Search

301. Constitutional crisis unfolds over passports

An unprecedented constitutional crisis has been unfolding in the Republic of Cyprus, with the attorney general publicly scolding an inquisitive auditor general and asking him to back off from seeking access to files in connection with golden passports linked to a casino project...

302. Attorney General calls Auditor ‘to order’

Cypriot Attorney General George Savvides issued a stern warning on Saturday, calling to order the state’s auditor general over his insistence on examining specific golden passport case files linked to a casino project on the island...

303. 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...

304. 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....

305. Greece asks EU countries to halt military exports to Turkey

Greece has asked fellow European Union countries to halt military exports to Turkey, the country's foreign minister said Tuesday, amid a deepening dispute between the two neighbors over maritime boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean....

306. Bad blood continues over golden passports

A prolonged and bitter dispute between the interior minister and auditor general, over probing Cyprus’ golden passports scheme, was renewed this week following a mini report with details on a number of applications through citizenship by investment...

307. Transport ministry proposes EU Flight Pass based on local model

The Cyprus transport ministry sent a non-paper calling for a joint approach by all EU member states in addressing the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic on air transport....

308. Driver permit rules stiffer for non-residents

The Cypriot transport ministry has issued tougher rules for some foreigners seeking to obtain a driver’s permit, essentially linking visa status to eligibility while barring refugees with pending applications as well as introducing stricter criteria...

309. Passports under the watchful eye of the Commission

310. AG announces makeup of new committee to probe passports scheme

Attorney General George Savvides announced the members of the newly-established four-member committee tasked with probing the entire length of the Cyprus Investment Program, which was introduced in 2007....

311. Russia’s top diplomat visits Cyprus

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is flying to the Republic of Cyprus on Monday where a new agreement is expected to be signed on the avoidance of double taxation between the two countries...

312. Cyprus to strip seven of citizenship granted through investment scheme

The Republic of Cyprus has begun the process of stripping seven people of Cypriot citizenship granted through the Cyprus Investment Program after a special committee found them in violation of current stricter criteria, President Nicos Anastasiades said in an interview with AFP on Friday. ...

313. 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...

314. Cyprus takes a stab at Al Jazeera 'propaganda'

The daily publication of reports by the foreign media network Al Jazeera targeting the Cyprus citizenship-for-investment programme after gaining possession of over 1,400 leaked documents has sent the Cyprus government rushing to set the record straight....

315. Al Jazeera journalist denies political motives

Cypriot Interior Minister Nikos Nouris is expected on Wednesday to provide answers to Al Jazeera’s “golden passports” story, while the network has rejected accusations of political motives behind the story...

316. Cyprus 'golden passports' under more scrutiny

A foreign investigative report says leaked documents from the Republic of Cyprus suggest the island’s government violated its own rules in granting “golden passport” citizenships, with Cypriot officials denying the accusations and raising credibility issues over the report...

317. 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...

318. Greek tourism minister does 'not understand’ travel downgrade by Cyprus

The Greek Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis said he does not understand why Cyprus decided to downgrade Greece in its three-tier risk system grouping countries based on their epidemiological data, adding that he hopes the issue will be clarified between the two countries soon....

319. 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...

320. Health Minister alarmed over Belgium's inclusion of Cyprus in 'orange' travel zone

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou on Thursday expressed surprise over Belgium’s inclusion of Cyprus in its elevated risk zone for travel....

321. New Police Chief sworn in amid sweeping modernization of the force

The new Chief of Police Stelios Papatheodorou and Deputy Chief Christos Mavri were sworn in at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, with President Nicos Anastasiades stating that one of their main concerns should be restoration of the feeling of safety among the public....

322. Arrivals keep divided Cyprus on toes

Discussions on virus risks are taking place publicly between officials and health experts on both sides of the divided island, with the north scrambling to find the right formula before July 1 and the south moving to correct a number of issues...

323. EU impasse poses threat to Greek tourism

Greece’s plan to open up to the world on July 1 to salvage its tourist season could be jeopardized as there is a growing risk that European Union member-states will fail to agree on the details regarding the opening of their borders to travelers from third countries on that date. ...

324. No progress among EU leaders on virus recovery deal

European Union leaders found that a quick deal on the bloc's future long-term budget and a multibillion-euro post-pandemic recovery plan remained beyond their reach Friday as the coronavirus ravages their economies....

325. Cyprus airports enter phase two on Saturday

The opening of Cyprus airports is set to enter phase two on Saturday, when passengers arriving from countries listed in category A by the Health Ministry will not need to present proof of a negative coronavirus test, but will be subjected to a mandatory rapid test upon arrival....

326. Cyprus president calls off Israel visit

Republic of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has called off a visit to Israel next week, citing coronavirus concerns, just a day after the Greek Premier concluded his first foreign trip the neighbouring country...

327. Health experts from both sides discuss developing Covid-19 situation

The developing coronavirus situation on both sides of the Cyprus divide was discussed on Wednesday by the bicommunal technical committee on health, which convened via teleconference with the participation of epidemiologists of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot side....

328. Cyprus gets tough on golden passports

A House emergency bill that could allow authorities to revoke dozens of Republic of Cyprus “golden passports” is said to eliminate grey areas that so far prevented the state from revoking ill-gotten investor citizenships...

329. Cyprus launches second charm offensive

The Republic of Cyprus has published a second video in its “Better Days” campaign, with the tourism minister pushing for a way forward but at the same time also backing measures to reduce health risks...

330. Cabinet approves stricter regulations for citizenship-by-investment scheme

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved new regulations to the citizenship-by-investment program, an important provision of which ties the program to anti-money laundering legislation, interior minister Nikos Nouris said. ...