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421. Government extends support schemes until end October

The Cabinet on Thursday decided to extend current government support programs aiming to cushion the blow of the coronavirus pandemic until the end of October, Labour Minister Zeta Emilianidou said....

422. RAF pilot arrested seconds before taking off

A refueling tanker was ordered to stop as it was preparing to take off at RAF Akrotiri, after station commanders were told about a “riotous” party involving crew the night before...

423. Greece starts more training exercises amid Turkey tension

Greece and the United Arab Emirates have begun joint air force training exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, in the latest build-up of military forces in the region where Greece and Turkey are at odds over seabed mineral rights....

424. North commemorates Tylliria bombing

Busloads of Turkish Cypriots crossed into Cyprus’ “other ghost town” on Saturday to commemorate Turkish bombing in Tylliria during intercommunal clashes on the island in 1964, but the gathering was not without political controversy...

425. UK tourists deterred by 'complicated' Cyprus process

Though Cyprus has officially re-opened to the UK tourism market, tour operators claim that the majority of visitors from the country are Cyprus expats, with UK nationals so far appearing reluctant to jump through the hurdles Cyprus has laid out for category B countries....

426. Airport video shows no social distancing

Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos has reacted to viral photos that showed passengers crowding each other at the Larnaca airport terminal, arguing that face masks are the next best thing where social distancing is not an effective measure...

427. Grim tourism figures for June show Cypriots also staying put

Official figures for June tourist arrivals came to confirm the meagre state of tourism on the island this year, which remains heavily affected by the global coronavirus pandemic....

428. Three arrested after passport control incident

Three people have been arrested at Larnaca airport, with police saying a man's passport photo did not match his facial characteristics while a woman was accused of unruly behaviour...

429. Arrivals keep divided Cyprus on toes

Discussions on virus risks are taking place publicly between officials and health experts on both sides of the divided island, with the north scrambling to find the right formula before July 1 and the south moving to correct a number of issues...

430. Expert calls for tests on all arriving passengers

A local expert on the government’s public health task force says she is worried over coronavirus cases among arriving passengers who are not being detected as they land in the Republic of Cyprus...

431. Cyprus president calls off Israel visit

Republic of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has called off a visit to Israel next week, citing coronavirus concerns, just a day after the Greek Premier concluded his first foreign trip the neighbouring country...

432. Interior minister presents bills for streamlining asylum procedures

The house legal committee discussed on Tuesday a bundle of four bills, submitted by interior minister Nicos Nouris, that seek to streamline procedures for the processing of applications filed by asylum seekers as well as appeal proceedings....

433. Perdios: Cyprus expects just 30% of last year’s tourists

Cyprus expects to attract just 30% of the four million tourists that visited the island last year, deputy minister for tourism Savvas Perdios said, claiming that this year will without a doubt be very tough for the local tourism sector, but the epidemiological data of the island and countries from which it expects tourists will ultimately have the final say....

434. Exercise prepares Cyprus aerial firefighters for tough fire season

Ahead of what is expected to be a tough fire season, an operational readiness exercise dubbed ‘Icarus 2020’ took place Tuesday morning in the Larnaca district....

435. North uneasy as coronavirus cases spiral in Turkey

After easing restriction measures on June 1, Turkey appears to be once again faced with the nightmare of soaring numbers of new coronavirus cases....

436. Cypriot officials report no new cases

Authorities in the Republic of Cyprus announced they had no new confirmed COVID-19 cases to report on Saturday based on lab test results, while figures from repatriated persons were still pending...

437. Officials nervous over non-compliant citizens

Health officials in the Republic of Cyprus have another battle to fight as the island tries to emerge out of the pandemic, with officials having to chase down people who fail to self-isolate...

438. Cyprus expects 600,000 tourists by August

The island is expected to receive some 600,000 passengers in August, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos said Thursday, noting that this estimation includes people flying in on commercial and private planes....

439. Empty middle seat? Depends on which country you are flying in

In Thailand, you cannot have food or water in flight and must wear a mask. In Malaysia and Indonesia, the plane needs to be half-empty. In the United States and Europe, it’s not mandatory for airlines to leave the middle seat open....

440. Cyprus comes together to put out fires

Authorities on both sides of divided Cyprus were battling with fires over the weekend, with students in the north ordered to evacuate their dorms and residents in the south grabbing garden hoses to put out flames in their backyards...

441. Turkey defends Larnaca-bound flight decision

Ankara says a Larnaca-bound plane never submitted a timely request to fly through Turkish airspace, accusing the Republic of Cyprus of using the pandemic to score points for political gain...

442. Commission calls on Turkey to show solidarity without discrimination

The European Commission called on Turkey "to maintain a spirit of solidarity without discrimination", referring to Wednesday’s incident where Turkey denied a flight transporting medical equipment to Cyprus to enter its airspace....

443. Medical supplies arrive after eventful flight

Another huge load of medical supplies from China was delivered to the Republic of Cyprus on Wednesday, after an “adventurous” flight on a Russian aircraft that did not have enough fuel to make it in one go...

444. Turkey forbids plane carrying medical equipment from China to Cyprus to enter air space

A plane chartered by the Republic of Cyprus to transfer 36 tonnes of donated medical equipment from China on Wednesday was forced to change course after Turkey prohibited the plane from passing through its air space, Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos said....

445. EU pushes to unlock borders as coronavirus ravages travel

446. Cyprus extends flight ban but has a plan

Cyprus on Monday extended a ban on commercial flights into and out of the country until May 28 as the government considers ways to restore the country’s tourism industry to meet an anticipated swell in demand from vacationers eager to escape coronavirus lockdowns...

447. V-E Day marked the turning point towards a democratic, prosperous, and peaceful future

Today is the 75th anniversary of the Allied Victory in Europe in World War II - “V-E Day.” This is a day to remember and honor the shared sacrifice, enduring commitment, and unflinching bravery of the Allied forces and the underground movements in defeating Fascism in Europe. We also remember the immense sorrow and misery suffered by so many, and we recognize the bravery and sacrifice of tens of millions of civilians in the Second World War....

448. Chloroquine hype begins to wane

More doubts over chloroquine emerged this week, with new studies pointing to high risks and a US top health official saying he was fired after being pressured to direct money towards the “game changer” drug...

449. World remains cautious over chloroquine

The US Food and Drug Administration is a step closer to a potential approval of chloroquine for treatment against Covid-19, while more doubts over the drug’s effectiveness and concerns over lethal side effects continue to pop up around the globe...

450. 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...