Day: February 14, 2022

Cyprus Police carried out 2,182 checks in the last 24 hours (from Sunday 6am to Monday 6am), handing out fines to 27 individuals and 9 establishment owners or managers for Covid measures violations.

In Nicosia, 8 individuals and 8 establishments owners were reported, out of 398 checks, in Limassol 5 people and 1 establishment was reported out of 305 checks, in Larnaka there were 584 checks, out of which 3 citizens were reported, in Pafos 5 citizens were reported after 116 checks, in Famagusta there were 477 checks with 6 people being reported and in Morphou there were 162 checks, with no one being reported.

Also, traffic police made 129 checks all over Cyprus, without finding any violations.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Another endemic reptile species has been added to the biodiversity of Cyprus as announced on Monday by the University of Cyprus (UCy).

According to a UCy press release, the lizard known as “k?urkoutas” in Cyprus corresponds to a distinct species (Laudakia cypriaca), which is found only in Cyprus and which now belongs to the country`s important biodiversity along with the Cypriot snake (Hierophis cypriensis) and the Troodos lizard (Phoenicolacerta troodica).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Alpha Services and Holdings S.A. (together with its subsidiaries) has reached an agreement with an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. for the sale of a portfolio of Cypriot non-performing loans and real estate properties of a total gross book value of 2.4 billion euro.

The Portfolio will be sold by the 100% (indirect) subsidiary of the Group, Alpha International Holdings S.M.S.A.

According to a press release issued by the company, “Project Sky forms part of Alpha Bank Group’s strategy for the reduction of its stock of non-performing loans and is the culmination of a series of similar successful transactions completed by the Group over the previous years. With this transaction, the Group further de-risks its balance sheet by reducing the NPE ratio by an additional approximately five percentage points to 3% (as of September 30, 2021 pro forma).”

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The European Commission has announced that it has approved an estimated two million euro Cypriot scheme to support private investments into innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which will contribute to the implementation of the country’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The support will take the form of an income tax relief in favour of private investors, both natural persons and corporate investors, who decide to invest into early-stage, innovative SMEs.

The scheme provides investors who finance eligible companies with a tax relief of up to 30% of the amount invested, with an overall cap to such tax relief that cannot exceed 50% of their total taxable income, up to a maximum of €150,000 per year and of €750,000 within five years from the investment.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Energy Minister Natasa Pilides had important meetings in Cairo in the framework of the 5th Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS), in which Cyprus takes part. The Minister met with her counterparts of Egypt ?arek El Molla and Israel Karine Elharrar-Hartstein and they agreed on the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF).

A press release says that EGYPS hosts more than 450 exhibitors, 260 speakers and 26,000 participants from local and international businesses with the aim to form strategic partnerships in the sectors of oil and natural gas.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus’ National Guard and the French Armed Forces successfully completed the Air Defence exercise “TALOS 2022” on Monday.

A press release by the Ministry of Defence says that the exercise was conducted on the occasion of the presence of the aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle” in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Activities are part of the implementation of the Bilateral Defense Cooperation Program, between Cyprus and France, and take place within the Nicosia FIR.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Speaker of the House of Commons of the UK, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, begins a three-day official visit to Cyprus on Monday, at the invitation of the President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou.

It is the first official visit by a Speaker of the House of Commons to Cyprus and it marks a milestone for the parliamentary relations between the two countries, a press release by the Parliament said.

In an interview with the Cyprus News Agency, Sir Lindsay said friendship and democracy “bind us together”, noting that bilateral friendship is at a high point.

Source: Cyprus News Agency