Category: Cyprus News Agency

Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Tina Pavlou will participate in the High-Level International Meeting on Addiction Prevention and Rehabilitation, to be held on Friday in Rimini, Italy, representing the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides.

According to an announcement by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, Pavlou is departing for Italy today to attend the high-level meeting of the European Cities Against Drugs (ECAD).

The meeting is co-organised by the Italian and French Republics, following a joint invitation by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The meeting will take place on Friday at San Patrignano, in Rimini.

EURO (pound )

TRADED VALUE 333,666.13

INDEX

VALUE

%DIFF.

VALUE

FTSE/CySE 20

180.260

-1.200

328,853.590

MAIN MARKET INDEX

237.600

-1.420

273,777.630

INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX

2,655.370

-0.500

15,453.420

CSE GENERAL INDEX

306.780

-1.190

332,076.630

HOTELS INDEX

1,993.050

0.000

0.000

ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX

2,140.140

-0.170

59,888.500

An event celebrating the National Day of Hungary, which marks the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian revolution of 1956, was held with the participation of around 400 people on Wednesday, at the Strovolos Municipal Theater in Nicosia.

According to a press release issued by the Hungarian Embassy, Krisztina Lakos, Ambassador of Hungary to Cyprus underlined in her speech that 70 years have passed since October 1956, yet some moment in history never fade with the passage of time. ‘The 23rd of October is one such day,’ she said.

Remembering the heroes of the Hungarian revolution of 1956, she said that Hungarian and Cypriot history have taken different paths, “yet we are connected by our commitment to freedom, national dignity, and desire for peace. This is why the message of 1956 is still relevant today.” She added that the anniversary is a reminder to the fact that freedom, tolerance, democracy should never be taken for granted, and that peace is something “we must protect and work for every day.”

In addition, she noted that Hungary also contributes to ensuring peace in Cyprus with the Hungarian contingent serving in the UNFICYP mission since 1993. At the same time, she highlighted that Hungary fully supports the Republic of Cyprus, stands up for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and is committed to ensuring a valuable solution within the agreed framework defined by the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

Cyprus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, who was the guest of honour of the event, emphasized in his speech that the relations between Hungary and Cyprus are excellent and based on the mutual respect. He mentioned that the two countries have extremely close cooperation, primarily in the field of education, science, sports, and humanitarian assistance. He also expressed his appreciation for Hungary’s decades-long commitment to the UNFICYP peacekeeping mission.

According to the press release, in the first part of the event the world-famous 4for Dance Group gave a unique performance combining Hungarian tradition and modernity in a truly spectacular and rhythmic mix. After the show the guests could taste some Hungarian wines and ‘palinka’, as well as some bites at the official reception.

The House Plenum on Thursday approved a bill to reduce excise duty on heating fuel. The measure will come into force on 23 October, rather than 1 November as originally proposed in the bill.

During the plenary debate, calls were made for further measures to ease the cost-of-living burden on citizens. Criticism was also voiced over the Government’s excess revenues, while some parties welcomed the introduction of what they described as ‘sensible’ measures amid an unstable geopolitical climate.

The decision to bring the measure forward, with implementation from midnight tonight, followed a unanimous decision by the House Finance Committee. It provides for a reduction in excise duty on heating fuels of 6.39 cents per litre, including VAT. The reduction will remain in force until 30 April 2027.

Specifically, the bill amends the Excise Duties Law to introduce temporarily reduced excise duty rates for products falling within specific categories of heating fuels.

The tax relief amounts to 5.373 cents per litre excluding VAT, or 6.39 cents per litre including VAT. The estimated cost to public finances is approximately pound 5.2 million.

The need for Britain to take a more active role in securing the return of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants and ending the Turkish occupation of Cyprus was highlighted by British politicians and representatives of the Cypriot community during the annual parliamentary event organised by the Famagusta Association of Great Britain, held earlier this week at the British Parliament.

The event, held under the auspices of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, was attended by members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, diplomats, including the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus, Kyriacos Kouros, and representatives of Cypriot organisations.

Speakers addressed the continuing Turkish occupation and the need to intensify international diplomatic pressure on Ankara to ensure compliance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

In his keynote address, the President of the Famagusta Association of Great Britain, Dr Vassilis Mavrou, called on the British government, as one of the three guarantor powers of the Republic of Cyprus and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to take more decisive initiatives on the Cyprus issue.

In particular, he urged the government to consider targeted sanctions and other coordinated diplomatic and economic measures to put pressure on Turkey to comply with international law.

He made specific reference to UN Security Council Resolutions 550 and 789 concerning Varosha, stressing that the return of the fenced-off area to its lawful inhabitants could serve as an important confidence-building measure between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

He also expressed concern over the construction and sale of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied areas without the consent of their lawful owners, while reaffirming the Association’s support for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality.

“Fifty-two years after the Turkish invasion, Famagusta is still waiting for justice. We are not asking for favours. We are not asking for privileges. We demand the implementation of international law, United Nations resolutions and the return of Famagusta to its lawful inhabitants,” he stressed.

During the event, seven figures from British political life were honoured for their longstanding contribution to promoting the Cyprus issue and keeping the question of Famagusta on the political agenda.

Commemorative plaques were presented to Sir Roger Gale, Bob Blackman, Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Alan Meale, David Burrowes, Theresa Villiers and Mike Freer.

The Famagusta Association expressed its gratitude to the honourees for their efforts to keep the Cyprus issue on the agenda of the British Parliament.

The event concluded with the Association reaffirming its commitment to continuing its efforts to secure the return of Famagusta in accordance with United Nations resolutions.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.

UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.

Press service

European Parliament

Press release

22-10-2026

Plenary session AFET

Black Sea attacks: MEPs say the EU must consider a naval operation in the region

MEPs strongly condemn Russia’s escalation of its war against Ukraine in the Black Sea

Parliament criticises the Bulgarian government’s weak response to Russian threat

More EU support to Romania and Bulgaria needed in early detection and tracking of hostile drones

Following the latest deadly attacks against civilian merchant vessels, Parliament calls on the EU to consider deploying a naval operation in the Black Sea.

Strongly condemning the latest deadly strikes off the coast of Bulgaria and Romania, as well as repeated violations of Romanian airspace, Parliament holds Russia responsible for attacking civilian vessels and for escalating its war of aggression against Ukraine into the western Black Sea.

The resolution, adopted on Thursday with 432 votes in favour, 52 against and 88 abstentions, stresses that these attacks fit a clear pattern of Russian escalation in which Moscow has systematically targeted civilian shipping. Russia is the overall driver behind the deteriorating situation in the Black Sea region, the text reads.

Commending the swift efforts of the Romanian and Bulgarian maritime rescue services, border police and passing merchant vessels to assist ships, MEPs also express concern over the Bulgarian government’s ambiguous handling of the Russian threat. They regret Sofia’s weak diplomatic response to Russia and call on Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rumen Radev to ‘match demands for allied solidarity with concrete action’. They also urge Bulgaria to stop delaying its participation in NATO’s anti-drone initiative ‘Air Defence Capabilities Against Lower-level Air Threats’.

The EU should consider a naval operation in the Black Sea

Following the latest deadly attacks, MEPs say the EU and its member states should consider deploying an EU naval operation in the Black Sea, stressing that freedom of navigation and maritime security are part of securing NATO’s eastern flank, the Black Sea region and the Danube delta. MEPs further call on NATO to consider a Black Sea initiative, building on existing discussions on the possibility of a ‘Black Sea Sentry’, and they underline the importance of closer regional cooperation between Bulgaria, Romania and Trkiye.

More EU support for Romania and Bulgaria

The text also calls on EU countries, in cooperation with NATO, to support Bulgaria and Romania in the early detection and tracking of hostile drones threatening Black Sea shipping, but also on the EU to rapidly operationalise the EU Black Sea maritime security hub initiative, which aims to help strengthen maritime safety and security, and protect critical maritime infrastructure and the marine environment. MEPs also call for unspent EU funds in the so-called SAFE instrument to be used to help Romania and Bulgaria to tackle these challenges while stressing that the future EU long-term budget must cater for a wide range of security and defence needs, including in the Black Sea region.

In addition, they want the EU and its member states to strengthen the protection and resilience of ongoing submarine telecommunications, electricity transmission and data cable projects through enhanced maritime surveillance, regional cooperation, and rapid-response mechanisms.

Further information

The adopted text will be available here (22.10.2026)

Watch a video recording of the plenary debate (20.10.2026)

EP Multimedia Centre: free photos, video and audio material

Following the latest attacks on Black Sea shipping, MEPs call on the EU to consider a naval operation © Stringer/AFP

Viktor ALMQVIST

Press Officer

+32 228 31834

+32 470 88 29 42

viktor.almqvist@europarl.europa.eu

foreign-press@europarl.europa.eu

EP_ForeignAff

afet.europarl.europa.eu

Thea PIERIDOU

Head of the EP Office in Cyprus

30 Vyronos Avenue – 1096 Nicosia

97 665992

22 870500 / 22 396485

thea.pieridou@ep.europa.eu

The upcoming November visit to Cyprus by the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguín, will be used to accelerate initiatives promoted by the bicommunal Technical Committees, Greek Cypriot Co-Chair of the Technical Committee on the Environment Michalis Loizides told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

Loizides said members of the Technical Committees had already been informed of Holguín’s intention to meet with them during her visit to the island, which will also include a trilateral meeting with the President of the Republic and the Turkish Cypriot leader. A date for the meeting with the committees has not yet been set.

He described preparations by the Environment Committee ahead of Holguín’s visit as being in full swing, with the aim of presenting progress on a series of initiatives discussed at their previous meeting in July.

Loizides said the United Nations’ positive response to the work of the Technical Committees reflected a belief that their activities were producing practical results in bringing the two communities closer together at civil society level.

The Environment Technical Committee is working on around 20 initiatives, including improving communication with civil society in both communities, coordinating efforts to record, monitor and address air pollution and microplastic pollution in water, and developing measures to manage diseases affecting plants and animals.

Describing the agenda as ‘very positive’, Loizides said it was encouraging that mechanisms for cooperation and a communication channel had been established and their effectiveness tested. These arrangements, he added, were helping advance initiatives and scientific cooperation to address emerging challenges.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.

Cyprus placed 24th among 42 national teams at the European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC) 2026, held in Bochum, Germany, where teams from European Union member states and other countries competed.

According to Cyprus Computer Society, team Cyprus competed in two categories, demonstrating its technical skills in cybersecurity. The competition is an initiative of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and provides a platform for identifying emerging talent, assessing capabilities in mitigating cyber threats and promoting cooperation among participating countries.

The ten members of the national team were selected through the Cyprus Cyber Security Challenge (CCSC), held online from August 2 to 9, 2026. Aged between 14 and 25, the participants included high school and university students, researchers, self-taught security specialists and young professionals.

The team comprised Marios Kailis, team leader, Christos Falas, Joseph Modestou, Christodoulos Sotiriou, Stylianos Anastasiou, Alexandros Poullas, George Voutouris, George Mavronicolas, Stylianos Stylianou and Evangelos Lioudakis.

The team’s preparation was jointly led by the Cyprus Computer Society (CCS) and volunteer mentors from the CyberMouflons cybersecurity group. Training included specialised practice environments, real-time attack-and-defence simulations and methodologies used in Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions.

Cyprus’ participation was supported by the government and involved the Office of the Commissioner of Communications, through the Digital Security Authority (DSA), the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, and the Cyprus Police.

The national team also received support from Deloitte, European University Cyprus, Frederick University, Grant Thornton, Odyssey Cybersecurity, Qsecure and XM.

Cooperation and the exchange of expertise on operational coordination and maritime security was agreed during visits by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Costas Fytiris, on Wednesday, 20 October, to the National Command Centre (NCC) and the General Directorate of Coastal and Border Security in Qatar.

According to a Ministry statement, the Minister was briefed on the organisation and operation of the Centre, which utilises advanced technological systems and specialised expertise to coordinate security services and manage incidents and emergency situations, with particular emphasis on staff training and operational readiness.

It is added that, as part of the cooperation, the Qatari side expressed its willingness to host and train in Qatar members of the Cypriot services who will staff the Command, Command, Control and Communications (C3) Centre, which is planned to be established in Cyprus, whilst a similar willingness to cooperate, exchange expertise and train personnel was also expressed during the visit to the Directorate-General for Coastal and Border Security.

It is also noted that the Minister was briefed on the operational organisation of the Service, the technological resources and the practices applied in the surveillance and protection of maritime borders.

According to the Ministry, on both visits, the reception was particularly warm and friendly, with the Qatari side expressing a genuine interest in developing cooperation and transferring know-how to the Cypriot services.

Fytiris also held a courtesy meeting with the President of the Qatar Administrative Control and Transparency Authority, during which issues relating to transparency, accountability and good governance, as well as the importance of the effective functioning of oversight mechanisms in strengthening citizens’ trust in public institutions, the statement concludes.

Weather Temperature for Cyprus

Today’s weather and temperatures for Cyprus according to the Department of Meteorology

Date 22/10/2026

Station

TEMPERATURE (C) (FROM 20:00 PC of the previous one until the time of the show)

Humidity at

1200 UTC

Highest

Lowest

Nicosia (Athalassa)

30

19

33

Larnaka Airport

27

20

56

Limassol (New Port)

30

17

43

Pafos Airport

30

19

64

Frenaros

28

18

53

Prodromos

21

11

58

Polis Pafos

26

17

69