A 46-year-old man from Paphos has been charged with carrying out an arson attack on a car in the village of Ayia Varvara near Paphos’ industrial area and Yeroskipou. The fire occurred on March 12 at around 3.30am, resulting in the complete destruction of the car. The man’s trial is set to begin on Monday, and he will remain in custody until then.
The Lithuanian Finance Ministry proposed increasing the corporate tax rate by one percentage point, hiking excise duty on fuel, and introducing a tax on some insurance contracts to raise additional funds for defense.
Fact: The primary focus of the exercise was to assess the effectiveness of the national firefighting strategy ‘Hephaestus’ for large forest fire suppression.
Shell expects its Australian supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to help meet demand from emerging markets in south and southeast Asia, which are tipped to absorb some of the pick up in global supplies towards the end of this decade.
The Cyprus Animal Party strongly opposes the proposal to transform the Limassol Zoo into a ‘Limassol Animal Farm Park’, criticizing both the process and content of the plan. The proposal highlights the need for a more animal-friendly approach, focusing on conservation and education rather than exhibiting animals in cages. The Animal Party calls for transparency in the decision-making process and believes the proposal should undergo another round of public consultation. The zoo has faced criticism in recent years due to issues with animal safety, including the death of a deer and a Savannah cat.
Limassol Zoo may be transformed into an ‘animal farm park’ according to a proposal put forward by the Cyprus Centre for Environmental Research and Education (Cycere). The park would house livestock, domestic animals, and other animals native to Cyprus in a more animal-friendly manner, without exhibiting animals in cages. Visitors would be able to participate in activities with the animals, such as feeding, walking tours, and animal photography. The park would also serve as an educational center emphasizing the importance of protecting animals and the environment. The proposal comes after protests against the zoo due to issues with animal safety, including the death of a deer and a Savannah cat.
The helicopter that crashed in Iran, killing the president and foreign minister, was a Bell 212 model. Bell developed the aircraft in the late 1960s for the Canadian military, and it is used globally for various purposes. The Bell 212 can carry passengers, cargo, and mount weapons. Non-military organizations and countries like Japan, the United States, and Thailand operate the Bell 212. Iran’s current fleet includes Italian-built naval versions of the helicopter. The most recent fatal crash involving a Bell 212 was in 2023 off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. Iran has managed to keep its aviation fleets flying through a combination of smuggled parts and reverse-engineering. The accident does not automatically fall under global rules for air accident probes, and it is unlikely that Iran will seek outside help for the investigation.
Fact: A thousand police arrived in New Caledonia from France to help control the riots and unrest on the Pacific island.
A volcano on the remote Indonesian island of Halmahera, Mt. Ibu, erupted on Saturday evening, sending a 4 km high ash cloud into the sky. Authorities evacuated people from seven nearby villages. The volcano’s alert level was raised to the highest level earlier in the week after multiple eruptions. Indonesia, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” has 127 active volcanoes.
A fire broke out in an apartment on the first floor of a block of flats in Empa, Paphos. The occupant was taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation. Other residents evacuated safely. The fire started in the bedroom and caused damage. The cause of the fire will be investigated by authorities.