Current Events

Paphos police has booked more than a dozen drivers, primarily on grounds of driving above the prescribed speed, and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Over 49 drivers that were charged, over 19 were charged for driving under the influence, while one each was charged for being under the influence of drugs, and possessing drugs.

The Paphos police also revealed that there have been some other charges, such as businesses operating without the appropriate licenses.

For instance, two business’s musical instruments were taken away on grounds of noise pollution. Yet four others were charged for operating without a license.

Petty crimes have steadily been on the rise in Cyprus, and the latest incident only proves this to be true.

In this particular incident, a man lost his wallet at a Paphos fruit market.

He approached the police to report the incident, who then investigated the matter. Upon checking the closed-circuit feed, they found two women taking the lost wallet, and not returning the same to any authorities.

The police then released the photos of the women caught in the footage, and released them to the press.

Soon enough, the two women were identified – a mother-daughter duo from Bulgaria living in the island nation. Later on, the women were found and arrested, based on the belief that they intended to keep the wallet, along with its content for themselves.

The two will be brought before the Paphos District Court for a hearing of their case.

Bishop Athanasios of Limassol has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Cyprus News Agency published the news on their official Facebook page called the “Friends of the Metropolitan of Limassol Athanasiou.”

The CNA explained that while the senior cleric has tested positive, his health is stable, and every appropriate measure is being carried out. For the time being, he will stay under confinement – until he tests negative for the disease

According to a statement from a source in the Limassol diocese, the bishop, who is one of the six candidates in the official run for the archbishop position (after the demise of Chrysostomos II), had blessed the new stadium of Limassol in its inauguration ceremony.

A 4.0 magnitude earthquake hit coastal Paphos in the early hours of the morning.

The earthquake, which happened at 2:33 am, Cyprus time, occurred at a depth of about two kilometers underground.

Many eyewitness reports, however, stated that the earthquake felt very strong.

According to a statement by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, such an experience is not uncommon – people tend to feel shallower earthquakes more, since they occur closer to the surface.

Tremors were felt and reported in nearby areas – including Choletria, Emba, Kissonerga, Konia, Chlorakas & Yeroskipou – all of which are in the vicinity of the epicenter.

The meteorological department of Cyprus has announced that the week will see varying degrees of weather, from all out sunny to partially cloudy.

Wind speeds will also vary accordingly, with 3-4 Beaufort. Temperatures can rise up to 19 degrees Celsius in the mountains, 27 degrees in the West Coast, 29 degrees in the other coasts, and 29 degrees inland.

People are advised to take adequate protection against weather, should it pose any adverse situations.

October 25th partial solar eclipse will be visible from several African, Asian and European countries, and Cyprus is no exception.

According to an announcement by the Fakas Institute’s Observatory, the eclipse will happen during the afternoon.

Different sections of the world will see varying parts of the eclipse – the most will be seen by Russian, which will see eighty percent of the sun covered up by the moon.

A partial solar eclipse takes place when a section of the sun is covered by the moon. It is advised that people take care of their eyes while witnessing the eclipse.

Pope Francis and President Anastasiades’ meeting at the Vatican involved the discussion of a number of important topics in the world.

The President of the island nation, who went to the Vatican to meet with the Pope, was welcomed at the Apostolic Palace, and initially met with Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Cardinal.

A government announcement revealed that issued discussed between them include the Lebanese and Sri Lankan Crisis, climate change, migration pressures, the Ukraine war, and of course the Cyprus issue.

It was decided that a Vatican embassy and a Vicarage will be established in Cyprus, on land owned by the state.

Additionally, the Pope announced that President Anastasiades will be awarded the Order of Pius

Two Indian nationals were arrested by the Limassol Narcotic Squad, after being caught selling heroin in public.

The information on the drugs, which were being sold in the public lavatories of Heroes Square, were picked up by Narcotic Squad, which then set up a sting that led to the arrest of the two men.

The police initially arrested an Indian, aged 23, whose movements and behaviors portrayed being under the influence of drugs. A quick inspection showed that he had two empty heroin syringes with him.

They then went on to inspect the toilets, where they found two other men, aged 24 and 29. They collectively had 17 grams of heroin in 15 packets, along with a precision ruler.

The men initially claimed that it was for personal use, but confessed the truth under interrogation.

As part of a co-ordinated campaign by the Limassol traffic police to handle juvenile offences and noise pollution, over 6 cars and 18 motorbikes were caught and confiscated for violating traffic rules.

In addition to this, over 60 people were booked for comparatively lesser traffic violations such as driving without registration plates, not having adequate papers, or driving in the directions opposite to the norm.

This comes after the last three days of police activity, where 140 drivers were booked in total, with over 24 for drunk driving and 47 for driving over speed limits.

The Nicosia Water Board has announced that the fixed cost of drinking water is set to increase to 11 euros for every 2 months, starting the 1st of November.

The Board explained how the increase had to be made to make sure the water-supply infrastructure of Nicosia can be properly maintained as needed.

The announcement further added that the water network of the island nation’s capital is long overdue for an upgrade – and that said upgrades require a boost in the budget, which can only be done by increasing the prices.

The last price hike was done in September 2017.

The two suspects who were arrested for murdering a 36-year-old man have been produced in a Paphos criminal court.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, has set the date of the hearing to November 22, 2022.

The defense lawyer for the suspects, aged 20 and 27, asked for bail, but were denied any by the prosecutors. The court ultimately ruled that the suspects will remain in custody till the proceedings begin.

The case involves the murder of a 37-year-old, who passed away in the ICU of Nicosia general hospital. He was admitted after intruders broke into his apartment and hit him on the head.

Over 200 fines were awarded to truck drivers, as part of a brand-new policing campaign that focuses on the operation of heavy vehicles.

The campaign, which is aimed at improving road safety, had 203 fines issued within a total of 247 inspections. Another one fine was issued out of 80 bus inspections.

The campaign is a small part of the larger initiative by the Roadpol European Traffic Police Network’s member countries.

The Paphos police arrested four people who tried to attempt a robbery, but failed.

The men were trying to break into the home of a 53-year-old woman, when she noticed the intruder and sounded the alarm. While the intruder tried to escape, a neighbor caught him.

Once the suspect went into the police’s custody, he immediately told them about his accomplices who were in a nearby car and had dropped him near the lady’s home.

The Paphos police eventually found them in the agricultural district nearby – in a car that had since broken down. They went on to find another man there trying to help these two.

After arresting them, the Paphos police identified them as two men, aged 29 and 25 and a woman, aged 27. They also found lots of gold items, along with foreign coins, a precision ruler and over 3 gms of cocaine.

The National Guard of Cyprus has signed fresh defense agreements with over fifteen countries, and welcomes several new helicopters as part of said agreement.

According to Charalambos Petrides, the Defense Minister of Cyprus, the defense is looking at its relations with other countries now to level up its training facilities and infrastructure, and the current developments are only the beginning. He added that the National Guard will be a part of several collaborations and joint training exercises.

Petrides continued by saying how these series of events would help the National Guard ensure the country maintains its integrity. He also said that they are in the process of signing agreements for the equipment program, and are proceeding with installing the Green Line e-monitoring system.

He paused at this point, mentioning how it was not safe to discuss issues pertaining national security in public.

The Cyprus Police have arrested a 22-year-old tourist for both driving under the influence and driving without a valid license.

Steve Theodoulou, a spokesman for the Famagusta police, said that the 22-year-old came under their radar when he failed to stop at Protaras, and proceeded to speed up and try to evade the police.

The man had to stop once he encountered a dead end, making it impossible for him to drive. But he still proceeded to get out of the vehicle and tried to attack the police.

The police eventually restrained and arrested him. It was then that they found out that he did not have a licence and tested 70 mg – well above the 9mg limit on the alcohol test.

He is due to appear in court on charges of multiple traffic violations and resisting arrest.

The diver who had fallen unconscious in the Zenobia wreck area is now alright.

According to Phileleftheros, the diver – member of a five-person group had dived into the sea in the wreck area. But once he resurfaced, the lost his consciousness.

Fortunately, the man was rescued almost immediately and was given water and oxygen. He was rushed to Famagusta General Hospital, where the doctors diagnosed him with Caisson disease.

However, the man in question is now well, and will pursue adequate treatment for his medical issues.

A man has lost over €89,000 after unwittingly becoming part of a property scam. The man, 45, situation came to light after he made a complaint to the police about him being scammed.

He explained that he was approached by a man who claimed he could get him in touch with “Harry” the Prince of Gabon, who apparently was interested in buying his cellar for one million Euros.

He claimed that the money would need colour-correction with chemicals, which would require him to send a “small sum” of money prior.

This led to the 45-year-old handing over €89,000. One of the suspects informed him they would “need a few days” to bring the chemicals, at which point they disappeared.

The police’s investigations have not been able to locate the suspects so far. Further investigation is currently underway.

According to the Cyprus Meteorological Department, the temperature over the weekend is set to reach around 40 Degrees Celsius on an average.

The Met Department said that the overall temperatures will be 3-4 degrees higher than the seasonal average everywhere, making it rise up to 28 degrees Celsius in the mountains, and 31 and 34 degrees Celsius in the western and southwestern coastal areas and other coastal areas, respectively.

Humidity levels will proportionately be higher all round, especially in the coastal areas.

Residents are advised to stay hydrated, while those with chronic health issues are advised to stay indoors.

The police in Turkish Cyprus have arrested two protesters for attacking the police while carrying out a demonstration against the new government complex.

The building, which is worth €155 million, is being criticised over its insensitivity towards the Cypriot economic situation. According to various members of the public and opposition, the construction of the building is unnecessary, and does not respect the financial difficulties faced by average Cypriot citizens.

This led to protests from some members of the public.

In the latest round of protests, the protesters ran through the barb wired fence to enter the construction site. Some of them went to attack members of the police and the government.

According to Turkish Cypriot ‘Prime Minister’ Unal Ustel, such acts of condemnation shall not be tolerated. He further added that those carrying out protests do not have good intentions in mind.

The Cypriot Health Ministry has issued a warning on the presence of Aedes Aegypt mosquitos, having found and identified them in the Dromolaxia area near Larnaca.

The discovery happened when a bicommunal health committee project revealed the existence of the pests. The mosquito has been known to cause serious diseases such as yellow fever, Zika fever and dengue.

According to a statement from the Cypriot Ministry of Health, the public has been urged to do their part by keeping their area clean and removing any sites of water accumulation, which could encourage the breeding of mosquitoes.

It further stated that should the situation escalate, they will not hesitate to start an information campaign to educate people personally and even carry out mass exterminations.