Products registered as protected designation of origin (PDO) that now include halloumi are the elite of the world’s quality foodstuff, head of Cyprus farmers union EKA, Panicos Chambas, said on Wednesday.

Ryanair on Wednesday launched its biggest ever Summer schedule in Cyprus, with 34 routes including five new destinations to Bari, Bologna, Corfu, Rhodes, and Treviso, boosting tourism as vaccination programmes allow Europe to re-open.

In 2020, average hourly labour costs in Cyprus were estimated to be €17, below the €28.5 averaged in the EU and €32.3 in the euro area, according to figures issued by Eurostat on Wednesday.

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a supplementary budget of €250 million to cover needs arising from the handling of the pandemic.

The ‘pay as you throw’ programme is expected to be rolled out across Cyprus next year, President Nicos Anastasiades said Wednesday.

Lower secondary school (gymnasium) and Limassol primary schools will return to class on Friday, cabinet decided on Wednesday.

Official launch of the next Horizon  Europe – Programme in Cyprus will take place April 7, a press release by the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy says.

A cautiously optimistic picture of the coming months was painted by stakeholders taking part in a conference on the restart of the tourism industry on Tuesday with the consensus that there is still room for recovery from last year disastrous figures.

A government subsidy of €20 million will assist the relocation of the University of Cyprus’ architecture school to the premises currently hosting the Phaneromeni school in old Nicosia.

The adoption and publication of halloumi and hellim as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product is expected mid-April, Miriam Garcia Ferre, European Commission spokesperson for trade and agriculture said Tuesday.