Property transactions rose 21% year-on-year in July 2018, to 896, the highest since December 2017, mainly on a strong performance of the real estate market in Nicosia and Paphos, the Department of Lands and Surveys said.

Non-performing loans fell marginally in April 2018, the month in which the government stepped in to support anew the crumbling Co-op bank, remaining at the same levels as the previous month, at €19.9bn, the Central Bank of Cyprus said.

Cyprus’ trade deficit fell by €334.7m, or an annual 15%, in the first half of the year, to below €2bn on a strong increase in exports which more than offset rising imports, the statistical service said.

AstroBank said recently that it signed an agreement to acquire the operations of USB Bank, including its staff but excluding certain unspecified assets for an unspecified consideration.

The number of company registrations rose in July 2018 by 11% to 1,446 compared with the respective month of 2017, defying tighter anti-money laundering measures, restrictions against shell companies, and sanctions, the office of the registrar of companies and official receiver said.

It is a fact that when trying to learn a new language the old adage ‘use it or lose it’ holds true.  It is also true, that over the summer holidays most of us seek comfort in the language(s) we feel most at home, and we seldom ever try to practise the language(s) we were learning prior to the holidays.  Since the summer holiday is a long break for most language-learners, this can have a detrimental effect in our endeavours to put another language under our belt.  Not necessarily, though; especially if you live in a country or in proximity to where the language at hand is spoken.

Canvas Holidays has estimated the value of Nissi Beach at £25 million sterling — among the 15 most valuable in the world, Ayia Napa Municipality said recently.

Nicosia has reached an agreement with Cairo on a pipeline to connect the Aphrodite gas field in block 12 to Egypt.

The Paphos regional board of tourism has launched a new comprehensive website as part of a wider campaign utilising technology and upgraded literature to help to promote the entire district.

ExxonMobil and Cyprus could hit the jackpot later this year when the US energy behemoth bores down into the seabed in search for natural gas.