Opinion

Cyprus hosted the informal meeting of EU leaders on April 23–24, an event that proved a notable success for President Nikos Christodoulides. Such gatherings are usually forgettable affairs, serving mainly as ...

Civilisation has always depended on the disciplined use of language, on the ability to define, to persuade, to restrain and to give meaning to authority. In diplomacy, words shape outcomes. ...

There were municipal and regional elections in England, Scotland and Wales last week in which the Labour government and Prime Minister Keir Starmer were clobbered by Reform UK and Nigel ...

The twice-weekly market at Ochi in Nicosia is being relocated for about seven months, moving to a nearby parking lot, due to roadworks in the area. This is not, in ...

The developments of the past few days clearly demonstrate the adage “it is easier to start a war than to end one,” a recognised principle of military history and geopolitics. ...

The ongoing case concerning the suicide of a 15-year-old abused boy in September 2019 makes for harrowing reading, not only for the misery he endured his entire life but for the ...

President Nikos Christodoulides, in a speech he made at Greece’s defence exhibition DEFEA 2026, said that the EU could advance on defence and security without the United States. Can it ...

The parliamentary elections later this month are offering a record number of choices – around 20 parties and a staggering 753 candidates competing for just 56 seats. Voters will be lost for choice. Seasoned ...

I wrote a story years ago, broadcast by the BBC World Service, in which a man is driving to Limassol for the results of a cancer test, worried that his ...

The bulldozers have finally moved in on the long-neglected Polis beach campsite, raising fears of what the future holds for this oasis from the relentless tourist concrete coating most of ...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio should be careful what he wishes for.  Donald Trump has speculated that Rubio could be “the next president of Cuba” after the US overthrows ...

In March, following an announcement that the Pame Express bus route taking commuters from GSP carpark into Nicosia would be scrapped due to a shortage of bus drivers, which sparked ...

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has stopped about 20 per cent of global LNG supply from reaching markets and has sent gas prices about 50 per cent up from pre-war ...

Cyprus has seen its share of arrivals. The latest comes in the form of a “humanitarian defence agreement” with France. The term itself deserves pause. Words such as “humanitarian defence” ...

Eat your hearts out, Pablo Escobar, Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzman and Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes. The richest cartel by far is still the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (...

In recent years, the world has witnessed record investment in environmentally friendly renewable energy, rapid advances in battery technology and ambitious net‑zero commitments, all supported by sharply falling costs. ...

In the run-up to the parliamentary election on May 24, candidates have clashed on the ability of their political parties to manage the economy. In particular, in reaction to the policy ...

Ever mindful of defence contingencies, the EU has positioned itself to evolve into a defence alliance as well as an economic and political union by adopting a mutual assistance clause ...

REGULARS will know that our establishment was never a fan of Odysseas Michaelides, not even in the days when his popularity was sky-high, when the media celebrated him like a ...

Things are not looking good for tourism at present and there does not seem very much the authorities can do about it. Although there are no figures to describe the ...

More than two months into a conflict that has failed to deliver a decisive military or diplomatic win, President Donald Trump faces the risk that a standoff with Iran will ...

Cyprus marks Labour Day today with the usual union-organised parades to mark the past struggles of the workers. And although working conditions, pay and living standards have improved dramatically in ...

Two local breeds of livestock – the fat-tail sheep and red cattle – have been infected by foot and mouth disease (FMD) and the authorities are in a quandary over what to. ...

The United Arab Emirates’ decision to leave OPEC will sharply diminish the 65-year-old producer group’s influence over the oil market, opening the door to an all‑out price war ...