Cyprus’ vaccination program will reach people aged 53 on Friday, as the Health Ministry announces more COVID-19 jabs are available to book with thousands of AstraZeneca doses snubbed.

The European Commission announced on Monday the official decision for the registration of halloumi/hellim as a protected designation of origin (PDO) product, protecting it against imitation and misuse across the EU.

The Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Mrs Natasa Pilides, has addressed the establishment of a UBO Register for companies in Cyprus as an important tool for strengthening transparency, prevention and combating the use of companies and other legal entities for money laundering and terrorist financing activities, in harmonisation with the provisions of European Union (EU) law.

The nationwide pay-as-you-throw scheme is due to be announced later this month but is already running in Aglandjia municipality, where waste has been reduced by a whopping 41% since it was fully launched in January.

Venus Minerals has started diamond drilling in the Troodos, and this means that Cyprus will soon be able to take advantage of the rising demand for copper.

Hellenic Bank, Cyprus’ second largest lender, posted a net profit amounting to €50.5 million for the year 2020, despite the pandemic and the consequent elevated provisions for credit risk amounting to €67 million, of which €43 ml associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic the Real Estate and Construction sector in Cyprus contributed 17% to the country’s Gross Value Added during 2020.

Cyprus’ film industry has crept its way into the dark genre of horror film in another Olivewood milestone, as the first scary movie shot on location, the Ghosts of Monday, is set to premiere this summer.

Deliberations between Cypriot and Russian health authorities are moving along as the island is scrambling to ensure that it will get the desired sum of 100,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine as soon as it gets the thumbs up from the European Medicines Agency.

The economic slowdown as a result of the pandemic is smaller than initially anticipated raising hopes of brighter days ahead, Sek trade union confederation general secretary said on Thursday.