Author: Ihsan Altan

CNN Türk has once again promoted a pro-war climate against Greece following the latest threats by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu about the Aegean islands. In the presence of the Romanian counterpart of Bogdan Aurescu, Çavuşoğlu urgently asked Athens to demilitarise its islands, otherwise: “we will come suddenly one night”. The head of Turkish diplomacy, clearer than ever, emphasised that if the weapons do not leave the islands, Ankara will question their sovereignty. “Greece must abandon this violation of the demilitarised regime of the islands. Either Greece will back down on this issue and abide by the Treaties or we will do the…

Despite a bloc-wide ban on toxic pesticides that wipe out pollinators, several European Union member-states, including Greece, continue to export more than 10,000 tons of “bee killer” a year, mainly to poorer countries, an investigation by Greenpeace and the Swiss NGO Public Eye has revealed. Neonicotinoid pesticides were prohibited on EU farms in 2018 and are regarded as a “serious threat” to food security. They are also “devastating the world’s pollinator population” and causing environmental damage “of a magnitude that is still difficult to grasp,” according to an expert cited in the report published by Greenpeace’s Unearthed initiative on Tuesday.…

Bronny James, who recently committed to USC, will begin his collegiate career overseas. The USC men’s basketball program announced Monday that it will play an exhibition tour Aug. 5-15 against pro teams in Greece and Croatia. The Trojans will play a series of matchups in Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, via a partnership with Complete Sports Management. The eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, Bronny is ranked 19th in the 2023 class by ESPN.com. He is also a projected NBA lottery pick in 2024 in ESPN’s latest mock draft. “We are excited to announce our…

The counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be a surprise not only for the Russian Federation, but also for the Ukrainians. This was stated by the people’s deputy and presidential representative in the Verkhovna Rada Fyodor Venislavsky. “And when the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine takes place, in what way, in what directions – just the surprise that the enemies least expect. I think that this will be a surprise not only for the Russian military and for Russian society, but also for many Ukrainians,” MP says. Earlier, the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kirill Budanov, said…

Police arrested on Wednesday four people believed to be involved in a criminal gang that robbed passersby in the suburb of Glyfada, in southern Athens. The suspects, a 21-year-old Greek citizen and three foreigners aged 16, 17 and 18, were detained in the nearby district of Alimos, following a report of theft earlier in the day. Authorities said the four suspects, together with a 16-year-old boy who remains at large, stole a wallet from a man in Glyfada using physical violence. In their car, officers found and seized, among other things, a full face mask and the wallet reported stolen…

The leaders of Albania and Kosovo expressed their condolences after the train crash in Greece last night, Albanian and Kosovo media reported. The Greek national television ERT reported that the death toll from the severe accident in Tempe has reached 40, and nearly 130 people have been injured, of which 66 are in hospital. “I am shocked by the tragedy with the train collision in neighboring Greece! My sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and I wish the survivors a speedy recovery. I and Albania stand by the Greek people,” Albanian President Bayram Begai wrote, as quoted by…

Indian Americans from across the US have raised more than USD 300,000 for earthquake victims in Turkiye and Syria. A fundraiser organised by several eminent Indian Americans led by Dr Hemant Patel, the former president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the community raised more than USD 230,000. The fund raised over the weekend in New Jersey was attended by Turkish Ambassador to the US Murat Mercan, along with Turkish Consul General in New York Reyhan Özgür, wherein they profusely thanked the Indian American community for the generous support for the earthquake-hit people of their country.…

(9/3 – 50) Kazakhstan is gearing up for snap elections of the lower house of parliament on March 19, and there is a sense of anticipation in the air. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who came to power in 2019, called for snap elections in the wake of the deadly street protests in January 2022. The elections are part of the president’s ambitious reform agenda, Jana Kazakhstan (New Kazakhstan), which aims to usher in a new era of political liberalization. The parliamentary elections are stage two of Tokayev’s program, following his re-election winning 80 percent of the votes last November. The coming…

As Russian President Vladimir Putin massed his military on Ukraine’s border in late 2021, many analysts doubted Putin would actually invade. But not Dmitri Alperovitch. “He was seeing Ukraine slip away from his orbit. And when he saw that he could no longer control it, it was pretty clear to me that he was going to try to move in and attempt a regime change,” said Alperovitch. Americans and others who closely studied the Communist leadership of the Soviet Union used to be called “Kremlinologists.” Now there’s a new generation of analysts who could be called “Putinologists,” those seeking to understand Russia today…

From tiny snacks (with a price to match) through to sweets for next to nothing, here’s how to wrap Christmas lunch on a shoestring You may have offered to host Christmas lunch and are now living in a world of regret, or have simply drawn the short straw among your family and friends. You may be looking at your dwindling bank balance, drained by pre-Christmas spending and the well-documented cost-of-living crisis. But 25 December is near and like it or not, hungry guests are destined to show up at your front door in a matter of days. Christmas lunch, however, doesn’t…