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Bank of Cyprus Launches Comprehensive Relief Package for Fire-Affected Limassol Communities

Swift Response to Crisis

In a decisive move to support both individuals and businesses impacted by the recent wildfires in the mountainous regions of Limassol, the Bank of Cyprus has unveiled an extensive relief package. This initiative, building on earlier commitments from the Association of Cyprus Banks, underscores a resolve to provide immediate assistance and facilitate the rapid reconstruction of damaged properties.

Interest-Free Loans and Financial Support

A cornerstone of the bank’s relief efforts is the provision of interest-free loans up to €5,000 over three years, available exclusively to existing active clients. These loans offer critical financial support to cover urgent needs and repair fire-induced property damage. The application window is open until September 30, 2025, providing a timely avenue for those affected.

Flexible Repayment Options For Households And Businesses

Understanding the financial strain on affected families and small business owners, the bank has instituted a six-month suspension of loan instalments for individuals and enterprises benefitting from governmental support measures. This deferral applies solely to loans currently under service and reinforces the bank’s commitment to easing the recovery process.

Additional Recovery Initiatives

Beyond immediate financial aid, the bank offers low-interest housing loans with the benefit of fixed rates to aid property restoration. For business clients, specially tailored loan terms are designed to support operational recovery and repair of structural damages. Furthermore, foreclosure procedures for affected parties under government support schemes will be paused for six months, providing additional breathing room during these challenging times.

Community Engagement and Ongoing Assistance

The Bank of Cyprus has bolstered its community outreach through the SupportCY volunteer corps, which has been instrumental in bolstering fire defenses and supporting state-led initiatives from the onset of the crisis. Interested individuals and businesses can access further details or request assistance by contacting the bank at 25-156000, Monday through Friday between 07:30 and 18:00.

Amazon Deepens Prime Video Shopping With New X-Ray And Lens Features

Amazon is adding new shopping features to Prime Video, allowing viewers to discover products connected to thousands of titles through its existing X-Ray experience.

The company is also introducing “Shop the Scene,” powered by its Lens visual search technology, alongside updates designed to connect video content more directly with shopping.

From Viewing To Shopping

The new tools build on Shop the Show, launched last year through Amazon’s mobile shopping app. Previously, viewers had to search for “shop the show” to find products related to a program.

Now, X-Ray users can open a Shop tab directly from Fire TV to see products associated with the title. Purchases are completed through the Amazon Shopping app, which can recognize the content being watched and open a synchronized product feed.

The app can also identify what is playing and take viewers directly to a storefront, removing the need for a separate search.

Amazon Targets Shoppable Streaming

Amazon is joining a broader push to combine entertainment and commerce. YouTube offers creator merchandise and shoppable connected-TV ads, while Peacock has tested shoppable programming through Must ShopTV.

Roku has enabled shopping through its remote, while Disney has experimented with shoppable television across Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.

Shop The Scene Uses Visual Search

“Shop the Scene” uses Amazon Lens to identify products or similar items based on what appears on screen, including clothing and home decor.

Exact matches will not always be available because some costumes and other items are custom-made, high-end or unavailable through Amazon sellers. The feature can instead help viewers find similar products or recreate a particular style.

Shop the Scene is available on iOS and Android in the U.S. across more than 600 titles. Meanwhile, Shop the Show is expanding from 1,300 titles to more than 8,000, including Prime Originals, selected licensed content and live sports.

For Amazon, the changes bring shopping closer to the viewing experience, potentially creating another way to generate commerce from Prime Video’s audience.

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