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2851. German FM calls for ‘direct discussions’ between Greece and Turkey

“The windows for dialogue between Greece and Turkey must now be opened further and not closed,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an emailed statement before meeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his counterpart, Nikos Dendias, in Athens on Tuesday....

2852. Crowded migrant camp running out of options

Officials at Pournara migrant camp are scrambling to find more space to host asylum seekers, after it emerged that more than half of detainees at the Nicosia facility are under quarantine due to coronavirus measures...

2853. 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...

2854. France and Germany tackle eastern Med

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel made statements seen as mutual support for Greece and the Republic of Cyprus on Thursday, prompting a reaction from Ankara...

2855. Bikers plan drive-by rallies against ban

Organized bikers are determined to take police to court over a recent ban on motorcycles, saying measures against violators to combat noise pollution in specific areas are unfair to law-abiding citizens who ride motorcycles...

2856. 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...

2857. 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...

2858. Borrell doubles down on Turkey criticism

EU High Representative on Foreign Policy Josep Borrell scorned Turkey over the weekend, calling on Ankara to end drilling activities off the island of Cyprus and engage in a broad dialogue with the European Union...

2859. Police issue night-time motorbike ban rules

2860. Justice Ministry looking into life sentence penalty for forest arsonists

The Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis has proposed to the Ministry of Justice that the maximum penalty for forest arsonists gets hiked up to a life sentence, which, Kadis said, is the only move that can act as a deterring factor in a country where most forests fires are deliberately set....

2861. Turkey says Greece making a ‘big fuss’

Ankara has accused Athens of having “no legal basis” for raising objections over Turkish exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, as Greek armed forces were placed on high alert Monday after Turkey sent a seismic survey vessel in contested waters...

2862. 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...

2863. Cyprus detects 10 new cases, but nine asymptomatic

The Cyprus health ministry announced 10 new cases on Monday, when a bulk of 2,619 laboratory tests were conducted to check samples for the virus. Nine of the 10 new cases were asymptomatic carriers of the virus....

2864. US lifts 'Do Not Travel' advisory, Cyprus in Warning Level 3

The US on Thursday lifted its advisory against travelling abroad that was in force for nearly five months, but the US Centers for Disease Control still recommends against non-essential travel to more than 200 destinations, including Cyprus and Greece, due to the high coronavirus risk....

2865. Man gets ten years in ‘unneighbourly’ assault

A criminal court in Nicosia has sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for attacking his neighbour, an elderly woman, at nighttime in a rural village back in March...

2866. Cyprus' R number between 1.6 and 2, experts say

Cyprus’ current coronavirus reproduction number is between 1.6 and 2, experts in the government’s coronavirus taskforce said Thursday, noting that the goal is not a second lockdown, but that should be our frame of mind....

2867. Cyprus President expresses condolences to Lebanon, readiness to provide assistance

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has expressed his deep condolences to the government and people of Lebanon, stressing the island’s readiness to provide any assistance necessary, following the two explosions which shook Beirut on Tuesday....

2868. Two out of five new cases randomly detected in Limassol

The Cyprus health ministry announced five new coronavirus cases on Monday, two of which were randomly detected in Limassol, where recent days have seen a concerning development of several active chains of infection....

2869. Greek-Turkish exploratory contacts with a deadline

In the wake of last month’s dangerous escalation of tension between Greece and Turkey, the two countries have laid the groundwork for exploratory contacts on the terms and conditions of a possible resumption of a dialogue, with Berlin having played a pivotal role in the rapprochement. ...

2870. Cypriots already in Greece to get free test upon arrival

With Greece being downgraded on August 6 to category B that requires arriving passengers to show proof of a negative coronavirus test, the Cyprus Health Ministry quickly responded to frustrated locals who had already travelled to Greece for holidays unknowing that they would have to make arrangements for a test in order to return to the island....

2871. Airport video shows no social distancing

Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos has reacted to viral photos that showed passengers crowding each other at the Larnaca airport terminal, arguing that face masks are the next best thing where social distancing is not an effective measure...

2872. 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...

2873. New coronavirus cases skyrocket in Cyprus

Coronavirus infections went up considerably on Friday in the Republic of Cyprus, with 25 people testing positive including and handful of imported and orphan cases but mainly individuals infected locally through contact with known carriers...

2874. Cyprus back to square one

Wearing a mask in public indoor spaces will be mandatory in the Republic of Cyprus, following a government decision in response to concerns over a recent spike of coronavirus cases...

2875. Opinions differ on cause of recent spike

The Cypriot health minister says complacency is to blame in the recent spike of coronavirus cases locally, but a health expert on the government’s task force is pointing the finger at the opening of airports last month...

2876. Athens open to talks but not so fast

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has welcomed a recent move from Turkey towards de-escalation in the region, saying Athens was open to dialogue but not on all things...

2877. 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...

2878. Cyprus-bound Turkish soldiers die in crash

Five Turkish soldiers who were on their way to Cyprus were killed and ten others injured after their bus crashed in southern Turkey...

2879. 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...

2880. Grim tourism figures for June show Cypriots also staying put

Official figures for June tourist arrivals came to confirm the meagre state of tourism on the island this year, which remains heavily affected by the global coronavirus pandemic....