Cruises are sold as floating holidays, but they are also useful for understanding public health. Cruise ships are carefully designed places where many people live, eat, relax and move through the same shared spaces for days at a time. They show how easily illness can spread when people are packed into a single interconnected environment. […]

For many young people in Cyprus, studying at the world’s leading universities can feel out of reach, not because of a lack of talent, but because of limited access to opportunity. Through the Exness Fintech Scholarships, that gap is steadily being bridged. Now entering its fifth year, the initiative continues to support Cypriot students in […]

Nearly 14% of patients in Cypriot hospitals develop at least one healthcare-associated infection, almost double the European average, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported on Tuesday. The ECDC’s 2024 data puts Cyprus’s hospital infection rate at 13.8%, compared with an EU-wide average that the agency describes as significantly lower. Around 56% of […]

A blast at a fireworks factory in China has killed at least 26 people and injured 61, flattening buildings and sending towering clouds of smoke into the sky, and prompting President Xi Jinping to order a thorough investigation, state media reported on Tuesday. More than 1,500 firefighters, rescuers, medical personnel and police were deployed, together […]

One of Hungary’s top media players, whose companies have benefited from lucrative state contracts under the outgoing government, has offered to hand over his firms and some of his investments to the state as the new government takes over. Gyula Balasy, owner of several top media companies that have designed government campaigns for over a […]

President Nikos Christodoulides met EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius in Athens on Tuesday morning on the sidelines of the DEFEA defence conference, with talks centring on strengthening the EU’s mutual assistance clause under Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union. Christodoulides told the Commissioner that Cyprus was delivering results during its EU Council Presidency. […]

Cyprus hotel bookings for the summer are running 30% below last year’s levels, with average occupancy currently sitting at 40-50% compared with 75% at the same point in 2025, the Cyprus Hotels Association has warned. The slump follows months of mounting pressure on the island’s tourism sector triggered by the war in the Middle East. […]

The Civil Defence Force is rolling out a series of fire-season preparedness measures, including evacuation drills across all districts in May and the completion of an updated emergency response plan. Evacuation drills Evacuation drills are scheduled in communities across all districts during May, the Civil Defence Force said. The exercises aim to improve operational coordination […]

Police bank account searches have found no evidence to support claims that large sums of money were moved abroad through companies or through Sandy, according to Philenews sources. Investigators obtained court orders to open the accounts of individuals named as having given money to the 45-year-old, and the commercial banks complied, the sources said. Sandy’s […]

Cyprus will see partly cloudy skies on Tuesday, turning mainly cloudy at intervals, with isolated showers expected in the early afternoon, mainly over the eastern half of the island. An isolated thunderstorm cannot be ruled out. Snow or sleet is possible on the highest Troodos peaks. Winds will blow mainly south-westerly to north-westerly, light to […]

Thermos has recalled more than 8 million food and water containers after a dangerous lid defect caused violent ejections on opening, injuring multiple consumers and permanently blinding three people, according to Fox Business, citing a US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announcement. The recall covers approximately 5.8 million King stainless steel food jars and 2.3 […]

Cyprus dam levels stand at 39.6% today, almost double the 23% recorded on the same date last year, according to Marios Hatzikostis, First Technical Engineer at the Water Development Department (WDD). Hatzikostis said the total volume stored across Cyprus’s dams currently stands at 115.2 million cubic metres, compared with 66.7 million cubic metres at the […]

Andreas Mercouri, Managing Director of Trident Trust Company, tells Forbes that regional instability, regulatory complexity, and the accelerating pace of change are reshaping the fiduciary and corporate services sector — and that firms willing to adapt stand to gain the most. What do you consider today to be the biggest challenges for the fiduciary and […]

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters celebrate their party’s lead in the Assam and West Bengal state election results at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, India, 04 May 2026. Party workers celebrate after the BJP appears to be leading in the Assam and West Bengal state elections.

Iran threatened on Monday to attack any American military forces that attempt to enter the Strait of Hormuz, hours after President Donald Trump announced the United States would escort stranded commercial vessels safely out of the Gulf. Hundreds of ships and as many as 20,000 seafarers have been unable to transit the waterway for more […]

Construction of a helipad serving the Solea-Marathasa region in the community of Linou has been cleared to proceed, with the contract awarded to Iacovou Brothers (IACOVOU BROTHERS (CONSTRUCTIONS) LTD) at €4.268m excluding VAT, or approximately €5.079m including VAT. The helipad is intended primarily for firefighting helicopters tackling forest fires and other large blazes, and secondarily […]

A 78-year-old man was rescued from a catamaran found about one metre from rocks near Konnos Bay, Ayia Napa, yesterday, after a three-hour tow back to the marina, according to a social media post by Pavlos Pavlou. Pavlou said the operation began around noon from Ayia Napa marina, in cooperation with the Ayia Napa Port […]

High construction costs, borrowing rates and tighter VAT rules on primary residences have pushed buyers in Cyprus toward smaller properties. Here is what changed, what the numbers show, and what it now costs to build. What changed in 2023 Until 2023, Cyprus applied a reduced 5% VAT rate to the first 200 square metres of […]

A Spanish Civil War film with a political message that still resonates today, a short story awards ceremony in Kaimakli and a Caryl Churchill production transforming a building in Old Nicosia into a theatrical experience make for a full cultural Sunday. CINEMA SCREENING Nicosia, Pantheon, 8.30pm. The Cinema Friends Club screens While at War by […]

Pieces of plaster and cement fell from an apartment block on Makarios Avenue in Limassol on Sunday afternoon, causing concern around a building already declared dangerous by the competent authorities. The incident happened at around 2 pm. Officials from the Limassol District Local Government Organisation went to the scene and fenced off the area to […]

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it suspects some rare human to human transmission took place between close contacts on board a luxury cruise ship hit by seven confirmed or suspected hantavirus cases. A Dutch couple and a German national have died, while a British national was evacuated from the ship and is […]

Turkey and Saudi Arabia plan to sign an agreement to scrap visa requirements for their citizens during talks between their foreign ministers in Ankara on Wednesday, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Tuesday. Relations between Ankara and Riyadh were badly damaged after the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in […]

Erling Haaland (C) of Manchester City in action during the English Premier League match Everton FC against Manchester City, in Liverpool, Britain, 04 May 2026.

The fragile truce in the Middle East was in jeopardy on Tuesday after the U.S. and Iran launched new attacks as they wrestled for control of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats, as well as cruise missiles and drones, after President Donald Trump sent the […]

A Central Bank of Cyprus study has found that high prices remain entrenched across the economy despite a sharp fall in inflation, with household purchasing power — particularly among vulnerable groups — continuing to erode. Published on the Central Bank blog and authored by Dimitris Kapataes, Maria Mithelou and Maria Papageorgiou, the study finds that […]

The prospect of centre-right political cooperation in Cyprus is generating discussion ahead of the parliamentary elections on May 24. Post-election uncertainty is pushing the government and centre-right parties toward some form of collaboration, with the conservative DISY as the major player. Tensions between the two camps have already eased, with both sides emphasising shared ground […]

The Independent Authority against Corruption has received the final report from the four inspection officers investigating journalist Makarios Drousiotis’s book ‘Mafia State’, and says its findings will not be made public before the May 24 parliamentary elections. The report was delivered in electronic form by the April 30 deadline. It runs to approximately 3,000 pages […]

Metallica play a sold-out show at the OAKA stadium in Athens this Saturday, with organiser High Priority Promotions releasing arrival times, stage schedules and a full list of prohibited items for ticket holders. Gates open at 16:00. Knocked Loose take the stage at 18:00, followed by Gojira at 19:00. Metallica are expected to begin at […]

The Independent Authority against Corruption will release technical details of the inspection officers’ report into journalist Makarios Drousiotis’s book ‘Mafia State’ on Tuesday, but will not disclose any of the investigators’ findings. The Authority’s Transparency Commissioner, Haris Poyiadjis, said the information to be made public covers the report’s technical characteristics: its volume, the number of […]

The Arsos Community Council has issued a formal denial regarding social media reports alleging that the village of Trozena has been sold in its entirety and that public access to the area is being restricted. In a statement released Monday, local officials dismissed claims of barred entry as “unfounded,” asserting that the village remains open […]

President Nikos Christodoulides left Yerevan, Armenia this afternoon following his participation in the European Political Community Summit, heading to Athens where he will attend the DEFEA defence industry conference tomorrow, May 5. On the sidelines of DEFEA, Christodoulides will hold bilateral meetings with Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and with European Commissioner for Defence Andrius […]

Prices across the vast majority of supermarkets listed on the government’s e-kalathi price comparison platform vary so widely that they show no sign of meaningful competition, the Cyprus Consumer Association has found, with an average gap of around 60% between the cheapest and most expensive participants. The Association assessed prices recorded on May 3, 2026 […]

Three people have died and at least one other is in intensive care in South Africa following a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization announced on Monday. The WHO confirmed one case of the rare disease and said authorities were investigating five further suspected cases among […]

Following are some of the major events to have occurred on May 4: 1945 – The U.S. 7th Army captured Hitler’s Alpine retreat of Berchtesgaden. 1970 – National Guards shot four students dead and wounded 11 at Kent State University in the United States during demonstrations against the Vietnam war. 1980 – Yugoslav wartime partisan […]

Eating out in Cyprus varies dramatically depending on where you are, with tourist resorts costing nearly twice as much as the island’s cheapest dining destinations, according to updated figures from international cost-of-living platform Numbeo. A meal for one at a cheap restaurant ranges from €12 in Larnaca to €23 in Ayia Napa. For a family […]

The Ministry of Education will run its Summer Public Schools (SPS) programme at 64 schools across all five districts from June 22 to July 24, with priority given to children from vulnerable and low-income families. The programme will operate across 39 primary schools and 25 kindergartens for 25 working days. Daily hours run from 7:45am […]

A fatal building collapse in Limassol has thrown a spotlight on unregulated property management companies alleged to be collecting tens of thousands of euros annually from apartment owners with little accountability, as a government reform bill sits stalled in parliament nearly two years after it was submitted. Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou acknowledged the problem in […]

Brussels is staging a landmark simulation exercise this week to test how EU member states would respond if one of their number came under attack, with Cyprus directly implicated in one of three scenarios being examined. The exercise focuses on Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union — the bloc’s mutual assistance clause — […]

Okypy said public hospitals followed the required medical protocols in the case of an autistic child, after relatives filed a complaint over the handling of an incident at state hospitals. The State Health Services Organisation said both Nicosia General Hospital and Makarios Hospital are accredited hospitals and apply the required protocols for all conditions, including […]

Authorities in Nicosia have arrested a special police officer following a formal complaint involving threats made against his wife. According to reports, the individual allegedly threatened to kill his wife during the incident. The case is currently being investigated by the Nicosia Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Following the arrest, the Police officially announced that the […]

“A case has never been detected or diagnosed in Cyprus, nor any clinical presentation suggesting the disease,” an infectious disease specialist said on Tuesday, as concern grows over a possible hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean linked to three deaths and three further cases. Kostas Konstantinou, of the Nicosia General Hospital […]

These are the pharmacies that will operate during the night across Cyprus on Tuesday, May 5: NICOSIA Eleni Georgiou, 69 Agiou Pavlou. Near Agios Pavlos Church towards Agios Dometios, Nicosia. Tel: 22781766, 22773868. Maria Grigoriou-Parani, 65C-D Prodromou. Opposite the military camp, Strovolos. Tel: 22664750, 97658671. Andri Salip, 26 Trikalon, Flat 6, Pano Lakatamia. Tel: 22313134. Antonios Patatas, 33C […]

Following are some of the major events to have occurred on May 5: 1955 – The Federal Republic of (West) Germany became a sovereign state after Allied High Commissioners met to abolish their controlling body set up after the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. West Germany also joined NATO on this day. 1999 – […]

Two cases of the deadly hantavirus have been confirmed, and five more are suspectedamong people who were on a luxury cruise ship now held in the Atlantic near Cape Verde, the World Health Organization said in its most detailed update on the outbreak. Around 150 people are still stuck on the Hondius that was carrying […]

Football fans have broken into the fenced archaeological site of the ancient Kition harbour in Larnaca and spray-painted slogans across a large wall, in the latest episode of a graffiti problem the city’s mayor says has spiralled out of control. The vandalism follows a pattern stretching back at least two years, when Anorthosis supporters painted […]

A man known to police threatened an officer and struck the entrance of a department store on Ledra Street in central Nicosia on Monday night before being arrested. Police were alerted to reports of a man damaging the store’s main entrance. An officer identified the suspect through CCTV footage, located him nearby, and moved to […]

A long-running legal dispute between Turkish Cypriot heirs and the Republic of Cyprus over 125 plots of land in Paphos — valued at €58.6 million but offered for sale at €11.8 million — has been referred to the civil courts after the Administrative Court of Appeal ruled on April 30 that neither it nor the […]

Cyprus’s Interior Ministry and Law Office are proactively examining at least three prospective candidates over whether they meet the constitutional requirements to stand in the May 24 parliamentary elections, Philenews understands. The cases under review involve individuals who have publicly announced their intention to run for ELAM, Volt and Direct Democracy. The examination centres on […]

From art exhibitions and live music to theatre premieres and new cinema releases, there is plenty on offer across Cyprus this week. VISUAL ART Nicosia, Hambis Printmaking Museum. The exhibition Mediterranean, featuring selected works from the collection of Andreas Nicolas, explores printmaking and historical events across the Mediterranean region. A guided tour by the collector […]

These are the pharmacies that will operate during the night across Cyprus on Monday, May 4: NICOSIA Konstantina Aristodimou, 71E Stavrou Avenue. Opposite Oktagono kiosk, Strovolos. Tel: 22492929, 22494102. Kyproulla Christodoulou, 25A Karpenissiou. Perpendicular to Makarios and Kennedy avenues, Nicosia. Tel: 22376960, 22378494. Maria Panagi, 9 Prince Charles. Nicosia Polyclinic road, next to ACS, opposite Cryos International, near […]

A newly formed association representing livestock farmers and butchers protesting against mass culling under Cyprus’s foot-and-mouth disease response will meet on Tuesday to decide its next steps, if President Nikos Christodoulides has not responded to a request for a meeting by the end of Monday. Stella Petrou, spokesperson for the association, “The Voice of Livestock […]

The 45-year-old woman known as Sandy gave a lengthy statement to police last Friday that investigators say has effectively clarified the outstanding questions in the Drousiotis affair, with the investigation now said to be nearing its conclusion. Sandy is the woman at the centre of allegations published by journalist and Volt candidate Makarios Drousiotis in […]

Iran claimed on Monday it had forced a US warship to retreat from the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington denied reports that the vessel had been struck by Iranian missiles, in the latest flashpoint over the blocked waterway. Iran’s navy said it had prevented “American-Zionist” warships from entering the strait by issuing a “swift and […]

The United States has thrown its support behind Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s visit to Eswatini, calling Taiwan a “trusted and capable partner” whose international relationships benefit countries around the world, as China condemned the trip in unusually sharp terms. Lai arrived in the southern African kingdom on Saturday, travelling on an Eswatini government aircraft after […]

Aradippou Municipality has received ministerial approval to move forward with the long-delayed reconstruction of Kyriakou Matsi avenue, one of the busiest roads serving both Larnaca and Aradippou, with the first phase targeted for inclusion in the 2027 state budget. Mayor Christodoulos Partou told Phileleftheros the municipality recently received the green light from the Interior Minister […]

A 38-year-old Limassol candidate for the Active Citizens – United Cyprus Hunters Movement, has been remanded in custody and dropped from his party’s ballot after allegedly punching an assistant referee during a football match. The Larnaca District Court issued a three-day remand order for him. A case file for stadium violence offences is expected to […]

Heavy snowfall has been recorded at the Troodos ski centre since the early hours of Monday, 4 May, with accumulation approaching 10 centimetres, according to weather tracking service kitasweather. Conditions observed at 02:23 showed intense snowfall, which kitasweather said was expected to continue intermittently for at least another six to eight hours. The service described […]

A low-pressure system and a relatively cool air mass are bringing unsettled weather to Cyprus on Monday, with localised rain, isolated thunderstorms and strong winds expected to ease by the afternoon. Skies will be cloudy with rain and isolated thunderstorms, mainly across the western half of the island. Conditions are forecast to improve gradually through […]

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he must accept that President Donald Trump does not share his opinions in order to work with the United States within NATO, but stressed there was no link between their rift and a planned troop drawdown. Merz dismissed suggestions that his criticism of U.S. war planning in Iran had sparked […]

Serious questions regarding the management of patients on the autism spectrum within the public healthcare system have been raised by a family following a road accident on Saturday, May 2. The accident occurred on the road from Geri towards the Leroy Merlin roundabout. According to a public post by a relative, the vehicle was carrying […]