Cyprus leaders to continue discussions on confidence building, says UN
Leaders of ethnically split Cyprus have agreed to continue discussions towards confidence building, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, in a dispute which has kept NATO partners Greece and Turkey at odds for decades.
The Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities will press ahead with attempts to open new crossing points between the two sides and cooperating on solar energy initiatives, Guterres said after hosting the Cypriot leaders at U.N. headquarters in New York.
"It is critical to implement all these initiatives as soon as possible, for the benefit of all Cypriots," Guterres said.
The two sides had agreed in an encounter with Guterres earlier this year to open four additional crossing points, demine, establish a youth affairs committee, and launch environmental and solar energy projects.
There are presently nine crossing points along a 180-km-long (116-mile-long) ceasefire line splitting the two sides. Guterres said there was a "question of itinerary" in relation to one of the new checkpoints opening but that there had been important progress on the issue.
Cyprus was split more than 50 years ago in a Turkish invasion after a brief Greek-inspired coup, following years of sporadic violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Reunification talks collapsed in mid-2017 and have been in a stalemate since.
The Cyprus conflict is a key source of disagreement between NATO allies Greece and Turkey, fiercely defensive of their respective kin on the island. REUTERS
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore
World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report
Business 5 things to know about Kuok Hui Kwong, tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter and Shangri-La Asia head honcho
Asia Air India probe into Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues
Singapore Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore
Singapore Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment
Singapore Two women jailed for submitting fake university certificates to MOM for employment passes
Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Mexican truck drivers study English to comply with new US language rules
Mexican truck drivers attend an English class as part of an effort to comply with a recent executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump requiring commercial drivers to meet English proficiency standards, at the Fletes Sotelo company facilities in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - Mexican truck drivers in the border city of Ciudad Juarez have begun studying English in efforts to comply with an executive order by President Donald Trump requiring commercial drivers in the U.S. to meet English-proficiency standards. Some 50 drivers who haul goods back and forth between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, just across the border in Texas, are attending four to eight hours of English classes a week organized by their employer, Fletes Sotelo, in order to meet the U.S. standards. The company's owner, Manuel Sotelo, said the classes started some six weeks ago, and that the goal is for all the company's drivers to know basic English. Sotelo is also the president of the transport association of Ciudad Juarez. Jose Murguia, one of the drivers, said he thought the classes were a great opportunity, especially given the recent executive order. "It's important to know the language, at least in the ways that are necessary for our work, which is to transport goods into El Paso," he said. While the English-proficiency standard for truckers was already longstanding U.S. law, Trump's executive order in April reversed 2016 guidance that inspectors not place commercial drivers out of service if their only violation was lack of English. The order came on the heels of Trump's March executive order mandating English as the official language of the United States. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Critical infrastructure in S'pore under attack by cyber espionage group: Shanmugam Singapore Who is UNC3886, the group that attacked S'pore's critical information infrastructure? Singapore HSA looking to get anti-vape cyber surveillance tool with AI capabilities Singapore Singapore police in contact with Indonesian authorities over baby trafficking allegations Singapore Alleged Kpod peddler filmed trying to flee raid in Bishan charged with 6 offences Singapore NTU upholds zero grade for student penalised for academic misconduct; panel found 14 false citations or data Singapore 30% of aviation jobs could be redesigned due to AI, automation; $200m fund to support workers: CAAS Singapore Former NUH male nurse faces charges after he allegedly molested man at hospital That executive order has been criticized as discriminatory since millions of Americans speak languages other than, or in addition to, English. REUTERS
Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Brazil police search former President Bolsonaro's home, hq
FILE PHOTO: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro reacts as he speaks to the media at the Federal Senate in Brasilia, Brazil, July 17, 2025. REUTERS/Adriano Machado/File Photo BRASILIA - Brazil's federal police searched former President Jair Bolsonaro's house and political headquarters on Friday, adding to legal pressure that U.S. President Donald Trump has tried to end by threatening a steep tariff on Brazilian goods. Local media reported that Bolsonaro had been ordered to wear an ankle bracelet, stop using social media and cease communications with his son Eduardo, a Brazilian lawmaker who has been lobbying in Washington to help his father. Bolsonaro's press office reported the searches but gave no further details. Police in a statement said they had issued search warrants ordered by the country's Supreme Court, but did not name Bolsonaro, who governed Latin America's largest country from 2019 to 2022. Trump has pressed Brazil to stop a legal case against Bolsonaro, saying that his former ally was the victim of a "witch hunt". Bolsonaro, who was friendly with Trump when they were both in office, is on trial before Brazil's Supreme Court on charges of plotting a coup to stop President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023. Trump, who last week said he would impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, posted on Truth Social on Thursday a letter he sent to Bolsonaro. "I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you," he wrote. REUTERS
Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Indonesia court jails former trade minister for 4½ years in sugar graft case
Find out what's new on ST website and app. JAKARTA – An Indonesian court on July 18 sentenced a former trade minister to 4½ years in jail for improperly granting sugar import permits that the authorities said caused nearly 600 billion rupiah (S$47 million) in state losses. Thomas Trikasih Lembong served as trade minister in 2015 and 2016 under President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo. Once seen as Mr Widodo's close aide, Lembong turned into one of the government's staunchest critics after leaving office. Judges at the corruption court in the capital Jakarta said Lembong, as minister, was guilty of improperly granting import permits for sugar to private companies when Indonesia had a surplus of sugar. Indonesia's sugar output in 2015 was 2.49 million tonnes, while consumption was 2.12 million. In the 2024 presidential election, Lembong was the campaign manager for one of the candidates, Mr Anies Baswedan . The election was won in a landslide by Mr Prabowo Subianto, whom Mr Widodo backed. Lembong, who was arrested days after Mr Prabowo's inauguration in 2024, claimed in court that his prosecution was due to his involvement in the opposition camp, local media reported. Prosecutors denied his arrest was politically motivated. 'The defendant was proven legally and convincingly to be guilty of having committed a corruption act,' Judge Purwanto S. Abdullah said, to jeers from the crowd. Before handing the sentence, the judges argued the import permits did not go through the proper procedures of consulting with other state bodies, and that he had prioritised 'capitalistic' interests over social justice. However, the judges said he did not enrich himself, leading to a shorter sentence than the seven years prosecutors demanded. Prosecutors said Lembong enriched the private companies. Holding up his handcuffed hands, Lembong told reporters after the sentencing he would consider whether or not to appeal, saying judges ignored his defence team. REUTERS
