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☆ Greece and Cyprus welcome EU bid to re-engage with Turkey, but urge caution
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis walk during a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus July 31, 2023. The division of Cyprus between its Greek and Turkish Cypriot populations, a source of friction between Greece and Turkey, has also been an impediment. Cyprus was divided after a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a Greek Cypriot coup engineered by the military junta then ruling Greece. It is represented in the EU by an internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot government. In recent years the Turkish Cypriot side has advocated a two-state settlement, rejected by Greek Cypriots.

Persons: Nikos Christodoulides, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Yiannis Kourtoglou, Mitsotakis, Christodoulides, Ersin Tatar, Michele Kambas, Conor Humphries Organizations: Cyprus, REUTERS, Monday, European Union, EU, Christodoulides, Cypriot, United Nations, Turkish Cypriot, Greek, Thomson Locations: Nicosia, Cyprus, Yiannis, Yiannis Kourtoglou NICOSIA, Greece, Turkey, Ankara, Turkish, EU, Cyprus's, Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot

☆ Strong gas business helps to cushion Eni profit fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Italian energy group Eni reported a 49% fall in its adjusted net profit in the second quarter because of weaker commodity prices but a strong performance from its gas business helped it to beat forecasts. Adjusted net profit in the period came in at 1.94 billion euros ($2.13 billion) down from a bumper result of 3.81 billion euros a year ago, but above an analyst consensus of 1.64 billion euros. Eni now expects the gas business to reach an adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) figure of between 2.7 billion and 3.0 billion euros for the year versus previous guidance of 2.0-2.2 billion euros. It also improved its full-year outlook for its low-carbon unit Plenitude and trimmed plans for capital expenditure this year to below 9 billion euros from a previous estimate of 9.2 billion euros. Group's expectation for adjusted EBIT for this year is confirmed at 12 billion euros even after taking into account a weaker oil and gas prices.

Organizations: Eni Locations: Cyprus, Nicosia, Ukraine

☆ Extreme heat in the Mediterranean could dent tourist bookings in future
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“This can be attributed to travelers seeking out less crowded destinations, and milder temperatures,” the association said. This summer’s extreme temperatures follow blistering heat last year. Meanwhile, online searches for northern European destinations increased by 3 percentage points to hit 10%. Southern Europe still popular with BritsDespite rocketing temperatures, countries in southern Europe are still the go-to spots for many vacationers. Spain, Greece and Turkey are still “by far the most popular [destinations],” he said, which hasn’t “changed at all.”— Barbie Latza Nadeau and Chris Liakos contributed reporting.

Persons: Angelos Tzortzinis, Olivier Ponti, ”, —, Johan Lundgren, Giuseppe Napolitano, Thomas Cook, Sean Tipton, hasn’t “, ” — Barbie Latza Nadeau, Chris Liakos Organizations: London CNN —, European Travel Commission, Tourism Council, Tourists, CNN, European Space Agency, ESA, British, Med Locations: London CNN — Spain, Italy, Europe, Brussels, Spain, France, Croatia, Greece, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Ireland, Denmark, Athens, United Kingdom, Rome, Nicosia, Cyprus, Catania, Sicily, Southern Europe, Turkey

☆ The Mediterranean 'island of cats' is facing disaster as 300,000 felines are estimated to have died from COVID, say animal advocates
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An outbreak of feline coronavirus is killing off cats on a Mediterranean island known for its strays. In Cyprus, it is estimated that there are as many cats as there are humans, and it issometimes called the 'island of cats.' But 300,000 have died after a coronavirus outbreak that causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), per media reports quoting Dinos Ayiomamitis of animal rights groups Cat Paws Cyprus and Cyprus Voice for Animals. A new strain of feline coronavirus, Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) -- which is not transmittable to humans -- is wreaking havoc on the cat population of Cyprus, known by some as the "island of cats." Veterinarian Kostis Larkou tends to a cat suffering from Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), at clinic in Nicosia on June 20, 2023.

Persons: issometimes, felines, Dinos, CHRISTINA ASSI, Ayiomamitis, Demetris Epaminondas, Kostis Larkou, Danièlle Gunn, Moore, Nicholas of Organizations: Service, Animals, Cornell University, Getty, Pancyprian Veterinary Association, Daily Mail, University of Edinburgh Locations: Wall, Silicon, Cyprus, Southern Europe, Nicosia, AFP, Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, St

☆ All you need is love, say LGBTQ+ activists on divided Cyprus
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Members of Cyprus's LGBTQ+ communities from both sides attend the annual bi-communal LGBTQ+ Pride at Ledra Palace inside the UN buffer zone in Nicosia, Cyprus, June 17, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis KourtoglouNICOSIA, June 18 (Reuters) - Separated by politics but united in pride, members of LGBTQ+ communities came together in celebration late on Saturday in the no-man's-land that splits Cyprus in two. Cyprus was split by ethnic violence which culminated in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup. Saturday's Pride event is just the second to bring together members of LGBTQ+ communities from both sides of the divide. Activists said that despite the physical boundary, the island's LGBTQ+ communities were becoming more integrated and reflective of a multi-cultural Cyprus which includes ethnicities other than just Turkish and Greek Cypriots.

Persons: Yiannis Kourtoglou, Erman Dolmaci, Dolmaci, Alexandros Efstathiou, Efstathiou, Michele Kambas, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, United, Turkish Cypriot, LGBT Pilipinas, Queer, Thomson Locations: Ledra, Nicosia, Cyprus, Yiannis, Yiannis Kourtoglou NICOSIA, Cyprus's, United Nations, Turkish, Saturday's, Queer Cyprus

☆ The US has a new friend in the Mediterranean that could help it isolate Russia, but not everybody in NATO is happy about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Cyprus long had close ties with Russia, but it has turned to the West in recent years. John YountzHowever, Nicosia has been moving away from Russia and pursuing a closer relationship with the US. "We keep a strong military-to-military relationship with Cyprus," Cavoli said. Unhappy neighborsA UN peacekeeper looks at a map of the buffer zone between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Nicosia in April 2021. ROY ISSA/AFP via Getty ImagesBurgeoning US-Cyprus ties would appear to benefit NATO, but not all of the alliance's members are happy about it.

☆ Senators ask 27 CEOs to make sure their companies comply with child labor laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Laura Strickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The company entered into an agreement with the agency pledging compliance with child labor laws and consented to third-party oversight. This is the second Senate inquiry citing NBC News reporting on child labor. JBS has zero tolerance for child labor, discrimination or unsafe working conditions for anyone working in our facilities. In a local newspaper editorial, Hearthside CEO Darlene Nicosia wrote the revelation of child labor was "a shock and major disappointment to us." Hearthside is in the midst of a 60-day independent review of child labor practices by an outside law firm, according to a spokesperson.

☆ Hello AInstein! Robot with ChatGPT shakes up Cyprus classrooms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Yiannis Kourtoglou | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] High school students Konstantinos Timinis and Vladimir Baranov work on "Alnstein", a robot powered by ChatGPT, in Pascal school in Nicosia, Cyprus, March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis KourtoglouApril 4 (Reuters) - High school students and their tutors in Cyprus have developed a prototype robot powered with ChatGPT artificial intelligence technology to harness and improve teaching experiences in the classroom. Named AInstein, the squat robot created by three Pascal Schools in Cyprus stands roughly the size of a small adult and looks like a sculpted version of the Michelin Man. It is powered with ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by U.S. firm OpenAI and backed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O). Their experience with AInstein showed that AI is not anything to fear, project members said.

☆ 'Cyprus problem' top priority for island's new president
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Nikos Christodoulides sworn in as Cyprus presidentSays solving division 'top priority'Where are the women, opposition asksNICOSIA, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Nikos Christodoulides was sworn in as Cyprus's president on Tuesday, promising to make finding a solution to the "Cyprus problem" his top priority after winning an election runoff on Feb. 12. Cyprus has an executive system of government, with power invested in the presidency and its council of ministers. "A solution to the Cyprus problem is my top priority," he said. Of 25 appointments announced on Monday, 14 were male and 11 female, though there were fewer females in key posts. Reporting by Michele Kambas Editing by Peter Graff and Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Sheltering miles from a nuclear blast may not be enough to survive unless you know where to hide, new calculations show
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( Rupendra Brahambhatt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Scientists simulated a nuclear explosion about 37 times more powerful than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This is the first study that shows the impact that nuclear shockwaves could have on humans indoors. Nuclear war is a terrifying thought, but for a team of researchers at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, it's top of mind. An illustration of the shockwave of a 750-kt nuclear bomb 10 seconds after detonation. The team simulated a nuclear explosion from a 750-kiloton atomic bomb.

☆ Cyprus leaders meet as peace talks remain deadlocked
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Iakovos Hatzistavrou/Pool via REUTERSNICOSIA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Leaders of Cyprus's estranged Greek and Turkish communities met on Thursday as a deadlock persisted in peace talks on the ethnically divided island. The meeting was the first for newly elected Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, the new Greek Cypriot leader, and Ersin Tatar, the Turkish Cypriot leader. Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup, with Greek Cypriots living in its south and Turkish Cypriots in an unrecognised breakaway north. "The present state of affairs cannot be the solution to the Cyprus problem, not for Greek Cypriots, or Turkish Cypriots," Christodoulides said after the two-hour meeting with Tatar. "I didn't hear anything I didn't expect from Mr Tatar," Christodoulides said.

☆ Cypriot diplomats face off in cliffhanger presidential vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Supporters of Cyprus presidential candidate Nikos Christodoulides are seen in front of a poster, at the campaign headquarters a day ahead of the presidential elections, in Nicosia, Cyprus, February 11, 2023. REUTERS/Louiza VradiNICOSIA, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A runoff election on Sunday to select the president of Cyprus pits two career diplomats against each other in what could be a cliffhanger vote that has split the political right. His candidacy was given a boost this week when DISY said its members should vote with their conscience. The DISY leadership were angered after Christodoulides, a former party member, broke ranks to run as an independent. read moreLeading DISY party members have since come out in support of each candidate.

☆ Cyprus probes washed up dead whales, earthquake link possible
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NICOSIA, Feb 10 (Reuters) - A number of whales have washed up dead on the northern shores of Cyprus, authorities said on Friday, possibly affected by the massive earthquakes in neighbouring Turkey and Syria this week. Six beaked whales were found dead on Friday, while a pod of four were found beached on Thursday, the Cyprus department of fisheries and marine research said. Three of the four from Thursday were guided back to sea, while the fourth died, it said in a statement. It was unclear if the dead pod found on Friday included those whales from Thursday that had been returned to the sea, it said. Monday's mega earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which have killed tens of thousands of people, were also felt on the east Mediterranean island.

☆ Cyprus ruling party sits on fence in presidential runoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NICOSIA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Cyprus's ruling right-wing party on Wednesday said its supporters should vote at will in a runoff presidential election on Feb. 12 between a former member of its party, ahead in polls, and a leftist-backed independent following close behind. The decision by the ruling DISY party effectively leaves the outcome of Sunday's runoff wide open; its own candidate came third in the first round of elections on Feb. 5. Polls showed Christodoulides had support of one third of DISY supporters, but his bid had been viewed by party leadership as going rogue. After Sunday, Christodoulides had attempted to mend any rift in an attempt to get DISY party backing. But Neophytou said no member of the party would participate in any new government irrespective of result, referring to 'Judas and apostates' in a party speech.

☆ Cyprus heads to polls to pick new president with runoff expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Michele Kambas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NICOSIA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Cyprus votes on Sunday for a new president in an election unlikely to produce a clear winner, setting the stage for a runoff on Feb. 12. Polling stations will open at 0500 GMT and close at 1600 GMT, with the result expected within two hours of stations closing. Opinion polls suggest none of the frontrunners will muster an outright majority, leading to a runoff. "On foreign policy I think Christodoulides is going to be closer to how Anastasiades has been in his final years," she added, calling that policy "more assertive". Cyprus has complied with all EU sanctions against Russia, a close ally, following the war in Ukraine.

☆ Cyprus poll draws record 14 candidates, unlikely to produce clear winner
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Michele Kambas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Among a record 14 candidates, the race for the top job comes down to three hopefuls who were close aides of incumbent right-wing President Nicos Anastasiades, but are now bitter rivals. Diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis, the third candidate backed by opposition left-wing AKEL, was the government's chief negotiator in reunification talks with Turkish Cypriots. Opinion polls say Christodoulides, 49, will sail through to the second round, leaving Neophytou and Mavroyiannis battling it out for second place on Feb. 12. Christodoulides is supported by roughly a third of DISY voters and has backing from centrist parties which are hardliners in reunification talks. Under his watch, Cyprus gave passports to thousands of rich foreigners in a system critics said was fundamentally flawed.

☆ Factbox: How long will it take Ukraine to join EU?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While the EU backs Ukraine and supports democratic and economic reforms there, Kyiv's hopes to quickly join the 27-nation EU are set to be dashed. Ukraine applied to join shortly after the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion and last June received a formal candidate status from the EU, which cast it as a bold geo-political move. Ukraine will have to transpose its national law to extensive EU legal standards from climate to labour to health, among others. Beyond that, the EU highlights reforms necessary to ensure that courts are free from political meddling and the rights of minorities respected in Ukraine. With some 44 million people, Ukraine would be the fifth-biggest EU country after Germany, France, Italy and Spain, giving it large influence on the bloc's decisions.

☆ Vote for me! Cyprus clerics scramble to get public vote
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus is one of the few Orthodox Churches worldwide to recognise the independence of the fellow-Orthodox Church of Ukraine, in a move which triggered a rift within the Cypriot church in 2020. Chrysostomos had recognised the independence of the Ukrainian church away from Moscow's influence, butting heads with clerics considered pro-Russian. Today it has business interests as diverse as real estate to Cyprus's award-winning KEO beer. "In Cyprus the flock has the privilege of choosing who will be its shepherd," said theologian Theodoros Kyriakou. Reporting by Michele Kambas, Editing by Louise HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ EU struggles with Russian oil price cap, talks to resume when positions converge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Jan Strupczewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There will be a meeting of representatives of all EU countries once there is progress. Diplomats said that six of the EU's 27 countries opposed the price cap level proposed by the G7. Russian Urals crude oil already trades within the discussed range at around $68 per barrel. "That means the proposed cap would either be the same as, or slightly higher than, the price Russian oil is fetching on the open market. It would be, in other words, another price cap that does not cap," the Eurointelligence think tank said in a note.

☆ Cyprus regulator requested FTX EU suspend operations Nov. 9
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NICOSIA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Cyprus's Securities and Exchange Commission asked FTX EU to suspend its operations on Nov. 9, the regulator said on Friday. "The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, November 9th, called upon the Cypriot Investment Firm FTX EU Ltd to suspend its operations and to proceed immediately with a number of actions for the protection of the investors," a statement from the Commission said. FTX had announced in September that it had received approval from the Cypriot regulator to operate as a Cyprus Investment Firm, allowing the company to fully own a local investment firm it had previously acquired, and operate in Europe. "The Company is regulated by CySEC under the provision of Investment Services Law and is authorised to provide investment services in Derivatives and/or other financial instruments. However, it is not licensed by CySEC to engage in the direct trading of crypto assets," CySEC said.

☆ Cyprus MPs launch inquiry into spyware development on the island
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NICOSIA, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Cyprus's parliament opened an inquiry on Wednesday into the development of spyware on the island, after a draft European Parliament committee investigation report said it was an important export hub for the surveillance industry. The report cited Cypriot officials as saying 'three to four' companies produce spyware on the island. "Its been confirmed that Cyprus is a greenhouse for companies which produce spyware ... which has political backing," said MP Aristos Damianou of the opposition AKEL party, which sought the parliamentary inquiry. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades last week said any involvement of Cyprus in spyware surveillance in other countries was 'imaginary'. NSO, which sells its Pegasus spyware to government agencies, says it is a powerful tool in the fight against crime and terrorism.

☆ Head of Cyprus Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos, dies aged 81
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NICOSIA, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The head of Cyprus's dominant Orthodox Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, died on Monday, his doctors said. The Church of Cyprus, an independent branch of the Eastern Orthodox communion, traces its lineage back to Barnabas, one of Christ's first followers. In Nicosia, a group of priests in flowing black robes were seen carrying a coffin from the Archbishopric, where Chrysostomos died, to a nearby church. Chrysostomos, who was elected archbishop in 2006, had been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, head of the estimated 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, said he was "deeply moved" by Chrysostomos's death.

☆ Euro zone may be facing recession but rate hikes necessary, ECB's Makhlouf says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NICOSIA, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The euro zone economy may be facing a recession but rate hikes remain absolutely necessary because persistently high inflation is damaging the economy and stability, European Central Bank policymaker Gabriel Makhlouf said on Tuesday. "The euro area is facing a difficult combination of high inflation and low economic growth, including the possibility of a technical recession," Makhlouf, Ireland's central bank governor said in Cyprus. "History teaches us that these issues will only be exacerbated if we delay action and raising interest rates is absolutely necessary as persistent inflation is damaging to macroeconomic stability." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Balazs Koranyi; Editing by Jon BoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A quiet US move in the Mediterranean may help put more pressure on Russia, but not everyone in NATO is happy about it
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US lifted its 35-year-old arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus in September. But the US decision has rankled Turkey, which is at odds with NATO ally Greece over the island. Increased cooperationThe Cypriot Underwater Demolition Team and US Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Europe train in Cyprus in September 2021. "This is a landmark decision, reflecting the burgeoning strategic relationship between the two countries, including in the area of security," Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades said after the announcement. Cyprus is one of many points of contention between Greece and Turkey, whose worsening relations have worried other NATO members.

☆ Cyprus to revoke 10 more passports issued under discredited citizenship scheme
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou/File PhotoNICOSIA, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Cyprus on Wednesday said it would strip citizenship from 10 individuals, among thousands who benefited from a cash-for-passports scheme which collapsed under accusations of corruption in 2020. Cyprus gave passports to more than 7,000 people under a citizenship scheme which in its final form gave citizenship to individuals investing a minimum 2 million euros. Six individuals have already had their passports revoked, Parisinou added. Two official investigations have said the scheme ran without adequate oversight, with one report suggesting some investment transactions could have been fictitious. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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