Free Republic

For 50 years, Cyprus has been split in two by a military border, the constant reminder of a deadly conflict that has never been resolved. The island, visited by more than a million Brits each year, is famed for its crystal clear waters, pristine beaches and rich culture, but the tiny country in the Mediterranean has a bloody history which provokes strong emotion to this day. "We are lost souls," Greek Cypriot Mario Pischiris says. He was just a boy when war broke out in Cyprus on 20 July, 1974 - exactly 50 years ago. He was forced to flee...

Discover the hidden marvel of Cyprus: the Terracotta Army of Agia Eirini. Rivaling China's famous warriors, this extraordinary collection of over 2,000 clay figures offers a unique window into ancient Mediterranean life. Uncover the accidental discovery by a local priest, the meticulous excavation by Swedish archaeologists, and the sanctuary's evolution over 700 years.From fertility rituals to warrior cults, witness the changing beliefs of ancient Cyprus through its remarkable terracotta figures. Learn how this incredible find reshaped our understanding of ancient Mediterranean culture and continues to captivate the world today. Join us on a journey through time as we explore one...

A press release published Monday detailed the discovery of a "mysterious" 4000-year-old monolith in Cyprus.The Erimi Archaeological Team at the University of Siena described the large monolith as having a "circular motif of cups in the center," which "tells the story of a distant era of an artisan community in Cyprus." It stands roughly 7.55 feet tall and is part of a sprawling Bronze Age community complex, according to Ancient Origins.The site has also revealed dyeing vats, warehouses and workshops, suggesting it was the site of a significant textile industry. The monolith was uncovered inside a room in the western...

According to a statement released by Public Library of Science, researchers have applied updated radiocarbon calibration techniques to revise the dating of the wreck of the Kyrenia, an ancient ship that was discovered and excavated off the coast of Cyprus in the late 1960s. Based on coins and ceramics recovered from the wreck, researchers had dated the ship to the late fourth or early third century B.C., which did not align with the radiocarbon dates from decades ago. Tree-ring dating is crucial in obtaining accurate radiocarbon dates because it helps correct errors caused by variations over time in atmospheric carbon....

More than 40 years ago, a Turkish sponge diver named Mehmet Çakir caused a stir among Anatolian archaeologists when he showed them sketches of objects that he had seen lying 150 feet deep on the seafloor off the coast of Kas, in southwestern Turkey. He described them as "metal biscuits with ears," but experts immediately recognized them as a type of metal bar known as an oxhide ingot that was commonly traded during the Bronze Age, 3,500 years ago.Authorities immediately began to search for the site, and soon came across the artifacts that Çakir had spotted not far offshore of...

Video The Hezbollah terrorist organization released a psychological warfare video overnight in which terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened to bring destruction upon the State of Israel in the event of a war in Lebanon. The video included Hebrew and English subtitles for Nasrallah, who spoke in Arabic, as well as images of Israeli landmarks. "In case an inclusive war is imposed on Lebanon, the resistance will fight without restraints, without rules, without limits," ...

The head of the Shiite Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, threatened to expand his war against Israel in a speech on Wednesday, boasting that he allegedly has 100,000 terrorists at his disposal and suggesting war with Cyprus may also be imminent. Hezbollah, one of many Iranian proxy terrorist organizations, has long maintained ties with the Sunni jihadist group Hamas. The group has expanded its attacks on Israel since October 7, when Hamas terrorists launched an unprecedented invasion of Israel that resulted in an estimated 1,200 deaths, the abduction of about 250 people, and widespread torture, rape, and other atrocities....

Today in history: King St. Louis IX scores major victory for Christians over Islamic jihadOn June 6, 1249, King Louis IX of France—better known to posterity as Saint Louis—scored a dramatic victory over the Islamic jihad at the start of the Seventh Crusade.uly 7, 2017 - St. Louis, Missouri - The sunset over the Apotheosis of St. Louis statue of King Louis IX of France in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri.Today in history, on June 6, Louis IX of France – better known to posterity as Saint Louis – scored a dramatic victory over the Islamic jihad.It was late May,...

When you hear that one of Hunter Biden’s former business partners may be going public with some of the family’s dirty laundry, the first name that comes to mind is probably Eric Schwerin. And it’s true that Schwerin is reportedly cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s investigations into Biden Incorporated. But today’s story is about a different associate of Hunter, Joe, and Jim. Gal Luft is a think tank executive who used to represent a Chinese energy corporation that basically served as a front for the Chinese Communist Party and reportedly paid Hunter Biden millions of dollars. Luft is in...

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar warned on Friday that “one tiny mistake” could turn Cyprus into “a new Gaza”. Tatar, not recognized as a head of state by the international community, also suggested that Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan may soon recognize the north. Turkey is the only country that recognizes the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. in an interview with the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, said, “A mistake or a misunderstanding such as the shooting of a Turkish soldier on the Green Line… would provoke a bomb between the two populations.” “If you shoot one Turkish soldier, you...

According to the source, on October 22, two weeks following the war's outbreak, Netanyahu discussed with President Biden the concept of "delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza via the sea" The plan for a maritime route to Gaza via Cyprus to provide humanitarian assistance for Palestinians was initiated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in collaboration with US President Joe Biden, a senior diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday night. "Netanyahu took the initiative to establish maritime humanitarian aid for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, in collaboration with the Biden administration,” the source stated. According to the source,...

The vote passed with a razor-thin majority of 291 votes in favour to 274 against, with 44 abstentions. The main proposed changes include the abolition of the principle of unanimity in a total of 65 areas of law, as well as transferring competencies from the member states to the European Union. These include the transfer of inclusive competency on the matters of environmental protection and biodiversity, meaning that law pertaining to those matters would be entirely set at the European level. In addition, the shared competencies would be expanded to seven new areas, those being foreign and security policy, border...

Researchers exploring the waters off the Greek Island of Kefallinia have unearthed one of the largest Roman-era shipwrecks ever found.As Julia Buckley reports for CNN, a team from Greece's University of Patras located the remains of the ship, as well as its cargo of 6,000 amphorae—ceramic jugs used for shipping—while conducting a sonar scan of the area. The 110-foot-long vessel, newly detailed in the Journal of Archaeological Science, was situated at a depth of 197 feet.According to the paper, the "Fiscardo" wreck (named after a nearby fishing port) was one of several identified during cultural heritage surveys undertaken in the...

Cypriot police were on high alert early on Saturday after an improvised explosive device was thrown 30 meters away from Israel’s embassy in Nicosia. The “homemade bomb” exploded around 1:30 a.m. local time. Following the blast, two people walking near the Israeli mission were detained, as were two others in a car. Police found two knives and a hammer inside the vehicle.

“The closest genetic neighbors to most Jewish groups were the Palestinians, Israeli Bedouins, and Druze in addition to the Southern Europeans, including Cypriots,” as Ostrer and Skorecki wrote in a review of their findings that they co-authored in the journal Human Genetics in October 2012.

A US Appeals Court pausing a lower court order forcing Texas to remove barriers on the Rio Grande River... In the African nation of Mali deadly jihadist attacks... In northern Syria a US drone got dangerously close to a Russian An-30 spy plane... Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding a phone conversation with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky... Tens of thousands of government supporters rallied outside Israel's Supreme Court tonight... British police opening a probe into infant deaths at a hospital in Nottingham... France's Council of State upholding the ban on abayas... "We value these relations as North Korea is our...

The new military government in Niger increasing the military presence outside the French base in the capital city of Niamey... In Sweden two arrests with ten others detained as violence broke out at a Quran burning in the southern city of Malmo... A lockdown continues at the Stillwater Prison in Minnesota tonight... Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky firing his defense minister... Air strikes from the US-led coalition in Syria early Sunday morning in the Al-Tanf Region... Iraqi security forces deployed in the northern city of Kirkuk... At least 25 civilians killed in two days of warfare in Khartoum, the capital city...

Experts have warned UK pet owners about the potential consequences of a deadly coronavirus outbreak in Cyprus that has killed 300,000 cats. It is a result of the feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus that they caught on the island since January, according to Dinos Ayiomamitis, head of Cats PAWS Cyprus. The main worry for British owners is the "long history" between Cyprus and ex-pats travelling to and from the island, with many people rehoming cats to the UK. But what is FIP and why have so many cats died? Coronavirus killing felines on 'cat island' Cyprus. "We have lost 300,000...

In mid-June, the Israel Defense Forces completed a major two-week war exercise, dubbed “Firm Hand,” which simulated a multi-arena war starting with Hezbollah and Lebanon and spreading to other locations, including Iran. The Israeli Air Force played a key role in the exercise, reflecting its centrality as Israel’s strategic arm. In May, the IAF sent, for the first time, F-16 fighter aircraft to Cyprus as part of the “Blue Sun” exercise, which simulated war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The drill also saw Israeli intelligence-gathering jets, C-130 transport helicopters, Apache gunships, and special forces on the ground.

Dr. Gal Luft, the Israeli whistleblower who has been on the run since April, detailed his bribery allegations against the Biden family in an extraordinary new video obtained by the New York Post. As American Greatness previously reported, Luft was arrested on weapon trafficking and other charges in Cyprus last February and disappeared after he was let out on bail. After his arrest, the former Israeli army officer tweeted that the Biden administration was out to “bury” him.The Biden Department of Justice had Luft, the founder and executive director of the Washington-based Institute for the Analysis of Global Security (IAGS),...