Day: March 13, 2023

The-UK based private lender HSBC announced on Monday that it acquired Silicon Valley Bank UK for £1 ($1.2).

Loans of the UK subsidiary of the collapsed Silicon Valley Bank amounted to £5.5 billion and deposits totaled £7.6 billion as of March 10, the British banking giant said.

Last year, Silicon Valley Bank UK's profit was at £88 million before taxation.

The move came after the US regulators on Friday shut down the California-based Silicon Valley Bank, marking a shocking collapse.

Noel Quinn, the CEO of HSBC, said the acquisition was an "excellent strategic" move for HSBC's operations in the UK.

The US-based commercial bank was the largest bank in Silicon Valley based on local deposits and it was 16th-biggest bank in the country.

Its total assets were at around $209 billion while its deposits amounted to nearly $175.4 billion as of the end of 2022. The bank sold this week its $21 billion bond portfolio at a $1.8 billion loss.

Source: Anadolu Agency

With foreign officials and dignitaries continuing their solidarity visits to Türkiye after the massive earthquakes that shook the country's southern region on Feb. 6, the head of the UN's migration agency has called on the international community to strengthen their aid efforts for both Türkiye and Syria's quake victims.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu, Antonio Vitorino, director general of the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM), said "the international community must strengthen its efforts to ensure aid keeps reaching the millions of people who survived the devastating earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria last month."

Vitorino arrived in Türkiye last week to show solidarity and to convey his condolences following the earthquakes as he paid a visit to southernmost Hatay province.

Describing the disaster as "a big tragedy for the country," Vitorino said "I have arrived in Türkiye to extend to the government and other partners my condolences for the earthquakes and reaffirm that IOM will continue scaling up its efforts and mobilizing all the resources to support further addressing of immediate needs of people in the affected areas and recovery efforts."

Vitorino also thanked his IOM team for "their dedication, despite personal tragedy, and share my condolences for our three colleagues whom we heartbreakingly lost."

Asked about his visit to Hatay, the IOM head said he had met people who survived the earthquakes.

"Their stories are heart-breaking. The consequences of this tragedy are almost unimaginable. Almost every service that we take for granted – healthcare, transport, food supply, water, sanitation and education -- has been affected or simply ceased to exist," he said.

Türkiye has 'exemplary disaster management system'

Hailing the "quick" response of the Turkish government and its partners like IOM to the disaster, Vitorino also noted that "long-haul support is needed as Türkiye rebuilds and creates a new future for the millions whose lives have been torn apart."

The IOM chief further emphasized that Türkiye "has an exemplary disaster management system, but the needs and the scale of the disaster are astronomical."

He said his agency is working with the Turkish government and "international governments, the private sector and affected communities to scale up humanitarian assistance, utilizing IOM’s global capacity. For example, we mobilized relief items from stocks in Accra, Manila and New Delhi, and so far, we have ensured the arrival of 44 IOM and partner planes carrying aid."

"To date, one million critical relief items including clothing items, mattresses, bedding and hygiene kits were dispatched to the affected areas in Türkiye. At the same time, we have sent 150 trucks into northwest Syria, and I am thankful to the government for their inclusive approach to the earthquake response facilitating the assistance of delivery into its neighboring country," he added.

On the international community's solidarity during such disasters, Vitorino said "the international community must strengthen its efforts to ensure aid keeps reaching the millions of people who survived the devastating earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria last month."

Emphasizing that "emergency efforts are vital and will continue," he further noted that "the response is moving to a new phase."

"The road to recovery will be long and hard, and this is when support from the international community is vital. The needs are immense – no one country should be expected to shoulder rebuilding after a disaster of this magnitude alone," he said.

'Time for int'l community to unite to help Türkiye rebuild, recover'

Vitorino recalled that Türkiye is hosting "the largest number of refugees in the world” and had shown “enormous generosity to people seeking safety here" before the crisis.

"It is now high time that the international community unite in efforts and show solidarity to help Türkiye to rebuild and recover," he added.

Saying that the IOM launched an appeal for $161 million to address the immediate needs of affected populations in Türkiye and northwest Syria in early February, Vitorino announced that the agency had reached less than 30% of the target.

“I believe that a constant dialogue and strengthened partnerships will help communities cope with the aftermath of the earthquakes," he said.

Asked about migration's relation to disasters and crises around the world, Vitorino said "the link between disasters and human mobility can no longer be ignored, particularly as the world faces the increasing impacts of climate change."

"Millions of people have been displaced by these earthquakes in Türkiye and neighboring Syria, and around the world today, millions more have been forced from their homes by drought in east Africa and cyclones off the continent’s coast, floods in Southeast Asia and hurricanes in the Caribbean," he said.

Regarding IOM's efforts in these matters, he said the agency closely works with governments and local partners in Türkiye and other countries across the world "to help address immediate needs of affected populations and support recovery efforts."

"We also work with communities affected by disasters and climate change to help build resilience through disaster risk reduction and preparedness projects.

“Today, in Türkiye, as the country grapples with the aftermath of these historic earthquakes and recovery efforts begin, support is urgently needed for those living in displacement," he said.

Vitorino further affirmed that "IOM will be co-leading efforts to coordinate the international community’s displacement management in temporary settlements, particularly informal sites where access to essential services like clean water and healthcare is dangerously limited," with the government.

"However, despite its importance, funding has yet to be committed by the international community to this essential sector," he added.

More than 47,900 people were killed in Türkiye by the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes, according to official figures.

Over 13.5 million people in Türkiye have been affected by the powerful tremors that rocked 11 provinces – Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa and Elazig.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Iran on Monday said that discussion about the exchange of prisoners and other issues with the US is underway, stressing that Tehran is looking for “practical results” from ongoing negotiations.

Speaking at a weekly news conference in Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said talks are going on between the two sides through intermediaries on issues including a prisoner swap.

He said an agreement on some issues, including prisoners, was reached in March last year and a written agreement was approved and signed by official representatives of the two countries.

Underlining that the issue is of a "humanitarian nature," Kanaani said the American side at one point agreed to de-link it from the 2015 nuclear deal talks but at a later stage tied it to the Vienna negotiations.

“If the American side takes a realistic approach, the exchange of prisoners can be done as a completely humanitarian issue,” the spokesman remarked.

His remarks came a day after Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in an interview with state TV, announced that Iran has reached an agreement with the US to swap prisoners.

"Regarding the issue of the exchange of prisoners between Iran and the US, we have reached an agreement in recent days,” he said, adding that “if everything goes well” on the American side, the swap will happen “in a short period.”

‘Everything is ready’

Amir-Abdollahian said that “everything is ready” on the Iranian side but the American side is currently engaged in a “final technical review” to go ahead with the swap of prisoners.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price, however, rejected the claim, calling it a “crude lie.”

“Statements from Iranian officials that a deal regarding the exchange of prisoners has been reached are another especially cruel lie that only adds to the suffering of their families,” he told CNN on Sunday.

Kanaani, responding to Price, said a US State spokesman recently mentioned in his meeting that the US government is “working, trying and following” up on this case of prisoners.

“My question from the American side is: Is he working and trying and following up on this issue in a vacuum and unilaterally by himself? Or through intermediaries in the framework of the messages that are exchanged,” he said.

The Joe Biden administration has repeatedly called for the release of three dual nationals detained in Iran over spying charges – Siamak Namazi, Emad Shargi and Morad Tahbaz.

Iran, for its part, has also demanded the release of dozens of its nationals imprisoned in the US, including some Iranian-American dual nationals, mainly for bypassing US sanctions.

Iran-Saudi detente

In other remarks during his Monday presser, Kanaani said there is no obstacle to the meeting of foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia after the two neighbors resumed diplomatic ties.

Kanaani said the foreign ministers of the two countries are expected to meet in near future, adding that arrangements have been made about the place and timing by the diplomatic apparatuses.

The Tehran-Riyadh agreement, brokered by China last week, was the result of one and a half years of efforts and negotiations, the spokesman asserted, appreciating the “positive role” played by Iraq and Oman to facilitate tension-easing talks.

Before President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to China in February, Kanaani said, ideas and suggestions had been shared by Tehran and Riyadh and during the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed the message from the Saudi side to the Iranian president.

After that, he added, it was agreed to hold a dialogue between the two countries at the level of top security officials, which resulted in an agreement to resume diplomatic ties and reopen embassies, which he said will happen in two months.

Iran was represented in the talks by Ali Shamkhani, who heads the country’s Supreme National Security Council, while Saudi Arabia was represented by Musaid Al Aiban, the national security advisor, and China was represented by top diplomat Wang Yi.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman also hinted at fence-mending dialogue with Bahrain in the framework of the Tehran-Riyadh agreement, stressing that recent development can have “positive consequences in relations of Iran and other regional countries.”

“The relations between Iran and Bahrain are no exception to this rule,” Kanaani said.

He also expressed hope that the resumption of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, seven years after they severed relations, will have a positive effect on the issue of Yemen too.

“From the beginning of the war (in Yemen), we believed that war is not a solution and it will be a loss for Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the whole region,” the spokesman said.

Kanaani further said Tehran was ready to develop relations with Jordan “based on its principled policy to strengthen relations with regional neighbors,” adding that political talks between the two sides continue at various levels.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Officers of Pakistan’s Counter Terrorism Department said Monday that they killed the suspected mastermind of last month's brazen attack on the police headquarters in the southern port city of Karachi.

At least four security personnel and three attackers were killed in the hours-long clash after militants stormed the compound, which houses the office of the city police chief.

The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organization of several militant groups operating in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The counter-terrorism cell of the Karachi police said the alleged mastermind, Riaz Ullah, was killed along with an accomplice during a security operation at the city's northern bypass.

Ullah was the TTP's head for Karachi, the police said.

Another two suspected militants were arrested in the operation.

Pakistan has seen an uptick in terrorist attacks following the recapture of neighboring Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021.

Islamabad accused the TTP and its affiliates, who were pushed towards Afghanistan in the wake of a series of military operations in the northwestern tribal belt along the Afghan border since 2014, for the recent attacks.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Immigration has once again become one of the most controversial issues in the UK as a dispute over BBC sports presenter Gary Lineker's criticism of the government's latest asylum policy is a top daily item for the media.

The British public and policy divide over the "Lineker row" emerged after the Match of the Day presenter posted tweets comparing the language of the policy to that used by Nazi Germany.

On Tuesday, in response to a video message by Interior Minister Suella Braverman about stopping migrant boats, he tweeted: "Good heavens, this is beyond awful."

Lineker dismissed Braverman's claim that there was an influx of migrants to the UK, noting that the country takes far fewer refugees than other major European countries.

"This is just an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s," he wrote on Twitter.

Lineker's comments have been both widely criticized and lauded by various parts of society. However, the BBC's "impartiality rules" have brought the issue to another stage as the broadcaster is funded through a license fee paid by UK households.

Criticism, support

Two days after posting the tweets on the immigration policy, Lineker told reporters he did not regret his remarks, adding that "of course" he stood by them.

On Friday, the BBC said in a statement that he would step back from presenting the BBC Match of the Day program until a deal is reached on his use of social media.

Previously, the corporation said it was having a "frank conversation" with Lineker about the broadcasting company's guidelines on remaining impartial.

Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said it was "important for the BBC to retain impartiality if it is to retain the trust of the public, who pay the license fee."

Amid this backlash Lineker also received profound support for his comments. His co-hosts, Ian Wright and Alan Shearer, boycotted the program and announced that they would not appear on it in solidarity with the former football player.

Other English football pundits and former professional players, Micah Richards, Jermaine Jenas, and Alex Scott, joined them.

Following the developments, the BBC had confirmed there would be no presenter or pundits on Match of the Day on Saturday.

Amid the row, Tim Davie, the BBC's director general, was called on to resign by many on social media.

In an interview with BBC News following the row, Davie said he would "absolutely not" resign but apologized to license fee payers after a day of sports program disruption.

"Gary Lineker was a great footballer and is a talented presenter. I hope that the current situation between Gary Lineker and the BBC can be resolved in a timely manner, but it is rightly a matter for them, not the government," said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday, according to local media reports.

It marked the first time the premier had commented since the BBC took Lineker off the show.

Support for Lineker also came from his son George on Sunday, who tweeted: "Proud of the old man after a busy few days. Shouldn't need to apologise for being a good person and standing by his word. The reaction of the public has been overwhelming. Thanks for the support."

Row in public debate

Lineker's stance has also become key in the public debate on the government's controversial immigration policy as various sides cite his comments as they express their positions on the matter.

Saturday's protest and counter-protest in the town of Cannock in Staffordshire was an example of this, with both pro- and anti-migrant demonstrators using the former England striker's name during their protests.

Barbara, who took part in the protest organized by the Cannock Chase Welcomes Refugees group, carried an "I'm with Gary" sign. On the other side, a supporter of the far-right group Patriotic Alternative was also carrying a sign with swear words against Lineker.

Another protest, organized by Stand Up To Racism, will take place outside the BBC's offices in London on March 18 to reject the government's controversial migration bill.

"#GaryLineker made an important stand," the group said on Twitter.

The Lineker row has remained on British newspapers' front pages since last Tuesday.

Tense debate continues among social media users, with many claiming that the BBC would not have taken similar action had Lineker been defending the government's policy instead of criticizing it.

Others, however, pointed out the BBC's rule of "impartiality," saying none of the broadcaster's staff should pick a political stance on air.

BBC impartiality, license fees

Impartiality, which is a key point in the ongoing controversy, is among the principles that are listed on the BBC's editorial guidelines.

"The BBC is committed to achieving due impartiality in all its output. This commitment is fundamental to our reputation, our values and the trust of audiences," it says.

However, Lineker, a freelance broadcaster, is not a permanent BBC staff member. Further, he voiced his remarks on social media to his more than 8 million Twitter followers.

The BBC said it does not intend to prevent the use of social media but to ensure that anyone working for the BBC uses it with appropriate regard for its values.

Meanwhile, the corporation said its expectation on those involved in its programming to avoid taking sides on political controversies were not limited to its journalistic staff.

"There are also others who are not journalists or involved in factual programming who nevertheless have an additional responsibility to the BBC because of their profile on the BBC. We expect these individuals to avoid taking sides on party political issues or political controversies and to take care when addressing public policy matters."

The public also pay the license fee for BBC shows and services, including TV, radio, the BBC website, podcasts, iPlayer and apps.

Last year, the fee raised a total of £3.8 billion (over $4.5 billion), according to official data.

"In exchange for license fee money, the BBC is committed to provide public service broadcasting. According to its Royal Charter this means its mission is "to act in the public interest" by providing "impartial, high-quality and distinctive" content, which will "inform, educate and entertain" everyone who pays the licence fee," according to the BBC.

Controversial migration bill

The British government introduced its migration bill last week in a bid to address the increasing number of illegal "small boat" crossings that arrive in the UK via the English Channel.

According to the government, the bill seeks to ensure that those who come to Britain illegally would be unable to claim asylum, benefit from "modern slavery protections," make "spurious" human rights claims, or stay in the UK.

The bill drew fierce criticism from many, including charities, the opposition, and international organizations.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, expressed concern on the matter, saying that if passed, the legislation would amount to an "asylum ban."

Additionally, during the Prime Minister's Questions session in parliament on Wednesday, main opposition Labour party leader Keir Starmer suggested that the Conservative governments were incapable of stopping small boat crossings.

"This is their fifth prime minister, the sixth immigration plan, the seventh home secretary. And after all this time, all they offer is the same old gimmicks and empty promises," he said, underlining that after 13 years of Conservative rule, small boat crossings were higher than ever.

In response to Starmer's remarks, Prime Minister Sunak defended the bill, saying that stopping the boats was a priority of the public.

"He's just another leftie lawyer standing in our way," added Sunak, referring to Starmer.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Hundreds of flights were canceled at four German airports on Monday as security staff began their one-day strike.

Berlin’s international airport announced that no commercial departures will take place on Monday, and some incoming flights will also be affected.

The airport had to cancel around 200 flights, affecting 27,000 travelers.

Passengers were asked to contact their airline to find out the current status of their flight.

Hamburg airport also said that no regular departures will be possible on Monday, and the strike will likely cause cancellations and delays in arrivals.

More than 120 departures and at least 50 incoming flights were canceled, according to the airport authority.

Major disruptions and flight cancellations were also expected at Bremen and Hanover airports.

The ver.di trade union is demanding a pay rise above inflation, higher remuneration for overtime and night shift work, and improvements to working conditions.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon on Monday met with the head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and discussed ways to expand the capacity of the Russia-led military bloc.

“At the beginning of the conversation, the honorable Head of State Emomali Rahmon congratulated Imangali Tasmagambetov on his appointment as the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and wished him success in his work,” a statement by the Tajik presidency read.?

The statement further said Rahmon emphasized “the need to strengthen political cooperation, expand the international activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, increase the effectiveness of military, military-technical, and military-economic cooperation.”

“Also, the importance of strengthening the comprehensive work to counter the dangers and threats to security, including terrorism, extremism, extremism, drug trafficking, cybercrime and transnational organized crime was emphasized,” the statement said.

“During the conversation, views were exchanged on the situation in Afghanistan and other topical issues of the international and regional agenda,” it added.

The CSTO is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Japan's Nobel-winning novelist Kenzaburo Oe has died, his publisher Kodansha said on Monday. He was 88.

"He died of old age in the early hours of March 3," the publisher said in a statement, adding that a family funeral had already been held.

Born on Jan. 31, 1935 in Ehime province, Oe was a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature.

In 1994, he became the second Japanese to win the Nobel Prize in Literature after Yasunari Kawabata.

The Nobel Committee had described him as someone “who with poetic force creates an imagined world, where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today."

A peace activist, the deceased writer also spearheaded a campaign calling for elimination of nuclear plants in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

Some of his notable works include A personal matter, and The silent cry.

Source: Anadolu Agency