☀️ MONDAY, May 4, 2026
👋 KALIMERA, CYPRUS!

🍹 Today is unseasonably cold! A yellow warning is in effect. Expect strong winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms. Snow has fallen in the Troodos mountains! 🏔️❄️

🚗 Be extremely careful on the roads — drifts and ice are possible in mountain areas. We recommend avoiding mountain trips and coastal walks. Warm clothes, an umbrella, and hot tea are essential! 😃

☀️ Today's Weather:

🌡️ Nicosia: +17°C
🌡️ Limassol: +18°C
🌡️ Larnaca: +19°C
🌡️ Paphos: +16°C
🌡️ Ayia Napa: +18°C
🌡️ Troodos: +9°C
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🌊 Mavrokolimpos Dam in Peyia almost full: 0% to nearly 90% in one year
🌊 Mavrokolimpos Dam (Peyia, Paphos) has recovered after a year of critical depletion. As of April 30, the water level reached 89.8%.

⚠️ One year ago: A total catastrophe
In December 2024, the dam suffered serious damage and was completely drained. 2025 became the worst year for lower Paphos farmers (banana and other crops) due to drought and dam failure.

💧 Where the water came from
The ~90% filling resulted from heavy rains in Paphos and the transfer of desalinated water from Asprokremmos (the second desalination plant).

🌾 Importance for agriculture
Mavrokolimpos is the main irrigation source for lowland western Paphos. The return of water is a major reason for optimism among local farmers.
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🚨 Night Police Raids: 3 Arrested for Theft and Obstruction of Justice
🚨 Police conducted a large-scale night operation across Cyprus.

👮‍♂️ 3 Arrests for:
· Theft
· Conspiracy to commit a crime
· Obstruction of justice

🚗 Road Checks:
· 201 drivers and 96 passengers stopped
· 90 traffic violations issued
· 19 speeding tickets
· 51 alcohol tests (1 positive)
· 3 drug tests (positive)
· 3 vehicles impounded

🏪 Business Inspections:
47 establishments checked; 8 complaints received (mostly regarding minors).

Police continue intensive nightly raids. Stay vigilant and obey the law.
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🍽️ Food Price Gap in Cyprus: Limassol dinner costs €20 more than Larnaca
🍽️ Food Price Gap in Cyprus: Limassol dinner costs €20 more than Larnaca

Average restaurant bills in Cyprus continue to rise. A lunch in a budget spot costs €15, while dinner for two averages €60. However, the gap between cities reaches nearly €20.

Limassol is the island's most expensive city: a financial hub with high expat and tourist concentrations. Lunch costs ~€20, dinner for two ~€70, and fast food ~€8. On the Molos promenade, prices are 15–25% higher than on side streets. Moving just a few blocks inland can save you €200–300 per week.

Nicosia is unexpectedly cheaper: lunch €15, dinner €60. Fewer tourists mean more local spots. In Aglandjia and Strovolos, prices are 10–15% lower than in the historic center. A meze dinner for two there costs €35–40.

Larnaca is the most budget-friendly: lunch €12, dinner for two €52.50. With less premium tourism and higher competition, it remains affordable. The dinner price difference compared to Limassol is nearly €20.

Ayia Napa & Protaras carry a resort markup: lunch €18–23, dinner €60–70. Paphos is calmer: lunch €15, dinner €60, with significant discounts just a 10–15 minute walk from the center.

💡 How to Save

· Business lunches before 15:00 are 20–30% cheaper than evening menus (in Nicosia, a set lunch is €9–11).
· Meze for two/three (€35–45) is more cost-effective than ordering two main courses plus appetizers.
· Residential areas (Strovolos, Aglandjia, Kato Paphos) offer prices 10–15% lower than tourist zones.
· Local tavernas without English menus at the entrance: larger portions and lower bills.

🇫🇷 Comparison: Cyprus vs. French Riviera

In Nice, lunch is €15.50 (similar to Cyprus), but dinner for two hits €83 (vs. Cyprus €60–70), and fast food is €12 (vs. €7–8). For two people, the French Riviera is €150–200 more expensive per week for similar dining levels.

📈 Annual Price Growth (CYSTAT data, March 2026): The "Restaurants and accommodation" category rose 3.3% by March 2025. A year ago, dinner for two cost €55–60; now it is €60–70.
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🆘 Rescue of a 78-year-old man on a catamaran near Cape Konnos: three hours of towing in a storm
🌊 The Mission
Yesterday, near Konnos – Blue Lagoon (Ayia Napa), rescuers saved a catamaran stuck just a meter from a rock. The only passenger was its 78-year-old owner.

The operation began around noon. A rescue team (Ayia Napa Port Police, Rescue Center, and a private vessel) evacuated the elderly man under extremely difficult conditions. They then spent three hours towing the catamaran to Ayia Napa marina through heavy waves, successfully delivering the vessel intact.

😢 Emotional Moment
The 78-year-old man was in shock. When he reached the shore, he wept with relief. Marina staff welcomed him with warmth and respect, treating him like their own grandfather.

👏 Gratitude
Mission organizer Pavlos Pavlou thanked the Port Police, the Rescue Center, and the marina staff. Special thanks were given to his son, Andreas Pavlou (the vessel's captain), whose professional expertise ensured the mission's success in extreme conditions.
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🚗 Limassol: Car gets stuck and partially sinks in sand — driver tried to park
On Sunday morning at "Miami Beach" (near Crowne Plaza Limassol), a curious incident occurred. A driver drove onto the sand to park, but the front right side of the car fell into a hidden cavity under the sand.

⚠️ What happened
According to preliminary data, the hole was filled with water — possibly due to groundwater or soil erosion.

🩹 No injuries
Fortunately, no one was hurt. Based on the footage, the car is heavily stuck.
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🗳️ Party excludes candidate who struck referee during football match: "Aggression is unacceptable"
The Active Citizens Movement – United Cypriot Hunters (ΚΕΚΠ) has removed candidate Kostas Nikolaou (38) from its electoral list following an incident at a football match.

⚽ What happened
During a match between Rotsidis Mammari and APOP Parekklisia, the parliamentary candidate attacked the referee. Video footage was handed to the police. The suspect is in three-day custody and faces charges for stadium violence on Wednesday.

📢 Party Statement
"Any aggressive behavior, regardless of circumstances, is unacceptable and contradicts our community's values. By this act, the candidate has automatically disqualified himself," the official statement read.

🗣️ Context
The party noted that while personal struggles can happen, they do not excuse a lack of responsibility or respect for society. They emphasized that behavior contradicting the movement's principles cannot coexist with the collective, regardless of status.
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📋 Applications open for "Rent instead of Mortgage" program. Apply by July 31
The Cyprus Ministry of Finance has launched the "Ενοίκιο Έναντι Δόση" ("Rent instead of Installment") program. Applications are accepted until July 31, 2026.

📍 How to apply
Documents can be submitted online via the official KEDIPES website or in person at regional offices.

KEDIPES Office Addresses:

· Nicosia – 7 Afksentiou Square
· Limassol – 97 Gladstone Street (Oasis Complex, Block E, 3rd Floor)
· Larnaca – 5 Georgiou Christodoulidi Street
· Paphos – 7 Kinaras Street (corner of Korovíu Street, Galaxy Hall, Apt. 4)
· Paralimni – 4 Grivas Dighenis Street (1st Floor)

🏠 Program details
The scheme assists borrowers at risk of losing their only home: they transfer the property to KEDIPES to cover mortgage debt and continue living in it as tenants.
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🏚️ Limassol: crumbling building triggers court eviction attempt
Pieces of plaster and concrete collapsed from a 1956 house on Makarios Avenue on Sunday. The building is officially condemned. Residents have left, but a ground-floor shop remains open. The District Administration (EOA) has cordoned off the area and is seeking a court order for forced eviction.

⚠️ The Delay
A legal dispute between owners and the shop tenant has blocked action. EOA previously warned owners to fix the hazard, but no steps were taken.

⚖️ Next Steps
EOA is applying for an emergency evacuation order. Following the fatal building collapse in Germasogeia on April 11, authorities are enforcing stricter measures across Limassol.

📊 Dangerous Building Stats
· Limassol: 780 dangerous buildings (80 near collapse)
· Nicosia: 268
· Paphos: 226
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💻 Cyprus Under Fire: Banks and Fintech are Prime Targets for Cyberattacks
According to the Qrator Labs Q1 2026 report, Cyprus is now a global high-risk zone for DDoS attacks.

📊 Attack Breakdown by Sector:

• Banks — 22.8%
• Payment Systems — 15.9%
• Betting Platforms — 10%

⚡ Key Threats:

• Power: Multi-vector attacks rose by 34%. Attacks exceeding 1 Tbps have been recorded (one gaming platform hit by 2 Tbps).
• Botnets: The largest malicious networks grew 10x, reaching 13.5 million devices.
• History: Following 2024 attacks on airports and government services, at least 6 major incidents occurred in March 2026.

⚠️ Critical Vulnerability:

Limited bandwidth of undersea cables means a massive attack could destabilize the entire island's network.

💡Bottom Line: Experts urge companies to implement protection before entering the market, as attacks are becoming massive and cheap to launch.
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🚁 Cyprus to build Solia helipad for firefighting after 2016 tragedy
Cyprus is building a new helipad in the Lini community (Solia-Marafasa, Nicosia district) to combat forest fires and aid rescues.

📍 Purpose & History

The project follows the deadly 2016 Solia fire that killed two people and destroyed 15 km² of forest.

📋 Tender Results

• Winner: Iacovou Brothers Constructions Ltd — €4,268,000 (excl. VAT).
• Timeline: 14 months for construction; 12-year warranty/maintenance.
• Total Cost: ~€5,079,000 (incl. VAT).

⚖️ Legal Battle

An appeal from another bidder was rejected for submitting an "abnormally low" bid (€3.599m). The bidder miscalculated the helipad concrete area as 3,312 m² instead of the required 11,000 m².

🏗️ Bidder Breakdown

1. Winner: €4,268,000
2. Low Bidder: €3,599,000 (rejected)
3. Third Bidder: €4,395,000 (disqualified for non-response)
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🏨 Summer bookings in Cyprus have plummeted by 25% — hotels are only 40–50% occupied
❓ Why did this happen?

• Geopolitical crisis: The drone incident at the Akrotiri base and subsequent travel warnings from the USA and UK scared off tourists. Travelers redirected to Spain (+32%) and Portugal (+21%).
• Fuel prices: Aviation kerosene surged by 130%. Airlines are cutting flights to Cyprus to prioritize more profitable routes.

📉 Current situation

• Airport passenger traffic fell by 15.3% in March.
• May is being called a "lost month."
• The government is subsidizing 30% of hotel workers' salaries and reducing taxes on electricity and fuel.

🤞 Outlook

The industry is banking on Middle East de-escalation and new "safe destination" marketing campaigns to trigger a wave of delayed demand.
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🌧️ Погода на Кипре: дожди на побережье, снег в горах — зима вернулась в Троодос
Пока в ряде районов острова идут дожди, в горных регионах Кипра установилась по-настоящему зимняя погода. В Троодосе выпал снег, местами образовался устойчивый покров.

❄️ Температура в горах заметно снизилась, дороги и склоны покрыты снегом — условия подходят для зимних развлечений.
☃️ Судя по обстановке, в Троодосе снова можно лепить снеговиков и наслаждаться редкой для острова зимней атмосферой.
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🤩Голос Кипра - Новости Кипра
🇨🇾 Cyprus News Eng Version 🇬🇧

🔥 Paphos: Unknown persons set fire to a 40-year-old man's shop — neighbor extinguished the fire with a hose
🔥 A shop in Paphos caught fire today around 8:30 AM. Police arrived and cordoned off the area.

🕵️ What was found
Preliminary data suggests arson using a flammable substance. A neighbor spotted the fire, put it out with a hose, and did not call the fire brigade or police.

🔥 Damage
The fire damaged the storefront, masonry, and shop equipment.

The Paphos Criminal Investigation Department (TAE) is leading the investigation.
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🚛 European Safety Week for Trucks and Buses: What will be inspected in Cyprus
Cyprus Police is joining the European Road Policing Network (Roadpol) campaign from May 4 to 10, 2026.

🔍 Inspections include:

• Driver and vehicle documentation
• Speed limiters and tachographs
• Driver rest and work schedules
• Technical condition of trucks and buses

Special focus: Speeding violations (a leading cause of fatal accidents).

🚛 Who is affected:
Professional truck and bus drivers. Police urge strict compliance with the law.

⚠️ Goal:
Increase awareness of risks and strengthen road control through intensified raids across the entire road network.
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🌊 Cyprus reservoirs at 39.6% after May rains — rivers overflowing
🌊 Heavy rains in April and early May have filled reservoirs to 39.6%, bringing optimism for the summer season.

Rivers have overflowed, creating powerful rapids and temporary waterfalls. Social media is buzzing with stunning footage of the swollen waterways and dams.
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🗳️ Cyprus Party Ratings Three Weeks Before Elections: “Alma” Surpasses Rivals, Volt Doubles Its Result
According to a Kathimerini poll, the race leaders remain unchanged. Center-right Disy holds 20.4%, left-wing Akel 18.5%, and far-right Elam 12.6%. All three are safely above the parliamentary threshold.

However, a new player is eyeing fourth place. The "Alma" party (led by former Auditor General Odysseas Michaelides) has reached 8.9%, overtaking the centrist Diko (7.4%), which is seeing its worst result in 50 years.

📉 Who is losing votes

The "Direct Democracy of Cyprus" party (led by MEP Fidias Panayiotou) dropped to 5.7% — its worst performance in seven months. In December, it reached 8.9% and was a contender for fourth place.

Social-democratic Edek is at 2.3% (a 56-year record low). Centrist Dipa sits at 1.2% (down from 6.1% in 2021). The "Green Movement" is failing to enter parliament for the first time in 30 years (2.1%).

📈 The biggest surprise

Pro-European Volt has doubled its rating — from 2.1% to 4.2% — and is set to enter parliament for the first time. It is the only small party to cross the 3.6% threshold.

❕ Elections will be held on May 24. 56 deputies will be elected. Candidate applications open on May 6.
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