Phedonos trial to be held behind closed doors

The trial of suspended Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos, who stands accused of rape and domestic abuse, will be heard behind closed doors, the Paphos criminal court decided on Thursday. Court chief justice Lia Markou announced the decision at Thursday’s hearing, and said that in line with the ruling, the publication of any of the minutes […]

Limassol school student bags senior poetry prize

A student from Foley’s School in Limassol recently secured the first prize in the senior section of the 2025-26 Canterbury Tales Writing Competition. The Chaucer Heritage Trust awarded Julia Messolonghitis a £300 cash prize while her school’s library received a £1,000 award in support of its educational programmes. “This was my first time participating in a […]

Purpose Communications puts people at centre of strategic PR’s golden age

Purpose Communications is marking World PR Day 2026 by inviting five members of its team to identify one quality that, for them, captures the value of strategic public relations today: consistency, trust, creativity, influence and perspective. This year’s theme, “The Golden Age of Strategic PR,” reflects the growing recognition of public relations as a core […]

Island Oil outlines sustainable growth in new report

Petronav Ship Management Ltd, the Limassol-headquartered vessel management arm of Island Oil Holdings, has supported the Cyprus Shipping Chamber’s (CSC) Adopt a Ship programme over the years, connecting its vessels with classrooms and giving young students an opportunity to learn about life at sea and the wider maritime industry.  As the programme celebrates 20 years, the company congratulated the CSC on an […]

Missing man’s daughter calls for legal reform over inheritance ordeal

The daughter of a man missing since the Turkish invasion of 1974 has renewed calls for legal reform after describing what she says is a prolonged bureaucratic struggle to settle her late mother’s estate. Alkistis Varnava, whose father Varnava Varnava disappeared during the invasion, said she had been forced to apply for him to be […]

Cyprus, Lebanon to connect electricity grids

The governments of Cyprus and Lebanon, as well as the World Bank, on Thursday agreed to prepare a preliminary feasibility study regarding the possibility of the connection of the two countries’ electricity grids. The agreement was reached by Cypriot Energy Minister Michael Damianos and his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Al-Saddi, with both governments saying that it […]

Iran warns Trump against striking infrastructure, calls Strait of Hormuz a ‘red line’

Iran said on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz was an inviolable “red line”, warning that if U.S. President Donald Trump carried out his threat to attack Iran’s infrastructure, it would strike all infrastructure across the Gulf region. The U.S. launched a fifth night of attacks on Wednesday and reimposed a naval blockade of Iran’s […]

Demetra renews mandate for share buyback programme following AGM

Demetra Holdings announced this week that it has renewed its share buyback programme following the necessary authorisation from shareholders. According to the announcement, the company secured this approval during its annual general meeting held on June 30, 2026, and subsequently notified the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) of its intentions on July 1, 2026. To ensure […]

Greek islands face drought as tourist season hits

Seven Greek islands in the Aegean Sea have declared drought emergencies this year to preserve water as climate change makes summers hotter and rainfall more erratic. Now, authorities are wondering if it will rain next year to sustain the thousands of tourists who strain the supply of water just when locals need it most. The […]

CSE announces delisting of treasury bills

The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) announced on Thursday the suspension of trading for the 13-week treasury bills, 4th issue, series 2026, from July 21, 2026, until July 23, 2026, inclusive. This measure applies to the treasury bills identified by the code TB13D26 and will remain in effect until the settlement of all transactions is finalised. […]

Two more arrested over Xylofagou brawl as hunt continues for five more

Two more suspects have been arrested in connection with the violent brawl that broke out in Xylofagou on July 8, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to five, police said on Thursday. The men, aged 26 and 24, were located in Larnaca just hours after police released their details to the public. […]

State schoolchildren treated as ‘second class’ over safety, auditor-general says

Pupils who attend state schools are treated as “second class” in comparison to those who attend private schools, auditor-general Andreas Papaconstantinou wrote in a report on fire safety in school buildings released on Thursday. “The different institutional approach between state and private schools regarding health and safety obligations, in addition to creating conditions of unequal […]

Cyprus races to adopt overdue EU banking rules

Cyprus has tabled a long-delayed package of four banking reform bills in parliament, seven months after the European Union deadline for transposing the bloc’s updated banking directive into national law. According to a report from Philenews, the government submitted the legislative package at the beginning of July and has urged parliament to examine it as […]

Moody’s says war is weakening Israel’s economy

Moody’s Ratings has cut its forecast for Israel’s economic growth in 2026, warning that fragile ceasefires and continued geopolitical uncertainty are weighing on the country’s recovery and public finances.  In its latest assessment, the agency said Israel’s economy is now expected to grow by 3.7 per cent this year, down sharply from the 5 per cent forecast issued in […]

Court to decide whether Phedonos case will be heard behind closed doors

The Paphos criminal court will on Thursday decide whether the trial of suspended Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos, who stands accused of rape and domestic abuse, will be heard behind closed doors. Phedonos pleaded not guilty to all charges last month, having been charged with five counts of rape, indecent assault, actual bodily harm, and administering […]

More than 500 feared dead after boats carrying refugees sink off Myanmar, UN says

Two boats carrying more than 500 people may have capsized off Myanmar’s coast in recent days, UN agencies said on Thursday, as refugees from the war-torn country make perilous maritime journeys in search of safety and better lives. The two vessels left Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June carrying mostly ethnic minority Rohingya passengers, reportedly […]

Guterres to visit Cyprus

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is to visit Cyprus before the end of this month, the Cyprus Mail understands. Competent sources have informed the Cyprus Mail that Guterres will make a two-day visit to the island on July 27 and July 28 alongside his undersecretary-general for peacebuilding Rosemary DiCarlo and his undersecretary-general for peace operations […]

Today’s weather: Hot and sunny again

Thursday’s weather will be mostly hot and sunny across most of the island, with temperatures set to rise to 40 degrees Celsius inland, 32 degrees Celsius on the southwest and west coasts, 34 degrees Celsius on the rest of the coasts, and 30 degrees Celsius in the mountains. That sunny weather may be somewhat tempered […]

High-demand Protaras holiday homes, just minutes from the beach, from €168K + VAT

Home to some of Europe’s most spectacular beaches, Protaras has long been one of Cyprus’ most sought-after destinations for those dreaming of owning a holiday home by the sea. In recent years, the area has evolved into a thriving investment destination, driven by major infrastructure projects, contemporary residential developments and a transformation that continues to […]

England’s long wait to win the World Cup—or even reach another final—will continue after holders Argentina came from behind to beat the Three Lions 2-1 in Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta. England appeared on course to end a drought stretching back to their only World Cup triumph in 1966 when Anthony Gordon fired Thomas Tuchel’s side […]

US launches multiple strikes on Iran, which retaliates against US targets in region

The U.S. launched two waves of attacks on Iran’s coastal defenses and missile sites on Wednesday after reimposing a naval blockade of its ports, while Iran struck back by targeting U.S. military sites in neighboring countries in what it called an “existential war” with America. The latest escalation comes days after a fragile truce collapsed, […]

AI platform aims to streamline marketing workflows for businesses in Cyprus

It often starts with something simple. A flyer that needs to go out, a brochure that has been sitting in a folder, a presentation that must look sharper, or a month of social media posts that nobody in the team has time to design. For many businesses, especially smaller ones, the problem is not the […]

Cyprus Business Now: start up, tourism, shipping, CTC, CySEC, electricity

The association of Cyprus tourist enterprises (Stek) on Wednesday said a recent Audit Office report has confirmed its long-standing concerns over short-term holiday rentals, renewing calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the legislation governing the sector. The association said the Audit Office’s findings demonstrate that weaknesses in the supervision and enforcement of online short-term rental platforms pose significant […]

Netflix under pressure to prove growth strategy in second-quarter results

Netflix is under pressure to reassure investors about its growth strategy when it reports second-quarter results later on Thursday, as its ​user engagement has faltered amid growing competition from traditional media ‌players, YouTube and mobile viewing. The streaming giant has shed over a fifth of its value this year due to doubts about its growth […]