Current Events

The five men who stand accused of allegedly orchestrating a Hamas-involved terrorist attack in Cyprus will be produced in a court in Larnaca.

Prosecutors on the island nation are trying to merge the three different cases lodged against them into one indictment, which will cover all five along with their offenses.

The investigation in question started when the two men, both Palestinian nationals aged 38 and 32, were arrested at Pentakomo. Further investigation led to the police discovering dangerous chemicals such as ammonium nitrate along with materials that can easily be combined to create explosives.

According to investigators, interrogation led to the 32-year-old confessing that he was recruited by Hamas to buy said materials and conduct target surveillance. Meanwhile, the other man was a physics teacher and had entered the country illegally via Turkish Cyprus.

Meanwhile, another Palestinian-origin Cypriot, aged 54, was found to have received packages with dangerous materials. While he was not granted bail and remains in police custody, he denies any involvement in the matter. Another man, a Cypriot national aged 41, thought to be the coordinator of the operation, was arrested by Indonesian authorities and sent back to Cyprus.

Finally, a Limassol resident aged 32 was arrested for allegedly arranging travel arrangements and logistics. The arrest was only made public recently.

Charges currently levied against these five include money laundering, participating in a criminal organization, conspiracy, and attempted murder. All court proceedings in this regard are currently not open to members of the public.

Cyprus police teamed up with Trust Insurance to launch a countrywide campaign to raise public awareness against thefts and home burglaries.

The initiative has been launched as part of a cooperation agreement between the organizations, with the ultimate aim of preventing crime by raising people?s awareness on the topic of having better residential security.

Various awareness workshops shall be conducted throughout the island, where practical advice and informational leaflets shall be offered, so that people are better-equipped to protect their homes, property and families.

A 2-year-old child has died, having fallen from the hotel balcony on the 4th floor in Cyprus while on holiday with his family.

The incident happened in Paphos?s Chloraka village, where the family had been vacationing for their summer holiday break.

Local reports say that the child accidentally fell from the balcony on the 4th floor.

An ambulance soon arrived at the scene and took the toddler to Paphos General Hospital. However, despite the prompt action, the doctors failed to save him.

Reportedly, the family had plans to make a month-long stay. The family itself includes the couple and another child aged 5.

Cypriot police?s initial investigation led to them arresting the father, aged 37. The charge in question was death by negligence, which the father could have committed for failing to care for his child as a father.

He shall be produced in Paphos?s district court, where the police shall probably ask for him to remain in custody till their investigation is done.

The boy?s post-mortem examination is currently pending.

So far, the police have declined to reveal any further information to the press, to maintain the integrity of the matter.

A late-night fire that broke out in Avgorou led to the destruction of more than seven-hundred-and-fifty hay bales.

According to the Police, the fire started at around 10:20 pm in the night. It was reported soon after, and within minutes, both the fire department and the police had already reached the scene.

They worked together and eventually managed to extinguish the fire.

Over 750 bales of hay were completely destroyed by the fire.

The fire department stayed on scene as a preventative measure against flare-ups later, although that did not happen.

The reason for the fire remains to be found as Famagusta?s CID is conducting its own investigations into the matter.

Paphos Police has arrested a man for defrauding people via impersonation.

According to their statement, the man, aged 76, swindled around ?9,800 in early 2024 by talking to ?users? and claiming to be the owner of a company that would install photovoltaic panels for someone (who later became the complainant).

Allegedly, the man took the payment but did not carry out any installation work. Investigators further found that the company he claimed to head in fact did not exist.

After weeks of looking, the police finally found the man and arrested him.

Further investigation by the Paphos CID is currently underway as the man remains in their custody.

A road construction machine overturning in Marathounta in Paphos led to 4 workers suffering grievous injuries.

The accident, which took place in the morning hours, happened as a private company?s workers were making road repairs on the vehicle.

Three out of four of the injured suffered lighter injuries as they got out of the overturned machine just in time. The fourth, however, suffered worse injuries as he got trapped within the machine. He had to be freed by the fire department before they were all transported to the hospital for treatment.

The Department of Labour Inspection, the district administration, and, of course, the police have launched their investigation into the matter, which is currently underway.

Cypriot authorities arrested a man who was spying on British military bases on behalf of Iran.

The man, Rashad Sultanov, aged 44, is a British-Azerbaijani national and is currently on his way to being extradited to the UK for his offenses.

His arrest was a part of the activities of London?s Counter Terrorism Policing?s 5-week-long investigation into what had transpired at the RAF Akrotiri base.

According to their investigation, Sultanov conducted a lot of ?hostile surveillance? on the military base – already a restricted area, and then shared the information he ?gathered? with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

The man has a history too. He has a prior arrest in 2025 for spying and terrorism, and had links with Iran.

At the time, Cypriot police did not provide details about the man who was reportedly seen acting suspiciously near the air force base near the southern coastal city of Limassol.

London?s Metropolitan police did not respond to a question by Agence France-Presse (AFP) to confirm whether the man arrested on Friday was the same as the individual detained in Cyprus last year.

UK bases have become a flash point in the United States and Israeli war with the Iranian nation, with London also permitting Washington with the use of Akrotiri for against Tehran.

The criminal court of Famagusta found a man guilty of sexually assaulting and trying to murder a woman in her own hotel room.

The man, aged 20, did this heinous act in August 2024 when he raped her while she was not awake and tried to kill her. The only reason she survived was because the man had believed she was dead when she, in fact, wasn?t.

The court will award the man?s sentencing in a separate court hearing to be held at a future date.

The woman had initially met the man at a nightclub and later went to her hotel room. She did not give her consent to have sex with him, which prompted the man to violently attack and then rape her.

The attack led to the woman being admitted to the ICU for 48 hours before she was declared to be out of danger. It took her a few more days in the hospital to fully recover from her physical injuries.

The man?s crime was proved by a solid combination of witness statements, surveillance footage, DNA evidence, and, of course, the victim?s testimony. Meanwhile, the defendant?s argument was dismissed for being ?unreliable.?

Cyprus Police?s cybercrime unit has launched a public warning, asking people to keep vigilant after they have seen an increase in complaints regarding scams conducted through messages and phone calls.

Specifically, the warning was issued after a resident filed a complaint about a shady call from someone claiming to be from a portal and stating that their account will get a ?200 deduction.

CID was notified immediately, and as a result, the cybercrime unit responded how they?ve received similar complaints as well.

This led to the decision to raise a public alert about the admittedly very concerning matter.

According to them, calls and messages are made by scammers in this way to defraud unwitting recipients into sharing information that could compromise their financial security.

The cybercrime unit said that while they are doing everything they can, more attempts can and will be made and that the only way to keep these scammers at bay is for the public to become more alert and cautious. A key step to this is to verify any and all contacts who claim to be speaking about financial matters in any capacity.

People must enable two-factor authentication on their accounts online for added security, always check the number and type of devices that are connected to their profiles and accounts, and make sure to always update their contact details they may store on their social media. Passwords used must be strong, and only one password must be used for each account – not to mentioned by changed regularly.

The public has also been asked to report any dodgy links, emails or messages to the police as soon as they receive them so that they can identify and/or block them in time.

Several Israeli news sources have revealed the island nation to be the top destination for holiday-goers, after seeing a small uptick in travel in general post the US-Israel-Iran war.

According to recent media coverage, the conflict slowed down tourism but ended up with many vacationers seeing Cyprus as a solution, due to its affordability, safety, proximity and friendly atmosphere

Walla, a news website from Israel, reported that Israeli visitors? increased numbers are one of the main reasons behind the island nation?s tourism sector?s steady improvement over the last few months. It cited proximity, the number of available connecting flights, and a general familiarity with the place as reasons for it to rise as a great destination, especially for those looking for a short trip.

They even reported that while there was uncertainty in the air, flights and trips were booked pretty quickly the moment services were restarted.

Calcalist, a site reporting business news, said that touching 600,000 Israeli nationals visited the island nation in 2025, already 39% more than in 2024. They have cited the shorter flight duration, welcoming atmosphere, attitude towards Israeli visitors, the Euro/Shekel weakening, and Cyprus? existing reputation as a highly affordable holiday spot.

At this moment, there are eight airlines operating between the two countries, and over 150 flights running between Paphos and Larnaca every week.

Louiza Varakla, the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, was quoted as saying that the two countries have had a long history of friendship with each other, and that it shall only increase as time passes by.

An explosion in Limassol?s city center has Limassol on high alert.

Allegedly, an explosive device was planted in a building in the city center, which went off at around 3:30 am.

While the exact building has not been identified yet, authorities believe that the target was probably a nightclub.

Cyprus Times says that the building that was targeted is the home to EDON, Cyprus?s communist party?s youth wing, officially called The Progressive Party of Working People.

The explosion has caused major damage to buildings, as well as to a vehicle that was parked nearby.

Limassol is Cyprus? second-biggest city after the capital, Nicosia. It is situated on the island nation?s southern coastline. Highly popular among tourists, it is home to several attractions, including a marina, the Old Town and even a Medieval Castle.

The discovery of the latest cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has now led to over 121 livestock units being actively affected by the deadly ailment.

This development has happened despite the fact that 84% cattle, 78% sheep, and 41% pigs have all received the second dose of FMD vaccines.

The most recent case was found in Mammari?s infected area, specifically at a goat and sheep farm, which is home to over eighty livestock animals.

Veterinary Services have confirmed that the infected animals have been culled with immediate effect to prevent any spread.

At this point, over 6,650 animals have met this fate since the presence and rise of FMD was detected back in the month of February. Culling has since been done in most major districts – including Larnaca, Limassol, and Nicosia.

Cyprus Voice for Animals (CVA) has announced that all animal rescue organizations will suspend their trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs for an indefinite period due to security issues.

Danae Kaza of the CVA stated that they require authorization cards from the Ministry of Agriculture, which allows them to neuter animals. Moreover, the rumors circling regarding cats being abducted from homes for TNR projects have made workers vulnerable to physical attacks.

Kaza has publicly requested that they be issued official authorization, since over a hundred procedures are being done every week.

The CVA itself released a statement on the matter, stressing how volunteers working for them have been threatened and attacked verbally and even physically as they went about their way to collect stray cats to sterilize them. Some have even been dragged to police stations and deemed as criminals. This is very disheartening, since most of them did so using their own time and money and with no support from the government.

According to the CVA, the pause will most surely spike uncontrolled breeding, which in turn will force municipalities to face situations far beyond their control and increase animal suffering. The current events, however, have left them with no choice.

The island nation of Cyprus has donated ?380,000 to the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP).

With this in tow, the organization?s total money raised since by Cyprus alone stands at a grand total of ?4,772,700.

The CMP has thanked the island nation for the contribution, highlighting how the funding will make a big difference in helping the organization run and advance its core mission, which is to find and return missing persons? remains to families, where applicable. They further said that this will go a long way in helping families with decades of trauma get much-needed closure.

Since its activation in 2006, the CMP has set a target of finding the 2,002 individuals who were declared missing in communal conflicts. So far, they have managed to find 1,717 bodies, identified 1,069 of them, and brought closure for another 217 people not on the list in the process. This includes 764 Greek Cypriots and 305 Turkish Cypriots.

In 2025, the CMP found the remains of 23 persons, 12 of whom were identified. This included 4 Turkish Cypriots and 8 Greek Cypriots.

The CMP also receives donations from other nations and international organizations. In 2026, the European Union donated ?2.6 million, while the UK donated ?15,000.

Cyprus Consumers? Association has conducted a series of lab tests on food delivery transport bags, which has revealed that they contain dangerous pathogens.

Marios Drousiotis, who is the association?s president, has expressed the organization?s concerns over the handling of food in the journeys between leaving the restaurants and reaching customers? destinations.

According to Drousiotis, the organization has already received several public complaints regarding the lack of cleanliness in boxes used to transport food. They reported that the containers appeared to be dirty on several occasions. Drousiotis stated that this may imply a lack of safe hygiene practices in spaces less visible to both restaurants and customers.

The complaints prompted the association to contact the relevant authority that is responsible for food safety inspections. The latter responded to them by saying that they are aware of the matter and are soon going to begin checks.

Notably, this chain of events unfolded prior to the mass food poisoning at the wedding party in Limassol, which has been widely circulating in the news.

A two-vehicle collision in Limassol led to three individuals being rushed to the hospital.

The road accident happened at approximately 2 pm in the afternoon at Omodos in Limassol.

Both cars were being driven by men, aged 73 and 36, respectively. The latter?s car had a female, aged 35, riding as a passenger.

Officers reached the crime scene as soon as they heard, carried out the examinations, and collected evidence as applicable.

Meanwhile, an ambulance transported them all to the general hospital in Limassol.

Primary medical examinations of the three have revealed that the 36-year old?s leg was fractured, the 36-year-old passenger was injured in the head and stomach, and the 73-year-old sustained a broken rib and sternum.

While serious, their situation has been deemed stable and not life-threatening.

Further police investigation into the collision and its aftermath is currently underway.

The long-awaited Lebanon-Cyprus ferry has once again been postponed for a period of 10 days.

The Larnaca-bound ferry, which departed from Jounieh, known as the Cedar Waves, and operated by the Abou Merhi Group, is now docked at the port instead of embarking on its return journey.

According to a source in the government, this development had no relation to security issues, despite the current conflict situation in Lebanon. In fact, the decision was made prior to the situation escalating.

The Cedar Waves website has confirmed this, along with the fact that it is all set to return after the stipulated time period.

Charges begin at $95 for a one-way trip. Tickets go up to $145 for the ?Plus? ticket, and $175 for the ?Lounge? ticket. The latter of these will give upper deck access, but will not include food.

The Cedar Waves website also states that journeys to Latakia, Syria, and to Mersin, Turkey will also be launched soon. If this does happen as they say it will, it would be the first international passenger ferry service to be launched in the region in over 20 years.

The Lebanon-Cyprus ferry?s return has been highly rumored for some time in both Lebanon nd Cyprus. There was an attempt to relaunch it earlier, but it was cancelled on account of logistical issues.

The returned ferry route will last over four hours and function as a great beacon of hope for a nation marred by war and its ricocheting effects.

The southern suburban area of Beirut was hit by the Israeli army after Hezbollah attacked northern Israel. However, Jounieh, the departing destination, which is located in the country?s Christian area, over 20 kilometers from Beirut, remains intact.

The war in Iran and resultant conflict in the Middle East at large has led the World Poker Tour to announce that both their Main Event and their Prime Championship will now be held in Cyprus.

This marks a return of the WPT to the island nation after a long time.

Both the WSOP circuit event and the WPT Prime Championship were postponed and cancelled in March, respectively. The reason for this was the mass cancellations of flights, which led to WPT not being able to attend the tournament. This was the same time when Cyprus?s UK air bases were struck by drones.

Now, WPT Cyprus shall be held in August, and will now be featuring a championship event worth $3,500 and a guarantee worth $2 million. Meanwhile, the postponed WPT Prime worth $1,100 shall now be held in October and will have a guarantee worth $1 million.

Notably, poker pros in Cyprus are not fazed in the least. The WSOP-C replacement festival hit record numbers, demonstrating the region?s love for the sport.

Adam Pliska, the CEO of WPT, expressed his excitement for the Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino to host two huge festivals for WPT?s 24th season.

The criminal court of Limassol has sentenced two individuals a five-year prison term each after they were proven guilty of sex trafficking.

The court also sentenced two others, aged 50 and 29, to prison terms of nine and eighteen months, respectively.

According to the police, the crimes in question occurred between the months of August 2022 and May 2023.

The case popped up on the radar after the office for combating trafficking received information about a twenty-four-year-old who had been trafficked and sexually exploited.

The court said that this was a part of an organized trafficking operation actively conducted on both sides of Cyprus. Court investigators identified that the syndicate operating this includes up to two hundred members.

A migrant worker tragically lost his life after an unfortunate construction accident.

The worker, aged 21, was originally from Pakistan and was working in an open space when he was brutally crushed by glass panes.

This led to the discovery that he was, in fact, illegally employed by another man, aged 56. It is unknown in what capacity he hired the now-deceased 21-year-old.

When the accident happened, the 56-year-old was working on a forklift.

The police said they shall reveal the man?s details after the investigation is complete and the family of the deceased is informed of all details on the matter.