Category: Cyprus News Agency

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 05/06/2026 UNTIL 0600 06/06/2026

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The agreement on the new Justice programme is an important step towards a more effective, accessible and digitalised European area of justice, Minister of Justice and Public Order, Costas Fytiris, said on Friday during a press conference after the EU Justice and Home Affairs (Justice) Council meeting which took place in Luxembourg.

The main topics on the agenda were the approval of a partial mandate for the new ‘Justice’ programme, the discussion on the recognition of parenthood in cross-border cases, as well as developments in the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Fytiris, who chaired the Council said that the agreement on the new Justice programme is an important step towards a more effective, accessible and digitalised European area of justice. He explained that the programme will support cross-border cooperation, will improve access to justice, and will strengthen the independence of judicial systems in the European Union.

At the same time, he noted that this is also an important achievement in the context of the work undertaken by the Cypriot Presidency for the EU’s long-term budget and its commitment to promoting work on the MFF.

Cross-border parenthood

Referring to the proposal on the recognition of parenthood in cross-border cases, the Minister spoke of an important file on which technical work has been ongoing for more than three and a half years. He pointed out that the final objective of the proposal is the protection of all children, regardless of their place of birth and regardless of the form of their family.

He added that a political discussion was held in order to guide experts and provide a clearer direction to the negotiations, while a revised text will be circulated taking into account the comments of member states.

European Public Prosecutor’s Office

The Minister of Justice said that a revision of the regulation on the access of EPPO and OLAF to VAT information at EU level is ongoing, and is expected to be completed during the summer and is assessed to strengthen the effectiveness of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The Minister also welcomed the announcement of Hungary’s intention to join EPPO, describing it as an important milestone which will strengthen the work of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and send a strong message against fraud.

Regarding Ukraine, the Minister said that the contribution of the Justice and Home Affairs Council focused on combating impunity for crimes related to the war. He added that the issue has been on the agenda of all Justice Council meetings since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, while the Commission and Eurojust presented the latest developments in this area.

At the same time, the Minister stressed that the meeting concluded with a discussion on hate crimes and hate speech.

Concluding, the Minister stated that it had been an honour for him to chair the Council of Justice Ministers and thanked his counterparts and Commissioner McGrath for their cooperation over the past months. He made special reference to the political agreement recently reached on the Regulation on the protection of adults, which ensures that vulnerable adults continue to receive the necessary support even when they move to another EU country. This, he noted, was a priority of the Cypriot Presidency, and work will continue at the same pace until the end of its term.

“There is no law of biology that says we have to age”: David Sinclair launches the Evolve Lecture Series at UNIC Athens

UNIC Athens has launched its new Evolve Lecture Series with an inaugural lecture by David Sinclair, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and one of the world’s foremost researchers on aging. The talk, titled “David Sinclair on Age Reversal: From Discovery to Human Trials” was delivered to a packed Andreas Vesalius Amphitheatre at the UNIC Athens campus in Elliniko on Thursday, 4 June 2026.

Introducing the speaker, University of Nicosia CEO Antonis Polemitis placed Sinclair among the rare “super-exponential” thinkers working today – a scientist who, he said, is consistently 10 to 20 years ahead of the field. While UNIC’s own goal is to extend healthy lifespan by a decade through preventive medicine, Polemitis noted, Sinclair’s goal is more audacious still: to treat aging itself.

Aging as a cause, not a fate

Sinclair built his talk around a claim he has spent three decades defending – one his own PhD supervisor first dismissed as career-ending: that aging is not simply something that happens to us, but the root cause of most major diseases, from cancer and heart disease to Alzheimer’s. Curing any single disease, he argued, buys humanity surprisingly little time; tackling aging itself, “the mother of all diseases,” is where the real gains lie.

He walked the audience through his Information Theory of Aging, the idea that we grow old chiefly because cells lose the epigenetic instructions that tell them what they are and how to behave – the “software” of the cell – rather than because of damage to the DNA code itself. He traced the work that led there, from his early discoveries on sirtuins and the role of NAD+, to the epigenetic reprogramming experiments that became the heart of the talk. Using three of the four “Yamanaka factors” – the combination known as OSK, deliberately leaving out the cancer-linked fourth gene – his lab was able to reset the age of cells, regrow damaged optic nerves, and restore sight, first in mice and later in monkeys.

From the laboratory to humans

Sinclair described how this approach has now reached its first trials in humans, through his company Life Biosciences, beginning with eye conditions where the need is urgent: glaucoma and the sudden-onset blindness known as NAION. He told the audience that the first glaucoma patient has already been treated and that the trial is underway. He also pointed to artificial intelligence as a force multiplier for the field, describing how his lab can now compress what would once have been well over a century of experiments into a single month, and screen billions of candidate molecules before any of them reaches the bench. Beyond the eye, he reported encouraging results in animals for the liver, for motor neurons in ALS, and for memory in the aging brain.

For all that ambition, Sinclair was careful to say he is not chasing immortality, but more healthy years of life. As he put it:

“There is no law of biology that says we have to age.”

The lecture closed with a wide-ranging audience discussion that moved from the funding and social challenges of aging research to the prospect of one day regrowing organs and joints rather than replacing them.

A new lecture series on the future of health

The event marks the start of the Evolve Lecture Series, a UNIC Athens initiative that brings leading scientists, researchers, and innovators together to examine the frontiers of artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, and human health. The series takes its name and inspiration from Evolve, the University of Nicosia’s flagship research initiative, which connects nutrition, environment, human biology, and real-world data in pursuit of new models for preventive and personalized medicine.

On Friday, June 5, 2026, Professor David Sinclair will receive the title of Honorary Doctor (Doctor of Philosophy Honoris Causa) by the University of Nicosia, in recognition of his exceptional contribution to aging research, the science of longevity, and healthy lifespan.

The main proceedings of the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers responsible for Cohesion Policy take place on Friday in Nicosia, in the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council in 2026.

According to a press release by the Secretariat of the Cypriot Presidency, the meeting will be chaired by Finance Minister Makis Keravnos, while the European Commission will be represented by the Commissioner responsible for Cohesion and Reforms, Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto.

The meeting will be attended by delegations from the 27 EU Member States, the countries of the European Free Trade Area, the European Parliament, the General Secretariat of the Council, the Court of Auditors, the European Investment Bank, the Committee of the Regions, and the European Economic and Social Committee.

In the first part, Ministers will exchange views on the role of Cohesion Policy in providing the necessary incentives, development prospects, and employment opportunities so that European citizens can remain, prosper, and build their future in their home regions.

In the second part, the Ministers will discuss the specific challenges faced by island regions and how these can be addressed through European policies, particularly Cohesion Policy, in light of the upcoming EU Strategy for Islands.

It is further noted that, specifically for Cyprus, as an island Member State within the European Union, recognition of the island dimension is a key factor, adding that the EU Strategy for Islands will be presented on June 26, 2026, during a high-level meeting to be held in Paphos.

According to the press release, cohesion policy is the EU’s main long-term investment policy. Since its accession to the European Union, Cyprus has benefited substantially from Cohesion Policy, with total public expenditure on investments amounting to approximately 4 billion euro.

By utilizing resources from the Cohesion Policy Funds, critical infrastructure, investment projects supporting entrepreneurship, research and innovation, and employment, as well as social initiatives, contributing to the development and modernization of the economy and the support of society, it says.

According to an economic impact study, investments made through Cohesion Policy during the 2014-2022 period contributed to a 6% increase in gross domestic product and the creation of 24,000 new jobs. Today, Cohesion Policy in Cyprus is implemented through the ‘THALIA 2021-2027,’ which includes public investments exceeding 1.8 billion euro across nearly all sectors of economic and social activity, the statement concludes.

The cost of building materials has risen by 10% over the past two months, while the total increase over the past five years stands at 35%, according to Stelios Gabriel, President of the Federation of Cyprus Building Contractors’ Associations (OSEOK).

In statements to CNA, Gabriel noted that the increases are attributed both to geopolitical developments in Iran and rising energy prices, as well as to the increased cost of emissions allowances borne by raw material production industries. As he noted, the increases primarily affect materials such as iron, aluminum, and steel.

As Gavriel said, construction costs started to rise since the crisis from the war in Ukraine, the consequent energy crisis and continued with the war in Iran and the increase in the price of oil. “These do not help to reduce costs but instead keep costs up,” he said. He explained that the final footprint on construction costs, and therefore the price of the property, is proportional to the material in which the increase is observed, adding that “if iron increases, because it is used a lot in construction, construction costs increase.”

Construction activity at high levels

However, despite pressures on construction costs, activity in the construction sector remains at particularly high levels, in both public and private projects.

According to Gabriel, OSEOK data as well as market indicators point to continued growth in the sector during the first months of 2026.

Regarding real estate sales, the largest increase is recorded in Larnaca, which shows a rise of approximately 40%, while Nicosia also records a significant increase of around 30%. At the same time, Limassol and Paphos continue to follow a steady upward trend, maintaining their momentum in the real estate market.

President of OSEOK noted that the increase recorded in Nicosia is mainly due to demand from domestic buyers, but also to the growing interest of foreign investors and companies who view the capital as an attractive option, due to ‘the affordable cost of living’, as well as the concentration of administrative and business activities.

At the same time, he noted that the real estate market is adapting to the new circumstances, with increased demand for smaller homes and apartments, as rising construction costs and new energy standards make it more difficult to develop and acquire large homes.

The contacts that began in the US are yielding tangible results, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, said on Friday, referring to the presentation of the progress of the cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and the company NVIDIA.

In a post on ‘X’, the President recalled that in April 2025 he visited the United States, with the aim of attracting investment and strengthening Cyprus’s presence in the sectors of technology and innovation. Today, he noted, at the Presidential Palace, an event presented the progress of the cooperation of the Republic of Cyprus with the company NVIDIA for the upgrade of the national supercomputing and Artificial Intelligence infrastructure, as well as the integration of Cyprus into the European ecosystem of AI Factories through Pharos-CY.

He welcomed the presence in Cyprus of NVIDIA’s Global Vice President for High Performance Computing and Supercomputing Mr Josephakis, saying that “his presence reflects in practice the level of cooperation we have developed. A cooperation that includes technology, transfer of know-how, advisory support and utilization of NVIDIA’s international experience.”

“The contacts that began in the US are yielding tangible results. We are creating new opportunities for universities, research centers, businesses and the public sector,” the President stressed.

He noted that in the era of Artificial Intelligence, Cyprus is systematically exploiting its comparative advantages, investing in sectors of high added value and strengthening its position on the European and international technological map.

“With applications that can offer solutions to real needs of our society and economy,” he concluded.

Cyprus Stock Exchange

The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share Index closed at today`s stock exchange meeting as follows:

MEETING DATE: 04/06/2026

INDICES BASE VALUES: FTSEMed=5000, OTH

EURO (pound )

TRADED VALUE:

318,220.48

INDEX

VALUE

% DIFF.

VALUE (pound )

FTSE/CySE 20

180.100

-0.610

312,687.230

MAIN MARKET INDEX

238.850

-0.530

220,369.630

INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX

3,301.180

-0.860

198,223.830

CSE GENERAL INDEX

297.540

-0.550

315,951.270

HOTELS INDEX

1,872.860

0.790

217.170

ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX

1,987.590

-0.670

97,201.960

President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, extended his warm congratulations to Annita Demetriou on her re-election as President of the House of Representatives, expressing his expectation for a constructive and productive cooperation aimed at improving the daily lives of citizens.

Wishing Demetriou every success in carrying out the high responsibilities of her office, President Christodoulides noted in a written statement that the House of Representatives is a fundamental pillar of Cyprus’ democracy and that cooperation between the executive and legislative branches is of crucial importance for the country’s progress.

‘With full respect for our distinct institutional roles, I look forward to a creative and productive cooperation, guided by the needs of society and the expectations of citizens,’ he said, adding that improving the everyday lives of citizens remains a priority.

‘The promotion of policies that address the real challenges facing society, the implementation of landmark reforms, and the continuation of the country’s upward trajectory require dialogue, responsibility, and a steadfast commitment to the public interest,’ the President emphasized.

In conclusion, he noted that citizens expect results from all public institutions and political leaders. ‘With institutional consistency and a spirit of cooperation, we can meet this responsibility and continue our efforts towards a stronger, more modern, and more effective Cyprus,’ he said.

The newly constituted Plenary of the House of Representatives, which emerged from the parliamentary elections of May 24, convenes on Thursday afternoon, to elect the House President.

The sitting has been scheduled for 1600 and will begin with the swearing-in of the 56 members of parliament and the representatives of the religious groups. This will be followed by the election of the new House President, a process being conducted for the first time under the revised framework approved by the outgoing members of Parliament.

The most significant change concerns the second round of voting. In the first round, a candidate must secure at least 29 votes, representing an absolute majority of the total number of MPs, to be elected. If no candidate obtains the required majority, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will proceed to a second round, during which the candidate who secures the most votes will be elected.

In the event of a tie between candidates competing for a place in the second round, a repeat ballot will be held. Should the tie persist in the final round, the new Speaker will be determined by a public draw conducted under the responsibility of the presiding officer of the sitting.

Until a Speaker is elected, the sitting will be chaired by the oldest MP, unless that person is a candidate for the office, in which case the role will pass to the next oldest member. In the present case, the oldest MP is Democratic Party (DIKO) MP, Zacharias Koulias.

Interest for candidacy has been expressed so far by the leaders of DISY, Annita Demetriou, AKEL, Stephanos Stephanou, and ELAM. DIKO is expected to decide before the plenary session on whether its President, Nikolas Papadopoulos, will be a candidate.

A second round is considered the most likely outcome, as none of the candidates is expected to secure the 29 votes required for election on the first ballot. The outcome is expected to be shaped by the decisions of the smaller parties and the choices made following the conclusion of the first round.

The European Commission will soon present its evaluation report on Cyprus’ bid to join the Schengen area, European Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner said, following the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday evening. However, Brunner stressed that ‘the decision of when and how Cyprus joins the Schengen area lies within the Council, not within the Commission.’

Responding to a question by CNA, the Commissioner said that Cyprus’ accession would be an important development for the European Union. ‘The Cyprus accession to the Schengen area would be a significant step, of course, forward for the European Union as a whole. And our primary focus as the Commission is on ensuring that Cyprus meets the higher Schengen standards,’ Brunner said. ‘So therefore, we evaluated the situation in Cyprus and we will present the report soon,’ he added.

The Commissioner underlined, however, that the final decision rests with EU member states. ‘But to make that clear. The decision of when and how Cyprus joins the Schengen area lies within the Council, not within the Commission. So, there’s been a lot of progress and, thanks very much for the good progress and for the good cooperation. It would be a significant step, and we will see when the report comes out, it comes out soon, and then it’s the Council to decide.’

Brunner was speaking alongside Cyprus Justice Minister Costas Fytiris and Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection Nicholas Ioannides, who co-chaired the Council meeting during the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The EU Commission presented to Ministers its annual State of Schengen Report, which includes an assessment of developments across the Schengen area and was expected to contain references to Cyprus’ progress towards its first formal Schengen evaluation.

Commenting on Cyprus’ preparations, Fytiris said the country has been making sustained efforts since joining the EU in 2004. ‘Since 2004, Cyprus has been making special efforts,’ he said, noting that the country had implemented the core elements of the Schengen acquis with the support of the European Commission and EU services. ‘We had 120 recommendations and, with their help, we undertook a tremendous effort,’ he added.

Fytiris said that he believes that Cyprus will be ready by the end of 2026. ‘We believe that by the end of 2026 we will be ready. The evaluation report, which we are eagerly awaiting, will vindicate our efforts and we will become a full member of the Schengen area,’ he stressed. He added that Cyprus’ accession would strengthen the EU as a whole. ‘A united Europe means the free movement of European citizens throughout Europe, and particularly for Cyprus, which is located in a very sensitive but very important region. Cyprus’ accession to the Schengen area as a full member will add value to the European Union as a whole,’ he said.

Regarding the broader agenda of the Council, Fytiris referred to the presentation of the 2026 State of Schengen Report, which reviews the implementation of the Schengen acquis over the past year. ‘During our discussion, it became clear that three main priorities identified last year remain valid also for our work during the next Schengen Council cycle,’ he said. The priorities include accelerating the digitalisation of procedures and systems, strengthening the resilience of external borders and the effectiveness of returns, and enhancing internal security.

Fytiris also highlighted progress in the deployment of large-scale EU information systems in the field of justice and home affairs, particularly the Entry/Exit System (EES), which became fully operational on 10 April 2026. ‘For it to contribute to the EU’s internal security and border management as we intended, we all need to use this system in full compliance with our legal obligations,’ he said.

On geopolitical developments, the Minister noted that Ministers exchanged views on the impact of the situation in the Middle East, including the conflict involving Iran.’Currently, there are no signs of increased migratory flows stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. Nonetheless, having this useful exchange was a good opportunity to ensure coordination,’ he said.

The Council also approved the implementation framework of the EU Drugs Strategy and endorsed a new EU Action Plan against drug trafficking. Fytiris described the discussion as particularly timely, noting that illicit drugs will also be discussed by EU leaders later this month.

Deputy Minister Ioannides, for his part, thanked both Fytiris and Commissioner Brunner for their cooperation during the Cypriot Presidency and focused on migration issues discussed during the meeting. Ministers reviewed the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, more than two years after its adoption. ‘The discussion revealed that there is significant progress in the implementation of the Pact. I am confident that we are ready to address the remaining challenges and deliver on our commitments,’ Ioannides said.

He also recalled that Cyprus will host an informal ministerial conference on 12 June to mark the Pact’s entry into application.

A substantial part of the discussion focused on the external dimension of migration, particularly cooperation with Somalia. ‘When it comes to the external dimension of migration, we have adopted a whole-of-route approach and we aim at promoting sincere cooperation and mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with third countries,’ he said.

According to Ioannides, irregular arrivals of Somali nationals to the EU more than doubled between 2024 and 2025. He stressed that Ministers agreed on the need to use all available tools. ‘We need to make use of all the tools at our disposal, including restrictive visa measures, when a third country insists on not being responsive regarding return and readmission,’ he said.

Referring to Ukraine, Ioannides reiterated the EU’s continued support. ‘Our support for Ukraine is unwavering. There are more than four million Ukrainian refugees benefitting from temporary protection,’ he said.

He explained that Ministers discussed the future legal status of displaced Ukrainians in order to provide clarity and allow member states to prepare the necessary administrative procedures. ‘We now expect the Commission to come up with a legislative proposal soon, so that we can proceed with the necessary work to ensure the continuation of our support to Ukraine and its people,’ he said.

Ministers were also briefed on the migratory situation in the English Channel and the North Sea. While irregular arrivals to the EU have decreased compared to 2025, a significant number of irregular crossings from the EU towards the United Kingdom continue to be recorded.

Concluding his remarks, Ioannides welcomed the successful completion of negotiations with the European Parliament on the Return Regulation. ‘I am referring to the successful conclusion of negotiations with the European Parliament on the Return Regulation, following two months of intensive interinstitutional negotiations,’ he said.