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1. CBC to decide on ECM Partners’ €100m-plus payabl. deal in October

The paperwork for ECM Partners’ planned purchase of half of payabl. has reached the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC), which must approve the deal before it can go ahead. ECM Partners reached an agreement with payabl.’s shareholders last week....

2. Damascus adds European flights as Syria comes off US terror list

Syria is getting two new direct links to Europe, just as one of the biggest restrictions hanging over the country has been removed....

3. payabl. teams up with Visa to help merchants quickly resolve disputes and prevent costly chargebacks

European financial technology provider payabl. has expanded its relationship with Visa to extend access to real-time dispute management tools for merchants across the EU and UK....

4. Cyprus left waiting while US freezes new visa-waiver entries

The United States is currently reviewing its Visa Waiver Programme and has not admitted any new countries, according to sources familiar with Cyprus’s efforts to join the scheme....

5. Occupied north moves to track every arrival with new digital entry system

The Turkish Cypriot ''administration'' is introducing a new electronic system intended to record who enters the occupied north, why they are travelling, and how long they plan to remain...

6. Foreign ministry internal document reveals Cyprus is tracking key EU-Turkey policy shifts

An internal document from the Foreign Ministry has put the diplomatic service on high alert. The document, obtained by Kathimerini, stresses that these eight dossiers represent core strategic goals for Ankara....

7. Spain and Italy impose reciprocal border controls in Schengen dispute

Spain has introduced temporary border checks on travellers arriving from Italy, escalating a dispute between the two EU governments over Rome's decision to restrict the movement of some passengers arriving from Spain....

8. Ankara tells EU: End Turkish Cypriot isolation before seeking a role in Cyprus talks

Turkey is sending the message to Brussels that there is only one role the European Union could play in the Cyprus issue, according to information obtained by “K”: implementing the EU conclusions of April 2004, which stated that “the Council is determined to put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community...”...

9. Dubai offers residents up to €700 for bringing foreign visitors

Dubai has launched a new incentive programme encouraging residents to invite friends and relatives from overseas, offering rewards worth more than 3,000 dirhams (€716) as the emirate seeks to strengthen international tourism following months of regional instability....

10. Cyprus’ path to Schengen: Implications for employers

11. Cyprus wants Schengen in 18 months, is that realistic?

Joining the Schengen Area would do more than end border checks for Cypriot citizens traveling within Europe. It would place Cyprus among what is often described as the EU’s ''inner core,'' the group of countries that belong both to the European free-travel zone and the euro area....

12. Senior US Homeland Security officials visit Cyprus

The growing partnership between Cyprus and the United States was on full display this week as two senior US Homeland Security officials arrived on the island for high-level talks on security, migration and closer cooperation....

13. Cyprus secures EU technical approval for Schengen

The Republic of Cyprus is on track to join the Schengen area, according to an EU technical evaluation presented to the competent Schengen Committee on June 26. Sources close to the matter indicate that the EU gave Cyprus a positive evaluation, describing it as technically ready for full participation in the Schengen area. ...

14. Lidl Cyprus introduces Lidl Pay

Leading the way in modern retail transformation, Lidl Cyprus announces the official launch of the new, innovative Lidl Pay service in the Cypriot market....

15. Digital euro coming by 2030 as Cyprus gets a new way to pay

The digital euro is slowly moving from theory to reality, and if all goes to plan, it could become part of everyday life across Cyprus and the rest of the eurozone by 2030....

16. Christodoulides says Cyprus talks should build on common ground, not start from scratch

Almost a decade after Crans-Montana, the Cyprus issue appears to be returning to the center of political developments. Whether this activity will lead to meaningful progress or simply add another chapter to a long history of unmet expectations remains the key question....

17. EU investment bank restarts funding to Turkey after 7-year freeze

The return of the European Investment Bank (EIB) to Turkey was officially sealed on June 10, marking the revival of new development projects in the country after a seven-year hiatus....

18. More foreign patients fly to China for cancer treatment

A growing shift in global medicine is seeing more patients travel abroad for life-saving treatments that are either unavailable at home or come at a fraction of the cost, according to an article in Bloomberg....

19. EU pushes to tighten visa rules for Russian tourists

Ten European Union member states are calling for a tougher visa regime for Russian citizens, urging the European Commission to consider new legislative measures to restrict tourist travel from Russia into the Schengen area....

20. Bulgaria puts limits on U.S. military aircraft stay after visa dispute

Bulgaria will allow US military aircraft to stay in the NATO member country only until the end of June, after ‌the United States failed to approve a visa-free system for Bulgarian visitors, Prime Minister Rumen Radev has said....

21. A collapsed cake

Every time our government opens its mouth and lays out new lofty goals and grand ambitions, the oven gets preheated, the temperature rises, there is sometimes even a sense of admiration, and President Nikos Christodoulides, playing the role of chef, prepares yet another political cake, hoping to serve it to Cypriot society....

22. Cyprus remains a key gateway as Europe’s ‘golden visa’ landscape shifts

As several European countries tighten or scrap their so-called “golden visa” schemes, Cyprus is emerging as one of the most stable and accessible options for investors seeking residency within the EU....

23. Our bright future

After all, as we have repeatedly pointed out, the EU’s involvement in the Cyprus issue would merely be supportive of any potential UN initiative. And therefore, the terminology of “more active involvement” deployed by President Christodoulides belonged to the realm of wishful thinking...

24. EU tightens visa rules, steps up deportations in new migration strategy

The European Commission on Thursday unveiled a tougher migration strategy for the next five years, centered on overhauling the EU’s visa system and stepping up deportations, moves that effectively seal the bloc’s harder line on irregular migration....

25. Good news for Britons as China drops visa requirement

Brits heading to China no longer need a visa, for trips of up to 30 days, that is. The UK government confirmed the change Tuesday during Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Beijing, after talks with President Xi Jinping....

26. Europe bets big on India after signing the ''mother of all deals''

In a clear signal that Europe is reshaping its global alliances, the European Union and India have finalized a free-trade agreement after nearly 20 years of talks, aiming to reduce EU dependence on the U.S. and China and strengthen ties with Asia’s fastest-growing economy....

27. Applying for a travel visa could drain your bank account

Police are alerting the public to a newly identified online scam targeting people applying for travel visas to foreign countries, after reports that fraudsters are stealing money through counterfeit application websites....

28. From genocide disputes to e-visas: Turkey and Armenia take a step toward each other

For the first time in decades, citizens of Turkey and Armenia will find it easier to cross the heavily guarded border between the two neighbors, thanks to a new agreement simplifying visa procedures....

29. Turkey changes entry rules for Republic of Cyprus passport holders

Turkey is changing the way it allows citizens of the Republic of Cyprus to enter the country, introducing new visa procedures that will come into force on 2 January 2026....

30. EU tries a new strategy: Curb irregular migration by expanding regular migration

The EU is taking a new swing at its long-standing migration problem, not by tightening the borders, but by opening more legal doors....