Category: Cyprus News Agency

The year 2025 proved to be a year of international recognition for Cyprus cinema, with Cypriot creators and producers competing on equal footing with productions from major countries and winning awards as well as international visibility, according to the Deputy Ministry of Culture. The Ministry said that 2026 is expected to be a ‘highly productive year’ for the Cypriot film industry.

According to an announcement by the Deputy Ministry, the world premieres of two Cypriot productions at major international festivals are also anticipated: ‘Hold Onto Me’ by Myrsini Aristidou at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, and ‘Motherwitch’ by Minos Papas at the 2026 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).

It is further noted that ‘All That’s Left of You’ by Cherien Dabis, which is Jordan’s official submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, has been shortlisted for the category at the 98th Academy Awards. The film, it said, is a Cyprus-Germany co-production, with the participation of the Deputy Ministry of Culture through the minority co-productions scheme, and production company AMP Filmworks serving as the Cypriot producer. The film also received support from the Cyprus Film Commission (Invest Cyprus) and funding from Eurimages, the Council of Europe’s film fund.

The film ‘All That’s Left of You’ tells the story of a Palestinian family across several decades, set against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, shedding light on issues of displacement, collective trauma, memory and survival through three generations, it said. The film’s world premiere was at the Sundance Film Festival in 2025 and was screened at major international festivals, winning audience and jury awards. Executive producers include Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem, the Deputy Ministry notes.

It is also noted that the Best Animation Film award was recently won by short film ‘The Weaver’ by Yiorgos Tsangaris at the 16th Karama Human Rights Film Festival in Amman, Jordan, which took place from December 9 to 14.

According to the festival’s jury statement, the film highlights important truths and inspires audiences to reflect on the challenges and aspirations of communities striving for justice and dignity, it said. The film was also included in the official competition of the 45th Anima Festival in Brussels and previously screened at the historic Festival de Cine y Derechos Humanos de Barcelona and the 22nd Animateka Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The Deputy Ministry of Culture was a co-producer and sponsor of the film.

It also said that ‘Sirens’ continue their festival run after its premiere at the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, ‘one of Europe’s most important film festivals’, in November 2025. The short film by Argyro Nicolaou participated in the Shorts Live-Action Competition section of PÖFF Shorts 2025, the announcement said.

The film ‘Ektropi’ by Marinos Kartikkis, following its premiere at the Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival and participation in international festivals such as the Thessaloniki Film Festival, continues its journey with another official selection, this time at the 2026 Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh. The film was also on the list of 20 European films competing this year for the Arab Critics’ Awards.

Beyond these recent successes, in 2025, Cypriot films were distinguished at various festivals worldwide and were screened at more than 45 events, organised in cooperation between the Deputy Ministry of Culture and embassies of the Republic of Cyprus, the announcement concludes.

Deputy Shipping Minister, Marina Hadjimanoli, highlighted the significant role of shipping in the Cypriot economy in an interview with “Phileleftheros” newspaper noting specifically that the sector is one of the strongest assets of the economy, contributing over 7% to the country’s GDP.

Furthermore, in an interview with “Politis” newspaper, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Kostas Koumis, said that the country must invest more in the quality characteristics of tourism.

Hadjimanoli said that the Deputy Ministry is implementing a targeted strategic plan that includes upgrading services and promoting the advantages of the Cypriot ship registry and the country’s shipping complex in general.

“The results are impressive. The Cypriot ship registry has grown steadily over the last two years, recording an increase of 21% since September 2023. At the same time, the contribution of ship management to GDP now exceeds 5.5%,” she noted.

She also described Cyprus’ re-election to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council as particularly important, as it ranked 7th in the 2025 elections, significantly improving its position compared to 2023, when it ranked 12th.

Regarding the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Deputy Minister said that the Deputy Ministry’s central priority is to promote the Nicosia Declaration, which aims to upgrade and retrain seafarers, modernizing maritime education and certification, and increasing the participation of women in the shipping industry, with a view to its adoption by all EU Member States at the Informal Council of Ministers responsible for maritime affairs, to be hosted in Nicosia in April 2026. At the same time, the Cyprus Presidency will work on shaping the new European Industrial Maritime Strategy, which will be submitted by the European Commission.

According to the Deputy Minister, 2025 was a year of gradual recovery and stabilization of the cruise sector for Cyprus, with several companies including the country in their itineraries.

Specifically, she reported a 30% increase in cruise ship arrivals compared to 2024, with the port of Limassol, which remains the main pillar of cruising, welcoming 139 confirmed calls, of which 26 were home porting itineraries, with Limassol serving as the port of departure and arrival.

On his part, the Deputy Minister of Tourism said that the Deputy Ministry has placed particular emphasis on mountainous Cyprus and inland areas of the country, highlighting the value of authenticity, and has just recently reached an agreement to create a digital guide and to record the history of Cypriot tourism, ‘elements that are certainly linked to the quality parameters of tourism, but also to the effort to disseminate knowledge about the destination and its evolutionary course.”

‘The ultimate goal of all these actions is to promote authentic Cyprus and convey the flavours and ‘aromas’ of our country to every visitor. Our vision can be none other than the transformation of our country into a year-round sustainable destination, distinguished by the provision of high-quality services with a strong local flavour. Investing in authenticity and sustainability is, I would say, the only way forward,” he added.

Asked whether adequate controls are in place in the tourism sector, the Deputy Minister said that they are, and in fact with stricter criteria than in other countries.

“We believe that all these businesses should not be left to market forces alone. We believe that checks should be carried out, but within a specific framework and in a targeted manner. At the same time, I can reveal that we are monitoring the market’s reaction to a series of data using specific electronic tools,” he added.

Asked how local gastronomy and local flavours can be better promoted, Koumis said that this can be done with the right promotion and distribution of tourism in the inland areas of the country, so that tourism benefits all areas and these benefits act as a reciprocal economic activity for local communities.

Weather Temperature for Cyprus

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

Date 04/01/2026

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)

16 (16.4)

3 (3)

55

Larnaka Airport

18 (17.9)

7 (7.4)

61

Limassol (New Port)

18 (18)

8 (8.4)

56

Limassol (Municipal Garden)

17,8

6,9

Pafos Airport

19 (18.5)

10 (10.1)

59

Frenaros

18 (17.8)

7 (6.9)

64

Prodromos

8 (8.4)

0 (0)

77

Polis Pafos

19 (19.3)

9 (8.8)

46

Nicosia has won an important international distinction, as it is declared as the Best Cultural Destination in Europe for 2026 by the European Best Destinations (EBD) institution, according to a press release issued by the Nicosia Municipality.

This first place, the Municipality noted, marks a dynamic start to the new year and confirms the city’s steady path towards international cultural recognition and its emergence as a new hospitality destination.

The distinction, it is added, comes from the annual evaluation of the European Best Destinations, which is based both on the judgment of an international committee of cultural experts and on public participation. Over 22,000 travelers from 131 countries evaluated Europe’s top cultural destinations, with Nicosia winning the highest overall score of 18.6/20, placing it at 1st place.

According to the organizers, Nicosia stood out for the unique coexistence of rich historical heritage and contemporary artistic creation, for the authenticity of its cultural atmosphere, but also for its vibrant and evolving cultural scene. Particular reference is made to the distinctive character of the last divided capital of Europe, as well as to the hospitality and Mediterranean pulse of the city.

“This international recognition strengthens Nicosia’s position on the European and global cultural map and confirms the Municipality’s strategy for the emergence of the capital as a modern, sustainable and open cultural destination, with respect for the past and investment in the present and the future,” it said.

The Municipality of Nicosia expressed its gratitude to all cultural bodies, organizations, creators and citizens who contribute daily to the shaping of the city’s cultural identity and says it is committed to continuing to support actions and initiatives that enhance culture and quality of life.

The top ten of Europe’s top cultural cities for 2026 also include the cities of Florence, Vienna, Leuven, Šibenik, Verona, Tomar, Rouen, Oxford and Graz, the press release said.

Flights to and from Cyprus have been impacted after Greece temporarily closed its airspace on Sunday due to what it described as ‘a technical problem with radio frequencies’.

Cyprus’ Ministry of Transport has urged all passengers affected by the temporary closure of Greek airspace to contact the airlines before traveling to the airports.

The Ministry referred in a press release to the temporary closure of Greek airspace due to a technical problem with radio frequencies, noting that due to this problem all flights to and from Greek airports, as well as flights over the Athens FIR, are affected.

‘To avoid any inconvenience, affected passengers are urged to contact their airlines for further information before traveling to airports,’ the Ministry of Transport said.

Meanwhile, Hermes Airports, the operator of Cyprus airports, has told CNA that the problem is affecting flights to and from Cyprus.

Regarding Larnaca airport, three flights are currently affected, two departures (Aegean and Sky) and one arrival (Aegean) affecting approximately 500 passengers.

Regarding the Paphos airport, there is a scheduled flight to Athens this afternoon at 16:20 (Ryan Air) which is expected to be affected if the technical problem is not resolved.

As far as other flights that would fly over the Greek airspace towards Cyprus is concerned, the airlines are in the process of changing their flight plans so as to follow another route and avoid the Athens FIR.

Passengers are urged to monitor airlines’ announcements.

The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, had a telephone conversation on Sunday with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, with the discussion focusing on the implementation of what was agreed between the leaders during their recent meetings.

According to a written statement by Deputy Government Spokesperson, Yiannis Antoniou, the conversation took place following their bilateral meeting and the 10th Cyprus-Greece-Israel Trilateral Summit, in Israel on December 22, 2025, as well as the subsequent visit of the Prime Minister of Israel to the United States of America and his meeting with US President Donald Trump.

As stated, the discussion focused on the implementation of what was agreed between the leaders during their recent meetings.

It is added that special reference was made to the issue of the electrical interconnection (GSI), including the Israel-Cyprus section, in the context of the implementation of the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC), the promotion of cooperation on energy issues, as well as defence cooperation between the two countries, while the discussion between the two leaders also touched on the progress of the US President’s peace plan for Gaza.

The two leaders reaffirmed the strategic importance of Cyprus-Israel relations and their willingness to continue close coordination and cooperation, building on the momentum that has been created through the recent decisions, Antoniou concluded.

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 04/01/2026 UNTIL 0600 05/01/2026

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1027hPa (hectopascal)

High pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be at times mainly cloudy.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA

PERIOD

WIND

STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Morning

Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4, soon locally 4

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5

Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

Night

Northeast to East 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5

Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

South Coast

Morning

North to Northeast 3 to 4, soon 4

Smooth to Slight, soon Slight

Afternoon

North to Northeast 4 to 5, locally 5

Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

Night

North to Northeast 4 to 5, locally 5

Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

East Coast

Morning

Northeast to East 3 to 4, soon 4

Slight

Afternoon

Northeast to East 4 to 5, at times locally 5

Slight, at times locally Slight to Moderate

Night

Northeast 4 to 5, locally 5

Slight to Moderate

North Coast

Morning

Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4, soon 4

Slight

Afternoon

Northeast to East 4 to 5, locally 5

Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

Night

East to Southeast 3 to 4, locally 5

Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

“Turkey is not excluded by the Republic of Cyprus,” Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said in an interview with “Phileleftheros” newspaper, noting that Ankara has to choose “whether to insist on its self-exclusion” or not.

Kombos referred to the strengthening of Cyprus’ international presence and the expansion of its cooperation, as well as its relations with the wider Middle East in line with the priorities of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union over the next six months.

Asked what he considers to be the greatest success of Cyprus’ foreign policy in 2025, he said that the country’s foreign policy continues to focus on efforts to expand Cyprus’ diplomatic footprint with consistency, coherence, and continuity.

He added that as a bridge of stability between Europe and the wider Middle East, the Republic of Cyprus has concluded action plans for structured long-term dialogue with India, the United Kingdom, France, the United States of America, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Greece through intergovernmental cooperation, while also focusing on identifying and establishing relations with countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and all Gulf countries.

Asked why Cyprus insists on moving particularly towards countries in the Middle East and the Gulf, the Foreign Minister said that this is part of the country’s comparative advantage.

“We maintained balance and served Cyprus’ interests first and foremost. Tens of thousands of tons of humanitarian aid reached Gaza. We created an international humanitarian operation and alliance. We supported the evacuation of third-country nationals through Cyprus. We have the delimitation agreement with Lebanon, the free transfer of desalination units from the UAE, the Strategic Agreement with the UAE, the deepening of relations with Egypt and Jordan. We have opened up to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, stabilised relations with Central Asian countries, and expanded our footprint in Africa through the Aid,” he added.

Asked whether Cyprus’ European partners are listening when messages are conveyed to them from countries in the Eastern Mediterranean, Kombos said that, especially in recent years, the strengthening of the aforementioned efforts enhances Cyprus’s ability to convey accurately the positions, messages, and concerns of its regional partners in the Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, and Gulf regions, and to act as a bridge between the European Union and the Middle East on these issues.

Asked about the role of the Cyprus EU Presidency in Nicosia’s foreign policy, the Minister said that the emphasis on the wider Middle East region will continue to be a priority of the foreign policy and that, in the context of the Presidency, the participation of leaders from the region in the Informal European Council in April is planned, while emphasis is also being placed on India’s role for the EU and announcements will soon be made in this regard.

Asked whether Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, will be invited to Limassol for the Gymnich meeting, Kombos referred to a public expression of intent on the part of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, to invite the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to the informal European Council meeting with the participation of leaders of the region that is being planned.

“Turkey is not excluded from the Republic of Cyprus. But Turkey has to choose whether it will insist on its self-exclusion. We want Turkey to seize the opportunity, always in line with its obligations towards Cyprus,” he stressed.

Asked how foreign policy actions not only in Europe but also in Africa and Asia have contributed substantially to Cyprus’ efforts, the Foreign Minister said that all these efforts and contacts in the framework of the foreign policy tend to strengthen the diplomatic footprint of the Republic of Cyprus, “which is not defunct, but present internationally.”

“As a result, we seek to strengthen our capabilities and exercise Cyprus’ sovereignty and presence as a bulwark against Turkey’s stance and to assist in the effort to return to meaningful dialogue on the basis of the agreed framework, and the Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council,” he stressed.

Invited to comment on the controversy surrounding the Amalthea humanitarian corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, Kombos said that efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza continued in 2025.

He added that there is currently the possibility of a systematic flow of aid to Gaza through the port of Ashdod, with the mechanism set up in cooperation with the United Nations and in particular UNOPS, adding that just a few days ago another shipment of 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid departed, has already been unloaded and is being distributed to the civilian population.

Asked about Cyprus’s relations with the United States and why the Visa Waiver Program has not progressed, the Minister said that relations with the United States of America continue to improve and that this year he had the opportunity to meet and talk with his American counterpart several times, most recently during his visit to the State Department.

“I believe that a comparison should be made with the level of relations in the distant past. We are consciously investing in the relationship. Without hesitation and knowing the difficult international environment that is undergoing restructuring,” he added.

Regarding the Visa Waiver Program, he said that Cyprus completed the technical preparatory work last July and is now awaiting the relevant internal US procedures.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Turkey, which is candidate for EU membership, does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state since 2004.

Commissioner of Taxation Soteris Markides has told CNA that the Tax Department is working to ensure a smooth transition from the existing tax regime to the new one, following the voting of the new tax framework by the House of Representatives in December 2025.

Markides said that it is expected that there will be a reduction in taxation for all taxpayers depending on their data. Salaried employees, he went on to say, are the ones directly affected by the implementation of the new provisions, as January 2026 will be the first month during which Income Tax will be withheld from their salaries under the new tax regime.

He noted that the tax reform introduced new deductions and allowances that did not exist previously.

Markides said that a deduction for home insurance against natural disasters of up to pound 500 has been introduced while insurances for permanent total or partial disability have been added to reduce taxable income, in addition to life insurance.

He also noted that deductions have been introduced -with a family income criterion depending on the number of children- for dependent children, a deduction for rent on a primary residence or interest on a serviced loan of up to pound 2,000, as well as a deduction for energy upgrades to a primary residence or the purchase of an electric car of up to pound 1,000 per year.

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 04/01/2026 UNTIL 1200 05/01/2026

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1028hPa (hectopascal)

High pressure is affecting the area. Increased high cloud coverage at times.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA

PERIOD

WIND

STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon

Northeast to Southeast 4, locally near the coast Variable 3 to 4

Slight, locally near the coast Smooth to Slight

Night

Northeast to Southeast 4 to 5, locally near the coast Variable 3 to 4

Slight, locally near the coast Smooth to Slight

Morning

Variable 3, locally Northeast to Southeast 4 to 5

Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

South Coast

Afternoon

North to Northeast 4 to 5, locally Northeast to East 5

Slight

Night

Northwest to Northeast 4, locally North to Northeast 5

Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

Morning

North to Northeast 4 to 5, locally near the coast 3 to 4

Slight, locally near the coast Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Afternoon

Northeast 4 to 5, at times 5

Slight to Moderate, at times Slight to Moderate

Night

North to Northeast 4, at times Northeast 4 to 5

Slight to Moderate

Morning

Northeast to East 3 to 4, at times 4 to 5

Slight to Moderate

North Coast

Afternoon

Northeast to East 4 to 5, locally 5

Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

Night

East to Southeast 3 to 4, locally Northeast to East 5

Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

Morning

Northeast to East 4 to 5, locally near the coast Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4

Slight