UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's historic visit to Cyprus underscores strengthened ties as the island aligns with the West, shedding its Russian-linked past. Talks focused on sanctions expertise, regional stability, and Britain's role as a guarantor of Cypriot independence.
Britain and Cyprus pledged on Tuesday to boost ties during a visit by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in an endorsement of the pro-west tilt the Mediterranean island has taken since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
A former British colony, Cyprus has worked hard to shake off a reputation as a haven for Russian businesses and light-touch regulation, and is aligned with the west over Russia and amid growing turmoil in the Middle East.
Starmer, on a multi-day visit to the Middle East, was in Cyprus on Tuesday, the first visit of a British prime minister to the former colony since Edward Heath in 1971.
After a short welcoming ceremony, Starmer told Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides he felt privileged to be there.
Christodoulides was received at the White House earlier this year in a first by a Cypriot president in almost three decades.
Britain has offered expertise for the island to create a sanctions unit, which was a focus of discussions. It still plays a role in Cypriot affairs as one of three guarantor powers of Cypriot independence, along with Turkey and Greece.
Starmer visited service personnel and families at RAF Akrotiri, a British military base on the southern coast.
Tuesday's visit drew criticism from breakaway North Cyprus, a statelet recognised only by Ankara, for ignoring the Turkish Cypriots as the other main party in the Cyprus conflict.
UK retail sales unexpectedly fell 0.3% in December, following a revised 0.1% rise in November. The decline, driven by weak food sales, adds to concerns about the economy and raises expectations for a Bank of England interest rate cut next month.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a landmark 100-year partnership to strengthen security ties and bilateral relations. The agreement reaffirms the UK’s long-term commitment to supporting Ukraine amid ongoing challenges.
Britain’s Minister for Financial Services, Tulip Siddiq, has resigned amid growing scrutiny over her financial ties to her aunt, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and allegations of corruption. The resignation marks a setback for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government.
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Tragedy struck near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as a regional jet collided with a U.S. Army helicopter, claiming 67 lives. The harrowing incident echoes the infamous 1982 Air Florida crash, reigniting fears over aviation safety.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC) rebel coalition, has vowed to maintain control of Goma and continue their march towards the capital, Kinshasa, after capturing the strategic eastern city on January 30.
President Trump's pick for FBI Director, Kash Patel, faced tough questions during his confirmation hearing, particularly over his views on the 2020 election.
Newly released air traffic control (ATC) audio recordings provide an eerie and detailed account of the tragic midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River on January 29, 2025.
Red Cross buses carrying 110 Palestinian prisoners arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday (January 30) as part of a phased agreement that ended over 15 months of conflict.
Tragedy struck near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as a regional jet collided with a U.S. Army helicopter, claiming 67 lives. The harrowing incident echoes the infamous 1982 Air Florida crash, reigniting fears over aviation safety.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC) rebel coalition, has vowed to maintain control of Goma and continue their march towards the capital, Kinshasa, after capturing the strategic eastern city on January 30.
President Trump's pick for FBI Director, Kash Patel, faced tough questions during his confirmation hearing, particularly over his views on the 2020 election.
Newly released air traffic control (ATC) audio recordings provide an eerie and detailed account of the tragic midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River on January 29, 2025.
Red Cross buses carrying 110 Palestinian prisoners arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday (January 30) as part of a phased agreement that ended over 15 months of conflict.
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