Around the World: Cyprus

UN chief visits

In his first visit to ethnically divided Cyprus, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is encouraging the island's rival leaders to solve their decades-old dispute. Ban says he is confident Cyprus President Demetris Christofias, who is the Greek Cypriot leader, and Mehmet Ali Talat, the Turkish Cypriot leader, can make a breakthrough after the two ended seven days of intensive negotiations.

Ban hailed "significant progress" achieved on the issue of reuniting Cyprus, which has been divided into ethnically separate regions since Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north in 1974 following a coup by Greek army officers.