Day: May 11, 2023

The Republican-led US House Oversight Committee alleged Wednesday that President Joe Biden's family, including son, Hunter, received millions in payments from foreign nationals in China and Romania. Committee Chair James Comer, who sent a memorandum early Wednesday to Republican members of the panel investigating Bidens, said at a news conference that many wire payments occurred while Biden was vice president. Comer accused Hunter Biden and his associates of capitalizing on a "lucrative financial relationship with the Romanian national who was under investigation for and later convicted of corruption in Romania." He alleged that the Bidens received more than $1 million for the deal, most of which, he said, occurred when Biden was vice president, adding that the payments show "a pattern of influence peddling." Biden's alleged relationship with China, Comer said, includes two individuals, one of which the committee is particularly concerned -- Ye Jianming -- who had "close ties to the highest levels of the Chinese Communist Party and operated a multibillion-dollar energy company with access to large sums of money." "The Committee has identified over 20 companies affiliated with certain Biden family members and their business associates, formed mostly in Delaware and Washington, D.C.," according to the memorandum. "The services provided by some of these companies, the purpose for creating such a complicated corporate structure, and whether ethics/financial disclosure laws should require a public official to publicly disclose the identities of such companies remain under scrutiny by the Committee," it added. White House spokesman for oversight and investigations Ian Sams dismissed the claims, saying House Republicans are "really microwaving old debunked stuff." Hours after the memorandum was released, House Oversight Democratic staff issued a memo, accusing Republicans of "promoting conspiracy theories and claims against Hunter Biden," adding that it "fueled negative reporting upon which financial institutions have then relied to inform the filing of SARs (Suspicious Activity Reports)." "In turn, Committee Republicans are using these SARs as the basis to make additional novel and unfounded claims for media consumption," they said.

Source: Anadolu Agency

German railway workers will stage a nationwide warning strike starting Sunday, transport union EVG announced on Thursday. The strike will start at 10 p.m. local time (2000GMT) on Sunday and continue until midnight (2200GMT) on Tuesday, EVG board member Cosima Ingenschay told a news conference in Cologne. The warning strike, the third in the space of a few months, is expected to cause delays and cancelations in regional and long-distance passenger trains across the country. The EVG, which has around 230,000 members, is currently in wage negotiations with national rail operator Deutsche Bahn and some 50 other railway companies. Amid high inflation and a cost of living crisis, the union is demanding a 12%, and no less than pound 650 ($712), monthly wage hike.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Foreign ministers of Trkiye, Russia, Iran, and Syria on Wednesday agreed to form a committee to normalize relations between Trkiye and Syria, the Turkish foreign minister said, adding the committee is expected to meet as soon as possible. Speaking to reporters in Trkiye's southern Antalya province after a quadripartite foreign ministerial meeting on Syria, Mevlut Cavusoglu said the foreign ministers agreed to continue high-level contacts and technical meetings during talks in Moscow. Cavusoglu said: "In today's meeting, we also decided to form a committee with the participation of deputy foreign ministers and relevant institutions, National Defense Ministry and Turkish Intelligence, to prepare a roadmap to advance the process gradually.' During the meeting on Syria, the participants exchanged views on efforts to normalize relations between Trkiye and Syria and discussed counter-terrorism, the political processes, and humanitarian matters, including the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Syrians, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. 'The participants also reaffirmed their commitment to Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and the official declarations issued under the 'Astana Format',' according to a joint statement released after the talks. The Astana format talks were launched in 2017 to restore peace and stability in Syria, which has been rocked by over a decade of conflict since pro-democracy protests in 2011. Talks on Black Sea grain deal Trkiye, Russia, Ukraine, and the UN began two-day talks on the Black Sea grain deal in Istanbul later on Wednesday, Cavusoglu said. The meeting will be attended by the deputy foreign ministers and deputy national defense ministers from Trkiye and Russia as well as the deputy infrastructure minister from Ukraine, the top diplomat said. Cavusoglu hoped that they will get a positive result at the meeting regarding the extension of the initiative. 'I think sides can reach a consensus to extend the deal for at least two more months after a meeting is held between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the final phase,' Cavusoglu added. The extension of the initiative, as well as the development of a detailed and safe evacuation plan for the return of merchant ships and their crews stranded in Ukrainian ports due to the conflict, will be discussed during the talks in Istanbul, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday. The deal is set to expire on May 18. Trkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed the agreement in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were halted after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.

Source: Anadolu Agency

With over 30 exclusive original productions, popular TV series, blockbuster movies, and award-winning documentaries, Turkish public broadcaster TRT launched a new streaming platform 'Tabii' aimed 'to captivate audiences globally.' Accessible through platforms such as YouTube, Tabii, inaugurated on May 2, offers an 'affordable subscription' for its international viewers. TRT, with its extensive broadcasting experience and global reach across seven continents and 41 languages, aims to establish the service as a 'prominent player' in the global streaming arena with the slogan "stories that bond us.' According to Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Tabii will 'contribute to the creation of high-quality content rooted in social and cultural relevance,' supporting both the industry and Trkiye's reputation. The new platform 'will be on its way as a crucial actor and will have a positive influence on the other streaming services in the global arena,' Altun said. It will be broadcast in Turkish, English, Spanish, Arabic, and Urdu languages with dubbing and subtitle options - with more language options coming soon. The streaming service, which has been developed in line with the motto of 'achieving a fairer world, is now taking the first step into the digital space,' said Mehmet Zahid Sobaci, TRT's director general.

Source: Anadolu Agency

A powerful explosion hit the center of the Italian city of Milan on Thursday, the SkyTG24 news channel has reported.

Several vehicles were left in flames as a result of the incident, the broadcaster said, adding that a van appeared to have exploded on the street.

Photos from the scene showed parked cars burning, giving off a plume of thick black smoke.

La Repubblica newspaper reported at least five cars and four mopeds were destroyed in what it called “domino explosions.”

Local media speculated that oxygen cylinders may have exploded in a parked van, with the fire spreading to nearby vehicles and buildings, including a pharmacy. The evacuation of a nearby school was reportedly also ordered.

Fire brigades were quick to arrive on site, but it took them several hours to fully extinguish the blaze.

A spokesman for the fire service said the driver of the van was the only person wounded in the explosion, suffering burns to his hand.

However, local media said an employee of a local school was also injured by shards of glass from windows shattered in the blast.

The oxygen cylinders in the van were reportedly intended for the Italian Auxological Institute, which studies human growth and development.

Source: Russia Today

Switzerland is alarmed by escalating violence in Gaza and Israel, its Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. "Switzerland is deeply alarmed and condemns the escalating violence in Gaza and Israel," it wrote on Twitter. "Civilians must be protected at all times. We are in contact with all sides to urge them to respect international humanitarian law and restore calm.' "De-escalation is urgently needed," it added. Palestinian factions fired a barrage of rockets Wednesday into Israel amid tensions following Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. At least 21 Palestinians were killed and 64 injured in the airstrikes, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli army said airstrikes were part of Operation Shield and Arrow in response to rocket fire from Gaza following the death last week of a Palestinian who was on a hunger strike in an Israeli prison. At least 130 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of 2023, according to Palestinian figures. Nineteen Israelis have been killed in separate attacks during the same period.

Source: Anadolu Agency