Xhaka expects best World Cup for Swiss, says must enjoy the moment

Switzerland are raring to get their campaign underway against Qatar and are shaping up to deliver their best World Cup so far, but the players must make sure they enjoy the moment, captain Granit Xhaka said on Friday. Playing in his fourth World Cup, Xhaka said the Swiss were confident and “yearning for it like […]

Reps from European municipalities to converge on Nicosia for urban planning fest

Nicosia is set to welcome hundreds of European local authorities and urban practitioners as the 2026 URBACT City Festival takes place. Co-organised by the EU-funded programme URBACT* and the Municipality of Nicosia, the event will transform Eleftheria Square on September 29, into a ground of fruitful exploration, urban discussions and participatory happenings. Across two days […]

Russell takes Barcelona pole ahead of Hamilton, Leclerc crashes

George Russell seized pole position for a race that could snap championship-leading teammate Kimi Antonelli’s winning streak while Lewis Hamilton split the Mercedes pair in Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday. Italian Antonelli, who will be seeking a sixth win in a row on Sunday to extend what is currently a 66-point lead over seven-times […]

Starmer tells Rutte UK will publish defence plan before NATO July summit

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Saturday he would publish the government’s defence investment plan before the alliance’s summit in Ankara next month, a Downing Street spokesperson said. In a call earlier on Saturday, Starmer and Rutte agreed allies must strengthen collective defence and deliver more quickly in response […]

Croatia’s Donna Vekic revived memories of her deep run at Wimbledon two years ago when she thrashed Britain’s Katie Boulter to reach the Queen’s Club Championships semi-finals on Saturday. Vekic dropped only six points on serve in a 6-1 6-3 victory against wildcard Boulter who looked flat after her stunning win against world number two […]

Ghana chides ‘unfair’ Canada for denying visa to midfielder Partey

Ghana’s government on Saturday called Canada’s decision to deny midfielder Thomas Partey a visa for his country’s World Cup game against Panama next week “high-handed and extremely unfair”. The West African nation’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it understood the decision to be based on pending criminal proceedings in Britain. The 32-year-old Partey, […]

Turkey’s long World Cup wait set to end with Australia showdown

Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella want his players to keep their emotions in check and make the country proud when they play their first World Cup match in 24 years against Australia in Vancouver on Saturday. Turkey have not appeared at a World Cup finals since finishing third at the 2002 tournament, and Montella told a […]

Ustel claims Azerbaijan charter flights to north ‘nearing launch’

The process for launching charter flights between Azerbaijan and the north is at an “advanced stage”, Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel said on Saturday. He said cooperation agreements currently under discussion could pave the way for services to begin in the near future. Speaking in Baku, Ustel said contacts with the Azerbaijani government had […]

Protesters tear down Albanian development site fences, amid anger over coastal projects

Some 200 protesters on Saturday tore down metal and razor wire fences surrounding a luxury development site on Albania’s Adriatic coast, in another sign of growing anger against construction in environmentally sensitive areas. Albanians have been protesting for weeks against a planned luxury resort backed by a company linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of […]

Christian Pulisic offers positive injury update: ‘I don’t think it’s anything’

Christian Pulisic exited at halftime of the United States’ 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday in Inglewood, Calif., due to a minor left calf injury, but the star winger offered assurances afterward that he would be OK. With the U.S. ahead 3-0, Pulisic was a surprise scratch to open the second half, replaced by Sebastian […]

Etyk calls for pre haircut benefits to be restored

The restoration of losses suffered by bank employees during the 2013 financial crisis was a central issue at the 58th annual general congress of bank workers union (Etyk), held in Nicosia on Saturday. Union leaders called for the implementation of an agreement reached with the government and the Bank of Cyprus. Etyk’s president Loizos Hadjicostis […]

Motels, marshland and luxury rates: Welcome to the World Cup in New Jersey

Days before the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there was no outward sign that this desolate, trash-strewn parking lot in New Jersey would soon become one of the priciest stretches of asphalt in the tri-state area. The newly refurbished World of Blue hotel will charge soccer fans $450 to park here on the […]

Antibiotic resistance genes found across world oceans, Italian study shows

Genes linked to antibiotic resistance are present across multiple ocean basins, including remote waters, ​according to findings from an Italian-led research ‌project that analysed seawater samples worldwide. The SeA Care project found antibiotic-resistance genes in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Arctic and other regions, with higher concentrations detected near busy shipping routes ​and densely populated coastal areas. […]

‘I’ve been through hell and back’: cancer, love and a miracle baby

Stronger and softer, says Yianoula Kyprianides when I ask how her experience – actually more the experience of her husband Kyriacos – has changed them both. ‘Stronger’ is obvious enough. “‘Stronger’ as in, I can get through tough things,” says Yianoula. “It’s made me more resilient, I think,” agrees Kyriacos. “I mean, I’ve been through […]

Van Hecke seeks to emulate uncle’s success

If Netherlands defender Jan Paul van Hecke is to keep up family tradition, he will need to go all the way to next month’s World Cup final. His uncle Jan Poortvliet played in defence for the Dutch in the 1978 final, where they lost the deciding game against hosts Argentina in extra time. Van Hecke […]

A symbol of modern convenience

The hamburger, now one of the most recognisable foods in global cuisine, has a history that stretches back to 19th century Europe and the culinary traditions of Hamburg in Germany. It is widely believed to have evolved from the Hamburg steak, a seasoned mince patty brought to the United States by German immigrants, where it […]

Ukraine drone strikes kills one, sparks fire at Russian port of Temryuk

A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and sparked a fire at a sea terminal in the southern Russian port of Temryuk, in the Krasnodar region, governor Veniamin Kondratiev said on Saturdayon the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine’s military and the SBU security service said that Ukrainian drones hit several targets in Russia during overnight attacks […]

Brownies with a twist

Cheesecake Brownies with Cherry Jam and Pistachios For the base of the brownies125g chocolate with 60% cocoa125g unsalted butter20g unsweetened cocoa, sifted20g all-purpose flour1/2 sachet vanilla1/4 teaspoon salt50g white granulated sugar50g brown sugar2 eggs50g unsalted pistachios, coarsely choppedFor the cheesecake topping300g cream cheese50g white granulated sugarA pinch of salt1 egg1/2 sachet vanilla175g Cherry jam1 tablespoon […]

Menopause is not the end – how women can reset their health for the decades ahead

There comes a moment for many women – usually in or around their 40s – when the rules suddenly seem to change. The diet that worked for years no longer does. Sleep becomes elusive. Anxiety appears from nowhere. Skin changes and energy drops. Well, welcome to the menopause and perimenopause. Hollywood A-lister Halle Berry recently […]

Traffic accident in Omodos leaves three in hospital

Three people were hospitalised in serious condition following a traffic accident in the Limassol district on Saturday, after two vehicles collided in the village of Omodos at around 2pm. The crash involved a car driven by a 73-year-old man and a second vehicle driven by a 36-year-old man, which also had a 35-year-old female passenger. […]

A minute with: Sophia Sullivan, student, co-author of Welcome to Rainbow Zoo, founder of Kawaii Life

Where do you live and with whom?I live in Cyprus with my mum and dad, my dog Amber and my cat Biscuit. What did you have for breakfast?Bear Alphabet cereal and some kefir. Describe your perfect day.After a school day, I go to see my neighbour friend on the bike and play with her, do […]

Chinese Velociraptor cousin had a taste for birds

About 120 million years ago in what is now northwestern China, many kinds of birds flocked to a lakeside ecosystem. This dense avian population would ​have offered a smorgasbord for a small and opportunistic carnivorous dinosaur. Researchers have now discovered fossils of a dinosaur that seems to fit the bill. Scientists ‌said they unearthed bones […]

The Cypriot defence pivot: a strategic illusion

The June 2026 Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Cyprus and France, and the 2024–2029 US–Cyprus Defence Roadmap, mark a radical departure from Nicosia’s historic military neutrality. While Cyprus hopes that anchoring itself within Western defence networks will deter Turkish aggression, secure “strategic depth,” and alter the parameters of the solution to the Cyprus problem, […]

Police internal investigation launched after teen escaped custody

A disciplinary investigation was launched on Saturday after a 17-year-old briefly escaped from police custody at Omorfita police station in Nicosia the previous evening, following instructions by police-chief Themistos Arnaoutis. The teenager, who was being held in connection with a theft investigation and alleged illegal possession of property, escaped from the station late on Friday […]