Just 39 miles on the clock, trashed cars remain in limbo Eight-year-old Dickran Ouzounian treasured visiting his father Stefan’s garage, located a few metres from the bustling Ledra street, to admire the latest Toyota cars.He was fascinated by the brand-new, gleaming Corollas, Coronas, Crowns and Celicas. Now, 50 years later, as the CEO of the … Read more
Voting started at 7am across Cyprus on Sunday, with 698,896 registered voters eligible for the election of six MEPs and local authority posts.Chief returning officer Elikkos Elia confirmed the timely opening of all 1,847 polling stations in the Republic, along with ten stations in Greece. Additional polling stations in Belgium and the UK opened later, … Read more
Cyprus is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants stranded in the buffer zone, with the Red Cross already offering aid. The country has obligations under the EU’s Green Line Regulation and is cautious about becoming a new route for illegal immigrants. Fourteen migrants from Afghanistan, Sudan, Cameroon, and Iran are stranded near a university campus in Aglantzia. The UN Peacekeeping Force and UNHCR are working to assist them, as Cyprus has temporarily suspended asylum applications and increased patrols along the buffer zone. Additionally, asylum applications for Syrian nationals have been suspended due to human rights violations in Syria.
The Cyprus government has left migrants, including women, children, and unaccompanied minors, stranded in the UN buffer zone for close to a week. Initially, there were 13 migrants, but the number has now more than doubled to 27. The migrants are from Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, and Cameroon, and have reported themselves as asylum seekers. The government’s denial of entry violates national, EU, and international law, according to UN sources. The migrants have been stuck in tents in the buffer zone, some requiring hospital treatment. The UNHCR is making representations to the government to abide by their obligations towards asylum seekers. The government has not commented on the matter, citing that the migrants are in the buffer zone.
President Nikos Christodoulides is in contact with the UN peacekeeping force regarding 13 migrants reported to be living in the buffer zone near the university grounds. The migrants are from Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, and Cameroon and had come from the north after being denied entrance to the state-controlled areas. The UN peacekeeping force is working with UNCHR to provide humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable migrants.
Fourteen migrants are stranded in the buffer zone near the University of Cyprus campus in Aglantzia, unable to enter government-controlled areas due to the temporary suspension of asylum applications by the Republic of Cyprus. The group includes women and children from Afghanistan, Sudan, Cameroon, and Iran, with assistance being provided by the UNFICYP and UNHCR. Patrols have been increased along the buffer zone to deter migrant arrivals, resulting in a 95% decrease in arrivals by boat from Syria. Pushbacks in Lebanese waters have contributed to this decrease, but the Mediterranean crossing remains the deadliest route for migrants. The U.N. human rights office has reported gross human rights violations faced by Syrian refugees returning to Syria, including torture, abduction, sexual harassment, and violence. Pushbacks are measures used by states to force refugees and migrants out of their territory, circumventing international protection safeguards.
CCTV cameras will be installed in 10 high schools in Limassol due to incidents of hooded figures setting fire to school premises.
– A difficult summer is expected due to the dry winter, according to fire services’ spokesman Andreas Kettis.
– Human activity is to blame in over 92% of fire cases.
– The fire prevention season was expected to start earlier this year.
– Stricter penalties have been recently introduced regarding fires and their causes.
A shortage of banknotes in Gaza is causing chaos, with only a few ATMs operational in the southern city of Rafah. Residents are facing long waits and sometimes paying fees to access cash, as armed gangs exploit the situation. The conflict has led to a lack of liquidity in the enclave, with hundreds of millions of shekels stuck in bank vaults. Essential goods remain scarce, and some merchants are profiteering from the shortage by charging high commissions. Gaza’s economy relies heavily on Israel, which has blocked cash imports since the start of the war.
– Two helicopters from Jordan are in full operational readiness to assist in firefighting.
– Tenders for six leased aircraft are in the final stages.
– The additional aircraft are expected to be in Cyprus in June.
– The forestry department has eight drones for daily patrols.
– Forces have been on standby since April for what is expected to be a particularly difficult year.