Category: Cyprus News Agency

The Cabinet approved a proposal by the Ministry of Finance to extend the reduced excise duty rates on motor fuels, which were due to expire on September 17, Minister of Finance Makis Keravnos said at the Presidential Palace on Thursday after the Cabinet meeting.

Specifically, he said the reduced rates on petrol and diesel by 8.33 cents will be extended until November 30.

The Minister said the decision ‘stems from the Government’s political will to continue supporting households and businesses, particularly at a time when all these negative geopolitical developments are continuing.’

Asked whether the Ministry of Finance is considering taking further measures, Keravnos said that ‘we are sticking to the measures I have announced.’

He added that, due to the developments, prices at this stage ‘are not determined by the cost of production, but by stock exchanges and the market, which are affected daily by statements made by President Trump and others involved in this geopolitical development, which has created the global economic crisis.’

‘Therefore, prices are constantly going up and down. Three days ago, the price of petrol was pound 1.59. In any case, petrol prices are among the lowest in all European Union member states, with the exception of Bulgaria,’ the Minister concluded.

Tourism, trade, security, energy, defence and regional developments, were on the agenda of the meeting between President Nikos Christodoulides and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, President Christodoulides noted while welcoming Herzog to Nicosia on Thursday.

Herzog who is in Nicosia on a working visit, expressed the wish for a trilateral meeting between the Presidents of Cyprus, Lebanon and Israel, noting that this was ‘a dream’ to him, and that it was important to ‘move towards peace in the region.’

President Christodoulides, welcoming the Israeli President at the Presidential Palace, said that Herzog was ‘not a stranger to us’, noting his family’s ‘deep rooted connection to Cyprus’.

He said he was looking forward to their discussions on how to enhance the two countries’ strategic partnership at all levels.

As regards tourism, he said that in the summer ‘we have a record number of flights coming from Israel, more than 200 per week, where the average every year is approximately 140.’

He also said that they would discuss tourism, trade, security, energy, defence, but at the same time, exchange views on the regional developments in the neighbourhood ‘and how we can work together, also with other like-minded countries in order to create conditions of stability, security, and cooperation.’

Herzog thanked President Christodoulides for the welcome. ‘I love your country, and I grew up loving it since childhood, and it’s always great to visit’, and see, the growth and development in Cyprus every time he visits, he went on.

‘You are a great friend’, he told President Christodoulides, noting that Israel respects the dialogue with him, ‘the openness and frankness’ on all the issues he mentioned earlier.

‘My dream is, I wish we could meet with the President of Lebanon, the President of Cyprus and the President of Israel, even here, and I wish we could realise a dream like that one day and I believe we should move towards peace in the region, whilst making sure that terror is shunned away and removed’, for the wellbeing of the entire region and the world, Herzog said.

‘I bring a message of friendship from Israel’, he said, expressing hope that together the two countries can further their ‘unique partnership’, which he said a very important between the two peoples and nations.

Cyprus recorded the third-highest increase in the EU in the average price of agricultural output in the second quarter of 2026, rising by 3.5% compared with the corresponding period of 2025, according to data published by Eurostat on Thursday. Higher increases were recorded only in Croatia and Malta, at 3.9% each.

Overall, at EU level, the average price of agricultural output fell by 5.8% year-on-year, marking a decline for the third consecutive quarter. In the second quarter of 2026, the average price of agricultural output was lower than a year earlier in 20 EU countries.

The largest decreases were recorded in Denmark, at 17.2%, Ireland at 16.2%, Latvia and Estonia at 14.5% each, as well as Luxembourg and Lithuania at 14.2% each.

During the same period, the average price of agricultural inputs not related to investment, such as energy, fertilisers and feedingstuffs, increased by 4.7% in the EU compared with the second quarter of 2025.

Weather Temperature for Cyprus

Today’s weather and temperatures for Cyprus according to the Department of Meteorology

Date 10/09/2026

Station

TEMPERATURE (C) (FROM 20:00 PC of the previous one until the time of the show)

Humidity at

1200 UTC

Highest

Lowest

Nicosia (Athalassa)

36

19

30

Larnaka Airport

33

22

59

Limassol (New Port)

32

21

49

Pafos Airport

31

22

63

Frenaros

33

22

59

Prodromos

27

17

50

Polis Pafos

31

21

66

Cyprus recorded the third-highest ratio of beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine relative to its population at the end of July 2026, with 26.7 beneficiaries per 1,000 inhabitants, according to data published by Eurostat on Thursday.

Higher ratios than Cyprus were recorded in Czechia, with 36.2 beneficiaries per 1,000 inhabitants, and Slovakia, with 27.5, while the EU average stood at 9.8 per 1,000 inhabitants.

Compared with the end of June 2026, the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection in Cyprus decreased by 110 people, or 0.4%. Cyprus was one of only three EU countries with available data to record a decline, along with Poland and France.

As of 31 July 2026, a total of 4.43 million non-EU citizens who had fled Ukraine as a result of the war had temporary protection status in the EU. Compared with the end of June, their number increased by 19,945 people, or 0.5%.

Germany hosted the largest number of beneficiaries, with 1,290,225 people, accounting for 29.1% of the EU total. It was followed by Poland with 953,060 people, or 21.5%, and Czechia with 395,225, or 8.9%.

At the same time, compared with the end of June, the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection increased in 23 of the 26 EU countries for which data were available.

The largest increases in absolute terms were recorded in Czechia, with 4,415 additional beneficiaries, or an increase of 1.1%, Romania with 4,055, or 1.9%, and Germany with 3,995, or 0.3%.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 10/09/2026 UNTIL 1200 11/09/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1009hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, but overnight and in the morning locally increased low cloud coverage will be present at times, with risk of local mist and/or fog patches mainly over the southern and eastern coastal areas.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist and very poor in fog

Sea surface temperature: 29°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night Northwest to Northeast 3, locally at first West to Northwest 4 Smooth to Slight, locally at first Slight

Morning Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Afternoon Southwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, later Variable 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Northwest to Northeast 3, gradually East to Southeast Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Afternoon Southwest 3 to 4 Slight

Night Southwest 3 to 4, gradually West to Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Variable 3, later Northeast to Southeast Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight

Night Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

The Cabinet approved on Thursday the appointment of the first Board of Directors of the National Cancer Institute, Health Minister Neofytos Charalambides said following the meeting, at the Presidential Palace.

‘Following the establishment of the National Cancer Institute, we are now moving to the next stage, namely its operation and the practical implementation of the important responsibilities assigned to it,’ Charalambides said.

He added the National Cancer Institute ‘represents a major reform in the way our country organises, coordinates and implements its policy for tackling cancer.’

The Health Minister stressed that ‘prevention and early diagnosis, equal access for patients to quality health services, improved care, and the utilisation of research and innovation are key priorities in this direction.’

Oncologist Dr Pavlos Dragos was appointed President of the first Board of Directors of the National Cancer Institute.

The Board of Directors also includes eight members, including representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance, the Cyprus Medical Association (PIS) and the Cyprus Patients Associations Federation (OSAK).

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides expressed hope that there will be political will from everyone in the upcoming meetings in New York, during the UN General Assembly week, so that the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres could call for a broader format meeting on the Cyprus issue.

President Christodoulides, who was arriving at an event in Athienou, Larnaca, on Thursday evening was asked if the Greek Cypriot side was informed by the UN about the phone communication between the Secretary-General’s personal envoy and Antonio Guterres. He replied that “we have not been informed and that we knew from the Secretary-General himself that there would be a telephone conversation, because it was not possible for Maria Angela Holguin to travel to New York.”

“We will certainly be informed in the next twenty-four hours,” he said. At the same time, he added, “the European Union has also begun preparatory work so that the conditions for the resumption of talks are created, taking into account the very important role it can play.”

President Christodoulides described the week in New York as critical and decisive. “I hope that there will be political will from everyone, that there will be a response, so that the Secretary General can move forward with an expanded meeting’, he noted.

He was also asked about the wish expressed by the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, with whom he met today in Nicosia, for Cyprus to host a Cyprus-Israel-Lebanon trilateral meeting, the President said that this is indicative of how neighbouring states view our role.

‘We are the [EU] member state of the region, which speaks with all neighbouring states, we have excellent relations with all neighbouring states and I am glad that they recognise this role of ours,’ he pointed out.

He also noted that we will do whatever we can to create conditions of security, cooperation and stability in our region.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.

Port and Maritime Police and the Navy of Cyprus and Egypt took part in an international training in the field of port and maritime security. The training, which was completed at CYCLOPS, the Cyprus Centre for Land, Open Seas and Port Security, in Larnaka, focused on maritime search and detention operations and on handling threats from chemical, biological and radioactive materials.

A press release says that the training took place between August 31-September 9 and focused on conducting VBSS/CBRN operations (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure/Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear), policing operations at sea, in relation to threats of chemical, biological and radioactive materials.

According to the press release, instructors from the Port and Maritime Police contributed to the training program, along with personnel from the Underwater Demolition Unit and the Commando Unit of the National Guard, officers from the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, and personnel from the Ambulance Service and the Port and Maritime Police.

The closing ceremony of the training program, at CYCLOPS was attended by the Admiral of the Northern Fleet of the Egyptian Navy, representatives of the Embassy of Egypt in Cyprus, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Officers of the Naval Command, as well as Officers from the Cyprus Police.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1009hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, but tonight and in the morning locally increased low cloud coverage will be present at times, with risk of local mist and/or fog patches mainly over the southern and eastern coastal areas.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist and very poor in fog

Sea surface temperature: 29°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA

PERIOD

WIND

STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Night

Northwest to Northeast 3, locally at first West to Northwest 4

Smooth to Slight, locally at first Slight

Morning

Southwest 3

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5

Slight

South Coast

Night

Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, later Variable 3

Smooth to Slight

Morning

Northwest to Northeast 3, gradually East to Southeast

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

Southwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5

Slight

East Coast

Night

Southwest 3 to 4, gradually West to Northwest 3

Smooth to Slight

Morning

Variable 3, later Northeast to Southeast

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

Southwest 3 to 4

Slight

North Coast

Night

Southeast to Southwest 3

Smooth to Slight

Morning

Southwest 3

Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4

Slight