Huginn Daily

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

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• Apartment prices jump 10.8 per cent in Cyprus

  Apartment prices in Cyprus rose by 10.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, figures released on Tuesday by the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) showed.

  The bank said strong demand, particularly from foreign buyers, continued to push up property values despite signs of a slight slowdown in overall house price growth.

  The general house price index, which covers both houses and apartments, increased by 7.5 per cent year-on-year during the first quarter.

  House prices rose by 3 per cent, while apartment prices recorded much stronger growth.

  The CBC’s reference year compared with 2010 apartment prices across Cyprus are now 27 per cent higher.

  In Limassol, apartment prices rose by 53 per cent over the same period.

  Quarterly, the overall index increased by 2.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, slightly below the previous quarter’s 2.4 per cent rise. 

  House prices grew by 1.5 per cent, while apartment price growth slowed to 2.4 per cent. 

  Regional data showed annual price growth accelerating in Nicosia, with the overall index rising by 2.8 per cent, and in Larnaca, where it increased by 8.9 per cent.

  Growth slowed in Limassol and Paphos, while Famagusta recorded no change from the previous quarter.

  Demand remained strong across the property market. The increase was driven mainly by foreign buyers.

  Data from the department of lands and surveys showed sales documents increased by 13.8 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter, reaching 4,709 transactions compared with 4,137 a year earlier.

  Property sales to overseas purchasers rose by 22.3 per cent, while sales to domestic buyers increased by 8.1 per cent.

  Limassol recorded the highest number of transactions with 1,499 sales, followed by Nicosia, Larnaca and Paphos.

  Famagusta recorded the fewest transactions.

  The CBC also pointed to growing mortgage activity.

  Net new housing loans increased by 24.5 per cent year-on-year to €353.6 million in the first quarter.

  The average interest rate on housing loans fell to 3.15 per cent in March from 3.53 per cent a year earlier, reflecting the European Central Bank’s easing monetary policy.

  At the same time, housing supply showed signs of improvement.

  Building permits for residential units surged by 79.2 per cent in the first two months of 2026, suggesting new housing stock will continue to enter the market in the coming years.

  However, the CBC said labour shortages and persistently high construction costs continue to place upward pressure on prices.

• American ideals ‘of particular importance’ for Cypriots, Christodoulides says

  President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday said that the ideals upon which the United States was founded hold a special significance for the people of Cyprus, as he addressed the American embassy in Nicosia’s reception marking 250 years since the US’ declaration of independence.

  “Two hundred and fifty years ago, the declaration of independence articulated a revolutionary vision whose influence continues to resonate to this day, far beyond the borders of the United States, inspiring democratic movements and generations of leaders and citizens across the world,” he said.

  For Cypriots, he added, “these ideals hold particular importance”, as they “continue to inspire our commitment to freedom, to democracy and self-determination”.

  “This anniversary is also an opportunity to reflect on the enduring, strategic partnership between Cyprus and the United States and the shared values that continue to bring our two countries closer together,” he said, before adding that the partnership between the two countries has “undergone a profound transformation in recent years”.

  He said that today, the relationship between Cyprus and the US is “marked by clear purpose and growing confidence”, and added to this end that “what was once a relationship viewed primarily through a single prism has evolved into a broad strategic partnership, underpinned by shared interests, common values”.

  Additionally, he said, it is characterised by a “common vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the eastern Mediterranean and the greater Middle East”.

  “Whether in defence, security, energy, innovation, education, and in so many other fields, the story of our partnership today is one of momentum and of substance,” he said.

  He went on to say that relations between Cyprus and the US enjoy “strong and enduring bipartisan support … in Washington”, and that this reflects “a shared recognition of the value and significance of our partnership and confidence in this future trajectory”.

  Additionally, he said, “perhaps the most important dimension of our partnership is the growing network of human connections between our two peoples”, as “ultimately, strong partnerships are built by people”.

  To this end, he said that the Cypriot government “remains firmly committed” to joining the US’ visa waiver programme, though on this front, momentum seems to have been lost amid a global US crackdown on migration.

  “Cyprus and the United States have stood side by side in moments of crisis and challenge. These moments have demonstrated the strength of our partnership and the depth of the trust that underpins it,” he said,

  He added that those relations have “also highlighted Cyprus’ role as a stable democracy, a reliable and predictable partner and a pillar of stability and security in the eastern Mediterranean and the greater Middle East”.

  “That spirit of trust and cooperation has also shaped our broader vision for transatlantic relations,” he said, before adding that “Cyprus has long believed in the importance of a strong and forward-looking partnership between Europe and the United States”.

  He said to this end that this “conviction” guided his government during its six-month term as the holder of the Council of the European Unions rotating presidency, in which “strengthening EU-US relations was among our key priorities”.

  It was during Cyprus’ six-month term that relations between Europe and the US appeared their most fraught in decades after US President Donald Trump demanded that Denmark hand over sovereignty of Greenland to his country in January.

  At the time, Christodoulides had been forced to deny that relations between the EU and the US had been “irreparably damaged” by Trump’s rhetoric.

  Since then, however, matters appear to have normalised, with Christodoulides highlighting on Tuesday that the European Parliament had last week green-lit two pieces of legislation which aim to ease trade with the US.

  These agreements, he said, serve “a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when partners work together in pursuit of common goals and shared prosperity”.

  “As we reflect this evening on the values of freedom, self-determination, and democracy that inspired the US declaration of independence, we are reminded that these ideals can never be taken for granted,” he said.

  He added that “for Cyprus, this is deeply personal”, as it is “a country that continues to live with the consequences of invasion and occupation”.

  “We know all too well the importance of liberty and security, and of creating the conditions under which all citizens can live together in peace and prosperity,” he said, adding that “these principles are inextricably linked to our enduring efforts to reunify our country and achieve a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem”.

  On this matter, he said he wished to “underline how much we value the steadfast support of the United States and its longstanding commitment to a future in which all Cypriots can live together in peace, security and prosperity in a reunited country”.

• Disy renews calls for Mafia State investigation, Akel calls for ‘purge’

  Disy on Tuesday reacted to former party leader and president Nicos Anastasiades’ hour-long oral defence against allegations of abuse of power levelled against him by the anti-corruption authority by renewing its call for a “full investigation” into the matter, while Akel called for a “purge” of Cyprus’ political elite.

  “From the very beginning, Disy expressed its unwavering position in favour of a full investigation of the possible offences detailed in the anti-corruption authority’s findings. No cover up for anyone. We have never separated ‘our own’ from the others,” Disy said.

  It as such called on the government to “proceed with the appointment of independent criminal investigators without further delay”, and to ensure that those investigators be given a “clear timetable” for a “quick and substantive investigation”.

  “We respect the findings, the institutions, the principles of justice, and the rule of law, as well as the right of every person to defend themselves,” it said.

  Akel, meanwhile, went on the front foot, saying that Anastasiades “spent almost an hour trying to convince everyone that everyone is lying except him”.

  “The anti-corruption authority, international journalistic networks, the international press, those who dared to suggest that institutional entanglement and institutional corruption took off during his time are all lying,” it said.

  It added, “according to Anastasiades, everything is a lie, just as his trips and transactions with a Saudi tycoon were lies, as was the involvement of his law firm in the golden passport scandal”.

  “The question is who – apart from the Disy leadership and his successor, Nikos Christodoulides – is left to believe him,” it said.

  As such, it added, “Akel demands a purge”.

  “It demands an impartial and unbiased investigation of all the anti-corruption authority’s findings and the bringing of all suspects to justice. This requires the immediate resignation of George Savvides and Savvas Angelides from their positions as attorney-general and deputy,”

  It added that “only in this way will the way be opened for the credibility of the institutions and the functioning of the rule of law in this country to be fully restored”.

  Disy responded in kind to Akel, saying that the party is “unable to understand our own principled position” as “their sinful past shows complete disrespect for evidence when it comes to ‘theirs’, but also complete disrespect for court decisions”.

  “As much as Akel attempts to acquit itself for its disastrous five years in power, what has been recorded in the people’s collective memory is one thing: that the one time they were in government they destroyed tens of thousands of families and closed thousands of businesses,” it said.

  It added that people also remember “that it was Disy which brought society and the economy out of the mire”.

  “What Akel has taught is disrespect for the findings and insolence over the destruction it caused. It has no right to throw stones without a simple apology for the suffering it caused, and without repentance for the evidence it kicked into the long grass,” it said.

• Cyprus a step closer to accessing EU solidarity funds for wildfires

  Cyprus on Tuesday moved a step closer to being able to access over €9 million from the European Union solidarity fund to help rebuild infrastructure destroyed by the wildfire which tore through the Limassol district and killed two people last year, after the European Parliament’s budgets committee (Budg) unanimously approved funds’ disbursement.

  The committee approved the allocation of €144.1m worth of funds to help three EU member states rebuild their infrastructure in the aftermath of natural disasters last year, with Spain set to receive the lion’s share – €120.55m – in the aftermath of “several major wildfire outbreaks” last year.

  On this matter, the committee said that “the most destructive fires” broke out in August last year, “forcing mass evacuations and causing the death of eight people”.

  Romania, meanwhile, was allocated €14.34m in the aftermath of severe flooding in May and June last year, with the committee pointing out that critical infrastructure, including the Praid salt mine, was extensively damaged as a result, while “widespread power outages” were also recorded.

  For Cyprus, the committee approved €9.21m of funds, saying that “thousands” of people were displaced as a result of last summer’s wildfire, and that more than 900 private properties were destroyed, while “education and healthcare services” were also disrupted.

  With the committee having unanimously approved the funds, the matter will now be voted upon by a plenary session of the European Parliament, with the vote expected to take place next month.

  The committee’s approval of the funds comes after the EU’s member states had on Monday approved €4.6m worth of funding from the European Commission’s agricultural reserve to support farmers in Cyprus who were impacted by last summer’s wildfires and drought.

  “Cyprusexperienced prolonged drought and extreme heat from May [last year], leading to major losses in crop production, as well as higher livestock feed costs,” the commission said.

  People and businesses in Cyprus which farm citrus fruits, bananas, figs, pomegranates, prickly pears, olive oil and olives, cereals, fodder crops, bees, and livestock, as well as vineyards will be eligible for the funds.

  In addition to Cyprus, the member states also approved €30m of funds for Portugal, €14.8m for Romania, €4.4m for Croatia, and €2.8m for Slovenia for “farmers affected by significant damage from adverse climatic events”.

  The national governments of all involved member states, including Cyprus, will be able to complement the disbursement with an extra 200 per cent of the allocated amount, with the Cypriot government thus authorised to allocate €18.42m worth of funds to Cypriot farmers through this mechanism.

  Firstly, however, the Cypriot government and all other involved national governments will be expected to notify the commission regarding the details of how they plan to spend the money, with the commission saying that this must happen “without delay”.

  Those details, it said, should include “criteria used to determine the granting of individual aid, the intended impact of the measure, the forecasts for payments broken down per month, and the level of additional support to be provided”.

  European Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen said that the funding – which amounts to €56m for the five countries – “demonstrates our solidarity with the farmers and the regions most affected”.

  “Climate shocks are becoming the new reality for agriculture. Safeguarding Europe’s food security means investing in the resilience of our agriculture,” he said.

• Fidias invites police officers to apply to guard him

  Direct Democracy leader Fidias Panayiotou uploaded a video on social media on Tuesday asking for applications from police officers “interested” in guarding him.

  As the leader of a political party with a presence in parliament, Panayiotou is entitled to police escort.

  In the reel, the 26-year-old called on police officers to apply for the position.

  “Are you a police officer? If you’re watching, this is for you,” the social media influencer begins.

  “Now that I’m the head of a party, I’m entitled to some police officers to watch over me. If you’re interested in being one of the officers who will watch over me and you’re qualified, meaning you have many years of experience and can prove with your resume that you can really take care of me, then I’ll be glad if you apply to the link below.”

  Under a standing cabinet decision – but not law – certain political officials are provided with police guards. This includes the leaders of political parties with seats in parliament.

  What is peculiar about Panayiotou’s request is that he seems under the impression he gets to vet the police guarding him.

  The normal procedure is that such police escorts are decided by a special committee appointed by the police chief.

  Είσαι αστυνομικός;
  Δήλωσε το ενδιαφέρον σου εδώ: https://t.co/X86PsrYt07 pic.twitter.com/xPfVUjByyB

  — Fidias Cyprus (@FidiasCyprus) June 23, 2026

  A police source contacted by the Cyprus Mail commented only that Panayiotou’s take on the issue was indeed “odd”.

  The same source said that usually two officers are assigned to a political party leader. Although sometimes it may be more, depending on a security risk assessment for the individual concerned.

  Theoretically, any member of the police force is qualified, as their basic training includes discharging their firearm as well as escort drills. Some undergo special training with the rapid response unit Mmad.

  Another issue relates to the fact that Panayiotou, an MEP, spends most of his time overseas – in Brussels and Strasbourg. That raises the question of what precisely the police guards assigned to him in Cyprus would do.

  Meanwhile the general matter of police escorts for politicians and officials is being looked into by the Audit Office.

  This followed complaints that former justice minister Marios Hartsiotis – now presidential commissioner – still has police guards assigned to him.

  Auditor-general Andreas Papaconstantinou told us that earlier this week they formally queried the justice ministry on the protocols, procedures and criteria regarding police guards/escorts.

  “We’re seeking clarity on the issue. From what we’ve been able to determine so far, there is no formula for these police assignments, it’s a bit chaotic.”

  Generally speaking, Papaconstantinou said, it’s standard for a politician to be assigned two police guards working shifts.

• Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace ‘to convene in Cyprus’

  United States President Donald Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace is to convene in “a resort in Cyprus” next week, according to reports on Tuesday, with it believed that its members are looking to “recalibrate”.

  Israeli newspaper the Times of Israel reported that the gathering in Cyprus will include representatives from the Board of Peace’s executive board, the Palestinian-run committee for the administration of Gaza, and the office of Nikolay Mladenov, the Bulgarian diplomat appointed by Trump as his high representative for Gaza.

  The Cyprus Mail attempted to verify the report, which was later in the evening reproduced by the Cyprus News Agency, but government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis denied any knowledge of such a plan.

  Cyprus was one of dozens of countries invited to join the Board of Peace, with Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos saying on the day of the board’s inauguration that the island was waiting for the European Union to form a common position on the matter before taking a decision.

  EU members Bulgaria and Hungary did join the board as full members, while Cyprus, in line with the EU’s broad position, in the end decided to attend meetings as an observer.

  Since the formation of the Board of Peace in January and the opening of the Rafah border crossing in February, little has happened in the way of progress, though there have been multiple recorded incidences of Israeli Defence Forces soldiers killing Palestinian civilians in the intervening months.

  In light of this, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had in March threatened to rescind his endorsement of the peace plan and resign from the Board of Peace if Palestinians do not benefit from it.

  He had initially signed up as a full member of the board, but warned that the peace plan must entail an independent, internationally recognised Palestinian state as its end goal.

  On Tuesday, the Times of Israel reported that an “Arab diplomat” from “one of the mediating countries” and a “Palestinian official familiar with the matter” had said that the meeting in Cyprus will constitute a “reset”, which will allow stakeholders to “recalibrate” and “get on the same page”.

  However, it also reported that some members of the Board of Peace had “expressed discomfort with the optics of holding a meeting at a Cyprus resort amid the ongoing suffering in Gaza”, and that as such, “a decision was accordingly made to scale back the guest list”.

  Regarding the implementation of the Gaza peace plan devised by Trump, Cypriot European Affairs Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna had in April demanded that progress be made, warning that a lack of progress may allow Palestinian insurgent group Hamas to “consolidate control” of the strip.

  “There needs to be progress on the implementation of the Gaza peace plan, in the absence of which there is a risk of undermining the fragile political momentum, with all that entails, including providing Hamas with the opportunity to consolidate control,” she said at a European Parliament plenary session.

  She said that to this end, the European Union “remains committed to do its part with all the tools at its disposal”.

• ‘Cyprus economy hit by energy prices, tourism dip’

  Though resilient to geopolitical headwinds, Cyprus’ economy this year will likely slow down due to higher energy prices and lower tourism arrivals, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

  The IMF’s latest assessment comes under what’s known as an Article IV Consultation – an annual, in-depth health check of a country’s economy. IMF staff visit the member country to review economic and financial policies, assess risks and advise local authorities on how to maintain stability and growth.

  “Growth is expected to moderate this year as higher energy prices and geopolitical tensions weigh on real incomes, tourism and confidence,” the international organisation said.

  GDP is anticipated to roll back to around 2.6 per cent this year, down from 3.8 per cent in 2025. In the adverse scenario – a continuation of the crisis in the Gulf – the economy would grow by just 1.7 per cent.

  Inflation, which last year dipped due to favourable energy and goods price developments, has started to pick up as higher energy prices linked to the war in the Middle East feed through.

  “Inflation is projected to rise in the near term before easing. Risks are tilted to the downside, notably from a more prolonged war in the Middle East, tighter global financial conditions and weaker external demand. Medium-term prospects are more balanced, supported by strong fundamentals and reform momentum.”

  The harmonised rate of inflation, which fell to 0.8 per cent in 2025, is projected to climb up to 3.5 per cent this year, leveling out at 1.5 per cent in 2027.

  “Tourism is also showing signs of softening. Fiscal performance has remained strong, with continued surpluses and public debt declining below 60 per cent of GDP. The financial sector is sound, with strong capital and liquidity buffers and improving asset quality.”

  Nevertheless, Cyprus’ economy continues to perform strongly, said the IMF, with 2025 growth among the highest in the EU, supported by robust domestic demand and strong services exports, particularly ICT and tourism.

  The IMF commended Cypriot authorities’ strong fiscal performance, which has rebuilt buffers and put public debt on a firm downward path.

  It noted that Cyprus has rebounded remarkably since the 2013 banking crisis. Per capita GDP, in relation to the EU average, has returned to pre-crisis levels.

  But the Washington-based organisation also stressed the importance of improving the efficiency of spending and taxation, prioritising high‑quality public investment and maintaining discipline in public wage growth.

  Measures to support households should be temporary and well targeted. The IMF welcomed the recent comprehensive tax reform and the proposal to build financial assets in the social security fund.

• Make it Lab – a guided event for creatives

  Have a creative project or idea, but feel stuck? An upcoming workshop is dedicated to bringing creative ideas to life. Led by creative Natalia Panagiotou, the Make it Lab event on Thursday offers the space to explore the potential of these ideas.

  Presented by the Yasemin Collective, the 90-minute lab is open for artists and creatives of all disciplines. To participate, no finished project is required, or even a fully-fleshed out idea, just a desire to bring creativity into fruition whether it is a performance, workshop, exhibition, collaboration, community initiative, artistic project, or simply a creative impulse.

  The event will take place at Anânke Home in Ayioi Omologites in Nicosia on Thursday between 6pm and 7.30pm. Actress, theatre maker and trainer Natalia Panagiotou, will lead the lab in the language most participants desire (Greek or English) and registrations are already open.

  Make it Lab

  Event open to all artists and creatives who want to develop their ideas. By Yasemin Collective. June 25. Anânke Home, Nicosia. 6pm. In Greek/English. Tel: €25. www.yasemincollective.com/reservations

• No lifeguards, museums closed Wednesday

  Lifeguard coverage at Cyprus beaches will be hit on Wednesday due to a 24-hour strike by hourly-paid government workers, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.

  Additionally, all museums, archaeological sites and ancient monuments will be closed, the antiquities department said.

  “The public is asked to exercise special caution when swimming and water activities on beaches, where there is no lifeguard cover,” the interior ministry said.

  The strike, announced by unions SEK, PEO and Deok, is to protest what unions have described as low wages and other labour demands.

• First contracts signed for electricity battery storage

  The first contracts for large-scale electricity storage batteries in Cyprus were signed on Tuesday, in an effort to reduce renewable energy cuts and increase the amount of solar power that can be absorbed by the national grid.

  Energy Minister Michael Damianos said the agreements, covering 120MW of centralised storage capacity to be managed by the transmission system operator (TSO), represent a decisive move towards addressing one of the electricity system’s most persistent challenges.

  The €50 million project is expected to see the batteries delivered in January 2027 and installed within two to three months, allowing them to enter operation by the summer of that year.

  “In the summer of 2027, we will have at least 120MW of storage batteries from the TSO,” Damianos said.

  “This means that energy from photovoltaics that is currently lost because it cannot be stored will be able to be utilised.”

  The storage systems are intended to capture excess renewable electricity during periods of overproduction and release it when demand rises, helping to reduce the curtailments currently imposed on solar generators across the island.

  The agreement was signed between the TSO and the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CyTA) – both public organisations.

  It involves the installation and operation of three battery energy storage systems, located at transmission substations – one in Nicosia, one in Paphos and one in Larnaca.

  Executive director at the TSO Stavros Stavrinos said the locations were selected so the storage systems can be directly connected to the transmission system.

  He said renewables currently cover around 60 per cent of electricity demand, which he called “a feat”.

  He said installed photovoltaic systems have surpassed 1040MW, while average demand in Cyprus hovers at 650MW.

  One of the three storage systems boasts grid-forming technology. Its future use, Stavrinos said, signals the introduction of advanced technology suitable for isolated electrical grids like Cyprus’.

  CyTA will implement the project in a joint venture with Huawei. The latter will provide so-called Smart Battery Energy Storage Systems (Bess) which utilise AI to optimise, automate, and monitor energy storage. Algorithms predict weather patterns, solar generation and facility demand to dictate exactly when to charge – for example during low-cost or peak solar hours – and when to discharge.

  Speaking to Sigma, former energy minister George Papanastasiou said the project had been under development since 2023 in cooperation with the European Commission and was designed to tackle mounting losses from renewable energy production.

  According to Papanastasiou, around 160,000 megawatt hours of green energy had already been lost by the end of May this year due to curtailments affecting residential photovoltaic systems, commercial solar parks and wind installations.

  “The problem arises because during several hours of the day, electricity production from renewable energy sources exceeds demand,” he said. “Significant quantities of energy cannot be utilised.”

  The issue has intensified in recent years as solar capacity has expanded faster than the infrastructure required to manage surplus generation.

  Data from the distribution system operator showed that around 306 gigawatt hours of renewable energy were curtailed in 2025, up from approximately 167 gigawatt hours the previous year.

  Papanastasiou acknowledged criticism that storage infrastructure had not been developed alongside the rapid expansion of renewable generation but argued that regulatory and funding challenges had delayed implementation.

  “Production and storage had to go together,” he said.

  “Storage has lagged behind production almost everywhere.”

  Alongside the state-backed project, additional storage investments are being pursued by the electricity authority (EAC) and private developers.

  The latest figures show 36 applications for battery storage projects with a combined requested capacity of around 925MW.

  The EAC has submitted applications for storage facilities in Dhekelia and Moni with a combined capacity of 180MW, while private sector projects totalling more than 150MW have advanced through various stages of the approval process.

  Papanastasiou said the state-owned battery system would not operate on a commercial basis but would instead support grid stability and energy security.

  “Its role will be to support the stability of the grid, storing energy during periods of overproduction and channelling it when there is a deficit or risk of outages,” he said.

  He added that privately operated storage systems could eventually help lower electricity costs by allowing operators to store cheaper renewable energy and supply it during periods of higher demand.

• How Anastasiades answered the Mafia State report accusations

  Answers for every accusation levelled at him in the anti-corruption authority’s Mafia State report were offered by former president Nicos Anastasiades on Tuesday, in an hour-long address.

  Regarding the allegations related to an alleged abuse of power in relation to the payments made between a company named Focus Maritime and another named Rizokarpasso Shipping, he protested that a previous investigation into the matter had found that he had committed no criminal wrongdoing.

  The funds had been used to cover the costs of airline tickets to bring people to Cyprus to vote for Disy’s candidate Ioannis Kasoulides at the 2008 presidential election.

  Anastasiades pointed out that in 2014, then attorney-general Costas Clerides had ordered an investigation and found that “the evidence did not lead to the commission of any criminal offences”, as “undeclared funding to political parties, during the time under examination, was not a criminal offence”.

  On the question of alleged abuse of power and the accusation that he had unduly influenced Clerides’ decision, he said that the anti-corruption authority had previously found that “he did not receive a single cent” from financial contributions to Disy while he was party leader.

  Given this to be the case, he said, “what was the benefit of Anastasiades, which is a prerequisite for establishing that a crime was committed?”.

  “Why would he request the termination of a criminal investigation? Perhaps to prevent incriminating evidence being found for a criminal offence which was never committed?” he asked.

  He also suggested that had he attempted to unduly influence Clerides’ investigation into the matter at the time, Clerides, “who did not have the best relations with the former president”, would have “denounced those allegedly unfair interventions” at the time.

  On the question of allegations that he received €250,000 from the now defunct Laiki Bank as support for his election campaign in the 2013 presidential elections, he said that the matter was never raised during his appearances for questioning by the anti-corruption authority.

  “I find it inconceivable that an authority would reach findings which publicly defame individuals without first requesting their positions before reaching any conclusions,” he said.

  He added that the authority did not clarify “what exactly … the presidential candidate exchanged for the payment he allegedly received from the Laiki Bank”.

  Next, he spoke about allegations that he had “exerted institutional pressure to direct” Mokas, the police anti-money laundering unit, to “investigate the private company which bears his name and in which his two daughters were shareholders, seeking to ensure public exoneration and protection from independent, strict scrutiny”.

  He argued that requesting that he be investigated cannot be considered an offence, asking, “did Anastasiades commit the crime of abuse of power because he requested the current investigation undertaken by the anti-corruption authority?”.

  “I consider it completely absurd and unlawful for it to be considered an abuse of power to request that publications which attribute acts of corruption against him to be investigated,” he added.

  He also asked why Clerides was not also accused of abusing his power and dereliction of duty given that he accepted the outcome of Mokas’ investigation.

  Regarding allegations of influence peddling in relation to the naturalisation of Russian oligarch Alexander Abramov, the founder and then chairman of steel manufacturing and mining company Evraz, and Leonid Lebedev, a then sitting member of Russia’s federation council – the upper chamber of its legislature, he accused the anti-corruption authority of “arriving at the most arbitrary and illogical findings”.

  “Unfortunately, for the umpteenth time, I must mention that even in this investigation, I was not questioned”, he said, before pointing out that the entire affair took place when Demetris Christofias, not he, was president.

  “Is it possible to make the claim that a member of parliament and leader of an opposition party requested a meeting with a minister and, by exerting his influence, dictated him to proceed with the illegal naturalisation of investors?” he asked.

  He then asked, “is it possible to seriously adopt the claim that a cabinet decision … is due to influence peddling or the exerting of institutional pressure on the part of the leader of an opposition party?”

  “Since when, and in which country in all the world, is executive power wielded by the opposition and not the duly elected government?” he asked.

  He spoke briefly of the allegation of undue abuse of power with relation to the development of Turkish Cypriot-owned property in the Larnaca village of Dromolaxia, after he mediated in a meeting involving Christofias’ government, a Turkish vakif – an inalienable charitable endowment – and the company which wished to develop the land.

  “I wonder if it is worth commenting on what is being levelled at me,” he said, before adding that in this instance, too, the anti-corruption authority did not ask him any questions.

  Drawing his defence to a conclusion, he said that “if we want to have the rule of law, and to protect it and take action against those who undermine it with fabrications, such as those written in Mafia State or elsewhere, such as in the ‘Sandy’ case, the time has come”.

  “What do we want here? The rule of law or the rule of the internet?”, he asked.

  He stressed that he does not wish to “attribute bad faith” to the anti-corruption authority, but said that “I do accuse them of lacking the required strong will to resist populism, the prevailing atmosphere created by courts of public opinions, character assassins, and malicious people on the internet.

  “What I demand is the immediate appointment of an independent criminal investigator and prosecutor, with a strong personality and recognised prestige, who will complete their work within a reasonable timeframe so that the real truth can shine through as soon as possible,” he said.

  He then closed his speech by quipping, “I hope that what I am asking for will not land me on the end of another accusation of exerting undue pressure or abusing my power”.

• Those interested in a Cyprus solution should ‘do something about it’

  The two sides in Cyprus “are not at the same point” on the Cyprus problem and Turkey is even farther away, House president Annita Demetriou said on Tuesday, pointing out that those interested in a solution should find a way to contribute towards it.

  Commenting on remarks by Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, who said he would not allow another disappointment to happen, Demetriou said the Greek Cypriot side was “focused on resuming negotiations within the agreed framework, from where they left off, so that we can move a step further.

  “I cannot comment on what Mr Erhurman is saying, but I am in a position to know what has been said at the National Council, to know the result of our contacts,” she said.

  Demetriou added that those who are truly interested in a solution “and nothing else” must facilitate it.

  “There is mobility at this time which we wish to utilise to come closer to the target,” she added.

  Achieving further convergence was why UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin held contacts with those involved and why the Greek Cypriot side discussed the issue in Europe, Demetriou added.

  “Not all depends on us… the Cyprus problem must never be read unilaterally, it is impacted by developments either in the region or more broadly and the right diplomatic and political moves must be made,” she said.

  Demetriou was speaking after a courtesy call on the archbishop on the occasion of her re-election to the post of House president.

  During the meeting they discussed the political situation and Demetriou said “respect is a given and we are at a point where we can exchange views and serve our institutions and our roles as we should”.

• Businessman to remain in custody over alleged extortion case

  A 44-year-old businessman accused of extorting tens of thousands of euros from an elderly man will remain in custody until his trial, the Larnaca district court ruled on Tuesday.

  The decision followed a three-day hearing on whether the defendant should be released pending trial.

  The court accepted the prosecution’s argument that there was a risk witnesses could be influenced if he were freed.

  The 44-year-old is one of four defendants facing trial before the Larnaca permanent criminal court on August 3.

  The case centres on allegations that the defendants pressured, threatened and financially exploited a citizen over several years.

  Two co-defendants, a 42-year-old businessman and a 45-year-old woman, were released on strict bail conditions, including financial guarantees, surrendering travel documents and regular reporting to police.

  A 49-year-old defendant remains in custody in connection with other ongoing criminal cases.

  Investigators are examining bank records, contracts, cheques and witness statements as part of the case.

  The defendants face multiple charges, including participation in a criminal organisation, extortion, threats and money laundering.

• Mafia State findings forwarded to cabinet, police for criminal investigation

  The full findings of the anti-corruption authority’s investigation into the Mafia State book were handed to the police and the cabinet on Tuesday for a criminal investigation to begin.

  The prosecutorial council of the Law Office said it had decided to send the report, the final findings of inspection officers and all accompanying material directly to investigative and executive authorities so that “the criminal investigation of offences that may have been committed by any person can begin as soon as possible”.

  According to the statement, the decision was taken after considering attorney-general George Savvides and his deputy Savvas Angelides’ recusal from the case, the authority’s submission of its findings, and the public interest arising from the scope of the allegations and individuals involved.

  The prosecutorial council said it was also guided by “the need to continue the smooth functioning of institutions and the administration of justice”, adding that forwarding the material without assessment was necessary “with a view to preserving the objectivity of the investigation”.

  The anti-corruption authority’s report, spanning around 3,000 pages, examines allegations originally levied by journalist Makarios Drousiotis in his book Mafia State and includes references to former president Nicos Anastasiades and other public figures and institutions.

  The authority has recommended further criminal investigation into multiple strands of potential wrongdoing.

  The cabinet had already indicated its intention to appoint independent criminal investigators.

  The tax commissioner is already engaged in parallel audits.

• Pasydy defends civil servant sick leave rights as govt targets abusers

  Civil servants’ union Pasydy insisted on Tuesday that more than 90 per cent of civil servants do not make use of sick leave, following growing scrutiny of absentee levels in the public sector.

  Pasydy said public debate in recent days risked creating a distorted picture of the workforce, stressing that “the overwhelming majority” of employees do not rely on sick leave despite claims that some workers remain absent for extended periods.

  The union reiterated that the entitlement exists to protect employees who become temporarily unable to work because of illness.

  Pasydy said safeguarding the rights of workers, particularly “those suffering from chronic health conditions”, remained its primary concern.

  It warned against any approach that could lead to discrimination or adverse treatment of employees whose illnesses genuinely prevent them from carrying out their duties.

  At the same time, Pasydy did concede that “abuse may occur in isolated cases” and said existing regulations already contain provisions to address excessive or unjustified absences.

  It argued that appropriate controls should be applied wherever misuse is identified, while maintaining that individual cases should not be used to undermine a protected employment right.

  The intervention follows comments made by Labour Minister Marinos Mousiouttas, who said the government is preparing legislative changes after identifying weaknesses in the current framework governing sick leave in the public sector.

  On Monday he had referred to cases involving a coast guard employee whose medical condition prevents him from serving on a vessel and a teacher suffering from agoraphobia who is unable to teach in a classroom environment as examples of alleged abuses.

  Speaking on Alpha, Mousiouttas said authorities had encountered cases in which employees remained absent from work for prolonged periods through repeated use of existing procedures.

  “There are departments which have cases of people being absent for six or seven consecutive years,” he said.

  The minister explained that employees are initially entitled to up to 42 days of sick leave before appearing before a medical board.

  The board can then grant up to six months’ leave on full pay, followed by a further six months on half pay if the medical condition persists.

  He argued that a loophole arises when an employee briefly returns to work before restarting the process.

  According to the minister, the issue is not necessarily that employees are acting unlawfully, but that the existing framework allows situations which can result in lengthy absences without substantial financial consequences.

  “What they are doing is perfectly legal. The question is why the opportunity is given for this to happen,” he said.

  Mousiouttas stressed that the government’s concerns relate exclusively to proven cases of abuse and not to employees suffering from genuine or chronic illnesses.

  “Woe betides us if someone is chronically ill, we are not discussing those cases,” he said.

  Following a meeting involving the ministers of labour, finance, justice and health, proposals are now being examined by the public administration department.

  The recommendations are expected to be discussed with trade unions before any amendments are drafted and submitted to parliament.

  Pasydy said it is prepared to participate in those discussions and expressed its willingness to cooperate with the government in addressing cases where abuse is demonstrated.

  However, the union made clear that it would oppose any attempt to weaken what it described as “a guaranteed and institutionalised” labour right, insisting that reforms must target misuse without affecting employees who depend on sick leave for legitimate medical reasons.

• July festival fever: Where to go and what to see

  Cyprus’ biggest festival month is around the corner, bringing events for every taste, age and liking. July hosts over 20 festivals this year – from traditional village celebrations, to epic music gatherings, late-night parties and appearances from international stars.

  Larnaca Festival: July 5-30

  Larnaca Municipality is organising another summer of cultural productions with the Larnaca Festival. Running throughout July, the 2026 programme hosts a concert tribute to Stavros Xarhakos, choir ensembles, an acrobatic dance show from Denmark, Yiannis Kotsiras live, ancient Greek drama, the Mikis Theodorakis Popular Orchestra and the Sofia National Opera Ballet.

  www.larnaka.org.cy

  Loud Music Festival: July 2-5

  A four-day music, dance and party extravaganza returns with another edition of Loud Music Festival. From July 2 to 5, The Warehouse in Limassol will host different artists, performers and DJs, exploring different music genres each night. On the opening night, there will be plenty of live performances and disco music, followed by RnB and Afro beats on July 3, EDM and techno on July 4 and old school and Greek music on July 5.

  www.ticketbox.com.cy/lmf-2026

  Faneromeni26 Arts Festival: Until September 10

  The annual festival at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation celebrates 10 years of culture. On a mission to honour its historic journey and imagine the future, it presents five productions this summer that unite culture, art, history and the museum’s collections and exhibits. Events in the courtyard start on June 25 with a musical performance, followed on July 9 with the Lyra Quartet and Kalesma, on July 30 with the music act Tracks, and finally in September with the performance Ledra’s Lament.

  www.boccf.org

  32^nd Pancyprian Milk Festival: July 3

  Local spirit and produce will shine at this festival, but the most exciting part at this year’s Milk Festival in Dali, Nicosia is its live music line-up. Greek stars Andromachi and Sakis Rouvas are set to perform on July 3 at Halkanora Stadium as dairy producer Charalambides Christis invites the public to enjoy the music and taste traditional products such as anari, yoghurt, rice puddings, halloumi, fresh trahanas and much more.

  www.ticketbox.com.cy/festival-galaktos/

  29^th International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama: July 3-August 8

  Back again for another summer of exemplary productions of Greek drama, the festival will feature performances from Spain, Latvia, Greece and Cyprus. Spread across the Curium Ancient Theatre in Limassol, the Ancient Odeon in Paphos and the Makarios III Amphitheatre in Nicosia, the festival will present Euripides’ The Trojan Women, Hecuba, Alcestis, Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus.

  www.greekdramafest.com

  6^th Pancyprian Carrot Festival: July 4

  Near Ayia Napa, Liopetri will host the Pancypriot Carrot Festival. The Achyrona Municipal Stadium will fill with carrot-inspired delicacies; sweet and savoury treats, cocktails, jams, liqueurs, carrot cakes, ice creams and other original flavours. On the entertainment front, local artists will present shows, radio live links will take place and the big concert of the night will be headlined by one of Greece’s favourite singers – Giannis Ploutarchos.

  Platres Lavender Festival: July 5

  Purple shades and aromas will fill Platres for a day as it hosts its 2026 Lavender Festival including live music with guitar, bouzouki and saxophone, experiential gastronomy workshops that feature lavender and wellness activities infused with the herb. 32 exhibitors will also take part in a market, which will run from 11am to 9pm, featuring handmade lavender products, cosmetics, candles, arts and crafts.

  www.platresvillage.com

  Minthis Music Festival 2026: July 8-12

  Internationally acclaimed soloists, award-winning performers and ensembles will step into the spectacular Minthis amphitheatre to perform against a backdrop of Paphos’ hilltops. Up first is composer and pianist Florian Christl and his ensemble on July 8, joined by acclaimed violinist Niklas Liepe. On July 9, rising piano star Jeneba Kanneh-Mason will take the floor, followed by the dynamic Vision String Quartet on July 10. Celebrated bass Günther Groissböck, accompanied by La Scala pianist Nelson Calzi, will continue the programme the following evening, while on the closing evening, jazz singer Claire Martin will perform with her ensemble.

  www.minthisresort.com

  8^th Cyprus Rialto World Music Festival: July 8-21

  Outdoor concerts are coming to Limassol. Set to present unique musical encounters this year is Martha Frintzela – the Kubara Project and Kalogeraki Bros on July 8, Kobrah Habibi on July 12, Nabuma on July 16, Koza Mostra on July 17 and Near to Far East – Cyprus Kollective Big Band on July 21.

  www.cyprusrialtoworldmusic.com

  Protaras Summer Film Festival: July 8-26

  Paralimni Youth brings back one of its most successful events – film nights in Protaras’ centre. The biggest blockbuster hits of recent years and beyond will be screened, giving audiences of all ages and backgrounds a chance to unwind and enjoy films on the big screen. Popcorn, drinks and bites will be available for purchase each night, and a rich screening schedule welcomes cinephiles. The 2026 film list will be announced soon.

  www.psff.cy

  Garden Screenings at Attikon: July 10 – August 14

  Every Wednesday and Friday, Kimonos Art Centre will present a film screening at Attikon Open-Air Theatre in Paphos, bringing back its summer tradition. This year’s calendar begins with The Grand Budapest Hotel on July 10, followed by the Cypriot film Hold Onto Me by Myrsini Aristidou on July 15. The full programme is now live online.

  www.kimonosartcenter.com/garden-screenings

  12^th Windcraft Music Fest: July 24-26

  Lovers of Balkan sounds, jazz, folk, experimental music and wind instruments will gather at Katydata village once more as the 12^th Windcraft Music Fest takes place. Across three days, artists from Cyprus and abroad will perform original collaborations and musical traditions from around the world. Throughout the day, workshops, exhibitions, installations and walks will entertain festivalgoers before the evening parties begin.

  www.windcraftmusicfest.com

  Fengaros Festival: July 30-August 2

  The 2026 Fengaros Festival relocates to the Petrides Farm Park in Marki this summer, presenting local musicians, standout international acts and emerging musicians. Across three days and six stages, this is set to be Fengaros’ biggest lineup to date, with over 60 artists performing.

  www.fengaros.com

  Want more? Plenty of other festivals take place. Mark your calendars for July 7 for 13^th Traditional Sotira Festival, the Beerateia Beer Festival on July 17-19 in Peyia, the Koupepi Festival on July 24 in Avdimou, the Pancyprian Potato Festival on July 25 in Avgorou, the OneLove Festival Cyprus on July 29-August 2 in Gialia and finally, the 9^th Beer Phelstival in Pelendri between July 31 and August 3. Festival fever is on!

• Cypriot journalists’ union warns of risks posed by AI

  The negative impact of generative artificial intelligence on journalism was a key topic of discussion at the European Federation of Journalists annual meeting last week, the Union of Cyprus Journalists (ESK) said on Tuesday.

  The rise of AI overviews in search engines like Google was a central issue discussed at the conference.

  AI overviews have caused organic traffic to news sites to decrease by up to 40 per cent, which reduces revenue for news organisations, the conference heard.

  The General Assembly of the federation adopted a resolution that called for fair compensation for publishers and journalists from the online service providers that are limiting news website traffic, noting the monopolistic influence of major technology companies.

  Cypriot journalists were represented at the meeting by ESK president Giorgos Frangos and board member Stelios Marathovouniotis.

  The conference also discussed the implementation of the European Unions’ Anti-SLAPP Directive, a binding European law designed to protect journalists, activists, and human rights defenders from abusive, cross-border lawsuits.

  The federation noted that the vast majority of SLAPP cases involve domestic matters and called for national laws to address these incidents.

  The General Assembly also approved a series of resolutions that called for pathways for nontraditional journalists, including Substack writers and TikTok content creators, to enter unions, encouraged greater participation in journalist unions from young people and defended press freedoms in Turkey.

  In recent years, Cyprus has fallen sharply in the World Press Freedom Index. Cyprus ranks 80th out of 180 countries in 2026, down significantly from 26th place in 2021. Only Greece ranks below Cyprus out of European Union nations.

• Firefighters’ lose appeal for on call compensation

  A group of firefighters have lost their legal challenge seeking compensation for on call duties, after the court of appeal upheld an earlier ruling rejecting the claim, the legal service announced on Tuesday.

  The appeal concerned firemen who sought payment for having been placed on standby duty between 2006 and 2015 while the service operated under the auspices of the police.

  The firefighters argued that their claim was supported by EU rules governing working time.

  In its judgment, the court ruled that the relevant EU directive on the organisation of working time does not regulate employee remuneration and therefore could not provide a legal basis for the compensation sought.

  The court accepted the position advanced by the legal service that decisions regarding payment for standby duty fall within the competence of individual member states rather than EU law.

  It further held that responsibility for examining the request rested with the police, which at the time had authority over the fire brigade.

  Having determined that the issue was a matter of national law, the court examined whether the police had sufficiently justified its decision to reject the firefighters’ request.

  It concluded that the decision had been properly reasoned and lawfully taken.

  A central issue in the case was the absence of any legislative framework governing compensation for standby duty.

  According to the judgment, the institution of on call service “has not been legally established” and no provision exists determining payment for time spent on standby.

  The court found that the lack of legislation could not be remedied through retroactive judicial intervention.

• Government committed to addressing Maronite community needs

  President Nikos Christodoulides reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the Maronite community on Tuesday.

  During a meeting with newly elected representative Petros Nakouzis, he underlined the government’s dedication to resolving issues affecting the group.

  Christodoulides congratulated Nakouzis, adding that the government is investing in initiatives to meet the community’s needs.

  He also highlighted the strong cooperation with the Maronite Church and expressed readiness to work closely with Nakouzis in the House of Representatives.

• Combative Anastasiades fights back against Mafia State allegations

  Former president Nicos Anastasiades went on the defensive on Tuesday, speaking for over an hour at journalists’ house in Nicosia fighting against allegations levelled at him in the anti-corruption authority’s report into the Mafia State book.

  The book was written by his former aide and journalist Makarios Drousiotis, and Anastasiades wasted no time in questioning the validity not just of the accusations, but of their source.

  “Some people did not need the [report’s] findings to come to a verdict. They have had their verdicts for years. After the announcement, there was smearing, toxicity and character assassinations, and they turned the inventor of the ‘Sandy’ case into a hero,” he said at the beginning of an address.

  The ‘Sandy’ case was a separate series of allegations made by Drousiotis earlier this year, relating to a now 45-year-old woman, known only as ‘Sandy’, who he said was raped and stabbed by former supreme court judge Michalakis Christodoulou. Drousiotis also claims that Christodoulou fathered three of ‘Sandy’s children.

  During Anastasiades’ hour of unbroken monologue, he remained largely faithful to his script, reading aloud a document which stretched to over 5,000 words, in which the word “slanderous” was used five times and “slanderer” twice.

  He went through the anti-corruption authority’s report chapter by chapter, each time outlining the accusations levelled against him as he saw them, and offering his own version of events.

  On multiple occasions, he stressed that he was never given the opportunity during the course of the anti-corruption authority’s two-and-a-half-year investigation to dispute or explain the allegations levelled against him.

  The document from which he was reading was in front of him at the front of a press conference hall, where his voice competed with the clacking of keyboards and camera shutters of the scrum of photographers.

  Anastasiades’ voice was not the deep and booming voice of old, which six years ago warned journalists at Larnaca airport, “do not speak to me about Al Jazeera lest you be taken by… the demon”.

  In its place is a softer voice which, like his now greying hair, clearly belongs to an elder gentleman, with a jacket which was too large completing the look of a man of advancing years.

  Nonetheless, he remains Nicos Anastasiades, and became animated when speaking about allegations of abuse of power included in the report which related to a case in which he allegedly requested that Mokas, the police anti-money laundering unit, launch an investigation into claims levelled against him by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), with the aim of clearing his own name.

  “Did Anastasiades commit the crime of abuse of power because he requested the current investigation undertaken by the anti-corruption authority? Did the authority’s inspectors feel pressured because Anastasiades asked them to investigate him?” he asked, arms stretched wide.

  He added that “I consider it completely absurd and unlawful for it to be considered an abuse of power to request that publications which attribute acts of corruption against him to be investigated”.

  On this front, he also asked why the attorney-general of the day, Costas Clerides, was not also accused of abuse of power and dereliction of his duties, given that the report stated that Clerides “had the decisive authority regarding the adoption or rejection of Mokas’ findings”.

  “Did the former president also exert institutional pressure on the then attorney-general?” he asked.

  His reading of the document protesting his innocence came to an end with the sound of sound feedback, with the noise almost resembling a “mic drop”, popularised in 1980s rap battles. However, despite that moment, the event was only two-thirds done, with a question-and-answer session to follow.

  It was here Anastasiades was truest to form, taking questions from the journalists before him and treating each one as a sparring match.

  First, he was asked a string of questions one after another by one journalist, who, clearly dissatisfied with the answers given, continued to prompt and probe.

  Anastasiades, biting on his lip and furrowing his brow, eventually lost his patience, interrupting the journalist in return to ask, “but sorry, where did you see in the conclusions that there is corruption?”

  “The [former] president is accused of seven crimes which are not mentioned in the book Mafia State, I was not asked…” he said, before facing another follow-up question and cutting it off with “listen, if you actually want to be informed in good faith, listen to the answers, and if you want, believe them, and if you do not, stay with that which you have already decided to believe”.

  Then pressed on the matter of naturalisations given in exchange for money and the fact that some people have been denaturalised, he stressed that “it was my own government which began to recall [the passports]”.

  “Who said that responsibility should not be taken? Who said that criminal proceedings should not be undertaken against those who abused [the system]? Why was the programme cancelled in 2020?” he asked.

  He then said that half of the naturalisations which were cancelled belonged to people who were naturalised as dependents of investors, before, with another question coming in, saying “please, allow me, shall I answer or do you just want to ask and answer the questions yourself?”.

  “The decisions for dependents to become [citizens] was not taken by my government, but by the government of the late Christofias, Demetris Christofias in January 2011,” he said.

  He added, “I do not understand what relation the allegations levelled against me have with the golden passports and responsibility for them”, saying that “everything has been examined and answered for” on that matter.

  As he gathered his belongings to leave the conference hall, he was asked whether he planned to offer a “mea culpa” for the mistakes which were made during his ten-year stint as president, and answered that the journalists present “were not listening to what I was saying” and for that reason “did not hear that I actually said ‘mea culpa’ many times”.

Github

• Secret scanning adds extended metadata for Replicate secrets

  Secret scanning now includes extended metadata for Replicate secrets, providing richer context for leaked credentials.

  Extended metadata support

  This pattern now includes extended metadata when detected, providing richer context about leaked secrets.

  Provider	Secret type
  Replicate	replicate_api_token

  Learn more

  Learn more about secret scanning and see the full list of supported secrets in our documentation. Let us know what you think in the community discussion.

  The post Secret scanning adds extended metadata for Replicate secrets appeared first on The GitHub Blog.

• Fetch Code Quality findings via REST API

  Repository-level REST APIs for Code Quality findings are now available in public preview, bringing API support closer to the functionality already available in the GitHub UI.

  Two new read-only endpoints are now available:

  • GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/code-quality/findings/{finding_number}: Retrieve details for a single Code Quality CodeQL finding.
  • GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/code-quality/findings: List Code Quality CodeQL findings for a repository with filtering and pagination support.

  These endpoints enable broader access to Code Quality results and support integrations such as tooling and agentic remediation workflows.

  Availability

  The Code Quality Findings REST API is available today in public preview on github.com and is not yet available on GitHub Enterprise Server.

  Learn more

  • Read the GitHub Code Quality REST API documentation
  • Explore GitHub Code Quality documentation

  The post Fetch Code Quality findings via REST API appeared first on The GitHub Blog.

• Automatic Dependabot access to GitHub-hosted registries

  Dependabot can now read from private GitHub Packages registries without a personal access token. If a package has granted your repository access through “Manage Actions access” in the package settings, Dependabot reuses that grant.

  What’s new

  Dependabot’s GITHUB_TOKEN can now request packages: read, and Dependabot jobs send that token when pulling from *.pkg.github.com and ghcr.io. Any package that has granted your repository access through “Manage Actions access” will accept it, the same as a regular GitHub Actions workflow.

  This is available for every GitHub Packages ecosystem that Dependabot supports.

  How to enable it

  For each package Dependabot needs to read:

  1. Open the package’s settings page (under your organization’s or personal account’s Packages tab).
  2. Under “Manage Actions access”, add the repository that runs Dependabot with Read access.

  You don’t need to change dependabot.yml, and you can remove any PAT-based registry entries you added for these packages.

  Learn more

  • Ensuring workflow access to your package
  • Configuring access to private registries for Dependabot

  The post Automatic Dependabot access to GitHub-hosted registries appeared first on The GitHub Blog.

• Copilot CLI: New terminal interface is generally available

  The redesigned terminal interface for GitHub Copilot CLI that we previewed at Microsoft Build 2026 is now generally available. You get a tabbed layout for working with GitHub directly from your terminal, a new experience for configuring your tools, and a cleaner, more accessible interface throughout.

  Browse issues, pull requests, and gists in tabs

  An interactive Copilot CLI session now has tabs at the top of the screen. Press Tab to move between the default Session tab and a Gists tab for your personal gists. When you run the CLI inside a GitHub repository, you also get Issues and Pull requests tabs for that repository.

  This lets you find the work you care about without leaving the terminal. Highlight an issue or pull request and press c to drop a reference to it into your prompt, then ask Copilot to investigate, fix, comment on, or review it. Press o to open the highlighted item on GitHub in your browser, or press / on the Issues or Pull requests tab to search GitHub with your own query.

  You can also click a tab with your mouse to switch to it. From your settings, you can reorder, hide, or turn off the tab bar entirely.

  For more information, check out our docs about browsing issues, pull requests, and gists.

  Configure your tools without leaving the terminal

  Setting up the tools that extend Copilot CLI is now a guided, in-session experience. There’s no need to hand-edit configuration files.

  • MCP servers: Run /mcp add to fill out an interactive form or /mcp search to browse the GitHub MCP Registry and install a server directly. New servers are available immediately, without restarting the CLI.
  • Skills: Run /skills to toggle individual skills on or off with the arrow keys and the space bar.
  • Plugins: Browse and install plugins from a marketplace, a repository, or a local path with the /plugin command.
  • Settings: Open the /settings dialog to view and change your configuration inline.

  For more information, check out our docs about how to customize Copilot CLI.

  A cleaner, more accessible interface

  The new interface uses theme-aware semantic colors and responsive components that adapt to narrow terminals without truncating what you need to read. You can:

  • Pick a color mode—such as default, dim, high-contrast, or colorblind with the /theme command to match your terminal and adjust for your eyes.
  • Rely on screen reader support that automatically turns on when a screen reader is detected, with labeled icons and animations that disable themselves.

  Update and share feedback

  Update GitHub Copilot CLI by running copilot update in your terminal. We’d love to hear what you think. Share feedback with the /feedback command in a CLI session or open an issue in our public repository.

  The post Copilot CLI: New terminal interface is generally available appeared first on The GitHub Blog.

• Deprecation of Python 3.9 for Dependabot

  Dependabot no longer supports Python version 3.9, which has reached its end-of-life. If you continue to use Python 3.9, there’s a risk that Dependabot will not create pull requests to update dependencies. If this affects you, please update to a supported release of Python. As of May 2026, the newest supported version of Python is 3.14. View Python’s official support policies for more information about supported releases.

  The post Deprecation of Python 3.9 for Dependabot appeared first on The GitHub Blog.

• GitHub Copilot app support for BYOK

  The GitHub Copilot app now supports bring your own key (BYOK), so you can run agent sessions against your own model providers, including OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Microsoft Foundry, Anthropic, LM Studio, Ollama, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

  Add a provider in Settings → Model Providers with your endpoint and API key, or just a host for LM Studio or Ollama. Once added, your provider’s models appear in the model picker alongside Copilot-hosted models, and you choose which one to use each session. Keys are stored in the local OS keychain and are never read back by the UI.

  With BYOK you can:

  • Connect the providers you already use: Add Azure OpenAI, Anthropic, self-hosted Ollama, LM Studio, or any OpenAI-compatible gateway, then choose the right model for each session while keeping your existing billing, quotas, regions, and data-handling terms.
  • Mix frontier and local models: Pair a frontier model with a local or self-hosted model. Frontier models handle complexity. Local models handle execution.
  • Keep traffic in your tenant: Route inference through your own cloud account, tenant, or internal gateway for enterprise and regulated environments with stricter data-boundary requirements. 

  Download the GitHub Copilot app to start your first session.

  Want to learn more? Read the docs about getting started with the GitHub Copilot app and the docs on using your own LLM models (BYOK).

  Note: To access the GitHub Copilot app on a Copilot Business or Enterprise plan, your organization or enterprise admin must have the Copilot CLI enabled in policy settings.

  Join the discussion within GitHub Community.

  The post GitHub Copilot app support for BYOK appeared first on The GitHub Blog.

Reddit

r/golang

• OpenComputer - A long running, elastic VM for agents

  We've been writing infra tooling in golang for a few years now, our OSS project for terraform automation is pretty popular too! (5k stars, millions of downloads + 100s of orgs using). we moved that project from python to golang in a week in the early days btw. :)

  Earlier this year, we spoke to a bunch of our OSS users on what their biggest problems were. A lot of them were building background agents, a bit like ramp's inspect and kept flagging 2 problems.

  1) Most of these boxes where code execution happened (firecracker wrappers, essentially) were built for running code ephemerally. We kept seeing that for background agents running for longer, folks wanted a primitive with lambda ergonomics and ec2 semantics.

  2) Most folks who were running these background coding agents kept flagging that their sandboxes OOM'd when the agent had to scale up for a rust compilation, for example. So we shipped elasticity. We expose http://169.254.169.254/v1/scale inside the sandbox. It’s the same IP AWS uses for instance metadata. Your agent can curl it mid run to request more RAM, then release it after.

  We're early and we're after feedback from this community. Would you be open to sharing your most critical pov on the tool? Your feedback would help us A LOT!

  submitted by /u/DiggerHQ
  [link] [comments]
• I'm build( ...ing) a turn-based PvP game using Go

  Hello fellow gophers!

  Wanted to share a side project I've been working on lately: a turn-based, hex-grid tactical PvP game.

  It's built with Ebitengine, EbitenUI, and WebSockets as a transport.
  It's simple at this stage, but complete and playable.

  You can play it here: https://game.gopl.dev

  It has two repos:
  Server: https://github.com/goplease-game/server (AGPL-3)
  Client: https://github.com/goplease-game/client (MIT)

  I'm actively working on it, so no binary releases yet, just a WASM build to try online (though you can build it locally yourself).

  I want this to be open-source and community-driven, which is why I'm sharing it here first.

  I would be happy for any feedback, ideas, and whatever fits.
  Thanks!

  submitted by /u/ognev-dev
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• Socket-Activation for a Go HTTP service on Linux with systemd

  systemd on Linux can run your Go webapp only when it actually receives requests. With this, your Go executable will start with the first request it receives - and that first request will succeed. A lightweight alternative to running your service permanently in the background. And maybe also an alternative to deploying local web apps to Desktop systems with something heavy like Electron.

  submitted by /u/_jindo_
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• I just wrote the classic "range over channel" goroutine leak. Structured concurrency in Go would be nice.

  Wrote the range-over-channel goroutine leak while building a small custom cron scheduler.

  The leak is well-documented, and Uber included it as one of the most common concurrency bugs. I have debugged it multiple times before in prod, but this kinda shows how easy it is to write bugs like this, even when you're aware.

  Found it while playing with Go 1.27's leak profiler. I like the fact that now I don’t have to use goleak and write tests to ensure they exercise the leak path and raise flags. But it seems like a patch rather than tackling the issue head-on.

  Go concurrency often feels a bit too low-level, and at our scale, we have felt the need for some structured concurrency paradigms.

  Sure, with waitgroups and errgroups you can roll your own, but languages like Python and Kotlin have scoped suspension where you do something in a block and then cancel the whole block if something fails. It's possible to do it in Go, but requires quite a bit of boilerplate and is hard to teach. Folks new to the language write some haunting concurrency bugs and leaks due to the lack of this. At least we can catch most of them now.

  IIRC, there was a conversation around structured concurrency a few years back, but I guess no consensus was reached. Peter Bourgon's Run tried to bring actors but hasn't gained as much traction, I guess.

  Is anyone using anything beyond handrolled waitgroups?

  submitted by /u/sigmoia
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• Open source client for deps.dev API

  Free access to dependencies, licenses, advisories and other critical health and security signals for open source package versions.

  GitHub repo: https://github.com/edoardottt/depsdev

  https://deps.dev/ (a Google project) repeatedly examines sites such as github.com, npmjs.com, pkg.go.dev and other package managers to find up-to-date information about open source software packages. Using that information it builds for each package the full dependency graph from scratch connecting it to the packages it depends on and to those that depend on it. And then does it all again to keep the information fresh. This transitive dependency graph allows problems in any package to be made visible to the owners and users of any software they affect.

  If you're playing with/building OSS/dependency security let me know your thoughts! If you encounter an error or want so suggest an improvement just open an issue :) I'll be happy to discuss about that!

  submitted by /u/edoardottt
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• bobb update - nosql database

  bobb - HTTP Document Database (nosql, no schema)

  I posted on this project a while back. Automated indexing, query results to csv, and other enhancements have been made plus numerous fixes. Take a look at the code, it is quite approachable.

  Project Description

  Bobb needs volume testing under different scenarios. Hopefully others will like the design and try it out.

  submitted by /u/flingchalk
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• rsvp: Yet another HTTP graceful shutdown library

  After the nth time copying and tweaking boilerplate Go code to enable HTTP graceful shutdown, I decided to package it up in to a library which I've called rsvp (i.e, "please respond"). Source is at https://github.com/jbarham/rsvp. Basic usage is to call rsvp.ListenAndServe (docs) which is a drop-in replacement for the standard library http.ListenAndServe function with graceful shutdown. The default behavior can be customized with options to configure trigger signals, shutdown timeout and context, TLS and logging. Full documentation with example code is at https://pkg.go.dev/github.com/jbarham/rsvp. submitted by /u/jbarham [link] [comments]

• Queues / Background Jobs / DAGS -- Just use PG?

  Hello,

  The v2 rewrite of our organization’s enterprise TMS platform, built with Go and SvelteKit, has been in development for about a year. I’ll spare you the details, except to say that it’s significantly more robust, feature-rich, extensible, scalable, and performant than most people would expect from a Transportation Management System—assuming anyone spends their free time thinking about TMS platforms.

  My original plan was to use the pg_cron and pgmq PostgreSQL extensions alongside robfig/cron. As development progressed, however, I introduced riverqueue/river. Now I’m debating whether I should add DAG workflows, which are paywalled in River (along with several other features). That has me considering replacing River entirely with something like Hatchet, Neoq, Gue, or Asynq.

  The tradeoff is that Hatchet runs as a separate service with its own database, meaning I’d lose transactional enqueueing. Today, I use InsertTx to commit a job within the same transaction as the business write, giving me true atomicity. With Hatchet, that becomes a post-commit API call paired with idempotency keys.

  For those who’ve used both—or alternatives in this space:

  • How much did losing transactional enqueueing actually hurt in practice?
  • Is it worth switching queues to gain workflow support, or would you simply model DAGs as chained River jobs?
  • I only have a handful of multi-step pipelines, so a full migration feels like a fairly heavy move. I’m mostly looking for a sanity check on my thinking.

  Or have I completely lost the plot and should I stick with PostgreSQL extensions until they become a genuine bottleneck?

  submitted by /u/fakebizholdings
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