Cyprus Mail

Cyprus will continue to strengthen and modernise its defence capabilities while deepening strategic partnerships with other countries, Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Thursday following the Independence Day military parade.

Carlos Alcaraz shrugged off minor wobbles on his retooled serve to dismantle unseeded American Alex Michelsen 7-6(1) 4-6 6-1 and keep his Japan Open title defence on track while several leading players made first-round exits in Tokyo on Thursday.

Some New York lawmakers are urging a revamp of the state’s sexual assault statutes to make it easier to prosecute cases involving intoxicated victims, following renewed outrage over an alleged 2024 gang rape at a Cornell University fraternity house.

An exhibition unlike any other is coming up in downtown Nicosia as artist Ioannis Sazeidis, otherwise known as YianniFYork, presents art pieces that have transformed everyday cutlery.

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto said the days after his Azerbaijan Grand Prix crash were among the most difficult of his career, as he faced questions and social media abuse following a collision that wiped out teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Bosnia holds national elections on Sunday which could impact its bid to join the European Union but also the influence that the United States and Russia hold over the small Balkan nation.

Spain’s King Felipe will visit the disputed North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla this month, sources in the royal household said on Thursday, a move that could further strain tense relations between Madrid and Rabat following a border crisis this s…

England striker Ivan Toney pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a charge of assault at a Soho nightclub in December, British media reported.

Cyprus will never abandon efforts to end the Turkish occupation and reunify the island, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday, as the Republic marked 66 years of independence.

Political parties marked the 66th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus on Thursday with calls for renewed efforts to end the island’s division, warning against allowing the status quo to become permanent.

Sweden will be without five players when they visit Bosnia in the Nations League in Zenica on Friday after a wave of illness swept through the camp.

Questions loomed on Thursday over the motives and background of a co-pilot who stabbed the captain of a passenger jet on its way to Israel, in what Israeli officials have said was an apparent attempt to crash the plane with more than 170 people on board.

The cabinet has approved an increase in allowances for residents of mountain communities, raising the scheme’s budget from €9 million to around €10.4 million, the interior ministry said on Thursday.

US drone startup Powerus, which is set to go public by merging with a company backed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, aims to bring Ukrainian and other foreign technology to the US to help meet growing Pentagon demand, company executives said.

A Russian drone tore through a school in Ukraine’s capital, authorities said on Thursday, the latest in a spate of worsening air attacks on Kyiv.

The United States looks forward to further deepening its partnership with Cyprus, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday as he congratulated the island on the 66th anniversary of its independence.

Kei Nishikori’s final match before retirement ended in a 6-4 6-4 loss to American Frances Tiafoe in the Japan Open first round on Thursday, as an adoring crowd in Tokyo rose to salute the former world number four and Japanese trailblazer.

Four people were arrested for offences including illegal employment and traffic violations during nationwide police operations on Wednesday night.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton threw their weight behind team principal Fred Vasseur on Thursday, as the Formula One team sought to quash persistent rumours linking former Red Bull boss Christian Horner to the Frenchman’s job.

Police seized nine computer towers suspected of being used for online casino gambling during a raid on a Paphos establishment on Wednesday.

European Council President Antonio Costa wished Cyprus a happy Independence Day on Thursday, as the island marked 66 years since independence.

Explosions were heard overnight in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, three diplomatic sources told Reuters.

Upgrading Cyprus’ deterrent capabilities remains a “top priority”, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday, as he highlighted increased defence spending and efforts to modernise the National Guard.

How would the British public feel if someone stole old Nelson from his plinth, or a lion from Trafalgar Square, placed them in their museum and refused to give them back, knowing they are inherently British?

Cyprus will mark the 66th anniversary of its independence on Thursday, with the traditional military parade in Nicosia and a series of commemorative events.

Max Verstappen said he wants to win “at least one race this year” as the four-times Formula One champion sits in an unfamiliar sixth place in the championship standings after 15 rounds.

A 54-year-old man is in critical condition after a motorcycle crash on the Cape Greco-Protaras avenue on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said his respect for Pep Guardiola and the Manchester City sides that battled Liverpool in some of the Premier League’s closest title races has left him reluctant to comment on the fallout from City’s financial rules…

Christa Pike, convicted of murdering a schoolmate three decades ago, survived Tennessee’s effort to execute her by means of lethal injection late on Wednesday, prison officials said, foiling the state’s first attempt to put a woman to death in two centuri…

The Middle East crisis has sharply weakened confidence among Limassol businesses, pushing energy costs, weaker sales and economic uncertainty higher up their list of concerns, even as companies continue to invest and longstanding problems including labour…

Shipping companies in the Eastern Mediterranean are raising their climate ambitions faster than their ability to implement them, with financial pressures, skills shortages and limited operational capacity emerging as increasingly significant obstacles to…

Artificial intelligence is already reproducing human biases and gender stereotypes, making the participation of women in the design and development of technology increasingly important, Gender Equality Commissioner Josie Christodoulou said the Cyprus Forum

Global air cargo demand increased by 4.4 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, with all regions recording growth, according to figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Festivals Several exciting festivals are on this weekend including the 3rd Ermis Fest in Aradippou on October 1.

Player protection, illegal gambling and the growing use of technology to detect harmful behaviour will take centre stage at Cyprus’ 9th Safer Gambling Conference, bringing together regulators, researchers and industry specialists in Nicosia on October 12.

A funeral was held on Wednesday for five-year-old Asaf Bicer, who died when the ferry on which he was travelling sank off the coast of Kyrenia in August.

Now and again there are news stories that cross a person’s desk that have no connection to each other but reveal an underlying mentality that speaks volumes.

President Nikos Christodoulides on Wednesday announced a special €50,000 government grant for Keravnos Strovolou as the sports club marked 100 years since its foundation.

Iraqis celebrated the departure of US forces after more than two decades of war on Wednesday, though many feared that any security vacuum could increase the power of Iran-backed militias or provide an opening for the return of Islamic State.

A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the attempted murder and rape of a 26-year-old woman following a violent attack at a hotel in the Famagusta district in August 2024.

The tax on heating oil will be reduced by 5.3 cents per litre from November 1, as part of a €70 million package of measures approved by the cabinet on Wednesday to tackle the rising cost of living.

This October, the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra collaborates for the first time with world-celebrated pianist, composer and cultural visionary George-Emmanuel Lazaridis for its Starlight 1 concert series.

A new €20 million government grant scheme offering households up to €32,000 to improve their homes’ energy efficiency will open for applications on October 20, the energy ministry announced on Wednesday.

The cabinet on Wednesday approved a new €70 million package of emergency measures to tackle inflation and the rising cost of living, bringing total government support, including measures already in place, to approximately €160 million, according to Sigma.

A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday halted the execution of death row inmate Christa Pike in Tennessee, less than two hours before she was scheduled to become the first woman that state has put to death in more than two hundred years.

Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke out in support of the Premier League club on Wednesday after they were found guilty of serious breaches of financial rules.

Novak Djokovic marked his return to the China Open after 11 years with a 6-3 7-6(2) win over Nuno Borges on Wednesday, extending his perfect record at the tournament to 30 wins without a loss.

A Turkish court has ordered access to the website and social media accounts of independent news portal T24 to be blocked over content deemed “LGBT propaganda”, the Justice Ministry said on Wednesday.

Three Syrian men accused of attempting to murder a 30-year-old compatriot in Kornos in January 2025 were acquitted of all charges by the Larnaca criminal court on Wednesday, after judges ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove their involvement bey…

The first 36 apartments under Limassol’s affordable housing project are now expected to be delivered in early summer 2027, following minor delays, mayor Yiannis Armeftis said on Wednesday.