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121. The Cypriot oligarch and passports

On the first day of the invasion, Thursday, February 24, as Ukrainian cities were being bombed by the Russian army, Vladimir Putin met with 37 businessmen and members of his government to assess the impact of sanctions already imposed by the United States and members of the European Union....

122. Cyprus is losing its Russians, confronting existential questions about its economy

For decades, Cyprus built an economy that courted Russians — Russian tourists, Russian investors, Russian oligarchs. ...

123. An EU-wide ban on 'golden passports' and the Ukrainian crisis on the agenda

The European Parliament is scheduled to have its plenary session this week from the 7th to the 10th of March in Strasbourg. On the agenda will be, most importantly, the Ukrainian issue as well as a discussion on an EU-wide ban on citizenship by investment schemes....

124. US urges Canada to use federal powers to end bridge blockade

The Biden administration urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government Thursday to use its federal powers to end the truck blockade by Canadians protesting the country’s COVID-19 restrictions, as the bumper-to-bumper demonstration forced auto plants on both sides of the border to shut down or scale back production....

125. Supreme Court settles golden passports legal saga

The Supreme Court in the Republic of Cyprus says a Parliament attempt last year to restrict the attorney general's role in a golden passport probe outcome was unconstitutional, after lawmakers had raised conflicts of interest for the state's chief law enforcer and his deputy...

126. Quebec to impose tax on those who refuse COVID-19 vaccinations

Quebec will impose a tax on those who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 to offset their disproportionate cost to the health care system and encourage more people to get their shots....

127. Extradition case in Cyprus gets political

Cyprus is in the middle of a politically-charged extradition battle where a mother and son wanted by Chinese authorities are getting support from an American organization backed by Donald Trump’s former advisor...

128. Some US citizens can return to country with expired passports

Certain American citizens living or traveling abroad will be able to return to the United States if their passports have expired....

129. Cyprus awaits Brussels decision on golden passports

The President’s Cabinet in the Republic of Cyprus has approved at least 390 golden passport applications despite European warnings after the program was scrapped last year, with Interior Minister Nicos Nouris saying he has already explained the logic to the European Commission but hasn’t heard back yet...

130. Cyprus cabinet to revoke 45 passports in cash-for-citizenship scheme

Cyprus said on Friday it would revoke the passports of 45 people who obtained citizenship under a now discredited investment scheme that ran for more than a decade....

131. Jiu Jitsu producers file new lawsuit

The producers and director of the film Jiu Jitsu are suing the Republic of Cyprus, the Auditor General, the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency and a television station for compensation in excess of 30 million euros...

132. Lebanese line up in endless queues to renew passports

The situation in Lebanon remains chaotic due to the economic crisis....

133. Cyprus wants clean slate in naturalizations

The government in the Republic of Cyprus has laid out a new blueprint for naturalizations of foreign investors and skilled immigrants, pointing to a departure from the country’s disgraced golden passport scheme while respecting the EU position on citizenship criteria...

134. President Anastasiades begins official meetings in Bahrain

He arrived yesterday in Manama, the nation’s capital, and was greeted by Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani....

135. Nicosia reacts to new Al Jazeera video

Nicosia has refuted allegations concerning a Cypriot minister and his trips to London, in reaction to an Al Jazeera secret investigation into how convicted criminals could take on new identities and launder money through ownership of English football clubs by deceiving authorities...

136. Al Jazeera publishes prequel to The Cyprus Papers

A new documentary by Al Jazeera on football corruption in Britain includes allegations that a Cypriot minister flew to London to arrange paperwork at a consular office for a Russian national who was wanted by Interpol and unable to travel under his real name...

137. Cyprus sea dispute pinned down over coffee

A Greek Cypriot fishing boat was intercepted by a Turkish coast guard vessel this week off the northeastern tip of the island, with the captain speaking out upon returning south empty-handed...

138. Legal defends blacked out passport report

The Legal department in the Republic of Cyprus has issued its final report on golden passports, but its decision to include privacy issues as a reason to black out information has come under media scrutiny...

139. Cyprus’ passport committee issues final report

Over half of the golden passports approved by the President’s Cabinet in the Republic of Cyprus were illegal, a special committee has found, and it is now up to the attorney general to ascertain whether any ministers may have had fraudulent intent...

140. Travelers told Cypriot vax card no good

Travelers who got vaccinated in the Republic of Cyprus are being told to get tested again at arrival terminals in other countries, with reports suggesting officials at destination airports have concerns over Cypriot vaccination cards...

141. Legal battle heats up in golden passports

The top two chief law enforcers in the Republic of Cyprus are taking the parliament to court over a resolution, in which members called on the two officials to recuse themselves in the golden passport probe after raising conflict of interest issues...

142. Tatar on defense over PassportGate

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar says he would give up his Republic of Cyprus documents if there was a way, following new political controversy over citizenship on the divided island, with the newly-elected chief clarifying there were many reasons why his constituents in the north use passports issued in the south...

143. Cypriot leaders exchange jabs after Geneva

Republic of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades says his administration will embark on a global campaign to elicit reactions to positions put forth by Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, with the two leaders on the divided island not shying away from taking serious jabs at each other...

144. Syllouris declines questions in passport probe

A former Cypriot parliamentary speaker secretly filmed in an expose on a now discredited cash-for-passports scheme declined to answer questions on Wednesday into his role in a scandal which rocked the island nation...

145. Stars in Al Jazeera video face committee

146. Director wants passport probe clear his name

A civil servant, whose name was dropped by the former House speaker during a secret video recording by Al Jazeera, says he did not get involved with golden passports during his tenure as director of the interior ministry, vowing to take legal action if an investigative committee failed to clear his name...

147. Interim report on golden passports delivered

An interim report on the golden passport scandal in the Republic of Cyprus says just over half of citizenships granted by the executive branch were not approved lawfully...

148. Gloves are off again over golden passports

Cyprus’ auditor general told a House committee this week that the Cabinet used old rules to approve over two hundred golden passports after the cutoff date for an investigation ordered by the attorney general, who pushed back on the criticism saying there was 'no bottom to the abyss'...

149. Cyprus hurries to clean up company registry

Energy Minister Natasa Pilides has called on business stakeholders in Cyprus to embrace a new effort of recording and updating true information about beneficiaries of companies, saying a new digital registry can bolster transparency on the island...

150. Cyprus appears upbeat in tourism challenge

Cypriot tourism officials are finding several reasons to be optimistic following resumption of flights and easing of restrictions, but industry experts find it a little harder to put on a brave face...