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1831. Pressure mounting on T/C leadership to reopen checkpoints

Several Turkish Cypriot groups are stepping up pressure toward the leadership in the north to reopen checkpoints as soon as possible, given that the coronavirus pandemic appears to be fully recovering on both sides of the divide....

1832. EastMed a project of major geostrategic importance, Hatzidakis says

Lawmakers in Athens on Monday ratified, at the committee level, a deal for an undersea pipeline to carry gas from new offshore deposits in the southeastern Mediterranean to continental Europe signed by Greece, Cyprus and Israel earlier in the year....

1833. Lockdown brings striking drop in air pollution, energy demand

Pollution levels in Cyprus have plummeted as a result of restriction measures enforced amid the coronavirus outbreak, which brought a significant drop in traffic and electricity consumption, highlighting the benefits of pressing forward with sustainable transport and energy production solutions....

1834. Cyprus President and Greek Premier discuss handling of the pandemic

President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis shared a telephone call on Monday to exchange views on the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath....

1835. President summons health team to Palace

President Nicos Anastasiades has called the government's team of health experts back to the Presidential Palace for face-to--face consultations, amid reports that the government is a day away from taking crucial decisions on easing Covid-19 restrictions...

1836. Latest data pave way to ease virus curbs

The government of the Republic of Cyprus got thumbs up from local health experts, paving the way for administration officials to take decisions as early as next week to start loosening restriction measures...

1837. 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....

1838. 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....

1839. 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....

1840. Health expert estimates Cyprus may be free of virus by early May

Health expert Leondios Kostrikis estimated on Friday that judging by the progression of the island’s coronavirus curve, we should be free of the virus by early May, though the timeframe depends on the effectiveness of the measures taken, the public’s response, and the elimination of imported cases....

1841. We will defeat our shared pandemic enemy and rise stronger in its wake

The story of U.S. leadership in the global battle against Covid-19 is a story of days, months, and decades. Every day, new U.S. technical and material assistance arrives in hospitals and labs around the world. These efforts, in turn, build on a decades-long foundation of American expertise, generosity, and planning that is unmatched in history....

1842. Police chief warns against complacency

Cyprus Police remain fully operational and on a state of high alert to ensure that all citizens comply with the government measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country...

1843. 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....

1844. China's ambassador responds to US criticism

The Chinese ambassador in Nicosia is firing back at US and media criticism over his country’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, adding that he believes Cyprus will win the battle against the coronavirus...

1845. EU leaders call for recovery plan

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades took part in a video conference with the EU leaders, as the bloc sought to find common ground on how best to share the burden...

1846. Hospitals the Achilles heel of the pandemic

The suspension of patient admissions at all four state General Hospitals was one of the initial fears that was expressed by the state health services organization (SHSO), which oversees the island’s public hospitals that have borne the brunt of the coronavirus outbreak....

1847. Government: Supermarkets closures, curfew not on the table

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said in a tweet on Thursday that the government has no intension of shutting supermarkets, urging the public to avoid clustering in supermarkets....

1848. North Cyprus bars entry to citizens from all countries, including Turkey

In a further escalation of measures amid the unfolding coronavirus health crisis, the north moved to bar entry from land, air, and sea, to all third country nationals, including Turkish nationals....

1849. Cyprus to ban flights from 28 countries

As of Saturday, flights to the Larnaca and Paphos airports from 28 countries will be banned, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou announced on Tuesday night, noting that this stricter measure does not affect cargo....

1850. Elections in the north postponed for six months

Elections in the north that were set to take place in April have been postponed for six months amid mounting chain reactions of the coronavirus outbreak, Turkish Cypriot media reported on Tuesday....

1851. Confirmed cases continue to rise, total reaches 14

The coronavirus outbreak continued to grow on the island on Friday after four additional coronavirus cases were confirmed, raising the total to 14 in government-controlled areas, while three new cases in the north raised the figure to five....

1852. UNFICYP urges cooperation in addressing coronavirus emergency

UNFICYP called on the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides to maintain communication and cooperation in addressing the coronavirus health emergency, and expressed its readiness to assist toward this end....

1853. EU slams Trump’s Europe travel ban

The European Union has slammed the new anti-virus travel ban announced by US President Donald Trump, lashing out at an “unilateral” decision taken “without consultation.”...

1854. Erdogan likens Greek authorities to Nazis

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said there is “no difference” between Nazis and the Greek authorities trying to hold the country’s border against the influx of thousands of migrants and refugees spurred to push into the European Union by Ankara....

1855. UN ask T/C leadership to close Ledra checkpoint

A UN proposal issued to the Turkish Cypriot leadership on Monday suggested the closure of the Ledra checkpoint from the north, as has been done by Greek Cypriot authorities, effectively forbidding the movement of civilians into the Ledra Buffer Zone....

1856. EU executive tells Turkey to take migrants back from Greek border

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said ahead of talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey must move refugees and migrants away from the Greek border....

1857. President of Cyprus to pay an official visit to Austria

Migration and the Cyprus issue are among the topics President Nicos Anastasiades is expected to discuss in Vienna, during a two-day official visit he is paying to the country at the invitation of the Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen....

1858. Anastasiades dubs UNFICYP position 'unfortunate' intervention

President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday described the statement issued by UNFICYP as “unfortunate”, noting that such announcements go beyond its mission as a peacekeeping force....

1859. CEOs: Drop in Optimism and Reversal of Sentiment

1860. Akinci tells UNFICYP head coronavirus has nothing to do with checkpoint closures

The Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci met with UNFICYP head Elizabeth Spehar on Wednesday to discuss the move by the Greek Cypriot Government to shut four crossings along then UN-controlled Buffer Zone last week....