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1141. Plans get blurry as Cyprus sees more deaths

Daily deaths due to COVID-19 hit a new record in the Republic of Cyprus, with seven hospitalized patients losing the battle on Easter Monday and health officials avoiding comment on what measures will replace the lockdown next week...

1142. All eyes on positivity rate after Holy Week

The positivity rate in the Republic of Cyprus registered a drop to just below 1% at the end of the holiday weekend, but officials say it is too early to know whether lockdown measures have been effective during Holy Week...

1143. US-Turkish alliance at a critical crossroads

The rift between Joe Biden and Recep Tayyip Erdogan runs deep as the American president – in contrast to his predecessor – attaches a great deal of importance to respect for democratic values and does not see his Turkish counterpart as willing to cooperate in the framework of a world order based on shared principles and rules, Ian Bremmer, the head of Eurasia Group, tells Kathimerini in an interview....

1144. Webcam child groomer gets sentence

A young man got a suspended sentence after being found guilty of enticing a minor to sexual activity as well as child grooming offences involving a total of three underage girls...

1145. Jam-packed day in Geneva underway

UN chief Antonio Guterres started his day with a full plate on Wednesday, with reports saying efforts could be made to draft a joint statement in Geneva despite the two Cypriot leaders reportedly painting different pictures of their priorities during the 5+1 meeting...

1146. Local gov 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...

1147. Doc wants govt to come clean about AstraZeneca

A local well-known health expert has called on officials in the Republic of Cyprus to take a clear position on the AstraZeneca vaccine and stop hiding behind an EMA statement...

1148. Endangered Mediterranean Monk population marks record jump

The local population of the endangered Mediterranean Monk (monachus monachus) seal has seen a significant increase as a result of the protection measures being implemented over the past years, Environment Minister Costas Kadis said Thursday....

1149. Cyprus hurries to clean up company registry

Energy Minister Natasa Pilides has called on business stakeholders in Cyprus to embrace a new effort of recording and updating true information about beneficiaries of companies, saying a new digital registry can bolster transparency on the island...

1150. IMF: Withdrawal of support measures should be gradual

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission met virtually with the Cypriot authorities from March 8–29, 2021 to discuss recent economic developments and policy priorities on the island. In an interview with Kathimerini Cyprus, IMF mission chief for Cyprus, Anita Tuladhar, said the longer the recovery period in sectors related to tourism, the greater the chance that permanent scars will remain in the economy of Cyprus. Tuladhar also noted the importance of state-sponsored programs to support the economy....

1151. Cyprus expecting 60,000 Covid doses this week

1152. How can digital government connect citizens without leaving the disconnected behind?

Governments should focus on inclusive digitalisation by improving digital literacy and promoting virtual interaction, and this could be achieved by providing digital resources like laptops and tablets in order to get people online and run programs to improve the digital skills...

1153. US supports Greece, Cyprus, Israel power initiative

The United States is “supportive of connecting distribution grids of mainland Europe to Cyprus and Israel via the EuroAsia Interconnector,” a spokesperson for the State Department said on Thursday, after Ankara on Monday formally protested a memorandum of understanding signed last week between Israel, Greece and Cyprus for the construction of a 2,000-megawatt undersea electricity cable....

1154. EU frontline ministers talk migration in Athens

Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris is in Athens this weekend where he is attending a MED5 meeting on immigration, with some of the bloc’s Mediterranean members tackling issues stemming from Brussels’ new migration proposals that divide the union...

1155. 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....

1156. UK variant gaining ground in Cyprus

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou expressed concern over the spread of the British coronavirus variant in Cyprus, issuing a fresh call to the public to comply with measures in place to contain the pandemic so that "the worst scenario can be averted."...

1157. EU will be present in Cyprus issue negotiations, senior EU official says

The EU will be present at the conference on Cyprus to be convened by the UN in Geneva in late April and at the formal negotiations that may follow, a senior EU official said at a press conference in Brussels ahead of the forthcoming Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) of Monday....

1158. Cyprus scrambles to reduce asylum backlog

Interior Minister Nicos Nouris says the government is moving forward with rejections of asylum applications under new, faster procedures to clear a system backlog, with Europe seeking a comprehensive solution and a commissioner calling on Cypriot authorities to investigate illegal pushbacks...

1159. 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...

1160. 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. ...

1161. 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...

1162. EU to get 4mln more Pfizer/BioNTech Covid shots this month

The European Commission said on Wednesday it has reached a deal with drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech for the supply of an additional four million Covid-19 vaccine doses to be delivered this month....

1163. Cyprus remains under flood watch

A low pressure system continues to affect the area over Cyprus, with heavy showers and powerful thunderstorms expected Wednesday in the late morning and early afternoon...

1164. Peter Piot: Vaccination passports a one-way street

Professor Peter Piot, advisor to the Commission President, speaks to ‘K’...

1165. Cyprus moving forward with more relaxations

The Cabinet on Thursday agreed to move forward with a steady lifting of restrictions, as starting Monday each week will see additional relaxations culminating in the lifting of restrictions on food and drink businesses on March 16....

1166. Cyprus awaits relaxation announcements as cases rise

The Health Ministry’s announcement of Tuesday’s coronavirus cases sounded the alarms, cutting short the restrained optimism that had prevailed thus far....

1167. Cyprus to push for help from Brussels on migration issue

The Republic of Cyprus will make its case to Brussels and other international fora, both at the political and technocratic level, over migratory pressure and the need for assistance. ...

1168. Health Minister escorts his mother to get AZ jab

In a symbolic act of support for Cyprus’ decision to administer the AstraZeneca jab to all ages, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou accompanied his mother on Tuesday to the Engomi vaccination centre where she got her first AstraZeneca shot. ...

1169. Boy stays in Cyprus during mom’s appeal

The mother of a 5-year-old child, both of whom came to live on the island unbeknownst to the father, was able to buy more time on Tuesday after a higher court suspended for a second time a return order that would have reunited the American boy with his father in New York...

1170. Brussels concerned over Pournara refugees

The Republic of Cyprus’ handling of asylum seekers at Pournara camp remains on Brussels’ radar, with a host of different challenges raising questions over how the European Union and some member states can get on the same page without resorting to legal battles...