Current Events

The Nicosia Police has forewarned civilians of loud noises and explosions in the Analyondas area, since they will be destroying more than a thousand different firecrackers that they have confiscated during Easter.

The police will destroy the stash in an army shooting range in this region.

They have said that the public must not be scared since every appropriate measure for safety and security have been taken.

The police in Limassol have arrested two people, aged 17 and 21 for stealing an elderly woman’s belongings. They have been charged with residence theft and felony conspiracy.

According to the police, the woman, aged 82 complained to the police about how she was sitting at home when a young man came outside her door and requested some water to drink.

The woman welcomed him and went to her kitchen to retrieve said water and gave it to the young man.

A few moments after he left, however, she found several of her personal items, including jewelry, money and documents to not be there.

The police in Cyprus have arrested two Syrian nationals for smuggling human beings after over sixteen migrants – also from Syria – were rescued from their sinking boat off of the coast of Cyprus.

According to the police, the suspects – both in their mid-forties shall remain in police custody, pending full investigation.

The police declared in a press statement that they received information about a boat in distress near Cape Greco in Ayia Napa. The migrants on the boat have since been rescued and brought to shore, while their boat sank. They have all been found to be in good health and taken to a reception center for migrants near Nicosia.

This has been the second time this has happened in less than 2 weeks.

Reports of Cyprus having foiled a terrorist attack by an Iranian group – aimed towards Israelis have been circulating.

According to the report, the attack in question, which has clear ties to the IRGC, was intended to kill Israeli nationals. However, the intelligence departments of Cyprus with that of other Western countries (including the United States & Israel) found and neutralized the threat in time.

This comes after the arrest of an Azerbaijani national holding a Russian passport, who had been working with the IRGC.

The island nation has increased the maximum awarded fine for not paying salary to €5,000, and with prompt actions.

The amended bill, which has been published in the Cyprus gazette, the other major update is the use of the Euro currency, which was Cyprus pounds before.

Prior to amendment, €170 (or 100 Cyprus pounds) was the maximum fine for not paying salary, while 150 Cyprus Pounds was the fine for giving inaccurate data to labor inspectors. The latter now also stands to be €5,000.

Furthermore, Yiannis Panayiotou has announced that the Minimum Wage Adjustment Commission will now function on a practical basis.

Last but not least, the minimum wage for Cyprus has been set at €885 straight after recruitment, with €940 gross income post a six month of employment.

In light of recent developments with the Wagner Group in Russia, the Cypriot Foreign Ministry has requested all of their citizens in the country to exercise extreme caution.

According to a statement by the ministry, Cyprus citizens in Russia must closely follow both the news and the general instructions from the government. They must travel only if absolutely necessary, and keep away from the southern part of the country.

If anyone wishes to contact the Cyprus Embassy, they can call on the registered numbers for Moscow, Saint Petersburg, the Krasnodar or Yekaterinburg – details available on the registered website.

The announcement comes on the heels of Wagner mercenaries retreating from Rostov overnight after putting a stop to their plans on invading Moscow.

According to Reuters, this happened on account of a deal, which neutralized President Vladimir Putin’s authoritative stance.

Mediated by Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, Wagner mercenaries shall return to their base, with guaranteed safety, whereas their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin shall go to Belarus.

Terkenlis, the famed Greek confectionery chain is shutting down in Cyprus.

In the past fortnight, the brand has closed up operations and has deactivated its pages on social media.

No one really knows exactly why the closure happened. It is perhaps why the company is facing great uncertainty over how its future shall unfold in the market scene of the island nation.

The Ministry of Defense received an alert following the fall of a National Guard soldier and his vehicle off of a bridge.

The incident happened on the highway of Nicosia-Limassol near the Alambra exit, where the non-commissioned officer suffered the tragedy.

According to early investigations, it was the driver who lost his control on the vehicle and spiraled into the cliff.

The officer was immediately rescued and admitted to Nicosia General Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department.

A joint army drill between Cyprus’ National Guard and armed forces of other countries is being done at the Nicosia FIR.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Defense, the drill shall involve the execution of air defense scenarios using both ground and air assets.

Furthermore, there will be low flights and overflights along with partner forces’ fighter jets.

These activities are a part of Cyprus’ yearly military cooperation programme with its partner countries.

A boy, aged 4, was found dead floating in a swimming pool.

The Paphos police’s early investigations have determined the cause of death to be drowning.

Michalis Nicolaou, the head of the CID in Paphos as well as their spokesperson said that the child, found unconscious in the pool was to a private doctor, who declared him dead.

He added that more details should come pending further investigation.

Cyprus awaits some good news as the predicted weather portrays largely sunny skies, with some isolated local rain showers.

The Meteorological Service has said that the winds shall be varied, at 3-4 on the Beaufort scale, and largely moderate, westerly and north-westerly.

Accordingly, the sea shall be slight to smooth.

Following suit, the temperature will go up to 18 degrees Celsius in the mountainous regions, 25 degrees Celsius in coastal regions and 27 degrees Celsius inland.

Crime has been on the rise in Cyprus, and the latest incident only proves this to be true.

The Paphos Police have arrested a man, aged 43 for stealing and dealing stolen goods, and are currently finding the location of a second suspect.

Michalis Nicolaou, police spokesman and chief of CID said that the police were called in to a Kissonerga work site. Here, a 62-year-old man showed aluminum mold rails to the police, alleging how they were illegally in the 43-year-old man’s possession.

The accuser recognized the mold rails as one of the several things which were previously stolen from Emba field. Over 200 rails were stolen in the break-in.

Upon questioning, the 43-year-old man confessed that another man, aged 37 had sold the rails to him.

Further investigation is currently underway.

Cyprus is currently facing a major – in the shape of meeting the European Commission’s standards on waste management and recycling.

According to Philenews, the island nation might not be able to reach the minimum 55% recycling rate, and may spectacularly fail at reducing non-recycled waste by half within 2030.

According to the report, there are several issues when it comes to implementing both the separation as well as separation of collection of waste that is organic and recyclable. It also highlighted the time-sensitiveness of the Pay as You Spend (PAYS) system, which uses prepaid bags.

Several concerns have been aired in the recent debate of the House Environment Committee, and questions have been asked about the Municipal Waste Management Strategy of Cyprus for 2022 to 2028.

A strategy is currently being formed, which includes actively reducing the amount of solid waste in coastal regions, introducing a suitable system to sort waste in higher and hilly regions, and create dedicated composters and re-use in the cities. Other features include the developing a collection procedure for industrial and medical wastes.

Cyprus has revoked Low Taek Jho’s citizenship status.

Popular by the name Jho Low, the decision was made on the suggestion of the interior minister, who had received some new – and disturbing information on the fugitive.

The ministry had previously declined the revocation, citing that they did not have enough evidence to justify the act. The current data, however, makes things clearer.

Low was originally granted citizenship in the year 2015. This was after he transferred over €6 million to the Bank of Cyprus, and purchased seaside mansion worth a similar amount in Ayla Napa. He even donated €300,000 to the then Archbishop Chrysostomos.

While he has been under investigation since before then, it was only in October 2016, when Interpol officially issued a red notice against him, was he declared a fugitive. The government of Cyprus had been officially investigating him since 2021, but only became successful in recent days.

Nikos Christodoulides, the president of the former nation is going to Germany to speak with Olaf Scholz, the country’s Chancellor.

They will discuss several topics, which include (but are not limited to) the issue of divided Cyprus and what the European Union at large can do to help out clear the process.

Christodoulides shall also attend the European Central Bank’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. His itinerary also includes meeting its Christine Lagarde, its President, as well as attend a dinner later that day.

The trip will end with a collaborative press conference, followed by a presidential visit to the Denkmal Holocaust Memorial.

Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus has expressed his congratulatory wishes on Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s victory in the island nation’s general election.

This came after the former personally called Mitsotakis to show his appreciation of the win of him and the New Democracy party.

A separate tweet was posted by Victor Papadopoulos, the director of the press office of the Cypriot presidency. He also congratulated the victorious Greek leader as well as his party.

The Cyprus Police has issued an appeal to the public to get information on Cameroon national Eugene Anjeh, 27, who is believed to have been involved in illegal drug importing, possession and with intent to distribute.

This is related to the case involving the nearly 5kgs of methamphetamine found by Larnaca customs.

So far three persons, two men, 25 and 24 and a woman, 29, have been arrested thus far.

A Russian cultural center in Cyprus’ capital city of Nicosia has sustained fire damage, and led Moscow to call it a “terrorist attack.”

Fire department spokeswoman Andreas Kettis said that investigation into what caused the fire is still underway.

Meanwhile Christos Andreou, the spokesperson for the police explained how no signs of an explosive device, such as a bomb was found.

The fire started at the complex at 12 noon and caused alerts everywhere once people began to see black smoke. It took 2 hours to extinguish it.

Famed Cypriot actor Demetris Xystras, renowned for playing “Officer Kattos’ ‘ in the TV Show ‘Vourate Geitonoi,’ has passed away at the age of 68.

Born in Ayios Epiktitos in Kyrenia in June, 1954, Xystras completed his graduation from the Karolos Koun Higher School of Dramatic Art Theater, Athens in the year 1983.

While in Greece, he performed Aeschylus’ ‘Oresteia’ as a chorus member in the famed ancient Epidaurus theater.

Upon his return to Cyprus, he began working with the various high-profile theater organizations such as Theatro Technis in London, the Theatre Organization of Cyprus (THOC), the Satyricon Theatre and the New Theatre.

His career, which spanned over the course of 40 years, included him appearing in a variety of TV series and films, such as ‘Vourate Geitonoi, ‘Chrysopsara’ and ‘Ena Milo Tin Imera.’

The first group of British citizens who were evacuated from Sudan have arrived in the island nation of Cyprus.

After the opposing forces agreed upon a 72-hour-long ceasefire, the UK brought 40 civilians on a Royal Air Force passenger aircraft to Larnaca airport.

Some reports, however, do claim that while 40 people are said to be on board, the actual number was in fact 39. This is yet to be confirmed.

Additionally, flights carrying around two hundred and twenty people are set to arrive within days.

The actions have followed after the UK requested Cyprus to activate a rescue system to help evacuate civilians from third countries via their nation.