62 m. ago Russia and Ukraine swap 307 soldiers on second day of POW exchange

Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 307 of their service personnel on Saturday on the second day of a prisoner exchange that, when completed, is set to be the largest such swap in the three-year war between the two countries. US President Donald Trump has suggested the prisoner swap – which should see 1,000 prisoners released […]

Events

25 h. ago Greek court charges 17 coast guard officers over 2023 migrant shipwreck

A Greek naval court has charged 17 coast guard officers over one of the Mediterranean’s worst shipwrecks two years ago, in which hundreds of people are believed to have drowned, three sources said on Friday. The shipwreck of an overloaded migrant boat in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos on June 14, […]

Events

30 h. ago Cyprus eyes deeper Qatari investment ties with new proposals in Doha

Cyprus is courting Qatari investors with a push to expand cooperation in real estate, tech and financial services, as part of efforts to bolster bilateral ties and attract strategic capital into the island’s economy. During an official visit to Doha, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou met with Rashid bin Hamad Al-Athba, Second Vice President of the […]

Politics

33 h. ago Cyprus Business Now: wages, maritime, CSE, BoC, compliance, real estate

Average monthly earnings in Cyprus rose by 5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to preliminary data released by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). When compared to the previous quarter, and after adjusting for seasonal fluctuations, average monthly earnings increased by 1.2 per cent in the fourth […]

Politics

47 h. ago Cyprus among EU countries with lowest share of pension recipients

In 2023, 45.1 per cent of people aged 50 to 74 across the EU were receiving a pension. In Cyprus, the rate was significantly lower at 37.8 per cent, the fifth-lowest in the bloc. Only Spain (30.7 per cent), Greece (34.1 per cent), Italy (35.4 per cent) and Denmark (37.7 per cent) recorded lower percentages. […]

Politics

48 h. ago EU to postpone key bank rules, waits on US deregulation plans

The European Union is set to delay new, global rules governing banks’ trading again as it waits for more clarity about the US administration’s plans to deregulate its financial sector, sources told Reuters. The Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB) is a key part the Basel III package devised in the wake of the […]

Politics

52 h. ago Cyprus estate agents threaten action over legal contract bill

The Cyprus Real Estate Agents Registration Council has issued a call to its members to be prepared for mobilisations, following a meeting of the House legal affairs committee on Tuesday. The session involved a discussion of a proposed bill by MP Kostis Efstathiou, which would make it mandatory for all property sale contracts in Cyprus […]

Events

56 h. ago Greek fire brigade on high alert after 6.1 magnitude quake strikes off Crete

All Greek fire brigade forces were on high alert across Crete on Thursday after a 6.1 magnitude quake hit off the Greek island in the Mediterranean Sea. The service has not received any calls for assistance so far, the fire brigade said.

Events

57 h. ago Cyprus Business Now: housing, Keve, Deloitte, Freedom Holding, inflation

A significant decline of 24 per cent was recorded in the number of building permits issued in Cyprus in January 2025, when compared to the same month in 2024, according to data released by the Statistical Service. The total area covered by these permits also saw a decrease, although the total value of the permits […]

Economics

65 h. ago Πάνω από 5.800 υποθέσεις εξωδίκων προστίμων οδηγούνται ενώπιον Δικαστηρίου

Σε πλήρη εξέλιξη βρίσκεται η διαδικασία ποινικών διώξεων για τροχαίες παραβάσεις που καταγράφηκαν από το σύστημα φωτοεπισήμανσης, με τις αρχές να έχουν ήδη καταχωρήσει ενώπιον Δικαστηρίου περισσότερες από 5.800 υποθέσεις. Πρόκειται για εξώδικα πρόστιμα που επιδόθηκαν από την 1η Ιανουαρίου 2022, όταν τέθηκε σε εφαρμογή το σύστημα, μέχρι και σήμερα. Μιλώντας στο Μεσημέρι και Κάτι ο Υπαστυνόμος του Τμήματος Τροχαίας Αρχηγείου, Τάσος Ασιήκης, διευκρίνισε ότι η διαδικασία καταχώρισης αυτών των υποθέσεων άρχισε ήδη από το 2023. Παράλληλα, από την έναρξη λειτουργίας της νέας ψηφιακής πλατφόρμας για εξώδικα, τον Ιανουάριο του 2025, έχει ξεκινήσει και η προετοιμασία των σχετικών ποινικών φακέλων. Οι φάκελοι αυτοί, σε συνεννόηση με τη Νομική Υπηρεσία, αναμένεται να οδηγηθούν επίσης ενώπιον δικαστηρίου. Προτεραιότητα θα δοθεί στις σοβαρότερες υποθέσεις, υπογράμμισε ο Υπαστυνόμος, προσθέτοντας ότι η όλη διαδικασία θα κριθεί από τη Δικαστική Εξουσία, ενώ ενδέχεται να υπάρξει εμπλοκή και της Βουλ...

Politics

2 d. ago Cyprus among EU countries with high car ownership but low electric vehicle use

Cyprus continued in 2023 to rank among the European Union countries with a high number of cars per capita, but a remarkably low number of electric vehicles. According to new figures released by Eurostat, the EU’s official statistics office, the island had 647 passenger vehicles for every 1,000 residents, slightly up from 633 per 1,000 […]

Politics

3 d. ago Meat and shellfish prices soar in April despite slowdown in inflation

Frozen molluscs and fresh meat recorded the steepest monthly price increases in April, up by 14.1 and 10.7 per cent respectively, even as inflation slowed to just 0.2 per cent, according to the latest price observatory by the Consumer Protection Service. The data, published on Wednesday, shows that overall inflation eased significantly from 1.6 per […]

Economics

3 d. ago Buffer zone contract officers enter race for permanent police posts

Three hundred special police officers, originally hired to patrol the Green Line and prevent illegal crossings through the UN-controlled buffer zone, have reached the end of their contracts. Those wishing to remain in the force are now competing for permanent positions, the justice ministry said on Wednesday. Responding to recent press reports, the ministry clarified […]

Events

3 d. ago Causes of fire visible over entire Polis bay under investigation

A fire that broke out at dawn on Wednesday in a large agricultural warehouse in Polis Chrysochous was brought under control by early morning and an investigation into its causes has been launched. The fire service, the police, and the force’s electromechanical unit, are cooperating to determine the causes of the blaze which broke out […]

Events

3 d. ago Cyprus sees fewer building permits but higher value in January

A significant decline of 24 per cent was recorded in the number of building permits issued in Cyprus in January 2025, when compared to the same month in 2024, according to data released by the Statistical Service. The total area covered by these permits also saw a decrease, although the total value of the permits […]

Politics

4 d. ago CySEC issues new warning over unlicensed investment websites

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) on Tuesday issued a fresh warning to the public, alerting investors about a number of online platforms operating without authorisation. According to CySEC, the websites listed do not belong to any entity that has been granted a licence to provide investment services or carry out investment activities. The […]

Events

4 d. ago Bioethics Committee proposes plan for AI use in health sector

The Cyprus National Bioethics Committee on Tuesday called for the preparation of a national strategy for the use of AI in healthcare “The aim is to create a human-centred framework for the application of AI, which will serve and not degrade humans,” it said. The committee urged the government to set up a council of […]

Politics

4 d. ago Cyprus celebrates women in shipping, renews call for equal opportunities

Deputy Minister for Shipping Marina Hadjimanolis on Monday called for deeper inclusion of women in the maritime industry, during the ministry’s third annual event in Limassol to mark the International Day for Women in Maritime. Addressing a still male-dominated sector, Hadjimanolis said the day was an opportunity to recognise the growing contributions of women in […]

Politics

5 d. ago Cyprus economy to grow 3 per cent in 2025, says European Commission

Cyprus’ economy is expected to continue growing at a robust pace in 2025 and 2026, according to the European Commission’s Spring 2025 Economic Forecast released on Monday. Specifically, growth is expected to reach 3 per cent in 2025 and moderate slightly to 2.5 per cent in 2026. The commission explained that this expectation is underpinned […]

Events

5 d. ago Religious holiday overlap boosts Cyprus airport traffic in April

Cyprus residents made 164,844 trips abroad in April, marking a 24.1 per cent increase compared with the 132,806 trips recorded in April of last year, according to data released by the statistical service on Monday. The rise in travel activity was attributed to the rare overlap of Orthodox Easter, Catholic Easter and Jewish passover, which […]

Politics