Day: August 17, 2022

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday welcomed Malaysia’s King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah with an official ceremony at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara.

The leaders held one-on-one talks followed by an official dinner in honor of the king.

Later on Tuesday, Erdogan awarded the Malaysian king with Order of the State of Republic of Türkiye — the highest state order awarded to foreign nationals– and the king gave Erdogan the Order of Chivalry.

This will be the “first visit from Malaysia to Türkiye at the Head of State level after nearly 30 years and will crown our bilateral relations,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement.

“High-level talks with Malaysia have gained momentum within the context of our relations, which get stronger and stronger in almost every area on the basis of friendship, mutual trust and the interests of our respective peoples,” the statement read.

Diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Malaysia were established in 1964.

The countries signed a free trade agreement in 2014, which was Türkiye’s first with a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Malaysian king and Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah will be in Türkiye until Aug. 21.

Meanwhile, first lady Emine Erdogan expressed her pleasure to host the king and queen in Türkiye.

“I had the opportunity to introduce our Presidential National Library and the rare works in our archive to Queen Iskandariah,” Erdogan said on Twitter.

She added that Türkiye included the Gastronomy Book of Queen, which consists of the local dishes of Malaysia, in the Malaysia section of the presidential library.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Firefighters continued to struggle on Tuesday, particularly in the Spanish region of Alicante and Portugal’s highest mountain range, as meteorological conditions are complicating efforts to control two massive wildfires.

In the Serra da Estrela mountain range in Portugal, a blaze has caused 22 injuries, three of which are serious, since it was first triggered 10 days ago.

Now, around 1,000 firefighters are working tirelessly to contain the flames, which took a turn for the worse on Monday and forced dozens of residents to evacuate their homes.?

On Tuesday, Madrid emergency services reported that dozens of concerned residents called to report the strong smell of smoke, but explained that the smoke was coming from Portugal.

Provisional estimates suggest that the fire has charred 14,000 hectares (34,594 acres) of land so far.

The strong winds and low humidity will make taming the fire difficult on Tuesday, said the head of Portugal’s National Civil Protection Authority Andre Fernandes.

“Today will be very complicated, and it will take a lot of work to ensure the wildfire won’t affect an even larger area,” he told media.

The situation is similar in Spain’s Alicante province in Valencia, where a violent forest fire has consumed an estimated 10,000 hectares (24,711 acres) of land since Saturday night.

There, hundreds more people were evacuated between Monday night and Tuesday, bringing the total number of evacuees up to around 1,600.

This is the largest forest fire in Valencia in a decade.

Meanwhile, Spanish firefighters continue to fight other significant blazes in Galicia and the Castellon province of Valencia, where around 400 people were evacuated on Tuesday.

According to the latest update from the European Forest Fire Information System, the EU is on track for a record-breaking wildfire season this summer.

Extreme hot and dry conditions this summer have provided fuel for fires that have consumed 659,541 hectares (1.6 million acres) – an area twice the size of Luxembourg.?

So far this year, Spain, Romania and Portugal have been the hardest hit EU countries.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Greece’s former president has held Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis responsible for the surveillance scandal which has created a storm in the country’s politics.

Speaking at a remembrance ceremony for Greeks executed by Nazi Germany’s occupying forces, Prokopis Pavlopoulos said power assigned to the rulers through popular vote is by nature and by definition, objective

“Some fundamental rights provisioned by constitution, including privacy of communication, have apparently been violated,” local news outlet Left.gr cited him as saying on Tuesday.

Criticizing the way the prime minister handled the situation, Pavlopoulos said: “Political kingpins must stand out with courage and consistency and without calculating the so-called political cost.”

Meanwhile, main opposition party SYRIZA-PS said in a statement that the government is “on an extreme-right downhill path.”

According to SYRIZA-PS, the government is “seeking domestic enemies and foreign powers that purport to destabilize the country.”

Surveillance scandal

In a televised address to the nation, Mitsotakis last Monday acknowledged that the opposition PASOK-KINAL party’s leader Nikos Androulakis was wiretapped by the National Intelligence Service (EYP), but denied he knew about the surveillance.

“Although everything was done legally, the EYP underestimated the political dimension of this action. It was formally okay, but politically unacceptable,” Mitsotakis claimed.

The announcement followed the resignation of EYP head Andreas Kontoleon and the prime minister’s General Secretary Grigoris Dimitriadis on Aug. 5.

The scandal unfolded on Aug. 4 when Kontoleon told a parliamentary committee that his agency had been spying on journalist Thanasis Koukakis.

The parliamentary probe was launched after Androulakis complained to top prosecutors about an attempt to hack his cellphone with Israeli-made Predator tracking software.

Source: Anadolu Agency

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed bilateral and regional issues with the Saudi crown prince in a phone call, a German government spokesman said Tuesday.

The lingering war in Yemen and Ukraine and its global repercussions were also on the agenda of talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said Steffen Hebestreit in a statement.

Cooperation within the framework of G20 and other economy-related issued were also touched upon during the phone call, the statement added.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The US said Tuesday that many of the most pressing details to get Washington and Iran to return to compliance with the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement have been generally agreed upon.

The “big issues” have been “largely settled,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. That includes sanctions relief the US provided to Iran under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the curbs Iran is to accept on its nuclear program, said Price.

“What could be negotiated has been negotiated,” he said.

Indirect talks between Iran and the US, mediated by the EU, concluded in Vienna earlier this month with a draft of the agreement being reached. Iran has submitted its response to the European Union’s draft text aimed at salvaging the accord, which the bloc is currently examining.

Price said the US has received the Iranian response to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s draft text and remains in consultation with the EU and European nations “on the way ahead.”

“We agree with Mr. Burrell’s fundamental points,” said Price. “We’ll continue to study what has been submitted. We’ll continue to consult closely with EU with our European allies, other partners, and when we have more to say we’ll share that.”

Former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the JCPOA in 2018 and went on to pursue what he and his administration called a “maximum pressure campaign” to bring Tehran back to the negotiating table to craft a more comprehensive agreement.

That never happened. Instead, Tehran retaliated against Trump’s reimposition of sweeping sanctions, and the addition of new economic penalties, by stepping back from its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPOA. Tehan has since exceeded thresholds on the enrichment of uranium, as well as the amount it is allowed to possess, under the pact.

Source: Anadolu Agency

President Joe Biden signed into law Tuesday his party’s sweeping package to overhaul the US’ policy on climate change and health care, calling it a blow to American special interests.

Biden said the law signifies the “biggest step forward on climate ever,” and will allow the US to “boldly take additional steps toward” fighting climate change, and it provides significant benefits for Americans struggling to afford health care.

“Too often we confuse noise with substance. Too often, we confuse setbacks with defeat,” Biden said at a White House signing ceremony.

“Making progress in this country as big and complicated as ours clearly is not easy. It’s never been easy, but with unwavering conviction, commitment and patience, progress does come.”

The law includes a record $369 billion in spending on climate change and energy policies, and is projected to slash US carbon emissions by roughly 40% by 2030.

It also allocates $64 billion to reduce health insurance costs by locking in lower premiums under the Affordable Care Act, saving 13 million families an average of $800 per year.

The bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, will also cap drug costs at $2,000, limit out-of-pocket insulin costs to $35 per month, and allows Medicare to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs for the elderly.

It would be funded by imposing a 15% corporate tax on wealthy corporations. The plan also spends $80 billion to boost the Internal Revenue Service’s enforcement and compliance divisions, which are expected to yield $124 billion in revenue.

Biden said with the law “the American people won, and the special interests lost,” pointing to the opposition the bill faced.

“We’ve not flinched, and we’ve not given in. Instead, we’re delivering results for the American people,” he said. “We didn’t tear down, we built up. We didn’t look back, we looked forward. and today offers further proof that the soul of America is vibrant.”

While the measure will not immediately affect rising gas and food prices, it does seek to reduce the deficit by $300 billion in the next 10 years, with total provisions of the bill estimated to raise $737 billion, as well as reduce the overall deficit by nearly $2 trillion in the next two decades.

The bill narrowly passed the House of Representatives on Friday after clearing the Senate in an exceedingly rare 50-50 vote in which Vice President Kamala Harris cast the tie-breaking ballot.

Source: Anadolu Agency

US stocks closed mixed Tuesday with stronger-than-expected results from retailer giants — Wall Mart and Home Depot.

The Dow rose 239.6 points, or 0.71%, to close at 34,152.

The S&P 500 added 7.98 points, or 0.19%, to end the day flat at 4,305.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 25.5 points, or 0.19%, to 13,102.

The VIX volatility index, also known as the fear index, fell 1.40% to 19.67. The 10-year US Treasury yield rose 0.60% to 2.808%.

The dollar index was up 0.07% to 106.360.

Precious metals were on the decline, with gold losing 0.42% to $1,790.55 and silver falling 0.84% to $20.102.

Oil prices were down more than 3%. Global oil benchmark Brent crude was at $92.09 per barrel, off 3.17%, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $86.44 — a 3.32% decline.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The US Army Corps of Engineers was sued Tuesday by several environmental groups over its plans to expand a dredging project in the US territory of Puerto Rico.

“We reject this project because it will aggravate the already acute situation and circumstances which these communities encounter day to day,” said Federico Cintrón Moscoso, the director of El Puente, one of three groups that filed the suit.

“This lawsuit will bring justice closer to…the southwest part of the San Juan Bay,” said Moscoso. “These communities from Cataño and Guaynabo have fought and dealt for years with the systemic placement of power plants and fuel terminals, which places a disproportionate burden on these disadvantaged communities whose population is primarily composed of minorities.”

The lawsuit challenges the San Juan Bay Dredging Project, which would expand liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping to Puerto Rico and increase the amount of LNG transferred by shipping tankers into San Juan Bay from 5.2 million gallons to 34.3 million gallons.

The suit claims the port expansion would also involve the dredging and disposal of more than two million cubic yards of sediment to deepen and widen the shipping channels.

Environmental groups say it will drive fossil fuel dependence, “impeding Puerto Rico’s commitment to transition to renewable energy.”

“By deepening the shipping channel for fossil fuel imports, this project also deepens the climate crisis,” said Catherine Kilduff, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, another plaintiff in the lawsuit. “The Corps’ plan to dredge San Juan Bay is a disaster for the corals and wildlife that inhabit the sensitive estuary and for Puerto Rico’s plans to transition to renewable energy.”

Environmental groups stress that the dredging project threatens to “smother corals and suck up sea turtles,” including endangered leatherback sea turtles.

The lawsuit claims the Army Corps of Engineers discounted these critical hazards and that their “failure to disclose the detrimental effects of LNG shipping and harm to neighboring communities violates the National Environmental Policy Act.”

“The many different uses of this bay have increasingly burdened residential communities for decades,” said Mary Ann Lucking, director of CORALations, the third party involved in the lawsuit.

“But now this dredge expansion introduces a new use that itself alone presents even greater risks to residents, a nearby hospital, the capital of San Juan, an electrical plant, recreational, rescue and commercial supply chain navigation, as well as posing significant risks to the natural and historic patrimony of the people of Puerto Rico,” Lucking continued.

Environmental groups say the San Juan Bay Dredging Project was fast-tracked shortly after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico in 2017 and wiped out power across the island. At that time, they say the Army Corps of Engineers presented an environmental assessment which concluded that the project would have no significant environmental effects.

The lawsuit states that thousands of residents living west of the main dredging areas were not considered or properly notified of the project. It also claims that higher risks to those communities were not evaluated and that the project could damage important cultural resources.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Rohingya refugees called Tuesday on visiting UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet to actively engage the United Nations in creating a conducive environment in Myanmar for the sustainable repatriation of the persecuted minority to their home country.

Bachelet’s visit marked the first time a United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has visited Bangladesh as well as the Rohingya refugee settlements in Cox’s Bazar District.

Amid tight security, she spent several hours in the congested camps and visited the offices of various aid agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to assess the services in the world’s largest refugee camp.

She also exchanged views with a group of Rohingya representatives and asked the genocide survivors about their needs and demands.

“We requested her to engage the United Nations as the world’s most powerful organization to create a peaceful environment in Myanmar so that we can go back to our homeland with citizenship rights and safety,” Maulana Azim Ullah, a Rohingya religious leader, told Anadolu Agency after the meeting.

Ullah said Bachelet assured them of the UN’s positive role in the peaceful and sustainable repatriation of the Rohingya, adding that “until peaceful repatriation, she urged us to keep patience and stay peacefully in Bangladesh’s camps.”

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Rohingya youth leader Khin Maung, however, said they are not satisfied with the slow movement of the UN in resolving the Rohingya crisis.

“We see that the role of the UN only concentrates on taking information, issuing statements and providing mere assurance. I (will) never believe that such a powerful platform of world leaders needs such a long time to create an environment in Myanmar for the sustainable repatriation of the stateless Rohingya,” Maung added.

Pointing to the recent murders of two Rohingya leaders in the camps, he also called on the international community and host country Bangladesh to take proper steps for strengthening the safety measures in the camps.

Bangladesh’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Shah Rezwan Hayat received the UN rights chief at the camp, though his office did not issue any statement.

Bangladesh is currently hosting more than 1.2 million Rohingya, most of whom fled a brutal military crackdown in their home country of Myanmar’s Rakhine state in August 2017.

Source: Anadolu Agency