The European Union’s plan to connect Cyprus to the bloc’s electricity grid is facing renewed delays as geopolitical tensions with Turkey and uncertainty over funding threaten the future of the nearly €1.9 billion Great Sea Interconnector.

The planned 1,200-kilometre subsea cable would link the electricity networks of Greece, Cyprus and Israel and end Cyprus’s position as the EU’s only member state without an electricity connection to the wider European grid.

The European Commission has committed €657 million to the project and considers it strategically important for improving energy security and supporting the expansion of renewable power. The cable could also help Cyprus reduce electricity costs by allowing access to wider European power markets.

However, construction has been repeatedly delayed. The project was originally expected to become operational in 2024.

A major obstacle is Turkey’s opposition to parts of the proposed route. Ankara disputes Greek and Cypriot maritime claims in the eastern Mediterranean, including areas around Crete and Kasos where survey work for the cable is planned.

In 2024, Greek authorities delayed parts of an offshore survey after Turkish naval vessels were deployed near areas where survey ships were expected to operate. The episode highlighted the security risks facing infrastructure projects in disputed waters.

Klaus Dodds, professor of geopolitics at Middlesex University London, said Turkey views the cable as challenging maritime claims held by Greece and Cyprus. He said the project also reflects closer cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Israel, a combination Ankara views with suspicion.

Turkey has promoted its own vision for regional energy connectivity and could favour a separate electricity link between its territory and northern Cyprus, which is recognised internationally only by Turkey.

The European Commission has maintained its support for the Great Sea Interconnector and said it has a strategic interest in stability in the eastern Mediterranean.

Funding is another major challenge. Greece and Cyprus have struggled to agree on how the project should be financed and how costs should be recovered from consumers.

Under the latest proposal, Cyprus would cover about 63 percent of the cost, or roughly €786 million, while Greece would contribute around €460 million.

Greece argues that Cyprus, as the main beneficiary and the EU’s last isolated electricity market, should carry a larger share. Cyprus has sought assurances that households will not face excessive costs before the project begins generating benefits.

Athens and Nicosia asked the European Investment Bank in April to assess the project’s viability and updated cost estimates. Additional funding or investors could be required if the original budget has increased.

The EIB said discussions remain ongoing and that any financing request would be assessed under its normal procedures.

The project is therefore caught between geopolitical disputes and financial uncertainty. Without progress on maritime arrangements and a clearer financing structure, the cable intended to strengthen Europe’s energy network risks remaining stalled for years.

Three people were killed after a private helicopter crashed on the Greek island of Sifnos on Monday, according to the Greek fire service.

The aircraft came down near homes in the Tholos area of the popular tourist island, which is part of the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. The helicopter caught fire after the crash, prompting emergency teams to rush to the scene.

The fire service said it received notification of the accident shortly after 18:15 local time. Firefighters and rescue crews were dispatched to the area to deal with the flames and search for the people aboard the aircraft.

The three victims were reportedly a Greek pilot and a British couple who had recently married. Authorities had not immediately released further details about their identities.

The cause of the crash was not known. Investigators are expected to examine the circumstances of the flight, the condition of the helicopter and possible technical or other factors that may have contributed to the accident.

Video footage circulating on social media appeared to show flames and thick plumes of dark smoke rising from a hillside at the crash site. Emergency personnel were seen responding to the area as the fire spread around the wreckage.

The crash occurred on an island that attracts large numbers of visitors during the summer season. Sifnos is known for its beaches, villages and traditional architecture and is among the destinations visited by tourists travelling through the Cyclades.

The presence of homes close to the crash site raised concerns about the potential for the accident to cause additional casualties or property damage. Initial reports indicated that the helicopter came down close to residential areas, although no further deaths were reported.

Greek authorities are expected to conduct a full investigation into the accident. Investigators will seek to establish the helicopter’s route, weather conditions at the time and whether mechanical problems or other circumstances played a role.

Deadly helicopter accidents are relatively uncommon but can be difficult to investigate because aircraft wreckage can be scattered or heavily damaged by fire. Officials will likely examine the wreckage and available flight information as part of the inquiry.

The accident adds to concerns over aviation safety during the busy summer travel period, when Greece’s islands see a significant increase in visitors and air traffic.

Authorities had not announced whether flights or other aviation activity around Sifnos would be affected following the crash.

A US federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from relocating the FBI headquarters to the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, ruling that officials acted unlawfully when they abandoned a previously approved plan to construct a new headquarters in Maryland.

US District Judge Theodore D. Chuang ruled Monday that the administration’s decision to discard the Greenbelt, Maryland, site selected during Joe Biden’s presidency was “not in accordance with law.”

The judge barred the administration from moving the FBI to the Reagan Building, carrying out renovations for the bureau there or redirecting funds Congress had allocated for the headquarters project.

The dispute began after Trump administration officials sought to reverse the decision to build the FBI headquarters in Greenbelt and instead repurpose the federal office building several blocks from the FBI’s existing headquarters in central Washington.

The Maryland site had been selected following a lengthy competition with neighbouring Virginia. Maryland officials and Prince George’s County had spent more than a decade working to secure the project and had committed substantial public resources to support the development.

The lawsuit challenging the administration’s decision was filed by Maryland and Prince George’s County.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown welcomed the ruling, saying the state and county had invested years of work and hundreds of millions of dollars toward securing the headquarters.

He said the court’s decision removed the Trump administration’s attempt to move the project to Washington and allowed planning to return to the Greenbelt site.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore also urged officials to resume work on the planned headquarters, saying the project should proceed in Prince George’s County.

The FBI criticized the ruling, accusing the court of interfering with the administration’s efforts to reduce costs and improve government efficiency.

“This is not the first time courts have tried to undermine the administration in its goal to make government more cost-effective for American taxpayers,” the FBI said.

The bureau said it remained focused on its law enforcement mission and would continue pursuing what it considers the best option for its headquarters.

The FBI currently operates from the J. Edgar Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. Completed in 1975, the building has long faced criticism over its aging infrastructure and condition.

Supporters of a new headquarters have pointed to deterioration at the current site, including protective nets placed around parts of the building to guard pedestrians against falling material.

The headquarters dispute is the latest legal clash between the Trump administration and state and local authorities over federal property and spending decisions.

The ruling means the Greenbelt project can move forward for now, although further legal or administrative challenges could affect the timeline for construction of the FBI’s new headquarters.