Cyprus Beat

In today's episode and with the summer at its peak, deputy minister for tourism Constantinos Koumis said tourist arrivals to the island have increased by 32 per cent this year, and expressed the hope that visitors will continue to flow to the island until November.

Elsewhere, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres intends to make moves to solve the Cyprus problem before the end of his mandate, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Britain remains unwavering in its support for efforts for a UN-based solution to the Cyprus problem and encourages all sides to persevere and pursue a solution, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday.

All this and more in today’s Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the attorney-general’s office filed an appeal on Thursday over Briton David Hunter’s two-year sentence for killing his terminally ill wife.

The appeal is on both the grounds of Hunter’s sentence as well the verdict. He was found guilty of manslaughter rather than premeditated murder.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court rejected a case brought forward by Turkish Cypriots in mixed marriages with Turkish nationals seeking Cyprus citizenship for their children, citing that the individuals involved in the case are not “stateless”.

Elsewhere, the education ministry has pledged a total of €149 million for the maintenance and improvement of school buildings across Cyprus.

All this and more in the Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today’s episode, the government insists that the ongoing row between health minister Popi Kanari and the ministry’s permanent secretary Christina Yiannaki is an “internal matter for the ministry”.

Kanari and Yiannaki have been engaged in a very public war of words since Monday, when Kanari called on Yiannaki to provide proof of her dentistry degree from Cairo university, and proof that she could speak English. Yiannaki has so far refused.

Elsewhere, the Cyprus Public Transport announced that from September 1 the cost of a single route bus ticket in the Larnaca and Nicosia districts will increase from €2 to €2.40.

There’s also the development that Cyprus, along with all countries that imposed sanctions on Russia, have had their double taxation agreements suspended. 

All these and more in your Daily News Briefing, brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, Director of the Forestry Department Charalambos Alexandrou said due to the relentless heatwave this July, the number of fires within the department’s area of responsibility totalled 70. In other news, drivers got hit with substantial price hikes at the petrol pump on Tuesday, with officials saying the public should probably brace for even more bad news. And a new reception centre for migrants in Limnes is a milestone in strengthening Cyprus' capacity to manage migration pressures more effectively, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Tuesday.

All these stories and more in your Daily News Briefing, brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. For more news updates, visit www.cyprus-mail.com

In today’s episode, the fire in the foothills of the Limassol mountains is completely under control and has no active front though firefighting forces remain vigilant in the area on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, July 2023 broke multiple heat records as the Cleon weather system smothered Cyprus. The island saw temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius for 16 days in a row.

There’s also claims by Edek leader Marinos Sizopoulos that the Electricity Authority (EAC) had 'cheated' some customers out of the subsidies from May to June.

All these and more in your Daily News Briefing, brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today's episode, the fire in the Alassa dam area of Limassol on Monday was surveyed and assessed via a helicopter, with fire-response coordinator, Director Andreas Gregoriou from the agriculture ministry on board, as well as the chief of the fire service and the head of the forestry department.

The fire is estimated to have burned 7.5 to 10 square kilometres of agricultural and wild lands, according to this latest assessment.

Meanwhile, the transport ministry will sign the works contract for the Limnes Migrant Reception project on Tuesday. This is the contract for the creation of the Limnes Reception Centre and the Pre-Departure Centre in Menoyia, Larnaca. The project is expected to be completed within 24 months.

Elsewhere, police on Sunday arrested a suspect in a case of premeditated murder committed in the afternoon in Nicosia. According to a police announcement, the victim is 40-year-old Athanasios Kotslis, from Greece.

All this and more in the Cyprus Beat briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In this episode, private hospitals asserted on Thursday that they cannot – and will not – renew their contract with the Health Insurance Organisation on what they say is a take-it-or-leave-it basis, warning that this could leave the national health system in limbo.

Elsewhere, controversy broke out on Thursday following the Famagusta mayor’s invitation to Turkish Cypriots to an anti-occupation event which will take place in the municipality on Saturday.

Also, authorities have come together to take coordinated action over rising sea pollution in Limassol, the Deputy Ministry of Shipping announced.

All this and more in today’s Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail. 

In this episode, embattled former Kiti bishop Chrysostomos has still not left the accommodation at the metropolis despite having been requested to do so after being found guilty of sexual assault.

Elsewhere, the audit service slammed President Nikos Christodoulides’ security detail on Wednesday, saying it should have been “significantly reduced” well over a month ago after he and his family decided to move into the presidential palace residence.

Also, President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday travelled to Ramallah, Palestine, where he met with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and agreed to a trilateral summit with Greece.

All this and more in today’s Daily News Briefing, brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In this episode, controversial barbed wire fencing along stretches of the buffer zone may start being removed in September.

Elsewhere, British bases authorities are optimistic they will be able to keep bird trapping at record low levels as the blackcap migration period begins. 

Also, bilateral relations were underlined on Tuesday as President Nikos Christodoulides met Jordanian King Abdullah II in Amman. 

All this and more in today’s Daily News Briefing brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.

In today’s episode, British pensioner David Hunter was released from prison after the Paphos criminal court handed him a two-year prison sentence on the count of manslaughter. 

Elsewhere, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Cyprus and said Greece and Cyprus “have common goals” concerning the Cyprus problem.  

There’s also Lawyer Achilleas Demetriades’ comments that a truth commission would be ‘a new page for the Missing in Cyprus’.

Demetriades said truth commissions have been set up all over the world, and that he originally got the idea during Nelson Mandela’s visit to Cyprus.

All these and more in your Daily News Briefing, brought to you by the Cyprus Mail.