Police in Cyprus is on alert
Security measures in Cyprus were strengthened after the terrorist attacks in Belgium. Reportedly, the police forces are currently on high alert. Special attention is given to the crowded places such as airports, marine port and bus stations. The terrorist attack in Belgium happened on Tuesday with 30 people killed and almost 300 injured. Among the injured, there were two citizens of Cyprus. Mrs. Mariel Voutounou was in the airport at the time of the attack – she was expecting to board on her flight. She sustained significant injuries, yet her life in not in danger. Another Cypriot – Mr. Andreas Charalambous was injured during the attack in the underground. He works in the European Commission and was on his way to the office. He received first aid right on the stop as it was not necessary to take him to the hospital. President of Cyprus Mr. Nicos Anastasides condemned the terrorist attacks and extended his condolences to the families of the victims.
The captain of FlyDubai’s aircraft was planning to return to Cyprus
One of the most discussed news this week was the story of the Cypriot pilot – Aristos Socratous. He was the captain of the FlyDubai aircraft which crashed in the Rostov’s airport. He is characterized as an experienced pilot- he accumulated more than 6,000 hours. He graduated from the prestigious Oxford Aviation academy. Before he moved to the UAE, he worked in the Helios Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Despite of the fact that he had a good reputation in FlyDubai, his friends are saying that he was planning to leave his job there, because he wanted to return back to his family in Cyprus- his wife is expecting to have a child soon. The reason for such a tragedy which took away 62 lives is yet to be investigated. Among the possible causes- human factor, technical problems and weather conditions.
Strike in the Limassol port
Another major strike started in Cyprus this week. Now the Limassol port has seized its operation. The employees are against the possible privatization of the port, which was approved by the Parliament. Quite a few people are participating in the strike, including the captains of the tugboats and pilot boats. All of them are afraid to lose their jobs and are demanding guarantees from the government. In turn, the government expects to earn more than 2 billion Euros from the privatization.
Cyprus is gaining popularity as vacation destination
The amount of tourists in Cyprus has increased by 30%. These figures were published by the statistics authority. 66,000 foreigners visited the island during the last winter month. The majority are tourist from the U.K., their share has increased by more than 25% in comparison with the February 2015. The number of Russians has doubled – the number reached the mark of 7,5 thousand tourists. Analytics are predicting that the island will remain interesting as a tourist destination. It can become an alternative for those who were previously choosing Egypt and Turkey.
Speed control. 110 cameras are to be installed in Cyprus
110 traffic-control cameras may appear on the roads of Cyprus – the relevant legislation is considered by the Parliament. The plan is to have 90 fixed cameras and 20 will be movable. Currently, the issue is at the consideration stage, yet several issues already came up. In particular, it is still unclear who will service the cameras and process the violation reports. Police does not want to take this responsibility. Surprisingly enough, the drivers have supported the initiative- they believe that it will improve the situation on the roads and will make the drivers more disciplined.
