Latest news with #MariosHartsiotis
Euronews
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
At least seven dead off the coast of Cyprus in migrant boat disaster
Authorities in Cyprus say they have retrieved at least seven bodies after a boat carrying Syrian refugees sank off its coast on Saturday. Local officials say the bodies were recovered by Port and Maritime Police vessels during a search and rescue mission around 24 to 25 nautical miles southeast of Cape Greco. According to local media, 21 people, mostly Syrian migrants, were on board the boat which sank four days ago and was only found on Tuesday morning by the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre. Rescue and emergency authorities said two people were rescued alive, and the search for survivors is continuing with 12 individuals still missing. Authorities deployed a navy ship, a helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle of the National Guard. Some of the recovered bodies have been transferred to a morgue at Limassol General Hospital, while the two survivors pulled out of the ocean have been hospitalised, local reports say. The two were suffering from dehydration. Cypriot authorities said the boat capsized well outside its border zone but noted its rescue coordination in some cases extends operations in some cases to the territorial waters of Syria and Lebanon. Cyprus has increased coast guard patrols on its eastern coast in light of the current situation, Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis said. Today's boat disaster comes as authorities fear an increase in people trying to cross due to the recent political developments in Syria, with Bashal al-Assad's government being toppled by the Ahmed al-Sharaa-led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels announced on Monday that they are withdrawing from peace talks with the Congolese government, citing international sanctions against their members as an obstacle to dialogue. The talks, set to take place in Luanda, Angola, on Tuesday, 'have become impracticable' following the EU's decision to impose sanctions on several M23 leaders, the group's spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka said in a statement. Additionally, ongoing military operations by the Congolese army in the conflict-hit region further undermine the possibility of peace discussions, Kanyuka claimed. 'Consequently, our organisation can no longer continue to participate in the discussions,' he added. Despite previously rejecting direct negotiations, the Congolese government confirmed its participation in the peace talks. Delegations from both groups had arrived in Luanda for the talks, where Angola would serve as mediator. The conflict has resulted in one of the worst humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced. The EU imposed sanctions on five Rwandan nationals on Monday, including the commander of Rwandan special forces deployed in eastern DR Congo. Additionally, the EU sanctioned four Congolese nationals, including M23's political leader Bertrand Bisimwa and three senior rebel commanders. Rwanda's Gasabo Gold Refinery was also blacklisted, with the EU accusing it of facilitating the 'illegal extraction and trafficking of natural resources' from eastern DR Congo. Gold and other strategic minerals from the region are key components in smartphones and computer production. Last year, the UN reported that M23 was generating an estimated $300,000 (€275,000) per month from its control of a mining area in eastern DR Congo. Furthermore, amid rising international pressure, Rwanda severed diplomatic ties with Belgium on Monday, ordering all Belgian diplomats to leave the country. The move comes a month after Brussels suspended development aid to Rwanda. Rwandan President Paul Kagame has accused Belgium of attempting to destroy his country.
Asharq Al-Awsat
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Major Search Continues after Deadly Migrant Boat Sinking Off Cyprus Coast
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 Associated Press reported. 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.'
Arab Times
18-03-2025
- General
- Arab Times
Major search continues after deadly migrant boat sinking off Cyprus coast
NICOSIA, Cyprus,March 18, (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.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
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.
The Independent
18-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Major search continues after deadly migrant boat sinking off Cyprus coast
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.
