Eastern Mediterranean

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides will discuss with the head of the European Commission on Sunday an unprecedented surge in arrivals of mainly Syrian refugees this week on the island and he will then visit Lebanon on Monday, officials said.

Cyprus appealed on Wednesday for vigorous action from the EU to stem a recent tide of mostly Syrian refugees arriving by sea via Lebanon, saying the island's reception capacity was at breaking point.

By enlisting the help of the FBI - as announced recently - Cyprus is making an effort to deal with the problem of corruption that has been a blight on the country's reputation for so many years.

SAMANDAG, Turkey - Habip Yapar felt lucky that his home in southern Turkey withstood last year's devastating earthquake. Then a text message appeared on his phone in October telling him the government was taking ownership of the apartment.

Around 1,500 migrant arrivals were recorded in Crete in the last quarter - Information about a 7.4 billion euro aid package to Egypt - Aim to fortify the border with Libya

The shipping industry pumped a staggering 623 million euros into the real economy of Cyprus last year, solely through ship management.

New lending by Cypriot banks declined significantly in January on a monthly basis, as it amounted to just 462.7 million euros, from €725.4 million in December, according to data released by the Central Bank of Cyprus on Monday. 

Northern Cyprus will not sit at any negotiating table unless their sovereignty and equal status is recognized, Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar has told AFP.

Greek-Turkish relations are going through a positive period, but it remains to be seen how long this can last, according to a high-ranking Turkish diplomat who spoke to Kathimerini at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Saturday.

Cyprus' real estate market demonstrated remarkable resilience and flexibility in 2023 and the total value of transactions reached 5.5 billion euros, which appears to be at the same levels as in 2022, according to a recent report.