Cyprus to Ban Mobile Use in Schools

New Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are displayed at a launch event for new Google hardware devices in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, US, October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Roselle Chen
New Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are displayed at a launch event for new Google hardware devices in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, US, October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Roselle Chen
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Cyprus to Ban Mobile Use in Schools

New Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are displayed at a launch event for new Google hardware devices in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, US, October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Roselle Chen
New Google Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are displayed at a launch event for new Google hardware devices in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, US, October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Roselle Chen

Cyprus is to ban mobile phone use in schools, the education minister said on Wednesday, saying they were too much of a distraction for students and led to anti-social behaviour.

Authorities plan to introduce the ban once it is discussed with parliament, Minister Athena Michaelidou said, Reuters reported.

Cyprus will follow several European states in enacting a ban following recommendations from the UN agency UNESCO, she said.

"It's clear that the use of a mobile phone distracts students from their lessons, but primarily, its linked to an increase in anti-social behaviour," Michaelidou said.

Students will not be banned from bringing their phones to school but they will not be able to switch them on, she said.

Official data shows that just over 1.4 million mobile phones are operating in Cyprus - more than its population of just under 1 million people in government-controlled areas.



Prince William and Kate Mark Wedding Anniversary in Scotland

William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)
William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)
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Prince William and Kate Mark Wedding Anniversary in Scotland

William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)
William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. (Reuters)

Prince William and wife Catherine will celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary on the Scottish island of Mull on Tuesday, the latest step on the princess's road to recovery from cancer.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, revealed in January she was "in remission", having announced last March she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy.

She has since returned to frontline public duties, but with a slimmed-down schedule and shorter engagements.

The couple will spend two days touring the western Scottish islands of Mull and Iona, where they will "celebrate and connect with rural island communities", according to their Kensington Palace office.

They will celebrate their anniversary on Mull, the fourth-largest island in Scotland, which has a population of around 3,000 people and is known for its fishing and farming communities.

William and Catherine met while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland and married at London's Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, in a ceremony watched by tens of millions around the world.

Since then, the royal family has undergone a tumultuous decade in which Queen Elizabeth II died after a record-breaking 70-year reign and William's father, King Charles III, ascended to the throne.

Charles revealed last year he had been diagnosed with cancer, and is still receiving weekly treatment.

William's brother Harry also dropped a bombshell when he announced in 2020 that he was quitting the family. He now lives in the United States with wife Meghan.

All of which drama should be a long way from the tranquility of rural Scotland, where the royal couple will arrive on Tuesday for a two-day trip.

William and Catherine will spend time with members of the local communities "reflecting on the power of social connection and the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment" -- two subjects close to both their hearts, said Kensington Palace.

On arrival, they will visit an artisan market in the Mull town of Tobermory, meeting some of the island's makers and creators before heading to a local croft to learn about sustainable farming and hospitality.

On the second day, the couple will visit an ancient woodland and join a local school group for an outdoor lesson.

They will round the trip off by taking a public ferry to Mull's tiny neighbor Iona, which has a population of around 170 people but receives around 130,000 visitors a year.