Yiannis Antoniou

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus is on standby to assist in the evacuation of Europeans and third-country nationals if conflict in the Middle East deepens, officials said on Thursday.

The European Union's easternmost state, Cyprus has over the past several decades been a sanctuary for thousands escaping war in the volatile region.

Greece's roughly 14,000 public and private schools will undergo an evaluation of academic performance as part of government plans to streamline their operations and improve results.