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The European island with 300 days of sunshine, beachfront restaurants and hotels loved by Shakira

IF a Greek Cypriot dancer ever says he’s lost his glasses, there’s a good chance they’ll be on his head.

No, not his specs, silly — wine glasses, that vital part of traditional entertainment in a Cyprus hotel.

Woman in white dress and blue hat walking on a sandy beach.
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The Asimina has a private beach[/caption]
Woman receiving a massage outdoors.
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Treat yourself and relax at the hotel’s spa[/caption]
Beach cabanas with a woman relaxing and a server approaching.
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Laze in cabanas on the sandy beach[/caption]
Oceanfront dining tables with candles and flowers.
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Eat, drink and be merry at the hotel’s Kymata restaurant[/caption]

Our dancer had TEN of them on his bonce, one on top of the other, plus a bottle of wine on top of all that for good measure.

This astonishing mix of balancing act and Zorba-style dancing was the highlight of Greek Cypriot Night at the Asimina Suites Hotel in Paphos.

The diners in the restaurant, mainly Brits, loved the show.

Still, someone at the next table to us was a bit grudging with the applause, saying in a loud whisper: “Ten? I mean, OK, but isn’t the world record 300?”

Well you try it, mate! Honestly, there’s no pleasing some people.

But there is no doubt that from food to facilities and from entertainment to location, the adults-only Asimina pretty much pleases everyone.

This friendly 5H hotel, where we stayed last October, is a hit with Brits all year round and you can see why.

Owners the Constantinou Brothers promise a traditional Greek Cypriot welcome and they are as good as their word.

This is service with a genuine smile as attentive staff keep asking if you need another drink or more food.

And the location! The Asimina is in a sedate spot on the Paphos seafront with its own private section of sandy beach.

Hire a cabana for a bit extra and laze right by the water’s edge or lie on a sunbed under the palm trees on the hotel’s huge front lawn, an exhausting 20 paces from the sea.

If you prefer the pool there are two outdoor and some of the suites even have their own private ones with wooden decks.

But back to dinner. The food at the Asimina’s four restaurants may be its crowning glory.

There are local delicacies, themed nights with international cuisine and plenty of straightforward grub to keep fussy Brits happy.

It was all superb, wonderfully presented and with loads of choice.

Like many holidaymakers, we often get sucked into the fly and flop of staying in a brilliant hotel and never leaving until it’s time to go home.

But a half-hour stroll along the coastal path will take you to Paphos port with its lively bars and restaurants.

Best of all you can visit Paphos Archaeological Park, one of the most important digs in Cyprus and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It contains the remains of four Roman villas with incredibly well preserved mosaic floors.

Perhaps the most impressive is the Grand House of Dionysus, named after the Greek god of wine, showing scenes of partying and hunting.

Next door is the Tomb Of The Kings, which is like something out of Indiana Jones.

It’s a 2,000-year-old  maze of underground burial chambers that’s utterly fascinating, even though no kings ever ended up being laid to rest there.

Woman walking towards a resort pool.
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MAKE A SPLASH . . .  in hotel’s main pool[/caption]
Roman mosaic depicting Dionysus and Akah.
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The ancient mosaic at House of Dionysus[/caption]
Couple enjoying drinks and fruit platter at sunset seaside restaurant.
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Take in the beach view at Kohili restaurant[/caption]
Luxury resort poolside with lounge chairs and ocean view.
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The bedroom suite’s pool[/caption]

It is worth venturing into Paphos town, too, even though one regular at the Asimina complained that endless building over the last few years had ruined its charm.

It’s a bit of a hike from the hotel so get the bus or a cab, or hire a car.

Don’t worry about the latter. This is Cyprus not Greece. Everyone drives on the left and even the cabbies obey the speed limit.

It’s things like that, along with 300 days of glorious sunshine a year and no real language barrier (and even the fact Cyprus uses the UK three-pin plug!), that make the island so popular with us Brits.

Anyway, Paphos’s bars and boutiques are worth checking out but make sure you eat at the fantastic Agora Tavern, a family-owned place on a hill overlooking the sea.

There are just two things on the menu, the small meze and the large one. Choose your size and enjoy this fabulous array of local delicacies all chosen for you.

You might think that staying at the Asimina is more than enough for a holiday.

But travel companies have this theory. How much better would your stay in Cyprus be if you stayed in TWO brilliant hotels?

Rock star

Which is how we found ourselves on the other side of Paphos at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort at Peyia.

The Cap St Georges is seriously upmarket, a huge campus offering suites with private pools, villas, several private beaches and the kind of personal attention that makes you feel like a rock star.

It’s such a big deal that the England football team have stayed here and one of the villas is owned by the pop star Shakira (we didn’t see her).

It’s set on a series of cliff tops that look like slices of tiramisu above tiny coves offering warm, clear waters to swim in.

There’s loads to do at the Cap St Georges from wine tours, water sports and private yacht trips to horse riding and halloumi-making.

Like the Asimina, the food is the big selling point.

There are four restaurants for dinner, serving Italian, Asian and sushi, fine dining and more.

Our favourite was the Kohili, offering local cuisine in a stunning setting by the beach.

Needless to say, all this ain’t cheap but for that special celebration, the Cap St Georges is hard to beat.

Oh, and while you are in Paphos, visit the beach where Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was born. It’s just down the coast from the Asimina.

Call me unromantic if you like, but Dionysus is more my kind of god.

He loved wine, good food and a bit of a party.

What’s not to like?

GO: PAPHOS

GETTING/STAYING THERE: Seven nights’ half-board with four nights at the 5H Constantinou Bros Asimina Suites and three nights at the 5H Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort is from £1,992pp including flights from Gatwick, transfers and baggage.

Based on October departures.

See olympicholidays.com or call 0208 492 6868.

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Bus driver charged with drug-driving after nine-year-old girl was hit by bus and killed in tragic crash

A BUS driver has been charged with drug-driving after a girl was hit by a bus and killed in a tragic crash.

Ada Bicakci, 9, died in hospital on August 5 last year, two days after the horrific collision with a bus driven by Martin Asolo-Agogua, 23, in Bexleyheath, south east London.

Photo of Ada Bicakci.
Ada Bicakci died after being hit by a bus in London last year
Police tape at a bus stop near a red double-decker bus.
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The scene of the horror collision last summer[/caption]
Police cars at a residential street scene with police tape.
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Police at the scene[/caption]

Asolo-Agogua was charged on Thursday with causing death by dangerous driving and causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs.

Police said he was also charged with driving whilst over the drug limit.

Ada’s five-year-old brother was also struck and taken to hospital as a precaution.

The nine-year-old was a Turkish-British national that lived in Bexleyheath with her family and attended a local primary school.

She also attended a Turkish school in south-east London and was a keen gymnast and swimmer.

Ada’s organs were donated and she went on to help six other people following her tragic death, her family said.

They also shared two pictures of their daughter, including one that shows her having had her hair cut for donation.

Asolo-Agogua, from Nunhead, south London, was arrested on the day of the crash on suspicion of causing serious injury through dangerous driving and drug-driving.

The horror crash took place on Watling Street on the morning of August 3, 2024.

A GoFundMe page was set up for Ada by her family and raised more than £14,000.

Metropolitan Police said at the time of the crash: “Police were called to the scene where a bus had collided with two children in Watling Street near the junction with Halcot Avenue on the morning of Saturday, 3 August 2024.

“Both children were taken to hospital and, despite the best efforts of medical staff, nine-year-old Ada Bicakci sadly died in the afternoon of Monday, 5 August.

“Ada’s family continue to be supported by specialist officers.”

Asolo-Agogua has now been bailed and is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on March 24.

Girl holding up a ponytail of cut hair.
Ada Bicakci died two days after the horrific smash

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Diddy ‘sexually assaulted and held woman captive’ as she desperately texted her husband,’ bombshell new lawsuit claims

SCANDAL-hit Sean “Diddy” Combs has been slapped with another lawsuit which claims he raped a woman and held her captive for hours.

The latest suit has been filed anonymously by a woman who claims Combs drugged her during a VIP party in 1999 and took her back to his home before assaulting her.

Sean Combs in a tuxedo.
Combs has been slapped with another lawsuit which claims he raped a woman and held her captive
P Diddy shirtless, holding a white shirt.
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Diddy during his 6th Annual P. Diddy White Party[/caption]
Courtroom sketch of three men and a woman.
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A sketch of Diddy and his attorneys in court[/caption]

Combs allegedly handed her a drink during the event after which she felt “extreme drowsiness”, the woman claims.

He is then said to have forced her to drink more and suggested she should sleep at her house when she began feeling extremely tipsy.

Once at the property, the woman claims Combs became “aggressive” and made “unwanted physical advances”.

She even claims to have told the music mogul that she had texted her husband the address of the place.

But then Combs allegedly “groped her and touched her private parts” for the next four hours, the woman has claimed in the lawsuit.

The woman is said to have left the property once she was back to her senses, TMZ reports.

Combs’ legal team slammed the lawsuit, saying their client “has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone”.

They said: “No matter how many lawsuits are filed—especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims—it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.

“We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”

The US Sun has reached out to Combs’ PR and legal team for comment.

Combs is accused of abusing several women and leading Bad Boy Records as a “criminal enterprise” for more than a decade.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies all allegations against him.

He is currently being held in a Brooklyn jail cell as he faces criminal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

Attorney Tony Buzbee has said he is representing over 100 accusers in a slew of filed and forthcoming civil claims against the mogul, who continues to deny all charges against him.

Meanwhile, sickening details emerged about Combs’ demands for the women attending his alleged “Freak Off” sex parties.

Women would be forced to perform sex acts for days on end and would be left needing IV drips, a bombshell indictment claimed.

Combs denied all allegations made against him.

slew of lawsuits are now stacked against the record producer accusing him of dozens of sexual assaults over the past 20 years.

Many of these alleged incidents are said to have occurred at meetings and Combs’ infamous parties.

The onslaught of claims was sparked after a video went viral in May of Combs beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel in 2016.

However, Combs’ lawyers have called the wave of allegations “meritless” and part of a “reckless media circus.”

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673).

The downfall of Sean 'Diddy' Combs

By Forest McFarland, Senior News Reporter

BEFORE Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest, it had been highly speculated that the rap star would find himself in custody after he was repeatedly hit with disturbing accusations – and had two of his mansions raided by the feds.

His mounting legal troubles finally came to a head on September 17, when he was charged with three federal counts, including sex trafficking, for allegedly forcing victims to take part in drug-fueled sex parties he called “Freak Offs.”

Hours before his arrest, The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed the feds investigating Combs were secretly liaising with Tupac Shakur murder prosecutors on gangland activities.

The development also came after Combs was named 77 times in documents submitted by prosecutors in the Tupac murder case.

Aside from the Tupac probe, Combs was already facing a slew of lawsuits, including one he settled with his ex, Cassie Ventura, after she accused him of rape and abuse.

Disturbing hotel surveillance video from 2016 showed Combs chasing Cassie down and then punching, kicking, and beating her in a hallway.

Two months earlier, in March 2024, two of Combs’ mansions were raided by federal investigators, who seized three AR-15s, drugs, and 1,000 bottles of lube which were part of his “Freak Off” supplies.

In addition to his federal criminal charges, Combs also faces a handful of lawsuits with allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and sex trafficking dating back to the early 1990s.

Music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones filed one suit in February 2024, claiming Combs forced him to hire sex workers and participate in sex acts while he worked on his latest album.

Combs has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the federal sex trafficking charges against him, but his battle is far from over.

He faces life in prison if he’s convicted on all counts.

Combs has denied all the allegations against him
Group of celebrities laughing at a table.
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Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Cassie celebrate their 2016 MTV Video Music Awards After Party[/caption]

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The cruise line loved by foodies where every restaurant is free onboard

SORRY, Shakespeare – music is not the food of love. Food is.

I’m three days into a voyage on Oceania Cruises’ Vista ship and I’m besotted with its cuisine, which is doing a very good job of living up to the company’s promise of being the finest at sea.

Waiter serving seafood at a table overlooking the ocean.
Oceania Cruises’ Vista ship can hold 1,200 holidaymakers, and it has enough food for them all
Matt Dutile Creative

Actually, I’m loving everything about this ship.

The decor veers from classy Art Deco in the Grand Dining Room to hand-cut mosaics in Italian eatery Toscana and lilypad-like loungers in the pool.

“It looks like they are floating,” the ship’s designer tells me.

I’m not convinced but they are certainly a lovely place to top up the tan.

In the atrium, a spectacular two-deck-high glass sculpture that changes colour looks like a shoal of fish swimming to the ceiling.

My cabin features a huge bathroom and super-sized shower, a private balcony and a bed so comfy, it is a struggle to get up each morning. It is not even the best in the house.

That honour goes to the Owners’ Suites. These span the width of the ship and are decked out by Ralph Lauren Home.

They have separate dining and living rooms and come with a butler, lots of free booze and first dibs on tables in the restaurants.

But food is the star of the show on Vista, which has one chef for every ten passengers — it holds 1,200 holidaymakers, . . .  so that is a lot of cooks!

And there are so many places to eat — a week is not long enough to try them all.

Best of all, they are free on the grounds that Oceania Cruises cannot promise the finest cuisine at sea and then charge for it.

I start my culinary journey in the Grand Dining Room, where the multi-course dinner menu changes daily and there are no set dining times or seating plans — just turn up and eat when you are ready.

There is no less a feast at the Terrace Café buffet.

This is my favourite spot for an al-fresco breakfast and it is even better for dinner, where serving stations groan under the weight of salads, seafood, steaks and stir-fries.

I head to the create-your-own pasta station and order spaghetti laced with garlic and chilli. Luckily I’m travelling solo!

That is just for starters, though. The next four days are a foodie feast as I do the rounds of the four speciality restaurants.

Lobster dish with peanuts and lime.
Oceania doesn’t want anyone on Vista to go hungry, and is proud of the fine dining options
Matt Dutile Creative

Detox body wrap

In Polo Grill, a fancy restaurant with a clubby feel, I enjoy a 14oz ribeye steak.

And in Toscana, a posh Italian, I have eggplant rolls, white bean soup, homemade pasta and suckling pig.

Talk about guilty pleasures. So guilty that the next day I seek out the gym for all sorts of instruments of torture. And there are free yoga and fitness classes.

All good stuff, but give me the detox body wrap in the spa that promises wonders for the mind, body and soul any day.

Cruise ship docked at a port.
Cabins feature huge bathrooms and super-sized shower, with a private balcony
Matt Dutile Creative

The healthy stuff ticked, it is time to undo the good work in Red Ginger, with chic red-and-black decor and a wall of glass lanterns that appear to float. At least that’s what the designer tells me.

He clearly has a thing about floating and who am I to argue?

The food is as gorgeous as the decor — gently spiced rather than blow-your-head-off hot — and beautifully served.

A fourth speciality restaurant, Ember (think upscale grill with fast service), is being replaced later this year by French fare at Jacques, a favourite on other Oceania ships for its Dover sole and scallop and watercress carpaccio.

Still hungry? You can indulge in burgers and pizzas in Waves, go (a bit) healthier in Aquamar, grab a Danish or two in the bakery in Baristas coffee shop and even learn to cook in the Culinary Centre.

There are lessons in everything from making risotto to dressing salads.

It costs extra, but you get to tuck into your culinary creation at the end.

After all, Oceania doesn’t want anyone on Vista to go hungry.

Not when they could be dining on the finest cuisine at sea.

GO: Foodie cruise

SAILING THERE: Oceania Cruises has a ten-day Mediterranean Seafarer cruise from Istanbul to Barcelona on Vista, departing November 9, 2025 and calling into Dikili and Izmir in Turkey, Piraeus (Athens) in Greece, Messina in Sicily, Naples and Livorno (Florence) in Italy and Nice and Marseilles in France.

Prices from £3,109pp for a French veranda cabin include all your food, soft drinks and tips.

See oceaniacruises.com or call 0345 505 1920.

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