 49, secured 51.97 per cent of the vote. Speaking from the podium, he said “the Cypriot people have spoken,” and called on everyone to leav...

In today's episode, President Nicos Anastasiades may take a public position in relation to the situation shaping up in the second round of the elections on Sunday after ruling Disy decided that party members should adopt a conscience vote between Nikos Christodoulides and Akel-backed Andreas Mavroyiannis. Meanwhile, hope is dwindling for the group of Turkish Cypriots trapped under the rubble of th...

In today’s episode, dozens of Turkish Cypriot children remained buried for a third day yesterday under the rubble of a devastating earthquake that killed thousands across southern Turkey and in Syria. Also, Turkey has accepted Cyprus’ offer to send rescue teams to provide humanitarian aid to people affected by the devastating earthquake that claimed the lives of over 11,000 people. Disy’s parliame...

In today's episode, the marathon Disy political bureau meeting on Tuesday night called to settle its stance going into the second round of the presidential election eventually backed a free vote and a party place in the opposition. Meanwhile, seven Turkish Cypriots were reported dead on Tuesday from the large-scale earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria the day before, while efforts...

In today’s episode, DISY leader Averof Neophytou met the two remaining candidates on Monday as the party continued to deliberate on its course in the presidential election following Neophytou’s exclusion from the final round, a decision that is expected today. In other news, the Cyprus government on Monday said it was saddened by the fatal earthquakes in Turkey and said it is ready to send help. S...

In today’s episode, presidential hopefuls Nikos Christodoulides and Andreas Mavroyiannis will fight it out in the runoff this week after a tough battle on Sunday, which has left out DISY leader Averof Neophytou. Elsewhere, a number of voters have reported they received text messages from presidential candidates calling on them to go vote. Meanwhile, Archbishop Georgios voted in Paphos, singling ou...

In today's episode, Energy Minister Natasa Pilides announced that another €35 million is being allocated in subsidies for people to upgrade their homes to be more energy efficient following the success of the previous round of grants. Meanwhile, Cyprus has been classed as a ‘flawed democracy’, ranking 37th in the list of countries analysed by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2022 Democracy Index....

In today's episode, with independent candidate Achilleas Demetriades being the latest to publish his detailed funding for the election campaign, presidential hopeful Nikos Christodoulides is left as one of the ‘bigger’ candidates that has yet to reveal any details as to the source of his election funds. Meanwhile, the children’s specially designated accidents and emergencies department has started...

In today’s episode, AKEL-backed presidential candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis on Tuesday accused his rival Nikos Christodoulides of stealing one of his ideas – for the third time. In other news, the head of the fledgling deputy ministry for research and innovation on Tuesday, Kyriakos Kokkinos, said the digital journey of the government has started. And Cyprus Airways will start three weekly flights...

In today's episode, Wind Energy Association Secretary Christos Tsingis said yesterday that the state must immediately install a centralised renewable energy storage system, and that it was unacceptable for the public to be encouraged to continue with residential photovoltaic installations. In other news, Interior Minister Nicos Nouris admitted mistakes in the management of the citizenship-by-inves...

In today’s episode, the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (Unficyp) will be extended for a period of one year instead of the usual six months. Elsewhere, the final step in removing oil and gas facilities from Larnaca’s beachfront has taken place, opening the way for its development. There’s also the theft of a bronze statue in Paphos and the agriculture ministry’s clarification that t...

In today's episode, Cyprus came to a standstill yesterday as thousands of workers across all sectors went on a three-hour, island-wide strike over an impasse between the government and unions on the full restoration of the cost-of-living allowance. Meanwhile, President Nicos Anastasiades ‘challenged’ UN Special Representative Colin Stewart to set the record straight by either denying or confirming...

In today's episode, Cyprus will go into an effective standstill for three hours on Thursday, disrupting everything from schools, airlines, court cases and public transport and other sectors. The nationwide strike set to begin at 12pm and end at 3pm is linked to demands for the cost-of-living allowance. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old man suspected of beating to death a 16-year-old girl in the north surre...

In today’s episode, the transport ministry has warned that a general strike being held around the island on Thursday is set to affect travellers as airlines operating at Larnaca and Paphos airports are scrambling to reschedule flights. Elsewhere, Lycavitos police station in Nicosia appears to have been among the targets of a criminal organisation based in Greece. There’s also the announcement that...

In today’s episode, police on Monday rejected claims of “amateur handling” of anti-riot operations during violent incidents on Sunday during the memorial for EOKA leader Grivas Digenis in Limassol. In other news, presidential candidate Averof Neophytou unveiled his income tax proposal, dubbing it "the most radical reform ever in Cyprus" and claiming it would generate major savings for nearly 130,0...

In today’s episode, an investigation team has been set up to identify those involved in throwing stones and Molotov cocktails on Sunday during a fight that broke out in Limassol during a memorial service for Eoka leader Georgios Grivas Digenis. In other news, “One of the priorities of the existing government was to create the conditions for the provision of high quality medical and pharmaceutical...

In today's episode, Russia could not have expected Cyprus to disagree with Europe's collective decisions and ought to engage in a little self-criticism, President Nicos Anastasiades said. His comments came as a response to statements made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who said that Moscow had noted the transformation of Cyprus’ leadership. Meanwhile, Health Minster Michalis Hadjipantel...

In today's episode, David Hunter’s daughter begged him over the phone to stay alive in the minutes after he killed his terminally ill wife Janice and then attempted suicide. Paphos court on Wednesday was shown video footage between Hunter and his daughter in which she sought to focus the 74-year-old on staying alive. Meanwhile, Peo trade union said on Wednesday that about three out of four workers...

In today's episode, Cyprus is “one of the weakest links” in international efforts to seize the assets of sanctioned Russian nationals, while the island hosts dozens of active shell companies that can be traced back to Russian oligarchs, a report by the American news network CBS showed. Meanwhile, the education ministry said on Tuesday it will find an alternative solution for the 250 students who f...