Day: June 8, 2021

ANKARA (AA) – The price of Bitcoin was down 10% on Tuesday after former US President Donald Trump called it a “scam” against American dollar.

“Bitcoin, it just seems like a scam,” Trump told Fox Business. “I don’t like it because it’s another currency competing against the dollar … I want the dollar to be the currency of the world. That’s what I’ve always said.”

He also called on US watchdogs to take action and said cryptocurrencies should be monitored closely and regulated highly.

This is the second time Trump talked about the world’s top digital currency after he had said he was “not a fan of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies” in 2019, after Bitcoin had fallen from $20,000 to $6,000 in first half of 2018.

After climbing to an all-time high of $64,000 in mid-April, the world’s largest cryptocurrency by market cap has since lost almost half of its value, trading around $33,000 at 6 p.m EDT (1000 GMT).

Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA (AA) – Oil prices slipped on Tuesday over demand concerns, as data from China showed a 15% year-on-year drop in crude imports in the country last month.

International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $71.02 per barrel at 07.09 GMT for a 0.65% loss after closing Monday at $71.49 a barrel.

American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was trading at $68.80 a barrel at the same time with a 0.62% decrease after ending the previous session at $69.23 per barrel.

While OPEC’s demand predictions underpinned crude prices in recent weeks, Chinese data released on Monday showed crude oil imports fell by 15% in May due to refinery maintenance downtime.

A stronger and sooner demand rebound from the disciplined production policy of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+, is predicted with forecasts in OPEC’s latest oil market reports that oil demand will surge by 6% in 2021, particularly in the second half of the year.

Despite positive estimates on short-term demand recovery, investors are concerned about oil demand in countries that are still battling coronavirus.

The worldwide case count is now close to 174 million, including a death toll of more than 3.7 million, according to a running tally from the Johns Hopkins University in the US.

While the number of cases has almost reached 34 million in the US, India follows with nearly 29 million and Brazil with 17 million.

The vaccination rates in some southern US states are lagging, which according to some experts, could cause a surge in coronavirus cases in these areas over the summer.

Source: Anadolu Agency

ERBIL, Iraq (AA) – A Kurdish Peshmerga soldier was killed on Tuesday in an attack by the PKK terror group in Iraq’s northern Dohuk province, according to a local official.

“A Peshmerga member was shot dead by a PKK sniper,” Derkar district director, Adib Jafar, said in statements.

He added that the attack took place in Derkar district, northwest of Dohuk, early Tuesday.

The attack came days after five Peshmerga soldiers were killed in a PKK ambush in Dohuk province on Saturday.

The PKK takes the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq as its stronghold and is active in many cities and towns. It occupies a large number of villages in the region and launches attacks on Turkey’s interior.

*Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara

Source: Anadolu Agency

IZMIR, Turkey (AA) – A Palestinian doctor is practicing medicine in Turkey after completing his studies on a scholarship.

Mohammed Abusharekh, 33, fled Israeli aggression while studying medicine at Jerusalem University in 2007.

Abusharekh was forced to drop out of university as it was on the Israeli side.

After receiving a scholarship from Turkey, Abusharekh enrolled in Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine in 2007.

He actualized his dreams of wearing a white coat for the first time in Turkey in 2013 after graduation, and passed the Medical Specialization Education Entrance exam the same year. He began his specialization training at Izmir’s Dokuz Eylul University.

The Palestinian physician, who graduated in 2017 as a cardiologist, has been both treating patients and training residents at a private hospital in Izmir for a year.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, he described Turkey as his second home. “Turkey was my chance and I took it. I see Turkey as my second home. Since I completed my education with a scholarship, I consider it a duty to treat Turkish people.”

Stating that his thoughts and soul are always with Palestine due to the ongoing aggression and occupation, he said: “Palestine has been experiencing Israeli oppression for a long time. Due to recent events and the resistance of Gaza, the Palestinian cause has come to the fore again. The Palestinian issue will be resolved through resistance.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

LONDON (AA) – Two teenagers were arrested in Wolverhampton, England after reports of an Islamophobic and racial attack on a Muslim family emerged last weekend, according to police.

“We have arrested two teenagers tonight (Monday) following reports of a racial attack on a family at a park on Park Road West, Wolverhampton on Saturday evening,” West Midland Police said in a statement.

“We understand this incident has caused concern within the community and we want to reassure everyone that we take such matters extremely seriously,” it said.

The arrests came after a video showing two teenagers verbally and physically attacking and threatening the members of a Muslim family in a park went viral on social media since weekend.

One of the teenagers was seen to have shouted threats of stabbing them.

“I will stab you myself,” he was heard as saying.

“As a result of our enquiries two boys, aged 15 and 17, were arrested at around 9.30pm this evening from an address in Wolverhampton on suspicion of a racially aggravated assault,” police said.

Police also said they are “aware of a video of the incident circulating on social media” and asked people “not continue to share this, as it may cause further upset to the family involved.”

Islamophobic incidents across the UK have skyrocketed since 2016 Brexit referendum and terror attacks in London and Manchester in 2017.

According to a research by Tell Mama, a group recording hate crime in the UK, Muslim women endure the highest levels of Islamophobic hatred and make up the majority of victims, while most known perpetrators are white men.

Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA (AA) – A global shortage of semiconductor chips will pose a significant challenge to various industries next year, according to the US commerce secretary.

“For the next year or so, this will be a daily challenge,” Gina Raimondo said late Monday about the global shortage of the chips, which are required in various sectors from technology to automotive.

“We’re going to do everything we can to help the private sector get through it … and really just encouraging the private sector to work together and do everything it can in order to meet the short-term crunch,” she told business news channel CNBC.

Raimondo said the US Senate may soon approve $52 billion to provide subsidies for American chip production, which is part of a larger bill that aims to boost US competitiveness with China.

Chip factory shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic, the US-China trade conflict, and a drought and power shortages in Taiwan have all been contributing to the shortage of semiconductors, negatively affecting around 170 different industries worldwide.

Source: Anadolu Agency

JERUSALEM (AA) – Right-wing Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir said he intends to force his way into the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday.

Ben-Gvir, a member of the far-right Religious Zionism party, said his move comes in response to a police decision to ban lawmaker Amichai Chikli of the far-right Yamina party from entering the complex.

The legislator criticized the Israeli ban as a “blatant violation of Israeli law and the lawmaker’s immunity”.

Israeli Channel 20 earlier reported that police banned Chikli from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque complex over failure to coordinate the visit with the police officer in charge.

It remains unclear whether police will allow Ben-Gvir to visit the site.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the “Temple Mount,” claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Since 2003, Israel has allowed settlers into the compound almost on a daily basis.

Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara

Source: Anadolu Agency