Israel and Syria agree to ceasefire, says U.S. ambassador to Türkiye
The U.S. ambassador to Türkiye says Israel and Syria have reached a ceasefire deal supported by Türkiye, Jordan, and regional actors after cross-bor...
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that talks on the future of Cyprus had made progress for the first time in years, with both sides agreeing a series of initiatives including the opening of crossing points.
"Discussions were held in a constructive atmosphere with both sides showing clear commitment to making progress and continuing dialogue," Guterres told reporters at the end of a two-day meeting in Geneva.
The island was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup, following years of sporadic violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots almost immediately after independence from Britain in 1960. The island is a key source of disagreement between NATO allies Greece and Turkey, fiercely defensive of their respective kin on the island.
As part of new confidence-building measures the two sides agreed to open four crossing points, demining, establish a youth affairs committee, and launch environmental and solar energy projects.
"Today there was meaningful progress," Guterres said, hailing a "new atmosphere" in the multi-year talks which have been deadlocked since 2017.
The two sides agreed to another meeting at the end of July and to a new UN special envoy, he added.
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar told reporters he was "satisfied" with the discussions held with his Greek Cypriot counterpart and representatives from Greece, Turkey and Britain.
"We are faced with two options either we continue the way we are with all the repercussions, or build the future of the island together," Tatar said.
"It's a first, positive step towards restarting talks," said Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides. "That's the goal. We aren't there yet, but it's an important first step."
Despite agreeing to confidence building measures, the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides are still at odds over how any settlement will work.
Greek Cypriots want a federation, a model prescribed by U.N. resolutions, while Turkish Cypriots advocate for a two-state solution, arguing that decades of failed negotiations have proven a federal model unworkable.
Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis underscored the importance of ongoing dialogue, despite differences.
"The only solution is the reunification of the island," he said.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Germany's export slump since 2021 is largely driven by deep-rooted competitiveness issues, the Bundesbank warned in its latest report, calling for urgent structural reforms.
Israeli researchers have unveiled an artificial intelligence tool that can determine a person’s true biological age from tiny DNA samples with remarkable precision.
Two Harry Potter actresses, Emma Watson and Zoe Wanamaker, have each received a six-month driving ban after separate speeding offences, both sentenced on the same day at a Buckinghamshire court.
The total value of foreign currency transactions between banks and individuals in Uzbekistan reached 14.5 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months of 2025, reflecting a 24% increase year on year.
Syrian security forces are preparing to redeploy to the Druze-majority city of Sweida in the south of the country after a brief ceasefire collapsed, reigniting clashes with Bedouin tribes, according to the Syrian Interior Ministry.
Pope Leo said on Thursday he hopes to travel to Türkiye later this year for the 1,700th anniversary of a major Christian Church summit, in what would be the first foreign trip of his papacy.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on Thursday that the latest discussions on Cyprus were "constructive" and that progress had been made on several initiatives.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan has called Israel 'a terrorist state', stating that its aggression poses a threat to the entire region.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment