Author: Elmas Funda

Excitement is in the air as nationwide preparations are underway for Victory Day, annually celebrated on Aug. 30, in Türkiye. Formally known as Victory and Turkish Armed Forces Day, it is the centenary of the resounding defeat of the occupying Greek army at the hands of Turks in the Battle of Dumlupınar in 1922. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other dignitaries are expected to attend a series of ceremonies, likely starting with a visit to Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Atatürk is the founding father of the Republic of Türkiye, who carried the fledgling country to victory as…

Women’s clothes are high on the government’s agenda once again in Tajikistan, where authorities and Islamic leaders are working on new guidelines on what women should wear to work and during their leisure time. The new dress code — the second of its kind in six years — is expected to be made public in the coming days, and a special event is reportedly being planned for the capital, Dushanbe, in August to showcase compliant clothes. Sulaimon Davlatzoda, the head of the state Committee for Religious Affairs and the Regulation of Traditions, told a press briefing in the capital this week that…

London (20/5 – 20)One academic was asked about the internet eating their young. This triggered a heated debate about the use of the internet the freedom in presents, the dangers of unfettered go for it all to the public, the rise of the left, the response by the right, and AI, or Artificial Intelligence. The seriousness of the debate can be seen at the UK sponsored conference on AI at Bletchley Park. Following this was the adaptation of the European law on Artificial Intelligence. 28 countries at the summit, including the United States, China, and the European Union, have issued…

Flinders University has welcomed the Australian government’s decision to allocate 330 Commonwealth Supported Places for the Nuclear-Powered Submarines Student Pathways program, which will enable more Flinders students to pursue STEM careers in the emerging nuclear-powered submarines industry. Flinders University Vice-Chancellor Professor Stirling said the Commonwealth’s investment of over $28 million in Flinders places was recognition of the University’s leadership and innovation in AUKUS education and research, and a coup for South Australia’s burgeoning workforce development and shipbuilding capacity. “Flinders is proud to be at the forefront of developing Australia’s AUKUS capability and workforce and is ready to support the nuclear-powered…

Sri Lanka’s gross foreign reserves are projected to reach US $3.8 billion by the end of 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) projections. This figure falls short by US $600 million compared to the programme request, reflecting a slowdown in reserves accumulation during the second half of the year due to heightened demands for foreign exchange by banks. During the first half of 2023, a current account surplus of approximately US$1 billion was realized, driven by a 19 percent year-on-year reduction in imports and a robust 75 percent year-on-year growth in remittances. “However, Sri Lanka Development Bond (SLDB) restructuring…

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe noted that the International Monetary Fund endorsing the second tranche of the country’s program will shed the label of a financially bankrupted state. In a special statement to Parliament today (13), President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the critical role of the government’s program, backed by assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and debt restructuring, in rebuilding the collapsed Sri Lankan economy. President Wickremesinghe highlighted the success achieved through the proper handling of two fundamental factors: securing the support of the IMF and implementing debt restructuring. He asserted that by continuing this program, Sri Lanka has…

In the realm of global politics, U-turns are somewhat expected for those closely monitoring international affairs. Nations, once adversaries, can navigate a path to peace and friendship – a characteristic element of politics in general. However, there is a distinct line where hypocrisy or deception fails to hold ground. In this context, let us delve into U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent remarks apparently criticizing Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza. During a fundraising event, Biden expressed, “Israel’s security can rest on the U.S., but right now it has more than the U.S. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it…

Under the banner of “Breath for the Future, Breath for the Republic” on the Republic’s centenary, substantial afforestation initiatives have taken root across the Eastern Anatolia Region. This year, a comprehensive drive has led to the planting of 8.15 million saplings, covering an expansive 6,870 hectares of steppe land in 8 provinces. Initiated by the Elazığ Regional Directorate of Forestry, the “Breathing for the Future” campaign, launched in alignment with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s proclamation of November 11 as “National Afforestation Day” in 2019, has been instrumental in executing afforestation efforts in Elazığ, Malatya, Bingöl, Tunceli, Bitlis, Van, Hakkari and…

Following the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes in Türkiye, the scientific collaboration between Turkish and Chinese academics is set to propel innovative projects across various fields, focusing on earthquake response strategies and technological advancements. Under the auspices of the Bilateral Cooperation Program initiated by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), eight projects have been greenlit, encompassing a diverse array of areas, ranging from recycling demolition waste to advancing post-earthquake strategies and technology. The selected projects reflect a range of critical research topics: Professor Sinan Akkar from Boğaziçi University and Chaolie Ning…

In the wake of heavy rainfall over the weekend, a devastating landslide in Black Sea’s coastal city of Zonguldak led to the collapse of a single-story house, trapping Perihan Çakar, 82, and her son Sait Çakar, 51, under the debris. The search and rescue efforts halted during the night and resumed at dawn. Under the coordinated efforts of Zonguldak Municipality, gendarmerie, the Turkish Hard Coal Corporation (TTK), and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), teams inspected the area’s safety to commence the rescue operation. The gendarmerie utilized underground imaging equipment and a cadaver search dog to aid in the…