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ISTANBUL: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Wednesday that Russia is seeking to "disrupt" the Global Peace Summit on his 10-point peace formula scheduled for June in Switzerland. 'We have precise intelligence information --specific data -- that Russia not only wants to disrupt the Peace Summit, but also has a specific plan, how to do it, how to reduce the number of participating countries, how to act to ensure that there is no peace for even longer,' he said during a meeting in Kyiv with foreign and Ukrainian ambassadors. Expressing that Ukraine will share 'specific plans and specific points' of Russia's plans at the diplomatic and intelligence level, Zelenskyy said: 'Together we must counteract this, we must work in unity for a just peace.' 'I am grateful to everyone who is helping and will help,' he said, expressing it is important that the world majority attends the summit as the more active the world is in restoring peace in Ukraine, the more likely 'similar aggressions' do not take place elsewhere. 'It is not brute force that should determine the world order, but the UN Charter, and in unity we can force Russia to comply with international law. In June, at the summit, we will start agreeing on the first foundations of peace and put forward a shared global vision of how peace should work,' he said. Zelenskyy also said there are no state borders or natural barriers to prevent the 'spread of radiation,' as well as no nation that would 'simply put up with the captivity or deportation of people by a hostile state.' 'There is no nation that would accept that someone is turning its cities into ruins. The peace formula must work for everyone, and I ask all of you to help ensure that the world is truly united at the summit in Switzerland,' he added. Zelenskyy's 10-point formula was laid out at the 2022 G20 summit in Indonesia, with its final step being the signing of a peace accord. It also focuses on issues such as nuclear safety, and food and energy security. Source: Anadolu Agency

Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos will pay a working visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday. A press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that during his stay in the capital Riyadh, Kombos will meet with his counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Bilateral relations , the Cyprus issue, relations between Saudi Arabia and the EU, as well as EU relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council will be on the agenda of the consultations. The two officials will also exchange views on important regional issues. Cyprus Minister will also meet with Deemah AlYahya, Secretary General of the International Organization for Digital Cooperation (IODC), which is based in Riyadh. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Women Judges constitute 56% of the Supreme Constitutional Court Judges, 50% of the District Judges, 36% of the Court of Appeal Judges and 43% of the Supreme Court Judges in Cyprus, said Katerina Stamatiou, President of the Supreme Court, on Wednesday. Stamatiou was addressing the second annual conference "Women in Law", organised by the Cyprus Bar Association in Larnaca. She added that "the legal equality of the two sexes as we know it today and as it is well established in international, European and domestic law, is completely absent from the legal order of the formerly civilized world. With the obvious aim of preventing any adverse discrimination between the sexes, special national mechanisms have been adopted in the Republic of Cyprus.' She further noted that "with the enactment of the Combating of Racism and Other Discrimination (Commissioner) Act, the Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights has the power to intervene in relation to discrimination, whether in the public or t he private sector, in the areas of employment, labour, vocational training, education, social protection, social security and health care, and access to goods and services." At the same time, the Supreme Court's President continued, the Commissioner for Gender Equality, a post which is expected to be officially established soon, "has broad powers and duties, with the aim of promoting equality between men and women and eliminating all forms of discrimination against women." Through the Gender Equality National Action Plans, a gender equality culture is being promoted, both in the state structure and in society as a whole, she added. She also said that "the Human Rights, Anti-Crime and Correctional Policy - Gender Violence Department of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order is strengthening the entire framework for the promotion and respect of human rights, the implementation of anti-crime and correctional policy and the fight against gender violence." Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou spoke abo ut environmental justice in the conference session entitled "Environment, Society, Corporate Governance and Sustainable Development Goals". Cyprus, she said, has signed the Aarhus Convention in 1998 and ratified it in 2003. "Twenty-one years on, the Convention has had a positive impact in terms of environmental governance and institutional adherence to the first two pillars of the Convention - access to information and participation in decision-making," she said. In her presentation, Theodosiou addressed in particular the third pillar, "that of civil society's access to justice for violations affecting the environment and thus the quality of life" and referred "to the current legal regime in the Republic and whether the law has been adapted to the international and EU obligations of our country, based on what derives from the Convention, and whether citizens actually have access to justice in the Cypriot legal remedies". In his address, the President of the Cyprus Bar Association Michael Vorkas referred to equality issues and said that "the current Board of Directors of the Cyprus Bar Association, upon assuming office, has established the Equality Committee in order to focus on the relevant issues". After the welcoming remarks, distinguished speakers from Cyprus and abroad spoke about contemporary issues regarding the empowerment of women, the upgrading of skills, the enhancement of their participation in positions of responsibility and decision making bodies, as well as the challenges they face in the modern labour market, especially in the field of law. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares reaffirmed Wednesday Spain's intention to recognize the Palestinian state, citing it as a step towards securing a two-state solution and ensuring lasting peace in the Middle East. "We want to recognize the Palestinian state to make the two-state solution irreversible, which is the same as making peace in the Middle East irreversible," said Albares during his address in the Spanish parliament, challenging opposition members on various aspects of the government's policies. The minister stressed the government's commitment to "humanitarian aid" in Gaza, defending the increase in "voluntary donations to UNRWA," aimed at aiding Palestinians in need. "That is what you rejected in this Chamber yesterday, supporting food and education for boys and girls," he also criticized opposition members for rejecting initiatives providing food and education for children, underscoring the vital importance of such assistance. Furthermore, Albares questioned parliament's d isagreement with the government's endeavors, ranging from fostering robust neighborly relations to supporting international "peace" initiatives. He emphasized the importance of maintaining strong ties with neighboring countries, particularly those "sharing a border" with Spain. Albares also advocated for continued "support to Ukraine" and stressed the significance of diplomatic efforts for global peace. Addressing concerns over citizen protection, he also cited recent successful interventions, including the repatriation of a sick Spanish national from Thailand and the release of unjustly detained individuals in Iran. Albares concluded by asserting Spain's stature as a significant global player, despite perceptions of its size and strength. He underscored that the government's actions align with values that define Spain's position in the world. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Wednesday with, including the US Senate passing a $95 billion aid bill, the Iranian president's warning to Israel, and preparations by the Israeli army for an operation in Rafah. TOP STORIES US Senate passes $95B aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan The US Senate approved a long-awaited $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Tuesday. President Joe Biden's said he will sign the bill into law as soon as it reaches his desk on Wednesday. "The need is urgent: for Ukraine, facing unrelenting bombardment from Russia; for Israel, which just faced unprecedented attacks from Iran,' he said in a statement released shortly after the Senate passed the bill. The bill includes more than $60.8 billion for Ukraine, $26.6 billion for Israel and $8 billion for Indo-Pacific allies to counter China. Iran's Raisi says 'nothing will be left' of Israel if it attacks again Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said Tuesday that if Israel carr ies out another attack on Iranian territory, the situation 'will be completely different' and there 'will be nothing left of the Zionist regime.' Addressing students and teachers in Lahore, Pakistan, Raisi said Iran 'punished' Israel for its attack on the Iranian Consulate in Syria, referring to a drone and missile attack earlier this month on Israel. Raisi said if Israel again resorts to military action against Iran, 'the situation will be completely different, and it's not known whether anything will be left of the regime,' referring to Israel. Israeli army preparing for Rafah ground offensive 'very soon' The Israeli army is preparing to launch a military operation in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza "very soon," local media reported Tuesday. According to the public broadcaster KAN, which cited unnamed Israeli military sources, the army is preparing for a ground operation in Rafah that would include "evacuating a significant number of residents." "According to the army's plan, more than 1 million Pa lestinians in Rafah will be asked to evacuate the area to shelters recently established in the southern and central parts of the Gaza Strip," said the broadcaster's military correspondent Itay Blumental. NEWS IN BRIEF Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that the PKK/PYD/YPG terror group poses a threat to Iraq's stability, development and peace. The head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) commented Tuesday on attempts to dismantle the agency and said the real motive is political. Student protests against the Gaza war spread and intensified at US universities on Tuesday as demonstrators demanded that their institutions condemn the war and divest from Israeli firms in response. Israel is 'stuck' in the Gaza Strip amid a 200-day deadly offensive, Hamas said on Tuesday. Cities in Gaza were destroyed more than German cities in WWII, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell highlighted on Tuesday. Jamaica decided to officially recognize the State of Palestine on Tuesday following d eliberations in the Cabinet the previous day. A Turkish Navy ship arrived at the Port of Mogadishu on Tuesday following the signing of a defense and economic agreement between Somalia and Trkiye in February this year. The resignation of the Israeli military's intelligence chief this week could create a 'domino effect' in which Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and other senior officers will step down, a local newspaper said Tuesday The Israeli army shot and wounded three Palestinians on Tuesday during clashes in the occupied West Bank. More than 3,660 Palestinians are being held under administrative detention in Israeli prisons, the highest number since 1967, prisoners' rights groups said Tuesday. Qatar is still committed to mediating between Hamas and Israel to reach a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, its Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said. SPORTS Arsenal hammer Chelsea in Premier League London derby Arsenal hammered Chelsea 5-0 on Tuesday in an English Premier League London derby. The Gunners t ook over the Premier League leadership with 77 points, followed by Liverpool with 74 points and one more match to play. Manchester City are third with 73 points and two more games to play. Polti Kometa's Lonardi wins Stage 3 of Tour of Trkiye Giovanni Lonardi, the Italian rider from the Polti Kometa team, won Stage 3 of the 2024 Presidential Cycling Tour of Trkiye (TUR 2024) on Tuesday. Bora-Hansgrohe's Danny Van Poppel crossed the finish line first but was disqualified for squeezing Lonardi into the barriers. Lonardi took first in a time of 3 hours, 24 minutes, 57 seconds. BUSINESS and ECONOMY Global electric car sales to surge, expected to hit 17 million Global electric car sales are set to remain robust in 2024, reaching around 17 million units by the end of this year, according to the latest report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Tuesday. The new edition of the IEA's annual Global EV Outlook predicts that more than one in five cars sold worldwide this year are expected to be electric, with surging demand projected over the next decade set to remake the global auto industry and significantly reduce oil consumption for road transport. Turkish aviation sector grows with investments Trkiye's aviation sector is growing with the investments made in the field after its rapid recovery post-pandemic. Last year, global international passenger capacity fell 12% behind the pandemic year of 2019, and Turkish Airlines, on the other hand, continued to be one of the leading airlines in the sector with a 27% increase for the same period, according to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) compiled by Anadolu. Source: Anadolu Agency

After 109 years, we keep alive the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide, the Presidency of the Republic said in a post on platform X on Wednesday, marking the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day on April 24. "We express our solidarity and reiterate our full support to the people of Armenia for the international recognition and restoration of the historical truth about the heinous crime of genocide against them," the statement said. "Never again" is the Foreign Affairs Ministry's message on the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. In its own post on platform X, the Ministry says that "we remember and pay tribute to the victims of the Genocide and vow to uphold their memory". Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, delivered a bombshell testimony on Tuesday, revealing the inner workings of a scheme to suppress damaging stories during Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. The criminal hush money trial involving the former US president saw its first witness take the stand in the US courtroom on Tuesday. Pecker disclosed to the New York court that the Enquirer engaged in a practice known as "catch and kill," wherein he paid individuals with potentially damaging stories about Trump and then buried those stories, preventing them from reaching the public eye. His testimony shed light on payments made to two individuals who had stories of Trump's alleged sexual misconduct. "When someone's running for public office like this, it is very common for these women to call up a magazine like the National Enquirer to try to sell their stories," Pecker said during his testimony. Pecker also revealed the decision to suppress these stories stemmed from a 2015 me eting with Trump himself. He claimed to have assured Trump of favorable coverage in the Enquirer and pledged to shield him from damaging revelations. One such payment involved former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who allegedly had a relationship with Trump in 2006 and 2007 but the former US president denied having an affair with McDougal. Pecker asserted that he purchased McDougal's story after Trump declined to do so himself. Another payment was made to a Trump Tower doorman, Dino Sajudin, who falsely claimed Trump fathered a child with a maid. "I made the decision to buy the story because of the potential embarrassment it would have to the campaign and Mr. Trump," Pecker noted. David Pecker is due to testify again when the trial continues on Thursday. Legal battle intensifies Prosecutors claim Pecker helped Trump deceive voters by suppressing alleged affair stories in 2016. They have charged Trump with falsifying records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. Trump denied the encounter, pleading not guilty to protect his reputation. This trial, one of four against Trump, could affect his candidacy if he is found guilty. Pecker's testimony came after a hearing addressing prosecutors' request to fine Trump $10,000 for breaching a gag order. Judge Juan Merchan expressed skepticism towards Trump's defense, stating that it lacked evidence. "I have to tell you right now, you're losing all credibility with the court," Merchan warned. Trump claimed the order violated his free speech rights. Prosecutor Christopher Conroy argued Trump knowingly violated the order, citing derogatory social media posts. The $10,000 fine sought by Conroy may seem small compared to Trump's bonds in other cases. Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche argued the social media posts were responses to political attacks and not connected to the anticipation of his former lawyer's testimony. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Portugal must pay the costs for the colonial era, the country's president said, according to Portuguese media outlets on Wednesday. The country takes responsibility for its past mistakes, and must pay its costs, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told foreign reporters in Lisbon on Tuesday, broadcaster SIC Noticias reported Wednesday. The president added that the country must find solutions to repair damages. He added that apologizing is easy, while taking responsibility is more important. Portugal was one of the biggest colonial empires in terms of extension, reaching Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The country was responsible for the trafficking of almost 6 million people, according to SIC Noticias. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: South Korea on Wednesday launched its nanosatellite into orbit as part of its project to create a satellite constellation by 2027, local media reported. The Earth observation satellite lifted off aboard Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from a spaceport in Mahia, New Zealand, Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported, citing a Ministry of Science and ICT statement. The satellite, named NEONSAT-1, was deployed into space at an altitude of 520 kilometers (323 miles), about 50 minutes after the rocket's launch, according to the report. The satellite developed by the state-run Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) for mass production, NEONSAT-1 weighs less than 100 kilograms and has a resolution of 1 meter. Seoul plans to launch five more nanosatellites into space in June 2026 and five more in September 2027 to better monitor the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding regions. Earlier, this month, South Korea also "successfully" launched its second indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Fal con 9 rocket. South Korea launched its first spy satellites in December last year after North Korea placed its first military spy satellite into orbit in November and vowed to launch three more spy satellites this year. *Writing by Islamuddin Sajid Source: Anadolu Agency