Opens in a new tab

Breaking news

Latsi Port Expansion: Pioneering Cyprus’ First Green Maritime Hub

Project Overview

By June 2026, the Latsi Port in the Paphos district is set to undergo a major expansion. The project, announced by Anthimos Christodoulides, General Manager of the Cyprus Ports Authority (ΜCW), will commence with significant infrastructure works. The initiative includes the creation of approximately 184 new berthing positions and the development of around 4,500 square meters of extensive waterfront support facilities. These new installations will feature dedicated maintenance and repair bays, dining and recreational areas, offices, and facilities for hosting government services.

Green Port Initiative

In a landmark move for sustainability, the Latsi Port project is poised to become the first “green” port in Cyprus. The development will integrate circular economy practices, efficient waste management, and the utilization of renewable energy sources to minimize environmental impact. The emphasis on environmentally friendly methodologies underscores the project’s role not only in enhancing local maritime operations but also in setting a new standard for sustainable port infrastructure in the region.

Regulatory Approvals Underway

The project has already advanced through crucial stages of regulatory review. Key environmental assessments, including the Special Ecological Assessment Study and the Environmental Impact Assessment, have been submitted and are currently being evaluated by the appropriate governmental departments. The next step involves presenting the project to the General Accounting Office for approval, which will be followed by an open tender process for contractor selection.

Community Engagement and Strategic Importance

Robust public consultations have been conducted with both local residents and the City of Chrysochous, addressing environmental concerns and overall project functionality. With an estimated investment of €52 million—funded entirely through the reserves of the Cyprus Ports Authority—the project is set to bolster not only the development of Latsi but also the broader strategic advancement of Cyprus’ maritime infrastructure. Concurrently, developments at the Vassilikos Port further underline the country’s commitment to modernizing its seaport facilities.

Google Cloud Outage Disrupts Banking And Digital Services Across The UK

A power outage at a Google Cloud data centre near London disrupted services across the UK on Tuesday, affecting banks, businesses and other digital platforms. Google said the incident was caused by a power event at its cloud operations, with full recovery expected by around 1300 GMT.

The disruption began at 0608 GMT and affected Google Cloud services in the europe-west2 region, which is hosted in London. In an initial update, the company reported elevated error rates and intermittent network failures across multiple services as engineers worked to restore operations.

Banking Services Hit By The Disruption

Revolut was among the most visibly affected companies, with customers reporting problems with ATM withdrawals, bank transfers and card top-ups. A source close to the matter linked the issues to the Google Cloud outage.

Traditional banks also reported disruptions. Lloyds said some customers were experiencing problems with its app and online banking, while HSBC confirmed difficulties accessing its services. HSBC added that it was monitoring the situation and noted that other organisations were affected as well.

Disruption Spreads Beyond Finance

Downdetector, which tracks online service disruptions, recorded hundreds of reports involving other businesses, including property website Rightmove and the Royal Mail postal service. The reports suggested that the outage was affecting multiple parts of the UK’s digital economy.

The incident highlights the risks facing businesses that depend on shared cloud infrastructure. Even a temporary failure at a single provider can disrupt services across several sectors, from banking and payments to logistics and consumer platforms.

Companies Reassure Customers

Revolut said it had been working to resolve the issue since it was identified and apologised to affected customers. The company also confirmed that customers’ money and data remained safe.

As cloud platforms underpin an increasing share of digital commerce, the outage illustrates how disruptions to critical infrastructure can spread far beyond the provider itself, affecting businesses and customers across the economy.

Uol
The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties
Aretilaw firm
eCredo

Become a Speaker

Become a Speaker

Become a Partner

Subscribe for our weekly newsletter