Hundreds of Cypriot firefighters and British troops yesterday battled to extinguish five separate blazes which ravaged the island for hours, causing large-scale damage but no injuries. Large expanses of forest land, as well as two factories and six houses were destroyed by four different blazes near Limassol in the island’s south, local police said. Three of the blazes in Limassol are believed to be the work of a group of motorcycle-borne youths seen starting fires in the area. The fifth blaze ravaged forest land in Paphos. Cyprus is currently undergoing a heatwave.

Gasoline prices are up to 20 percent higher than the government’s recommended retail price (RRP) on the country’s islands and other tourist destinations, according to figures made public by the Development Ministry yesterday. Unleaded fuel can cost more than 0.8 euros per liter as compared to a RRP of between 0.660 and 0.689, varying according to region. Super-grade petrol can cost up to 0.85 euros per liter as compared to the RRP ranging between 0.707 and 0.737 per liter. Prices in Athens and other major cities are also often significantly higher than the corresponding RRP. Gas station owners say the government’s RRPs are unrealistic, and are considering lodging a collective legal suit to recoup gains allegedly lost through undercharging.

A mild earthquake, measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale, struck the village of Meligalas, in Messinia in the southern Peloponnese early yesterday morning for the fourth time in two years, but seismologists said there was no cause for alarm. The quake, which caused no injuries or damage, was preceded by smaller tremors and followed by aftershocks. Meligalas was struck by a 4.9-magnitude tremor in January and a 5.2-Richter quake last September, resulting in the collapse of many old buildings already damaged by a stronger quake in July 2000. Meligalas is 30 kilometers (27 miles) north of Kalamata, where 20 people died in a major earthquake in 1986.

The British Museum has appealed to Interpol for help following the theft from its Greek Archaic Gallery of a 12-centimeter marble head, the BBC said yesterday. The theft, which took place on Tuesday, was not immediately noticed in the unsupervised room which was full of holiday visitors, the museum said. The head, which has a distinctively damaged nose and face, has an estimated value of 37,500 euros, the BBC said. The museum, which acquired the piece in 1922, has ordered a review of its security measures.

Queen Sofia of Spain is due in Athens in October to launch an exhibition of 20th-century Spanish art, which will run for three months at the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition will display works of major artists, including Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro. An exhibition of the works of Salvador Dali will run in tandem at the nearby Museum of Cycladic Art.

Greece and Syria are no longer top-priority threats to Turkey’s security following significant alterations to the country’s so-called “national defense bible,” CNN Turk reported yesterday. According to the new assessment, Turkey now faces its greatest threat from its eastern borders — that is, from Iraq and Iran — especially following Turkey’s consent to back US strikes against Iraq, the channel said. In Turkey’s 1997 and 2001 assessments, Greece was rated as a chief threat to the country. The contents of the “bible” are determined by the National Security Council.

The National Broadcasting Council yesterday imposed fines of 200,000 euros and 100,000 euros on Star and Alter television channels respectively, for violating decency laws during episodes of their programs Star Magazino and Glass World broadcast in June. Both channels must broadcast an acknowledgement of the penalty imposed on them, the council said. Alter was disciplined over a segment showing a transsexual trading insults with a prostitute. The council also decided to suspend the operation of private radio station Hot 90.5 FM.