Cyprus Rescues 60 Syrian Migrants from Boat that Departed Lebanon

Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)
Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)
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Cyprus Rescues 60 Syrian Migrants from Boat that Departed Lebanon

Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)
Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)

Sixty Syrian migrants were rescued from a small boat off Cyprus on Wednesday after being stranded at sea for days, including three children and a man who were found unconscious on board, Cypriot authorities said.

Authorities scrambled rescue helicopters and patrol vessels after a merchant vessel reported seeing a small wooden fishing boat about 30 nautical miles off Cape Greco, Cyprus' most southeasterly point.

Cyprus' Joint Rescue Coordination Center said all the migrants were taken to hospital, including the four found unconscious and three who had lower limb fractures. They were all dehydrated, officials said.

Officials said the occupants of the boat, all Syrians, had sailed from Lebanon on Jan. 18.

Cypriot officials said the incident highlighted the unnecessary risks people took with smuggling networks, and said it would raise the issue again at an informal EU meeting of justice and home affairs ministers this week.

Alarm Phone, an advocacy group which issues alerts for migrants in distress, had reported on Sunday that concerned relatives had contacted them on losing contact with a vessel carrying between 50-60 people and which had left Lebanon on Jan. 18.

Cyprus lies about 100 miles (185 km) west of Lebanon and Syria. In recent months it has seen arrivals increase from both countries, fanning concerns in Nicosia of a surge of migration if the tensions in the Middle East engulf the broader region.

"This is unfortunately proof of what we have repeatedly said on the dangers faced by people falling victim to traffickers," Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said in a statement.

He said he would reiterate to his EU counterparts Cyprus' position that the bloc should consider declaring parts of Syria safe, which would allow authorities to repatriate people arriving from there.

In calm seas, it can take a small fishing boat 18-20 hours to get from Lebanon to Cyprus, crossing waters that can run up to 3 km deep and in conditions known for changeable winds and sudden swells.



Trump to Undergo 1st Physical Examination of his Second Term

US President Donald J. Trump (L) responds to a question from the news media during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 April 2025.  EPA/SHAWN THEW / POOL
US President Donald J. Trump (L) responds to a question from the news media during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 April 2025. EPA/SHAWN THEW / POOL
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Trump to Undergo 1st Physical Examination of his Second Term

US President Donald J. Trump (L) responds to a question from the news media during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 April 2025.  EPA/SHAWN THEW / POOL
US President Donald J. Trump (L) responds to a question from the news media during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 10 April 2025. EPA/SHAWN THEW / POOL

Donald Trump, the oldest person to assume the US presidency, is set to undergo his first physical examination of his second term on Friday.
Trump, who turns 79 in June, is known for his love of fast food but often talks about his robust physical and mental health.
"I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!" Trump wrote in a post on the Truth Social platform on Monday, announcing the planned exam.
The White House did not respond to queries about the exam and what would be included, Reuters reported.
The physical could offer the first clear look at Trump's condition since his ear was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last July. His campaign released a report by Ronny Jackson, Trump's former White House doctor, saying the injuries were superficial.
The White House typically determines what data will be released from a president's health exam. Trump is not compelled to release any information, and there is no template for the presidential exam. Trump released only limited information about his health during his presidential campaigns.
During the 2024 election, Trump drew sharp contrasts with his predecessor, Joe Biden, now 82, claiming he was younger and fitter.
A White House doctor said in 2018 when Trump was serving his first term that he was in overall excellent health but needed to shed weight and start a daily exercise routine.
Trump included a cognitive exam, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, as part of his physical during his first term, and his doctor later said he scored 30 out of 30.
Biden released detailed summaries of his physical exams while in office, but several books published in recent months have raised questions about his mental acuity in his final months in the White House.
The mental ability and age of both Biden and Trump were in focus during last year's election campaign, especially after Biden's disastrous performance in a debate with Trump in June, and Trump's increasingly rambling speeches at rallies.