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211. Cyprus’ passport committee issues final report

Over half of the golden passports approved by the President’s Cabinet in the Republic of Cyprus were illegal, a special committee has found, and it is now up to the attorney general to ascertain whether any ministers may have had fraudulent intent...

212. Text blunder adds to vaccination confusion

Dozens of people showed up to get a vaccine in Limassol on Monday after thousands of appointments had been canceled or rescheduled due to a nurse strike, but some people insist they had received a text reminder in the morning asking them to proceed with the appointment...

213. PASYNO nurses strike over ministry probe

Cyprus’ PASYNO Nurses Association went on strike Monday to protest against a disciplinary probe that examines whether five members who refused to work in Athalassa hospital during COVID had breached their contract...

214. Army officer falls to his death during exercise

An army officer fell to his death on Tuesday during a military exercise in the Troodos Mountains, where the National Guard was conducting exercises designed for high altitudes...

215. Legal battle heats up in golden passports

The top two chief law enforcers in the Republic of Cyprus are taking the parliament to court over a resolution, in which members called on the two officials to recuse themselves in the golden passport probe after raising conflict of interest issues...

216. China completes historic Mars landing

An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft successfully landed on the surface of Mars on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua reported, making China the second space-faring nation after the United States to land on the Red Planet...

217. Syllouris declines questions in passport probe

A former Cypriot parliamentary speaker secretly filmed in an expose on a now discredited cash-for-passports scheme declined to answer questions on Wednesday into his role in a scandal which rocked the island nation...

218. Internet wants beloved dog back home

The town of Ayia Napa says it will take the initiative to find a new home for Bruno, a beloved stray that appeared to be mistreated during capture, but people all over Cyprus are calling on authorities to let the dog get back to home, near an army camp where he is loved...

219. Stars in Al Jazeera video face committee

220. Director wants passport probe clear his name

A civil servant, whose name was dropped by the former House speaker during a secret video recording by Al Jazeera, says he did not get involved with golden passports during his tenure as director of the interior ministry, vowing to take legal action if an investigative committee failed to clear his name...

221. Interim report on golden passports delivered

An interim report on the golden passport scandal in the Republic of Cyprus says just over half of citizenships granted by the executive branch were not approved lawfully...

222. Jiu Jitsu director says Cyprus losing out

The director and producers of martial arts movie Jiu Jitsu sought audience with Cyprus’ finance minister this week over delayed cash rebate payments, with reports saying the film makers are also ticked off by an unflattering audit report on the country’s Olivewood scheme...

223. Gloves are off again over golden passports

Cyprus’ auditor general told a House committee this week that the Cabinet used old rules to approve over two hundred golden passports after the cutoff date for an investigation ordered by the attorney general, who pushed back on the criticism saying there was 'no bottom to the abyss'...

224. Cyprus expecting 60,000 Covid doses this week

225. Backchannel migration approvals probed

A man has accused the interior minister of approving visa extensions for a select number of foreign workers while rejecting others including his elderly mother’s helper, with reports pointing to a bigger scandal where rejected cases were being approved fraudulently through a channel involving a high price tag...

226. Police probe burning of Greek flag in Pyla

A Greek flag that was hoisted at an elementary school in Pyla was reportedly stolen and set on fire this week, but the exact time of the incident in the bicommunal village was not fully clear...

227. Investigators puzzled over Athienou case

Officials in Cyprus still remain in the dark over the identification of a woman whose body was discovered in a field in the buffer zone, with reports saying investigators are seeking answers from abroad based on a tip that led to the launch of a murder probe...

228. Officers off the hook in serial killer probe

Senior law enforcement officials and frontline police officers named in a serial killer probe in Cyprus could be subject to disciplinary action but not criminal charges because of broader systemic failures and lack of evidence...

229. Police probe suspicious rapid test invoices

Police are investigating allegations of fraud after suspicions emerged that a private company was claiming payments for rapid tests that never took place...

230. Interior Minister fires Kouklia head councilor

A whistleblower head councilor in Paphos district has been relieved of his duties this week by the interior minister, who has placed the local council of Kouklia under the administration of the district chief officer following pandemonium in the heavily-audited community...

231. Coming period packed with Cyprus Problem diplomacy

EU and UN officials are expected in Cyprus in the coming days ahead of the informal conference on Cyprus that will take place April 27-29 of in Geneva and this month’s European Council summit, during which EU leaders will discuss Turkey`s European course. ...

232. Syrian walks free after long detention

A Syrian man was detained since May 2019 on terrorism charges won his appeal on Thursday, after the Supreme Court ruled that his detention had exceeded any valid period that had previously been justified on national security grounds...

233. Doctor’s sexual misconduct trial goes forward

A sexual assault case against a doctor with a large medical practice in Cyprus is moving forward, while questions have been raised over a messenger company that failed for months to serve him court documents as well as a prior conviction that fell through the cracks...

234. Probe into police brutality has three-month deadline

The independent authority for the investigation of allegations and complaints against the police said Thursday that it instructed the four criminal investigators probing complaints of police brutality at last Saturday’s protest to wrap up investigations within three months....

235. Yiolitis says police did not have orders to exert violence

Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis said Monday that police did not have instructions to use brutal violence against protestors in Nicosia on Saturday, though critical MPs stress that it is obvious that the police response was decided in advance with those responsible avoiding responsibility....

236. Protesters accuse cops of police brutality

A probe into alleged police brutality has been launched after law enforcement officials were criticized over a heavy-handed response to a peaceful protest against corruption in downtown Nicosia on Saturday...

237. Former AG says he cautioned over passports

The state’s former attorney general says his department had cautioned the government years ago that the country’s golden passport scheme might have been incompatible with European law, essentially contradicting the executive branch's position that nobody had said anything...

238. President blames CIP failure on recklessness

Cyprus’ disgraced Citizenship by Investment Programme took a heavy toll after it was 'recklessly promoted' overseas, according to President Nicos Anastasiades, who testified on Tuesday before an independent committee, while telling reporters later that he would not revisit the matter until after probe findings are concluded...

239. Anastasiades takes the stand in passports probe

Cyprus’ citizenship by investment scheme will not be revived but other incentives will be given to attract investments, excluding citizenship, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Tuesday, following a 3-hour-long testimony before the investigative committee probing Cyprus’ nixed citizenship-by-investment scheme....

240. Cyprus president testifies on golden passports

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is expected to testify on Tuesday before the independent committee probing corruption allegations in the country’s golden passport scheme, just days after he lashed out at critics during a national address on the fight against corruption...