Breaking news

Cyprus Industrial Output Prices Fall 0.2% In April

Industrial output prices in Cyprus declined 0.2% year-on-year in April 2026, according to data released by Cystat, while remaining broadly unchanged during the first four months of the year. The Industrial Output Price Index stood at 121.7 points in April, increasing 0.3% from March, while cumulative prices for the January-April period matched levels recorded during the same period of 2025.

Core Performance Overview

Despite monthly fluctuations, overall industrial output prices remained broadly stable during the first four months of the year. The latest figures indicate that sector-specific developments continued to offset one another, limiting broader changes in industrial pricing.

Sectoral Trends And Monthly Shifts

Between March and April, prices increased across all major industrial sectors. Water supply and materials recovery recorded the largest monthly increase at 1.9%, followed by electricity supply at 0.6% and manufacturing at 0.2%. Mining and quarrying prices rose by 0.1%. On an annual basis, water supply and materials recovery prices increased by 6.3%, while mining and quarrying rose by 1.6%. Manufacturing prices were up 1% compared with April 2025. A 6.8% decline in electricity supply prices was the primary factor behind the overall annual decrease in the index.

Detailed Manufacturing Breakdown

Within manufacturing, the highest annual increase was recorded in furniture production, other manufacturing activities and the repair and installation of machinery and equipment, which rose by 5.7%. Electronic and optical products, together with electrical equipment, recorded growth of 4.9%, while wood and cork products, excluding furniture, increased by 2.7%. Machinery and equipment manufacturing rose by 1.5%, while motor vehicles and transport equipment recorded a 1.1% increase. Paper products and printing declined by 0.2% on an annual basis, while prices in the food, beverages and tobacco sector remained stable.

Domestic Versus Export Market Insights

The domestic market index reached 123.1 points in April, up 0.3% from March but down 0.7% compared with the same month last year. Export prices increased by 0.6% month-on-month to 114.6 points and recorded annual growth of 2.9%. During the first four months of 2026, the domestic market index declined by 0.3%, while the export market index increased by 1.7%.

Methodological Basis And Future Projections

Based on 2021 as the reference year with an average value of 100 points, the Industrial Output Price Index measures price developments across both domestic and export markets. Cystat noted that figures for the electricity supply, water supply and materials recovery sectors for March and April 2026 remain preliminary and may be revised as additional data becomes available.

Meta Unveils Muse Wonder Models In A Bid For Frontier AI Leadership

Meta has introduced two new AI models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, signalling a more ambitious move into frontier AI. The releases build on Muse Spark but target more demanding tasks, including coding, while placing greater emphasis on long-term memory and personalised assistance.

Larger Models Target More Demanding Tasks

Unlike Muse Spark, which was designed for low latency and lightweight use, Muse Wonder and Wonder Full are significantly larger and, according to Meta, more capable. The company reports stronger benchmark performance and improvements on demanding workloads, including coding.

According to Meta’s model card, both models achieved benchmark results comparable to Fable 5.1 and GPT-6 Astra in the company’s internal testing. Meta described the release as “the next step on our scaling ladder and a major leap toward personal superintelligence” in its announcement.

Pricing Reflects Meta’s Frontier Ambitions

The models’ pricing places them in the premium AI segment. Through the Meta Model API, Muse Wonder will cost $4 per million input tokens and $20 per million output tokens, putting it in a similar pricing tier to GPT-6 Sol and Opus 5.5.

Muse Wonder Full, by contrast, will not be offered through the API. Meta says it will be exclusive to Muse Code subscribers, tying access to its most advanced model to a premium product. Both models will also power the Muse agent.

Long-Term Memory Takes Centre Stage

Meta is increasingly positioning its AI strategy around assistants that can support users over time rather than respond only to individual prompts. A central part of that approach is what the company calls “active memory”: the ability to retain, organise and synthesise information provided by users across extended periods.

Meta points to the MemoryBench benchmark, which evaluates systems designed for continual learning and memory construction. The company says Muse Wonder now outperforms Fable, Opus and Astra on this measure.

“We put a tremendous amount of effort into making sure your model can remember what’s important to you over days, weeks, months, and beyond,” research scientist Kavya Kopparapu said in a launch video.

New Models Follow Meta’s AI Reorganisation

The launch is also significant within Meta’s broader AI strategy. It is the company’s first frontier-model release since Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang reorganised its AI operations in August 2025. Meta has since introduced Muse Spark and the Muse agent, while making fewer high-profile model announcements than competitors such as OpenAI and Anthropic.

The new models were trained at Meta’s Prometheus data centre in central Ohio, which came online earlier in 2026, according to the company. The facility highlights the growing importance of infrastructure in the race to develop advanced AI systems, where performance depends not only on algorithms and data but also on computing capacity, data-centre investment and access to capital.

As competition intensifies, Muse Wonder and Wonder Full represent a broader bet on larger models, persistent memory and premium AI products. Their longer-term significance will depend on how their reported capabilities translate into real-world performance and whether users find enough value to pay for access.

Aretilaw firm
eCredo
Uol
The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

Become a Speaker

Become a Speaker

Become a Partner

Subscribe for our weekly newsletter