Day: May 15, 2023

Iran has maintained its place as Russia’s primary military supplier as the Kremlin pursues its war against Ukraine, the White House said Monday. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Russia and Iran “are expanding their unprecedented defense partnership,” with Iran sending Moscow artillery and tank rounds, as well as over 400 armed drones, primarily including Shahed suicide unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Kirby told reporters. Most of those drones have been used by Russia to target Ukrainian critical infrastructure, he added. ‘Iran has been directly enabling Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Interactions between Iran and Russia in matters regarding the selling of advanced weapons, especially more advanced UAVs are now continuing,’ Kirby said. ‘If Iran proceeds with selling these additional and more advanced UAVs to Russia which have also been used to target US personnel in the Middle East. There is every reason to believe that Russia will use them to continue its attacks against Ukrainian targets, causing more Ukrainian casualties,’ he added. In return for the assistance, Russia has offered Iran cooperation on its development of missiles, electronics and air defenses, as well as the sale of SU-35 fighter jets, according to the White House. Iran is further seeking to purchase attack helicopters, radars, and Yak 130 combat trainer aircraft. ‘Iran is seeking billions of dollars worth of military equipment in Russia. The partnership between Russia and Iran is directly enabling Iran’s destabilizing activities in the Middle East, posing a threat not just to Ukraine, of course, but also to Iran’s neighbors,’ he added.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Cyprus’ Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Philippos Hadjizacharia, stressed on Monday the importance of secure communications through the use of quantum communication and distribution of quantum keys for additional security from cyber attacks. In his speech at the opening ceremony for the ‘Cyprus Quantum Communications Infrastructure’ project, at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), Hadjizacharia thanked the members of the consortium for the preparation of the ‘masterful proposal of Cyprus’, which resulted in securing pound 3.75 million in funding from the Digital Europe Programme. Indicating that the technology is based on optical communications and photonics, he noted that quantum communications, which will be used through the country’s optical networking, are expected to be able to protect Cyprus from future cyber attacks and make it a hub for secure communications and data management. The Deputy Minister said that secure communications were essential to protect sensitive information, confidential data and national security, as ‘cybercriminals are evolving their attack methods’ and traditional encryption methods will no longer be sufficient, especially with the development of quantum computers that will have the processing power to unlock encrypted messages in a very short time. Through this research project, he said, Cyprus has the prospect of further expanding and developing innovative applications in optical communications, satellite communications, photonics and cyber security through EU funding opportunities as well as national resources.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Pakistan Army announced on Monday that the “perpetrators” of attacks on military installations during last week’s violent protests across the country soon after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan will be tried under the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. The decision was made during a “special” Corps Commanders’ meeting held at the army’s General Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, with Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir in the chair, said a statement issued by the army’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). “The forum expressed the firm resolve that those involved in these heinous crimes against the military installations and personal/equipment will be brought to justice through trials under relevant laws of Pakistan including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act,” the statement said. Though the statement did not mention the term “military courts,” a senior lawyer says it clearly indicates that those arrested will be tried in a military court, which is authorized to try individuals who have committed offenses such as waging war against the state, causing any person injury or death, instilling terror or insecurity, and various other offenses. Pakistan empowered military courts to try civilians for terrorism-related offenses as part of its 20-point “National Action Plan” adopted in Jan. 2015 after the horrific terrorists attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in 2014. Those charged under the Army Act or the Official Secrets Act will be tried in a military court, senior lawyer Inam Ur Rahim told Anadolu over the phone. Pakistan descended into violence last week following the former premier’s arrest from the Islamabad High Court premises in an alleged corruption case, with angry mobs attacking civil and military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s house and the entrance of the army headquarters. At least eight people were killed and over 300 others were injured, including policemen, during the violent protests. It followed a massive countrywide crackdown in which thousands of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ( PTI) party workers, including several key leaders, were arrested on terrorism and other charges. The PTI denies involvement in attacks on public and private property, while Khan claimed on social media that he knows those involved in the attacks, without naming them but implying a conspiracy against the party. The army statement said restraint will no longer be exercised against “perpetrators, spoilers, and violators who attack military installations and setups under any circumstances.” “The forum was briefed that a well-coordinated arson plan involving desecration of Shuhada (martyrs’) pictures, monuments, burning down of historical buildings and vandalism of military installations was executed to malign the institution and provoke it towards giving an impulsive reaction,” it added According to the statement, the commanders also conveyed the “anguish and sentiments” of the army’s rank and file regarding these “unfortunate and unacceptable” incidents. “Based on the irrefutable evidence collected so far, Armed Forces are well aware of the planners, instigators, abettors and perpetrators of these attacks and attempts to create distortions in this regard are absolutely futile,” it added. The army also expressed concern over “externally sponsored and internally facilitated, orchestrated propaganda warfare unleashed against the army leadership meant to create fissures” between the armed forces and the people of the country, as well as within the rank and file. “The vicious propaganda of such inimical forces will be defeated with the support of the people of Pakistan, who have always stood with the Armed Forces during all odds,” it said.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The UN considers the EU to be an important partner in the Cyprus issue, the UNSG’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, said on Monday after a meeting he had with Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides. On his part, Government Spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said that Nicosia welcomes the fact that the UN assesses the EU as an important partner in the effort for a Cyprus settlement, adding that Christodoulides told Stewart once again that ‘we are already at the negotiating table, and we call on our Turkish Cypriot compatriots and Turkey to come back to the negotiating table for a viable solution to the Cyprus problem, on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation.’ In his statements, Stewart said that he had a very good meeting with Christodoulides. ‘We spoke about what we can do to move things forward on the Cyprus problem. We both see an opportunity in the coming months once this period of elections is over in the region and we both agreed that we want to do everything possible to substantially move things forward,’ he added. Asked about the meetings he had recently with EU officials in Brussels, Stewart said that this was basically a familiarization visit. ‘It was my first trip to Brussels’, he added, noting that he met with a range of people to introduce himself and to hear from them. ‘But certainly, there is a lot of support in Brussels for this idea that the moment is arriving when we need to make another push,’ Stewart said. He noted that he told the EU officials that the UN considers the EU to be an important partner in the Cyprus issue. ‘We work closely together on confidence building measures on the ground and as in the past the EU has always provided important political and technical support,’ the UN diplomat added. However, he said, ‘as we know any participating in any mediation process, in any talks, requires consensus from all concerned.’ Asked if the UN is in favour of Christodoulides’ proposal for a more active involvement of the EU in efforts to achieve a breakthrough with a view to reach a Cyprus settlement, Stewart said that ‘we didn’t really discuss it in any detail and officially the UN doesn’t have a view on what might be arranged between Mr. Christodoulides and the EU. The EU’s involvement in the process is for us an important thing and we’ve always supported them.’ On his part, in his statements after the meeting, the Government Spokesman, said that Stewart informed Christodoulides about the meetings that he had in Brussels, while Christodoulides briefed the UN diplomat about his recent meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron, in Paris, and his forthcoming visit to Berlin, for a meeting with German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz. ‘We welcome with satisfaction the fact that the UN assesses the EU as an important partner in the effort for a Cyprus settlement,’ Letymbiotis added. He went on to say that it is in this framework that President Christodoulides has put forward his proposal for a more active participation and more substantive involvement of the EU in efforts to lift the deadlock in the Cyprus question. According to Letymbiotis, President Christodoulides continues his meetings and his diplomatic effort with EU member states leaders so that it will be able for this proposal to be implemented the soonest possible, and they use this valuable time in view of the elections in Turkey and in Greece, ‘so that negotiations can resume the soonest possible.’ Asked if Stewart expressed any views on developments in the fenced off city of Famagusta (Varosha) the Government Spokesman said that Christodoulides expressed his concern on the issue and the position that Turkey must not act in any way that could deteriorate the positive climate which President Christodoulides has been trying to create since he took over his post, and that has been promoted during the last period, adding that this is an issue which the UN follows closely. Invited to say if Stewart has any ideas for the two sides to get to meet each other, Letymbiots noted that they exchanged ideas on this, that President Christodoulides reiterated his will to have a social meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader and that the UN diplomat has some views on this. ‘What the President conveyed is that he is ready for such a meeting and his intention is to promote a positive climate,’ Letymbiotis added. Asked when such a meeting may take place, the spokesman said that they are waiting to see what will happen on this, adding that some discussions have taken place and once there is something new and Tatar responds positively then it will be announced. Asked if Stewart said in which way the UN will move forward after the elections in Greece and if the UNSG will send an envoy again or if an envoy will be appointed, the spokesman noted that there are currently elections in Greece and in Turkey which create tangible timeframes. ‘On our part we have conveyed our fully readiness for the resumption of the negotiations. We consider that the appointment of a special envoy will be something that will contribute to promoting the developments that we are seeking to create,’ he added. Asked if the government has any indications that there could be a change in the Turkish foreign policy on the Cyprus problem pending on the results of the elections in Turkey, Letymbiots said that the last decades have shown us that Turkey’s stance particularly vis-à-vis the Cyprus question does not change according to who holds the leadership of the country. He added that Nicosia wants until the conclusion of the elections in Turkey to create the conditions that will show Turkey and Turkish Cypriots that the settlement of the Cyprus problem will be to the benefit of everyone. He added that it is in this framework that President Christodoulides made his proposal for a more active involvement of the EU to efforts for a Cyprus settlement, adding that the Union’s more active engagement can and must be a catalyst towards this direction. Letymbiots stressed that ‘therefore our efforts are directed until the conclusion of the elections in Turkey towards the implementation of the President’s proposal,’ adding that ‘we as well as those to whom the President had the chance to present his proposal consider that its benefits are very important and will contribute in a positive way to this effort.’ Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Monday that talks to extend the Black Sea grain deal will continue over the coming days as Russia’s deadline nears. The deal is set to expire on May 18. Trkiye, Russia, Ukraine, and the UN held a two-day high-level meeting in Istanbul last week to discuss extending the grain deal, but no agreement was reached. “Continuation of the Black Sea Initiative is critically important,” Griffiths, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told the UN Security Council. “In recent weeks, we have engaged in intensive discussions with the parties to the Black Sea Initiative, to secure agreement on its extension and the improvements needed for it to operate effectively and predictably. This will continue over the coming days.” In order to agree to another extension of the grain deal, which was signed in Istanbul last July among the four parties, Russia is seeking the removal of obstacles to its fertilizer exports. There are no Western sanctions on Russian exports of food and fertilizer but Russia says banking restrictions impact its exports. Trkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement last July in Istanbul to resume grain exports from the Ukrainian ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February, to help tackle a global food crisis. Over 30 million metric tons of grain and foodstuffs have been exported from Ukraine since last August, according to the UN.

Source: Anadolu Agency

US Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly said Monday man wielding a baseball bat entered his northern Virginia office and proceeded to commit ‘an act of violence’ that targeted two staffers. ‘This morning, an individual entered my District Office armed with a baseball bat and asked for me before committing an act of violence against two members of my staff,’ the Democratic congressman said in a statement. The suspect was taken into police custody and the staffers are currently receiving treatment for their injuries in a local hospital, he said. ‘I have the best team in Congress. My District Office staff make themselves available to constituents and members of the public every day. The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating,’ he added. US Capitol Police and the Fairfax City Police Department have launched a joint investigation into the attack. Capitol Police described the injuries to the staffers as ‘non-life threatening.’ It identified the suspect as Xuan Kha Tran Pham, a 39-year-old resident of Fairfax. He is being charged with Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Malicious Wounding. A motive was not immediately clear.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The EU on Monday approved Microsoft’s acquisition of video games giant Activision Blizzard for $69 billion. ‘An in-depth market investigation indicated that Microsoft would not be able to harm rival consoles and rival multi-game subscription services,’ the European Commission said in a statement. According to the statement, Microsoft’s offer of 10-year free licensing deals – which promise European consumers and cloud game streaming services access to Activision’s PC and console games – would ensure fair competition in the market. “The commitments fully address the competition concerns identified by the Commission and represent a significant improvement for cloud gaming as compared to the current situation,’ it added. In April, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority moved to block the purchase, arguing that would crush the cloud gaming market. Activision Blizzard is a US-based video games giant which produces some of the world’s best-known games, including Call of Duty, StarCraft, and World of Warcraft.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Egypt and Norway on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding to explore exports of renewable energy to Europe via Italy. The pact was signed between the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) and the Norwegian renewable energy company Scatec in the resence of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly along with other Egyptian officials, a statement by Madbouly’s office said. The statement quoted Egyptian Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker as saying that the pact comes in the framework of enhancing cooperation between Egypt and the European Union in the field of renewable energy. According to the agreement, both sides will start looking into a project to export renewable energy to Europe via Italy to connect Egypt’s grid with Europe with a capacity of 3 gigawatts. Egypt has made several steps to position itself as a regional energy hub through importing energy then re-exporting it, including natural gas, electricity and electricity produced from renewable energy.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Six Russian aircraft were detected and intercepted by the Alaskan Region of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) last week, the command said in a statement Monday. In the statement, NORAD said it “detected, tracked, positively identified and intercepted six Russian aircraft operating in and near the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on May 11, 2023”. The intercepted Russian aircraft were Tu-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers and Su-35 fighter aircraft, said the statement. NORAD aircraft, including F-16 fighters, F-22 fighters, KC-135 Stratotankers, and E-3 AWACS, conducted the mission. “Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. These flights occurred as several planned large-scale U.S. military training exercises are ongoing within Alaska,” the statement added. “Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat. NORAD tracks and positively identifies all military aircraft that enter the ADIZ, routinely monitors aircraft movements and as necessary, escorts them from the ADIZ,” it said. NORAD observes an average of six to seven intercepts of Russian military aircraft in the ADIZ each year, with yearly variations ranging from as high as 15 to as low as zero.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Lackluster support from Greece for the Greek Cypriot song in the Eurovision song contest caused a political stir, said local media on Monday. Greece’s national jury awarded the Greek Cypriot song only four points in Saturday’s final, instead of the full 12 points it traditionally gave, led some Greek Cypriots to take this as a snub of the Greek Cypriot administration and the importance of the Cyprus problem, remarked the Cyprus Mail daily. ‘Many Greek Cypriots saw this as a betrayal from the ‘mother country,’ while many Greeks saw this as a sign that Athens is pulling away from Nicosia,’ it said. Former Greek Cypriot Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis compared it to the lack of the Cyprus problem being discussed in a recent debate between political leaders in Athens, where parliamentary elections are set for this weekend, according to the daily. Also expressing his outrage, Greek Cypriot TV presenter Tasos Tryfonos said the Greek committee should be ashamed.

Source: Anadolu Agency