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2581. Confirmed cases continue to rise, total reaches 14

The coronavirus outbreak continued to grow on the island on Friday after four additional coronavirus cases were confirmed, raising the total to 14 in government-controlled areas, while three new cases in the north raised the figure to five....

2582. UNFICYP urges cooperation in addressing coronavirus emergency

UNFICYP called on the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides to maintain communication and cooperation in addressing the coronavirus health emergency, and expressed its readiness to assist toward this end....

2583. EU slams Trump’s Europe travel ban

The European Union has slammed the new anti-virus travel ban announced by US President Donald Trump, lashing out at an “unilateral” decision taken “without consultation.”...

2584. Erdogan likens Greek authorities to Nazis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said there is “no difference” between Nazis and the Greek authorities trying to hold the country’s border against the influx of thousands of migrants and refugees spurred to push into the European Union by Ankara....

2585. The north in turmoil after first coronavirus case

The north was hurled into turmoil on Tuesday after confirming its first coronavirus case, with authorities in the north moving to place hotels in lockdown, health services placing tens of persons in isolation, and the ‘government’ shutting primary and secondary schools until March 16, with universities in the north being the next possible target of intervention....

2586. UN ask T/C leadership to close Ledra checkpoint

A UN proposal issued to the Turkish Cypriot leadership on Monday suggested the closure of the Ledra checkpoint from the north, as has been done by Greek Cypriot authorities, effectively forbidding the movement of civilians into the Ledra Buffer Zone....

2587. 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....

2588. President of Cyprus to pay an official visit to Austria

Migration and the Cyprus issue are among the topics President Nicos Anastasiades is expected to discuss in Vienna, during a two-day official visit he is paying to the country at the invitation of the Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen....

2589. The era of asymmetric threats

Kyriakos Mitsotakis would never have expected to star in a Greek edition of the perfect storm. Yet fate and events have put the Greek prime minister in charge of the country at a very crucial moment. He has shown determination in dealing with the migration/refugee issue, which has also bolstered his political image. The public was craving for a strong leader – a notion that was largely eclipsed by a sense of humiliation over the past 10 years....

2590. Anastasiades dubs UNFICYP position 'unfortunate' intervention

President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday described the statement issued by UNFICYP as “unfortunate”, noting that such announcements go beyond its mission as a peacekeeping force....

2591. CEOs: Drop in Optimism and Reversal of Sentiment

2592. Checkpoint closures to be extended until Monday

The closure of four crossing points last Saturday, in what the Government said would be a one-week temporary precaution against coronavirus outbreak, will be extended until Monday, the National Council agreed on Thursday....

2593. Akinci tells UNFICYP head coronavirus has nothing to do with checkpoint closures

The Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met with UNFICYP head Elizabeth Spehar on Wednesday to discuss the move by the Greek Cypriot Government to shut four crossings along then UN-controlled Buffer Zone last week....

2594. Μeasures needed to curb flow of migrants through Green Line, Anastasiades tells Akinci

President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades expressed grave concern about the “organised and increasing illegal flow of migrants through the Green Line” and told the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, that measures need to be taken. ...

2595. UN: EU needs to stop bickering, support Greece on refugees

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees on Tuesday urged European Union countries to give more resources and support to Greece as it faces a new wave of migrants and refugees from Syria and other parts of the Middle East....

2596. EU Commission notified of checkpoint closures

The European Commission has been informed of the temporary closing of four checkpoints, and said it would continue monitoring the situation closely in order to ensure that each closure and health checks remain in accordance with the Green Line Regulation....

2597. Greek army, police dig in along Turkey border after migrant clashes

Greek troops and riot police remained on high alert on Tuesday along the land border between Greece and Turkey, the main flashpoint in an escalating row between the EU and Ankara over how to deal with a new wave of migrants and refugees....

2598. Shutting checkpoints not part of the deal, Akinci says

Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci said that unilateral actions by either community for coronavirus protection, such as the closing of checkpoints, had not been agreed upon by the two leaders during the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Health meeting they co-chaired earlier in February, but stressed there is no need for panic....

2599. Two die after hospital fire in north Nicosia, President Anastasiades offers help

A fire broke out at a hospital in north Nicosia, with reports pointing to at least two deaths after officials ordered the evacuation of an entire unit with heart patients...

2600. Support for solution widespread though many undecided, survey shows

Support for a solution remains strong, contact between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots is at its uppermost level and demand for economic contact between the two communities is high, the latest, the February 2020 Pulse survey showed....

2601. 14 EU countries demand Syria govt, Russia return to 2018 ceasefire deal

Foreign ministers from 14 European countries, including France and Germany, demanded on Wednesday that Syrian government forces and their Russian backers end their offensive in Idlib province and return to the terms of a 2018 ceasefire deal....

2602. Prince Charles and Camilla to visit Cyprus in March

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will be flying over to Cyprus for their first joint official visit, to take place from March 18 until March 21, the British High Commission announced on Tuesday....

2603. Interior Minister in Brussels for meetings with European Commission on migration

Cyprus’ Minister of the Interior Nicos Nouris will be travelling to Brussels on Monday for a series of meetings with the senior leadership of the European Commission to discuss migration....

2604. Christodoulides talks Turkish activity in EEZ, Varosha with UNSG

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

2605. Greek PM meets with five EU leaders over bloc's budget

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held talks in Brussels on Friday with the leaders of Germany Angela Merkel, France Emmanuel Macron, Spain Pedro Sanchez, Italy Giuseppe Conte and Portugal Antonio Costa in a bid to break a deadlock in negotiations for the European Union’s 2021-2027 budget....

2606. Summit standoff as EU leaders grapple with Brexit-sized hole in budget

EU leaders made no headway on Thursday in fractious talks on a joint 2021-27 budget that was left with a 75 billion-euro (62.9 billion pounds) hole after Britain’s departure at a time when they face costly new challenges from climate change to migration....

2607. 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....

2608. Military clash with Syria is imminent, Erdogan says

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday a Turkish military operation to push back a Syrian government offensive against rebel strongholds in northwest Syria was now “a matter of time” after talks with Russia failed to halt the assault....

2609. Residents up in arms over 'virus camp'

Local residents in rural Nicosia are reacting to government plans aimed at establishing a quarantine facility in their area to treat potential confirmed coronavirus cases in Cyprus...

2610. Cyprus in the midst of massive football corruption storm, Justice Minister says

“We’re in the midst of a massive storm,” Justice Minister Giorgos Savvides said on Tuesday, referring to the wave of football corruption allegations that has been sweeping over Cyprus recently....