World Press

Why mezoued is back on music charts in Tunisia

Layli Foroudi — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 09:39:00 -0500

A wave of nostalgia has hit Tunisian clubs after the success of a 1990s-themed Ramadan TV series inspired by traditional mezoued music.

Why this traditional instrument is back on Tunisia's music charts

Layli Foroudi — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 09:39:00 -0500

A wave of nostalgia has hit Tunisian clubs after the success of a 1990s-themed Ramadan TV series inspired by traditional mezoued music.

Lebanon's green turtles threatened by new resort

Nicholas Frakes — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 08:19:00 -0500

The Orange House Project, an environmental NGO, has been trying to ensure that turtles reach the sea after their eggs are hatched, but its job gets more difficult every year.

Deciphering the cryptic safe-zone deal between Turkey, US

Metin Gurcan — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 11:30:00 -0500

Details are emerging of a safe-zone road map between the United States and Turkey in Syria.

Amendments to Iraqi provincial elections law spark controversy

Omar Sattar — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 08:35:00 -0400

Large political blocs in the Iraqi parliament voted for a new law organizing provincial elections for 2020 that gives the blocs an advantage over smaller groupings.

Will Egypt launch its own official digital currency?

David Awad — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 07:58:00 -0400

As Facebook announced it might not launch its digital currency as previously announced, experts in Egypt are debating whether the country should regulate digital currency.

Oil, budgets, Kirkuk still nag Baghdad-Erbil relations

Omar Sattar — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 07:57:00 -0400

Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan representatives have held a series of high-level meetings to try to resolve their longstanding issues, but so far without much apparent success.

Syrian schools continue to struggle with Kurdish curriculum

Shivan Ibrahim — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 07:43:00 -0400

School curriculum remains the prime concern of parents in Syrian Kurdistan areas under control of the autonomous administration.

Fire, redevelopment controversy engulf 127-year-old Cairo market

Hossam Rabie — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 07:20:00 -0400

An Egyptian presidential decision to vacate and restore the Ataba market stirs traders’ fears of the government's desire to control the largest market in Cairo and turn it into an investment zone.

Why farmers reject Egypt’s new cotton trade strategy

Rasha Mahmoud — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 07:12:00 -0400

The Egyptian government has announced a new trading system for cotton, which would be sold through public bidding, raising the ire of farmers who already suffer from severe losses.

Why Spain has become a nightmare for the endangered turtledove

Sonia Vizoso — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 03:29:05 -0400

Almost two million European turtledoves fly every year over the Iberian Peninsula on their migratory route to Sub-Saharan Africa, where they sit out the European winter after rearing their chicks. But recently, their flight across Spain has turned into a nightmare due to the total absence of measures protecting their numbers, as laid out by the European Commission in a case it recently opened against Spain.

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JPost.com - Homepage: American Jews decry Trump's comments on 'disloyalty'

By OMRI NAHMIAS — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 03:11:13 -0400

Only the Republican Jewish Coalition defended Trump on Tuesday.

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Hürriyet Daily News: Lifting barriers essential for Syrians' integration: Expert

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:53:13 -0400

Removing barriers to integration should be the main focus of Turkey's policy towards refugees, according to an expert on the issue.

Hürriyet Daily News

Hürriyet Daily News: Forest fires in Brazil surge as deforestation accelerates

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:51:36 -0400

The number of forest fires in Brazil surged in the first eight months of 2019, official data show, as President Jair Bolsonaro faces growing criticism over rampant destruction of the Amazon.

Hürriyet Daily News

‘Open Arms’ arrives in Lampedusa after 20 days at sea

Lorena Pacho, Miguel González — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:46:17 -0400

The ongoing crisis over the Spanish NGO rescue ship Open Arms took a new and unexpected turn last night. After 20 days with no solution in sight for the migrants on board, the vessel was finally given permission to dock in Lampedusa. The Open Arms had been anchored just 800 meters from the Italian island since Friday, with the country’s authorities refusing it entry and Spain coming up with a number of different solutions – all of which the NGO had refused.

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In English Section | EL PAÍS: ‘Open Arms’ arrives in Lampedusa after 20 days at sea

Lorena Pacho, Miguel González — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:46:17 -0400

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Download video: https://vdmedia.elpais.com/elpaistop/multimedia/20198/21/20190821002437_1566340030_video_1800.mp4

In English Section | EL PAÍS

‘Open Arms’ arrives in Lampedusa after 19 days at sea

Lorena Pacho, Miguel González — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:44:26 -0400

The ongoing crisis over the Spanish NGO rescue ship Open Arms took a new and unexpected turn last night. After 20 days with no solution in sight for the migrants on board, the vessel was finally given permission to dock in Lampedusa. The Open Arms had been anchored just 800 meters from the Italian island since Friday, with the country’s authorities refusing it entry and Spain coming up with a number of different solutions – all of which the NGO had refused.

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Hürriyet Daily News: New Matrix film set with Reeves, Moss

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:38:00 -0400

Keanu Reeves and Lana Wachowski are returning to the world of "The Matrix."

Hürriyet Daily News

Hürriyet Daily News: Trump cancels Denmark visit over after rebuff over Greenland

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:33:00 -0400

U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 20 called off a visit to Denmark scheduled for early September after the country's prime minister rebuffed his idea of purchasing Greenland.

Hürriyet Daily News

Cyprus Mail: Plenty of music to look forward to at Flying Away Festival

Eleni Philippou — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:29:04 -0400

There are two weeks left before Orfeas Stadium in Nicosia fills up with nearly 100 art stalls, food trucks and local artists between September 6 and 8. As an art and music festival however, live music could not be missing from the three-day fiesta that is the Flying Away Festival, which is known for its line-up includiing well-known artists that lift the mood with many attending for the music alone. This year’s musical performers are again some of the most popular names on the Greek music scene and whether you follow their music or not, they are bound to get you rocking.

The first day of the festival will be dedicated to Greek rock of the 90s as two bands will merge for the night. Magic de Spell, one of the longest-lasting Greek rock bands, and Endelexeia will perform the best hits of the 90s Greek rock scene.

Endelexeia is a union between musicians Dimitris Mitsotakis and Panagiotis Katsimanis who will again join forces again after 17 years. The two are described as the synthetic duo of the band and two of the most iconic Greek rock musicians of the 90s who created some of the band’s greatest hits. The music programme on September 6 will include older songs of the two artists, as well as new tracks from their current collaboration.

Magic de Spell are no strangers to Cypriot gigs as they’ve performed on the island throughout their history. With eight albums in Greek and four in English, they have toured Greece and Europe, always known for their electrifying energy and bursting performances which they are set to bring to the Orfeas Stadium.

To celebrate the beginning of Flying Away, the festival has one more activity planned for the first night only. After the live music is over, the party is set to continue until the late hours at a venue down the road. Neverland Rock Bar will take over the entertainment with DJ Charitos rocking the decks.

On the following evening, a Greek hip-hop duo will take the stage. Stavento, known for both their own songs and collaborations with other artists, will perform some of their greatest hits merged with some traditional elements as well as covers and experiential songs of well-known classics.

The band was created in 2004 by Michalis Kouineli and Vaggeli Georgatzi and their name, Stavento, refers to a sailors’ term meaning ‘shelter’. They seek to unite various musical genres without hesitation and to remove musical labels by making their first step in discography. They have emerged as one of the most successful hip-hop names in Greek discography, featuring countless hits that have left an indelible imprint on their biography.

For the final day of the festival, the Greek reggae band Locomondo will return after they have been part of Flying Away festival for the last couple of years. Besides Flying Away though, Locomondo are huge fans of the island with numerous gigs during the summer. The band, now extremely well-known, has a large number of followers in Cyprus and needs little introduction. Their shows are almost always sold-out and known to be of high energy and enthusiasm as their songs are cheery, urging you to dance. They mix reggae and ska with traditional Greek sounds, Latin and rock and will perform beloved songs from their 16-year discography.

Each day doors open at 6pm, giving you enough time to carefully browse through the art stalls and grab a bite before the live music begins. Entrance to the festival is €10 per day or €20 for all three nights if you purchase a presale ticket. Children under 15 years old can attend for free. Given the large amount of entertainment offered, dozens of local artworks, food and drink options and performances from popular recording artists, Flying Away Art and Music Festival is a gem.

Flying Away Art and Music Festival

Three-day festival with 72 art stalls, open-air live performances, food and drinks. September 6-8. Orfeas Stadium, Nicosia. €10 per day or €20 for all three (presale). Tel: 7008-7171

The post Plenty of music to look forward to at Flying Away Festival appeared first on Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus Mail

Hürriyet Daily News: Central government gross debt stock at $217B

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:28:58 -0400

Turkey’s central government gross debt stock was 1.21 trillion Turkish liras ($217 billion) as of July this year, the Treasury and Finance Ministry announced on Aug 20.

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Hürriyet Daily News: Turkish Treasury issues some $148M lease certificates

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:26:41 -0400

Turkey's Treasury and Finance Ministry announced that it had issued lease certificates worth 846.5 million liras ($147.9 million) on Aug. 20.

Hürriyet Daily News

Hürriyet Daily News: Burned forests won't be open for construction

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:22:07 -0400

Charred forestland on Turkey's Aegean coastline will not be opened up for construction, the country's environment and urbanization minister said on Aug. 20.

Hürriyet Daily News

JPost.com - Homepage: Likud’s campaign strategy? Yair Lapid as Prime Minister in 20 videos

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:21:44 -0400

The Likud aims to target roughly one third of Blue and White voters who allegedly feel apprehensive about Lapid leading the country in rotation with Benny Gantz.

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Hürriyet Daily News: US meets with far-left terror group in Syria: Interior minister

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:17:45 -0400

Turkey's interior minister said on Aug. 20 that the U.S. met with the outlawed terrorist Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) organization in Syria two weeks ago.

Hürriyet Daily News

Cyprus Mail: Trump cancels Denmark visit over after rebuff over Greenland

Reuters News Service — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:14:45 -0400

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called off a visit to Denmark scheduled for early September after the country’s prime minister rebuffed his idea of purchasing Greenland.

“Denmark is a very special country with incredible people, but based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time,” Trump said in a post on Twitter.

“The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the United States and Denmark by being so direct. I thank her for that and look forward to rescheduling sometime in the future!”

A White House official said Trump had dropped the Sept. 2-3 stop in Denmark, a NATO ally. Trump had been due to discuss the Arctic in meetings in Copenhagen with Frederiksen, who took office in June, and Prime Minister Kim Kielsen of Greenland.

He is due to visit Poland on Aug. 31.

Frederiksen said on Sunday the idea of selling Greenland to the United States was absurd after an economic adviser to Trump confirmed U.S. interest in buying the world’s largest island.

“Greenland is not for sale. Greenland is not Danish. Greenland belongs to Greenland. I strongly hope that this is not meant seriously,” Frederiksen told the newspaper Sermitsiaq during a visit to Greenland.

Trump confirmed to reporters on Sunday that he had recently discussed the possibility of buying Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, although he said such a move was not an immediate priority.

“The concept came up and … strategically it’s interesting,” Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey.

A defense treaty between Denmark and the United States dating back to 1951 gives the U.S. military rights over the Thule Air Base in northern Greenland.

Trump’s interest in buying Greenland has been met with incredulity and humor. Lars Lokke Rasmussen, who recently stepped down as Danish prime minister, tweeted last week: “It must be an April Fool’s Day joke.”

On Monday, Trump retweeted an image of a golden Trump tower looming over a cluster of houses on the Arctic island, and wrote: “I promise not to do this to Greenland!”

The post Trump cancels Denmark visit over after rebuff over Greenland appeared first on Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus Mail

Hürriyet Daily News: Turkish president, German chancellor speak on phone

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:12:00 -0400

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke late on Aug. 20 to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to Turkey's Presidential Communications Directorate.

Hürriyet Daily News

Cyprus Mail: Ex-Vatican treasurer Pell loses appeal against sex abuse convictions, returns to prison

Reuters News Service — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 02:08:15 -0400

By Sonali Paul

Former Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell lost an appeal against his conviction for sexually abusing two 13-year-old choir boys and will remain in prison for at least another three years, an Australian court ruled on Wednesday.

Pell, the highest ranking Catholic worldwide to be convicted of child sex offences, was sentenced in March to six years in jail after being found guilty on five charges of abusing the two boys at St Patrick’s Cathedral while he was Archbishop of Melbourne in the late 1990s.

Supreme Court of Victoria Chief Justice Anne Ferguson said on Wednesday that two of the three judges hearing Pell’s appeal “decided that it was open to the jury to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Cardinal Pell was guilty of the offences charged” and rejected his appeal.

The jury in the trial heard testimony from a victim who described how Pell had exposed himself to the two boys, fondled their genitals and masturbated and forced one boy to perform a sex act on him. The other victim died in 2014.

“I am grateful for a legal system that everyone can believe in, where everybody is equal before the law and no one is above the law,” the surviving choir boy, now in his 30s, said in a statement read out by his lawyer, Vivian Waller of Waller Legal.

“The criminal process has been stressful. The journey has taken me to places that, in my darkest moments, I feared I could not return from,” he said in the statement.

Under the terms of his sentencing, Pell will be eligible for parole in October 2022, when he will be 81.

“Cardinal Pell is obviously disappointed with the decision today,” his spokeswoman, Katrina Lee, said in a statement, adding that he maintained his innocence.

She said his legal team was examining the judgement to determine whether to lodge a special leave application to the High Court of Australia to hear an appeal. Pell has 28 days to file the application.

There was no immediate comment from the Vatican.

Pell appealed his conviction to Victoria’s Court of Appeal on three grounds, but mainly on the argument that the jury’s verdict was unreasonable based on the evidence at the trial.

However the court ruled in a 2-1 judgement that the conviction was reasonable, with two judges saying the surviving victim was a “compelling witness, was clearly not a liar, was not a fantasist and was a witness of truth”.

“As might have been expected, there were some things which he could remember and many things which he could not. And his explanations of why that was so had the ring of truth,” said the two judges.

In contrast they said the evidence by people supporting Pell varied in quality and consistency.

They dismissed Pell’s argument that sexual abuse would have been physically impossible due to his heavy robes, saying “the robes were capable of being manoeuvred in a way that might be described as being moved or pulled to one side or pulled apart”.

Outside the court in Melbourne, small groups of activists and victims of abuse cheered once they heard the verdict.

“Here we have today in our court, in Victoria, the Supreme Court, saying, ‘we believe the victim and we uphold the jury’s verdict’,” Chrissie Foster, a prominent advocate for victims who has followed the case, told reporters.

“No one is above the law,” she said.

STILL A CARDINAL

The pope has previously said he would wait for Australian civil justice to take its course before commenting on the case publicly.

Pell is still a Cardinal in the Catholic Church. Even if he resigns as a cardinal, he would still be a priest.

Before he could be dismissed from the priesthood, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) would have to find him guilty following a separate canonical trial or abbreviated procedure, known as an “administrative process”.

The CDF has been looking into the accusations against Pell since his conviction in Australia.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the courts had done their job and the justice system must be respected. He also said he expected Pell would lose his Australian honours.

Pell was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2005 and awarded a Centenary Medal in 2001.

Pell’s legal team had appealed his conviction on three grounds, but the three appeal judges only permitted the unreasonable verdict argument to be heard.

The dissenting view from Justice Mark Weinberg said the victim “was inclined to embellish aspects of his account” and he said the evidence contained enough discrepancies and inadequacies to cause him to doubt Pell’s guilt. Weinberg said that in his view the convictions could not stand.

Pell’s case has attracted global attention as it brought a growing crisis of sexual abuse in the Catholic church spanning scandals in the United States, Chile and Germany right to the heart of the papal administration.

The Australian judges said Pell should not be made a “scapegoat for any perceived failings of the Catholic church nor for any failure in relation to child sexual abuse by other clergy”. They said his conviction and sentence was not vindication of the trauma suffered by other victims of abuse.

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the Catholic church’s top body in Australia, said it accepted the court’s decision and acknowledged the pain that those abused by clergy have experienced through Pell’s trials and appeal.

The post Ex-Vatican treasurer Pell loses appeal against sex abuse convictions, returns to prison appeared first on Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus Mail

Cyprus Mail: Amazon burning: Brazil reports record forest fires

Reuters News Service — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 01:59:03 -0400

By Lisandra Paraguassu

Wildfires raging in the Amazon rainforest have hit a record number this year, with 72,843 fires detected so far by Brazil’s space research center INPE, as concerns grow over right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro’s environmental policy.

The surge marks an 83% increase over the same period of 2018, the agency said on Tuesday, and is the highest since records began in 2013.

Since Thursday, INPE said satellite images spotted 9,507 new forest fires in the country, mostly in the Amazon basin, home to the world’s largest tropical forest seen as vital to countering global warming.

Images show the northernmost state of Roraima covered in dark smoke. Amazonas declared an emergency in the south of the state and in its capital Manaus on Aug. 9. Acre, on the border with Peru, has been on environmental alert since Friday due to the fires.

Wildfires have increased in Mato Grosso and Para, two states where Brazil’s agricultural frontier has pushed into the Amazon basin and spurred deforestation. Wildfires are common in the dry season, but are also deliberately set by farmers illegally deforesting land for cattle ranching.

The unprecedented surge in wildfires has occurred since Bolsonaro took office in January vowing to develop the Amazon region for farming and mining, ignoring international concern over increased deforestation.

Asked about the spread of uncontrolled fires, Bolsonaro brushed off criticism, saying it was the time of the year of the “queimada” or burn, when farmers use fire to clear land.

“I used to be called Captain Chainsaw. Now I am Nero, setting the Amazon aflame. But it is the season of the queimada,” he told reporters.

Space agency INPE, however, said the large number of wildfires could not be attributed to the dry season or natural phenomena alone.

“There is nothing abnormal about the climate this year or the rainfall in the Amazon region, which is just a little below average,” said INPE researcher Alberto Setzer.

People frequently blame the dry season for the wildfires in the Amazon, but that is not quite accurate, he said.

“The dry season creates the favorable conditions for the use and spread of fire, but starting a fire is the work of humans, either deliberately or by accident,” Setzer said.

Bolsonaro recently fired the director of INPE after he criticized agency statistics showing an increase in deforestation in Brazil, saying they were inaccurate.

“I am waiting for the next set of numbers, that will not be made up numbers. If they are alarming, I will take notice of them in front of you,” he told reporters.

The post Amazon burning: Brazil reports record forest fires appeared first on Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus Mail

JPost.com - Homepage: Ex-Vatican treasurer Pell loses appeal against sex abuse convictions

By REUTERS — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 01:32:41 -0400

Pell, the highest ranking Catholic worldwide to be convicted of child sex offenses, was sentenced in March to six years in jail after being found guilty on five charges of abusing two boys.

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JPost.com - Homepage: Joe Biden to Trump ‘stop dividing Americans'

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 00:31:35 -0400

The former vice president said Trump’s comments are ‘insulting and inexcusable.’

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Hürriyet Daily News: Life next to an ancient city

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Located 13 kilometers away from the city center on the Ankara-Eskişehir highway, the ancient city of Pessinus is a first degree archaeological site right next to Ballıhisar neighborhood

Hürriyet Daily News

Cyprus Mail: Our View: Amphitheatre will not bring culture to resort that has none

CM: Our View — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 21:28:31 -0400

The architectural competition for an amphitheatre in Ayia Napa was announced recently by the municipality which has lofty ambitions for the coastal resort. Citing the success of its three festivals (Annual, Mediaeval, Youth) and the need to attract international cultural events, the construction of an amphitheatre was a necessity as it was also a pre-requisite for the attracting of cultural tourism, the municipality said. A modern, fully equipped venue for hosting events was an imperative.

Ayia Napa is one of Cyprus’ wealthiest municipalities and can afford to spend €3.8 million on a vanity project such as an amphitheatre, but the municipal council is deluding itself if it genuinely believes that all it takes to attract cultural tourism is a newly-built, well-equipped venue, which will offer a “panoramic view.” Placing a modern amphitheatre in Ayia Napa will not attract cultural tourism, because the reality is that the resort has nothing cultural to offer. There is no art scene, music scene, architecture, antiquities in what is essentially a cultural desert.

This is not meant as criticism of Ayia Napa, but a reminder that this is a party resort primarily for the fun-loving young. What cultural tourism would be attracted to a place that boasts deafening music until the early hours of the morning, is packed with bars, neon-lit clubs, fast food joints and streets which are the preserve of drunken youths? Would the construction of an amphitheatre, miraculously, change all this and give the resort an upmarket, cultural profile?

Of course not. The municipal council should be happy with what the resort is – a busy, noisy, anarchic, fun factory for 24-hour party people – and should not try to change what has proved a very successful formula. Until the late seventies, Ayia Napa was a tiny, sleepy village with a charming fishing harbour that not even Cypriots had heard of and now it is known all over Europe as a party resort; at one point it even spawned the Napa sound which was played in clubs abroad. Why change a successful brand that has been a cash cow for years?

We can only attribute the municipal council’s plans to delusions of grandeur. Mayor Yiannis Karousos illustrated the point, saying that the amphitheatre would be another reference point for culture and would be the basis for Ayia Napa’s claim for the title of Cultural Capital of Europe in 2030. It is hard to believe that he was actually being serious and really thought that the construction of an amphitheatre will bring culture to a resort that has none.

The post Our View: Amphitheatre will not bring culture to resort that has none appeared first on Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus Mail

Cyprus Mail: Police probe into teenager’s drinking death continues

Lizzy Ioannidou — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 21:26:35 -0400

A probe into whether the death of 16-year-old Panayiotis Stefani in Larnaca in April was the result of bullying has yet to be completed, police said on Tuesday.

Though the five-member team of Larnaca interrogators was expected to complete their investigation by mid-May, the police press office told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday that “some aspects require further investigation.”

According to police, a completed case file of the probe into whether the high alcohol consumption that killed the 16-year-old at a teen party was voluntary or forced was previously sent to the legal service, whose task is to review the case file and instruct authorities into whether a criminal prosecution is justified.

The file was returned to the interrogating team on the grounds that the investigation was not adequately completed.

As such, the police said that “investigations are continuing, and it is not clear when we can expect the team of interrogators to complete their task.”

After the death of Stefani at a teen party on April 14 from alcohol poisoning, several claims that he was a victim of bullying led police to pursue this line of inquiry.

In May, it emerged that police were in possession of four audio-visual pieces of material documenting that Stefani was a victim of bullying.

Suspicions that Stefani was pressured into consuming the large amounts of alcohol that led to his death were heightened after reports emerged that one of the videos in the possession of the police showed him being pressured by peers to consumer large quantities of alcohol very quickly.

Toxicology test results found that his blood contained 340mg of alcohol.

The post Police probe into teenager’s drinking death continues appeared first on Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus Mail

JPost.com - Homepage: World military leaders visiting Israel for security briefing

By MARCY OSTER/JTA — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 21:19:20 -0400

The group’s mission statement says it is “working to combat ignorance about Israel to people around the world.”

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JPost.com - Homepage: ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ season 3 gets trailer

By GABE FRIEDMAN/JTA — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 21:12:00 -0400

The series is up for 20 Emmys this year.

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JPost.com - Homepage: New York rabbi drowns after jumping in lake to save his child

By MARCY OSTER/JTA — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 21:03:52 -0400

His body was found midday on Monday. The search had been called off the previous night because of bad weather.

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JPost.com - Homepage: Production begins on ‘Valley of Tears,’ Israel’s most ambitious TV show ever

By CURT SCHLEIER/JTA — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 21:02:06 -0400

“Valley of Tears,” an ambitious eight-episode miniseries that depicts the 1973 Yom Kippur War through the eyes of three young combatants, reportedly will cost $1 million per episode.

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JPost.com - Homepage: Ramallah following Tehran in seeking Israel’s destruction, Danon tell UNSC

By TOVAH LAZAROFF — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 20:52:53 -0400

“As Tehran openly calls for Israel’s destruction, Ramallah uses other means to undermine the Jewish State’s right to exist,” Danon said.

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JPost.com - Homepage: Fake Twitter accounts are impersonating Jews and promoting antisemitism

By JOSEFIN DOLSTEN/JTA — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 20:33:22 -0400

“You will have the benefit of labeling anyone an anti semite who disagrees with you,” the anonymous post suggested on Friday.

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JPost.com - Homepage: Democrats take aim at 2 ambassadors for the Tlaib-Omar fiasco

By RON KAMPEAS/JTA — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 20:25:03 -0400

“This is the nail in the coffin,” a top Democratic congressional staffer said.

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JPost.com - Homepage: Terror assessment report warns of attack risk at planned Holocaust memorial

By ILANIT CHERNICK — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 20:13:03 -0400

The high-profile Jewish focused building would be a “high value” target for attacks because of its proximity both to Parliament and MI5.

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JPost.com - Homepage: Netanyahu backtracks on right-wing coalition

By GIL HOFFMAN — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 19:59:35 -0400

“All governments want wide coalitions,” the Likud said. “He wasn’t agreeing to a unity government, and he did not refer to specific parties.”

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JPost.com - Homepage: Teva launches generic version of EpiPen for young children

By REUTERS — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 19:47:26 -0400

The drugmaker has been struggling with falling prices of generics and faces lawsuits that allege it helped fuel the U.S. opioid addiction epidemic.

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KashmirWatch: If attacked, AJK would be turned into graveyard of Indian forces: Masood

Editor — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 18:12:49 -0400

ISLAMABAD, August 20: “If India committed the blunder of carrying out strike on Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the whole state would be turned into a graveyard of Indian forces,” warned AJK President Sardar Masood Khan.

Talking to national and international media here on Tuesday, he reminded to the Modi regime the statement of the first Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in which he had advised his nation not to commit the mistake of striking Azad Kashmir, otherwise, no Indian personnel would return alive from there.

The AJK president said that eyes were focused on the UN Security Council as to what steps it takes to prevent the potential human tragedy in the wake of war hysteria of Indian rulers, and what strategy it adopts to minimize the dangers of war and destruction hovering over the region.

“Without waiting for any formal request from Pakistan or the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the Security Council should take immediate action under clauses 1, 33, 34, 35, 36, 41 and 42 of the UN charters and play its role in reducing dangers posed to peace and security of South Asia as had been done in case of Mali, Sudan and many other central Africa states,” he added.

In reply to a question, Sardar Masood Khan said that at present, the whole Kashmir valley is completely under siege, and the carnage of innocent civilians is continuing at the hands of Indian troops. “The whole occupied state is faced with acute shortage of foodstuffs and life-saving drugs, and the UN Security Council should immediately intervene and establish a humanitarian corridor to save the lives of stranded Kashmiri people,” he stressed.

The AJK president called upon the UNSC to take immediate notice of constant violations of ceasefire agreement and secure an end to shelling and firing by Indian forces on the civilian population living along the Line of Control.

He maintained that more than three dozen civilians of Azad Kashmir have been killed and dozens others injured I recent days setting the worst example of provocation by the Indian army.

Answering various questions from the journalists, the state president asserted that Pakistan was effectively pleading the Kashmir case on the international level to the full satisfaction of the Kashmiri people. However, Kashmiri people do not recognize any so-called Line of Control and they are keen to trample this line to rush to the rescue of their brethers ad sisters facing repression in the Indian occupied territory.

Sardar Masood Khan said that we are peace-loving people and we do not want to fan the flames of war, but if war is imposed on us, we would fight the Indian aggression shoulder to shoulder with our brave armed forces of the country.

“If war breaks out between Pakistan and India, it would not be a war limited to two countries only but it would have its negative effects on the entire world,” he cautioned, and prevailed upon the United Nations to set up special international courts to probe genocide of Kashmiri people and the use of chemical weapons by India against them.

The post If attacked, AJK would be turned into graveyard of Indian forces: Masood appeared first on KashmirWatch.

KashmirWatch

KashmirWatch: MISGUIDED BY MR. MODI

Editor — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:49:22 -0400

ALI SUKHANVER

After India’s stubborn action of changing the status of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh, the situation is getting seriously dangerous and gravely complicated in the South Asian Region. Recently Pakistan’s foreign Minister went to China on a diplomatic mission where he was warmly welcomed by the Chinese authorities. It is in the news that he ‘visited China in a bid to seek allies for a UN resolution against New Delhi for revoking Kashmir’s autonomy’. During the meeting Mr. Wang expressed grave concern about the situation in Kashmir, the cause of two wars between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. He assured Mr. Shah Mehmood Qureshi that Beijing would continue to support Pakistan to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. In short this was a very fruitful visit but certainly not a ‘good omen’ for India, so to counter the situation Indian foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, flew to Beijing himself just after the visit of Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, during the talks with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, said that “the two nations should ensure that it was important that differences between us, if any, should not become disputes”.

China did not welcome this statement of Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and its foreign ministry had to release a statement just to clarify China’s position. The statement said, “China has taken a ‘principled’ stand on ‘unilateral’ actions by India, and has urged New Delhi to play a constructive role in regional peace and stability”. Obviously the Chinese response did not prove pleasing to the Indian hi-ups and they issued a warning to China to stay out of the dispute over Kashmir’s status. India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said that ‘decisions on Kashmir were an internal matter concerning the territory of India as their country does not comment on the internal affairs of other countries and similarly expects other countries to do likewise.’ At present, nothing happening there in Kashmir is unexpected or strange after President Trump’s offer to mediate on Kashmir issue. All actions taken by the Modi government simply show the climax of mental panic Mr. Modi and his loved ones are passing through at the moment.

The decision of changing the status of Jammu and Kashmir and that of Ladakh would soon prove very unwise because this decision has on one hand added a lot to already troubled lives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and on the other hand this decision has given a new life to the already active separatist elements in India. The Indian plan of changing the administrative status of Ladakh has annoyed China too as it has raised serious objections on the formation of Ladakh as Union Territory by India, saying it undermined its territorial sovereignty. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying has recently said that China has always opposed India’s inclusion of the Chinese territory in the western sector of the China-India boundary into its administrative jurisdiction. Hua said in a statement that India has continued to undermine China’s territorial sovereignty by unilaterally changing its domestic law,” She further said that such practice was “unacceptable and will not come into force.” She also said, “We urge India to exercise prudence in words and deeds concerning the boundary question, strictly abide by relevant agreements concluded between the two sides and avoid taking any move that may further complicate the boundary question.” Looking at the present situation of the Indian Occupied Kashmir, one can easily feel that ‘prudence’ could never be expected from the Modi government particularly in the matters relevant to Kashmir. At present the state Kashmir is literally burning.

The Guardian has recently published an analysis on the worsening situation in Kashmir which says, “By subverting the constitution, ignoring India’s Simla obligation to ensure that the ‘principles and purposes’ of the UN charter govern relations with Pakistan, and removing Kashmiris’ right to self-governance, Modi has placed himself squarely in the wrong. To argue, as he does, that Kashmir is solely an internal matter is to ignore the realities of 70-plus years of strife.” Fortunately in a recent meeting on Kashmir issue the UN Security Council has also rejected this argument of Mr. Modi. It has suggested to the both countries, Pakistan and India to settle the matter bilaterally as Kashmir is a matter belonging to the both countries on equal grounds. Another important thing is that the matter was brought to the Supreme Court of India too by some Indian human-rights protectors; the honourable Supreme Court has yet not decided the matter but it is being hoped that some judicious decision may come out if the courts in India are not under Modi-pressure. Unfortunately the name of Mr. Modi has become a symbol of injustice and unfairness. What would become of a country which is headed by an unfair leader; this question has its own importance.

The post MISGUIDED BY MR. MODI appeared first on KashmirWatch.

KashmirWatch

KashmirWatch: Freedom— Ultimate Solution to Kashmir Crisis

Editor — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:47:24 -0400

(Updated Version)

Tarequl Islam

India’s central government has just made the region of Jammu and Kashmir a colony in its entirety, annulling Article 370 of the Indian constitution whereby the Kashmiri as a people have enjoyed a special status and autonomy by law since India’s annexation of the disputed territory on 27 October 1947 following the Instrument of Accession signed by the then Kashmir’s ruling Maharaja Hari Singh.

If the annulment were rightful, the ruling BJP government would never have to put a clampdown on the territory cutting off phone networks, the electricity and internet and keeping communications blackout so that no news or reports of what’s going on can be communicated to the outside world from there. Known as the most militarized zone in the world, Kashmir is now under an unprecedented security lock-down, causing severe hardship for the lives of millions. Top leaders of the territory have still been under house arrest. In view of the imposition of Section 144, some 35 thousand more troops till now have been deployed to bar the people from taking to the streets to protest against the annulment. Yet, according to latest reports, the troops have indiscriminately shot at crowds of protesters in Srinagar, with 6 killed and more than 100 injured. The people joining the demonstrations still keep their protests disregarding the curfew. The current situation seems much like the one in Palestine.

India has also abrogated Article 35A of her constitution where the State’s legislature is given the authority to define ‘who are permanent residents of the State of Jammu and Kashmir’ and there are restrictions for those who are outside the State in buying land there and having employment under —and right to scholarships provided by— the State Government. It’s a Hindutva agenda of the Hindu nationalist to change the current demographic state of the Muslim-majority State, hence the need for the abrogation. Now that the article has been scrapped, they have no constitutional barrier to settling Hindu people in large numbers from the other States of India into the State so as to augment the number of the Hindu population in relation to that of the Muslim population. By doing so, the Hindutva authorities aim to expand their domination over the State to a far greater extent than ever, thereby turning India into nothing less than an occupier like Israel from now onward.

Based on the Instrument of Accession, Article 370 of the Indian constitution entrusts India with three matters: defense, foreign affairs and communications, and Kashmiris will take decisions and measures on their own about all other matters except for the three. In addition, it was stipulated that when India needs to take a measure or a decision as for Jammu and Kashmir, these have to be accepted or allowed by the State’s legislature. But surprisingly enough, in defiance of such a condition of the historical agreement and what the Kashmiri people think and say, the government has revoked it even with no regard to criticisms from opposition parties. In addition, given the fact that the Instrument of Accession has everything to do with the very article of the Indian constitution, what right does the central government have to scrap it alone unless the State’s legislature gives any consent?!

Under the circumstances, Pakistan has already sorely protested against the annulments and as of now has expelled the India’s high commissioner and suspended trade with India. There seems to be major unrest arising between the two countries. India and Pakistan have indulged in a blatant confrontation ever since India annexed the territory. Even around the very Kashmir crisis, two all-out wars took place between them in 1947 and 1965, respectively. According to the Resolution 47 passed by the UN Security Council on 21 April 1948, the United Nations had called on both countries to reach a ceasefire and withdraw their forces from the disputed territory and proposed that a plebiscite be held for the Kashmiri to decide whether they would go with the Indian Union or Pakistan. But the plebiscite has not yet been possible to hold due to stubborn suspicion and distrust between the two rivals. So, it goes beyond saying that the seed of Indo-Pak conflicts consists in the Kashmir crisis.

Let there be peace between India and Pakistan, but the peace is possible to ensure only when the must Kashmir’s freedom is secured— given that the radix of destabilization of this region is mostly the Kashmir crisis, as is the case in the Middle East following the Palestine issue.

The Instrument of Accession, however, is the legal basis of the relationship between India and Kashmir; otherwise, Kashmir was never part of India before. In addition, the territory used to relish self-determination over the course of the British regime, though remaining a princely state. But the accession followed no plebiscite, hence making it unfair at all. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have been struggling for liberation since then in the face of often atrocious, brutal oppression by India.

As is so often the case, India brands the Kashmiri freedom fighters as terrorists, as does Israel in the case of the Palestinian ones. The Kashmiri don’t feel familiar with India’s national values, which is because India has obnoxiously failed to win their hearts thus far. Those in the territory who are fighting and resisting the Indian occupation appear to any rational, just minds to be freedom fighters, not terrorists. In 1971 the Bangladeshi freedom fighters too bombed, fired and thus fought a long guerrilla war against the Pakistani invaders, with India having backed them all the way possible. Should they be called terrorists? None whatsoever.

A lesser people or nation, when unbearably repressed and bereft of their human rights and dignity under —or if occupied by— some other greater one, are supposed to be fighting to get rid of subjugation and repression as well as secure their freedom and self-dignity. But the way for a political negotiation being of no avail, their struggle results in a combat or guerilla war by default. Ergo, this has nothing to do with terrorism, but rightfulness. As a nation ever against subjugation and injustice, the people of Bangladesh, however, don’t look the other way in the case of India subduing the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They are strongly condemning India’s serious violation of human rights and the unjust occupation and will support the fighting Kashmiri people until they have succeeded in their cause of freedom and justice. Freedom is the greatest desire for a subjugated people and so the people of Bangladesh chose no other option than independence from Pakistan in 1971; whether it is Palestine or Kashmir, the ultimate solution is freedom needing to be secured by any means for the sake of peace and stability.

As far as this writer is concerned, if there is to be sustainable peace in South Asia, the Kashmir crisis must be solved above all else. As Articles 370 and 35A are scrapped, now there is a peaceful suggestion that the Kashmiri people decide their destiny by themselves through the plebiscite proposed by the UN; otherwise, there are two options for India: either win the hearts of the Kashmiri by treating them as dignified citizens with human rights and self-determination or face bloody attacks and resistance from them and, by extension, lose the heavenly land some day or other. Now it is up to India to decide which one to choose.

This writer is a Bangladesh-based political analyst and journalist. He writes on the Middle East and South Asian affairs in the national dailies of Bangladesh. He can be reached at tareqislampt@gmail.com

The post Freedom— Ultimate Solution to Kashmir Crisis appeared first on KashmirWatch.

KashmirWatch

Cyprus Mail: Measures to crack down on illegal use of fireworks

Lizzy Ioannidou — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:24:53 -0400

Checks for the illegal possession, trade, and use of fireworks will be stepped up, the ministers of agriculture and justice, as well as the chief of police and other stakeholders, agreed in a meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting was called to find solutions to tackle the surge in the illegal trade and use of fireworks in the recent period, often at times when people are asleep.

After examining the matter in detail, it was agreed that the police will enhance cooperation with the mines service to tackle the issue.

A technical committee will also be set up, which within a month will submit a proposal to the ministers with suggestions for the improvement of the legislation governing the legal and illegal use of fireworks.

The committee will suggest higher fines, and will re-evaluate which events will be eligible for a license allowing the use of fireworks.

According to data of the mines service, the authority responsible for implementing the law regarding explosives, around 550 licenses for the use of fireworks are granted per year to concerts, festivals and other cultural, philanthropic, municipal and community events.

In urban areas, the mines service usually grants licenses for the use of small fireworks in an attempt to reduce noise pollution levels, while larger fireworks are allowed in coastal areas.

The post Measures to crack down on illegal use of fireworks appeared first on Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus Mail

Cyprus Mail: Apoel keep dream alive with draw against Ajax

Staff Reporter — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:11:22 -0400

Apoel have everything to play for next week after holding Ajax to a goalless draw at the GSP stadium in Nicosia on Tuesday night in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs.

In both halves although Ajax dominated possession it was Apoel that created the chances and perhaps deserved to win.

In the second half those were led by Georgios Merkis who headed a shot onto the woodwork while Lucas Vieira de Souza saw his on target ball saved by Ajax goalkeeper André Onana.

Down to ten men for the final ten minutes after Mazraoui was shown a second yellow card, Ajax’s only real chance in the second half was when Donny van de Beek played shot at goal. They will have to pull something extra out of the bag next week at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.

The second half played out in a similar vein to the first, and even though Ajax dominated possession it was Apoel that had the better chances at scoring.

In the first half the clearest chance came in the 29th minute when Moussa Al Taamari, who had changed position to play on the right, raced into the area and shot from close range although it went wide.

Uros Matic also fired an on target shot which was saved by Onana.

Before the match Ajax captain Dušan Tadić said “Ajax belongs in the Champions League, the pressure is on us but we have to go through”.

The last time Apoel met Ajax in the group stages of the Champions League, in season 2014-15, the match in Nicosia ended with a 1-1 draw while the return game in Amsterdam Ajax defeated Apoel by 4-0.

The side that manages to progress will play in the group stages of the tournament while the loser is guaranteed a place in the group stages of the less glamorous Europa League.

The match on Tuesday night was the first time in a Cyprus stadium both goal-line technology and the VAR were be in place.

In the night’s other matches Slavia Prague beat CFR Cluj 1-0 as did Club Brugge over LASK.

The post Apoel keep dream alive with draw against Ajax appeared first on Cyprus Mail.

Cyprus Mail

JPost.com - Homepage: Trump: Jews voting for democrats show lack of knowledge or great disloyalty

By OMRI NAHMIAS — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 16:45:04 -0400

"Yesterday, all of a sudden [Tlaib] started with tears. I don't buy it for a second," President Trump added. He called Tlaib "violent, vicious and out of control."

JPost.com - Homepage