Major search continues after deadly migrant boat sinking off Cyprus coast
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — A major rescue operation continued Tuesday off the southern coast of Cyprus after a migrant boat sank in international waters, with no additional survivors or bodies found since the initial recovery, official said.
Authorities Monday said seven bodies had been recovered and two people rescued some 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Cyprus. Officials said the boat was believed to be carrying at least 20 Syrians.
The island republic's Joint Rescue Coordination Center confirmed an ongoing operation involving military helicopters, rescue vessels and drones, assisted by a helicopter from a British base on Cyprus.
'As time passes and no other people are found, hope naturally and dramatically diminishes,' Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas told a press briefing late Monday.
The rescue effort is taking place amid rising irregular border crossings in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the European Union border protection agency Frontex, despite a broader decline across the bloc.
Cypriot officials said they continue to monitor increased maritime movement from Lebanon and Syria amid ongoing regional instability.
Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis said the first survivor had been spotted during a routine patrol. After that, he said, 'the response was immediate, which is why we managed to save the second person very quickly.'
___
Follow the AP's coverage of migration here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
29 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Tennessee judge will hear arguments about releasing Kilmar Abrego Garcia from pretrial detention
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose mistaken deportation has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, on Friday will stand before a Tennessee judge who'll decide whether he can be released while awaiting trial on human smuggling charges. Before the hearing began in Nashville, Abrego Garcia's wife told a crowd outside a church that Thursday marked three months since the Trump administration 'abducted and disappeared my husband and separated him from our family.' Her voice choked with emotion, Jennifer Vasquez Sura said she saw her husband for the first time on Thursday. She said, 'Kilmar wants you to have faith,' and asked the people supporting him and his family ''to continue fighting, and I will be victorious because God is with us.'' Abrego Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador who had been living in the United States for more than a decade before he was wrongfully deported by the Republican administration in March. The expulsion violated a 2019 U.S. immigration judge's order that shielded him from deportation to his native country because he likely faced gang persecution there. While the Trump administration described the mistaken removal as 'an administrative error,' officials have continued to justify it by insisting Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang . His wife and attorneys have denied the allegations, saying he's simply a construction worker and family man. Trump's administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S. last week to face criminal charges related to what it said was a human smuggling operation that transported immigrants across the country. The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee during which Abrego Garcia was driving a vehicle with eight passengers. His lawyers have called the allegations 'preposterous.' U.S. attorneys have asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes to keep Abrego Garcia in jail, describing him as a danger to the community and a flight risk. Abrego Garcia's attorneys disagree, pointing out he was already wrongly detained in a notorious Salvadoran prison thanks to government error and arguing due process and 'basic fairness' require him to be set free. The charges against Abrego Garcia are human smuggling. But in their request to keep Abrego Garcia in jail, U.S. attorneys also accuse him of trafficking drugs and firearms and of abusing the women he transported, among other claims, although he is not charged with such crimes. The U.S. attorneys also accuse Abrego Garcia of taking part in a murder in El Salvador. However, none of those allegations is part of the charges against him, and at his initial appearance June 6, the judge warned prosecutors she cannot detain someone based solely on allegations. One of Abrego Garcia's attorneys last week characterized the claims as a desperate attempt by the Trump administration to justify the mistaken deportation three months after the fact. 'There's no way a jury is going to see the evidence and agree that this sheet metal worker is the leader of an international MS-13 smuggling conspiracy,' private attorney Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg said. In a Wednesday court filing, Abrego Garcia's public defenders argued the government is not even entitled to a detention hearing — much less detention — because the charges against him aren't serious enough. Although the maximum sentence for smuggling one person is 10 years, and Abrego Garcia is accused of transporting hundreds of people over nearly a decade, his defense attorneys point out there's no minimum sentence. The average sentence for human smuggling in 2024 was just 15 months, according to court filings. The decision to charge Abrego Garcia criminally prompted the resignation of Ben Schrader, who was chief of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. He posted about his departure on social media on the day of the indictment, writing, 'It has been an incredible privilege to serve as a prosecutor with the Department of Justice, where the only job description I've ever known is to do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.' He did not directly address the indictment and declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press. However, a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter confirmed the connection. Although Abrego Garcia lives in Maryland, he's being charged in Tennessee based on a May 2022 traffic stop for speeding in the state. The Tennessee Highway Patrol body camera video of the encounter that was released to the public last month shows a calm exchange between officers and Abrego Garcia. It also shows the officers discussing among themselves their suspicions of human smuggling before sending him on his way. One of the officers says, 'He's hauling these people for money.' Another says Abrego Garcia had $1,400 in an envelope. Abrego Garcia was not charged with any offense at the traffic stop. Sandoval-Moshenberg, the private attorney, said in a statement after the video's release that he saw no evidence of a crime in the footage. Meanwhile, the lawsuit over Abrego Garcia's mistaken deportation isn't over. Abrego Garcia's attorneys have asked a federal judge in Maryland to impose fines against the Trump administration for contempt, arguing that it flagrantly ignored court orders for several weeks to return him. The Trump administration said it will ask the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that it followed the judge's order to return him to the U.S. ___ This story has been corrected to show the Trump administration said that the human smuggling operation transported immigrants across the country, not that it brought immigrants into the country illegally. ___ Finley reported from Norfolk, Va. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Air India Flight Makes Emergency Landing Due to Bomb Threat 1 Day After Fatal Plane Crash
An Air India flight had to circle back to Phuket, Thailand to make an emergency landing on Friday, June 13, following reports of a bomb threat A note was found in the aircraft's bathroom, per a post on the airport's Facebook page Authorities have since confirmed that no explosives or suspicious objects had been discovered and the emergency has now been called offAn Air India flight has had to be diverted following reports of a bomb threat, one day after hundreds of people died in a tragedy involving one of the airline's planes. On Friday, June 13, flight AI 379 was heading from Phuket to New Delhi in India when it had to make an emergency landing back on the Thai island, per a Phuket International Airport - HKT Facebook post, which was reshared on the Airports of Thailand (AOT) page. AOT is a public company that manages multiple international airports in the country. The Facebook post stated that the pilot had been "informed to bring the aircraft back to Phuket Airport" after a bomb threat note was found inside a bathroom on the aircraft, which had been carrying 156 passengers and eight crew members. "Authorities have confirmed that no explosives or suspicious objects were found," the post stated. Monchai Tanode, director of Phuket International Airport, said of the incident, "We received a report of a bomb threat written inside the aircraft's bathroom, so the pilot informed the control tower and decided to divert the flight to Phuket International Airport after circling to burn off fuel," per the BBC. Tanode added during a press conference, "Police took suspects for questioning but could not clearly say who wrote the note," Reuters reported. There were initially three suspects, who have all since been cleared, the news agency noted, citing Air India official Debasish Choudhury. According to data from flight tracker Flightradar24, the aircraft had taken off from Phuket at 9:30 a.m. local time, before being diverted back to the airport, and later taking off for New Delhi at 4:28 p.m. Air India and Phuket International Airport didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for comment. The incident came a day after Air India Flight AI171 crashed on the afternoon of Thursday, June 12, just after takeoff from Ahmedabad in India. The jet had been bound for London's Gatwick airport. Citing health officials, CNN reported that at least 290 people have now been pronounced dead. The outlet noted that the plane crashed into a hostel for doctors. The airline confirmed in a statement on X that there was a "sole survivor" out of the 230 passengers and 12 crew on board. The airline did not identify the living passenger beyond saying they are a British citizen "of Indian origin" who is being "treated in a hospital." However, multiple local reports have since identified the man as 40-year-old Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. After the crash, the airline shared a post on X confirming "the passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Video footage that emerged online showed the plane descending quickly to the ground right after it took off. It was then seemingly consumed by a large fireball. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Molotov cocktail police attacker jailed for life
A man who tried to murder a police officer while armed with Molotov cocktails has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years. Alexander Dighton, 28 from Pontyclun, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was wearing body armour when he carried out the attack outside Talbot Green police station in January. Counter terror police said Dighton was interviewed by officers a year before the attack, but was believed not to be a threat. Dighton injured several officers and admitted trying to murder a police officer with a knife and was sentenced at the Old Bailey in London. Due to the time Dighton spent on remand he will spend a minimum term of 21 years and 235 days before he can be considered for parole. The court heard he was also made subject of terrorist notification requirements for 30 years. Judge Mark Lucraft KC said the crimes committed by Dighton "satisfies all the offences have terrorist connections." "You targeted the police as a keystone of government power," he added. He added Dighton had wanted to make a statement that the government had failed in its duties to uphold law and order and his attack had involved "significant planning" with the intent of "serious violence". "I note your online activity shows increasing fixation on issues like diversity, paedophilia, immigration, anti-Islamic sentiment and dissatisfaction with the British government," he added. Frank Ferguson, head of CPS special crime and counter terrorism division, said: "By his own admission he wanted to take the life of a police officer, to cause damage and spill blood." Dighton arrived at Talbot Green police station in January armed with a hatchet, a pole and Molotov cocktails. Brandishing his weapons, he told PC Stephanie Fleming, who confronted him: "I'm fed up, I'm done." Dighton threw one Molotov cocktail at a police van, but it failed to ignite, so he poured petrol onto another and set it alight. He then used a long wooden pole to smash the van's windows. Dighton was tasered and sprayed with Pava spray, but it had no effect. He attacked Sgt Richard Coleman in the station foyer, hitting him in the head with the pole, and then punched Det Con Joshua Emlyn. At this point three police officers attempted to restrain Dighton, and he stabbed Det Con Jack Cotton in the leg, wounding him. Dighton represented himself in court at a previous hearing and admitted attempted murder with a knife, attempted arson, attacking two other police officers, and threatening a third - pleading guilty to a total of 11 charges. Two officers were treated in hospital for their injuries. The judge told the Old Bailey on Friday the officers were in a state of shock and some thought they were going to die. Before sentencing, Ch Supt Stephen Jones, of South Wales Police, said the officers were doing "remarkably well", but said it has had a "profound impact" on their families. "Ultimately officers are public servants, but they're also fathers, mothers, wives and husbands and sons and daughters, and the impact on their families has been really heartfelt," he said. "We face these perils, and quite often unexpectedly", he said. He said the officers had to respond to a "committed, lone individual who was exceptionally aggressive". After, Ch Supt Jones insisted Talbot Green remained a "very safe and quiet area" but acknowledged it had experienced two separate major incidents within a few weeks of each other. "We have increased patrols and increased the number of officers working out of Talbot Green to protect the community," he added. At a previous court hearing Dighton told the judge, Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb: "Authority is not my problem - but the use of authority that I have seen since I was 15, that is my problem." Dighton was motivated by anti-government ideology, and when he was arrested he said: "I've been damned from birth." Police believe Dighton began planning his attack a month before the incident. When his home in Pontyclun, was searched journals containing anti-immigrant ideologies and a return to "traditional" society were found. Dighton was already known to counter-terrorism police in Wales, he was interviewed by officers a year before the attack. He was referred to the Prevent, a counter extremism programme in January 2024, by his sister where officers carried out a three week "detailed assessment" of Dighton. Prosecutor Nicholas Hearn said she had stated he was "vulnerable as he has gone missing previously and has attempted suicide." Det Supt Andrew Williams of Counter Terrorism Policing Wales said: "He was referred to us following concerns around his anti-immigration stance, his anti-Islam stance and his general racist views." He said Dighton was interviewed "at length" and "due-diligence checks" were carried out to make sure officers "knew about him and his history". He said Dighton "did not fit the criteria" to be included on the Prevent programme. "There was no information at all from that assessment or from that referral that would give any indication whatsoever that Alexander Dighton would go on, a year later, to commit an attack of this nature," Det Supt Williams said. He said he believed the initial assessment of Dighton was correct. "I am very confident in the assessment and skills of those officers and support them completely in the decisions they undertook," he said. Asked if he was satisfied Dighton was de-radicalised, or did not present a threat, Det Supt Williams said: "I am happy that's the case, yes." Dighton previously pleaded guilty to attempted arson and attempting to murder Det Con Jack Cotton. He also admitted assaulting Sgt Richard Coleman, threatening PC Stephanie Fleming, assaulting Det Con Joshua Emlyn, having an adapted wooden pole as a weapon, having a knife, having a hatchet, damaging a police van, and damaging a second police van.
