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5431. Some 2.5 thousand to be repatriated in first weeks of May

Around 2.5 thousand Cypriot nationals and legal residents of the island are expected to be repatriated between May 1 and 15 from several foreign countries where they were left stranded after the international outbreak of coronavirus....

5432. EU governments risk clash with EU exec in bid to save tourism season

European Union governments risk a clash with the EU executive arm over their support for travel firms issuing vouchers for cancelled holiday deals without giving customers the option of cash refunds as required by EU law, diplomats said....

5433. Athens decides in favor of face masks

With the easing of lockdown restrictions imminent, the Health Ministry has decided in favor of the mandatory use of face masks in closed crowded places such as grocery stores, hospitals, clinics, hairdressers etc...

5434. Attorney general weighs in on casino probe

The identity of foreign companies suspected of embezzlement of EU funds pumped into a casino project in Cyprus remains unknown, with the island’s legal department clarifying there is no evidence of local companies being involved in illegal activity...

5435. Cypriots told to 'mask up' this summer

The use of face masks is recommended but not required in the Republic of Cyprus, while Turkish Cypriots in the north are being told medical masks are mandatory during Ramadan...

5436. Lagarde draws line on how far ECB largesse can go

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde drew the line on how far the ECB could go in helping virus-stricken eurozone countries on Wednesday, saying lending to governments directly would be illegal and handing out cash to citizens difficult....

5437. Greece eyes gradual easing of lockdown measures

The Greek government is working on a plan to ease some of the restrictions that have been introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expected to make announcements next week....

5438. Cyprus irked over mystery casino probe

The Republic of Cyprus is asking the European Anti-Fraud Office for more information into a probe of misuse funds, following reports that stolen EU money was pumped into a casino project on the island...

5439. Greece condemns Turkey’s drilling intentions in Cyprus’ EEZ

Greece on Tuesday condemned Turkey’s announced intention to continue drilling inside Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), saying it ignores calls by the international community to respect international law....

5440. EU investigators follow the money to Cyprus

Cyprus came on the European Anti-Fraud Office’s radar this week, after it emerged that money allegedly stolen from an environmental project was diverted to a casino project on the island...

5441. EU says coronavirus tracking apps should avoid storing data on servers

Mobile apps to track coronavirus cases in Europe should keep as much data as possible on the user’s device rather than in a central server to best maintain individual privacy, an EU document says....

5442. Lockdown weighs heavily on Orthodox Christians during Easter

5443. Police seize scrap wood for Easter bonfires

Local crews in Nicosia’s Strovolos municipality have been busy removing scrap wood stashed away in abandoned buildings in an effort to crack down on illegal lambradjia bonfires on upcoming Holy Saturday...

5444. Cyprus to prepare three-stage coronavirus exit strategy

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the island’s lockdown exit strategy, which foresees the resumption of the operation of vital sectors of the economy in early May....

5445. EU unveils virus exit roadmap, hoping to avoid more chaos

The European Union moved Wednesday to head off a chaotic and potentially disastrous easing of restrictions that are limiting the spread of the coronavirus, warning its 27 nations to move very cautiously as they return to normal life and base their actions on scientific advice....

5446. Sustainability the key word in approach against COVID-19, says Swedish Ambassador

Sweden’s Ambassador in Nicosia Anders Hagelberg has spoken of the need for a sustainable approach as regards dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak and has noted that one cannot compare the measures taken in different countries, as each one has different social and family structures in place....

5447. WHO: Vaccine at least 12 months off

The number of new coronavirus cases is steadily decreasing in certain European countries, including Italy and Spain, but outbreaks in the UK and Turkey are continuing to mark upward trends, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday....

5448. Greece’s Covid-19 death toll reaches 100

Greece’s death toll from the novel coronavirus has reached 100, after a patient at the capital’s Attikon Hospital succumbed to the disease late on Monday....

5449. Government funds not unlimited, Finance Minister warns

Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said Monday that the government does not have unlimited funds with which to support the local economy during these tough times....

5450. 'We've learnt nothing' from euro crisis, ex EC president Juncker says

In an interview with Politico's Brussels Playbook, former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has expressed his disappointment over the discord that emerged between euro zone countries in their attempts to come up with a joint response to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. ...

5451. Morphou bishop defies church lockdown

Morphou Bishop Neophytos spoke out against decree orders on Palm Sunday, after accusing police officers of being “rude” and praised the Bulgarian government for keeping churches open...

5452. To wear or not to wear

Recommendations on the use of face masks vary in the Republic of Cyprus, in the midst of a full-blown coronavirus pandemic, with members of the public essentially making that call based on the latest information they can find...

5453. Bill sparks kosher debate in Cyprus

Animal rights advocates are up in arms over a new government bill that would allow slaughterhouses in the Republic of Cyprus to incorporate kosher rituals, a procedure described by animal rights activists as inhumane...

5454. Coronavirus derails southern Europe's clean-up from the last crisis

This year was meant to mark a turning point for Greek and Italian banks as they finally laid the ghosts of the financial crisis to rest. Then the coronavirus struck....

5455. Cyprus in the mix as world seeks cure

An Israeli military aircraft has delivered five tons of chloroquine to Cyprus this week, amid reports of secret wars over limited access to the drug but also uncertainty over its effectiveness in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic...

5456. Cyprus on right path as cases drop

Confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been steadily dropping over the past few days in the Republic of Cyprus, with health experts praising the government for relying on science in the battle against the pandemic...

5457. Over 23,000 applications filed for suspension of loan payments

More than 23,000 persons have applied to the island’s two largest banks for a suspension of loan repayments, as retail borrowers and companies are trying to preserve disposable income amid the economic activity shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic....

5458. Covid-19 death toll in Greece rises to 81

Greece’s coronavirus toll has risen to 81 with the death of a 42-year-old man in the northern port city of Thessaloniki and of an 84-year-old woman in Athens....

5459. NGOs raise alarm over inhumane conditions at overcrowded migrant camp

Two migrant and refugee support NGOs, Cyprus Refugee Council and Caritas Cyprus, have raised the alarm over the inhumane conditions that have developed in the Kokkinitrimithia camp, particularly since the coronavirus pandemic broke out on the island....

5460. Euro zone ministers look for economy quick fixes

Euro zone finance ministers are likely to converge on Tuesday on three quick options to support the economy in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, officials have said, with some discussion also of longer-term ideas to aid a recovery....