Category: Cyprus News Agency

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

MEETING DATE: 04/05/2026

INDICES BASE VALUES: FTSEMed=5000, OTHERS = 1000

EURO (pound )

TRADED VALUE 172.349,33

INDEX VALUE %DIFF. VALUE

FTSE/CySE 20 170,750 -0,050 163.650,470

MAIN MARKET INDEX 224,950 -0,190 131.441,830

INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX 2.859,810 0,270 18.214,720

CSE GENERAL INDEX 283,120 -0,140 167.882,550

HOTELS INDEX 1.903,440 -0,260 2.156,000

ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX 1.919,140 0,110 38.361,480

* The second column presents the percentage variation of the indices as compared to the last meeting.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 04/05/2026 UNTIL 0600 05/05/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1007hPa (hectopascal)

Low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be cloudy with local showers and isolated thunderstorms at times, but gradual improvement is expected early afternoon.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in showers

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: WARNING NR:40. VALID FROM:040600 (L.T.) TILL:041200 (L.T.) VERY STRONG TO NEAR GALE AT TIMES UP TO GALE SOUTHWESTERLY TO WESTERLY WINDS FORCE 6 TO 7 AT TIMES UP TO 8 BEAUFORT WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE COASTAL AREAS. THE STATE OF THE SEA WILL BE ROUGH AT TIMES UP TO VERY ROUGH.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides departed from Yerevan to Athens for a defense industry conference and meetings. In Yerevan he participated in the European Political Community Summit.

A press release from the Presidency says that the President will address on Tuesday morning the DEFEA (Defence Exhibition Athens) Defense Industry Conference.

On the sidelines of the Conference, President Christodoulides will have a bilateral meeting with the Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias and with the European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius with whom he will discuss Cyprus EU Presidency actions on defense matters.

In Athens, President Christodoulides will be accompanied by the Minister of Defense Vassilis Palmas, Deputy Government Spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou and other officials.

Cypriot gymnast Vera Tugolukova won Bronze medal in the 2026 European Cup in Rhythmic Gymnastics that took place in Baku.

Tugolukova won 3rd place in the ball, 5th place in the hoop, 7th place in the clubs and 5th place in the ribbon.

”With a total score of 109.650 in the individual all-around, she demonstrated her stability, quality and high level against the top athletes in Europe”, a press release by the Cyprus Gymnastics Federation says.

The Federation said that bronze medal in the ball is a significant success for her, adding that the future is promising.

Cyprus and nine other EU member states have sent their loan agreements to the European Commission under the SAFE programme, Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier announced. The countries that have returned their loan agreements to the Commission are Cyprus, Poland, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia.

The Commission will now complete its internal procedures, with the aim of signing the loan agreements as soon as possible in order to proceed with the first disbursements. “Time is of the essence and we will deliver for all our member states,” Regnier said.

The announcement came in response to a question about Poland, after the Polish Deputy Prime Minister had announced the previous day the signing of the agreement in Warsaw. Regnier confirmed that the Commission has received the loan agreement back from the Polish authorities and that internal procedures for its signature are now underway.

Preparations have been completed for the submission of candidacies for the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 24, with nominations to be filed on Wednesday, May 6, according to Assistant Chief Returning Officer Menelaos Vasileiou.

Speaking to CNA, Vasileiou said there are no outstanding issues, adding that authorities are fully prepared for the process. Responding to questions about candidates currently under investigation, he noted that a letter submitted by leader of Democratic Party (DIKO) Nicolas Papadopoulos, is under review by the Legal Service and other competent state bodies.

Referring to a recent case involving a candidate from the Active Citizens – Movement of United Cypriot Hunters, Vasileiou outlined the constitutional provisions governing eligibility. Under Article 64 of the Constitution, any citizen of the Republic aged 21 or over may stand for election, provided they have not been convicted of a dishonourable or morally reprehensible offence, have not been deprived of the right to be elected by a court decision due to an electoral offence, and do not suffer from a mental condition rendering them incapable of performing parliamentary duties.

Nominations will be submitted to district returning officers between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on May 6. In the Nicosia District, submissions will take place at the ceremonial hall of the Archangelos Cultural Foundation of Kykkos Monastery. In Limassol District, Larnaca District, Paphos District and Famagusta District, nominations will be filed at the respective District Administration Offices, while for Kyrenia District they will be received at the multi-purpose hall of the Ministry of Finance.

Candidacies for representatives of religious groups in the House of Representatives of Cyprus will be submitted on the same day at the office of the Director General of the Ministry of Interior.

Vasileiou also reminded that each nomination must be submitted in writing and signed by four voters from the respective electoral district, two proposers and two supporters, and accompanied by a pound 500 deposit. Candidates must also sign a declaration confirming they meet the constitutional eligibility criteria.

Summer bookings are currently down by 25% compared with the same period last year, Christos Angelides, Director General of the Cyprus Hotel Association (CHA) told Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

As he explained, hotel occupancy rates for this summer are currently around 40%-50%, whereas in the same period of 2025 they were close to 75% during a record-breaking year, with occupancy reaching 95% in July.

Angelides said that the flow of cancellations has decreased to manageable levels. However, ‘the level of bookings is increasing at a very slow pace, not enough to create a sense of confidence that the cancellation trend of the past two months can be reversed for the rest of the summer. This concerns us. We are monitoring it closely,’ he said.

He added that average bookings across Cyprus for May are currently around 40%-50%. For the summer period, bookings are down by about 25%-30% compared with this time last year. This year, they are again around 40%-50%, while last year they were around 75%.

He also noted that the rise in jet fuel prices is causing concern for airlines as they assess which destinations to prioritize in order to maximize profitability. ‘Cyprus is not among those destinations,’ he estimated, explaining that an aircraft from Northern Europe or the United Kingdom can only fly to Cyprus once per day, whereas to competing destinations such as Spain, it may be able to fly up to three times a day if demand exists. ‘Of course, if the flights are available, demand will follow,’ he added.

He also noted that several airlines have already reduced their routes.

In addition, he said efforts are focused on changing travel advisories issued by the United Kingdom and the United States for Cyprus. When asked about CHA’s actions in this direction, Angelides said the association has already met with the relevant embassies.

Responding to whether hotels have introduced special offers to boost the domestic market, he said the Association has encouraged its members to do so. ‘Several of our members have already made special offers to their customers’ he said.

‘We will remain patient. We are studying the situation and continuing our actions and activities. The goal is to deliver a good result in terms of customer service,’ he said, emphasizing that under no circumstances should the destination’s good name and reputation be damaged.

The protection of the freedom of the press is not just an institutional obligation, it is a political position, a European principle and a democratic duty, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Sunday.

In a written statement on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, he said that “the Government reaffirms its absolute respect for the institutional role of journalists, the independence of the media and the right of citizens to be informed freely, in a pluralistic manner and reliably.”

Democracy, he added, “needs scrutiny, criticism, investigation, disclosure, it needs journalists who can work without fear, without pressure, without threats and without institutional obstacles.”

The Republic of Cyprus, the Government Spokesperson continued, “as a European state governed by the rule of law, protects and contributes to the maintenance and strengthening of the environment in which journalism can carry out its mission.”

“This means transparency, access to information, respect for criticism, protection of press officers and continuous strengthening of institutional guarantees that serve freedom of expression,” he noted.

The Government, Letymbiotis said, approaches criticism “as an integral part of democratic functioning”, adding that “disagreement, when done with evidence and responsibility, strengthens public debate. And a strong public debate means more informed citizens, a more mature Democracy”.

Freedom of the press, however, he stressed, “is also accompanied by a common responsibility: to protect the truth from distortion, information from manipulation, public discourse from toxicity and society from misinformation. The answer to these challenges is more light, more transparency, more accountability, more institutional maturity.”

“Today we honour all those who serve the information with professionalism, consistency and a sense of responsibility. We honour journalism that checks power, gives voice to citizens, highlights injustices, illuminates invisible aspects of public life and contributes to the quality of our Democracy,” the Spokesperson said.

Concluding, he noted that “freedom of the press is a key foundation of Democracy. And for the Republic of Cyprus, its protection is not just an institutional obligation, it is a political position, a European principle and a democratic duty.”

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 04/05/2026 UNTIL 1200 05/05/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1007hPa (hectopascal)

Low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be cloudy with isolated showers at times.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in showers

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast Afternoon West to Northwest 5, at times locally 6 Moderate to Rough

Night Northwest to North 5, gradually 4 Moderate to Rough, gradually Moderate

Morning West to Northwest 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate, at times locally Moderate

South Coast Afternoon Southwest to West 5 to 6, initially at times 6 to 7 Moderate to Rough

Night Southwest to Northwest 5, gradually 4 Moderate, gradually Slight to Moderate

Morning Southwest to West 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

East Coast Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 5, at times locally 6 Moderate

Night Southwest to Northwest 5, gradually 4 Moderate, gradually Slight to Moderate

Morning Southwest to West 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Slight

North Coast Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 5, at times locally 6 Moderate to Rough

Night Southwest to Northwest 5, gradually 4 Moderate to Rough, gradually Moderate

Morning West to Northwest 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Since assuming office three years ago, the Government has demonstrated in practice its determination to move forward with substantive reforms focusing on the child, the mother and the family, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday.

In a speech at an event celebrating mothers of large families, that was delivered on his behalf by Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Klea Hadjistefanou Papaellina, the President said that today, we honour 250 mothers and with them we honour all women who give their best every day for the family and society.

“With the aim of truly supporting large families, the family and children as a whole, we have implemented in the last three years a series of specific policies, that simultaneously respond to one of the most critical issues facing our country, the demographic problem,” he said.

He said that since the first day of assuming the administration of the country, the Government has implemented a series of measures to support families, such as increasing the child allowance by 5%, removing income and property limits for families with five or more children, thus ensuring universal support for these families.

He added that the number of Optional All-Day Schools increased and that out of 222 Primary and Secondary Education schools that operated in the 2022-2023 school year, 326 full-day schools are currently operating, while a target was set for another 60 new full-day schools in the 2026-2027 school year.

Referring to the tax reform, the President said, among other things, that the Government has provided for increased and progressive tax exemptions for children, which increase with each child, recognising the real needs of families.

For the pension reform, President Christodoulides said that within its framework, periods of childcare will be recognised as insured periods, even for women who have never worked, while periods of informal care for members of their family will be recognised in the same way.

Regarding the crisis in the region, he said that the Government had acted immediately and responsibly to address the effects of the geopolitical turmoil, saying that with full awareness of the pressures on households, they have already implemented an additional package of measures since the beginning of April.

This package includes the reduction of the consumer tax on motor fuels, the subsidy of employment in the tourism industry, as well as zero VAT on basic food items, such as meat and fish.

“These interventions, combined with the further reduction of VAT on electricity that follows, constitute a practical response to external turmoil. We are leveraging our fiscal resilience as a real shield of protection, allocating a total of more than 200 million euro to ensure that economic uncertainty will not harm the cohesion of our society,” the President concluded.