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1471. Biden key pick emerges

US president-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate veteran diplomat Antony Blinken as his secretary of state, making good on a promise to restore EU-US relations and take a more active role on the global stage but also planting many unknowns in regards to Turkey...

1472. ‘No going back’ on Varosha decision

Over 200 Varosha property owners are seeking to return to the divided island’s most popular ghost town, with Turkish Cypriots appearing ready to address Greek Cypriot grievances with or without a solution to the Cyprus problem, adding there is “no going back” on the plan to open the abandoned city...

1473. EU could pay over $10 billion for Pfizer and CureVac vaccines

The European Union could pay more than $10 billion to secure hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine candidates being developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and CureVac, an EU official involved in the talks told Reuters....

1474. Cyprus shoots its shot in race for vaccine

As the Republic of Cyprus expects to get one million of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, President Anastasiades is calling for “common standards” as fierce competition overseas paints a gloomy picture on how countries go about to secure vaccinations for their citizens...

1475. Cyprus draws up coronavirus vaccination strategy

The health ministry said Thursday that a plan has been drawn up for the vaccination of the Cyprus public against coronavirus, noting that in cooperation with the government’s coronavirus expert task force, groups to get vaccinated first were determined on the basis of an algorithm....

1476. Scientists warn against rapid test self-checking

The rapid antigen tests that the health ministry recently stocked up on in its battle against time to detect coronavirus cases among Cyprus employees require careful handling....

1477. Pfizer ends Covid-19 trial with 95% efficacy

Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday that final results from the late-stage trial of its Covid-19 vaccine show it was 95% effective, adding it had the required two-months of safety data and would apply for emergency US authorization within days....

1478. Larnaca gearing up with flood prevention systems

Four meteorological stations were set up in Larnaca this year for better monitoring of the weather, allowing for more effective flood prevention...

1479. PCR deadline at roadblocks pushed back

The health ministry in the Republic of Cyprus has pushed back the deadline for enforcing PCR result inspections at roadblocks, giving people affected by Paphos and Limassol lockdowns more time to get tested...

1480. Turkey and EU fall out over Varosha

Ankara is accusing the European Union of "ignoring the free will" of Turkish Cypriots, in response to EU High Representative Joseph Borrell, who deplored the latest developments in Varosha and called for them to be undone...

1481. Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine nearly 95% effective, early data shows

For the second time this month, there’s promising news from a Covid-19 vaccine candidate: Moderna said Monday its shots provide strong protection, a dash of hope against the grim backdrop of coronavirus surges in the US and around the world. ...

1482. Cabinet approves national framework on smart cities strategy

The Cabinet approved the development of a national framework on the strategy and promotion of smart cities, after a proposal submitted by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy....

1483. Cyprus, Israel, Greece agree to boost defense cooperation

The defense ministers of Greece, Israel and Cyprus agreed Thursday to step up military cooperation which they said will keep their armed forces better prepared, help create more jobs and bolster security in a fraught region. ...

1484. Schools told to take ‘rustic’ measures

Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou drew criticism and humour on social media this week after he suggested young children in school could use throw blankets while doors and windows remained open for ventilation due to the pandemic...

1485. Partial lockdowns on Limassol, Paphos, migrant camps

The health minister Constantinos Ioannou announced stricter measures late on Wednesday night, with restrictions to be even harsher in the Limassol and Paphos districts that have developed into the epicentres of the island’s recent pandemic flare-up....

1486. Mask rule nuances still point of contention

Weeks after people in the Republic of Cyprus were told to wear a face mask in public, with some exceptions, officials from different agencies still have a hard time seeing eye to eye regarding the new rules...

1487. Cyprus 2021 defence budget up by €70 million

The six pillars of the defence ministry’s strategic aims in defence and security matters were presented before the parliamentary finance committee by defence minister Charalambos Petrides on Monday, in the context of his ministry’s budget for 2021....

1488. Pfizer, BioNTech say their Covid-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective

Pfizer Inc on Monday said its experimental vaccine was more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 based on initial data from a large study, a major victory in the fight against a pandemic that has killed over 1 million people, roiled the world’s economy and upended daily life....

1489. Comprehensive anti-corruption proposals in the pipeline

President Nicos Anastasiades will soon be presenting a package of proposals for the strengthening of transparency, accountability and the rule of law, deputy government spokesman Panayiotis Sentonas said Monday....

1490. Cyprus digital transformation plan laid out

Cyprus' Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy is looking towards a two-speed plan, separating the aim for digital transformation into small high-speed and longer-orientated projects, in order to ensure effectiveness, Deputy Minister Kyriacos Kokkinos said on Thursday....

1491. Cyprus FM expresses grave concern over Turkey

The Cyprus Foreign Minister, Nikos Christodoulides, stressed before his Council of Europe counterparts on Wednesday the need for a full implementation of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgments, including the Interstate Case of Cyprus against Turkey, while expressing his grave concern for the escalating Turkish provocations against Cyprus....

1492. COVID-19 calls for digital technology investments in oil and gas

Ninety percent of oil and gas executives agree that investments in technology and workforce are essential to surviving current market conditions, according to a new EY survey...

1493. Roxy’s 'Charo' takes Cyprus to ECHR

A Dominican woman, who was recognized as a sex trafficking victim after her ordeal in the capital’s Roxy strip club over a decade ago, is taking the Republic of Cyprus to the European Court of Human Rights, after the country’s Supreme Court sided with a lower court judge who threw out her lawsuit seeking damages...

1494. Over 200,000 tonnes of plastic leaking into the Mediterranean each year

A new IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) report finds that an estimated 229,000 tonnes of plastic is leaking into the Mediterranean Sea every year, equivalent to over 500 shipping containers each day. Unless significant measures are taken to address mismanaged waste, the main source of the leakage, this will at least double by 2040. ...

1495. PwC’s city resilience framework

1496. Protesters detained outside French embassy

Five protesters were arrested on Tuesday outside the French embassy in Nicosia, where dozens of Muslim residents gathered to demonstrate against France’s stance towards Islam...

1497.  EY announces the win of three 2020 Microsoft Global Partner of the Year Awards

1498. Friction in East Med to be prolonged

Turkey’s Oruc Reis seismic survey vessel will explore the area east of the 28th meridian for another two months, according to Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, effectively heralding a long period of friction in the Eastern Mediterranean. ...

1499. NAVTEX wars continue in eastern Med

Greece has issued a counter navigational warning following NAVTEX messages from Turkey, after Ankara renewed exploratory activities in contested Mediterranean waters and further denounced Athens for treaty violations...

1500. Cyprus, Greece, Egypt present united front

Cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Egypt aims to safeguard peace and stability in the region on the basis of international law, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said during a trilateral summit in Nicosia Wednesday....