Latest news with #Limassol
The National
a day ago
- Politics
- The National
Mission criticism in Cyprus as villagers watch RAF planes depart for Middle East wars
Adonis Spyrou looks up at the sky as an RAF fighter jet roars overhead on its way to land at the nearby Akrotiri base on the island of Cyprus. His grandparents were relocated from their homes to make way for RAF Akrotiri decades ago and he still feels a sense of resentment towards the base. The facility, near the port city of Limassol, sits within one of two Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus that are British Overseas Territories. Soon after Israel attacked Iran earlier this month, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer ordered the deployment of 14 Typhoon fighters like those flying above Mr Spyrou's house, along with two tankers, in a show of force. Over the past decade or so, the base has also been used by the RAF for action in the Middle East against ISIS and the Houthis. RAF Typhoon jets aided Israel in April 2024, when they shot down an unspecified number of drones fired by Iran, but were not called into action this time around. The base is also regularly used in evacuations of civilians from the Middle East and North Africa, including flights last week from Israel and in 2023 from Sudan as that country descended into civil war. But for Mr Spyrou the presence of the planes has reinforced his concern about the base being at the front line of Britain's military involvement in the Middle East. The scrap metal dealer was hard at work with his hammer in the yard beside the house he owns with his Filipino wife Marilou when The National called. He took time off to have a cigarette and share his views about the base, which he believes are shared by others in the village who are too afraid to speak out. 'We can say nothing but we are thinking that maybe something will happen with the bases and everybody will be killed,' he said, with his wife helping to translate. 'The base, they do what they want. They don't talk to us, they don't care about us. They don't care what we think.' Mr Spyrou accused the government of Cyprus of potentially putting its citizens in harm's way. 'The government of Cyprus tells [the UK] they can do whatever they want,' he said. 'People here in Cyprus don't have a voice. Who is listening? I'm angry about this.' The presence of RAF planes has also attracted the attention of pro-Palestinian activists, who have attached their own signs pointing to 'Britain's Genocide Base' to road signs. They alleged the base was being used to transport 'lethal cargo', such as weapons and ammunition, to Israel. The base strenuously denies the allegation. The claim that Britain was using Akrotiri to assist Israel in its war in Gaza was also behind an attack on military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in the UK. Three people were arrested on Thursday on suspicion of a terror offence in connection with the incident. Palestine Action had posted footage online showing people inside the Oxfordshire base, with one person appearing to ride an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker, before spray painting into its engine. RAF Akrotiri also appears to have attracted the attention of the Iranians. A British man has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying and terror-related offences. Cypriot outlet Philenews reported that the man had links to 'Iranian operatives' and had arrived on the Mediterranean island last month, posing as a tourist. It said high-resolution cameras, telephoto lenses, notes, computers and three mobile phones were discovered at the suspect's apartment. It described the suspect as being of Azeri descent. The UK's military presence on the island dates from 1878 when it received Cyprus as a protectorate from the Ottoman Empire in exchange for its support against Russia. After Cyprus gained independence in 1960, the UK retained sovereignty over approximately 98 square miles of territory for military bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Those locals who left Akrotiri were given compensation to relocate. In the end it was decided not to move the entire village. The base itself is around 3.5km from the village and has several quirks that mark it out as a little piece of Britain. On the main road, Queen Elizabeth Street, is The Hamlet pub and George's Fish and Chips, while the chatter of British service personnel gathering for a coffee can be heard in a cafe. Mr Spyrou lives on a hill a few blocks back. While business appears to be ticking over well down on the main street, he says things have been tough for him recently. He owns a plot of land but has been unable to obtain planning permission from the base authorities to expand his business there. His wife explained that 'this piece of land is yours and maybe you want to do something like build a business but without their permission you can't do anything even though it's yours'. Other businesses in the village, including a nearby mechanic's workshop, have struggled to obtain planning permission. Many people in the village believe it could be more prosperous if more permission was given to develop land, 'but they don't voice their opinions' said Mrs Spyrou. Other villagers seem to want to keep their opinions to themselves. A neighbour of Mr Spyrou drew his finger across his lips and smiled when The National asked for his views of the base. 'During the war in Iraq, the television crews came and everyone was quiet,' he said. Others, though, have grown accustomed to the base being a potential target. A coffee shop worker, who asked not be identified, said: 'It's ongoing all the time, isn't it, so who knows what will happen.'
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Ceasefire with Iran gives Israelis a chance to return from temporary Cyprus haven
Police at Limassol's port were jumpy as Israelis who had sought a safe haven and were stranded by weeks of airline disruption arrived on Thursday in dribs and drabs to get on a cruise ship to take them home. Many had spent weeks away from home after Israel closed its airspace to commercial flights but were boarding the cruise ship Crown Iris. It is conducting a final repatriation voyage to Ashdod port as operations at Ben Gurion resume. The 11 deck Panamanian-registered ship has ferried 2,000 to Israel on each of its voyages. Israelis are purchasing real estate in sensitive areas that pose a threat to national security Stefanos Stefanou On the dockside concourse a set of polite, if slightly stressed local Cypriot officers, took passport details and made a few calls to their bosses. There have been reports of Iranian-linked sleeper agents on the island and last week police arrested a suspect conducting surveillance against the nearby British airbase, RAF Akrotiri. A statement said a British citizen was being investigated for ties to Iran in attacking the base. Once they have taken details, the senior officer of the three, apologetically nodding in the direction of the ship, said: 'You understand this is sensitive.' He then made it clear reporting from the scene 'is over'. The sailing has been organised by Israeli national airline El Al and comes as flights began departing Cyprus for Israel after it began the phased reopening its airspace in the wake of a ceasefire with Iran. Israel first closed its airspace on June 13 when its troops launched their attack on Iran, leaving and 100,000 to 150,000 Israelis stranded abroad. Speaking as she prepared to get ready to board the ship back in her hotel, stranded El Al passenger Nesher Drohah told The Nationa l she has been out of Israel since June 6. 'We travelled to Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania and we were meant to be there until June 18 when the war broke out,' she said. 'But we've been stuck in Tirana until two days ago so now we're here to go home by boat.' She said it she is anxious to return to Israel after people she knows had a narrow escape from an Iranian missile but lost their home. 'He's OK but the house is not OK, the car is not OK,' she said. 'For that reason we were trying to fly back to get home fast and I hope tomorrow we will be home.' Ms Drohah said she backed the decision by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch an attack on Iran. She said that 'Iran is dangerous for all over the world but for us the most'. Cyprus has become a key transit point for Israelis wishing to return home in the absence of direct flights there and also the foreign nationals looking to escape the conflict. These include UK citizens first evacuated by the UK's Royal Air Force to the Akrotiri airbase. It is further along the same peninsula as Limassol's port. There are frequent flights to Cyprus from Israel, the result of the island's popularity as a tourist destination for Israelis. At different points of tension including the months since the October 7 assault by Hamas that led to Israel's Gaza operation, Cyprus has been a point of refuge for those who want to get out of the danger zone. The spillover from the Israeli assault on Gaza has seen a steady flow of Israelis arrive in Cyprus. While there is a ceasefire with Iran, the warplanes, drones and artillery attacks continue against the Palestinians both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The Cyprus chief Rabbi Arie Zeev Raskin has previously said that about 6,500 Israelis were in Cyprus after leaving the war zone for the east Mediterranean island, the closest European nation to Israel. Others had travelled there to catch flight or boat trip back to their country. Many Israelis have now settled in Cyprus and bought property there. There are now six Chabad Houses, which are community centres and also places of worship, on the island. Israeli restaurants cater for compatriots in the handsome Mediterranean port city that attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year. Targeted purchases The presence of Israelis has provoked a backlash. This week, a local political party Akel, singled out the purchase of land by them, as part of its highlighting of foreign land purchases by non-EU nationals. Stefanos Stefanou, the left-wing party's leader, accused Israelis of making 'targeted purchases' of land with the aim of creating gated communities in Larnaca and Limassol. 'Our country is being taken away from us,' he said. 'Israelis are purchasing real estate in sensitive areas that pose a threat to national security.' The party has put forward legislation in parliament aimed at restricting 'golden visas', which issued to non-EU nationals for an investment of at least €300,000 ($351,000) in real estate or company shareholding. Mr Stefanou appeared to focus on Israelis buying land claiming 'Zionist schools are being built' and quoting what he said were media reports 'suggesting that Israel is preparing a 'backyard' in Cyprus'. At Limassol's Chabad House, Rabbi Yitzchok Lapidus told The National that recently he has seen an increase in what he described as 'antisemitic graffiti'. He is one of three Rabbis, who work there under leadership of Rabbi Yair Baitz, and also with their wives. But for Rabbi Lapidus, his mind has been focused on providing food and shelter for the 'thousands' of Israelis and majority, he estimates, have come through the doors of the Chabad Houses in Cyprus. A traditional Israeli breakfast of fried eggs, salad and bread was laid on in the cafe next door just in case any travellers arrived that morning. Such has been the desperation of Israelis to get home, many have resorted to unusual methods, explained the Rabbi. 'They tried to go to Israel by yacht, by helicopter. There are a lot of families who were stuck here and need help to get out because of an emergency. People needed medicine, there were pregnant women,' he told The National. 'Some of them went for one day or for business and they were stuck for a week, two weeks. In the marina area of the city there one yacht charterer who asked not to be identified confirmed that her company had leased boats out to Israelis. 'It was our company that did most of this. There was a lot of demand last week and through the weekend but that's now over as people can get flights.' But another yacht charter company said it turned down requests by Israelis to charter yachts. 'We had a lot of inquiries from people who wanted to go to Israel but we decided it would be too risky because of the war but I know others were happy.' Omer Gonen is one of the unlucky ones who was only meant to be out of Israel for weekend. He came to Limassol with his wife and two children, along with their friends, two weekends ago but has been stuck here. 'We just wanted a weekend holiday but we're still here,' he said. 'We're now booked on a very expensive flight on Saturday. It's good to be going home now, finally but it's been terrible here.' Sitting on the floor with his two friends at Larnaca airport, Uriel, 24, from Jerusalem, explained they had just been released from the army and were about to return from a holiday in Tblisi, in Georgia when they became stuck. 'We had been on holiday for two to three weeks and then we got stuck,' he said. 'We came from Tblisi to here because it's easy for us to get a visa.' Uriel explained that him and his friends were about to board a special flight organised by a wealthy Israeli, which was exempt from the ban on commercial flights. He said their families 'were in the safest place but it's still a worry' but he added 'we've had two and a half years of war'. Meanwhile, the first RAF flight set off from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon carrying 63 British passengers, who landed in Cyprus and were then flown back to Birmingham Airport, where they arrived in the early hours of Tuesday. In the days since, more Britons have made the journey home as part of the Government's evacuation strategy. Meanwhile, the US has helped about 400 of its citizens and others to fly out of Israel since Saturday amid conflict with Iran and hopes to accommodate more in the coming days, a senior State Department official said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Robin Energy Ltd. Announces Pricing of $3.6 Million Registered Direct Offering
LIMASSOL, Cyprus, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robin Energy Ltd. (NASDAQ:RBNE) ("Robin Energy" or the "Company"), an international ship-owning company providing energy transportation services globally, today announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with several institutional investors to purchase 1,020,000 common shares at an offering price of $3.50, for gross proceeds of approximately $3.6 million (the 'Offering'), before deducting commissions and offering expenses, in a registered direct offering. Maxim Group LLC is acting as the sole placement agent for the Offering. Robin Energy currently intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Offering is expected to close on or about June 25, 2025 (the 'Closing Date'), subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form F-3, (File No. 333-286726) previously filed with and subsequently declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC') on April 28, 2025. A prospectus supplement relating to the securities to be issued in the Offering will be filed by the Company with the SEC. When available, copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the Offering, together with the accompanying prospectus, can be obtained at the SEC's website at or by contacting Maxim Group LLC, at 300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022, Attention: Syndicate Department, or via email at syndicate@ or by telephone at (212) 895-3745. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. About Robin Energy Ltd. Robin Energy is an international ship-owning company providing energy transportation services globally. Robin currently owns one Handysize tanker vessel that carries petroleum products worldwide. For more information, please visit the Company's website at Information on our website does not constitute a part of this press release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities Act') and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 'Exchange Act'). Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts, including those related to the completion and timing of the offering and the intended use of the proceeds. We are including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words 'believe', 'anticipate', 'intend', 'estimate', 'forecast', 'project', 'plan', 'potential', 'will', 'may', 'should', 'expect', 'pending' and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and/or are beyond our control or precise estimate. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, uncertainties related to the Company's and its counterparty's ability to consummate the transactions discussed herein, as well as those factors discussed under 'Risk Factors' in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 and our other filings with the SEC, which can be obtained free of charge on the SEC's website at Except to the extent required by applicable law, we disclaim any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise any forward‐looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. CONTACT DETAILS For further information please contact: Petros PanagiotidisRobin Energy Ltd. Email: ir@ in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
EPH European Property Holdings PLC Announces Change in Shareholder Structure
23 June 2025, Limassol, Cyprus / Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR We have been notified that, Aurora Value Fund, a fund organized and existing under the laws of Liechtenstein, registered with the Liechtenstein Investment Fund Association (LAFV) under register number FL-0002.305.581-2 represented and acting through its management company CAIAC Fund Management AG, a company incorporated under the laws of Liechtenstein, with registered office at Haus Atzig, Industriestrasse 2, 9487 Bendern, Liechtenstein as part of a fund liquidation contributed in kind 59.94% of the voting rights in EPH European Property Holdings PLC by contributing 8,636,897 shares to several investors. The transaction was executed on 16th June 2025, and the notification was duly submitted to the Disclosure Office of SIX Exchange Regulation. The Company has been informed that the share transfer is planned for 24 June 2025. Furthermore, we have been notified that Silverlight Fund Ltd. (through its wholly owned subsidiary Sheridan Investments Ltd.) has acquired 4,610,887 shares. The transaction was executed on 16th June 2025, and the notification was duly submitted to the Disclosure Office of SIX Exchange Regulation. The Company has not been informed of the date of transfer of such shares. Following the transfer of shares Silverlight Fund Ltd. will own 32.68% of the voting rights in EPH European Property Holdings PLC. In addition, we have been notified that Valartis Property Holdings Ltd and Zenith Holdings Ltd (together as a group) have acquired shares. The transaction was executed on 16th June 2025, and the notification was duly submitted to the Disclosure Office of SIX Exchange Regulation. The Company has not been informed of the date of transfer of such shares. Following the transfer of shares the group will own 4,658,072 shares or 32.33% of the voting rights in EPH European Property Holdings European Property Holdings PLC is an investment company listed on SIX Swiss Exchange. Additional information on EPH European Property Holdings PLC is available by contacting Anna Bernhart Tel: +41 44 503 5400 or at contact@ Attachment 250623 EPH Press Release_Change of Shareholder StructureSign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
7 days ago
- The Independent
British man arrested on suspicion of spying and terrorism offences in Cyprus
A British man has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and terrorism offences in Cyprus. The man is reported to have kept the RAF Akrotiri base on the island under surveillance and is alleged to have links with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, local media reported. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are in contact with the authorities in Cyprus regarding the arrest of a British man.' RAF Akrotiri is the UK's most important airbase for operations in the Middle East. The Philenews website said the man was arrested on Friday following intelligence he was planning an imminent terrorist attack. He is alleged to have lived in a flat in Zakai, Limassol, close to Akrotiri and was observed near the base carrying a camera with a long lens and three mobile phones. Local reports suggested he was Azerbaijani but the UK Foreign Office said they were working with the authorities over the arrest of a Briton.
