Greek parliament passes reforms agreed with EU/IMF lenders

Greek lawmakers approved pension cuts, tax hikes and reforms on Thursday sought by the country’s foreign creditors to conclude a crucial bailout review and unlock more rescue funds.

The leftist-led government hopes that legislating the measures, four days before eurozone finance ministers meet in Brussels, will convince its lenders that it qualifies for a €7.5bn bailout tranche and for further debt relief.

Earlier, protesters rallied outside parliament holding banners reading “No to bailouts! No to austerity!”. Sporadic clashes with small groups broke out and police used teargas to disperse them. Athens needs the aid to repay loans maturing in July.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.