Cyprus news summary for early April

Cyprus is currently experiencing extreme weather, including an African dust wave expected to last through the weekend and intense rainfall totaling over half the monthly norm in 33 hours. Tourist sector updates indicate that 65 hotels are now operational in Ayia Napa and Protaras, though bookings have dropped by 42% due to regional tensions. In crime and justice, a Limassol detention center fire critically injured a 39-year-old prisoner, while a karate instructor was sentenced to three years for sexual abuse. Additionally, two companies were fined 12,000 euros for workplace safety violations. Legislative changes include the approval of new dental specializations and the integration of counseling psychologists into the GeSY system. The government is also implementing zero VAT on select meat and fish products while enforcing stricter conflict-of-interest regulations for officials. Finally, April 2 serves as the deadline for voter registration, and the KEP online booking portal will be offline for maintenance on April 3 and 4.