Safe Bulkers has started trading on the Main Market of Euronext Athens, in a move aimed at strengthening the link between Greek shipping and European capital markets.

The company, which has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2008, began trading in Athens under the symbol SB, with an initial trading price of €5.70.

The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Shipping Minister Marina Hadjimanolis, Cyprus’ ambassador to Greece Stavros Avgoustides and their associates, adding a strong Cyprus dimension to the listing, as Safe Bulkers is based on the island.

In her remarks, Hadjimanolis thanked Safe Bulkers founder and chief executive Polys Hadjioannou for his steady and long-standing support for Cypriot shipping.

She also stressed that, through Safe Bulkers, “the heart of Cyprus from today beats strongly on the Athens Stock Exchange”.

Greek shipping’s global reach was brought into sharp focus at Posidonia 2026, after Nasdaq marked the opening of the international maritime exhibition in Athens with a Times Square greeting.

The message, displayed on the Nasdaq Tower in New York, read “NASDAQ Welcomes Posidonia 2026 & Wishes All Participants Good Success!”

Its display on one of the world’s most recognisable digital screens reflected Posidonia’s growing international profile, while also pointing to the long-standing presence of Greek-linked shipping companies in global capital markets.

The symbolic gesture came as Posidonia 2026 opened in Athens at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, pressure on major sea routes and renewed debate over how far and how fast shipping’s green transition should go.

Cyprus’ tourism revenue fell sharply in March 2026, dropping by 33.8 per cent year-on-year to €85.6 million, according to a report from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

The decline compares with €129.4m recorded in March 2025, offering the first clear indication of the impact from the escalation of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

For the January to March 2026 period, total tourism revenue is estimated at €245.5m, down from €278.3m in the same period of 2025.

This represents an 11.8 per cent decrease for the first quarter of the year, reversing the positive momentum recorded in January and February.

The figures are based on the passenger survey conducted by Cystat, which tracks spending patterns among visitors departing from Larnaca and Paphos airports.

Cyprus remained one of the European Union’s most foreign-dependent tourism markets in the first quarter of 2026, with overseas visitors accounting for 85.6 per cent of all tourist overnight stays, Eurostat data showed on Tuesday.

The figure placed Cyprus second in the bloc, behind Malta, where foreign visitors made up 93.3 per cent of overnight stays. Luxembourg followed closely in third place, at 85.1 per cent.

By comparison, domestic tourism continued to dominate in several larger EU markets. Germany recorded the lowest share of foreign visitor overnight stays, at 19.9 per cent, followed by Poland with 20.2 per cent and Romania with 22.4 per cent.

Across the EU, foreign visitors accounted for about 46.6 per cent of all overnight stays in tourist accommodation during the first three months of the year.

Cyprus has been restored to the lowest level of US travel advice, with the state department advising American citizens to exercise normal precautions when visiting the island.

According to the renewed advisory, the US now places Cyprus at Level 1, the category used for destinations where travellers are advised to take only the usual safety measures.

The move effectively confirms Cyprus’ status as a generally safe destination, although the advisory still draws attention to specific areas where caution is required.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the change as a “positive development for the image of Cyprus as a travel destination”, in a post referring to the updated travel guidance issued by both the US and the United Kingdom.

The British foreign office has updated its travel advice for Cyprus, removing emergency references to regional tension that had unsettled parts of the British tourist market.

The previous version of the guidance had included Cyprus, along with at least 17 other countries in the wider region, in a special warning issued after the escalation of tension in the Middle East and the drone incident at the British base in Akrotiri.

At the time, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warned that regional tension “may cause travel problems” and lead to “other unforeseen consequences”.

It had also urged British citizens to exercise increased caution when travelling, although London did not advise against travel to Cyprus.

Those references have now been removed from the updated advice.

The Cyprus consumers association showed that consumer goods prices continued to fluctuate in the second half of May, with increases recorded across 165 products in 34 product categories.

The association said that the largest increases, reaching up to 9.8 per cent, were recorded in categories such as sauces and dressings, eggs, soaps, cheeses, yoghurt, tissues and personal hygiene items, pointing to continued pressure on everyday household goods.

It also noted that a package of mayonnaise increased by 34 cents from one day to the next, corresponding to a 9.8 per cent rise, while a pack of 12 eggs rose by 29 cents, 7.4 per cent.

The largest increase in absolute terms was recorded in infant milk, where the price rose by 45 cents, although this represented a smaller percentage increase of 2.5 per cent.

Retail trade turnover in Cyprus continued to rise in April 2026, with both value and volume indices recording annual increases, according to a report by the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat).

Specifically, the Turnover Value Index of Retail Trade, excluding motor vehicles, rose by 5.8 per cent year-on-year in April, reaching 141.0 units, compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.

At the same time, the Turnover Volume Index increased by 2.9 per cent on an annual basis, reaching 122.1 units, indicating that retail activity expanded not only in value terms but also in real terms.

Over the January to April 2026 period, the value index rose by 6.4 per cent compared with the same period of 2025, while the volume index increased by 5.5 per cent, pointing to continued growth across the first four months of the year.

Cyprus’ economy grew by 3 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, supported by household spending, exports and activity across key services sectors, preliminary data from the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) showed on Tuesday.

Gross domestic product (GDP), in real terms and adjusted for seasonal fluctuations and working days, also rose by 0.2 per cent compared with the fourth quarter of 2025.

Growth was mainly driven by wholesale and retail trade, transport, accommodation and food services, along with information and communication and financial and insurance activities.

According to the production approach, the strongest annual increase was recorded in information and communication, which grew by 5.4 per cent.

Energy policy in Cyprus must move beyond pre-election slogans towards a coherent long-term national strategy, according to Andreas Poullikkas, professor of energy systems at Frederick University and former chairman of the Cyprus Energy Regulatory Authority.

In a post-election piece of analysis, Poullikkas stressed that the new House of Representatives provides a vital chance to pivot towards a professional, evidence-based, and sustainable long-term energy strategy.

“The new parliament offers a critical opportunity to move beyond pre-election slogans and towards a serious, documented and long-term national energy strategy,” Poullikkas said.