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Bank of Cyprus Reports €117 Million Profit, Record Lending in Q1

The Bank of Cyprus has reported a successful first quarter in 2025, boasting a €117 million profit after tax, a 9% rise from the previous quarter.

Key performance metrics indicated resiliency, with the Return on Tangible Equity (ROTE) at 18.3%, outpacing the bank’s yearly goals.

CEO Panicos Nicolaou highlighted the bank’s consistent strong performance, citing a cost-to-income ratio of 34% and maintaining credit quality with non-performing exposures under 2%.

Bank of Cyprus saw new lending rise to a historic €842 million, marking a remarkable 16% increase compared to the previous quarter.

In strategic moves to diversify, the bank has acquired Ethniki Insurance Cyprus, enhancing its position in the Life and Non-Life sectors.

The Cypriot economy, growing by 3.4% in 2024, continues to outpace the Eurozone average, strengthening the bank’s outlook amidst global economic uncertainties.

With a plan to pay a €211 million cash dividend, Bank of Cyprus remains confident in meeting its targets and supporting the nation’s economy.

A New Twitter-Inspired Social Network Is Taking Shape

A new social network called Twitter.now is entering the market, with a founding team that includes former Twitter trademark counsel Stephen Coates. The service is being developed by startup Operation Bluebird.

As Ars Technica reported, X sued the company last year and asked a Delaware judge to block the launch. Operation Bluebird argued in a petition that X had abandoned trademarks including “Twitter” and “Tweet.”

Coates has said the project is not an attempt to recreate the original Twitter. In a LinkedIn post, he described the platform as a new public space focused on trust, transparency and user choice.

AI System To Rate Posts

Twitter.now is currently being tested, with early access priced at $20. Its main feature is VERA, an AI system designed to evaluate posts, verify claims and provide sources and context.

Posts receive a trust score, with users eventually able to set a minimum score to filter their feeds. The company says this approach will give people more control over what they see instead of leaving those decisions entirely to an algorithm.

Moderation Remains A Challenge

Scaling moderation will be one of the platform’s biggest tests. Social networks have repeatedly struggled with content moderation as their communities grow, and newer platforms such as Bluesky have faced similar criticism.

Operation Bluebird says VERA will form the basis of its moderation and verification system. A second version is already planned, with expanded tools that would let users set a specific trust threshold for the posts appearing in their feeds.

For now, Twitter.now remains in an early testing phase, combining the familiarity of the Twitter name with an AI-driven approach to evaluating online information.

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