Apart from the only partial lunar eclipse in 2017 visible from Cyprus on Monday two more celestial phenomena are expected in August, a Perseids meteor shower and a solar eclipse, the Kition Planetarium and Observatory has announced.

Perseids meteor showers have been occurring in July and August already, but a maximum visibility is expected in Cyprus from Saturday at 5pm until Sunday at 6.30am. Since it is dark for many hours during that time there is an opportunity to watch many of the bright fireballs the shower produces.

To make the most of it, people should aim to find a dark place outside an urban area so there are as few other lights as possible interfering with the view. The observers’ eyes need about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark.

The yearly Perseids meteor shower occurs when particles of the Swift-Tuttle comet enter the earth at the huge velocity of 58 kilometres per second.

These particles burn up, producing meteors described as shooting stars. When they are in space, the pieces are called meteoroids, when they reach the earth’s atmosphere they are named meteors and those that make it to the earth’s surface without burning are renamed meteorites.

During another phenomenon on August 21 the moon will completely block the sun for a few minutes.

The complete solar eclipse will not be visible from Cyprus but only from a few European countries.

However, the Kition Planetarium and Observatory which has planned events around the lunar eclipse and the Perseids meteor shower on August 7 and 12 respectively have taken part in research on solar and lunar eclipses and their influence on European culture and has information on both.

According to the observatory, solar eclipses nowadays give valuable scientific information.

For instance, the corona, the outer layer of the sun, can be studied in detail. The corona is not usually visible due to the very bright solar surface.

Also, precise measurements of the diameter of the sun are made and theories of gravity are tested.
The Kition Planetarium and Observatory is taking part in this research and has organised expeditions to two different sites in the USA to make observations of the total eclipse.

On August 7 the planetarium hosts the public event Eclipses in Culture at 7pm. The August 12 event Perseids Meteor Shower 2017 which starts at 7pm as well includes live music with Armenian Cypriot singer Yuri Melikov and telescope observations of the moon and planets.

Both events take place in Larnaca.

Source:CyprusMail

This ocean view villa on the island of Mykonos, Greece seamlessly blends modern interior decor and Mykonos architecture.

The luxury villa offers a spacious terrace with swimming pool and magical views of the azure blue sea.

A home's design needs to take into consideration everyone that lives there. While this usually extends to all the human occupants of a house, many homes also have furry residents to consider. Luckily, there are certainly options that can suit a homeowner of discerning taste as well as her precious kitties. The home featured in this post comes from designer PartiDesign & CHT Architect with photos by Hey!Cheese. The home has the clean lines and subtle colors that we have come to expect from modern design, but included with the people furniture is stylish cat furniture, including a custom built climbing wall. Take a look inside and see how many furry friends you can find perched and purring in this lovely space.

When choosing indoor house plants for a home with cats, its important to find those that are safe for animals. This home features a Swiss cheese plant as well as a Fiddle Leaf Fig and Boston Fern. The coffee tables provide a nice surface for mischievous cats to leap to a from.

The two story home has lots of natural light and even feels a bit like a human-sized version of a cat tree with its open stairwell in the center of the main floor.

A simple wall clock placed up near the ceiling is practical and chic.

Cats need plenty of sunny spots to sit, like this pink bean bag chair, nestled in a nook across from a unique floor lamps.

The colors in the home are fairly subtle, with a muted green serving as a modern neutral.

In the dining room, Scandinavian style chairs and dining room pendants are a bit mismatched, but in purposeful way.

Indeed, the dining area itself is somewhat small, nestled closely into the kitchen.

Kitchen bar stools like the Nerd Counter Stool in turquoise add a playful flai

This design goes the extra mile, giving the cats a birds-eye view from above the staircase on a glass platform

It’s hard to imagine a cat ever leaving this sunny perch where he can observe all the happenings of the home.

In the bedroom, a comfortable reading chair even has an ottoman for a cat to sun herself.

Source: HomeDesigning

Burglary can happen at any time or anywhere, but the number of thefts always seems to increase during the holidays. Whether you’re planning to be away for a long vacation, or just for an evening with loved ones, here are some safety tips to follow to make sure you don’t fall victim to a home invasion this holiday season.

1. Secure Your Valuables

If you’re leaving a car parked on the street or driveway while you’re away, make sure you remove all valuables from plain sight. This includes any clothing, electronics, bags, etc. Even if you leave your car in the garage, you should also be sure to remove all valuables to make sure they remain safe in the event that someone breaks into your garage. It’s also wise to place any important documents and jewelry in a safe inside of your home, a safe deposit box or a hidden secure location.

2. Don’t Post Your Travel Plans Online

Yes, you’re excited about your vacation plans and want to share them with friends, but this could be an invitation to thieves. This is especially true if you do not have strict privacy settings on your accounts because it means that you may be sharing with people you don’t know. That’s why it’s important to always be aware whenever you’re posting your travel plans and location online.

3. Have a Family Member, Friend or Neighbor Check In

Tell someone you trust — such as a family member, neighbor or friend — that you will be gone, so they can be on alert for any suspicious activity. Give them a spare key so they can go by the house daily to make sure everything is OK and bring any mail or packages inside. Mail piling up is a dead give away to thieves that no one is home.

4. Hold Mail and Deliveries

If you can’t have someone you trust stop by your home to check the mail every day, call the postal service and request a hold on your mail until you’re back home. You should also consider holding any deliveries or regular subscription services you receive at home, like newspapers and magazines.

5. Make It Look like Someone is Always Home

Keep all blinds and curtains closed when you’re not home. Have your lights set on a timer or solar switch while you’re away, to make it appear as if someone is always there. This could help to ward off any would-be invaders.

6. Lock All Doors and Windows

This one is a given, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Make sure all your doors and windows have working locks, and remember to remove all spare keys to your house or any keys sitting in locks throughout your home. This is important because someone could get into your house, steal these keys without you knowing, and then use the keys to gain access to your house again in the future. In addition, it’s also important to remember to not run any extension cords through windows for your outdoor holiday lights. This prevents the window from closing properly, and burglars will see this as an easy entry point.

7. Install a Home Security System

Whether you’re home or away, a home security system can give you the peace of mind in knowing your home and valuables are secure. Not sure which system is best for you? There are a number of top home security options that also offer special perks to new customers. 

Source:NextAdvisor

Moody`s rating agency has upgraded government bond ratings of Cyprus by one notch, to Ba3 from B1, a move Nicosia has welcomed. Moody's maintained a positive outlook and said the short-term ratings have been affirmed, at Not Prime (NP) and (P)NP. 

Commenting on the rating action, Government Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides told CNA that the upgrade of Cyprus by Moody`s, "is another step in restoring confidence in our economy and another confirmation that we are now on a path that creates a positive outlook." 

The government, he pointed out, will continue with the same serious policy. 

The fact that Moody’s maintained the prospects of the Cypriot economy on a positive outlook means that it will probably proceed with a new credit rating upgrade in the next assessment of Cyprus in November. Cyprus is now three upgrades away from the investment grade of Moody’s. 

According to Moody’s, the key drivers for the rating action are improvements in economic resilience that have occurred over the past two years and that seem likely to continue in the medium term, as well as the consistent fiscal outperformance and continuing favourable fiscal outlook for Cyprus. 

The decision to maintain a positive outlook on the rating of Cyprus reflects Moody`s view that improvements in economic resilience and continuing fiscal outperformance are likely to be sustained, with a reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio as well as a fall in the stock of non-performing loans held by the banks. 

The long-term country ceilings for foreign-currency and local-currency bonds have been raised to A3 from Baa1, to reflect continuing improvements in economic resilience and fiscal outperformance, and the long-term ceiling for foreign-currency and local-currency deposits has been raised to A3 from Baa1. 

Moody`s maintains a six-notch gap between the government bond rating and the bond and deposit ceilings. The short-term foreign-currency bond and bank deposit ceilings remain unchanged at P-2. 

Moody’s also notes that the government bond ratings of Cyprus would be upgraded were Moody`s to conclude that a combination of government policy and sustained investor and consumer optimism was very likely to result, over time, in a sustained and marked fall in the debt-to-GDP ratio of Cyprus and in the stock of bank non-performing loans. The expectation that growth would be sustained at current levels over the coming years would also be credit positive. 

Downward pressure upon the government bond ratings of Cyprus might emerge if Moody`s were to conclude that the government commitment to restoring macro-financial stability had weakened, particularly in the context of a lower growth environment. Evidence that the banking sector needed further recapitalisation would also exert downward pressure upon the rating.

Source: Stockwatch

Designed by Barinov Andrey, this compact apartment design tests the limits of space conservation. Thanks to multipurpose living spaces and a super efficient layout, this apartment feels far more spacious than its actual size would indicate. In fact, this compact home measures in at just under 23 square meters! Simple decor and streamlined furniture keeps the interior feeling bright and uncomplicated – a dream for any fan of minimalist design. At the end of the tour, you'll find a collection of useful floor plans to show exactly how this impressive space came together.

The tour opens with a look at the versatile main volume that serves almost all of the resident’s day-to-day needs, from sleeping to dining to entertainment.

Rather than taking up extra space with a full dining table, the designer chose a simple cantilever design with a pair of kitchen bar stools.

While standard furniture would take up significant visual real estate, this low-profile table design only blocks about four or five inches of the view across the room.

Although it’s just a minor detail, every accessory can make a huge impact in a home this minimalistic. These unique pitchers aren’t just useful but also contribute beauty to the room as well.

Almost all of the rightmost wall contains storage space. The bedroom, at the far end, extends storage potential even more with drawers built directly into the bed platform.

Just behind the dining nook, a simple little bed area enjoys a sunny space equally suited to casual reading in the daytime or stargazing at night.

When there isn’t much space to accommodate a traditional table lamp, bedroom pendant lights are a stylish and effective solution. This space uses the IC S Pendant Light by Michael Anastassiades.

The bed platform doubles as a table for a coffee mug, books, or anything else the resident might need for a quiet Saturday morning in bed. Above, there’s a little rack to hold pencils and reading glasses

An attractive pegboard system offers a highly flexible alternative to traditional decorative wall hooks. Arrange as desired and enjoy plenty of room for jackets, purses, and even shoes.

Nearby, the entryway makes a strong first impression with bold floor tiles and slat wood walls

LEDs integrated above the slats provide soft illumination that won’t disturb residents in the evening, easily lighting the way to the bathroom in the evenings.

Source: Home Designing

It’s time for Facebook to start looking beyond Madison Avenue. The social network beat profit estimates in the latest quarter as more brands sought to reach its 2 billion users. Yet the torrid pace of revenue growth is cooling off, mobile’s share of advertising has limited upside, and regulators are increasingly questioning the company’s dominance.

For sure, the $480 billion firm run by founder Mark Zuckerberg is firing on all cylinders. Net income soared 71 percent in the second quarter, and earnings of $1.32 a share handily beat analysts’ estimates. That pushed the stock to a new high, extending its gain for the year to nearly 44 percent. Revenue merely matched estimates, rising 47 percent, but that was no small feat given that executives have been warning for months of an imminent ad slowdown.

That could hurt given that nearly all of the company’s top line comes from selling ads to everyone from small businesses to global conglomerates. Mobile growth has been particularly strong, but it now generates 87 percent of advertising revenue, up 3 percentage points from a year earlier.

Facebook’s 23 percent slice of the global digital mobile-advertising market trails Google’s 35 percent, according to research from eMarketer, which suggests some further growth potential. Yet there are small cracks on the surface that could turn into more troublesome gaps down the road. European trustbusters are eagerly going after the tech giants, slapping the search behemoth run by Sundar Pichai with a record $2.7 billion fine last month. Such action could spur U.S. legislators and regulators to give closer scrutiny to the two companies’ competitive advantages.

Facebook isn’t standing still. Expenses were up 33 percent in the latest quarter and it’s investing aggressively. On a call with analysts Wednesday, Zuckerberg talked up the merits of artificial intelligence – a nod to his spat with Silicon Valley peer Elon Musk. Unlike the threat that the Tesla boss perceives in that technology, Zuckerberg sees the potential for AI to help flag fake stories in news feeds and help advertisers figure out which consumers would be most receptive to a pitch. By contrast, he barely mentioned virtual reality, three years after spending $2 billion to acquire Oculus.

Google parent Alphabet is investing heavily in things like self-driving cars, and Amazon has turned cloud services into a big money maker. With Facebook near the top of its game, it should be looking harder for alternatives of its own.

Source: Reuters

We already know how colors can influence our mood and equally reflect our personality, but when it comes to decorating the home, what are the best colors to use to evoke feelings of joy and happiness?

We already know how colors can influence our mood and equally reflect our personality, but when it comes to decorating the home, what are the best colors to use to evoke feelings of joy and happiness?

1. YELLOW

Are you searching for the most uplifting color? Look no further than yellow.

Whether light and airy or bold and bright, the color yellow also has the power to stimulate creativity. While undoubtedly bringing vibrancy to any room in the home, Lorna suggests using yellow in bedrooms and bathrooms.

Tip: Yellow can be overpowering, so allow yellow accents to shine against a sophisticated grey backdrop.

2. GREEN

This year Pantone named Greenery as its Color of the Year and its calming and soothing connotations will bring contentment to your life.

Tip: Mix and match tones of green by drawing inspiration from the garden.

3. BLUE

Blue is a calming, serene color that, even in its bolder forms, is considered beneficial to the mind and body. Dulux named its blue shade Denim Drift as its Color of the Year this year and Pantone even identified the official color of optimism as an airy shade of blue.

Tip: Use a blue with a warm undertone to stop the room from feeling cold. Create the illusion of space with similar tones on the walls, moldings and floor to merge the boundaries of the room.

4. PINK

"Pink is the choice of a loving, kind and generous individual," explains Lorna. "Pale pink reflects warmth and sensitivity. It's also the color of romance and sensuality.

Tip: Pink can make a space feel small. This color is best used in a space with large windows or a space that gets a lot of light.

5. RED

Red is a bold and confident shade, and studies show that red raises the heart rate and induces emotion, so it is ideal for energetic homeowners who like to get things done.

Tip: Red can be intense, so introducing pattern can tone it down without losing the vibrancy.

Source: HouseBeautiful

Some will pay more and some will pay less local property taxes in Cyprus this year as charges will be assessed on 2013 property valuations rather than those of 1980 in efforts to provide a fairer taxation system.

LOCAL property tax in Cyprus is set to change this year as the Municipalities and Communities will be assessing the tax payable on the 2013 property valuations rather than the 1980 valuations.

It is anticipated that most people will pay about the same local property tax as they did in 2016.

 However, the new assessments may result in those whose properties were registered as plots or fields in 1980 and which have subsequently been developed – and those whose properties are in planning zones that have subsequently been rezoned will pay more tax this year than previously. 

Source:CyprusPropertyNews

There are waterfalls all over the island, with the majority of the most impressive ones in the Troodos mountain range and Platres village.

Although the waterfalls of Cyprus are considered quite small in comparison to the world wide famous waterfalls, combined with the nature trails that leads to the waterfalls they provide magnificent views of the nature.

1.Adonis Baths waterfalls

The Adonis Baths waterfalls are located in Kili, in Paphos. It is considered as one of the most beautiful and idyllic areas of the Island. According to legend, swimming in the baths, below the waterfall is supposed to preserve the woman’s youth and strengthen the men.

2.Caledonia waterfalls

The Caledonia waterfalls, in the Platres village in Troodos, at 12 meters high is one of the highest water falls in Cyprus. It can be reached by a beautiful nature trail path following the stream.

3.Chantara waterfalls

The Chantara waterfalls are found on the river of Trooditissa, Diplos Potamos, about 3.5 Km from the Trooditissa Monastery, at the Fini village. The beautiful waterfalls are a part of the state forest.

4.Green Valley waterfalls

The Green Valley waterfalls, in the Limassol district, were used from the ancient times, as shepherds used to water their herds of goats and flocks of sheep at this pool. Later on, the local village women came here to wash their clothes and brought water to their homes from there.

5.Mesa Potamos waterfalls

Mesa Potamos waterfalls are found on the river bed of the Arkolachanias river, northwest of Saitas at an altitude of 1000m.

6.Milliomeri waterfalls

The Caledonia waterfalls is considered to be the highest waterfalls in Cyprus, however at a height of 15 meters the Millomeri waterfalls is actually a few metres higher. This is due to the fact that these waterfalls became more accessible a couple of years ago, so not many people knew about it.

Souece: CyprusBeat