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1171. Reynders: 'golden passport' schemes must be abolished

The EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders briefed the plenary of the European Parliament on Thursday on the Commission’s decision to initiate infringement proceedings against Cyprus and Malta in view of their ‘golden passports’ schemes which appear to be in violation of EU law....

1172. Greece finalizes plan to build wall on border with Turkey

Greece's government says it has finalized plans to extend a wall along its northeast border with Turkey, over concerns that migrants may try to stage mass crossings into the European Union country....

1173. Coronavirus measures bring sharp drop in EU asylum applications

First-time asylum applicants in the EU recorded a sharp drop of almost 70% during the second quarter of 2020, mainly as a result of coronavirus emergency measures imposed by member states from March, Eurostat figures showed Wednesday....

1174. Passports under the watchful eye of the Commission

1175. Government extends support schemes until end October

The Cabinet on Thursday decided to extend current government support programs aiming to cushion the blow of the coronavirus pandemic until the end of October, Labour Minister Zeta Emilianidou said....

1176. Washington lifts Cyprus arms embargo

Washington has announced a partial lifting of a decades-old arms embargo to the Republic of Cyprus, with Turkey saying the decision ignores equality and balance between the two sides on the divided island...

1177. Suspect rearrested in Filipina abuse case

A retired police officer who was accused last month of abusing his Filipina housemaid has been detained again, with police saying his new warrant include new charges of human trafficking...

1178. A second lockdown would be a grim financial equation

With the rise in coronavirus cases which are mainly located within the local community and not just at the country’s points of entry, whispers of a second lockdown looming have resumed....

1179. Cyprus-France defence cooperation agreement comes into force

An announcement by the Cyprus Presidency on Thursday officially marked the initiation of a defence cooperation agreement between Cyprus and France, with particular focus on military and energy areas....

1180. Cyprus perturbed over Russia tax move

Finance ministry officials in the Republic of Cyprus say they were caught by surprise when Russia announced it would scrap a bilateral double tax treaty, with Moscow suggesting there was no other alternative after talks had failed...

1181. Sirens mark 1974 Attila operation in Cyprus

Cypriots woke up to the sound of emergency sirens on the island on Monday morning, marking the anniversary of the Turkish military invasion of summer 1974...

1182. Akrotiri British Bases police donate 60 care packages

Akrotiri British Bases police donated 60 boxes containing food supplies and essential items to 100 families financially affected by the coronavirus pandemic living in the surrounding communities....

1183. 74% of Cypriots want higher EU budget to tackle pandemic

Three in four Cypriots believe the EU needs additional economic means in order to deal with the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic, a study conducted by the European Parliament during the second half of June showed....

1184. EU gives go-ahead for Cyprus-Greece ferry connection subsidy

Cyprus’ outgoing Deputy Shipping Minister Natasa Pilides said on Monday that the goal to establish a ferry connection between Cyprus and Greece is moving forward, noting that following consultations which began a year ago, the EU Competition Directorate-General has approved a state subsidy for the project valued of at a maximum of €6 million per year....

1185. Berlin ready to support Cyprus solution process

Berlin intends to be supportive if asked to do so by all parties involved in Cyprus settlement efforts, the Ambassador of Germany to Cyprus, Franz Josef Kremp, told the Cyprus News Agency....

1186. All set for implementation of new support measures, FinMin says

Finance minister Constantinos Petrides announced the launch of the implementation of three measures, under the government support program, to address the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic....

1187. Locals to be able to cross through checkpoints from Sunday

Cyprus nationals and legal residents of the island will be able to cross through all checkpoints barring that on Ledra Street as of Sunday, but will need to present proof of a negative coronavirus test conducted up to 72 hours prior to crossing....

1188. Cyprus epidemiological report shows 84% of recent cases imported

A total of 985 COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths have been reported in the Republic of Cyprus until June 16, with the fatality rate standing at 2.5%, according to the national surveillance report on COVID-19 published on Thursday....

1189. Cyprus shrunk prison population by 16% as Covid-19 prevention, report shows

Cyprus was among the Council of Europe’s member states that marked the largest decrease in prison population rates during the coronavirus pandemic, a special report on the impact of lockdowns on EU prison populations that was published Thursday showed....

1190. Police use tear gas at migrant camp

Police officers responded with tear gas at a group of migrants at the Pournara camp in rural Nicosia, as the debate over detaining asylum seekers continues on Cyprus...

1191. Cyprus lawyer searching for Dutch sailor who helped him beat Covid-19 infection

Distinguished local lawyer Kypros Chrysostomides beat his coronavirus infection after an arduous one-month journey at the Famagusta General Hospital ICU, but said what will stick with him is the memory of his hospital roommate, a young Dutch sailor, whom he hopes to meet again to thank him for the selflessness he showed while Chrysostomides was immobilized by the virus....

1192. Cyprus must remain successful in battle against virus, Health Minister says

Cyprus has been successful so far in controlling COVID-19 but needs to remain so, said Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou, noting that the EU must improve the overall quality of its healthcare services to be better positioned to deal with issues like COVID-19 in the future....

1193. Lockdown-defying bishops off the hook

Two local bishops who were facing charges in connection with violation of public health laws during the pandemic lockdown are off the hook, with state prosecution reportedly lacking clear and convincing evidence...

1194. Cyprus public debt spikes to €24.5 billion due to Covid-19 crisis

Cyprus General Government debt spiked to €24.56 billion according to official data in April, reflecting the large debt issuances by the Finance Ministry to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak to the economy....

1195. No peace talks until mandate is renewed, Akinci says

Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci says that no progress can be made in reunification talks with the Republic of Cyprus if Turkish Cypriots in the breakaway north do not renew his mandate....

1196. Market sentiment looking up, FinMin says

Market sentiment is looking up, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said Tuesday after a broad meeting at the Presidential Palace between President Nicos Anastasiades and representatives of financial institutions....

1197. Health experts on divided island compare notes

Health experts from the two communities on divided Cyprus are expected to touch base on Monday, leaving politics aside as scientists try to prepare officials for the reopening of crossings in the buffer zone...

1198. 42 private hospitals join phase two of Gesy

The full rollout of the island’s universal healthcare system (Gesy) on Monday will take place with the participation of 42 private hospitals, with the Health Insurance Organization on Friday expressing its content after two large Nicosia hospitals, the Apollonion and Aretaeio, agreed to participate....

1199. FinMin delves into details of 'new, more targeted measures'

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides held a press conference on Thursday to delve into the details of the new bundle of economic support measures announced by President Nicos Anastasiades in a televised national address Wednesday night....

1200. Demonstration outside refugee camp sparks Government reaction

A demonstration staged outside the Pournara camp in Kokkinotrimithia on Sunday calling for an end to the arbitrary detention of hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers stirred reaction from the Government on Tuesday, with an Interior Ministry announcement claiming it won’t be allowing any further ghettoization of the island....