Cypriot authorities are keeping quiet over information that the Defence Ministry is in advanced negotiations with Israel to purchase its Merkava tanks. Phileleftheros daily said the ministry has refused to comment officially on the issue but quoted an official source saying, “It is only natural that authorities would be in negotiations for weaponry, and Cyprus
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The chief executive of energy company Eni said Cyprus-Israeli plans for a pipeline to move offshore natural gas to the island is “part of our discussion” with Nicosia. The gas would be processed for electricity generation and possible exportation. Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said Tuesday after talks with President Nikos Christodoulides that any plan to
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In June, economic sentiment improved as uncertainty among consumers was at its lowest ebb for three years, buoyed by business confidence and the services sector revival. According to the Economics Research Centre of the University of Cyprus, economic sentiment significantly improved as the Economic Sentiment Indicator increased 4.3 points to 107.4 from May. The rise
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AstroBank has completed its staff restructuring plan after the second phase of a voluntary exit scheme, reducing the total number of employees at the bank to the targeted 400. The fourth largest lender in Cyprus set out at the end of 2020 to reduce its employees from 540 to 400. The first scheme saw 110
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The government will increase checks at checkpoints to stop fuel smuggling from the Turkish-occupied north without violating the Green Line Trade agreement, said President Nikos Christodoulides. President Christodoulides told reporters the government would step up checks at crossings to identify fuel smugglers for commercial gain. The move comes after the association of petrol dealers protested
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High availability of drugs for all types of substances, an increase in synthetic drugs, and the emergence of new substances are highlighted in the European Drug Report. Of the 54 cities with data on amphetamine residues in municipal wastewater for 2021 and 2022, 20 reported an increase, nine a stable situation and 25 a decrease.
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Prison density in Cyprus is the second highest in Europe, with the biggest proportion of female inmates, according to the Council of Europe’s Annual Penal Statistics for 2022 (SPACE I), released Tuesday. Regarding women inmates, the CoE’s statistics show the prison administration with more than 1 million inhabitants was the highest in Cyprus (9.5%). Cyprus ranks
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Limassol Police are searching for a 38-year-old Indian national in connection with the attempted murder of his two male compatriots who were stabbed. Following eye-witness evidence, the police Tuesday issued a warrant for Amandeep Singh, who allegedly attacked two of his compatriots, aged 19 and 30, with a knife. Limassol police spokesperson Lefteris Kyriakou said
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The House Human Rights is reviewing legislation to clamp down on Cypriot children’s addiction to gambling, which has become rampant, according to surveys and experts. Cypriot school kids hold an EU record for gambling, as the island is third for underaged students’ involvement in betting. According to a 2020 EU-wide survey presented to the committee,
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Cypriot merchant shipping has seen rapid growth in recent decades. Cyprus is now a global shipping power with the 11th largest fleet worldwide and third in Europe, said Shipping Minister Marina Hadjimanolis. Addressing an event on the “Cyprus Shipping and Larnaca prospects”, she said the Cyprus flag remains on the White List of the Paris MoU and has
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