FIFA launched an invitation to tender on Thursday for media rights in the United States and Puerto Rico for the 2030 World Cup along with an option to secure the 2034 edition.
FIFA said in a press release that it is open to “innovative approaches” to reach large audiences and that the bid submission deadline is November 19.
Fox held the exclusive English-language broadcast rights in the United States for the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico while Telemundo held the Spanish language rights.
Spain, which won the 2026 World Cup, will co-host the 2030 edition with Portugal and Morocco, although Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will stage inaugural matches marking the tournament’s 100th anniversary. Saudi Arabia have been named hosts of the 2034 World Cup.
According to FIFA, the 2026 World Cup averaged 13.5 million viewers per match on linear and streaming platforms in the United States, up 166% on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Earlier this week, Netflix announced that it secured the rights to broadcast the 2030 World Cup in Spain and Andorra.
A 44-year-old man has been arrested after being caught attempting to smuggle over 300 kilograms of meat across the Green Line, the Turkish Cypriot police have said.
In total, the man attempted to smuggle 305.4kg of boneless beef and 41kg of lamb tail fat across the Ayios Dhometios crossing point, all of which was seized as evidence.
The police’s investigation into the matter is ongoing.
A new and collaborative exhibition opens in Paphos this week, adding to the city’s cultural agenda. Megadence, as part of Visual Voices’ Vis-à-Vis Nicosia programme, presents the opening of ‘What does not finish disappearing’ on October 23, showcasing works by Marinos Houtris and Ekso.
Hosted at Decade (on 4 Agiou Kendea Street), the exhibition will remain open until November 6 and includes a roundtable conversation with the artists, a journalist and the co-founder of Megadence.
“Through field recordings and documentation of the landscape,” comment the organisers, “the exhibition attends to what becomes perceptible only through disturbance, exposure and transition. Construction sites in Paphos become points of access to infrastructures that are normally buried and to flows that cannot ordinarily be seen or heard.
“By recontextualising what is embedded within the seemingly ordinary and familiar, yet remains imperceptible to the everyday gaze, the exhibition hacks another layer of the city into moments of temporary visibilities. It contemplates what is revealed through these transitional spaces and what remains after they disappear.”
Taking part in this project is Marinos Houtris, who is an artist working across photography, sound and installation. In his practice, he follows things that emerge briefly or remain present without being noticed, attending to the temporary and less visible life of urban space. In recent years, this has taken him beneath the streets of Paphos, following water, pipes, vibrations and the traces left by excavation and repair.
In turn, the second participating artist of the exhibition, Angela Ioannidou, presents Ekso, a collaborative project for critical conversations through artistic and creative practices. Its name, meaning ‘outside’ in Greek, reflects an engagement with Paphos as both a geographical and cultural ‘outside,’ creating space and visibility for perspectives and voices that exist beyond dominant narratives.
A roundtable conversation on 31 October will bring together artists Marinos Houtris, Angela Ioannidou (Ekso), journalist Niki Laou, and Marina Demosthenous, the co-founder of Megadence and moderator of the discussion.
What does not finish disappearing
Collaborative exhibition by Marinos Houtris and Ekso. October 23-November 6. Decade, 4 Agiou Kendea, Paphos. Opening night: 7pm. Thursday-Friday: 5pm-7pm or by appointment. www.megadence.com
In the trial of furloughed Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos, the woman accusing him of rape was on Thursday cross-examined by the defendant’s lawyers.
The complainant was being cross-examined for a second consecutive hearing by Phedonos’ attorneys – Christos Pourgourides and Nondas Korakidis.
Earlier, she had testified during two hearings. During her testimony, Phedonos was not in the courtroom, but in an adjacent room in the court complex.
According to media reports, the complainant’s cross-examination is expected to continue at the next hearing before Paphos criminal court – set for October 27.
The trial is taking place behind closed doors.
Phedonos faces five distinct charges: rape; indecent assault against a woman; indecent assault against a woman by another act (meaning non-physical); assault causing actual bodily harm; and administering a drug or substance to another person with the intent of rendering that person unable to resist.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Once all witnesses for the prosecution have taken the stand, the court will assess the testimony to decide whether a prima facie case has been established against the defendant.
If the court determines that a prima facie case has not been established, it may acquit the defendant at that stage.
If it decides otherwise, Phedonos will be asked to mount his defence – by summoning witnesses. The defendant himself is not legally obliged to take the stand.
Witnesses for the defence may be cross-examined by prosecutors.
Once the defence wraps up, the two sides will deliver their closing arguments.
The court will assess the entirety of the testimony and the evidence, and then deliver a guilty or not-guilty verdict, followed by sentencing in the event of a guilty verdict.
President Nikos Christodoulides has sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanding that the European Union resume discussions on its mutual defence clause, after the matter found itself at the centre of discussions when EU leaders met in Cyprus in April, but has since fallen off the agenda.
The sending of the letter was confirmed to the Cyprus Mail by presidential press office director Victor Papadopoulos, though he said he could offer no further details, while news website Politico quoted Christodoulides as having written that “I cannot overstate the importance of this provision for the EU and its member states”.
This, he wrote, rings true “especially in times of geopolitical uncertainty”.
“Given the gravity of the challenges we face, Cyprus would welcome the resumption of discussions at the relevant preparatory bodies. I would therefore appreciate an update on the proposals under consideration, as well as a timeline for next steps,” he wrote.
The leaders of the EU’s 27 member states had during a European Council summit in Nicosia in April resolved to demand the creation of a defence “playbook”, with Cypriot government sources at the time lamenting that “nothing has been done” in the decade since the first and only time that the bloc’s mutual defence clause was activated.
It was France which triggered Article 42.7 of the Treaty of the European Union, better known as the Lisbon Treaty, after Paris was hit by a series of terrorist attacks in November 2015.
Article 42.7 not attached to any formal operational plans
While the text of the treaty states that “if a member state is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other member states shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power”, it is not attached to any formal operational plans or international military structures.
Government sources lamented in April that “there is no clear picture of procedures, capabilities, or response times across member states”, and also decried what they described as a lack of clarity regarding the types of support which can be requested, what each member state may provide, and how quickly assistance can be delivered.
They also stressed that if a member state triggers Article 42.7, assistance must not be optional.
“It is a legal obligation, not a political choice,” they said, before adding that “member states cannot question the reasons” behind the triggering of the clause if it is triggered, provided that an armed attack has taken place.
However, in the six months since that summit, the matter of defence has slipped down the European agenda, with the most recent European Council summit, held in Brussels, being dedicated largely to the EU’s multiannual financial framework, its budget for the years between 2028 and 2034, while conversations on defence centred on Ukraine, which remains, for now, outside the bloc.
Focus inside EU has now shifted to multi-year budget
The focus on the budget has come with most leaders across Europe aiming to have the next multiannual financial framework devised and agreed upon by the member states by the end of this year.
Christodoulides had said on this matter last week that should an agreement not be reached by the end of this year, “I believe we would be sending a negative message, not only to European citizens, but to the world”.
Mutual defence was most recently discussed at the European Parliament last month, with the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas decrying “Russia’s hybrid warfare in Europe” and calling for measures to be taken against it.
“Putin is a textbook bully. Moscow’s hybrid attacks are designed to intimidate us, paralyse our societies and make us hesitate to act. That is precisely what Putin wants. We should not let fear dictate our choices. We should match the level of these attacks with concrete action and a confident response. Europe’s security requires it and citizens expect it,” she said.
Cypriot MEPs called for stronger Article 42.7, looser relations with Turkey
In response, Cypriot MEP Costas Mavrides, of Diko, said that “hybrid attacks are also taking place for years by the neo-Ottoman Erdogan regime against member states in the eastern Mediterranean” in reference to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He called for the EU’s mutual defence clause, Article 42.7 of the Treaty of the European Union, which is commonly known as the Lisbon Treaty, to be made “workable and operational”, before telling to Kallas that “your double standard policy is increasing part of the problem” regarding Turkey.
Fellow Cypriot MEP Geadis Geadi, of Elam, also called for the EU to “establish a clear roadmap for activating Article 42.7”, saying that this should “ensure that the mutual defence clause can be applied immediately and effectively”, and also criticised the EU for not treating Turkey and Russia in the same way.
“Mrs Kallas, be careful when you shake hands which are stained with the blood of hundreds and thousands of innocent people,” he said.
Demetra Holdings Plc completed the repurchase of 4,965 of its own shares on October 22, 2026, as part of its ongoing share buyback programme on the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE).
The investment firm informed the investing public of the transactions on Thursday, in accordance with the regulatory framework of the CSE and the circulars issued by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
The acquisition was carried out pursuant to the relevant authorisation granted by the company’s annual general meeting on June 30, 2026.
The company executed the buyback through the Cyprus Investment & Securities Corporation Ltd (CISCO), acquiring the shares at a uniform price of €1.36 per share.
The overall purchase comprised four separate transactions completed during the trading session on October 22, 2026.
The first transaction involved the purchase of 2,961 shares, while a second trade secured an additional 450 shares.
A third minor transaction accounted for 58 shares, alongside a fourth purchase of 1,496 shares, bringing the total daily volume to 4,965 shares.
All transactions were completed at the single price level of €1.36 per share.
British Cypriot businessman John Christodoulou said on Thursday that “my mind is with Disy, but my heart is with Akel” as he kept open the possibility of standing in the 2028 presidential election.
Speaking on Sigma, Christodoulou said the decision was difficult and could be made by early next year.
He said he neither “speaks nor thinks like a politician” and that even close friends had questioned his reasoning for considering giving up his comfortable life.
He cited his experience as a refugee, saying he left Cyprus aged nine and still feels the loss of land that belonged to his parents and grandparents.
He said, “52 years had been lost without a solution and that Turkey must return to the negotiating table”.
“I am a refugee, we need to go back to our homes, we must confront the Turk who stole our land”, he said.
He also conceded within the interview his personal limitations with the Greek language, deferring repeatedly into English and acknowledging a limited vocabulary.
The comments followed an interview on Wednesday with ANT1, in which he said he could not accept that no decision had been reached in over five decades of seeking to solve the Cyprus problem.
Christodoulou confirmed his close personal relationship with Direct Democracy leader Fidias Panayiotou but said he was also in discussions with figures from other parties.
Local media reported that Panayiotou had raised his name with party leaders, including Akel, and received no answer.
Akel secretary general Stefanos Stefanou played down speculation that the party was sounding out candidates.
Direct Democracy is also reportedly in talks with Odysseas Michaelides’ Alma party in regard to a joint candidate.
Christodoulou owns Yianis Group, which holds hotels and flats in Canary Wharf and elsewhere in Britain.
The Sunday Times Rich List 2026 puts his wealth at £2.7 billion.
In Cyprus he is active mainly through the Yianis Christodoulou Foundation, and in 2021 he was reported to be close to a £30 million takeover of Omonia football club, but talks with majority owner Stavros Papastavrou reportedly collapsed.
His British business affairs have drawn scrutiny, for in 2012 hotel companies in the group went into administration, costing him a Manchester Marriott and a Park Inn near Heathrow.
In 2022 he reportedly admitted to a tribunal that residents at 1 West India Quay had been overcharged by 26 per cent on utilities.
In March 2024 the UK government began legal action seeking £20.5 million from his companies towards fixing unsafe blocks at Canary Riverside.
The 52nd Cyprus International Rally takes place this weekend, featuring 30 crews from eight countries. The event is the fifth and final round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
Cyprus’ flagship rally, organised by the Cyprus Automobile Association since 1970, will decide this year’s Middle East Rally Championship title. Among the contenders is Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah, the event’s most successful driver with nine victories. A 20-time champion, most recently in 2025, Al-Attiyah leads the standings with 70 points and will compete in a Škoda Fabia.
Saudi Arabia’s 22-year-old Hamza Bakhashab, driving a Toyota Yaris, is second with 66 points. Qatar’s Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya, driving a Ford Fiesta, has 61 points, while Oman’s 2024 champion Abdullah Al-Rawahi, driving a Škoda Fabia, has 56 points.
Top local crews will also be competing for victory, including multiple-time Cypriot champion Simos Galatariotis in a Škoda Fabia and last year’s Cyprus champion Panagiotis Yiangou in a Hyundai i20.
The ceremonial start will take place today at 18:00 at Europe Square on the Larnaca seafront (Phinikoudes). The finish ceremony will also be held there on Sunday at 17:00, followed by the crowning of the 2026 Middle East Rally Champion. The Service Park is located next to the Mall of Cyprus, opposite the E-CARS showroom, and is open to the public.
The scrutineering took place yesterday This morning, the official shakedown and qualifying stages will be held in Tseri, with qualifying determining the starting order for the first leg of the rally. Tomorrow, the mountain stages at Agios Epifanios, Kapouras and Kourdali will be run twice, once in the morning and again in the afternoon.
On Sunday, the stages at Doryforikos, Vavatsinia and Stavrovouni, near Pyrga, will take place. The second run through Stavrovouni, scheduled for 15:13, will serve as the rally’s Power Stage. The rally covers a total distance of 657.74 km, including 183.92 km across 12 gravel special stages
No timetable has been set for the next stages of the Limassol-Saittas road project, despite the government acknowledging delays and reaffirming that the road remains a priority.
The issue was discussed on Thursday at the House transport committee, where Transport Minister Evie Tsolaki stressed the need for coordination between ministries and government departments, noting that sections of the planned road pass through protected Natura 2000 areas.
The environment department told MPs that it expected to issue its assessment by December.
According to Stockwatch, Tsolaki declined to provide a timetable for the next stages of construction, pending the completion of the necessary environmental studies.
MPs and representatives of Limassol’s mountainous and semi-mountainous communities expressed concern over the delays, warning that inadequate road infrastructure was making commuting difficult, posing safety risks and hampering development in rural areas.
Responding to criticism over the order in which construction had begun, Tsolaki said priority had been given to the most heavily used sections of the road.
She added that the government was dealing with longstanding problems concerning the project that predated its term in office.
Despite assurances from the environment department that its assessment would be ready before the end of the year, Tsolaki did not commit to launching a tender in the first half of 2027.
MPs also raised concerns about funding, seeking assurances that the necessary resources would be available.
The finance ministry said it did not anticipate difficulties in releasing funds, provided the project moved forward.
The commissioner for mountainous areas said the Limassol-Saittas road was included in the national strategy for the development of mountainous communities, as it would improve access and strengthen connections with Limassol.
A representative of the union of communities expressed disappointment over the delays, highlighting the difficulties faced by residents, including traffic congestion and lengthy commuting times.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Troodos community complex described completion of the road as essential for the region’s development, arguing that improved accessibility would help retain the population of mountainous communities.
Disy MPs questioned the reasons for the delays and argued that rural areas contributed more to the economy than they received in public investment.
They stressed that infrastructure projects should not be assessed solely on their economic viability, but should also take into account the needs of local communities.
MPs also questioned the effectiveness of coordination between the ministries involved.
Akel MPs challenged the reliability of government timetables, pointing out that residents of mountainous communities faced disproportionately high commuting costs because of long travelling distances and rising fuel prices.
They said a 3.5km section had saved commuters ten minutes and called on the finance ministry to commit to releasing funds.
Road safety was another concern raised during the discussion, with MPs saying nine people had lost their lives in accidents on the road.
Elam argued that Limassol was lagging behind in major public infrastructure projects despite its strong economic activity and private sector performance.
Direct Democracy, meanwhile, warned that it would not vote in favour of the budget unless the Limassol-Saittas road project was included.
The issue is expected to be discussed again at the House transport committee’s next meeting.
Hadassah Medical Centre Limassol said on Thursday that it operates legally with the required licences and has never performed plasmapheresis on a patient.
In a statement, the centre said an earlier report made by Politis gave “misleading impressions that require immediate correction”.
It denied that specific complaint was pending, and it had not been informed of any finding that questioned its current operation.
Politis had reported that the health ministry was examining new complaints and that the centre holds only an imaging centre licence.
Deputy permanent secretary Elisavet Constantinou told the paper it has no hospital licence or other licence to operate as a healthcare facility, though Politis clarified that this in itself did not make any other activity unlawful.
Hadassah said a separate medical centre licence is not required for its current activities beyond professional and individual requirements, and that the licence for its radiology department had been secured.
It said a possible upgrade to a day care unit would be a separate licensing process and did not mean it was waiting for a licence for its current services.
On plasmapheresis, Politis reported that ministry inspectors had found the equipment during an inspection.
Hadassah said the equipment “was not concealed” and that a list naming the plasmapheresis system and an ozone therapy unit was sent to the ministry on August 26 as part of the final file for the imaging centre licence.
“The purchase of equipment for a planned service does not constitute proof that the service was provided,” it said.
Politis had also pointed out that only three doctors appear on the centre’s website.
Hadassah said it had already given the paper a list of 15 doctors and two clinical dietitians, and that it employs five licensed nurses and seven physical therapy and exercise professionals.
A further 15 doctors are under discussion with Hadassah but have not been announced as according to the centre “approvals are incomplete”, and it is not presenting them yet as partners.
Politis reported that some examinations or treatments may have involved doctors in Israel taking part by telephone or video link, a claim it said had not been independently verified.
Hadassah called this a misrepresentation of its second opinion service, expanding that the local doctor reviews the file and, if a second opinion is warranted and the patient agrees, prepares a report with specific clinical questions for a specialist at Hadassah in Jerusalem.
The process “does not involve tele-guidance” of a procedure in Cyprus by a doctor in Israel, it insisted.
Chief executive Dr George Zachariadis had earlier given Politis no direct answer on teleconference participation.
The centre said it “accepts the audit and responds with evidence” but would not tolerate publications that harm its reputation through “inaccuracies and insinuations”.
The centre, based in Ayios Tychonas, has no operating theatres or inpatient beds and advertises its offering being imaging, cardiac assessment, neurological rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
In Israel, news outlet Calcalist reported that the health and finance ministries were not informed of the project beforehand.
Hadassah said it “did not invest a single shekel” in the centre, which is financed by Cypriot investors.
From November 21, all referrals from Cyprus to Hadassah in Jerusalem will go through Limassol.
The Cyprus Mail approached the Hadassah medical centre, as well as both the Cypriot and Israeli health ministries for comment.
Lordos United Public Ltd has completed the €8.16 million acquisition of a 51 per cent stake in P&S Carton Industries Ltd, following regulatory approval, bringing the Cypriot cardboard packaging manufacturer under its control.
The company announced on Thursday that it had acquired 35,700 shares in P&S Carton in accordance with the share purchase agreement signed on July 10, 2026.
The transaction was completed after the Commission for the Protection of Competition approved the deal, finding that the concentration was compatible with the functioning of competition in the market.
Following completion, P&S Carton has become a subsidiary of Lordos United, while the sellers retain a combined 49 per cent shareholding.
The acquisition marks Lordos United’s entry into Cyprus’ corrugated cardboard packaging sector, expanding its activities beyond its existing plastics manufacturing and packaging operations.
P&S Carton manufactures and sells corrugated cardboard boxes and packaging solutions to businesses across a range of industries, including food and beverages, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.
Founded in Cyprus in 1991, the company was described as the country’s only domestic manufacturer of corrugated cardboard boxes, supplying approximately 60 per cent of local demand, with the remainder covered by imports.
When the deal was announced, Lordos United said the acquisition aligned with its long-term growth strategy and would diversify its product portfolio while creating opportunities to develop integrated packaging solutions.
The company also pointed to potential synergies between the two businesses, including opportunities to serve existing customers across a wider range of packaging products.
Lordos United said planned investment in new machinery during 2027 and 2028 was expected to increase P&S Carton’s production capacity and improve its cost competitiveness.
Based on P&S Carton’s 2025 financial results, Lordos United previously estimated that approximately €11.4 million in annual turnover would be consolidated into its group results from the acquisition date.
It also estimated that its 51 per cent share of EBITDA would amount to approximately €869,248, based on the target company’s 2025 performance.
The acquisition forms part of Lordos United’s broader expansion plans under its new management, which has highlighted growth opportunities through increased production capacity, new packaging solutions and a stronger presence in strategic sectors of the economy.
Customs officers seized 28,000 suspected counterfeit condoms during an inspection of a sea shipment arriving from Greece on Thursday.
The container was selected for scanning and a physical inspection following a risk assessment.
According to customs, the products appeared to infringe the intellectual property rights of a well-known brand, based on the accompanying documents and invoices.
The owner of the company involved reportedly admitted that the condoms were counterfeit.
Procedures for the confiscation and destruction of the products are expected to follow in the coming days.
Customs warned that counterfeit condoms could pose serious health risks, including unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections.
Kanon Ito, the youngest artist at this year’s ArtCargo Festival, is a 12-year-old Japanese slackline champion ranked world No.1 in women’s freestyle tricklining for 2025/2026. She will bring her acrobatic skills to Nicosia this October for three performances and a workshop, as part of the festival’s Youth Programme, alongside a graffiti workshop, local slackliners and DJ sets.
Ito is the first girl to land a Rikuto flip on a slackline, an International Gibbon Pro Rider and the Women’s World Champion at the Trickline World Cup in Munich, Germany.
Performing on a line just a few centimetres wide, Ito will showcase her jumps and aerial tricks, including her signature move, ‘Cannon Ball’. The performances take place on October 24 at 13:00 and 15:00, and October 25 at 17:00, at the square in front of the old Nicosia City Hall, near Eleftheria Square.
Ito will also lead a slackline workshop on October 25 at 13:00, introducing participants to the basics of balance, movement and tricklining at the old Nicosia City Hall.
The performance forms part of the ArtCargo Youth Programme, supported this year by its primary partner, VF Foundation, and the Embassy of Japan in Cyprus. Bringing together sport, circus and street culture, the programme aims to introduce young people in Cyprus to these urban art forms and encourage participation in creative and physical activities.
“Urban spaces belong to everyone, especially the youth,” says the VF Foundation. “Bringing young artists and athletes into public spaces creates opportunities for inspiration and connection. Kanon Ito is an incredible young artist whose skills challenge expectations and inspire people of all generations. We are thrilled to bring her to Cyprus for the first time and grateful to the Embassy of Japan for its support.”
“We are delighted to support Ms Kanon Ito’s participation in Art Cargo in Cyprus,” says the Embassy of Japan.“It is wonderful to welcome such a talented young slackline athlete, bridging the geographical and cultural distance between our two countries. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the organisers of Art Cargo for making her journey from Japan possible and look forward to witnessing her inspiring performance.” The Youth Programme also features a Spot Tagging workshop led by George Kyrou, in collaboration with Spot Art Supplies, on October 25 at 15:30. Participants will practise creating their tags in notepads using markers designed for tagging. DJ sets and street performances by local slackliners will take place across both days, spreading the celebration of urban street culture.
With the support of Exness and bbf:, all performances and workshops have free admission, giving children, teenagers and audiences of all ages the opportunity to see an internationally recognised young athlete perform live in the heart of Nicosia.
Larnaca interest groups as well as MPs were stunned to hear on Thursday that management of the marina cannot be directly assigned to the Ports Authority, throwing a spanner into redevelopment plans.
Up until now, management of the town’s port and marina, for the purposes of redevelopment, had been understood to be under the Ports Authority (CPA).
But in parliament, it emerged that management of the marina cannot legally be assigned directly to the CPA, as it is the property of the state. As such, said an official from the attorney-general’s office, the only option is to launch an open tender – in which the CPA could bid.
By contrast, the port itself is the property of the CPA, and therefore the authority may continue managing it.
Transport Minister Evi Tsolaki acknowledged the legal quagmire, but assured attendees of the government’s intention to proceed with the project overall.
She recalled that in 2024 the government terminated the €1.2 billion port and marina concession agreement with Kition Ocean Holdings due to the consortium’s failure to renew a mandatory financial letter of guarantee.
A representative of the CPA noted that the road map for the redevelopment concerns both the port and the marina.
Nevertheless, he argued, completing one of the components does not depend on completing the other – suggesting that the planned works for the port could go ahead in the meantime.
Weighing in, the head of the Larnaca district local government organisation (EOA) called for legal clarity on the status of the project.
Angelos Hadjicharalambous said that during a prior meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides and the former transport minister, the government had given the impression it was committed to the project.
Likewise, the deputy mayor of Larnaca complained about the legal confusion, which would create more delays for a project that is hugely significant for the coastal city.
Nikos Gregoriou, a representative of the PEO trade union, said the port must remain under state management, warning against any thoughts at privatisation.
Opposition MPs also asked why the government had not come clean earlier on the legal aspect.
In July this year, the CPA had unveiled a roadmap for a €415 million redevelopment programme for the port and marina envisaging phased investment over the next two decades.
The overall programme extended to 2045, with the master plan expected to be completed by 2029.
The largest component concerns the port, where investment of around €205 million is planned through to 2045.
A further €190 million has been allocated for redevelopment of the marina land and adjacent areas between 2027 and 2036.
The roadmap envisaged hotels, restaurants, office space, recreation facilities and a conference centre, with most commercial projects expected to be undertaken by private investors.
The CPA would undertake responsibility for infrastructure, maintenance and strategic management, while commercial and tourism developments would be financed largely through private investment under the overall planning framework.
According to the roadmap, the strategic objective is to bolster Larnaca’s role in shipping while reconnecting the waterfront through continuous public access between the marina and port.
South African police said on Thursday they were investigating the killing of a foreign national by a crowd of about 50 people in the city of Durban.
The South African Police Service said in a post on X that the victim, thought to be in his late 30s or early 40s, was beaten by the crowd and declared dead at the scene A group of people had been marching in central Durban when two men appeared to break away and approach the victim, after which he was assaulted by about 50 people, police said
Police did not give the victim’s nationality and said the motive for the killing was unknown The incident follows months of anti-migrant protests in South Africa, some of which have turned violent and drawn international criticism, prompting thousands of migrants from elsewhere in Africa to flee affected communities.
Earlier this month, anti-migrant protests in Durban and Johannesburg’s Soweto township turned violent, with foreign-owned businesses looted and vehicles set alight after demonstrations against the processing of asylum applications at a refugee reception centre
The European Consumer Centre Cyprus handled 864 cross-border complaints and 557 requests for information in 2025, resolving approximately 53 per cent of enquiries and cases successfully, according to its annual report.
The centre said cases were resolved in cooperation with European Consumer Centres in other member states, with the aim of reaching out-of-court settlements that satisfied the parties involved.
Only 4.8 per cent of cases were referred to other alternative dispute resolution bodies, the report found.
Consumer satisfaction with the centre’s case-handling services reached 95.24 per cent, a level the report described as a long-standing achievement.
The European Consumer Centre Cyprus operates within the Consumer Protection Service of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry.
It provides free advice and practical assistance to consumers experiencing problems with cross-border transactions within the European Union, as well as in Norway and Iceland.
As part of its public information and education activities, more than 1,114 primary school pupils took part in the “Safe Online Shopping” educational programme during 2025.
Centre officials also appeared on television and radio programmes to inform the public about consumer rights, with particular emphasis on air travel and online shopping.
The centre additionally participated in surveys, consultations and questionnaires organised by the European Commission and the European consumer network.
Through these contributions, it provided evidence-based responses and helped strengthen consumer information and protection across the single market.
The report highlighted the centre’s work in handling cross-border complaints, educating consumers and contributing to wider European efforts to protect consumer rights.
MPs on Thursday called for tighter controls on property purchases by foreign nationals, warning that legislation restricting individual buyers could prove ineffective unless companies and other corporate structures were also covered.
The House interior committee continued examining proposed amendments to legislation governing the acquisition of property by foreigners, with discussions expected to resume in a fortnight.
The committee is awaiting the government’s next steps towards drafting a comprehensive legislative proposal regulating property acquisitions by foreign nationals.
Committee chairman and Akel MP Aristos Damianou said efforts to introduce the legislation were gathering pace, expressing hope that the process could be concluded by the end of the year.
He said consolidated drafts had been prepared in April, but the process was interrupted by the parliamentary elections in May.
Damianou described the issue as “particularly serious”, saying it concerned national security, the economy and the country’s future.
“We are a partially occupied state, part of whose territory is occupied by Turkey, whilst part of its territory is under the control of British bases,” he said, stressing the need to establish clear criteria and restrictions on property acquisitions.
He also raised concerns about property transactions conducted through contracts that, he said, were often not made public, allowing foreign interests to acquire property through companies and other intermediary arrangements.
Damianou warned that legislation focusing exclusively on individuals would be insufficient.
“If issues concerning natural persons, companies, funds and all those who purchase property in Cyprus in a concealed manner are not also regulated, then regulating natural persons alone will be insufficient,” he said.
Disy MP Nikoletta Konstantinou also called for a comprehensive approach, saying the proposed legislation concerned the Republic’s strategic interests and national security.
She expressed concern that restrictions applying only to individuals could undermine the effectiveness of the legislation, arguing that both natural and legal persons should be covered.
“There is little point in discussing whether a natural person will be unable to purchase a property, be it 1,000, 2,000 or 4,000 square metres, if the beneficial owner themselves will ultimately be able to acquire property through a corporate structure,” she said.
Konstantinou argued that the government should have presented a comprehensive proposal taking into account European law, the property market and Cyprus’ investment policy.
“Our aim must be a framework that genuinely protects national security and the Republic’s strategic interests, without creating unjustified or disproportionate restrictions that ultimately cause problems for the country’s economic and investment activity,” she said.
Meanwhile, Diko MP Panikos Leonidou called for immediate action to regulate land purchases by third-country nationals.
He said the situation had reached “uncontrolled proportions” and was causing concern among citizens.
Leonidou urged Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou and his ministry to take the initiative and introduce comprehensive legislation.
“The ministry of the interior must immediately table a bill covering all aspects of this problem,” he said.
England captain Harry Brook smashed the fastest double ton in One-Day International history and became the first Englishman to score 200 in the format as he powered his side to 429-4 against Sri Lanka in their tri-series match in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
The 27-year-old rewrote the record books by racing to his double hundred in 114 balls, surpassing the previous mark of 117 deliveries set by India’s Shubman Gill.
In the process, Brook also eclipsed England’s highest individual ODI score of 182, held by all-rounder Ben Stokes.
Brook’s scintillating performance ended with the final ball of England’s innings when he was caught by Sahan Arachchige off the bowling of Janith Liyanage.
He made 202 from 116 deliveries, peppering the Sri Lanka attack with 21 fours and 10 sixes before departing to warm applause from the crowd.
Joe Root provided strong support with 69 from 66 balls, finishing as England’s second-highest scorer of the day.
The construction of a tramway in Limassol could cost as much as €95 million per kilometre, the city’s mayor Yiannis Armeftis said on Thursday, as he evaluated the prospects for a tramway to be built in Cyprus’ second city.
“Preliminary estimates vary significantly depending on the technology to be used, with the cost ranging from €25m to €95m per kilometre,” he told television channel Sigma, though he did stress that “such an investment should not be evaluated solely based on construction costs”.
Instead, he said, “the equation should take into account the benefits which could arise from upgrading transit areas, increasing the value of land and real estate, and improving people’s quality of life”.
On this front, he made reference to “the economic cost caused by traffic delays through lost working hours and people’s travel time”, with Limassol frequently subject to long rush-hour tailbacks on its road network.
He said that Cyprus is “excessively dependent on the private car”, and that that makes his own city’s traffic issue “particularly difficult to deal with”.
“No city has solved its traffic problem when dependence on the private car reaches around 90 per cent. Traffic can be managed properly when public transport is also used,” he said.
Govt currently spends €100m per year on public transport
At present, he said, the government spends around €100m per year on public transport, of which around a quarter is spent on Limassol.
However, he added, “despite these significant expenditures, the use of buses remains limited”. To this end, he pointed out that only three to five per cent of journeys undertaken across Cyprus involve a bus, and said that “long delays and time-consuming routes discourage people” from using the bus to travel.
“It is not convenient because it has also lost its credibility,” he said, though he did stress that on the other hand, when a bus route is both reliable and useful, the public may take to it.
He gave the example of Limassol’s number 30 bus route, which runs along its coastal road, and said that “frequent and fast routes are a basic requirement for people to choose the bus instead of the car”.
On the matter of the possibility of constructing a tramway, he said that he had attended a meeting at the transport ministry on Monday, during which “the first steps of the studies were presented, as well as preliminary data on the possibility of installing a tram in Limassol”.
“The aim of the process is to examine whether this is a realistic and sustainable option, which could function complementarily to other means of public transport,” he said.
Availability of space ‘one of the main challenges’
Asked how a tramway could be installed in a city where “available road space is already limited”, he said that “this is one of the main challenges of the project”.
Nonetheless, he pointed out that bus lanes have already been installed in Limassol, and that they could be “used as tram corridors”.
He also pointed out that “other European cities” with “even smaller populations or dense construction” have also managed to build tramways.
“Behaviour changes when there are appropriate routes and when there is appropriate infrastructure,” he said.
Prountzos had called for tramway in Nicosia
His comments come after Nicosia mayor Charalambos Prountzos had last month renewed his call for a tramway to be built in the capital, saying that the Nicosia municipality had initially prepared a study for a 14-kilometre tram line, and that after he took office in 2024, the length of the planned line grew to 20km.
Regarding how the plans could be financed, pointed out that the European Union’s next multiannual financial framework – the bloc’s budget for the period covering the years between 2028 and 2034 – enters force “in about a year”, and said that as such, discussions about a tramway “should have already started” with a view to securing EU funding.
Greek retail investors are increasingly turning to stock markets with relatively small starting amounts and a long-term investment approach, according to a new report by Wealthyhood, the investment platform that partnered with the Bank of Cyprus to expand access to investing in Cyprus.
The report, titled ‘Greek Investor Pulse 2026: The New Greek Investor‘, marks the first anniversary of Wealthyhood’s launch in Greece in October 2025 and draws on anonymised, aggregated data from more than 35,000 registered users.
It found that the typical new investor is 34 years old and starts investing with €100, while more than eight in 10 investors are currently in profit.
The findings also point to growing interest in domestic shares, with one in five investors now holding Greek stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) following the introduction of Greek shares to the platform in July 2026.
The report is also relevant to Cyprus, where Wealthyhood launched a co-branded investment platform with the Bank of Cyprus earlier this year, making investing available to residents regardless of whether they bank with the lender.
The Wealthyhood x BoC platform subsequently introduced trading in Cypriot and Greek shares, allowing retail investors to access companies listed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange and Euronext Athens through a single application, with fractional investing available from €1.
“We thank our clients for their trust in our first year in Greece, and we make a promise that our app will keep getting better, day by day, to make investing easy, affordable and safe for everyone,” said Alexandros Christodoulakis, co-founder and chief executive of Wealthyhood.
Younger investors and broader participation
The report describes an investor base spanning different age groups, regions and income brackets, consisting mainly of employees and self-employed professionals on everyday incomes.
The median age is 34, with 34 per cent of investors under 30 and 31 per cent aged between 35 and 44.
Women account for approximately one in six new investors, although their returns were higher than those of men, at 23.8 per cent against 20.9 per cent on an annual basis.
Wealthyhood said increasing women’s participation remained one of the most important challenges for Greece’s investment market.
The figures also suggest that investing is no longer confined to high earners, with 58 per cent of investors declaring annual incomes below €20,000.
Around 66 per cent work full-time, while 17 per cent are self-employed.
Geographically, investors using the platform live in 458 towns across 73 of Greece’s 74 regional units.
Attica accounts for 51 per cent of investors, leaving 49 per cent living elsewhere in the country, while Thessaloniki follows with 11.7 per cent.
Other cities with notable investor populations include Patras, Heraklion, Chania, Larissa and Volos.
ETFs dominate first investments
Exchange-traded funds are the most common starting point for new investors, with 56 per cent making an ETF their first investment.
These funds provide exposure to a collection of stocks through a single investment, offering a way to diversify without buying each share individually.
The most popular first investment is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, which tracks the performance of 500 of the largest US companies and was chosen by 18 per cent of new Greek investors.
The S&P 500 is also the most popular investment overall, while NVIDIA is the favourite individual stock across generations.
Trading activity is concentrated around the opening of US markets, with the busiest hour falling between 5pm and 6pm, often after the working day.
Weekdays account for 91 per cent of orders, compared with 9 per cent at weekends.
Recommendations from friends also play a significant role in bringing new investors to the market, with 23 per cent saying they began investing following a referral.
Greek shares gain ground
Since Greek stocks became available on the platform in July, one in five investors has added Greek shares or ETFs to their portfolio.
The report found that 21 per cent of every euro invested since July went into Greek stocks and ETFs, while Public Power Corporation (PPC) rose to become the eighth most popular stock of the year within just three months of the market becoming available.
The findings suggest that access through a digital platform has encouraged investors to diversify beyond international markets and consider domestic companies.
The report also examined investor behaviour during the March 2026 market sell-off, finding that users bought €1.82 for every €1 they sold.
Almost half of Greek investors had not sold any of their investments, a finding Wealthyhood said pointed to a relatively long-term approach despite market volatility.
Most investors in profit
Overall, 82.8 per cent of investors were in profit, with an average annualised return of 21.1 per cent.
The report also found that investors who traded less frequently achieved higher returns than those who made more frequent trades.
Those making fewer moves and avoiding selling recorded annualised returns of 23.3 per cent, compared with 18.5 per cent among more active traders.
Wealthyhood said five broad conclusions emerged from the first year of data, including wider access to investing, a long-term investment horizon, resilience during the March sell-off, growing interest in Greek shares and positive returns across much of its investor base.
The findings indicate a gradual change in how Greek retail investors approach financial markets, with smaller initial investments, diversification through ETFs and increasing participation in domestic stocks.
Wealthyhood said its aim was to contribute to public discussion about retail participation in capital markets, using real-world anonymised data to examine who invests, what they choose and how they react during periods of uncertainty.
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