
Israeli cruise ship docks in Cyprus port after being turned away by protests on Greek island
Israeli media reported that the ship, the "Crown Iris", was forced to leave Syros as hundreds of local people gathered at the port to protest Israeli actions in Gaza.
The ship's operators, Mano Maritime, said in a statement that the vessel encountered a demonstration by pro-Palestinian supporters at the port of Syros, and passengers were stuck on board without permission to disembark.
The Limassol port authorities did not say how long the ship would remain there or whether its passengers would disembark.
The "Crown Iris" had been used to transfer thousands of Israelis and third country nationals between Israel and Cyprus in June after Israel closed its airspace during an 11-day missile war with Iran.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Gaza aid crisis deepens as foreign NGOs denied entry
JERUSALEM: New Israeli legislation regulating foreign aid groups has been increasingly used to deny their requests to bring supplies into Gaza, according to a joint letter signed by more than 100 groups published Thursday. Ties between foreign-backed aid groups and the Israeli government have long been beset by tensions, with officials often complaining the organisations are biased. The rocky relations have only gotten more strained in the wake of Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel in October 2023. "Israeli authorities have rejected requests from dozens of NGOs to bring in lifesaving goods, citing that these organisations are 'not authorised to deliver aid'," the joint statement reads. According to the letter, whose signatories include Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), at least 60 requests to bring aid into Gaza were rejected in July alone. In March, Israel's government approved a new set of rules for foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with Palestinians. The law updates the framework for how aid groups must register to maintain their status within Israel, along with provisions that outline how their applications can be denied or registration revoked. Registration can be rejected if Israeli authorities deem that a group denies the democratic character of Israel or "promotes delegitimisation campaigns" against the country. "Unfortunately, many aid organisations serve as a cover for hostile and sometimes violent activity," Israel's Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli told AFP. "Organisations that have no connection to hostile or violent activity and no ties to the boycott movement will be granted permission to operate," added Chikli, whose ministry directed an effort to produce the new guideline. Aid groups say, however, that the new rules are leaving Gazans without help. "Our mandate is to save lives, but due to the registration restrictions civilians are being left without the food, medicine and protection they urgently need," said Jolien Veldwijk, director of the charity CARE in the Palestinian territories. Veldwijk said that CARE has not been able to deliver any aid to Gaza since Israel imposed a full blockade on the Palestinian territory in March, despite partially easing it in May. Israel has long accused Hamas of stealing aid entering the Strip, and since May, the government has relied on the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to manage food distribution centres. According to Gaza's civil defence agency, its operations have been frequently marred by chaos as thousands of Gazans have scrambled each day to approach its hubs, where some have been shot, including by Israeli soldiers.- AFP


The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Feature: Feeding a nation from sand -- Doha exhibition highlights self-sufficiency drive
DOHA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- At first glance, the ongoing exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha appears to be a simple celebration of culinary traditions. The artifacts on display -- drawn from across the Middle East and beyond -- span more than a thousand years. Inside the quiet galleries, dining vessels from different eras are carefully arranged, while a faint aroma of spices drifts through the air. Videos of flatbread being baked and images of pastoral life play softly on the walls, creating a sense of warmth and nostalgia. Yet the exhibition's significance extends far beyond a reflection on food and history. In a country where cultivating crops has always been a challenge, it also tells the story of Qatar's pursuit of self-sufficiency -- a drive that intensified after the 2017 diplomatic crisis. Located in a hot desert climate with very little rainfall, Qatar has long faced limitations in developing its agricultural sector. For years, more than 90 percent of the nation's food supply depended on imports. But a sudden blockade in 2017 caught Qatar off guard. In June that year, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced they were severing diplomatic relations with Qatar, closing land, sea and air routes and cutting trade ties. They accused Qatar of "supporting terrorism" and "destabilizing the region" -- accusations that Qatar firmly denied. Before the blockade, hundreds of trucks crossed the border from Saudi Arabia daily, delivering fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products and other essentials. On June 5 that year, that flow stopped abruptly. Although the diplomatic crisis ended with reconciliation in 2021, its psychological impact on Qataris has yet to fully fade. Many still vividly recall the scenes of supermarket shelves being emptied and import routes being urgently rerouted. This experience has, to a certain extent, fostered a stronger awareness of food security and a firmer determination toward self-sufficiency in Qatari society. Reflecting this theme, the exhibition's final section spotlights sustainable agriculture. Among the examples highlighted in the exhibition is Heenat Salma Farm, a diversified site on the outskirts of Doha. As climate change continues to threaten global food security, modern approaches like vertical farming, hydroponics, and precision agriculture have been adopted. These methods help conserve water, reduce energy use, and increase yields, while expanding the possibilities for local cultivation. "The message here is a need for cultures and communities to become more self-reliant, whether due to economic or environmental demands," said the exhibition's curator Tara Desjardins. According to Qatar's National Food Security Strategy 2030, the country aims to achieve 55 percent self-sufficiency in vegetables, 30 percent in red meat, 80 percent in fish, and full self-sufficiency in dairy and fresh poultry by 2030. It also seeks to increase agricultural land productivity by 50 percent. Residents have also noticed more locally produced food on the shelves. "In the past, we could only buy imported vegetables," said Fadwa, a local visiting the exhibition. "Now there are more Qatari farm products. When I see the 'locally produced' label, I feel more reassured and more willing to support it," she said.


The Star
11 hours ago
- The Star
Kenyan hosts summit to push for science-led solution to climate crisis in Africa
NAIROBI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya held a forum on Wednesday in the national capital of Nairobi for senior policymakers, scholars, and green campaigners to push for science-led interventions aimed at mitigating the climate crisis in Africa. More than 500 delegates attended the forum to discuss the green transition ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change slated for Belem, Brazil, on Nov. 10-21. Ali Mohamed, climate envoy in Kenya's Office of the President, urged scholars to provide evidence and training to bridge the gap between science, policy, and community action in managing climate change on the continent. He noted that industrial and energy policy roadmaps should start embracing internal knowledge as opposed to borrowing ideas from outside the continent, adding that most of the time, foreign ideas embed assumptions misaligned with African realities and aspirations. Mohamed said Kenya, in collaboration with its partners, is rapidly emerging as a hub for innovation, with enterprises focusing on clean cooking solutions and e-mobility. "These innovators are not only accelerating access to clean cooking and clean transport, but are also strengthening local manufacturing, building homegrown industries, and creating thousands of jobs for Kenya's youth," Mohamed said. Laban Ayiro, vice chancellor of Daystar University, a Nairobi-based private university, said academia has an opportunity to make milestones in the global climate agenda by bridging the gap between research and society. He called on scholars and the private sector to forge partnerships that transcend silos and elevate indigenous knowledge, while offering solutions to climate emergencies devastating the African continent.