The economic sentiment in Cyprus deteriorated in December 2023, decreased by 4.6 points compared to the previous month, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI-CypERC) revealed on Wednesday. According to the Economics Research Center of the University of Cyprus (CypERC), the decrease in the ESI-CypERC was driven by weaker business confidence primarily...
Two explosions killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores at a ceremony in Iran on Wednesday to commemorate commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed by a U.S. drone in 2020, Iranian officials said, blaming unspecified “terrorists”. Iranian state television reported a first and then a second blast after 15 minutes...
The head of Lebanon’s powerful armed group Hezbollah said on Wednesday that Israel’s killing of the deputy chief of allied Palestinian faction Hamas in Beirut was “a major, dangerous crime about which we cannot be silent”. In a televised speech, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah offered his condolences to Hamas for what...
A U.S. court is expected on Wednesday to start revealing the names of dozens of people with ties to deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein, a move that could unveil new details about his sex trafficking. Epstein socialized with Wall Street titans, royalty and celebrities before pleading guilty to soliciting prostitution from...
A total of 98 people were trafficked in Cyprus between 2019 and 2022, ranging from sexual and labour exploitation to forced marriages, an interior ministry report revealed on Wednesday. The report also showed that 24 people had been sentenced for such offences. Of the 98 victims, men accounted for 24...
2024 is bound to bring new experiences and projects for the local art scene which already has events on the horizon. A handful of new art exhibitions are taking place this January, presenting bodies of work by young, emerging and established artists active on the island. Happening this week is...
Hellenic Bank has rolled out a Sustainable Financing Framework, as part of its commitment to support the economy’s transition to sustainability, seeking to bring a long-term positive impact for people and the environment. Issuing these bonds underlines the Bank’s commitment to playing a part in the provision of green, social...
The government could on Wednesday neither confirm nor deny a reshuffle would take place this month, with Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis saying it is up to the president to announce when it will happen. Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Letymbiotis said: “The president will decide when the reshuffle will take...
Sierra Leone’s ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma has been charged with four offences including treason for his alleged role in a failed military attempt to topple the West African country’s government in November, a court in the capital Freetown said on Wednesday. The court’s decision could escalate tensions in Sierra Leone...
Negative Covid tests and mask use will be mandatory in nursing homes, hospitals, outpatient clinics, dentists, and facilities for vulnerable groups, a meeting of the Covid-19 scientific advisory committee with Health Minister Popi Kanari decided on Wednesday. The measures are set to be ratified at an upcoming cabinet meeting on...
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appointed a new police minister on Wednesday as part of a mini cabinet reshuffle aimed at boosting his conservative government ahead of expected reforms this year. A government official earlier said the prime minister, who was re-elected in June 2023 and has a majority of...
Restaurants and bars in the Larnaca district are content with the business they received during the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to Tony Konnaris, the district secretary of Pasika, the Pancyprian Association of Owners of Recreation Centres. In statements made to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Konnaris stated that...
The tender procedure for a €34 million of software the accountant general’s office wanted to roll out appears to have failed to adhere to regulations, an auditor-general’s report published on Wednesday said. “We have discovered that based on the tender requirements, there was no healthy competition in either of the...
The future of the production of halloumi as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product is “up in the air”, after producers on Wednesday repeated their decision to close their factories from next week. The closures are in protest at the increase in the quota of goat’s milk in halloumi....
The finance ministry said on Wednesday it will decide within the next two days whether or not to approve the opening of 56 new job positions at the Health Insurers’ Organisation (HIO). The HIO had included the 56 new positions in its budget for 2024, though such matters are subject...
Two men appeared in court on Wednesday accused of aiding and abetting the murder of 45-year-old Ayca Alav in Nicosia’s walled city in December. Alav was found dead at the Hit Bit suitcase shop in north Nicosia, which she owned, on December 22. Following her murder, her two suspected killers...
Thousands of letters to Santa were answered this holiday season, Cyprus’ postal services announced on Wednesday. The postal service cooperated with Cyta to send the letters through the online platform post2Santa. The two entities cooperated for the fifth year and renewed their cooperation for another three years. A total of...
The government’s investigation into the flooding of state computer servers in April last year has been completed, Deputy Research Minister Philippos Hadjizacharias said on Wednesday. In a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Hadjizacharias said “the administrative investigation I requested into the April 10 water...
A 27-year-old man was on Wednesday remanded in police custody for six days after being arrested in connection with shots fired in the air outside the prisons in Nicosia last week. The man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon and taken to Nicosia District Court on Wednesday, where the remand order...
A funeral was held on Wednesday for the oldest woman and enclaved individual in Kormakitis Christina Fordraris, who died at the age of 103 on New Year’s Day. Friends and family gathered to pay their final respects to Fordraris, who died at the Ayios Antonios Foundation, where she had been...
Two explosions caused by ‘terrorist attacks’ killed at least 20 people and wounded dozens near a cemetery in Iran where a ceremony was being held to mark the 2020 death of the country’s top commander Qassem Soleimani in a U.S. drone attack, Iranian officials said on Wednesday. Iranian state television...
A 16-year-old boy was arrested in Karavostasi in the north on Wednesday after stabbing two men in the village’s industrial site. The incident occurred at about 9:15am, when the boy and a friend engaged in an argument with three men aged between 30 and 45 years old. The argument descended...
One of the most enjoyable aspects of holidays is opening the presents. Whether you take your time opening a present and carefully preserving the wrapping paper or viciously rip it apart, there is nothing worse than being all excited only to be disappointed by what is inside. We have all...
The crypto landscape is changing as Pullix (PLX), Cosmos (ATOM), and Synthetix (SNX) emerge as formidable altcoins. While you may be familiar with ATOM and SNX, PLX is a new ICO event that has already raised $2M. Many experts foresee this token in Stage 5 of its presale, becoming the...
British business leaders have turned more pessimistic about the outlook for the country’s economy and they are holding back on investment decisions, according to a survey published on Wednesday. The Institute of Directors’ (IoD) confidence index – which maps the gap between business leaders who are optimistic about the economy...
