CRIME ROUND UP

 Pafos Live 23 February 2026

Officials of the Customs Department at the Agios Dometios crossing point, in the context of the usual checks of persons and vehicles passing through the occupied to the free areas, selected for control a vehicle driven by a woman with Cypriot citizenship. During the inspection carried out in the vehicle, it was found that she was carrying 50 packs of 20 heated cigarettes each, carefully hidden in packets for tissues and which did not bear markings for the harmful to health in the Greek and Turkish languages, indicating that they are duty-free. The goods were confiscated and later a proposal by the person involved for an out-of-court settlement of the offenses was accepted with the payment of an amount of €150.

WHAT'S ON - 24-28 FEBRUARY

 

WHAT'S ON - 24-28 FEBRUARY

DAVEY WOODFORD - The Local Pub, Chlorakas - 28 February

 

DAVEY WOODFORD

The Local Pub, Chlorakas

28 February 7pm

Free entry.   Full menu available.

US MILITARY BEGINS WITHDRAWING FROM MAIN BASE IN NORTHEAST SYRIA, SYRIAN SOURCES SAY

 Cyprus Mail 23 February 2026 - by Reuters News Service

U.S. forces began pulling out of their largest base in northeastern Syria on Monday, three Syrian military and security sources said, part of a wider departure as the U.S.-allied government in Damascus consolidates control.

Dozens of trucks, some carrying armoured vehicles, departed the base at Qasrak in Hasakah province on Monday morning, witnesses said. Reuters footage later showed the trucks moving along a highway on the outskirts of the city of Qamishli.

CO-ORDINATING BODY SET UP AS POLICE LAUNCH PROBE INTO FOOT AND MOUTH OUTBREAK

 Cyprus Mail 23 February 2026 - by Marko Ljubicic

A coordinating body headed by the director of the veterinary services has been established following a broad meeting of all competent authorities at the services’ headquarters in Nicosia, officials said on Monday, as police in Larnaca formed an investigative team to probe the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

The meeting, held on instructions from President Nikos Christodoulides, was attended by the permanent secretary of the agriculture ministry, Andreas Gregoriou, the permanent secretary of the interior ministry Elikkos Elia, as well as representatives of the national guard, police, fire brigade, game and fauna service, the forestry department and the veterinary services.

CYPRUS-QATAR TIES TURN 25, MARKING QUIET PARTNERSHIP THAT GREW INTO STRATEGIC ALLIANCE

 KNews 23 February 2026 - by Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides

Silver anniversary highlights energy deals, diplomacy and growing cooperation between Qatar and Cyprus.

A diplomatic relationship that began with a single signature in New York has quietly grown into a strategic partnership spanning energy, investment and regional cooperation.

Saturday marked 25 years since Cyprus and Qatar formally established diplomatic relations on Feb. 21, 2001, a milestone officials describe as proof that steady diplomacy can turn distant partners into close collaborators.

CYPRUS' SHADOW NETWORK FOR RECRUITING FOREIGN WORKERS

 KNews 22 February 2026 - by Dorita Yiannakou

Weak oversight and steep payroll deductions leave many migrant workers underpaid while raising risks for key sectors such as tourism. Photo credit: Unsplash

Illegal agents outnumber licensed firms, fuelling worker exploitation and squeezing compliant agencies

An extensive, largely unseen system for recruiting foreign workers appears to have been operating for years behind the official structures of Cyprus’ labor market. The picture is shaped by illegal agents, weak oversight by the relevant authorities and an industry built on the exploitation of people who arrived in Cyprus seeking work.