The European Commission announced that 17 member states, including Cyprus, have already submitted their final plans to implement the Youth Guarantee, the EU-wide reform aiming to help all jobless people under 25 find employment, continue education, an apprenticeship or traineeship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education.

The Chairman of the Medical Services Promotion Agency of Cyprus has urged the government to help and finance the field of medical tourism, saying it will bring economic benefits and warning that otherwise the country will “miss the train”.

The European Research Council (ERC) has selected 312 top scientists in its first Consolidator Grant competition, among them the young Cypriot scientist Dr Constantinos Skordis, based at Nottingham University.

The government is looking into legalising hemp cultivation, with plans by the Agriculture Ministry to subsidise hemp farmers so that the byproduct could be used in various industries.

After meeting British PM David Cameron, President Anastasiades hailed the 'historic development' with regard to enabling property development within the non-military areas of the British Sovereign Base Areas (SBA).

The building of two marinas in the coastal towns of Ayia Napa and Protaras is expected to go ahead in the first half of 2014, pending cabinet approval.

Sustainable tourism has an important role to play in putting an end to seasonality and attracting year-round tourists, says President of the Cyprus Special Interests and Cultural Tourism Association.

A Cyprus Airways deal with Qatar Air for the sale of the cash-strapped national carrier’s time slot at London’s Heathrow airport for €15 million has fallen through, informed sources said recently.

Regulators in Cyprus are investigating transactions made by now-defunct Laiki Bank and arranged by Germany’s Commerzbank. The probe comes after a local lawmaker said the deals might have broken laws that bar a company from purchasing its own stock.

An injection of €27m is urgently needed to implement necessary infrastructure in Paphos as part of the town’s cultural capital 2017 winning bid, claims the municipality.