Day: May 8, 2023

The prices for oils and fats increased by 27% in March 2023 compared to March 2022 in Cyprus (while increasing by 23% in the EU average), according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU. After the substantial increases over 2022, food prices continued to rise in the first quarter of 2023, with oils and fats among the products with high price increases. The peak in the annual rate of change in the EU occurred in December 2022 (+32% compared with December 2021), indicating a 9 percentage points (pp) decrease over the first three months of 2023. This suggests that the rate of inflation for oils and fats is starting to slow down. The peak in the annual rate of change in Cyprus occurred in January 2023 (33%), indicating a 6 pp decrease since the start of the year. For comparison: the increase in prices for oils and fats recorded between March 2021 and March 2022 was 8% in Cyprus and 18% in the EU, and between March 2020 and March 2021 it was 4% in Cyprus and 1% in the EU. In March 2023, almost all the EU countries reported an increase in annual inflation for oils and fats. The highest increase in annual inflation for oils and fats was recorded in Hungary (+33% compared with March 2022), followed by Denmark (+32%) and Belgium (+31%). In contrast, the smallest price increases were recorded in Croatia (+6%), Austria (+12%) and Czechia (+16%), with Bulgaria being the only country to report a decrease (-1%).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Head of the Cyprus permanent committee for the standardization of geographical names Andreas Hadjiraftis has denounced Turkey’s questioning of the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus during the 3rd Meeting of the United Nations Group of Experts on the Standardization of Geographical Names (UNGEGN), held in New York between May 1-5. This meeting, an announcement says, takes place every two years at the UN headquarters. Hadjiraftis submitted a progress report regarding the work done in Cyprus in the last two years regarding the standardization of geographical names followed by a presentation and a discussion. He also made two additional presentations on issues related to geographical names and took part in a panel discussion. According to the announcement, Turkey’s representative tried to politicize the content of the meeting reading a statement in which, among other things, questioned the name of the Republic of Cyprus, calling it the “Greek Cypriot Administration” and saying that it does not represent the Turkish Cypriots. Turkey’s representative also referred to a presidential decree that includes maps for the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean. New illegal Turkish maritime names and claims which affect both Greece and Cyprus were included in the maps, the announcement says. Additionally, on one of the maps included in the decree, there was a map of Cyprus on which the name of the illegal entity in Cyprus’ occupied areas is mentioned. Hadjiraftis took the floor and strongly reacted to the statement of the representative of Turkey, called on the Turkish delegation to respect the names of the UN member states and stated that he demands, as a full member of this forum, that the correct name of the Republic of Cyprus be used. He also noted that the international community has no doubts about the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and the fact that this sovereignty extends to the entire island. Hadjiraftis said that a significant part of the territory of Cyprus remains occupied since 1974 and the illegal entity established by Turkey was immediately condemned by the Security Council in resolutions 545 (1983) and 550 (1984). He added that the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus will always remain an integral part of the Republic of Cyprus. In this regard, he underlined, the statement of the Turkish delegation is essentially false and unacceptable. Hadjiraftis called on the Turkish delegation to respect the technical nature of the UN Convention on the Standardization of Geographical Names and to refrain from any attempt to politicize its work and discussions. He also called on Turkey to respect the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and to also respect the United Nations Charter. The Cypriot representative noted that the report given by the Turkish delegation was not relevant to the agenda and that in fact the only aspect of the Cypriot issue relevant to the meeting is that Turkey has illegally and arbitrarily changed over 35,000 geographical names in the occupied area of Cyprus, trying to erase its long-standing identity, character and cultural heritage. He said that thousands of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied northern part of Cyprus are currently being illegally exploited, in violation of the owners’ rights and without their consent. The owners of these properties, he said, were forcibly displaced in 1974, as a consequence of the Turkish invasion and the subsequent control. Hadjiraftis said that the Republic of Cyprus rejects the content of the Turkish presidential decree issued in October 2022. He said that it includes an inaccurate and unacceptable map of Cyprus with many incorrect and illegally depicted geographical names in the land area and maritime zones of Cyprus. He noted that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus remains the only competent and legal authority to receive any decisions on the use of these geographical names. Hadjiraftis requested that his statement be recorded in the official records of the meeting. Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on Monday declared that the country will hold an early presidential election, eight days after the country voted in a referendum in favor of updating the country’s constitution. ‘Using the powers granted to the president of the country by Article 128 of the updated constitution, I signed the second important decree. In accordance with it, early presidential elections will be held in the country,’ Mirziyoyev said at a meeting with members of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis, the bicameral parliament of Uzbekistan. However, the president did not specify the election date. He listed four reasons for his decision, the first of which was the changing relationship and balance of power in the country. Mirziyoyev added that the updated constitution sets ‘new political, social and economic tasks for the president, parliament, government, ministers, and governors that cannot be delayed,’ and that the Uzbek people expect ‘important and urgent changes and reforms from us in all areas.’ ‘Fourthly, in the current situation where sharp and complex processes are prevailing in the world and in our region, finding the right and effective way of development and its implementation is becoming the most acute and urgent issue,’ the president said. He contended that holding early presidential elections would be the “most correct and fair decision” under the current circumstances, in which the Uzbek people would give a mandate to “a leader they trust” within “renewed system of state power.” ‘The elections will be held in full compliance with the law, openly and transparently. I am convinced that at the same time, political parties and presidential candidates will put forward new ideas and initiatives that will serve the peace and prosperity of the country, the growth of the well-being of the people,’ he said. Uzbekistan’s Central Election Commission announced on May 1 that a draft law on the country’s new constitution, which envisioned increasing the president’s term from five to seven years, was overwhelmingly supported by 90.21% of registered voters in a referendum. The bill added 27 new articles to Uzbekistan’s previous 128-article constitution and increased the number of constitutional norms from 275 to 434, while also reducing the number of Senate members from 100 to 65 and transferring some of the president’s duties and powers to parliament.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Nearly 30 criminal proceedings were opened in Switzerland for attempted violations of sanctions against Russia, the state secretary at the Economy Ministry said on Monday. Helene Budliger Artieda told Swiss media group Tamedia that the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs investigated 130 alleged attempts to circumvent sanctions against Russia and 29 cases were referred for criminal proceedings. Around half of the criminal proceedings to date have now been concluded, the state secretary said. In 36 suspicious cases, proceedings have not been opened. The remaining cases are still being examined. Seco is also clarifying how many of the Russian central bank’s assets are in Switzerland, according to Budliger Artieda. “We are trying to be able to give a figure as soon as possible,” the Seco chief said. Switzerland has adopted almost all of the European Union’s (EU) sanctions against Russia. These include entry bans, asset freezes and numerous financial measures and trade bans on certain goods. Among the sanctions not adopted by Bern is the blocking of content from certain Russian broadcasters, namely Sputnik and Russia Today. According to the government, it is more effective to “counter untrue and harmful statements with facts instead of banning them.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

China, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have agreed to explore trilateral investment possibilities to revive the ailing Afghan economy. The agreement was reached during the 5th China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue held in Islamabad on Saturday, according to a joint statement issued on Monday. China’s top diplomat Qin Gang, his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Amir Khan Muttaqi attended the dialogue. ‘Underscoring the imperative to generate economic activity within Afghanistan, the ministers stressed the importance of exploring realistic pathways towards the revival of the Afghan economy,’ the statement said. To this end, it added, the ministers agreed to consider further supporting the reconstruction of Afghanistan and exploring trilateral investment possibilities aimed at industrialization and job creation. The three sides urged the “relevant countries” to lift their unilateral sanctions against Afghanistan and return the billions of dollars in assets overseas for the benefit of the Afghan people and create opportunities for economic development and prosperity in Afghanistan. Women rights Taking note of the Afghan interim government’s “repeated assurances” to respect and protect women’s rights and interests, the three sides called on the international community to support the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan and help it improve governance and strengthen the capacity building, so as to effectively protect the basic rights and interests of all segments of the Afghan society, including women and children. The Taliban who surged back to power in August 2021, have been facing criticism for imposing restrictions on women and girls. Last month’s countrywide ban on Afghan women working with the UN further aggravated the criticism. “The three sides reaffirmed their resolve to fully harness Afghanistan’s potential as a hub for regional connectivity,” the statement added, reaffirming commitment to further the trilateral cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and to jointly extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a multibillion-dollar economic and infrastructural developmental arrangement between Pakistan and China under which Beijing has invested more than $25 billion in the South Asian nation since 2014. After the complete withdrawal of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan, Islamabad and Beijing appear to have agreed to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan. The Taliban administration has also insisted on stabilizing the war-torn country to become the transit between Central and South Asia. The three sides also stressed that existing projects, including CASA-1000 (Central Asia-South Asia power project), TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline), Trans-Afghan Railways, etc., would enhance regional connectivity as well as ensure economic uplift and prosperity for the peoples of this region. Terrorism The three sides stressed the need to not allow any individual, group, or party, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), etc., to use their territories to harm and threaten regional security and interests or conduct terrorist activities. ‘All three sides underscored the need to refrain from intervening in internal affairs of Afghanistan, and to promote Afghan peace, stability, and reconstruction,’ the statement went on to say. Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist attacks following the re-capture of Kabul by the Taliban. Over the past year, at least 300 people, including security personnel, were killed and 521 got injured in 436 terrorist incidents, according to the army. Some 157 suspected militants were killed, and nearly 1,400 were arrested during more than 8,000 intelligence-based operations in a year. Islamabad and the TTP have held a series of peace talks and cease-fires over the past years to end the lingering militancy but failed to reach a permanent understanding. The Taliban, who brokered an over a month-long cease-fire between the militant network and Pakistan soon after they came back to power, urge the two sides to “resolve their differences through negotiations.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

French basketball player Salimata Sylla is desperate to play in official matches with her head cover after being barred from wearing a headscarf in January of this year. Nicknamed “Sila,” a player for the 3rd league team Aubervilliers, began wearing a headscarf three years ago. Born in Paris, Sylla, now 25, started playing basketball 14 years ago with the guidance of her sisters. “My family, my friends, everybody accepts me as I am because I am ‘Sali,'” Sylla said. Earlier on Jan. 8, the young player was barred from participating in official matches. In the city of Escaudain, her coach came to her two minutes before the match began and said: “I am sorry Sali, but you cannot play with your scarf on.” She then talked to the referees, and they told her that “any accessory covering the head is considered inconvenient for the game,” as stated in the regulation of the French Federation of Basketball (FFBB). Creation ‘Ball.Her’ league Sylla then created the “Ball.Her” Women League, and said “I want to build sane courts for everyone. We cannot find ourselves humiliated in the court and out. The Ball.Her Women’s League is here to admit all the girls, without discrimination or inequality, for us to enjoy the basketball we love so much.” Since 2017, the French government and the International Federation of Basketball have allowed players to wear scarves while playing, she added. The FFBB has yet to respond to her questions about the ban. Salimata Sylla said she aspires to return to the FFBB league with her headscarf, adding that the French Handball Federation allows women to play with heads covered.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Algeria said Monday that President Abdelmajid Tebboune received a phone call from the head of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad. The call came one day after Arab foreign ministers agreed to reinstate Syria’s membership in the Arab League after 12 years of suspension. Al-Assad thanked Tebboune ‘for Algeria’s efforts for Syria’s return to the Arab League,’ the Algerian Presidency said in a statement. Talks between the two sides dwelt on bilateral relations and means of bolstering them, the statement said. The two leaders also agreed to exchange visits and to set an intensified mutual work program that covers all sectors between the two countries, according to the statement. Algeria has maintained relations with Syria following the outbreak of the country’s civil war in 2011. Algeria is the current chair of the Arab summit. The decision to reinstate Syria’s membership came ahead of the annual Arab summit in Saudi Arabia on May 19. The Syrian regime has recently begun to exchange official visits and contacts with several Arab countries in recent months. *Writing by Ahmed Asmar

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Bolivian general who captured Argentina-born Cuban revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara and became a national hero died at the age of 84. Gary Prado Salmo died in a hospital in the country’s Santa Cruz province, his son Gary Prado Arauz announced on Facebook on Saturday. “He leaves us a legacy of love, honesty, and grace. He was an extraordinary person. Thank you to everyone who supported us in this time of agony. God bless you,” Arauz said. Born in 1938, Salmo who was paralyzed in the spine in 1981 after being accidentally shot, retired from the army in 1988. Guevara was captured in Bolivia on Oct. 9, 1967, in a joint operation of the Bolivian army and the US Central Intelligence Agency. He was executed at a school in rural La Higuera, about 800 kilometers (497 miles) from Bolivia’s administrative capital La Paz.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Paris police granted permission for the neo-Nazi rally on the pretext that it posed no threat to public order, according to a statement released on Monday. Hundreds of neo-Nazi supporters rallied in the capital on Saturday, drawing widespread criticism. Paris police issued the statement explaining that a planned demonstration can be prohibited if authorities believe it can disrupt public order. The rally is held every year, the statement said, adding that “this demonstration in the past years caused no trouble or disruption in public order, and police had no grounds to prohibit it.” More than 500 neo-Nazi supporters and members of the May-9 Committee (Comite du 9-Mai), rallied in Paris to commemorate Sebastien Deyzieu, a prominent figure of the far-right in France, who fell from a tall building and died while he was escaping police in 1994.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s coalition government had lied to Trkiye about Berlin’s pledge to support the country’s EU membership bid, declassified files have revealed. German weekly Der Spiegel published excerpts from the Foreign Ministry’s archive, which showed significant details about Kohl government’s policy towards Trkiye in the early 1990s. According to a document dated July 13, 1992, then German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel told his Turkish counterpart Hikmet Cetin during a visit to Ankara that Germany would support Trkiye’s full membership to the EU, what was then called the European Community (EC). Kinkel tried to assure his Turkish counterpart that the impression that Western Europeans do not want Trkiye in the European club was wrong, and he stressed that Berlin will support Ankara in its goal to become a full member of the EC, according to a declassified report. But only three days later, former Chancellor Kohl told Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland during a visit to Oslo that his government was under massive pressure from Trkiye for full membership, but the conservative politician stressed that he was against it, and said: ‘Trkiye cannot become a member’ of the European club. Also on November 5, 1992, the ex-German chancellor told the then Polish Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka that Trkiye’s full membership to the European Community was “inconceivable” from a German perspective, according to declassified files. Kohl was Germany’s longest-serving chancellor, and led the country for 16 years, from 1982 to 1998. His Conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union, had long opposed full membership perspective, but favored ‘special relations’ between the EU and Trkiye. Ankara applied for membership in 1987 and European leaders agreed in 1999 that Trkiye is eligible to join the European Union. Ankara’s EU accession negotiations started in 2005, but entered into a stalemate after 2007 due to the Cyprus problem and opposition by several member states to Trkiye’s full membership. Despite recent pledges by European leaders to revive dialogue and cooperation with Tkiye, accession negotiations remain stalled because of political disagreements.

Source: Anadolu Agency