Cyprus’ state-owned Natural Gas Public Company (DEFA) announced a tender for the provision of consultancy services for the supply of liquefied natural gas.

The unemployment rate fell to 12.1% of the labour force during Q2 2016, compared to 14.1% in the previous quarter, and 14.6% in the same period last year, according to the latest data released in the Labour Force Survey.

U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil may have shown interest in engaging in oil exploration in Cyprus as far back as January 2000, long before Cyprus had agreed with Egypt the boundaries of their exclusive economic zones (EEZ), it emerged recently.

The country’s trade deficit grew 43% to reach €2.2 billion during the period January-June 2016, up from €1.54 billion during the same period in 2015, according to data from the Statistical Service.

Cyprus is an economy dominated by micro businesses, with 95.5% of enterprises having less then 10 employees, according to the Business Register 2015 published by the Statistical Service, Cystat recently.

Bank of Cyprus reduced its outstanding emergency liquidity assistance to €1.5b or below at the end of August 2016, which is roughly €500m below the July figure, the Central Bank of Cyprus said.

Linde Hadjikyriakos Gas Ltd, part of the multinational German Linde Group, made Cyprus the best performing country with its latest achievement, winning the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Award for ‘Country of the Year’.

Philippines-based casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corporation has pulled out of the bidding for a casino licence in Cyprus, it confirmed recently.

Wargaming Group Ltd. is promoting Cyprus as an ideal destination for a good quality of life, a professional career and recreation, through a promotional video it created on its own initiative.

The government finds itself in an advanced stage of negotiations between a Cypriot and Chinese consortium, which plan to use the old Larnaca airport as a wholesale commercial park and to re-export various products to the Middle East and EU member states.