Syrian faces trial for Cyprus double murder

Nicosia: A Syrian man is to go on trial in Cyprus for the murder of two foreign women whose bodies were unearthed on Sunday in the grounds of a mountain village home, police said. The 32-year Syrian, who remains unnamed and was initially arrested for abducting the women, had helped police find the bodies after a days-long search.

The island’s CNA news agency identified the women as Maria Gazibagandova, 33, from the Russian republic of Dagestan, and Khaiat Alraeesi a 43-year-old from Syria. The two, who Cypriot media said had arrived on the holiday island as tourists, were reported missing on November 17.