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1441. Borrell to present options for sanctions against Turkey at Gymnich

The European Commission confirmed Tuesday that the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is set to present a list of potential options for sanctions against Turkey during the Gymnich in Berlin on Thursday, with all options expected to be discussed by the 27 EU leaders during a summit in September....

1442. Daily count climbs ahead of new measures

The Republic of Cyprus reported 26 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the grand total to 1385 a day after the highest number of daily tests carried out since the virus outbreak in early March...

1443. Justice minister on board with new drug policy

Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis says people addicted to drugs and alcohol ought not to be seen as lawbreakers but people who need treatment...

1444. Cyprus open to defining maritime zones

Cyprus said on Tuesday it was willing to engage with all its neighbours on defining maritime boundaries, amid a tense stand-off with Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean over jurisdiction in the energy-rich waters...

1445. Cyprus starts fingerprinting ID card applicants

The Republic of Cyprus has stepped up its fight against document fraud and identity theft by launching new identification cards, which require citizens to submit fingerprints and other biometric data to the government...

1446. Expert raises Covid-19 alarm for this week

One coronavirus case has been detected at a kindergarten in Nicosia, while there were 21 cases over the weekend in the Republic of Cyprus, with health experts remaining concerned over asymptomatic carriers and protocol violators...

1447. Greek and Turkish warships in 'mini collision,' says defense source

A Greek and a Turkish warship were involved in a mini-collision on Wednesday during a standoff in the eastern Mediterranean, a Greek defense source said, describing it as an "accident."...

1448. EastMed diplomatic marathon in full swing

European Council President Charles Michel on Thursday held a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the former’s spokesman Barend Leyts....

1449. Leaders of Cyprus, Greece talk strategy

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades was briefed on Tuesday by the Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the situation in Greece’s continental shelf and exclusive economic zone, where Turkey’s seismic exploration vessel is currently stationed, with the two leaders agreeing on coordinated action....

1450. Cyprus and Russia come to terms

It will no longer be possible for wealthy Russians to distribute profit via dividends to foreign firms in Cyprus, after Nicosia said it agreed with Moscow on terms to amend a double tax treaty, but some say the island still kept some competitive advantages...

1451. Regional tensions flare up anew as Turkey issues new Navtex

1452. North commemorates Tylliria bombing

Busloads of Turkish Cypriots crossed into Cyprus’ “other ghost town” on Saturday to commemorate Turkish bombing in Tylliria during intercommunal clashes on the island in 1964, but the gathering was not without political controversy...

1453. Beirut blast has eerie connections to Cyprus

Following Tuesday’s deadly explosion in Lebanon, some eerie connections began to emerge in Cyprus, including a Russian national based in Limassol and a Hezbollah-related arrest on the island back in 2015...

1454. Majority of new cases young asymptomatic people, Cyprus health minister warns

Findings from the government-ordered random sampling program targeting 3,000 people that was finalized on Tuesday confirmed rising concerns that the virus is officially spreading anew through the Cyprus population, with an announcement by health minister Constantinos Ioannou on Wednesday raising the alarm over the dangerous repercussions of the spread getting out of hand....

1455. UK tourists deterred by 'complicated' Cyprus process

Though Cyprus has officially re-opened to the UK tourism market, tour operators claim that the majority of visitors from the country are Cyprus expats, with UK nationals so far appearing reluctant to jump through the hurdles Cyprus has laid out for category B countries....

1456. 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...

1457. Cyprus downgrades Greece amid virus fears

Cyprus will introduce mandatory testing for all arrivals from Greece starting August 6, after many cases were detected during random tests from passengers returning from Greece in the last few days....

1458. Cyprus welcomes Brits back amid spike

Five flights from British airports were scheduled to land in the Republic of Cyprus on Saturday, after the island listed the United Kingdom in Category B, which means arriving passengers are not required to be under self-isolation...

1459. Cyprus scrambles to contain virus flare-ups

The government is expected to announce additional measures in response to fears over a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, after known cases on Thursday, most of them in Limassol, remained in double digits for a second consecutive day...

1460. Greek FM says Athens got Nicosia’s back

Nicosia and Athens are seeking ways to further oppose Turkey’s moves in the eastern Mediterranean, after Ankara signaled it was ready for dialogue but also sent a seismic research vessel in Cypriot waters...

1461. Refugees come to standstill off Cape Greco

Fifteen Syrian refugees arrived in Cyprus late Wednesday night, while reports say coast guard officers are in talks with another boat off Cape Greco in an effort to turn ten others back to their country of departure...

1462. Pedestrian woman dies after Larnaca accident

A woman in Larnaca was killed in a road incident on Wednesday when a minibus struck her as she was trying to cross the road...

1463. Thirteen new cases raise alarm in Cyprus

The government of the Republic of Cyprus has issued a decree mandating 3000 randomized coronavirus tests in public places, while another 5000 tests were ordered in Limassol after an alarming spike in the southern town including 13 new cases in one day...

1464. UNFICYP renewal invokes reactions

The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a new resolution on Tuesday, providing for the renewal of the mandate for the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus for another six months while also invoking mixed reactions...

1465. Endemic fears multiply in Limassol

Half of all coronavirus cases detected in July thus far came from local infections, with officials scrambling to break chains in Limassol where three more cases were added on Monday with a total of five suspected clusters...

1466. Homes evacuated in Paphos forest fire

Fire fighters have been battling forest fires in Paphos district on Monday afternoon, where some evacuations were ordered out of fear of changes in wind direction...

1467. Cypriot health experts lay it on the line

Health officials in the Republic of Cyprus say recently detected clusters of the coronavirus in Limassol do not pose a direct threat to the community but warn the bug never went away and only more testing will show how widespread it may be in the southern town...

1468. Cyprus waves UK on after results are in

The path to category B for the United Kingdom has been confirmed by Cypriot health officials, with British tourists arriving on the island from Saturday required to show negative test...

1469. NAVTEX warnings muddy the waters off Cyprus

Rival navigational warnings and conflicting information about naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean dominated headlines over the weekend, with Germany appearing to be behind a last-ditch effort to buy time and de-escalate tensions between Greece and Turkey...

1470. Cyprus orders new tests after Limassol spike

The government in the Republic of Cyprus is preparing for randomized tests across the island, after orphan cases began to emerge in Limassol where cases were also being detected through contact tracing...