Vega said she still doesn’t know why she was fired from the show, which has experienced a slump in ratings.
Cecilia Vega, the 60 Minutes correspondent fired as part of a dramatic overhaul of the CBS News show this spring, said it “hurts” to see what has happened to the storied newsmagazine and other segments of the network, and repeated allegations that she was told to insert “factually untrue” information into her work.
“It pains me. It hurts to watch, from afar. It hurts to talk to my colleagues who are still there. It hurts to see the ratings slump that is happening right now,” Vega said during a Thursday evening talk for students at American University in Washington DC.
Cyprus is increasingly being chosen by Israelis as a destination for live music, with tourism firms reporting on Friday that the lack of international artists performing in Israel is driving demand for festivals and club nights on the island.
Speaking to Israeli news outlet Mako, Prof Alon Gelbman, head of the master’s programme in tourism at Kinneret Academic, said the security situation and the absence of many international artists from Israeli stages were pushing young people towards “alternative destinations”.
He said Cyprus had a clear advantage for Israeli tourists due to its “proximity and short flight time”.
Vice president of marketing and sales at Israeli travel agency The Flying Carpet, Oren Cohen-Maguri, said Limassol had become “a sought-after entertainment destination among young people”, with its nightlife and clubs frequently playing host to international and Israeli DJs.
Cohen-Maguri said the scarcity of international performances in Israel meant concerts in Cyprus this summer could draw strong interest, “if they do take place”.
Official figures show the shift, for Cystat confirmed 135,628 Israelis arrivals last month, up from 105,597 a year earlier, a rise of more than 28 per cent.
Israel accounted for 23.3 per cent of all arrivals, making it the second largest market behind the United Kingdom on 30.5 per cent.
Limassol has become a particular draw, with Israeli travel and entertainment listings featuring the City of Dreams Mediterranean resort, beach clubs and music festivals.
Other venues featuring on Israeli nightlife listings include The Warehouse, Shaka, Columbia Sun, SODAP Beach and Guaba.
The trend has extended beyond Limassol, with Israeli rock band Kadachat having performed at Paradise Place in Pomos on October 17, according to Tel Aviv Times, which described Israeli flags inside the venue and a Hebrew welcome sign.
The growing demand comes as international performances in Israel have become increasingly scarce, with The Israel Festival having taken place this summer without an international act, while the Music Showcase Festival expected half as many overseas gests as last year.
Security restrictions have also affected domestic concerts, with stadium performances by Omer Adam and Eyal Golan postponed following Home Front Command restrictions on large gatherings in June.
Al Jazeera reported this week that Israeli visits reached nearly 600,000 last year, more than double the 2022 figure, while Israeli investment was estimated at €5.1 billion.
The Israeli embassy estimates that between 15,000 and 20,000 Israelis consider Cyprus home, compared with around 1,000 recorded in the 2021 census.
Flight instructor, 22, and pilot, 38, among other fatalities after mid-air collision occurs near small airport
Three people have been killed after two helicopters collided in mid-air near a small airport in Oregon on Thursday, authorities have confirmed.
The Yamhill county sheriff’s office said on Thursday that it received reports at about 2.10pm local time about an aircraft incident involving two helicopters that had crashed south-east of McMinnville, near McMinnville municipal airport.
Discovering Kyparissos this month was really down to social media brainwashing. Obviously, my algorithm favours restaurants, but Kyparissos kept coming up, and I didn’t know the name at all.
After a little research, I realised it was a restaurant I had driven past so many times on my way into Kathikas, but for whatever reason I had never turned into the car park. Upon arrival, the algorithm hype melted into genuine delight. This restaurant revealed a level of cooking that made me grateful I had followed the digital breadcrumbs all the way to its door.
The restaurant is huge, with green taverna chairs matching the tablecloths. The interior on the night we visited was spotlessly clean, and it was definitely too cold and wet to sit in one of the outdoor areas dotted around the restaurant. At the back, as you park your car, you’re greeted by row upon row of vines leading to the restaurant and spectacular views. The menu is extensive, offering all of the Cypriot favourites. A particularly nice touch was the first page, with photos of the four generations involved in the restaurant since it started in 1960, and an explanation of how it all began with their grandfather announcing he would open a taverna after a family barbecue. Wow – how it has grown over the intervening years.
As part of the menu, there was a daily special of spinach pie, so we bypassed the selection of hot and cold small dishes and started with that to share. Complimentary toasted bread splashed with olive oil and herbs was served with gorgeous olives and a very tasty tahini on the side. The spinach pie’s arrival at the table was a lesson in excellent food presentation, and it applied to everything on the menu.
I have never seen a pie look so enticing. They split it into four parts on a chopping board and scattered cherry tomato halves and cheese crumbs over it. Beneath the whisper-thin sheets of filo pastry was a wonderful filling of spinach, soft herbs, and cheese, creating a decadent, savoury, velvety centre. The four of us quickly demolished it.
Choosing our main courses wasn’t easy and took much deliberation.
The first main was Spicy Lamb Meatballs, served over a Greek pitta with the freshest finely cut salad, tzatziki, and fries in a little basket. The meatballs were a winner and captured Kyparissos’ ethos: high-quality, fresh ingredients expertly cooked in the kitchen. The meatballs had real aromatic depth, were bold and indulgent, and were seared to a smoky crust. With the other ingredients on the plate, it offered perfection in textures and flavours.
Two of us decided to try the Souvlaki in both pork and chicken versions, as others had praised it online. The best Souvlaki is all about the purity of fire and the patience to produce it. You want your meat to be kissed by the charcoal, not smothered by it. The Souvlaki at Kyparissos was juicy, tender and a generous portion. Both dishes came with salad, traditional pitta, and homemade fries with tzatziki on the side. Both were the finest examples of this traditional dish.
Our final main course was the Marinated Chicken, which was three pieces of chicken breast. It was crispy where it needed to be and succulent inside. Chicken is always highly attractive when the flavours sink deep into the meat and is richly seasoned. The Kyparissos version had a slow infusion of lemon, garlic, and fragrant herbs, resulting in tender, aromatic chicken with a whisper of smokiness. Everybody at the table was delighted with their choice and individual dish.
Rather embarrassingly, before we could order our pre-selected homemade desserts to share, a plate with four pieces of delectable orange cake was placed in front of us on the house. As we ordered two more desserts to write about, you could see the waiter’s face betraying his thoughts of greedy people! Still, we were glad to share an Anari Surprise and the Kyparissos Chocolate Cake – a word of warning that desserts here are definitely designed to be shared. The Anari dessert was very different to versions we have enjoyed in the past: like little mince pies with a filling of Anari cheese lifted by the strong flavour of Cinnamon. The chocolate cake was light and fluffy, with a velvety, decadent chocolate topping, served with ice cream and cream.
Combined with excellent service throughout the meal and a bottle of the house red from the family vineyard, the whole experience at Kyparissos was superb. A family-run taverna like this deserves every bit of praise. It is the kind of place where the cooking is heartfelt, the flavours are excellent, and every plate feels like it’s been carried from someone’s home kitchen.
I look forward to returning, either to try their full meze, which you just know would be pretty special, or their set menu Sunday lunch, which includes a variety of dishes for €25. Kyparissos is certainly a little piece of gastronomic heaven in the hills.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY Cypriot
PRICES Cold Starters from €4.00, Hot Starters from €9.50, Salads from €10.00, Main Dishes from €15.50, Sunday Set Menu €25.00.
WHERE Leoforos Aki Kleanthous. Kathikas, Paphos. Main road up from Peyia.
WHEN Open every day except Wednesday. 1 – 11 pm. Reservations recommended.
Hay bales contaminated with the food and mouth virus (FMD) that were intended to be buried in Troulli will be moved to another safe location so as not to affect livestock units in the adjacent areas, Agriculture Minister Christos Senekis said on Friday.
Senekis said the decision was made following consultation with Aradippou mayor Christodoulos Partou.
According to the minister, the goal was to address the issue safely without creating problems for the reactivation of livestock units following the FMD crisis, assuring that the transfer of the bales would take place immediately.
Cyprus showcased 28 local food and drink businesses at the international SIAL Paris exhibition in France from October 17 to 21, 2026, using two national pavilions covering a combined area of approximately 356 square metres to promote domestic products and explore new export opportunities.
The event, held at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre, is considered one of the leading international trade fairs for the food and beverage industry and is organised every two years by Comexposium.
According to an announcement by the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, this year’s exhibition brought together 8,000 exhibitors from 130 countries and approximately 295,000 professional visitors, offering opportunities to explore emerging industry trends, discover innovations and develop commercial partnerships.
A major focus of Cyprus’ presence was halloumi, with 13 companies taking part in the dairy products pavilion in Hall 7.
The cheese received dedicated promotion through special signage featuring the Halloumi® name and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) mark, while an entire side of the Hall 7 entrance was devoted to the Cypriot product.
Visitors were also able to use an interactive touchscreen entitled “Discover halloumi”, which provided information about the cheese and Cyprus’ dairies, highlighting its connection with domestic production.
The second national pavilion, located in Hall 2, hosted the remaining 15 participating businesses, which presented a wide variety of products from the island’s food industry.
These included olive oil, olives, honey, bulgur wheat, fruit juices, nuts, dried fruit, herbal beverages and coffee, alongside frozen foods and vegan products.
An interactive display at the pavilion provided information about the participating companies and their products, while also featuring a quiz designed to give visitors a more engaging and direct introduction to Cyprus’ food production.
“The country’s participation this year highlighted the potential and diversity of the domestic food industry, promoting both products with a strong identity and recognition, such as halloumi, and a wide range of other Cypriot products,” the ministry said.
“It also confirmed the importance of an organised presence at leading international exhibitions as a means of strengthening international outreach, promoting Cypriot production and exploring new business opportunities in international markets,” it added.
The Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry said it would continue supporting the promotion of Cypriot products abroad, helping strengthen the international presence of domestic businesses and create opportunities for further export growth.
Dockworkers staged protests at the ports of Limassol and Larnaca on Friday as unions at more than 100 ports across four continents took part in an International Day of Action against Israel’s war in Gaza.
The port workers’ union (Segdamelin-Peo) organised the events to mark the second International Day of Action for Dockworkers, held under the slogan “Ports for Peace”.
The union said ports were “critical hubs” for the economy and trade, but that their infrastructure was being used to transport military equipment.
Workers should not “pay the price for wars and rivalries”, it said, adding that Cypriots knew “what war, occupation, partition and militarisation mean”.
It also called for decent wages, stable jobs, collective agreements and better health and safety protection.
Heavy spending on a war economy, it said, led to “austerity and cuts to healthcare, education, pensions and wages”.
The international action is backed by the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which said more than 25 unions from 22 countries were taking part, along with seafarers and metalworkers.
Dockworkers in France, Italy, India, Greece and Turkey have called 24-hour strikes, while others are holding rallies in port cities; seventeen Palestinian trade unions and confederations have likewise endorsed the day.
The unions are demanding an end to “militarisation” and to what they describe as “Israel’s genocide against Palestinians”.
Markos Bekris, president of the Greek dockworkers’ union (Enedep), said unions representing tens of thousands of workers were taking a stand “from Piraeus to Genoa and from Marseille to Istanbul”.
Sara Elettra, who coordinates maritime and energy embargo campaigns for BDS, said more than 90 per cent of Israel’s imports arrived by sea, making dockworkers a choke point for its economy.
She said governments were legally obliged to impose a full military embargo on Israel after the International Court of Justice’s 2024 rulings.
“Where states fail to act, workers will,” she said.
Jamal Juma, of the Palestinian trade union coalition, said dockworkers who had blocked ships and arms shipments bound for Israel had shown “the collective power of organised labour”.
Federal judge to hear arguments on Friday over leak case that was twice previously investigated with no action taken
Lawyers for the former FBI director James Comey will ask a federal judge on Friday to block the US justice department from pursuing its third criminal case against him.
Comey is an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, in open feud since the US president fired him from that post early in his first term, and he is a frequent target of Republican outrage.
IISS study questions overreliance on American support and ‘overdependence on expensive, high-end systems’
Gulf states are going to have to reconfigure their trillion-dollar defences given the damage inflicted on their economies and the questionable continued value of US bases in the face of Iranian attack, according to a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The report says that in the weeks before the 8 April ceasefire, 12 regional states, overwhelmingly in the Gulf, faced 4,670 Iranian one-way attack drones and more than 1,400 ballistic missiles. Nearly half were aimed at the United Arab Emirates. Although the vast majority were repelled, one estimate of the damage to energy infrastructure cited by the report is put as high as $58bn (£43bn).
DoJ reportedly issues subpoenas after reports Democrat campaign sought candidate with same name as Republican incumbent. Plus, tributes pour in for Patrick Stewart
Good morning. The US justice department is said to have issued subpoenas after a report that the Alaska Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign collaborated with party operatives to get a challenger with the same name as the Republican senator Dan Sullivan on to the midterm ballot.
Ballot stacking is a political tactic used in elections to draw votes away from an opponent by “stacking” the ballot with other candidates. While it is not illegal, the US president and the justice department have filed a lawsuit pre-emptively to block the certification of the Senate election results if the incumbent senator loses. Ariana Baio explains what is going on.
The Trump administration has opened a criminal investigation in California over claims that thousands of noncitizens are registered to vote. Donald Trump has repeatedly alleged that California’s elections are “corrupt” and “rigged”. Some employees from the office of the Los Angeles county registrar-recorder received grand jury subpoenas, the office confirmed.
Government corruption has emerged as a top issue in the upcoming elections, with an overwhelming majority of Americans saying US government officials use their public office for personal financial gain, according to an exclusive Harris poll for the Guardian. Three-quarters of voters said they thought elected officials cared more about enriching themselves than improving the economy for ordinary people.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, confirmed his campaign had pulled an attack ad featuring Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. It followed a public backlash after the revelation that Arthur lost custody of Acton in 1978 after Arthur’s second husband was charged with repeatedly raping the then child.
The Canadian rocker Bryan Adams has trolled Donald Trump with a new song criticising his attempt to rename Lake Ontario, and another track called 51st State about Trump’s efforts to annex Canada.
This video explainer gives an overview in three and a half minutes of whether Israel’s opposition parties can work with new Palestinian Knesset members to oust Netanyahu.
Cyprus’ unemployment rate remained at 4 per cent in September 2026, unchanged from August and below the 4.2 per cent recorded a year earlier, while youth unemployment stayed at 11.3 per cent, according to figures published by Eurostat on Friday.
The number of unemployed people in Cyprus stood at approximately 21,000 in September, down from around 22,000 in September 2025, as the labour market continued to perform better than the European Union average.
The figures also showed that youth unemployment in Cyprus declined over the past year, with the number of unemployed people aged under 25 falling from approximately 4,000 in September 2025 to 3,000 in June 2026, where it remained through September.
Across the EU, however, unemployment increased over the year, with the overall rate reaching 6.2 per cent in September, compared with 6 per cent in the same month of 2025.
The euro area unemployment rate stood at 6.5 per cent, unchanged from August but higher than the 6.3 per cent recorded a year earlier.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, estimated that 13.773 million people were unemployed across the EU in September, including 11.555 million in the euro area.
Compared with August, the number of unemployed people increased by 105,000 across the EU and by 122,000 in the euro area.
On an annual basis, unemployment rose by 471,000 across the EU and by 420,000 in the euro area.
Cyprus unemployment remains below EU average
Cyprus’ unemployment rate declined from 4.2 per cent in September 2025 to 3.8 per cent in June 2026, before edging up to 3.9 per cent in July and reaching 4 per cent in August, where it remained in September.
The number of unemployed people followed a similar pattern, falling from approximately 22,000 in September 2025 to 21,000 in June and July 2026.
The figure increased to around 22,000 in August before returning to approximately 21,000 in September.
The latest figures place Cyprus’ unemployment rate 2.2 percentage points below the EU average and 2.5 percentage points below the euro area rate.
While the EU and euro area have experienced an increase in unemployment over the past year, Cyprus’ rate has declined, indicating comparatively favourable labour market conditions.
Youth unemployment remains lower in Cyprus
The unemployment rate among people aged under 25 in Cyprus stood at 11.3 per cent in September 2026, unchanged from July and August and below the 12.9 per cent recorded in September 2025.
The rate had fallen to 11.8 per cent by June 2026 before declining further to 11.3 per cent in July.
The number of unemployed young people also decreased over the year, from approximately 4,000 in September 2025 to 3,000 in June 2026, remaining at that level through September.
The figures compare favourably with the wider European picture, where youth unemployment continued to rise.
Across the EU, the youth unemployment rate reached 15.5 per cent in September, up from 15.4 per cent in August.
In the euro area, the rate increased to 15.4 per cent from 15.1 per cent in the previous month.
Eurostat estimated that 3.022 million people aged under 25 were unemployed across the EU in September, including 2.469 million in the euro area.
Compared with August, youth unemployment increased by 44,000 across the EU and by 69,000 in the euro area.
Compared with September 2025, the number of unemployed young people rose by 45,000 in the EU and by 80,000 in the euro area.
Unemployment among women and men
The unemployment rate for men in Cyprus stood at 3.7 per cent in September 2026, unchanged from July and August, after declining from 4 per cent in September 2025 to 3.6 per cent in June 2026.
Among women, the rate reached 4.3 per cent in September, down from 4.4 per cent a year earlier.
Female unemployment had fallen to 4.1 per cent in June 2026 before increasing to 4.2 per cent in July and 4.4 per cent in August, then edging down in September.
The figures show that the unemployment rate for women remained higher than that for men in Cyprus, although the difference narrowed slightly in September.
Across the EU, the unemployment rate for women stood at 6.4 per cent in September, while the rate for men was 6 per cent, with both unchanged from the previous month.
In the euro area, female unemployment remained at 6.7 per cent, while the male rate increased to 6.4 per cent from 6.3 per cent in August.
European unemployment rises over the year
The wider European figures showed a gradual increase in unemployment compared with September 2025, despite rates remaining stable between August and September 2026.
In the euro area, the unemployment rate rose from 6.3 per cent in September 2025 to 6.4 per cent in June 2026, before reaching 6.5 per cent in July and remaining at that level through September.
The number of unemployed people in the euro area increased from 11.135 million in September 2025 to 11.555 million in September 2026.
Across the EU, the unemployment rate increased from 6 per cent in September 2025 to 6.2 per cent in June 2026, remaining at 6.2 per cent through September.
The total number of unemployed people across the bloc rose from 13.302 million to 13.773 million over the same period.
The latest figures therefore highlight a contrast between Cyprus, where overall unemployment and youth joblessness remained below their levels a year earlier, and the wider EU, where both the number of unemployed people and the overall rate increased.
Parliamentary staff have expressed strong dissatisfaction over the behaviour of certain MPs, both inside parliament and through public statements and social media posts, warning that disparaging remarks are undermining their professional dignity and working relationships.
In a letter dated October 27 to House president Annita Demetriou, members of the Pasydy parliamentary employees’ branch called for a working environment based on mutual respect and institutional decorum.
The employees said they carried out their duties daily with professionalism, responsibility and discretion, providing administrative, scientific and organisational support to MPs, their parliamentary associates and the House’s various bodies.
They stressed that their primary responsibility was to ensure the smooth functioning of parliament and protect the credibility and dignity of the institution.
However, they warned that behaviour and public comments which belittle employees, undermine their work or collectively assign blame without considering their institutional role and demanding working conditions “harm both their professional and personal dignity”.
“At the same time, they create a climate of disappointment and insecurity and undermine the fundamental relationship of cooperation between MPs and parliamentary staff in the future,” the letter said.
The employees acknowledged MPs’ right to criticise, raise concerns and seek explanations about parliamentary operations, but stressed that criticism should distinguish between institutional or administrative disagreements and personal attacks on staff.
“The public expression of disagreements must not become a means of targeting, assigning sole responsibility or belittling parliamentary staff,” they said.
The union branch called for measures to prevent similar behaviour and remarks in the future.
“The smooth functioning of parliament and the effective support of parliamentary work require relationships of cooperation, trust and mutual respect between MPs and staff,” the letter concluded.
A bill introducing a new teacher appointment system is expected to be submitted to parliament by late November or early December, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said on Friday.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) after presenting her ministry’s 2027 budget to the House finance committee, Michaelidou said the government intended to move ahead with the proposed changes despite objections from teachers’ unions.
Asked about the unions’ declaration that negotiations had reached a deadlock, their letter to President Nikos Christodoulides and the possibility of escalating industrial action, she described the unilateral declaration of deadlock as “somewhat problematic”.
“Nothing changes on this issue. We have already demonstrated our willingness to help, support and accommodate demands concerning an issue that was settled in 2015, 11 years ago,” she said.
She criticised the lengthy transition period introduced under the 2015 legislation, which provided for the abolition of the existing appointment list.
“The legislation in 2015 stipulated that the appointment list would be abolished, and a transitional period of almost 12 years was, criminally, allowed. During this period, many distortions emerged, which we have acknowledged,” she said.
Michaelidou said the government had agreed with unions that teachers who had worked during the transitional period should not be disadvantaged, but stressed that those who passed the appointment examinations must also be treated fairly.
“We agreed with the trade unions that people who worked during these years should not be treated unfairly, and that is what we are doing through our proposal. On the other hand, those who pass the examinations and will continue to sit them cannot be treated unfairly either,” she said.
She added that the ministry had listened to concerns and submitted an updated proposal, but one issue remained unresolved.
“The issue and demand for permanent appointments without examination is in conflict with the law. Therefore, we cannot dismiss or undermine the entire effort simply because not all the demands raised by the trade unions have been met,” she said.
The minister said the next steps would involve immediate public consultation, followed by approval from the cabinet and submission to parliament, where further discussions could take place.
Asked when the bill would reach parliament, she said it was expected by late November or early December.
“We want it passed as soon as possible, before March 2027, so that it can be implemented from the new school year,” Michaelidou said.
Household electricity prices in Cyprus fell to €0.26 per kilowatt-hour in the first half of 2026, according to Eurostat data, easing from their energy-crisis peak but remaining significantly above pre-crisis levels as electricity costs continue to weigh on consumers.
The latest figures show that prices, including all taxes and levies, have declined steadily since reaching €0.37 per kilowatt-hour in the first half of 2023, although households are still paying considerably more than they did before the energy crisis.
When adjusted for differences in purchasing power, Cyprus recorded 29.9 purchasing power standard (PPS) units per 100 kilowatt-hours in the first half of 2026, providing an indication of the relative burden of electricity costs on households.
Across the European Union, average household electricity prices fell by 2.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, declining to €0.28 per kilowatt-hour from €0.29 in the second half of 2025.
Despite the decrease, prices remained well above levels recorded before the 2022 energy crisis, indicating that households continued to face higher electricity costs than before the energy market turmoil.
Taxes and levies also declined slightly as a proportion of household electricity bills, falling by 0.5 percentage points, from 28.9 per cent in the second half of 2025 to 28.4 per cent in the first half of 2026.
Cyprus electricity prices peaked in 2023
Eurostat data show that household electricity prices in Cyprus followed a relatively stable pattern between 2015 and 2020, before surging during the energy crisis and subsequently easing.
During the initial period, prices fluctuated between €0.15 per kilowatt-hour in the first half of 2016 and €0.22 in the second half of 2019, before falling to €0.16 in the second half of 2020.
The subsequent energy crisis brought a sharp increase in household electricity costs, with prices reaching €0.37 per kilowatt-hour in the first half of 2023, more than double the level recorded in late 2020.
Prices then began to ease, declining to €0.32 per kilowatt-hour in the first half of 2024 before continuing their gradual downward trajectory.
By the first half of 2026, the price had fallen to €0.26 per kilowatt-hour, representing a substantial reduction from the 2023 peak but remaining well above the levels recorded before 2021.
The trend highlights the persistence of the energy crisis’ impact on household electricity bills, even as prices have retreated from their highest levels.
Ireland records highest electricity prices
Ireland recorded the highest household electricity prices in the EU during the first half of 2026, at €0.39 per kilowatt-hour, followed by Germany and Belgium, where prices stood at €0.36 per kilowatt-hour in both countries.
Six member states recorded household electricity prices exceeding €0.30 per kilowatt-hour, while five countries reported prices below €0.20.
The lowest nominal prices were recorded in Hungary, at €0.11 per kilowatt-hour, followed by Malta and Bulgaria, where households paid €0.13 per kilowatt-hour.
However, comparisons based solely on euros do not fully reflect the financial burden electricity bills place on households, as purchasing power and general price levels differ between countries.
When electricity prices were adjusted using the purchasing power standard (PPS), Romania recorded the highest costs, at 46.9 units per 100 kilowatt-hours, followed by Poland at 41.1 and the Czech Republic at 34.3.
Cyprus recorded 29.9 PPS units per 100 kilowatt-hours, while the lowest purchasing-power-adjusted prices were observed in Malta, at 13.8, Hungary at 14.7 and Luxembourg at 15.5.
The PPS measure allows comparisons between countries by accounting for differences in purchasing power, offering a clearer indication of the relative cost of electricity for consumers.
Electricity prices move sharply in several countries
Although the EU average declined in the first half of 2026 compared with the second half of 2025, national trends varied considerably when prices were compared with the same period a year earlier.
Using comparisons in national currencies, Eurostat found that household electricity prices increased sharply in Romania, rising by 51.6 per cent compared with the first half of 2025.
Ireland recorded the second-largest increase, at 19.8 per cent, followed by Finland, where prices rose by 18.4 per cent.
In contrast, Denmark registered the largest decrease, with household electricity prices falling by 31.7 per cent, while Luxembourg recorded a decline of 24.1 per cent.
The figures illustrate the uneven evolution of electricity costs across Europe, despite the overall reduction in average EU prices during the first six months of 2026.
For Cyprus, the combination of the historical price trend and the latest purchasing-power-adjusted figures shows that, although household electricity costs have fallen considerably from their 2023 peak, prices remain elevated compared with the period before the energy crisis.
Nurses’ trade unions have insisted that collective labour agreements protecting the rights and benefits of both existing and future nursing staff, including those recruited from abroad, are non-negotiable.
In a joint statement following Thursday’s House health committee discussion on proposed legislative amendments concerning the employment of nurses from third countries, SEK, PEO, Pasydy and Pasyno reiterated their position that staffing needs could be met by Cypriot nurses.
The unions said regulating employment conditions through collective agreements would help attract staff and prevent further departures from the profession.
They also stressed that language proficiency was primarily a matter of patient safety and quality of care, arguing that requirements must reflect the responsibilities of nursing staff and ensure effective communication with patients and other healthcare professionals.
The unions expressed strong dissatisfaction with the health ministry for failing to convene a meeting with trade unions, nursing representatives and employers’ organisations, despite having been given 15 days to facilitate dialogue on a comprehensive solution.
They said discussions before the House health committee had demonstrated that the conditions for a consensus did not exist and that the proposed legislative amendment should not proceed to the House plenum in its current form.
The unions also dismissed claims made by employers’ federation OEV and the private hospitals’ association (Pasin) as unsubstantiated, arguing that they did not contribute to addressing the nursing sector’s problems.
They warned that they would act as “a barrier to any attempt to downgrade the nursing profession or introduce any regulation that could endanger the quality and safety of care provided in Cyprus’ hospitals”.
The unions concluded that addressing healthcare staffing shortages required serious planning, reliable evidence and meaningful dialogue, alongside policies protecting healthcare standards and strengthening the nursing profession.
Workers in the support programmes of the education ministry will begin an indefinite strike on Monday, after unions cited many colleagues have gone five months without pay.
Trade unions SEK and PEO said the ministry has still not fully implemented legislation passed by the House on April 21 which regulates employment in specific programmes.
According to the unions, the law sets out staffing procedures, but these are not applied to every programme, which has left a number of workers without a job.
They also claim that posts meant for fixed-term staff are being filled by employees already on the permanent roll, who work overtime to cover them.
The unions further accused the government of repeatedly postponing a political decision on paying employees whose contracts have not been terminated.
They said the delay has left these workers with no income and no right to unemployment benefit.
“Workers remain unpaid for five months,” the unions said, describing the situation as the result of “continuous postponements” by the government.
The strike marks an escalation of measures the workers have taken over the unresolved labour issues, with a protest march planned for next Thursday, starting at the finance ministry and heading towards the presidential palace.
The unions have called on workers to turn out in large numbers for both the strike and the march, and have insisted action would continue until “substantive solutions” are provided to the problems they have raised.
Parents are opting for a second shot of MMR vaccine sooner, which aligns with guidance in Germany, the UK and France
Measles cases are accelerating in the US, with twice as many confirmed cases as last year, and more parents are opting for earlier vaccination – especially with the second dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which can be given as soon as four weeks after the first.
Giving the second shot soon after the first aligns with what some other countries, such as Germany, the United Kingdom and France, recommend – and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also says it’s an option.
Immigrants at Texas detention facility, protesting against harsh conditions, say they face threats of force-feeding
Members of Congress sent a scathing letter to federal immigration officials this week demanding answers about conditions inside a Texas immigration jail, as detained immigrants on a prolonged hunger strike claim officials are retaliating against them and threatening them with force-feeding.
A group of seven congressional Democrats sent the letter earlier this week to Markwayne Mullin, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, and David Venturella, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acting director, protesting about the treatment of hunger strikers.
Endorsement not always full-throated but party backing marks major turn after bitter split over nomination
Facing a barrage of extreme attacks from Donald Trump and his allies, the Democratic establishment is finally rallying around progressive Abdul El-Sayed, the party’s candidate in the closely watched US Senate election in Michigan. But the endorsement is not always full-throated, and often even omits his name.
At a rally in Port Huron on Sunday, the US president launched the latest in a wave of Islamophobic rants against El-Sayed, erroneously branding him a “jihadist” and “Muslim Brotherhood member” while invoking 9/11.
There’s a campaign moment I can’t stop thinking about. It happened shortly after the campaign of Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor of Ohio, released a shocking attack ad featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton.
In the ad, as many readers will know by now, Acton’s mother accuses her daughter of lying and tells Ohioans not to vote for her. Acton, 60, says she has not spoken to her mother since she was 12, when she and her brother were removed from their mother’s custody after their stepfather was arrested and charged with raping her. Acton says she last saw her mother at the courthouse, where her mother came to support her husband as her daughter testified against him.
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