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4861. Anti-vaxxers clash with police in Nicosia

Riot police clashed with protesters in west Nicosia on Thursday, where a demonstration took place against vaccinations and health restrictions imposed by the government...

4862. Bishop vows to keep churches open

The Bishop of Morphou says he will keep churches in his diocese open to the public, contrary to the latest government measures, with the Metropolitan adding he is ready to face trial in a court of law...

4863. EU to toughen sanctions on Turkish drilling, draft summit statement says

The European Union will impose sanctions on more Turkish individuals and companies responsible for drilling in contested waters in the Mediterranean, according to a draft statement prepared for EU leaders to agree at a summit on Thursday....

4864. Cyprus brings back tough measures

The Cypriot government on Wednesday announced additional measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, as Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said extending current measures through New Year’s Eve was necessary due to a worsening situation...

4865. EU to talk Turkey after all is said and done

The 'Turkey issue' is far from clear as EU leaders prepare to meet on Thursday, with Ankara accusing Athens of taking a provocative stance and Paris laying it all out before the Union could resume talks with NATO’s eastern flank member...

4866. President Anastasiades travels to Brussels ahead of European Council

4867. Past week was the worst epidemiologically since outbreak

Health minister Constantinos Ioannou was the bearer of unpleasant news on Tuesday, announcing that the current epidemiological situation doesn’t appear to leave room for the planned relaxation of measures from December 14....

4868. Golden passport findings hard to come by

The president of the Cyprus Bar Association says he has received adequate information from the audit office in connection with golden passports, adding that other agencies and officials have refused to share their findings citing direct orders from the interior minister...

4869. Cyprus-bound vaccine less than month away

The delivery of the first batches of the COVID-19 vaccine is less than a month away, with the Republic of Cyprus prepping a mix-and-match strategy to begin vaccinations early next year...

4870. Experts mulling over holiday period restrictions suggestions

Health experts are mulling over maintaining current restriction measures or making them even stricter, while the holiday period lenience that was initially announced could be scrapped if daily new cases remain at the current level....

4871. No ‘cold turkey’ route as EU ministers meet

No big steps are expected Monday as EU foreign ministers meet to evaluate possible sanctions against Turkey, laying the groundwork for a more substantive debate between EU leaders later in the week...

4872. FinMin confirms Cyprus won’t reinstate ‘golden passports’ scheme

Finance minister Constantinos Petrides assured that the government will not be reinstating the Cyprus Investment Program (CIP), that was shut down after the shocking corruption revelations that emerged through an Al Jazeera investigation and the subsequent stark criticism by the European Commission. ...

4873. State budget up in the air over golden passports

Opposition parties are cranking up the pressure on Interior Minister Nikos Nouris, who has been refusing to hand over files in connection with the golden passports scandal, with the Democratic Party making good on its promise not to vote the state budget later this month if there is no transparency...

4874. Cabinet shrinks security detail for VIPs

Party leaders and former state officials in the Republic of Cyprus will see their security detail downsized following a Cabinet decision on Thursday, also tasking police to evaluate the size of the presidential guard...

4875. Cyprus struggles to regulate lobbying

Debate on a legislation proposal that would regulate lobbying in the Republic of Cyprus will continue next year, when parliamentary elections will be in full swing, after the justice ministry introduced amendments to reconcile transparency rules with realities of politicking on the island...

4876. EU criticizes 'hasty' UK approval of Covid-19 vaccine

The European Union criticised Britain's rapid approval of Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, saying its own procedure was more thorough, after Britain became the first western country to endorse a Covid-19 shot....

4877. President says anti-corruption measures to be announced by year's end

The new anti-corruption measures will be announced to the public before the end of the year, President Nicos Anastasiades said Wednesday, noting that the delay is due to the government’s efforts to take into account the suggestions of all stakeholders....

4878. Anastasiades participates in prep meeting ahead of EUCO

With the European Council coming up next Wednesday and Thursday, President Nicos Anastasiades participated in a preparatory videoconference hosted by European Council President Charles Michel to discuss issues on the agenda, which is also expected to include a discussion of the potential imposition of sectoral sanctions against Turkey....

4879. Tatar tells Lute of 'sovereign equality' approach to CyProb

The new Turkish Cypriot leader told Turkish Cypriot reporters on Tuesday that during his meeting with the UN Secretary General’s special envoy Jane Holl Lute he was firm on his position regarding the need for a different approach to the Cyprus Problem....

4880. New coronavirus call centre launched

A new call centre was launched to provide support and information on all issues related to the local coronavirus pandemic and rules in place....

4881. Holy Synod to support vaccine but maintains Holy Communion stance

The Holy Synod of the Church of Cyprus convened for an emergency meeting on Tuesday during which it was briefed by members of the government’s coronavirus expert task force on the coronavirus pandemic, with the Holy Synod concluding that it will support the vaccination of the public but refused to accept that the virus can be transmitted through the holy communion ritual....

4882. Pfizer-BioNTech seek EU emergency approval for Covid-19 vaccine

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine could be rolled out in Europe this month, the companies said on Tuesday after they applied for EU emergency approval for the shot...

4883. Moscow blames ban on Cyprus Airways

Cypriot Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos says the government will do whatever necessary to overcome a disembarkation ban by Moscow, while reports say Russian aviation authorities imposed the ban on Cyprus Airways over the company’s failure to provide a passenger list...

4884. Cyprus' auditor general makes Jiu Jitsu move

The audit office is reportedly preparing an unflattering report on Cyprus’ film industry government scheme, with local media suggesting some type of possible connection between newly-established Olivewood and golden passports...

4885. Lute in Cyprus to test the waters for new CyProb process

The UN Secretary General’s special envoy, Jane Holl Lute, met with the head of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus, Elizabeth Spehar, in Nicosia on Monday morning, ahead of the separate meetings with the island’s two leaders scheduled for Tuesday....

4886. Moderna to seek US, EU authorization for vaccine on Monday

Moderna Inc will apply for US and European emergency authorization for its Covid-19 vaccine on Monday after full results from a late-stage study showed it was 94.1% effective with no serious safety concerns, the company said....

4887. Turkish-Cypriot leader insists on two-state solution

In a Kathimerini interview a month after becoming the leader of the Turkish-Cypriot community, Ersin Tatar reiterated his opposition to a bizonal, bicommunal solution for Cyprus, insisting on a two-state model and calling for “a border adjustment” between the two sides....

4888. Government ups rhetoric against auditor

The Cypriot government hinted over the weekend it might refer the auditor general to the Supreme Court over “indecent” behaviour, after the audit office published yet another damning report alleging offences in a Cabinet decision to grant investor passports to individuals linked to a casino project without meeting the criteria...

4889. Police defend incitement arrests over weekend

Police defended the actions of law enforcement officers after they arrested two individuals over the weekend on incitement charges hours before a scheduled demonstration in downtown Nicosia...

4890. Cyprus makes last ditch effort to beat virus

The latest measures against the spread of the coronavirus went into effect on Monday, including a night curfew across all districts, as calls for all citizens to be tested multiplied just before Christmas holidays...