Day: October 19, 2022

Saudi Arabia has released Hamas leader Mohammed al-Khudari, the Palestinian group confirmed on Wednesday.

Al-Khudari, 84, was detained by Saudi authorities in 2019 among 60 group members and sympathizers.

Last year, a Saudi court slapped al-Khudari with a 15-year jail term on charges of “providing support to the resistance”, before the sentence was reduced to three years in prison.

“We hope the release will be a step towards settling the issue of all detained group members and sympathizers in the kingdom,” Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua told Anadolu Agency.

There was no comment from Saudi authorities on the report.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Türkiye on Wednesday remembered Alija Izetbegovic, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s first president who led the country to independence from the former Yugoslavia, on the 19th anniversary of his death.

On Twitter, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remembered Izetbegovic with respect, saying he “made his name in history with his leadership and services to his people.”

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin praised Azerbaijan’s late leader as “a wise statesman, an intelligence with taste and aesthetics” on Twitter, adding: “Do yourself a favor and read something from Aliya today.”

Communications Director Fahrettin Altun also remembered “Wise King” on Twitter and said: “… We will not forget his honorable struggle to protect the freedom, religious and national values of his people.”

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also remembered Izetbegovic with respect and mercy on Twitter.

Often dubbed the “Wise King,” Izetbegovic is one of the most important Muslim thinkers of the last century.

The first president of Bosnia-Herzegovina managed to gain independence for his country on March 1, 1992, months after Slovenia and Croatia broke away from the former Yugoslavia.

He died in Sarajevo on Oct. 19, 2003, due to natural causes, having served as the president of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1992 to 1996 and as chairman of the Bosnian presidency until October 2000.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Hong Kong will issue two-year visas and grant tax breaks to attract overseas talent, Chief Executive John Lee announced on Wednesday in his maiden policy speech since assuming office this year.

“Hong Kong is one of the most competitive economies in the world. It also serves as an important gateway connecting the mainland with global markets. We must be more proactive and aggressive in competing for enterprises and competing for talents,” Lee told the Legislative Council.

Focusing on improved housing, healthcare, and education, Lee said special visa arrangements and tax concessions on home purchases will be given to those coming to the semi-autonomous region from mainland China and overseas.

Hong Kong was until recently counted as the world’s top financial center, losing the top slot to Singapore after radical changes took place in the aftermath of anti-government demonstrations in 2019.

Noting that the local workforce has shrunk by 140,000 in the past two years, Lee said the government will set up Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) and several special government units to “attract the foreign talent.”

The measures to attract top talent and major businesses to Hong Kong will cost around HK$30 billion ($3.8 billion). It comes as Hong Kong imposed tough COVID-19 pandemic measures and a security crackdown which resulted in the exodus of expats and locals from the region, located south of mainland China.

“Eligible talents will include individuals whose annual salary reached HK$2.5 million ($318,480) or above in the past year, and individuals who graduated from the world’s top 100 universities with at least three years of work experience over the past five years. These two categories of talents will be issued a two-year pass for exploring opportunities in Hong Kong and are not subject to any quota,” Lee said.

The chief executive also said his administration will set up teams from economic and trade offices on the mainland and around the world to “reach out and persuade companies and talents to come” to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong administration held around 34 consultation meetings besides inviting public opinion to deliver the policy address.

Lee, 64, a former security chief who oversaw a crackdown on protests in Hong Kong in 2019, was elected as the chief executive in May. He was the lone contender to succeed Carrie Lam.

“Hong Kong is now at the critical stage of transitioning from chaos to stability and prosperity,” Lee told the council, noting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s speech during his visit to Hong Kong in July “has become the blueprint” of Hong Kong government’s policy.”

Lee was sworn in as Hong Kong’s new leader by Xi in July as the former British colony celebrated 25 years of its return to Chinese rule.

“To keep the power to administer Hong Kong firmly in the hands of patriots is essential for safeguarding the long-term governance and security of Hong Kong. At no time should this principle be allowed to be compromised,” Xi had said after Lee’s swearing-in ceremony.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Taiwan’s top defense chief on Wednesday said the military is “fully prepared” to defend the country against any Chinese invasion.

“Taiwan’s military would be ‘fully prepared’ for any Chinese invasion whether Beijing decides to move up or push back a purported timeline to do so,” Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said.

His comments came as the Taiwanese military held a live-fire drill early today “simulating the use of cannons and tanks to repel invading Chinese forces,” official Focus Taiwan reported.

The drills were held in offshore Penghu county.

“The military knows what it will have to do, whether in the next second or the next hour, while preparing for war. It will not sit idly by whether Beijing moves up or pushes back (its timeline to militarily invade Taiwan), it will have its own timeline, and it will pay attention to signs and make forecasts about possible developments accordingly,” Chiu said.

The minister reiterated the “need for the military to defend itself if it sustained a ‘first strike’ from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).”

“Just like if someone tries to push you, you must dodge or deflect him,” he said.

In Penghu county, the Taiwanese military held the monthly exercise, firing howitzers, mortars, machine guns, and automatic weapons “at simulated enemy forces attacking a beach.”

China considers Taiwan as its “breakaway province” while Taiwan insists on its independence since 1949 with independent diplomatic relations with 14 nations.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Moldova’s defense minister said Tuesday that the country could declare a mobilization if fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces moves toward its borders.

Some Russian missiles that were fired towards Ukraine passed over Moldovan territory, Anatolie Nosatyi said in an interview with the TVR Moldova television channel.

Underscoring that there is no guarantee that this will not happen again, Nosatyi urged Moldova’s Western partners, including NATO, to provide support for ensuring security in the country.

Asked to elaborate on whether a mobilization would be declared in Moldova, Nosatyi said: “For this scenario to play out, there needs to be some serious changes on the front line in Ukraine.”

“For example, if the fighting moves closer to our borders, if there are changes regarding migration to our country from Ukraine, or if we notice the mobilization of military units in the war zone, then it could happen,” he added.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said Monday that necessary precautions would be taken in case of Russia’s intervention against Moldova’s sovereignty and security.

Source: Anadolu Agency