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1141. Study detects 37 different Covid strains among Cyprus samples

A strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, named B.1.258, is currently the most prevalent in Cyprus, according to a scientific study conducted for the analysis and course of the coronavirus in Cyprus. The study notes that since December 2020, this strain is responsible for 90% of infections in Cyprus....

1142. Health Minister escorts his mother to get AZ jab

In a symbolic act of support for Cyprus’ decision to administer the AstraZeneca jab to all ages, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou accompanied his mother on Tuesday to the Engomi vaccination centre where she got her first AstraZeneca shot. ...

1143. FinMin: Cyprus to reduce debt once pandemic normalises

Cyprus Minister of Finance Constantinos Petrides told the Cyprus News Agency that the government will begin reducing public debt, increased due to strategic cash reserves, once the pandemic begins to normalise....

1144. Minister grilled over digital ID bill

Recent discussion on electronic signatures has reintroduced persistent challenges in the digital ID debate, with Cyprus’ innovation minister facing tough questions this week during a House committee hearing...

1145. Medical Association calls for restriction of AZ jab to -65s

The scientific committee Cyprus Medical Association (CyMA), the professional organisation of doctors in Cyprus, called on the Health Ministry to re-evaluate its decision of allowing the AstraZeneca vaccine to be administered to the 65+ age groups, noting that there’s not enough scientific evidence to proving its effectiveness among these groups....

1146. Cyprus receives first batch of 7,200 AstraZeneca doses

Cyprus received on Monday the first batch of 7,200 doses of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, of which the island expects to receive around 70,000 doses by the end of the month. ...

1147. The hidden world of soil and why we need to protect it

In the wake of the climate crisis over the last decades, we all talk about the state of the air we breathe and the quality of our water; both undoubtedly invaluable and essential to all life forms. However, we very often forget another key player; the part of Earth right under our feet, the soil....

1148. Cyprus launches online social insurance payment system

Cyprus’ new online system for the payment of social insurance contributions was presented on Thursday by Labour Minister Zeta Emilianidou and Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Kyriakos Kokkinos....

1149. Smoothening the cliff edge in EU-UK relations

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the United Kingdom and the European Union came into effect on January 1, 2021, capping a tumultuous four-and-a-half-year period since the shocking result of the July 2016 Brexit referendum, in which 51.9% of the British voters voted in favor of leaving the EU. Subject to the delayed assent of the European Parliament, this UK-EU free trade agreement (FTA) extends zero-tariff and quota-free trade in goods between the two economic areas....

1150. Cyprus aiming for full absorption of EU funds

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said Cyprus wants to achieve an absorption of 100% of the maximum of €968 million it could receive from the European structural and investment funds, but this requires that Cyprus invests in projects amounting to €1.8 billion....

1151. Turkey and Greece to resume talks

Turkey and Greece will resume talks aimed at reducing tensions between the neighbors on Jan. 25, Turkish and Greek officials announced Monday, following this summer’s dispute over maritime borders and energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean...

1152. Pfizer suggests vaccine can beat mutations

Pfizer Inc and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine appeared to work against a key mutation in the highly transmissible new variants of the coronavirus discovered in the UK and South Africa, according to a laboratory study conducted by the US drugmaker...

1153. Cyprus, Portugal agree to take ties to next level

Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides paid an official visit to Portugal’s capital on Thursday for a tête-à-tête with his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos Silva on the occasion of Portugal’s assumption of the presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1....

1154. Vaccination slots this week booked solid

Vaccinations for those aged of 80 began on Tuesday after vaccinations for the first priority group – healthcare workers dealing with coronavirus patients and nursing home workers and residents – successfully wrapped up on Monday, with the health ministry announcing that time-slots are already booked solid....

1155. Cyprus remains an attractive investment destination

Cyprus remains an attractive investment destination, especially among established investors ...

1156. Cyprus stays calm as virus unknowns remain

Biontech says it is confident its COVID-19 vaccine expected within days in Cyprus would remain effective against a variant that has been spreading in Britain, but questions still remain over the effectiveness of the vaccine as mutations continue to spread...

1157. The Greek scientist developing 6G

At the moment Greece is unveiling the 5G communications network, on the opposite end of Europe, a Greek professor, a communications engineer, is getting a grant from the European Research Council to develop 6G....

1158. 5G bidding process wraps up, first licences in January 2021

The bidding process of the 5G frequencies auction wrapped up smoothly on Thursday, with the first licences expected to be distributed in January 2021, a press release by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, said....

1159. EY Cyprus sponsors 3rd Anti-Fraud Conference

EY Cyprus has, once again, sponsored and participated in the 3rd Cyprus Anti-Fraud Conference, which was organised by IMH and the Cyprus Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The event was held online on Tuesday 15th December...

1160. Increase in Covid-19 genetic material detected in wastewater

An increase in the genetic material of the new coronavirus was recorded in the analysis of urban wastewater of the Sewerage Board of Limassol-Amathus (SBLA) which was done in collaboration with the International Water Research Center "NIREAS" of the University of Cyprus. The aim of the cooperation is to develop a reliable early warning system regarding the degree of the Covid-19 spread....

1161. AstraZeneca hitches ride with Russia's Sputnik in vaccine race

AstraZeneca will start clinical trials to test a combination of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine with Russia's Sputnik V shot aimed at boosting the efficacy of the British drugmaker's vaccine, Russia's sovereign wealth fund said on Friday....

1162. 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....

1163. COVID-19 to disrupt holiday shopping plans

1164. KPMG survey shows biodiversity-related risk remains under-reported

While it is notable that 80% of the world’s 250 largest companies now report on sustainability, biodiversity-related risk remains significantly under-reported by the global business community...

1165. 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....

1166. EU drugs watchdog expects first application for COVID-19 vaccine in days

Europe's drugs watchdog said on Thursday it expects to receive the first application for conditional marketing approval for a Covid-19 vaccine "in the coming days", the latest step towards making a shot available outside the United States....

1167. KPMG survey: companies see climate change as financial risk but disclosure quality must improve

56% of the world’s 250 largest companies (G250) now acknowledge climate change as a financial risk to their business in their corporate reporting, according to a new KPMG International survey, which also revealed that the quality of climate-related risk disclosures among these companies needs to improve...

1168. Tactical moves by Ankara before EU summit

The anticipated suspension on November 29 of the activities of the Oruc Reis seismic vessel within parts of the Greek continental shelf after having scanned the entire area it had reserved since August is being touted by Ankara as a goodwill move ahead of the European Council in December 10-11, where one of the main topics of discussion will be the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey over its behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean. ...

1169. Cypriot gets vaccinated in Moscow

A business executive from Limassol living in Russia says he was given the Sputnik V shot for COVID-19, making him the first ever Cypriot known to have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus...

1170. 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...