Breaking news

Daleela Ferry Resumes Cyprus-Greece Route in 2025: Navigating New Horizons

Setting Sail Again: The Daleela Ferry Connects Cyprus and Greece

The Daleela ferry is back on the waves, resuming its pivotal route between Cyprus and Greece this Saturday from Limassol to Piraeus. Embarking on the first of 22 planned crossings this summer, this maritime service is now entering its fourth season, an enduring link in Mediterranean travel.

A Key Initiative for Connectivity

This service reactivation comes on the heels of an announcement by Deputy Minister of Shipping, Marina Hadjimanolis, alongside Scandro Holding Ltd, continuing a government partnership until 2027. This vital route is more than just transport; it’s a lifeline for those who find flying challenging due to various reasons such as age or medical issues. According to Minister Hadjimanolis, “It’s classified as a service of general economic interest, with €5.5 million annual support.”

Strong Demand Sets Sail

The vessel will carry 187 passengers, 66 vehicles, 36 motorcycles, and 8 pets. Demand is robust, with over 6,500 tickets already sold and full booking for August, while opportunities for travel still exist in June and July. The season finale is slated for September 2 from Piraeus.

A Steady Rise in Popularity

Operated under a €15.6 million contract awarded in 2022 to Scandro Holding Ltd—a joint venture between Limassol-based Acheon Akti Navigation and Nicosia’s Top Kinisis Travel—the ferry’s popularity is clear. Over the last three years, 22,582 passengers, 7,641 vehicles, and 772 pets have used this service. As Scandro director Charalambos Manoli notes, “The ferry shows how much people embrace this service. Our aim is to enhance both the journey and the service each year.”

Challenges and Hopes for the Future

The ferry presents a valuable alternative for travelers, ensuring ease for families, the elderly, and pet owners who may not wish to fly. Some logistical issues remain, particularly related to land transfers within ports, yet the overall reception is promising. Hadjimanolis hopes the maritime industry will continue the route post-subsidy, envisioning it as a stepping stone for additional links in the region.

Interested in how Cyprus is optimizing for growth? Check out how the labor market is advancing.

Mirendil Signs $100 Million Google Cloud Deal To Advance Self-Improving AI

AI startup Mirendil has signed a multi-year agreement worth more than $100 million with Google Cloud to secure computing infrastructure for its self-improving AI research.

The partnership reflects growing competition among AI companies to lock in access to high-performance computing, while cloud providers race to attract promising startups developing next-generation AI models.

Backing The Next Stage Of AI Research

Mirendil plans to use Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Nvidia GPUs and managed training infrastructure to develop AI systems capable of improving their own performance over time.

Known as recursive self-improvement, the concept focuses on building AI that can refine its knowledge and capabilities with minimal human intervention. The technology is attracting growing interest across the industry, with several startups and leading AI labs exploring similar approaches.

According to co-founder and Chief Executive Behnam Neyshabur, the long-term goal is to develop AI that can automate scientific research and accelerate discoveries in fields such as medicine, biology and materials science.

Compute Capacity Becomes A Strategic Asset

Training increasingly advanced AI models requires enormous computing resources, making long-term infrastructure agreements a critical competitive advantage.

Mirendil said Google’s combination of TPUs and GPUs allows workloads to be matched with the most suitable hardware, improving efficiency while reducing costs for customers.

For Google Cloud, the agreement strengthens its position in the race to provide infrastructure for frontier AI developers, while giving the company exposure to one of the industry’s emerging approaches to next-generation artificial intelligence.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties
Aretilaw firm
eCredo
Uol

Become a Speaker

Become a Speaker

Become a Partner

Subscribe for our weekly newsletter