CRIME ROUND UP

 Pafos Live 14 July 2025

New evidence emerges in relation to the fatal accident in which 16-year-old Turkish Cypriot Ivan Gurbetoglu lost his life in Choletria. According to information, the young man dragged a stray dog with his motorcycle, lost control of the motorcycle, crashed into a tree, resulting in fatal injury.

The dead animal was located at the scene, examinations were carried out by the veterinary clinic and it did indeed bear injuries from the collision. It is noted that from the first moment of the young man's identification, various scenarios for the alleged involvement of a vehicle had been circulated, which were investigated and are not confirmed.

OVER 37 TONNES OF BATTERIES RECYCLED IN FIRST HALF OF 2025

 Cyprus Mail 14 July 2025 - by Georgiana Sofroniou

More than 37,000 kilograms of used batteries were recycled in Cyprus during the first half of 2025, according to the non-profit organisation Afis Cyprus, which coordinated a series of public awareness and collection campaigns across the island.

In a statement, Afis highlighted a number of innovative events that helped boost public participation, including a themed fun run for World Battery Day, a free ice cream giveaway in Aglandjia and a creative initiative at the Fork Food Market that offered free food or drinks to those who brought in used batteries.

WHAT'S ON - 15-31 JULY

 

WHAT'S ON - 15-31 July

LETYMBOU RESI FESTIVAL 2025 - Cultural Centre & Sofia's Trad House, Letymbou - 26/27 July

 

LETYMBOU RESI FESTIVAL 2025

Cultural Centre & Sofia's Traditional House, Letymbou Village, Pafos

26 July - 7pm - 2am

LOLLIPOPS THAT SING THROUGH YOUR TEETH

Cyprus Mail 14 July 2025 - by Charalambos Stylianou 

A boy trying out a TastySounds lollipop

Cyprus keeps musical lollipops off shelves pending safety review

Children abroad are already licking lollipops that basically blast music through their teeth. But in Cyprus, the futuristic sweet is still nowhere to be found, leaving many locals desperate for a taste.

The gadget, called TastySounds, is made by Amos Sweets, a Hong Kong-based confectionery firm. Billed as the world’s first edible device using bone conduction technology, it’s been a viral hit on social media and won prizes at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago in 2023.

PROPOSED TAX REFORM IS BLATANTLY UNFAIR

 Cyprus Mail 13 July 2025 - by Les Manison

The very favourable tax treatment of foreign professionals domiciled in Cyprus makes the purchase and renting of housing for many of the local population unaffordable

High earners receiving between €60,000 and €80,000 will enjoy tax saving by moving to a lower tax bracket

President Nikos Christodoulides has stated repeatedly that the proposed tax reform will “aim at reducing the tax burden on families and working people, modernising the economy, and encouraging competitiveness”.

However, the details of the tax reform indicate that it aims primarily at enhancing the tax-friendly environment for companies, foreign professionals and wealthy property owners, rather than trying to alleviate economic hardship and the tax burden on households by proposing a more progressive tax and distribution system.

CYPRUS SEES SHARP RISE IN ONLINE BANKING

Cyprus Mail 14 July 2025 - by Souzana Psara

Cyprus has overtaken the EU average in online banking, with 85.1 per cent of internet users managing their finances online in 2024, according to Eurostat’s Digitalisation in Europe 2025 report.  

The share rose from 77.7 per cent in 2023 and 71.4 per cent in 2022, reflecting a sharp increase in adoption. 

Across the EU, 72.4 per cent of internet users used online banking in 2024, up from 56 per cent in 2014.