Category: Cyprus News Agency

The Cyprus Meteorological Service has issued a yellow warning for extreme maximum temperatures, valid from 1400 to 1630 local time on Thursday, August 13.

According to the warning, maximum temperatures inland are expected to rise to around 40 degrees Celsius.

The warning is at yellow awareness level.

The Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts has established a Cultural Diplomacy Research Office, which it says will serve as its scientific and research hub for cultural diplomacy, international cultural relations and cultural policy.

Academician Marios Joannou Elia has been appointed Scientific Director of the Office and will also chair its Steering Committee.

In a statement to CNA, Joannou Elia said cultural diplomacy is a field of knowledge, creativity and international engagement.

‘Through the establishment of the Office, we seek to connect research with diplomacy, artistic creation and international networks, creating new opportunities for cooperation and for a meaningful presence of Cyprus in the world,’ he said.

The Steering Committee also includes Academician Elena Mouzala as Vice-Chair, Academician Kyriakos Demetriou as Secretary and Christina Ioannou as Administrative Secretary.

According to an Academy announcement, the establishment of the Office is part of its strategy to strengthen scientific research and international cooperation and to promote the Republic of Cyprus through culture, science and the arts and letters.

Its main mission is to advance research, documentation and academic study in the field of cultural diplomacy, as well as to develop initiatives aimed at strengthening the international cultural presence of both the Republic of Cyprus and the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts.

The Office will develop partnerships with academies of sciences, universities, research centres, cultural institutions and international organisations. It will also work closely with the Presidency of the Republic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Ministry of Culture and corresponding institutions in other countries, with the aim of promoting cultural diplomacy and intercultural dialogue.

Its main activities will include scientific studies and research, the development of international partnerships and networks, the organisation of international conferences, symposia, scientific lectures and workshops, exhibitions and cultural and artistic events, the publication of scientific books and studies and participation in European and international research programmes.

Through its work, the Office aims to promote Cyprus’ cultural heritage, contemporary intellectual and artistic creation and scientific output, while also strengthening the Republic’s international presence through cultural diplomacy.

The Academy said the establishment of the Cultural Diplomacy Research Office is an important institutional initiative that enhances its role as a leading scientific and intellectual institution in Cyprus and as an active partner in the international academic and cultural community.

Cyprus’ Department of Forests has renewed its appeal to the public to exercise the utmost caution, warning that extremely high temperatures, prolonged drought and strong winds have created conditions of exceptionally high wildfire risk.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Department said a growing number of fires recorded in recent days had been caused by preventable human activities, including the use of tools and machinery that generate heat or sparks, as well as agricultural and other outdoor work.

The Department reminded the public that from June 1 to September 30, the use of tools, machinery or equipment for cutting or welding metals or other materials that produce heat, flames or sparks is prohibited in state forests and within a two-kilometre radius of their boundaries without written permission from the Director of the Department of Forests. Members of the public requiring such permits are advised to apply through the local Forest Station. The restriction does not apply to work carried out within residential, industrial or craft zones, even if they fall within the two-kilometre buffer zone.

The Department also expressed concern over incidents of suspected deliberate fire-setting and urged the public to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activity that could be linked to arson to the competent authorities. It stressed that public cooperation is essential both in preventing wildfires and in investigating such incidents.

Anyone who spots smoke or fire is urged to immediately call the Department at 1407 or the Fire Service at 112.

The total number of state employees in Cyprus reached 53,747 in July 2026, an increase of 300 employees, or 0.6%, compared with July 2025, according to data released by the Statistical Service on Thursday.

The increase was driven mainly by the Educational Service, where employment rose by 2.6%, while the number of employees in the Security Forces increased by 0.7%. Employment in the Civil Service, however, declined by 1%.

Over the first seven months of the year, the average number of state employees increased by 0.3% compared with the corresponding period of 2025.

Increase in indefinite-term employees

The number of employees on indefinite-term contracts increased by 1.7% year-on-year, from 9,348 in July 2025 to 9,509 in July 2026.

The largest percentage increase was recorded in the Educational Service, where the number of employees on indefinite-term contracts rose by 25.7%, from 921 to 1,158. The category increased by 0.8% in the Security Forces, while it declined by 2.7% in the Civil Service.

The number of permanent employees rose marginally by 0.3%, reaching 32,935 from 32,837 a year earlier. Employees on definite-term contracts increased by 1.1% in July, reaching 4,578, while the number of hourly paid workers remained broadly stable, declining marginally by 0.1% to 6,725.

Educational Service drives increase

The increase in state employment was largely linked to the rise recorded in the Educational Service. Total employment in the sector increased by 427 employees year-on-year, reaching 16,928 in July from 16,501 a year earlier.

The number of permanent employees remained broadly unchanged, declining by 0.2% to 12,444 from 12,470. The strongest increase was recorded among employees on indefinite-term contracts, whose number rose by 237, or 25.7%, to 1,158. Employees on definite-term contracts also increased, by 7.3%, from 2,965 to 3,181.

Civil Service employment falls

In contrast, employment in the Civil Service declined by 1%, with the number of employees falling by 230 to 22,978 from 23,208 in July 2025. Permanent employees declined by 0.7%, while employees on indefinite-term contracts fell by 2.7% and hourly paid workers by 2.1%.

The only category to record an increase was employees on definite-term contracts, whose number rose by 6.4%, from 1,312 to 1,396.

Security Forces up 0.7%

Employment in the Security Forces increased by 103 employees, or 0.7%, reaching 13,841 in July 2026. Permanent employees increased by 2.4%, while employees on indefinite-term contracts rose by 0.8%. Hourly paid workers recorded a more substantial increase of 15.2%. The number of employees on definite-term contracts fell by 99.6%, from 250 in July 2025 to just one in July 2026.

According to the Statistical Service, the sharp decline is mainly attributed to the completion and non-renewal of specific definite-term contracts from August 2025 onwards. The decrease therefore does not reflect a general contraction in employment across the Security Forces.

Seismologist Sylvana Pilidou, Senior Geological Officer at the Department of Geological Survey, has told CNA that Cyprus is in the process of revising its seismic zones.

Pilidou spoke to CNA on the occasion of the devastating 7.4 Richter earthquake that occurred yesterday in Colombia, as well as the successive earthquakes in Venezuela of 7.2 and 7.5 Richter in June. She said that these are two of different origins, destructive seismic events of similar magnitude, which are not directly related but occurred in the same broader tectonic neighborhood.

As regards Cyprus, she said that the revision of the seismic zones that is underway is being done because we now have much better knowledge of the faults in our region as well as detailed and accurate earthquake catalogues of our region. In addition, she said, the microzonation studies in our main urban centers have been completed, which provide in detail the behavior of our soils under earthquake conditions.

Pilidou said that in Cyprus we are now building with strict building codes, and with updated scientific data we are strengthening the resilience of our structures even more against seismic risk.

Moreover, she noted that scientific knowledge, proper earthquake-resistant construction and new technologies can significantly reduce the effects of future major earthquakes.

Pilidou referred to the double earthquake in Venezuela (two consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes Mw7.2 and Mw7.5) on 24/6/2026 saying that they occurred at the boundary where two tectonic plates slide horizontally relative to each other, while the earthquake in Colombia with magnitude Mw7.4 on 10/8/2026 occurred in a zone where two plates collide with each other and one sinks beneath the other.

“So, we had two – of different origin – destructive seismic events of similar magnitude, which are not directly related, but occurred in the same broader tectonic neighborhood,” she pointed out.

Pilidou told CNA that due to their different tectonic origin, the earthquake in Venezuela was shallow while the earthquake in Colombia had a deep focus (100-110km).

This, she continued, resulted in the Venezuelan earthquake having locally very high intensity, while the Colombian earthquake had locally lower intensity but affecting a larger area on the Earth’s surface with intense ground vibrations.

She noted that the large focal depth of the Colombian earthquake has fortunately mitigated its destructiveness in relation to the Venezuelan earthquake, which in addition to its shallow-focus nature was also a doublet, thus causing particularly severe and prolonged ground vibrations.

Beyond these differences, however, she noted that some common unfavorable geological, soil and construction factors contributed to the tragic consequences of both earthquakes.

Asked about Cyprus, Pilidou said that the seismic design of buildings is undertaken by civil engineers based on the seismic zone map and added that seismic zones estimate how strong the ground movement is expected in each area, in a statistical framework.

“They are part of the relevant Eurocode, as the main tool for the seismic design of structures,” she went on to say.

As geoscientists, she continued, “we contribute to the protection from earthquake phenomena through the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the seismicity of the Cyprus area, the study and mapping of faults and geological characteristics of the area, etc., so that the seismic protection measures of our country are based on realistic models of the seismic risk of Cyprus, through a reliable seismic zones map.”

She noted that the seismic zones of Cyprus that are now in effect were officially issued in 2004 and were based on data available before 1994.

“We have been in the process of revising the seismic zones of Cyprus for a year now, in collaboration with experts from Cyprus and abroad,” Pilidou told CNA.

Asked why they are being revised now, she replied “because we now have much better knowledge of the faults in our region, we have detailed and accurate earthquake catalogues of our region, and we have now completed microzonation studies in our main urban centers, which provide in detail the behavior of our soils under earthquake conditions.”

She also said that Eurocode 8 (which sets out European standards for the earthquake-resistant design of structures) is currently in a renewal period.

Each country, Pilidou said, adapts the Eurocode to its own geological conditions, through a national annex.

“Thus, the revised seismic zones will soon be incorporated into the relevant annex for Cyprus of the new Eurocode,” she stressed.

Pilidou told CNA that indeed, in Cyprus we are now building with strict building codes, and with updated scientific data we are strengthening the resilience of our structures even further against seismic risk.

Pilidou told CNA that early warning systems for earthquakes have begun to operate in some countries.

She clarified that although these systems do not predict earthquakes, they sometimes offer valuable time (even seconds) for protection and safety measures.

Asked whether this system can be implemented in Cyprus, she said that this would be difficult.

“It is difficult to successfully implement such a classic system in Cyprus,” she said, and explained that “the positions of the ground motion sensors and the geographical distribution of Cyprus’ seismicity, combined with the size of our island, but also the propagation speeds of seismic waves through the Earth’s interior, makes early warning difficult.”

Pilidou said that there is however, the Google Android Earthquake Alerts System that also operates in Cyprus. It uses, she explained, more than 2 billion Android mobile phones of citizens worldwide, through the built-in motion sensors they have, as a global, digital, live seismological network.

The system, she explained, quickly estimates the parameters of an earthquake and sends notifications to mobile phones in areas where strong vibrations are expected.

“It can give a warning of a few seconds, or not at all, since it takes time both for the calculations and for the transmission of the warnings,” she said.

The system has been operating in Cyprus in recent years and was partially activated in the two M>5.0 earthquakes in Paphos in 2025.

“In some cases, it gave precious seconds of warning,” Pilidou noted.

In conclusion, she said that earthquakes are still unpredictable, noting, however, that this does not mean that we are defenseless before the danger they pose.

“Scientific knowledge, proper earthquake-resistant construction and new technologies can significantly reduce the effects of a future major earthquake,” she said.

And this, Pilidou told CNA, is perhaps the most important message following the tragedies of Venezuela and Colombia.

Foreign Minister, Constantinos Kombos has expressed Cyprus’ solidarity with Colombia and its people following the devastating earthquake that hit the country on Monday.

In a post on X, Kombos said that he was ‘deeply saddened by the news of the devastating earthquake’ that struck Colombia and extends his condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.

‘In this difficult time, Cyprus stands with Colombia and its people,’ he noted.

Today marks 30 years since the killing of Tassos Isaac, whose murderers have never been brought to justice.

The 24-year-old was killed on August 11, 1996, during an anti-occupation demonstration in the United Nations buffer zone at Dheryneia.

Isaac was among participants in a motorcyclists’ rally that had set off from Berlin with the occupied town of Kyrenia as its final destination. When a group of riders reached the buffer zone in Dheryneia on August 11, clashes erupted between demonstrators and Turkish Cypriots, as well as Turkish nationalists, including members of the extremist Grey Wolves organisation.

Amid the violence, Isaac attempted to assist another demonstrator who was under attack. He became trapped inside the buffer zone and fell to the ground. As fellow protesters tried to reach him, he was repeatedly beaten with clubs, stones and other objects by men on the opposite side of the barbed wire. The assault continued for several minutes while members of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) were present in the area.

Isaac suffered fatal injuries and was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The investigation concluded that the cause of death was strangulation. Photographs and video footage of the attack, widely circulated at the time, later served as key evidence in identifying the alleged perpetrators.

The killing sparked widespread outrage in Cyprus and abroad. Three days later, on August 14, 1996, Solomos Solomou was also killed in Dheryneia while attempting to climb a flagpole to remove a Turkish flag.

International arrest warrants and the ECHR judgment

On November 22, 1996, Cyprus Police issued international arrest warrants for five men identified as suspects in Isaac’s killing: Hasim Yilmaz, Neifel Mustafa Ergun, Polat Fikret Koreli, Mehmet Mustafa Arslan and Erhan Arikli. Their names were also included in the material examined by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

According to the case file, Hasim Yilmaz was identified as a Turkish settler and former member of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), Neifel Mustafa Ergun as a Turkish settler and a “police officer” of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Polat Fikret Koreli as a Turkish Cypriot from Famagusta, Mehmet Mustafa Arslan as a Turkish settler and leader of the Grey Wolves in the occupied areas, and Erhan Arikli as a Turkish settler originally from the former Soviet Union. Arikli was arrested in Kyrgyzstan in 2012 but was subsequently released and was not extradited to the Republic of Cyprus.

In its judgment of June 24, 2008, in the case Isaak v. Turkey, the European Court of Human Rights found that Turkey had violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, both with regard to the protection of the right to life and its obligation to carry out an effective investigation into Isaac’s death. The Court held that the Turkish authorities had failed to conduct an adequate investigation or ensure that those responsible were brought to justice, and awarded compensation to Isaac’s family.

Department of Meteorology

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

Date 11/08/2026

Station

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

Highest

Lowest

Humidity at

1200 UTC

Nicosia (Athalassa)

40

26

28

Larnaka Airport

34

24

48

Limassol

34

22

51

Pafos Airport

31

24

74

Frenaros

36

24

58

Prodromos

29

20

52

Polis Pafos

34

23

47

Cypriot fencer Alexandros Tofalides made history on Monday by winning the country’s first-ever medal – and a gold one at that – in fencing at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships, currently taking place in Lagos, Nigeria.

A relevant press release said the 33-year-old foil fencer defeated England’s Oliver Strange 15-5 in the final to claim the Commonwealth title. England is the most successful nation in the history of the championships, having won 37 gold medals.

On his way to the title, Tofalides received a bye in the round of 32 before defeating Wales’ Alfie Smith 15-5 in the last 16. He then overcame India’s Bibish Kathiresan 15-7 in the quarter-finals and India’s Manoj Patel in the semi-finals to book his place in the final.

Following his victory, Tofalides described the achievement as the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice and perseverance.

“It is difficult to put into words what this moment means to me. After so many years of training, sacrifices, difficult moments and disappointments, but also persistence, I am incredibly proud to call myself Commonwealth Champion. Standing on the top step of the podium, hearing the national anthem and seeing the Cyprus flag raised is something I will never forget. Representing Cyprus means much more to me than sport”, he said.

He added that the medal belongs not only to him but also to his family, teammates and everyone who supported him throughout his journey. He also thanked the Cyprus Sports Organisation, the Cyprus Olympic Committee, the Cyprus Fencing Federation, Allwyn, ISX Financial and the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Solidarity programme for their support.

The historic triumph comes after Tofalides became the first Cypriot fencer to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Having represented Cyprus since 2016, he had set himself the goal of winning international medals for the country. His next target is the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 11/08/2026 UNTIL 1200 12/08/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1007hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, but tonight and during the morning locally increased low cloud coverage will be present, mainly over the western coasts. Later tonight and during dawn, local mist and/or locally increased low cloud coverage is likely, mainly over the southeastern coastal areas.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist

Sea surface temperature: 29°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 5 Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

Night West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally at first 4 to 5 Smooth to Slight, locally at first Slight

Morning Southwest to West 3 to 4, later locally 4 Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Afternoon South to Southwest 4, locally Southwest to West 5 Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, locally at first Southwest to West 4 to 5 Smooth to Slight, locally at first Slight

Morning Variable 3, gradually Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Afternoon Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, later Southwest 4 Smooth to Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3, initially 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Morning Variable 3, gradually Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

Night Southeast to Southwest 3, locally at first Southwest to West 4 Smooth to Slight, locally at first Slight

Morning Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, initially near the coast Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight