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1231. Boris Johnson in ICU as symptoms worsen

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was fighting worsening coronavirus symptoms in an intensive care unit on Tuesday, leaving his foreign minister to lead the government’s response to the accelerating outbreak...

1232. Boris Johnson spends night in hospital

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was still in hospital on Monday suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms 10 days after testing positive for the virus, although Downing Street said he remained in charge of the government...

1233. Ward to treat suspected COVID-19 cases opens in Paphos General Hospital

A ward to deal exclusively with suspected coronavirus cases was placed in operation on Monday at the Paphos General Hospital....

1234. Trump declares coronavirus outbreak a national emergency

President Donald Trump said Friday he was declaring a national emergency -- "two very big words" -- to free up $50 billion in federal resources to combat coronavirus, part of a raft of new measures Trump hopes can bring a roiling health crisis under control....

1235. EU executive tells Turkey to take migrants back from Greek border

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said ahead of talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey must move refugees and migrants away from the Greek border....

1236. Christodoulides talks Turkish activity in EEZ, Varosha with UNSG

Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Geneva on Monday....

1237. Nicosia an extremely important partner in region, Norwegian FM says in Cyprus visit

Oslo views Cyprus as an extremely important partner in the region, due to its bridging role between Europe and the Near East, said Ine Soreide, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs....

1238. Shipping Deputy Minister calls for action to maintain competitiveness of European Shipping

Cyprus' Shipping Deputy Minister Natasa Pilides underlined "the need to maintain the competitiveness of European Shipping," during the debate on trade and competitiveness at a conference held within the framework of the European Maritime Week, in Brussels....

1239. Akinci brushes off Varosha talk as election gimmick, Anastasiades calls for bicommunal committee

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci has suggested that Varosha, a southern suburb of Famagusta that has been fenced off and abandoned since Turkey invaded northern Cyprus, is being used as an election gimmick, adding that he supports UN-backed efforts to reopen the ghost town....

1240. Greece, US hold live-fire drill after major base deal

At the foot of Mount Olympus, army aviation forces from Greece and the United States are taking part in a live-fire exercise with attack helicopters, marking deepening defense ties between the two countries....

1241. UK 'deplores' Turkey's actions in Cyprus EEZ

The British Government’s position regarding the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s activity within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus does not change now that the UK has exited the European Union, the Minister for Europe Christopher Pincher said. ...

1242. Government welcomes support expressed in US Senate

The Government Spokesman Kyriakos Kousios welcomed on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus the US position that Turkey is the sole party contributing to rising tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, and not Greece or Cyprus....

1243. Israeli FM director-general in Athens for talks

Israel’s Foreign Ministry director-general Yuval Rotem will visit Athens Wednesday for talks with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and other officials, the Israeli embassy announced....

1244. WHO: Coronavirus officially named Covid-19

The World Health Organization says the official name for the disease caused by the new coronavirus will be Covid-2019....

1245. Cooperation required to fully reap energy rewards

1246. French aircraft carrier in Cyprus Block 8

Amid rising tensions in the East Mediterranean, the flagship of the French Navy, aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, remains in Block 8 of Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone, bearing a small fleet of Rafale fighter jets, helicopters, other aircraft and drones....

1247. Senior US energy official urges region's players to show restraint

Senior US energy official Francis Fannon currently holding a round of talks in Nicosia highlighted the importance of the partnership between Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the US, but urged all parties to refrain from provocative moves which may further destabilize the region....

1248. Government: Visit of US Energy official sends powerful messages

The arrival in Cyprus of senior US energy official Francis Fannon sends powerful political messages, Government spokesman Kyriakos Kousios said on Tuesday, noting that a new round of drilling in the Cyprus EEZ is expected end of March....

1249. Cyprus ready for five-party meeting, Anastasiades tells Lute

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades shared a phone call on Wednesday with UN special envoy Jane Holl Lute, expressing his readiness to take part in an informal five-party conference with the aim of reaching an agreement on the terms of reference that would allow the resumption of peace talks....

1250. EU vessels will no longer have automatic access to UK fishing waters

The automatic right of EU vessels to fish in British waters, in accordance with the EU’s common fisheries policy, is to be ended under the fisheries bill introduced to parliament on Wednesday....

1251. UNFICYP draft under ‘silence procedure’

A resolution renewing the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus for an additional six months is under the “silence procedure” and it is expected to be adopted on Thursday if no member breaks the silence...

1252. Tsipras versus the US and Trump's intervention

Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras’ critical stance toward the extension of the defense cooperation agreement between Greece and the United States is a sign of inconsistency, as he is refusing to vote in favor of an agreement that he is effectively responsible for after negotiating its parameters when he was prime minister....

1253. Turkey, Greece need to resolve East Med issues, Trump tells Erdogan

US President Donald Trump on Monday called Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to talk about developments in Libya and Syria, a spokesman for the White House said on Twitter, adding that Turkey’s differences with Greece were also discussed....

1254. Nicosia ups efforts ahead of UNFICYP vote

Nicosia is intensifying efforts over the final makeup of an UNFICYP draft resolution in New York, as the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus is expected to be renewed ahead of its expiry at the end of the month...

1255. Foreign powers back Libya ceasefire

Foreign powers agreed at a summit in Berlin on Sunday to shore up a shaky truce in Libya, but the meeting was overshadowed by blockades of oilfields by forces loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar that could cripple the country’s crude production...

1256. Cyprus hopes to join US visa waiver

Cypriot officials say they are setting up a task force aimed at including the country in the US visa waiver programme the soonest possible...

1257. Cyprus and Italy to continue cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean

Cyprus Defence Minister Savvas Angelides and his Italian counterpart Lorenzo Buerine, agreed to continue the mutual information, coordination and cooperation, regarding the issue of energy security in the EEZ of Cyprus and more generally in the Εastern Mediterranean...

1258. Cyprus hopes cooler heads will prevail

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on Thursday said he hoped more sensible ideas would prevail regarding the situation in the Middle East, while sources expect "no unpleasant surprises” ahead of a mandate review for UN peacekeeping on the island...

1259. Libya blames maritime tensions on Greece

Libya has slammed Greece in a recent letter to the United Nations, accusing Athens of refusing to play fair, while US State Secretary Mike Pompeo says he is taking on a new initiative to de-escalate Greco-Turkish tensions over maritime borders...

1260. Iran escalation continues after midnight tweet

US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if Iran attacks Americans or US assets after a drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, as tens of thousands of people marched in Iraq to mourn their deaths...