Nicosia is ramping up efforts to tackle the migration crisis, expanding reception centres, speeding up asylum seeker applications, and increasing voluntary returns to 1,000 a month, said Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou. In an interview with the Cyprus News Agency, Ioannou detailed the new government’s migration plan, namely limiting flows, improving reception centres and speeding up
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Kurds in Cyprus are uneasy with a Larnaca court decision to extradite Kenan Ayaz, a 49-year-old Kurdish political activist arrested on March 15 on accusations of international terrorism. The Larnaca District Court on Wednesday approved Ayaz’s extradition requested by Germany on charges of international terrorism, as dozens of Kurds were at the court to protest
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The first phase of the government’s fire prevention action plan will be ready by May 1, and the second stage, with advanced sensors and cameras covering residential and industrial areas, is expected to start in 2024, said Justice Minister Anna Koukkides-Procopiou. In a conference address, Koukkides-Procopiou said the government had prioritised the continued strengthening and
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An Israeli professor wanted by the United States for arms dealing, slated for extradition, has gone missing in Cyprus after a Larnaca court had released him on bail. The professor had claimed to be a victim of a plot by the US Department of Justice to “bury” him as he came forward with dirt on
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The Commission has decided to send a reasoned opinion to 11 countries, including Cyprus, for failing to nationally transpose EU rights on Work-Life Balance for parents and carers. The process could result in financial sanctions against Cyprus if the situation is not remedied within two months. The other affected countries are Belgium, Czechia, Ireland, Greece,
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Annual real estate transactions continued to rise in the first three months of the year, as sales documents submitted are 51.1% higher than those recorded in the same period pre-COVID 2019. According to the latest Land Registry data, sales documents filed in Q1 2023 were 3574 units compared to 3009 in Q1 2022, registering an
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Finance Minister, Makis Keravnos, has asked the Association of Cyprus Banks and the Credit Acquiring Companies for measures to contain rising interest rates for loans up to €350,000 or borrowers will be unable to pay. In his letter to the Director General of the Association of Cyprus Banks, Keravnos said the Finance Ministry recognised the
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Nicosia is preparing a road map to protect the country’s international reputation, following US and UK sanctions on Cypriot financiers accused of helping Russian oligarchs hide their assets after the Ukraine war. During a meeting on Wednesday, President Nikos Christodoulides asked the deputy attorney general, finance minister, justice minister, foreign minister, and Central Bank of
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Cypriot motorists are turning to greener vehicles, as sales of electric and hybrids have doubled in the first three months of the year compared to 2022. According to the latest data, sales of electric cars in the first quarter increased by 176%, reaching 213 from just 77 in January to March 2022. Sales of Hybrid
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By Craig Erlam Inflation remains a major concern for central banks and recent data highlights just how far there is to go, something policymakers will be hoping changes very soon. Major headache for BoE There’s no getting away from another rate hike from the Bank of England next month after inflation unexpectedly remained above 10%
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