Day: October 9, 2022

The Kerch Bridge that was damaged in a powerful blast on Saturday provides Russia a critical connection to Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014.

 

The $3.6 billion dollar project runs 19 kilometers (12 miles) over the Kerch Strait that connects the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, making it the longest in Europe.

 

The road and rail bridge is the sole land link between Crimea and Russia and has become an integral route for civilian and commercial movement since its inauguration in 2018.

 

It has four road lanes – two in each direction – that are used by some 40,000 cars per day, while the two railway tracks enable almost 50 trains to move to and from Crimea on a daily basis.

 

Annually, over 14 million passengers and 13 million ca

 

rgo shipments cross the bridge.

 

Saturday’s explosion, which killed three people, is being seen as yet another body blow to Moscow in the Ukraine war, exposing the vulnerability of a strategic land link.

 

Over the years, the bridge has enabled Russia to move goods and people to and from Crimea with much greater and at significantly lower costs than sea and air routes.

 

With the free flow of goods, the crossing proved critical in bringing down prices of various products in Crimea, opened new avenues for development, and facilitated the year-round movement of tourists.

 

The railway link boosted commercial activity at Crimean ports and allowed Russia to ramp up its exports.

 

In a nutshell, the bridge has bolstered Crimea’s economy, increased commercial activity, and generated employment on the peninsula, according to Russia.

 

Saturday’s blast could lead to shortages of certain products in Crimea, impact exports from Crimean ports, or worse, bring entire sectors of its economy to a halt due to disruptions in supplies of raw materials.

 

Although Ukraine has not directly claimed responsibility for the attack, multiple statements by top Ukrainian officials point to the possibility, including presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak, who said the blast is just “the beginning.”

 

“Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled,” he said on Twitter.

 

*Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara contributed to this report.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

Former French President Francois Hollande said Saturday that winter would halt activities in the Russia-Ukraine war but not bring them to an end.

 

Hollande told the Uludag Economy Summit that he wonders if new conditions are possible in the spring.

 

“Will (Vladimir) Putin want to get out of his international isolation or will he do something else on the contrary?” he asked. “I expected an attempt, either directly or indirectly, after the first Ukraine war in 2014. That is, to place Ukraine under Russian domination. The war, which is supposed to span a few weeks, will instead endure several months. Because even the fundamentals have not been established in order for a discussion to begin. It will take a long time to get going.”

 

Türkiye has advantage because of its geographic location

 

Hollande said there will always be trade in the world and the will of many countries is to continue trade.

 

He pointed out that activities are now shifting to areas closer to places of consumption and noted that Türkiye had an advantage because of its geographical location.

 

“There are numerous activities available in Türkiye. The majority of these activities have already been carried out in Asia or other nations. Europe faces a massive challenge in this scenario. There is both unity and change,” he said.

 

“We underestimated the planning of the gathering in Prague. To be able to face all of the difficulties ahead, Europe needs a broad framework and diverse geography, such as a common currency. Turkey should consider the situation from this angle because its future lies in Europe,” added Hollande.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

Chad’s military leader, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, was named the nation’s transition president Saturday and will govern for a non-renewable two years transition period until elections.

 

The announcement was made at the conclusion of a National Sovereign Inclusive Dialogue which was launched Aug. 20.

 

At a ceremony in the capital, N’Djamena, the National Sovereign Inclusive Dialogue forum announced that the “Transitional Military Council that had ruled the country for 18 months has been dissolved, and appointed Mahamat Deby as president of the transition.”

 

In his speech before a packed audience of civilians and military, Deby promised to work to “achieve the prescribed deadlines for the return to constitutional order.”

 

He urged politico-military groups to choose peace and national harmony and promised to release all prisoners of war in exchange for a cease-fire and dialogue.

 

He appealed to political parties and civil groups that boycotted the talks to back efforts aimed at uniting the country.

 

“I would like to remind them that the dialogue is a continuous process aimed to build a nation that brings us together at all times. You can join the process in the interest of our common future,” he said.

 

The younger Deby had pledged to hand over power to an elected government after 18 months — a deadline that has not been achieved. The deadline was supposed to end in October.

 

The international community had urged Deby not to run for president in the post-transition.

 

But the national dialogue forum gave Deby a green light to run at the end of the transition, among a raft of resolutions adopted under a revised transition charter.

 

Deby took leadership of Chad last year following the death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno, who died on the frontline of a war against rebels after ruling for 30 years.

 

Following his death, the army appointed a Transitional Military Council with 15 generals that was headed by Deby.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

Tropical Storm Julia became a hurricane late Saturday as it passed the Colombian islands and is headed to Nicaragua.

 

“Life-threatening flash floods and mudslides possible from heavy rains over Central America and Southern Mexico through early next week,” according to the US National Hurricane Center.

 

Julia is packing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and authorities are warning that it is moving toward the west at 17 mph (28 km/h) and officials are strengthening their forecast until it makes landfall in Nicaragua.

 

“We are on high alert. It is highly likely to reach San Andres between 7 and 9 at night,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on Twitter. “The entire hotel infrastructure must open space for shelters for the vulnerable population,”

 

Hurricane Iota hit the area in November 2020 and damaged 98% of Providencia Island’s infrastructure.

 

The storm is expected to hit Nicaragua early Sunday and threatened 800,000 residents.

 

A yellow alert was declared in Colombia and evacuations began on the west coast.

 

Authorities planned 345 shelters for more than 68,000 residents in 205 critical areas vulnerable to landslides and flooding.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

As the effects of climate change become more visible with each passing day, companies have started to step up their environmental action through green projects.

 

The expanding market shares of green-labeled products marked “natural,” “sustainable,” or “environmentally friendly” indicates consumers’ rising environmental awareness.

 

Though many companies have sought to draw in more customers by being greener, cleaner, and more sustainable than their competitors, many may not be as green as they claim in their advertisements.

 

Exploring the concept of “greenwashing,” Anadolu Agency has looked deeper into the advertisements of international companies claiming to be “environmentally friendly.”

 

Greenpeace activist Amina Adebisi Odofin and Sumona Majumdar of the General Counsel at the Earth Island Institute deal with this matter from diverse perspectives.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments around the world.

 

The Bangladesh border force confiscated narcotics consignments worth more than 130 million Bangladeshi taka ($1.3 million) along the border with Myanmar.

 

Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, according to the Health Ministry.

 

Scuderia AlphaTauri’s French driver Pierre Gasly joined the Alpine F1 Team for next season, the Italian racing team announced on its website.

 

Japan and South Korea said North Korea fired another suspected ballistic missile, its third launch this week.

 

German authorities said an act of “sabotage” caused a major disruption in rail services.

 

Thousands of far-right AfD (Alternative for Germany) supporters marched in Berlin to protest the government’s energy policy.

 

Three people were killed in a “truck bombing” at a strategic bridge connecting Crimea to Russia, according to Russian investigators said.

 

Russia named Gen. Sergey Surovikin as the new commander of forces fighting in Ukraine.

 

Chad’s military leader, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, was named the nation’s transition president and will govern for a non-renewable two years transition period until elections.

 

The parliament in the Brussels-Capital Region limited rent increases in the capital for one year in Belgium.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia, a city in southeastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian president said Sunday.

 

A total of 49 people, including six children, were injured in the attack, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

 

“Zaporizhzhia again. Merciless strikes on peaceful people again. On residential buildings, just in the middle of the night,” he added.

 

Earlier, Ukrainian officials said that 17 people were killed in Zaporizhzhia.

 

An apartment building was completely destroyed, while some buildings and vehicles in the vicinity were heavily damaged due to the missile attack.

 

Another attack on the city by Russia last Thursday left 17 people dead.

 

Zaporizhzhia is one of the four Ukrainian regions — along with Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson — that Russia has annexed following “sham” referendums denounced by the international community as well as Ukraine.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency

The parliament in the Brussels-Capital Region limited rent increases in the capital for one year in Belgium.

 

It said it separated houses into classes from A to G, according to energy efficiency.

 

Landlords can increase rents by the inflation rate for homes with high-energy efficiency that are coded A, B, C and D.

 

Rents in home in the E-class can be increased by 50% of the inflation rate.

 

Low-energy-efficiency houses, F and G, were exempted from rent increases.

 

Thirty percent of houses in Brussels are classified in G class, while 15% in E and 20% in D.

 

The inflation rate was at it highest since 1975 — at 11.27% in September.

 

Natural gas prices increased 134.9%, electricity prices were up 81.3% and heating oil prices rose 56.3% year-on-year last month.

 

Source: Anadolu Agency