8 h. ago EU drops 2035 combustion engine ban after automaker pressure

The European Commission proposed on Tuesday dropping the EU’s effective ban on new combustion-engine cars from 2035 by allowing continued sales of some non-electric vehicles following intense pressure from Germany, Italy and Europe’s auto sector. The EU executive appears to have bowed to calls from carmakers to keep selling plug-in hybrids and range extenders that […]

Events

14 h. ago Old age and health dominate Cyprus’ social benefits spending

Cyprus’ social spending drops to 19.2 per cent of GDP in 2023 Social protection expenditure fell as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023, even as the total spending increased in millions of euros, reflecting economic growth, according to the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). Social protection expenditure reached 19.2 per cent of GDP […]

Politics

15 h. ago Parents slam teachers’ strike as unfair pressure on students

Parents’ groups on Tuesday strongly criticised a planned teachers’ strike, warning that students are being used as “leverage” for the union’s demands. The Pancyprian confederation of parents’ associations said it was “deeply dissatisfied” with the decision by Oelmek, the secondary school teachers’ union, to go forward with a walkout on Thursday, December 18, from 7.30am […]

Society

28 h. ago Cyprus budget debate exposes deep divisions as parties split on priorities

Cyprus’ political parties opened debate on the 2026 state budget on Monday, ahead of Wednesday’s vote, taking sharply different positions on living costs, energy, defence and long-term public investment. Disy confirmed it will support the budget, despite criticising government priorities. Akel said it will vote against it, citing social pressure and inequality. Elam and Diko […]

Politics

37 h. ago Cyprus records low education dropout rate among young people

Young in people in Cyprus were less likely than most of their European peers to drop out of formal education or training during 2024, according to Eurostat, highlighting the island’s relatively strong performance within the European Union. Across the EU, 14.2 per cent of people aged 15 to 34 reported that they had left formal […]

Politics

41 h. ago Why the EU’s 2035 green car rule will be a nightmare for Cyprus’ Council presidency

Why the EU’s 2035 green car rule will be a nightmare for Cyprus’ Council presidency  politico.eu

Politics

43 h. ago After Bondi shooting, Australia reopens question of gun licence limits

After Australia’s worst mass shooting in 1996, it took the government 12 days to ban semi-automatic weapons, organise a gun buyback scheme and introduce a licensing system to weed out people considered unfit to carry a weapon. Sunday’s shooting at a Jewish celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which left 15 people dead as well as […]

Events

4 d. ago Venezuela’s Nobel laureate Machado says she aims for peaceful transition after Maduro

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado said on Friday that Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro would leave power, whether there was a negotiated changeover or not, adding that she was focused on achieving a peaceful transition. The Venezuelan opposition leader arrived in Oslo early on Thursday, defying a decade-long travel ban imposed by authorities in […]

Politics

4 d. ago EIB Survey: Strong investment momentum in Cyprus despite geopolitical pressures

EIB Survey: Strong investment momentum in Cyprus despite geopolitical pressures  ΚΥΠΕ

Politics

4 d. ago US sanctions six tankers, Maduro relatives in sharp escalation against Venezuela

The United States on Thursday issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro’s wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas. The action came as the U.S. executes a large-scale military buildup in the southern Caribbean […]

Events

5 d. ago Australia’s social media youth ban draws US applause, UN warning, and global debate

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday took aim at young people parading themselves on social media a day after a world-first ban on under-16s went live, saying the rollout was always going to be bumpy but would ultimately save lives. A day after the law took effect with bipartisan support from the major political […]

Events

6 d. ago Zelenskiy says he discussed with Ukrainian parliament ways of holding election

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he had discussed with Ukraine’s parliament legal and other issues linked to the possibility of holding an election and urged other countries, including the United States, not to apply pressure on the issue. “If partners, including our key partner in Washington, speak so much and so specifically about elections […]

Politics

6 d. ago How automation and intelligent delivery software are reshaping Europe’s restaurant sector

Across Europe, restaurants are feeling the pressure to deliver faster, more accurate and more reliable service than ever before. What started as a temporary response to lockdowns has become a core part of the hospitality industry and how many businesses operate. Delivery is no longer optional. It is a lifeline, a growth engine and, for […]

Events

6 d. ago Floodwater begins to recede in north, efforts continue to mitigate impacts

The level of floodwater in the north began to recede in the north during the early hours of Wednesday morning, with Turkish Cypriot Nicosia mayor Mehmet Harmanci saying that water levels in streams in the capital’s northern third have “dropped” and that as such, “the risk has decreased”. He wrote in a post on social […]

Events

6 d. ago Alonso under pressure but upbeat as Real prepare for City clash

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso faces mounting pressure ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League group-stage meeting against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, but the Spaniard was confident the team could turn their poor form around. Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo, in which Real were reduced to nine players after defenders Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were […]

Events

6 d. ago Cyprus Business Now: tourism, ports, affordable houses, Keve, digital euro

A total of 500 new housing units for rent or sale will be created in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday. “This is an important measure that will help to ease the pressure caused by rising housing demand and will significantly contribute to reducing housing costs. It is a plan long […]

Society

6 d. ago Airlines face growing pressure to deliver truly inclusive travel

Air travel is gradually becoming more accessible as airlines, airports and regulators expand efforts to remove barriers faced by passengers with disabilities, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The shift reflects a wider recognition that disability inclusion is no longer optional. With more than 1.3 billion people globally living with a disability, the […]

Events

8 d. ago Ukraine to share revised peace plan with U.S. on Tuesday, Zelenskiy says

Ukraine will share a revised peace plan with the U.S. on Tuesday aimed at ending Russia’s war, after talks in London between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the leaders of France, Germany and Britain. As the war nears its four-year mark, Kyiv, under pressure from the White House to agree quickly to a peace settlement, wants […]

Politics

8 d. ago Banking sector steadies as Cyprus eyes a more resilient future

After a turbulent decade marked by restructuring, regulatory tightening and a gradual restoration of public trust, the island’s banks are entering a new chapter shaped by consolidation, rising profitability and renewed international recognition.At the same time, pressures around household debt, housing affordability and governance reform remind us that recovery cannot be mistaken for completion.Cyprus is […]

Events

9 d. ago ‘No developments’ in efforts to lift Turkish embargo on Cypriot ships

There have been “no developments” in efforts to lift the Turkish government’s ban on Cypriot-flagged ships entering its ports, Shipping Deputy Minister Marina Hadjimanolis said on Sunday. Speaking on the sidelines of an event in the Paphos district village of Yeroskipou, she said that President Nikos Christodoulides “always puts on the table the issue of […]

Politics