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UN-hosted Cyprus Talks Uncertain as One Side Says it Wasn't Invited

FILE PHOTO: Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, walk during a visit to the CMP Anthropological Laboratory in the buffer zone of Nicosia airport, Cyprus, July 28, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, walk during a visit to the CMP Anthropological Laboratory in the buffer zone of Nicosia airport, Cyprus, July 28, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou/File Photo
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UN-hosted Cyprus Talks Uncertain as One Side Says it Wasn't Invited

FILE PHOTO: Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, walk during a visit to the CMP Anthropological Laboratory in the buffer zone of Nicosia airport, Cyprus, July 28, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, walk during a visit to the CMP Anthropological Laboratory in the buffer zone of Nicosia airport, Cyprus, July 28, 2023. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou/File Photo

Tentative UN plans to convene the leaders of Cyprus's divided communities for talks as early as next week were uncertain on Monday as one side said it had not received an invitation.
The United Nations has been trying to find common ground for the resumption of long-stalled talks between rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities in a conflict spanning decades, a major source of tension between Greece and Türkiye, Reuters said.
Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides told an audience late Saturday that he had been "sounded out" for talks hosted by the United Nations in New York on Aug. 13 with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
"My response was positive and I hope - we haven't been informed yet - for the same response from the Turkish side and the meeting to lead to positive results," Christodoulides said.
Tatar said he had not received an invitation and accused Christodoulides of trying to muddy the waters with his comment.
"There is no invitation from the UN Secretary-General ... for a tripartite meeting. In any case, under the current conditions, we would not approve a tripartite meeting. There is no basis for such a meeting," he said in a statement.
Christodoulides said any possible refusal from Tatar to meet would be a "disservice" to Turkish Cypriots.
A UN spokesperson in Cyprus referred queries to UN headquarters in New York, where there was no immediate response to a Reuters request for comment.
Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup. The seeds of division were sown earlier when a power-sharing administration crumbled and violence prompted the dispatch of a peacekeeping force.
Peace talks have been on hold since 2017. The Turkish Cypriot side, which administers a breakaway state in the north of Cyprus recognized only by Ankara, now says a resumption of talks can only occur if its equal sovereignty with the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government is accepted.

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World

Indonesia Flood Death Toll Passes 1,000

The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra. (AFP)
The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra. (AFP)
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Indonesia Flood Death Toll Passes 1,000

The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra. (AFP)
The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra. (AFP)

Devastating floods and landslides have killed 1,003 people in Indonesia, rescuers said Saturday as the Southeast Asian nation grapples with relief efforts.

The disaster, which has hit the northwestern island of Sumatra over the past fortnight, has also injured more than 5,400, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said in its latest toll.

The deadly torrential rains are one of the worst recent disasters to strike Sumatra, where a tsunami wreaked havoc in 2004 in Aceh province, which lies at the northern tip of the island.

The final toll is expected to rise, with the disaster agency reporting 218 people are still missing.

With vast tracts of territory hit, 1.2 million residents have been forced to take refuge in temporary shelters.

Frustration has grown among flood victims, who have complained about the pace of relief efforts.

President Prabowo Subianto said Saturday the situation has improved, with several areas which had been cut off now accessible.

"Here and there, due to natural and physical conditions, there have been slight delays, but I checked all the evacuation sites: their conditions are good, services for them are adequate, and food supplies are sufficient," Prabowo said after visiting Langkat in North Sumatra province.

Costs to rebuild after the disaster could reach 51.82 trillion rupiah ($3.1 billion) and the Indonesian government has so far shrugged off suggestions that it call for international assistance.

World

Moscow, Tehran ‘Working Closely’ on Nuclear Program

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Peace Summit in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (Tasnim). 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Peace Summit in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (Tasnim). 
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Moscow, Tehran ‘Working Closely’ on Nuclear Program

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Peace Summit in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (Tasnim). 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Peace Summit in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (Tasnim). 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that relations between Moscow and Tehran are “developing very positively,” stressing that the two countries are working in close coordination at the United Nations on Iran’s nuclear program.

He made the remarks during talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the International Peace and Trust Summit in Ashgabat.

According to Russian media, Putin said Russia is cooperating with Iran at the Bushehr nuclear power plant and on major infrastructure projects, including the North–South Transport Corridor.

He added that the two sides are also exploring cooperation in the gas and electricity sectors.

Pezeshkian, quoted by Iranian and Russian media, reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to implementing the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with Moscow.

He said Iran is “determined to activate the agreement” and expects Russia to accelerate implementation of joint understandings, particularly in energy, transport and strategic transit corridors.

The Iranian president said Iran would complete its share of the groundwork for the North–South Corridor by the end of the year, noting growing economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

He also called for strengthening multilateral partnerships within frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS to counter what he described as “unilateralism.”

Russia and Iran aim to expand economic ties through projects such as the International North–South Transport Corridor, a multimodal route linking northern and southern Asia via sea, rail and road networks.

The corridor is intended to speed up cargo transport between Russia and India through Iran and other countries while reducing costs compared with traditional routes. The project is seen as part of Moscow’s efforts to deepen trade links with Central Asia and Europe and to lessen reliance on longer maritime routes.

Putin said bilateral trade between Russia and Iran increased by 13 percent last year and by 8 percent in the first nine months of the current year, underscoring continued cooperation in energy and infrastructure. He added that coordination between Moscow and Tehran on international issues remains “close and ongoing.”

On the sidelines of the summit, Pezeshkian also met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with both sides agreeing on the need to accelerate implementation of bilateral agreements and enhance cooperation in transport, transit, energy and border infrastructure, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

 

 

 

Sports

Fans Vandalize India Stadium after Messi's Abrupt Exit

Fans throw bottles and chairs, vandalizing hoardings at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 13 December 2025. Following Messi's brief five-minute appearance, unrest broke out among fans who had paid a significant amount but were unable to see the Argentine football legend. EPA/PIYAL ADHIKARY
Fans throw bottles and chairs, vandalizing hoardings at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 13 December 2025. Following Messi's brief five-minute appearance, unrest broke out among fans who had paid a significant amount but were unable to see the Argentine football legend. EPA/PIYAL ADHIKARY
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Fans Vandalize India Stadium after Messi's Abrupt Exit

Fans throw bottles and chairs, vandalizing hoardings at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 13 December 2025. Following Messi's brief five-minute appearance, unrest broke out among fans who had paid a significant amount but were unable to see the Argentine football legend. EPA/PIYAL ADHIKARY
Fans throw bottles and chairs, vandalizing hoardings at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 13 December 2025. Following Messi's brief five-minute appearance, unrest broke out among fans who had paid a significant amount but were unable to see the Argentine football legend. EPA/PIYAL ADHIKARY

Angry spectators broke down barricades and stormed the pitch at a stadium in India after football star Lionel Messi, who is on a three-day tour of the country, abruptly left the arena.

As a part of a so-called GOAT Tour, the 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar touched down in the eastern state of West Bengal early Saturday, greeted by a chorus of exuberant fans chanting his name, said AFP.

Hours later, thousands of fans wearing Messi jerseys and waving the Argentine flag packed into Salt Lake stadium in the state capital Kolkata, but heavy security around the footballer left fans struggling to catch a glimpse of him.

Messi walked around the pitch waving to fans and left the stadium earlier than expected.

Frustrated fans, many having paid more than $100 for tickets, ripped out stadium seats and hurled water bottles onto the track.

Many others stormed the pitch and vandalized banners and tents.

"For me, to watch Messi is a pleasure, a dream. But I have missed the chance to have a glimpse because of the mismanagement in the stadium," businessman Nabin Chatterjee, 37, told AFP.

Before the chaos erupted, Messi unveiled a 21-meter (70-foot) statue which shows him holding aloft the World Cup.

He was also expected to play a short exhibition game at the stadium.

Another angry fan told the Press Trust of India (PTI) that people had spent "a month's salary" to see Messi.

"I paid Rs 5,000 ($55) for the ticket and came with my son to watch Messi, not politicians. The police and military personnel were taking selfies, and the management is to blame," Ajay Shah, told PTI.

State chief minister Mamata Banerjee said she was "disturbed" and "shocked" at the mismanagement.

"I sincerely apologize to Lionel Messi, as well as to all sports lovers and his fans, for the unfortunate incident," she said in a post on X, adding that she had ordered a probe into the incident.

Messi will now head to Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi as part of the four-city tour.

His time in India also includes a possible meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Messi won his second consecutive Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award this week after propelling Inter Miami to the MLS title and leading the league in goals.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain attacker will spearhead Argentina's defence of the World Cup in June-July in North America.