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1501. MPs reject dissolution of parliament amid passports scandal

After officially electing AKEL MP Adamos Adamou as the new House President following the resignation of Demetris Syllouris amid intense backlash against his involvement in the recent golden passports scandal, MPs on Thursday debated on whether parliament should be dissolved making way for early elections, with the proposal eventually rejected with 26 votes in favour and 30 against....

1502. Opposition turns up pressure over passports

Parliament in Cyprus is expected to debate proposals over the passport scandal, including whether a new law can force the government to hand over files to the auditor general as well as a freeze on pending applications allegedly being squeezed through before the disgraced scheme is set to go on hiatus...

1503. Cyprus turns back clock this weekend

People in Cyprus will get an extra hour of sleep Sunday morning, as clocks will fall back to winter time on Saturday after midnight, marking the end of Daylight Saving Time...

1504. 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....

1505. MPs put foot down over farm animals in pet list

As Cyprus scrambles to draw up a list of animals permitted to be sold at pet shops, and by extension which pets the public can keep at home, the parliamentary environment committee is pushing for certain farm animals, such as donkeys, horses, pigs, and sheep, which are currently included in the list, to be available for purchase only in appropriate circumstances....

1506. Police get to work on passport scandal

Cypriot police appear to have their plate full with three different probes into alleged corruption in the golden passport scheme, with investigators facing their biggest challenge by a shocking Al Jazeera video that dealt the fatal blow in the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme...

1507. Golden passports pushed forward in Commission agenda

After the Al Jazeera revelations, the Cyprus Investment Program is being pushed into the European Commission’s discussion agenda....

1508. Michalis Persianis at Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit 2020

Michalis Persianis has been Corporate Affairs Director at Bank of Cyprus since 2015. ...

1509. 'Father of the House' calls for calm

AKEL MP Adamos Adamou became the Republic of Cyprus’ new House Speaker on Friday, as well as acting president, following the resignation of Demetris Syllouris amid a passport scandal and a pending investigation...

1510. House Speaker resigns over passport scandal

House Speaker Demetris Syllouris resigned on Thursday following public outcry over his involvement in a golden passport scandal exposed by Al Jazeera...

1511. Cypriots rise up against corruption

A crowd of protesters gathered outside Filoxenia Conference Centre in Nicosia on Wednesday evening, calling on House Speaker Demitris Syllouris to resign after he was featured in an Al Jazeera undercover story on corruption...

1512. Syllouris accepts waiving of his parliamentary immunity

President of the Cyprus Parliament Demetris Syllouris said Wednesday that he won’t stand in the way of his parliamentary immunity being waved to accommodate a probe launched by local police after a fresh batch of Al Jazeera allegations situated him at the epicentre of a massive corruption scandal involving the island’s golden passports scheme....

1513. Stella Kyriakides at Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit 2020

On 1 December 2019, Ms. Kyriakides became the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. ...

1514. Commission slams Cyprus over passports, mulls infringement procedures

The European Commission expressed “disbelief” over new revelations concerning Cyprus’ investment for citizenship scheme, saying that the body is looking into infringement procedures for Nicosia. ...

1515. House speaker offers public apology

House Speaker Demetris Syllouris says his mind is made up regarding his position in parliament but will abstain from duties and announce his decision after the conclusion of a probe into passport corruption...

1516. Probe launched against Al Jazeera operation

The state attorney ordered a probe following a complaint filed by high-profile Cypriot officials targeted by an Al Jazeera secret investigation on corruption, with members of the public outraged as more shocking revelations emerged in a new Cyprus Papers video...

1517. Al Jazeera strikes again at Cyprus Papers

Al Jazeera’s investigative unit struck again on Monday with new Cyprus Papers material, involving a report accompanied by a one-hour video depicting undercover reporters who visited Cyprus and posed as representatives of an imaginary ultrarich investor, Mr X, who was convicted for palm-greasing and money laundering, to ‘test’ whether local authorities would still be willing accept his hefty investment and provide him with Cypriot citizenship....

1518. President condemns Dherynia checkpoint ruckus

President Nicos Anastasiades described Sunday night’s demonstration by fans of a local football club at the Dherynia checkpoint as “unacceptable and condemnable.”...

1519. Far-right EU lawmaker in Greek court for criminal trial

A member of the European Parliament has appeared in court in Greece after being convicted last week of being a member of a criminal organization along with members of the extreme-right Golden Dawn party. ...

1520. A historic verdict and a more united Greece

The Greek justice system rose to the occasion and delivered a historic verdict that also confirms Greece’s image as a free democracy governed by the rule of law. Behind the voters’ rejection of Golden Dawn and the party’s condemnation by the institutions lies a good deal of human suffering – the agony of a mother whose child was murdered, but also of so many others who suffered violence and humiliation at the hands of the criminal organization....

1521. Greek court rules Golden Dawn party criminal organization

A Greek court ruled on Wednesday that the far-right Golden Dawn party was operating as a criminal organization, delivering a landmark guilty verdict in a marathon five-year trial....

1522. EY Cyprus Platinum Sponsor at first Cyprus Forum

1523. Green transition in transport, agriculture an uphill task

Achieving sustainable transport demands policies on a governmental and local level which will give priority to users, providing more accessible, fair and clean alternative solutions, chairman of the parliamentary committee on transport, Charalambos Pittokopitis, has said, noting that the transition could not be achieved overnight....

1524. Asif Sadiq at Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit 2020

Asif is Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at adidas, prior to which he was the Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging for The Telegraph Media Group. He was previously the Head of Diversity and Inclusiveness for EY Financial Services and the Head of the Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Unit for the City of London Police. He is a Multi-Award Winning Diversity and Inclusion expert with over 15 years experience and a proven track record in achieving operational and strategic targets, managing quality, performance, risk and change....

1525. Bill to update definition of rape, tighten penalty to life

A bill tightening the penalty for rape to life in prison is set to be tabled before Parliament next week....

1526. Judge Ankara by its actions not its words

Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, favors a less sympathetic approach on Turkey, arguing ad hoc partnerships can put pressure on Ankara to come around...

1527. Minister disfavors jail for Paralimni offenders

Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis has weighed in on reported incidents of animal abuse during a shocking Paralimni school prank, saying she is in favour of juvenile offenders doing community service at an animal shelter...

1528. EU fails to unblock sanctions due to lack on unanimity

European Union foreign ministers failed to overcome a diplomatic standoff over Belarus on Monday despite an appeal by the country's main opposition leader to approve sanctions on officials accused of rigging the election last month....

1529. Greek President stresses solidarity with Cyprus

President Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Monday underlined the unity and solidarity between Greece and Cyprus in the face of Turkish provocations during a two-day official visit to Nicosia....

1530. Parliament passes bills to streamline asylum procedures

The House on Friday passed three amendments to the Refugee Law, streamlining asylum procedures....