Новости за 07.04.2020

Given the increased use of the internet during the current lockdown, police on Tuesday urged children as well as their parents or guardians to be extra wary of possible sexual solicitation and exploitation of minors. In a statement, the force said that despite popular misconceptions, research has shown that sexual...

Cyprus registered the shortest average length of imprisonment in Europe, only 1.3 months on average, ahead of Switzerland (1.6) and the Netherlands (3.8), a study carried out by the Council of Europe for the year 2019 revealed on Tuesday. Overall, in Europe the average length of imprisonment was eight months....

The Taliban on Tuesday recalled the group’s negotiators from Kabul hours after they suspended talks on a prisoner exchange process with the Afghan government, a spokesman for the hard-line Islamist group said in a tweet. Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for Taliban’s political office in Qatar, said “the intentional delays in...

Education minister Prodromos Prodromou said on Tuesday the state would take measures to support professionals and businesses working in the cultural sector, due to the suspension of their activities as part of measures taken against coronavirus. Prodromou said all in the sector would also benefit from the government plan, which...

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was set to spend a second night in intensive care on Tuesday to help him fight off a coronavirus infection, with his designated deputy saying he would pull through because “he’s a fighter”. Johnson is receiving oxygen support but is stable, in good spirits and...

The government has not given any licences for the introduction of 5G technology on the island, an official said on Tuesday, urging people to avoid spreading fake news. The issue was brought to the fore after complaints on social media that internet providers have been installing antennas in several areas....

Paphos hoteliers are worried about when they will be able to reopen and fear their businesses may have to remain closed even into June, they said on Tuesday. Head of the Paphos branch of the Cyprus Hotels Association (Pasyxe) Thanos Michaelides said the picture is still very “unclear”. Speaking to...

Workplace disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to wipe out labour equivalent to the effort of 195 million full-time workers, or 6.7% of hours clocked worldwide, in the second quarter of this year, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Tuesday. More than four out of five workers...

Cyprus and Israel secured another five tons of chloroquine as part of efforts to meet the needs of patients in both countries during the coronavirus crisis, it was announced on Tuesday. In a joint statement, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou and the Ambassador of Israel in Cyprus Shmuel Revel said that...

More than 3,000 people have so far downloaded mobile application CovTracer that helps people track their previous contacts and locations in case they test positive to coronavirus, Deputy Minister for Innovation and Digital Policy Kyriacos Kokkinos said on Tuesday. According to its creators, the CovTracer app is mainly intended for...

Five individuals in Paphos were booked on Tuesday, when police found them playing football, violating the restriction of movement measures in place to stop the spread of coronavirus. According to authorities, officers discovered the individuals playing football at the Stelios Kyriakides field in Paphos during a routine patrol of the...

Twenty Cypriot Covid-19 patients have been included in a global clinical trial of Japanese antiviral influenza drug Avigan (favipiravir), the health ministry said on Tuesday. The trial will assess Avigan’s safety and efficacy as a potential Covid-19 treatment. Quoting Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, the Japan Times said 20 countries...

Easter cannot be postponed since its sits in the middle of a wider religious period, a theologian said on Tuesday, arguing that the best solution would be for people to be able to enjoy the church services from home. There was much speculation about the arrangements to be announced by...

Cyprus raised €1.75bn through a seven-year and 30-year bond issuance on Tuesday, boosting liquidity as it seeks to buffer the fallout out of the coronavirus crisis. Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said €1.25bn was raised through the seven-year bond at a yield of 1.55 per cent and €0.5bn through the 30-year...

Twenty-nine more people tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday, the health ministry said, bringing the total number of cases to 494, as strict measures on movement continued to be in place. Virologist Leontios Kostrikis said the numbers confirm the path being taken in Cyprus is the correct one although it...

Cyprus has dropped to 16th position on the Henley and Partners 2020 passport index, which ranks the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without prior visa. Cyprus ranked 16th in 2020, down two places from 2019, having visa-free access to 174 destinations. The ranking...

Attorney general Costas Clerides appointed a criminal investigator on Tuesday to investigate claims from a binman, 29, who complained of police brutality last week. On Friday, the man from Nicosia filed a complaint that the officers attacked and arrested him while out doing their routine checks. In a video published...

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was stable in intensive care on Tuesday after receiving oxygen support to help him battle COVID-19, while his foreign minister led the government’s response to the outbreak. The upheaval of Johnson’s personal battle with the virus has shaken the government just as the United Kingdom,...

Around 100 Cypriots have died of coronavirus in Britain since the start of the pandemic, the president of the Federation of Cypriots in the UK Christos Karaolis told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday. Karaolis specified that around 70 per cent of deaths concerned Greek Cypriots and the remaining 30 per...

Cosmos Business Systems, which operates a private post office box management system, is making an alteration to the system to help the public during the coronavirus outbreak. Specifically, the automated system had previously been available only to registered subscribers. The company has now modified the system so all citizens have...

Doctors in Lombardy, the Italian region hardest hit by the coronavirus epidemic, have criticised local officials for their handling of the crisis and said the mistakes they made should be a lesson for everyone. More than 16,500 people have died from the coronavirus in Italy, the biggest death count in...

Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said on Tuesday that only legally resident foreigners in Cyprus that belong to vulnerable groups or are currently abroad for medical reasons are allowed to be repatriated for the time being. Those who do not qualify will be repatriated at a later stage, yet unspecified and...

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said Tuesday a hospital official had crossed the line when he threatened staff with pay cuts if they did not follow safety protocols, as he urged everyone to focus on eradicating the virus. Ioannou had to step in after the director for the district for Larnaca...

The 2019-20 Premier League season must be scrapped and declared null and void if it cannot be restarted due to the coronavirus pandemic, Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has said. The Premier League confirmed last week that the season, originally suspended until April 30, will not resume at the beginning...

“The Republic of Cyprus is dealing with this crisis from a very strong position” …. really? Did we clear the nation’s debts, often reported to be equivalent to be more than 100% of GDP? Did the NPL problem go away? Did we cut the cost of the public sector Last...