Current Events

The island nation is currently seeing an influx of over 100-180 Ukrainian refugees per day.

According to a statement by Interior Minister Nicos Nouris, the total number of asylum seekers has shot up to more than 1,200 in a matter of days. He added that while this is a sticky situation for the resource-limited nation, they are gearing up to manage as many applications as they possibly can.

The statement from Mr. Nouris comes after his meeting with a delegation from AKEL, where he argued that the actual number of Ukrainians seeking asylum in Cyprus is indeed larger than the calculations of the Ministry. He went on to explain that this might happen due to the fact that several refugees have friends or relatives on the island, and are residing at their residence as a temporary solution.

In the latest incident, the police have arrested a woman for using a stolen cheque to pay for her shopping bills.

The woman, 45, was initially flagged by a supermarket, whose authorities found what they described the woman as using a cheque they suspected as stolen.

Apparently, she racked up a total of €112, but submitted a cheque worth €300, demanding the change in cash.

It was only later that the supermarket found out that the bank in question that “issued” the cheque is defunct, and the cheque was a page out of 2 cheque books reported missing in 2017 at a butchery in Limassol.

The police investigation on this matter is currently underway.

The Cyprus Police has issued 10 fines on 10 individuals found violating existing measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The police conducted a total of 1,314 checks in the span of 24 hours, 284 of which were done in Nicosia, 131 were done in Limassol, 263 were done in Larnaca, 421 in Nicosia and 74 in Morphou. Furthermore, the Traffic Police conducted over 124 checks.

Out of these checks, 2 people were fined in Nicosia, 1 in Limassol, 4 in Larnaca and 3 in Famagusta. No persons or businesses were fined in Morphou or in traffic police checks.

The government of the island nation has announced that all senior citizens are approved for a 4th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine booster, which is available for those over the age of 70, and for those under 70 with major comorbidities (such as HIV, major organ failure and immunosuppression) – has been approved after a major spike in new cases of the novel coronavirus.

The 4th dose will also be available to doctors, nurses, and nursing and care home employees to ensure the protection of patients.

The surge of new cases are being seen after the carnival celebrations, which happened in the first week of March.

About 90% of the cases are detected by the BA.2 sub-variant, and the major part of those afflicted include the unvaccinated and younger children.

To that end, the Health Ministry has stepped back on further relaxations for the next 2 weeks.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is all set to meet Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

The meeting will include discussions on various topics related to the Cyprus issue such as the Turkish interventions in Varosha, the proposal being made for confidence-building, as well as other developments in the Eastern Mediterranian region.

The President’s visit to Abu Dhabi also includes other activities such as a visit to the island nation’s kiosk at EXPO 2020, where he will be speaking at the event for the celebrations of Cyprus’ National Day.

President Anastasiades will head a delegation including the ministers for Agriculture, Energy, Finance, and Transport, the deputy ministers of Tourism, Innovation and Shipping, along with some eminent businesspersons.

The criminal court of Limassol jailed a 59-year-old man who had been sexually abusing the young son of his girlfriend.

The man, who was sentenced to jail for 16 years, pled guilty to the crime of having sexually abused the child since he was 6 years old – one that lasted from 2005 till 2014.

The Limassol criminal court, as part of their sentence, explained how the penalties levied upon the man reflected the intensity of the crime committed. It also said that they hoped that the sentence would serve as a deterrent.

They add that the sentence makes more sense considering the victim was only 6 years old while the defendant was 42. Not to mention the fact that the crime in question often led the child to have suicidal thoughts.

The European Commission and Cyprus have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the topic of better management of unregulated migrants.

As part of the agreement, the Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and the European Border Force will be working together to help the Cypriot government deal with the potential crisis caused by the influx of migrants.

According to a new report by Xinhua news agency, the MOU was signed virtually by Ylva Johansson of the European Commissioner for Home Affairs (on behalf of the EU) in Brussels, with the promise of Europol and Frontex intensifying its efforts.

From Cyprus, it was the Interior Minister Nicos Nouris who virtually signed the MOU – within the presence of the President Nicos Anastasiades and Margaritis Schinas, the VP of the European Commission. He explained how the ratio of asylum seekers now stand at 4.6% of the national population – well over 1% over any given EU member country.

A part of the Venetian walls surrounding the old town of Nicosia old town has collapsed, with heavy rains being touted as the reason.

The part in question was the northern section of the Quirini Bastion – this is where the buildings that house the “presidency” lies.

Upon investigation by the municipality, it was found that the collapse occurred due to long-term damag caused by higher level of humidity and heavy rains.

They further added that tenders would be launched to make repairs and reconstruct the area.

The Cypriot Police has released the photo along with the details for a criminal – a man wanted for committing multiple felonies.

The man in question is George Moysis, a 26-year-old from Nicosia, who has an active arrest warrant against him on grounds of burglaries and theft – crimes that he committed on the 22nd of February 2022 but has since been at large.

Those who may have any related information are being urged to contact the Nicosia CID, the Citizen Line or their nearest Police Station.

Paphos police caught 2 drivers driving under the influence of narcotics in the area.

One of the drivers, aged 40 was found to be a permanent Paphos resident, and was speeding in the Geroskipou area. Besides testing positive on the drug test, he wasn’t wearing a seat belt. The police sent another sample for the man to get tested at the state lab. The police further found an outstanding arrest warrant issued against him in relation to a separate case.

In a separate incident, the traffic police stopped a 20-year-old – also a permanent Paphos resident, who tested positive on the drug test. In his case, the second sample was sent to the lab as well.

The Paphos police have arrested a man for falsely impersonating a doctor and gaining money on false pretenses.

The man, 34, is being suspected of being involved in at least 2 other cases of duping unsuspecting members into paying cash, under the pretext of paying for immediate surgery for their loved ones.

Michalis Nicolaou, chief of the Paphos CID, said that the criminal activity came on the police’s radar when a bank contacted the police on a bank account which they believed belonged to a potential victim.

With the cooperation of the bank and police, the potential victim’s movement was monitored from the bank till the rendezvous spot with the suspected fraudsters.

As it turns out, the man went to a spot next to the Ayios Kendeas church and was about to hand over the envelope with cash, when the police came in and arrested the perpetrator.

The man is being suspected of having accomplices – and was found to have secured €10,000 from one person and €7,000 from another. Both were on the prefixes of medical treatment of family members who were in a car accident.

In a thorough checking of over 1,677 persons and businesses countrywide, the Cypriot police found 8 business owners/managers and 15 persons violating Covid rules – all within the span of 24 hours.

Out of these, 328 checks were conducted in Nicosia, 481 in Larnaca, 103 in Paphos, 403 in Famagusta, 137 in Morphou and 137 traffic checks.

Out of these 3 businesses and 8 persons were fined in Nicosia, 1 business and 3 citizens were fined in Limassol, 4 businesses and 1 citizen were fined in Larnaca, 2 individuals fined in Paphos, and 1 citizen fined in Morphou. No violations were found in the traffic checks.

The Cyprus Met Department has predicted that the skies will be largely cloudy in the next few days, along with possible nighttime isolated showers.

Winds would go in the direction of southwesterly to northwesterly, and force 5 Beaufort, with a slight to moderate sea.

The temperature may increase up to 14C in mountainous areas, 22C in northern and western coastal areas, 21C in other coastal areas, and 20C in the inland areas.

Residents are advised to stay safe and remain indoors during showers.

Almost a month after Cyprus introduced its new rules for testing for both unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals, the island nation is all set to revise its rules for vaccinated visitors from the UK.

The previous rule was for all arrivals (despite their vaccination status) to test negative on a Covid-19 PCR within 72 hours prior to departure, as well as test negative on an antigen test within 48 hours before departure – and that is of course, along with testing negative on a PCR test immediately upon arrival.

But the Cyprus Foreign Office announced that those who are fully vaccinated need not test negative on any tests prior to departure, effective immediately.

They will also not be required to test negative on arrival, starting 1 March.

The not-fully vaccinated as well as the unvaccinated, however, will still need to follow the testing protocol pre as well as post-departure.

All children below the age of 11 will be exempted from tests. However, children above the age of 12 will continue to follow the same rules and guidelines as per adults who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Cyprus police have charged 2 people found staying in an area illegally in Chlorakas.

The rule-breakers were found during a coordinated operation conducted by the police that lasted an entire day, and included officers from MMAD, the Drugs squad, Crime Prevention Unit, airport security, and Paphos police headquarters taking part.

The police said that the operation was to check an apartment complex and verify that no asylum seekers had docked there – which is against the decree of the interior ministry.

The two who were found were charged in writing in said decree’s violation – and are set to appear in court on the designated date.

The traffic police also checked over 25 cars, and lodged 1 traffic offense.

The UK is set to build a brand new communications facility on one of the island nation’s military bases.

According to a spokesman for the British Defense Ministry, the aim of said initiative is to improve the infrastructure of the Cypriot ministry and strengthen the overall resilience of the European Economic Area.

The facility shall be constructed at a site on the Dhekelia Garrison in south-east Cyprus.

While Cyprus got its independence from British rule in 1960, the U.K. continued to maintain its rights on the military bases.

Britain continues to maintain this military strength and exercises its capacity, even after Brexit officially happened in 2020.

The statue of a giant potato was destroyed by vandals on New Year’s Day.

According to local officials, the four-meters-high “potato” was destroyed after it was found chopped down from its stand.

Popularly known as the “big potato,” the sculpture was installed in the village of Xylophagou in October 2021, and had proceeded to make big headlines all over the world, not to mention a frenzy on social media on account of its “suggestive” shape. Tourists were nonetheless known to pose in front of it.

The sculpture was made by George Tasou, artist and community leader, who also guarded the statue during his spare hours. Mr. Tasou stood his guard by the state till the early hours of January 1, till he asked another person to guard it in his absence.

The damage caused is estimated to be worth around £4,000.

The police were notified immediately – and an investigation into the matter is currently underway.

The Cypriot government has announced that it will lift all entry requirements for incoming travelers from the 1st of March, provided said travelers can show a valid certificate that proves that they got both the vaccine and the booster shot.

Right now, it is mandatory for vaccinated travelers to have either a negative test for COVID-19 prior to arrival, or self-quarantine for a stipulated period once they arrive.

Travelers who have been inoculated but have not got the booster shots may be accepted if they got vaccinated 9 months (or less) prior.
Cyprus will also approve vaccination certificates from countries that are not part of the EU, provided they are approved by the European Union.

Unvaccinated adults will still be allowed in the country, but will have to face a much stricter set of tests as well as self-quarantine protocols – depending upon the country they are arriving from.

The Archbishop of the Orthodox Christian Church has suspended over 12 priests from his diocese as they did not get themselves vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, despite multiple warnings.

According to a statement to CyBC (a state broadcaster) by the Archbishop Chrystostomos II that the priests – most of whom were theologians – potentially persuaded many followers to stay away from the vaccine as well. Upon knowing of the incident, the Archbishop immediately issued the suspension of the priests based on charges of insubordination.

He further stated that upon further investigations (and its results), the priests’ suspensions could be extended – the priests could even be defrocked.

The Archbishop has been known to openly support vaccinations for both the Church and all of its followers, and has publicly urged the public to line up for the jab.

In the latest case of mountainous road networks taking a hit, Every road that leads to Troodos-Platres-Troodos, Karvounas-Troodos and Prodromos-Troodos, have shut down on account of heavy snowfalls.

As snowfall has intensified in various areas in this region, police are now advising drivers plying on the Nicosia-Limassol highway to keep their speed low and be at a safe distance from the vehicles in front of them.