Cyprus

The fire brigade were called out to 120 fires across Cyprus on Easter Saturday night; a large proportion of the 120 fires were linked to the Easter “lambradjia” bonfire tradition

Hotel occupancy rates in Cyprus are expected at 50-55% in April, according to the president of the hoteliers association PASYKE, with about 90% of structures on the island already operational; the figure is in line with annual targets

Tests for people suspected of driving under the influence of drugs would also be carried out with blood samples under specific circumstances, should a new bill proposed by the transport ministry pass into law

A convoy of three humanitarian aid ships operated by the NGO Open Arms and bound for the Gaza Strip has departed Cyprus, as permitted by the maritime corridor announced in early March by the European Commission

Green tax will be discussed today; it aims at being fiscally neutral, as in the tax reform being implemented there would be compensatory measures studied by the Centre for Economic Research of the University of Cyprus

Out of some 230.000 registered companies, only 140.000 have updated their records regarding Ultimate Beneficial Owners; the directive issued by the Registrar of Companies sets 31 March as cutoff date and aims at reducing the existence of shell companies

The Cyprus Shipping Chamber condemned the Houthi missile attack on the ship True Confidence, with three crew members dead and at least four others injured; the commercial vessel is managed by a Company registered to a Cyprus address in Limassol

The recent controversy surrounding the removal of a book depicting families with same-sex parents from a nursery school in Cyprus has sparked a debate on the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ rights in the country’s education system

The interior ministry is in the process of examining and evaluating the entire lifeguard system to ensure it is managed more efficiently; the announcement came just a day before the lifeguard’s plan to go on strike

Cyprus property sales fell by 3% in January 2024 compared to the same month last year according to official Land Registry sales statistics

Junior Achievement Cyprus is launching its 5th JA StartUp, fostering business ideas and innovation among university students and providing the practical experience to develop and run their own business; JA StartUp engaged over 20.000 students in Europe

Eighteen public works projects valued at €112 million will get underway across the island this year, according to data from the Department of Public Works

Tourism revenues grew by 25% in 2023 compared to the previous year, potentially marking a new record, according to Deputy Minister of Tourism Kostas Koumis