Citizens over the age of 18 will be able to apply for a new national electronic identity card as of 27 January; the issuance of the first 100.000 eIDs will be subsidised by the government: 30.000 of them given out for free and 70.000 available for €15

A Turkish Cypriot has been diagnosed with mad cow disease, prompting the north’s veterinarians’ association to demand urgent biosecurity measures, pointing out that in southern Cyprus, eradication and surveillance are implemented following EU regulations

MPs are preparing to vote on amendments to the pension reform law that appear to weaken its original provisions with more exemptions, including for state officials; revised proposal sparked criticism and doubts on wether a real reform is still possible

Rules regarding swimming pools serving multiple households have been relaxed: a special category clearly differentiates obligations of pools 'for private use serving up to five residential units', recreational/competition pools and hotel/resort pools

The ‘Youth Declaration: A Declaration of Unity. Empowering Youth Voices in Cyprus' has been published by the Youth Council and 24 civil society organisations; it outlines a common vision and asks to have a say in decision-making and efforts to build peace