Ideas that change the current structure and philosophy of the national health system (Gesy) will not be accepted, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said on Tuesday amid ongoing negotiations with private hospitals ahead of the introduction of the scheme’s second phase in the middle of next year.

Cyprus has named an exoplanet and its sun Onasilos and Alasia, the head of the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) George Danos announced on Tuesday.

Larnaca-based Cyprus Airways will operate flights to Rome during Summer 2020 with two weekly flights as part of a schedule of new routes. The flights start on 13 June, every Wednesday and Saturday.

Nicosia has warmly welcomed Monday’s decision by the European Commission to adopt the prolongation of the tonnage tax and seafarer scheme in Cyprus.

The European Commission said on Monday it had approved maritime transport support schemes in five EU countries – Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Poland and Sweden.

The European Commission has approved a €17 million budget for research and administration of the Natura 2000 areas in Cyprus, Phileleftheros reports.

The index for agricultural labour productivity is estimated to have increased slightly for the EU in 2019 (+2%) compared to 2018, according to Eurostat.

Conservation organisation BirdLife International has officially recognised the Cyprus Scops Owl as a full species in its own right, endemic to the island.

The number of Cyprus job vacancies in Q3 reached 7,130, a decrease of 537 places or 7% compared to the same quarter of 2018 when the number was 7,667.

Hourly labour costs increase year-on-year in Cyprus (6.1%) in Q3 were nearly three times the eurozone average (2.6%) and double that of the EU28 (3.1%).