Fact: Cyprus will have a vibrant cultural scene this summer with events such as the Cyprus International Accordion Festival, Vegan Fam Flavours, Cyprus Pride March, Cyprus Fashion Film Festival, MBS Wellbeing Day Festival, Lavender Festival, Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival, Summer Jazz Project, and Paphos International Film Festival.
The Sicilian Inheritance is a historical murder mystery novel set in Sicily, featuring two women named Serafina across multiple generations. The story follows Sara, a butcher-turned-chef-turned-restaurateur from Philadelphia, as she embarks on a journey to her ancestral home in Sicily to solve a land deed dispute and uncover the mysterious death of her great-aunt’s mother, the original Serafina. The novel switches between first-person narration by the two Serafinas and between the 2020s and the 1910s, revealing interrelated events surrounding the land and death. The novel is praised for its historically interesting and engaging segments with Serafina, but criticized for weaker quality in the sections focusing on Sara. Ultimately, The Sicilian Inheritance is described as a fun read with a satisfying twist in the mystery’s resolution.
Fact: Ali Abbasi’s drama “The Apprentice” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, focusing on Donald Trump’s rise as a New York real estate mogul.
The Soviet Union influenced Akel to reject a solution plan proposed by the US, UK, and Canada for the Cyprus problem in 1976. The Soviet Union did not want the Cyprus problem to be solved by a US initiative, as it would strengthen the US’s prestige in the region and maintain tension in Greece-Turkey relations.
Certain resident juridical persons, such as government entities, government-controlled entities, businesses engaged in natural resource extraction, those involved in non-extractive natural resource businesses, and natural persons with business revenue below Dh1 million in a Gregorian calendar year, are exempt from corporate tax.
– The African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa is facing a decline in support and is expected to receive less than 50% of the vote in the upcoming election.
– The decline of the ANC has not led to the emergence of new parties with new ideas, but rather the same old parties with the same old ideas.
– South Africa remains a country with high levels of poverty and inequality, with official unemployment at 32%.
– Former president Jacob Zuma has founded a new party that is expected to attract Zulu votes and further decrease the ANC’s support.
– The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, led by Julius Malema, is polling at 11.5% and has a radical platform that includes nationalizing banks and mines.
– Malema’s best chance of gaining power may be through a coalition with the ANC.
– Despite challenges, South Africa still has resources and potential for change.
A brand-new exhibition at Apocalypse Gallery in Nicosia will present a unique collection of paintings of saints of the 20th century by artist Ermioni Zachariadou. The exhibition will open on May 29 at 7pm in the presence of the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis. The exhibition will be open until June 8 and will include a book with portraits and biographies of each saint.
Fact: The use of smartphones has transformed the way people relate to the world and others, leading to a decline in face-to-face conversations and an increase in communication mediated through screens.
The highest-income Americans pay only about 23 percent of their income in taxes, with billionaires having a lower effective tax rate than working-class Americans. Berkeley economist Gabriel Zucman argues that owners of capital receive all the benefits of corporate tax cuts, while other economists believe that workers also benefit through higher wages. The burden of corporate taxes may shift over time, with highly-paid employees bearing more of the burden initially, but workers benefiting once firms implement productivity-enhancing investments. Only about 28 percent of publicly traded corporate stock is held by taxable entities, highlighting the ongoing debate over corporate tax incidence.
Eurobank Holdings released its financial results for the first quarter of 2024, showing significant growth and robust performance. Adjusted net profits in Cyprus and Bulgaria improved substantially, with Cyprus reaching €92 million.