https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cabinet-decides-lockdown-after-golgotha-meeting
After a tough debate amongst ministers over how the government ought to respond to a deteriorating pandemic situation, a proposal for a short and partial lockdown was approved at the last minute after the Cypriot health minister ascended his Calvary to secure a lockdown ahead of Orthodox Holy Week...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/director-wants-passport-probe-clear-his-name
A civil servant, whose name was dropped by the former House speaker during a secret video recording by Al Jazeera, says he did not get involved with golden passports during his tenure as director of the interior ministry, vowing to take legal action if an investigative committee failed to clear his name...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/holy-moly-ahead-of-holy-week-decision
The President’s Cabinet is expected on Thursday to announce a way forward ahead of Greek Orthodox Holy Week, with the health minister not favoring tougher pandemic measures but also warning a lockdown was not off the table...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/experts-tell-government-not-to-relax-this-easter
Cyprus registered a record number of COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, reaching 941 and the numbers are only expected to increase, according to a local health expert...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/local-government-reform-heads-for-summer-freeze
Interior Minister Nikos Nouris has been asked by EU officials to give the rundown of the administration’s latest efforts in local government reform, just days after a proposal for a referendum was defeated by opposition parties that cried foul over the move...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/greek-easter-relaxation-hopes-put-to-rest
Cyprus’ current epidemiological situation is behind the government’s latest decision to freeze possible relaxation of restrictions ahead of Greek Orthodox Easter, with the administration focusing on vaccinations but also not ruling out further measures...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/us-puts-j-j-shot-on-‘pause-as-deliveries-start-across-eu
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have recommended that use of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose Covid-19 vaccine be put on “pause,” pending an investigation into reports of potentially “dangerous” clots....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/gloves-are-off-again-over-golden-passports
Cyprus’ auditor general told a House committee this week that the Cabinet used old rules to approve over two hundred golden passports after the cutoff date for an investigation ordered by the attorney general, who pushed back on the criticism saying there was 'no bottom to the abyss'...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/damning-state-dep-report-highlights-cyprus-human-rights-issues
A US State Department country report on human rights practices in 2020 proved damning for Cyprus which was found to have had significant human rights issues last year....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/vandals-spray-paint-mosque-with-graffiti
A graffiti incident at a mosque in Limassol has drawn wide condemnation on Thursday, a holiday with bicentennial celebrations on the island marking the Greek revolt against the Ottoman Empire...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/president-s-associate-tests-positive-for-covid
Members of the administration went into isolation on Tuesday following news that a COVID-19 case was detected in the Presidential Palace...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-holding-on-to-first-place-in-eu-for-covid-testing
Cyprus remains first among European countries as regards the testing of its population for Covid and in fifth place in terms of its vaccination rollout....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-to-resume-az-jabs-friday-after-eu-agency-gives-nod
The European Union’s drug regulatory agency said Thursday that the AstraZeneca vaccine is not linked to an overall increase in the risk of blood clots and that the benefits of use outweigh the risks, paving the way for European countries to resume administering the shots....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/interior-minister-fires-kouklia-head-councilor
A whistleblower head councilor in Paphos district has been relieved of his duties this week by the interior minister, who has placed the local council of Kouklia under the administration of the district chief officer following pandemonium in the heavily-audited community...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/eu-nips-green-pass-debate-in-the-bud
The EU's plan to get people traveling again with a Green Pass is expected to defer to member states on key decisions, such as whether to accept Russian and Chinese vaccines in the program...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-puts-astrazeneca-on-temporary-hold
The Republic of Cyprus has temporarily suspended AstraZeneca shots for Covid-19 until an emergency meeting on Thursday by the European Medicines Agency, with reports saying Nicosia has already entered negotiations with Moscow to add another jab in the mix...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-suspends-controversial-astrazeneca-batch
Cyprus is in contact with the competent authorities of the European Union and is monitoring everything in relation to the vaccinations against COVID-19, Helena Panayiotopoulou, Acting Director of the Health Ministry's Pharmaceutical Services said Friday....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/eu-regulator-approves-johnson-johnson-s-one-shot-jab
The European Medicines Agency has authorized Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose Covid-19 shot, giving the European Union a fourth licensed vaccine to fight the pandemic as its vaccination drive continues to proceed much more slowly than hoped.
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https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/blinken-says-us-fully-engaged-on-cyprus
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says American diplomacy will be “fully engaged” on the Cyprus issue, with Washington calling out aggressive actions in the eastern Mediterranean but also supporting positive developments...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/minister-points-finger-at-north-over-barbwire
Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris has fired back at critics in the north over the south’s decision to install barbwire near the UN buffer zone to halt illegal crossings, blaming the need for a fence on lack of action on the part of Turkish Cypriot authorities...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-holds-off-decision-on-more-relaxations
The Cabinet has pushed back a crucial announcement, through which the government was expected to move forward with further relaxations, citing a rise in daily cases and hospitalizations...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/president-seeks-broad-consensus-to-relax-measures
Health experts on the government’s pandemic task force met with President Nicos Anastasiades on Tuesday, with reports saying the commander in chief got the nod to proceed with scheduled relaxing of measures but details were still not fully clear...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/florida-giant-denies-huawei-in-cyprus
An American company has put words into action in the middle of global 5G wars, with Phoenix Tower International and Monaco Telecom announcing an agreement that includes acquiring newly constructed wireless towers across Malta and Cyprus...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-a-step-away-from-the-100-000-jab-mark
A total of 22,808 appointments will open up on Tuesday on the vaccination portal, who people aged 67 and over to be given priority....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/the-bet-that-cyprus-is-winning
The decision taken yesterday by Germany’s Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) to allow the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine to those aged over 65 years old was met with strong reactions domestically due to the bad reputation built up for the vaccine by the early statements of German officials on the efficacy of the specific jab....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/students-livid-over-false-test-results
Students in Limassol wreaked havoc on their high school Thursday morning, after it emerged that 40 to 50 cases thought to have tested positive ended up in the clear moments later...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cabinet-proposes-local-administration-reform-referendum-in-may
The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to schedule the islandwide referendum on the local administration reform on the same date that the public will be heading to ballot boxes anyway to cast their vote in the parliamentary elections on May 30....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/local-government-reform-on-the-ballot
Interior Minister Nicos Nouris is calling for local government reform to be decided by voters during parliamentary elections, citing his frustration over a long and protracted debate on the issue...
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/cyprus-expects-full-vaccine-coverage-by-early-october
The Health Ministry’s vaccine strategy foresees the vaccination process to be completed by the end of September or early October, the acting director of the Cyprus nursing services administration Evagors Tampouris said Thursday....
https://knews.kathimerini.com.cy/en/news/erdogan-wishes-to-improve-testy-relations-with-us
Turkey’s president says mutual interests with the United States outweigh their differences and has called for more cooperation with President Joe Biden’s new US administration....
