Category: General

Stephanie Carter is a nurse in a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Texas. She’s now seeking a court injunction to block the Department of Veterans Affairs from compelling her and other colleagues to participate in providing any abortion-related services. On this episode of The Whistleblowers John Kiriakou discusses the lawsuit and the issue of abortions in federal facilities, with Nurse Stephanie Carter’s attorney Danielle Runyan of First Liberty Institute.

Source: Russia Today

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant will pay an official visit to Cyprus on Friday 5 May. According to an announcement by the Ministry of Defence, Gallant will first visit the “Zenon” Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Larnaca on Friday morning, where he will be briefed on the work of the Centre in its fields of activity. He will then be received in Nicosia by the Cypriot Defence Minister Michael Georgallas, with whom he will have a bilateral meeting and official talks. After the meeting, statements will be made to media representatives, the Ministry concluded.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Nearly 2,500 people have been released so far as part of prisoner exchange deals in war-torn Yemen, which has been suffering from a years-long conflict between the Saudi-backed government and the rebel Houthi group. During the civil war in Yemen, the warring parties mutually detained thousands of people, including civilians. The prisoner exchange file, which examines the release process of prisoners, is one of the prominent items of the Yemen negotiations under the auspices of the UN. Although there are no detailed official statements regarding the number of prisoners held by the parties, there were nearly 16,000 names of people on the prisoner exchange list offered by the Yemeni government and the Houthis during the meetings held in Sweden in 2018. Many prisoner exchange operations have been carried out in Yemen so far. Largest prisoner-swap in country Under the mediation of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the largest prisoner exchange agreement was signed by the sides in Yemen in October 2020. The deal resulted in the release of 1,056 people from both sides of the conflict. Among the released individuals were 15 Saudi Arabians and four Sudanese. Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabia-led Arab Coalition, which supports the government, released 163 Houthis in May 2022. The step was taken simultaneously with a cease-fire between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, which started in April 2022 and lasted for six months. Also, the Yemeni government and the Houthis agreed to release 887 detainees, following 10 days of negotiations in Switzerland on March 20. As stated in the agreement, 887 people were released. Following their release, the Saudi Arabia-led Arab Coalition said on April 16 that 104 Houthi militias were unilaterally released in a humanitarian gesture by Saudi Arabia. Abdul Qader al-Murtada, the head of the rebel prisoner affairs committee, said 77 prisoners from the government side were released as a unilateral humanitarian initiative on the occasion of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr on April 21. Also, many prisoner exchanges were carried out between the Yemeni government and the Houthis under the mediation of local elements. In September 2021, 206 people were released, including 70 from the Houthis and 136 from the government, in the exchange, which was carried out through local elements. Yemen civil war, Tehran-Riyadh agreement The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have been in control of the capital Sana’a and some regions since September 2014. Coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia have been supporting the Yemeni government against the Houthis since March 2015. Yemenis are hopeful for a resolution to the country’s crisis and conflicts following the April 6 agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which marked the resumption of their relations after seven years.

Source: Anadolu Agency

A fire broke out overnight at an oil storage facility in Russia’s Krasnodar Region, the local governor Veniamin Kondratyev announced on Wednesday morning.

The fuel depot is located in the village of Volna, 10 km north of the port city of Taman and close to the east end of the strategic Crimean Bridge.

No injuries have been reported, and local residents are not in danger, the official stated, adding that firefighters were focusing their efforts on preventing the spread of the fire.

Last Saturday a Ukrainian drone strike set an oil terminal on fire in Sevastopol, in the Crimean Peninsula. The Ukrainian military the operation was meant to disrupt the logistics of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which is based in the city, ahead of a promised Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Russia’s TASS news agency cited a source in the Krasnodar emergency services as saying the facility in Volna was also hit by a drone.

Taman serves as a major ferry connection with Crimea and is the closest large settlement to the eastern part of the Crimean Bridge, which links the peninsula and the Krasnodar Region. Senior Ukrainian officials have pledged to destroy the strategically important structure.

Last year, a powerful bomb carried by a truck damaged the car portion of the bridge and killed three civilians, including the driver. Moscow accused Ukrainian military intelligence of masterminding what it called a terrorist attack.

Source: Russia Today

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Tuesday said that French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Olivier Besht’s visit to the capital Astana will provide a major boost in developing the country’s partnership with Paris. ‘I believe that this visit will give a serious impetus to the development of our mutually beneficial partnership in many areas. France is our largest partner in Europe. I am firmly convinced that we have great opportunities for further cooperation,’ Tokayev said during a meeting with Besht, according to a statement by the Kazakh Presidency. The statement further said that Tokayev and Besht discussed the implementation of trade and investment agreements reached following Tokayev’s visit to France last November. Tokayev also expressed his readiness to provide ‘all the necessary conditions for a wider presence of French business in the Kazakh market,’ especially in the areas of petrochemicals, green energy, aviation, manufacturing, transport, and logistics. For his part, Besht thanked Tokayev for his hospitality and noted Paris’ satisfaction in terms of the dynamic development of cooperation between Kazakhstan and France. ‘Your official visit to Paris last November was very successful, it gave a real political impetus to bilateral relations. I know that our President (Emmanuel Macron) attaches great importance to his excellent relations with you, which makes it possible to hold detailed conversations on the most important international issues. ‘Therefore, he asked me to make every effort to develop our partnership. Your country is a reliable partner, a friendly state, and the only country in Central Asia with which we have established a strategic partnership,’ Besht said.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Denmark Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen announced Tuesday that a new military support package worth pound 225 million ($247.5 million) for Ukraine is ‘on its way’ as the need remains imminent in the fight for the freedom and security of Europe. A tweet by the Foreign Ministry said a broad majority in parliament supports the provision of a large donation package and it includes vehicles, materials, defense ammunitions, field bridges, mine clearance hoses and financial contributions for the purchase of air defense aimed to further assist the Ukrainian army in combat missions. Rasmussen promised the donation but the package is conditional on a grant from the Finance Committee. “The Ukrainian fighting spirit is impressive. Ukraine is fighting for the security of the whole of Europe and the need for military support remains acute. I felt this myself last week when I met my Ukrainian Foreign Minister colleague in Odesa. The new military donation package is our largest to date, and the total Danish support is now almost DKK 11 billion ($1.6 billion). Denmark is certainly shouldering our share of the responsibility,” said Rasmussen. Denmark recently donated defense arms and materials worth DKK 9.5 million to Ukraine for combat needs in its war with Russia. “I am very pleased that a broad majority in the Folketing (parliament) is united in helping Ukrainians with their freedom struggle. It is a large donation package that we send off. The contents of the donation package are material specifically requested by Ukraine. I am proud that we in Denmark can meet this wish,” said acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday that the country’s membership in NATO is contingent on the decision of four member states. “(It depends) on about four member countries of the alliance and one of them is very big and important in NATO,” Kuleba said in an interview with Ukraine’s 1+1 television channel. The top diplomat said one of the four countries has already “started to waver” on Ukraine’s membership in NATO, a 31-state intergovernmental military alliance – 29 European and two North American – and that the process reminds him of the country’s efforts while attempting to receive candidate status for EU membership. “A week before this decision, the leaders of European countries told us that ‘this will never happen.’ Now it’s the same with NATO,’ he said, hoping that ‘we will solve this problem over time.” Kuleba’s comments on NATO membership come as the alliance prepares for its upcoming summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in July. He said the decision to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is only a ‘matter of time’ and that the transfer by the US will be related to the outcome of Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia. “We will get the F-16. It is a matter of time and our job – the job of the president’s team – to make this decision as soon as possible. I think that this decision by the United States will be related to the outcome of the counteroffensive,” the foreign minister said. If Ukraine had already had the F-16, the counteroffensive would have been much faster and more civilians and Ukrainian soldiers would have been saved, he claimed. “But, unfortunately, today I have to state that there is no decision on the F-16, but we are moving towards it,” he said, adding that their current priority is to obtain artillery ammunition, armored vehicles, and F-16s. After securing the delivery of battle tanks in January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the West for fighter jets to defend its skies against Russian attacks, a request officially ruled out for now by countries such as the US and Germany.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday adopted bills to extend martial law and general mobilization in the country for another 90 days. The bills were introduced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday and were approved by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament). The martial law, which has been in effect since Feb. 24, 2002, has been extended until August 18, 2023. Under the law on general mobilization, conscripted men are prohibited from leaving the country. Except where prohibited by law, the summons may be served by any authorized official, including the heads of the institution, organization, and enterprise where the conscript works, the heads of the housing and communal services, representatives of the house committee, and other officials.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The EU on Tuesday condemned a recent attempt to assassinate Bulgaria’s chief prosecutor. The attempt on the life of Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev was a ‘senseless and cowardly act of violence that has no place in our society,’ European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper told reporters in Brussels. Reiterating that they expect Bulgarian authorities to bring the perpetrators of the attempt to justice, she added: ‘At this stage, we are in no position to speculate on any motives behind the attack.” Similarly, in a statement, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Koves condemned the attempt ‘in the strongest possible terms.’ “In the European Union, criminals who dare to target any member of the judiciary should be considered extremely dangerous and combatted with utmost determination,’ she said, adding that she trusts Bulgarian authorities to take all the necessary measures to protect the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Borislav Sarafov, the head of the Bulgarian National Investigation Service, said on Monday that Geshev was targeted for assassination when a bomb exploded on a motorway as his motorcade drove past.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives discussed the strengthening of cooperation between Cyprus and Armenia with a delegation of Armenian MPs, which was received in the House on Tuesday. Committee Chairman and DISY MP Harris Georgiades said that the situation in Cyprus is difficult, because there is no agreement on the Cyprus problem, due to the Turkish unwillingness to negotiate. “Turkey is interested in consolidating the occupation fait accompli,” he noted, and expressed willingness to use Cyprus’ participation in the EU and other forums to inform international public opinion. In his statements after the meeting, Georgiades noted that “the historical and cultural ties that link Cyprus and Armenia are well known, but the challenges we face are also common’, adding that Cyprus’ support for Armenia is a given. “We have decided that there will be further coordination at the parliamentary level in order to conduct an information campaign and promote the common agenda of the two countries’ interests,” he concluded. AKEL MP George Loukaides said that ties between Cyprus-Armenia are at the highest possible level and expressed through solidarity on important political issues. He added that the resolution of the Cypriot Parliament condemning Azerbaijan’s stance on Nagorno Karabakh is no coincidence. He added that there is room for further strengthening cooperation between the two countries on education and tourism issues, indicating at the same time that the presence of diplomatic missions should be a priority. DIKO MP Chrysis Pantelidis said that relations between Cyprus and Armenia are not only based on the historical ties and the existence of the Armenian community in Cyprus, but also on the fact that the two countries must cooperate against the expansionist intentions of Turkey and Azerbaijan. Christos Christou, President and MP of ELAM, said that Cyprus and Armenia share a common history and further stressed the need for cooperation to address common challenges. Marios Garoyian, President and DIPA MP, noted that Turkey has not hidden its aspirations towards Cyprus and Armenia and indicated that Cyprus and Armenia must act in a coordinated manner. Alexandra Attalides, MP of the Ecologists’ Movement, expressed the Movement’s solidarity with the struggle of the Armenians of Artsakh, adding that the positions of the Ecologists’ Movement are reflected in the resolution of the Parliament. Vartkes Mahdessian, Parliamentary Representative of the Armenian community of Cyprus, said that Cyprus and Armenia are two countries with common problems and a common enemy. “The Armenians of Lachin have been held hostage by the Azeris for 140 days, which is a violation of the November 9, 2020 agreement,” he noted. Hayk Konjoryan, Chairman of the Armenian parliamentary delegation, invited the Cypriot MPs to Armenia and expressed his appreciation for the Cypriot stance towards Azerbaijan’s aggression in Nagorno Karabakh, as well as gratitude for the condemnatory resolution of the Cypriot parliament regarding Azerbaijan’s aggression.

Source: Cyprus News Agency