Slow talks. Cyprus reunification prospects
Even though Cyprus reunification talks are constantly facing challenges, government is quite optimistic about resolving this issue sooner or later. President of the Republic is ready to negotiate further and is committed to reach a progress in talks by the end of his presidential term. The leader of Turkish Cypriots Mustafa Akinchi has also expressed his strong desire to see united Cyprus. The
The talks have been going for many years now, but only Anastasiades and Akinchi were able to achieve a significant progress comparing to earlier leaders of both communities. Yet it is too early to talk about the final outcome, with the property, border and government power issues remaining unresolved.
Child abducted in a broad daylight. Who does it in Cyprus?
Cyprus police was on a call when a child was reported missing from the kindergarten in Nicosia. A 4-year old Norwegian girl was abducted by men in masks, put in a van and driven away. Since this was not the first abduction attempt, the main suspect is believed to be the father of a child who had a conflict with his ex-wife.
Children abduction and kidnapping in Cyprus is becoming a serious issue. With the mixed marries also being on the rise, 29 cases of child abduction were reported in the last year alone.
This week parents also called for more government support and suggested to form a special committee, which would be dealing with child abduction cases.
Alcohol only for adults. Rules might change
Alcoholic drinks might become accessible to young people only after reaching the age of 18 years. The new draft law is a response to the survey conducted in Europe, where Cyprus was ranked 3rd in alcohol consumption rating among young people.
Research shows that children in Cyprus try alcoholic drinks for the first time at an early age – 13 years for boys and 16 years for girls. Alcohol is widely accessible to children and young people for purchase, as document checks are not being conducted regularly.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs decided to respond with toughening alcohol distribution rules among young people.
Who wants Cypriot passport? Latest statistics
Cyprus is one of the dream countries for EU residents looking for relocation (also from wealthy countries).
The official European statistical data for 2015 was published this week indicating the proportion between number of immigrants and the local population.
The report indicated that the most desirable EU country for economic migrants is Luxembourg –with more than 5.5 requests per thousand of local population. Sweden took second place and Cyprus came third with 3.9 passports issued to immigrants for every thousand of local citizens.
In total, 3,322 foreigners have received Cypriot passports in 2015, with more than one third of them being immigrants from Russia. Cyprus citizenship is also in high demand by Brits and Greeks.
Long weekend in Cyprus
Cyprus is getting ready for a long weekend. 1st of May is also an official state holiday.
On the 1st of May traditional demonstration and rallies will be organized by the trade unions. All government institutions will be closed on Monday, including banks, supermarkets and most of the shops.
1st of May is also is celebrated as the international Labour Day, as well as the day of Cyprus joining the European Union back in 2004.
