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Nicosia Partners With Israel’s Mekorot To Strengthen Water Security

by News Editor

August 4, 2026

The Nicosia District Local Government Organisation (EOA) has entered into a new partnership with Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, as Cyprus looks to strengthen water security and modernise the management of its water resources.

Signed on Tuesday, the memorandum of cooperation will focus on sharing expertise in areas such as desalination, wastewater reuse, smart water networks and flood management. The initiative comes as both Cyprus and Israel continue to face mounting pressure on water supplies due to their shared Mediterranean climate.

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Improving Water Efficiency

Reducing water losses is expected to be one of the partnership’s immediate priorities. According to EOA President Constantinos Yiorkadjis, non-revenue water in the Nicosia district currently stands at around 20%, making it the lowest rate among Cyprus’ districts and below the European Union average.

He said the district organisation has continued investing in modern infrastructure, digital technologies and operational improvements to make water services more reliable and sustainable. Working with Mekorot, he added, will provide access to international expertise and practical experience in tackling some of the region’s most pressing water challenges.

A Broader Exchange Of Expertise

The agreement extends beyond water distribution. Both organisations plan to cooperate on wastewater management, flood prevention and the adoption of advanced technologies, while also identifying future areas where technical collaboration could deliver long-term benefits.

Mekorot Chief Executive Officer Barak Graber said Cyprus and Israel face similar environmental conditions and depend on the same Mediterranean water basin, creating natural opportunities to work together on shared challenges. The partnership, he noted, will focus on setting priorities and developing practical solutions through a long-term approach.

Building On Existing Cooperation

Israeli Ambassador to Cyprus Oren Anolik described water management as both an environmental and strategic priority, highlighting Israel’s experience in maximising the efficient use of limited water resources. He also noted that Mekorot has already contributed to desalination projects in Larnaca and Limassol.

The latest agreement builds on a relationship that stretches back more than a decade. Cyprus’ Water Development Department has worked with Mekorot on desalination projects since 2015, with Director Eliana Tofa saying the company’s technical expertise has provided valuable support throughout that collaboration.

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Mirendil Signs $100 Million Google Cloud Deal To Advance Self-Improving AI

by News Editor

August 6, 2026

AI startup Mirendil has signed a multi-year agreement worth more than $100 million with Google Cloud to secure computing infrastructure for its self-improving AI research.

The partnership reflects growing competition among AI companies to lock in access to high-performance computing, while cloud providers race to attract promising startups developing next-generation AI models.

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Backing The Next Stage Of AI Research

Mirendil plans to use Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Nvidia GPUs and managed training infrastructure to develop AI systems capable of improving their own performance over time.

Known as recursive self-improvement, the concept focuses on building AI that can refine its knowledge and capabilities with minimal human intervention. The technology is attracting growing interest across the industry, with several startups and leading AI labs exploring similar approaches.

According to co-founder and Chief Executive Behnam Neyshabur, the long-term goal is to develop AI that can automate scientific research and accelerate discoveries in fields such as medicine, biology and materials science.

Compute Capacity Becomes A Strategic Asset

Training increasingly advanced AI models requires enormous computing resources, making long-term infrastructure agreements a critical competitive advantage.

Mirendil said Google’s combination of TPUs and GPUs allows workloads to be matched with the most suitable hardware, improving efficiency while reducing costs for customers.

For Google Cloud, the agreement strengthens its position in the race to provide infrastructure for frontier AI developers, while giving the company exposure to one of the industry’s emerging approaches to next-generation artificial intelligence.