A group of Greenpeace activists staged a protest in front of Downing Street on Monday.
Some of the protesters locked their hands in metal barrels and closed the main road in front of Prime Ministry offices.
Philip Evans, a spokesperson for the group, said they were protesting against an oil drilling project off the cost of Shetland Islands.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Evans said the planet could not afford fossil fuels and they urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to rethink about the Cambo oil field project.
Police cut loose protesters from the barrels with electric saw and arrested at least 10 of them. The main road in Whitehall remains closed until the afternoon hours and traffic was serviced through reduced lane.
The Greenpeace protest came only weeks before a climate summit which will be held in Glasgow in early November. Many world leaders will come together in COP26 to discuss the global heating and precautions to be taken within the next 10 years./aa
A US television team is following the traces of Jews who settled in Turkey at the invitation of Sultan Bayezid II following the expulsion of Jews from Spain.
The team of the Jewish Life Television (JLT) channel, invited by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, is in Turkey’s northwestern province of Edirne, once the capital of the Ottoman Empire after filming in Turkey’s largest city Istanbul.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Brad Pomerance, the host of Air Land & Sea, a global travel series about Jewish communities, said Turkey has always been the center of the three great monotheistic faiths – Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
Noting that being in Edirne was “really inspiring,” Pomerance said: “After here (historic Selimiye Mosque), we are going to visit the Great Synagogue of Edirne.”
“It just goes to show you how Turkey continues to be a tolerant country that welcomes people of all faiths, whether you're Muslim, whether you're Christian, whether you're Jewish,” he added. “Yes, Turkey is 99% Muslim, but I have felt incredibly welcomed as a Jewish American documenting the story of Jews in Turkey from the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 to the present.”
The five-member team started filming at the historic Selimiye Mosque, then interviewed Jewish families living in the city as well as the Grant Synagogue of Edirne, which was restored in 2015 and is the largest one in the Balkans and third-largest in Europe.
The TV team also filmed the Sultan Bayezid II Mosque Complex, built in the 15th century as a hospital and medical training facility, in addition to the mosque. Awarded with the European Museum Award in 2004 as well as a place in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list, it now serves as a health museum.
“I am looking at this mosque (Selimiye) and thinking that it was built in the 1570s and 14,000 people worked on it. And here I am atop one of the minarets. I'm a nice Jewish boy from America, and I am visiting one of the Muslims’ great structures, one of Islam’s great structures. What an honor, what a gift,” said Pomerance.
Filming Istanbul, Edirne, Izmir
Pomerance and his team have already filmed Istanbul’s historic Galata Tower as well as Hemdat Israel Synagogue in the Kadikoy district on the Asian side.
Following the filming in Edirne, they plan to visit Turkey’s Aegean province of Izmir, which “was also a great center of Jewish thinking,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of Sultan Bayezid II, the Ottoman sultan in 1492 when “Spain and Portugal were expelling the Jews, and Christian Europe was rejecting the Jews.”
“Sultan Bayezid II literally sent fleets of boats to the Iberian Peninsula to take hundreds of thousands of Jews to the Ottoman Empire because he saw the contributions that these Jews could make, and they did, and they did for 500 years,” he added.
“The community is much smaller than it was. There are still Jews contributing to modern Turkey,” he said.
The US TV host also said he feels “emotional” when he thinks about Sultan Bayezid II. “I salute Sultan Bayezid II for welcoming the Jewish community.”
“I have friends that are Turkish Jews,” he said. “They wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Sultan Bayezid II to welcome them to the Ottoman Empire.”/aa
The Belgian police admitted using facial recognition software, according to media reports.
Citing an internal investigation of the federal police, Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden told a parliamentary committee last week that the police had used the controversial software Clearview AI, online news outlet Brussels Times reported on Monday.
Verlinden explained that two Belgian police researchers specialized in victim identification and other EU police officers were offered a trial version of the program in 2019 during a conference organized by Europol, the EU’s police cooperation agency.
According to the minister, the Belgian authorities used the software for a limited time and occasions in order to test it or to respond to the requests of Child Focus, an NGO specialized in missing children.
Verlinden also stressed that the use of Clearview AI “was not structural” and it is illegal under Belgian law.
However, the minister’s speech and the police investigation clearly contradict previous comments of the federal police.
Last year, Belgian media asked authorities several times if they had used the program after the American news outlet BuzzFeed published the company’s customer list.
According to the leak, the Belgian police used Clearview AI between 101 and 500 times, but the federal authority explicitly denied it.
The program collects pictures and videos from social media without user authorization and matches them with other footage, such as street camera views, in order to identify people./aa
Three civilians were killed and 10 others injured in a car bombing by the YPG/PKK terror group in northern Syria, Turkish authorities said on Monday.
The attack took place in the city of Afrin at around 12:45 p.m. (0945GMT), according to a statement by the governor’s office of Turkey’s southern Hatay province that borders Syria.
The Hatay governorship is investigating the attack in coordination with Syrian authorities, the statement said.
Afrin has been largely cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists since Turkey launched its anti-terror Operation Olive Branch in 2018, but the terror group still carries out sporadic attacks in the region.
Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and to enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terror organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot./aa
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has narrated an official account of the French massacre of nearly 4,000 worshipers during the 1830-1962 colonial era.
The worshippers were killed as they staged a sit-in inside an Ottoman Mosque called Ketchaoua in an effort to stop it from being converted into a church.
"France has colonized us for 132 years during which there were heinous crimes that cannot be erased with a sweet word. There are families and tribes that have been completely erased such as Zaatcha (southeast of Algeria) and even the infants were not spared,” Tebboune said in a televised interview on Sunday.
He added: "(In Ketchaoua) they killed 4,000 worshipers who were martyred after being surrounded by cannons and exterminated."
The Ketchaoua Mosque was built by Khair al-Din Barbarossa, the Ottoman ruler of Algeria at the time, in 1520 in the neighborhood of Casbah in the capital Algiers.
Algerian historical accounts show that the French ruler of Algeria at the time, Duke de Rovigo, decided at the end of 1832 to storm the mosque to turn it into a church.
Following the objection of the move by the city's residents who camped inside it, he demolished the mosque, massacred those inside, and burned copies of the Muslim Holy Book, the Quran.
The Ketchaoua Mosque on the Mediterranean coast, an important symbol of Algerian independence, was first used as a military depot during the French occupation and later as a residence for the archbishops of Algeria.
After the mosque’s demolition in 1844, a large church was built and the building remained a cathedral until Algeria gained independence in 1962.
The mosque was closed in 2008 due to damage caused by a violent earthquake in the country in 2003.
In April 2018, the mosque was reopened following its restoration by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in accordance to the original Ottoman architectural plan studied by historians and researchers from both Algeria and Turkey./agencies
A steady exodus of expatriates that began prior to the coronavirus pandemic has picked up steam in recent months. As many as half a million expatriates may have left the country in the last 12 to 18 months, and many more are now looking at returning to their home countries. The exodus is fueled by expanded Kuwait government efforts to reduce the numbers of expatriates working in the public sector as a way to make vacancies available for Kuwaiti citizens. Many are also victims of private sector closures caused by the global pandemic and the downturn in business activity in Kuwait.
A large construction company terminated at least 40 percent of its employees, leaving only those in key positions and essential workers. “I was terminated in October. The company said they decided to terminate many of our colleagues including myself because no contracts are being signed for new projects, plus many of our projects are on hold,” said Berto, a Filipino mechanical engineer. “The company promised to hire us again if things get better. The company told us we can transfer our residencies. We are also allowed to maintain our visas as we search for work. All indemnities and fees agreed upon by the company will be paid accordingly,” he said.
Half a million
According to Annahar daily, as of July 2019, the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) reported the total population of Kuwait reached 4.82 million – 3.40 million expatriates and 1.42 million Kuwaiti citizens. But after only a year amid the coronavirus pandemic, the population of Kuwait declined to 4.29 million, according to United Nations data. The UN estimated Kuwait’s population as of July 1, 2020 at 4,270,571. If the figures are correct, more than half a million expats might have left Kuwait.
A report published last week in Al-Rai seems to support that argument – it revealed that the number of expats, which was about 3.3 million before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, has dwindled to just 2.65 million. Official sources cited in the report said that the residences of at least 147,000 expats have expired during the pandemic and tens of thousands of expats departed for their home countries. The sources added that as many as 365,000 expats who have valid residence permits in the country, are currently living abroad, adding that 132,000 expats are living illegally in the country.
‘Waste of time’
Berto tried several times to apply for a new job, but he said it’s a waste of time and effort. “I cannot accept the salary offered to me. I cannot survive on it and my family will suffer eventually. So it’s better to leave Kuwait so that I can plan for a better future. I don’t know when this pandemic will end, but I have a family to feed and I don’t want to waste my time here,” he said.
“My wife and I agreed to go back to the Philippines, where I will start a new job or a business like buying and selling online. This is a temporary move during the pandemic, and I will be open to any new opportunity abroad,” he said. Berto’s wife, who is pregnant, works at a private hospital in Kuwait. “My wife is a registered nurse. My decision is always for the good of the family. I will never leave her here even if she is getting a good salary. I should provide for the family, so I need her to be with me and our new baby,” he said.
Charlie Hipayo, a dental technician in Kuwait, said his family is leaving Kuwait soon to migrate to Canada. “We spent 10 years here and want to move to another country. Our migration to Canada is under process and we’ll leave soon,” he said. “My growing family and the pandemic were the main considerations as we contemplated to migrate to Canada. My wife is a registered nurse and I am also working in the medical field. We are still young and were offered a great package deal for migrating to Canada,” he said.
‘Very depressing’
Charlie said he learned many things in Kuwait, especially during the pandemic. “At the onset of the pandemic, I was scared for my family; I thought it was the end of the world. I did not know how to react and how to respond to people’s needs. I read social media posts about suicides by many of our countrymen. Some did not have enough food for the family. Many were unprepared and had no savings, especially during the lockdown. It was a very depressing scenario, not just for Filipinos, but for people of many other nationalities,” he recalled. “We don’t want to experience this anymore.”
Rose Garcia is also leaving Kuwait for good after she finally realized how vulnerable she was as a senior citizen. “I am now 62 – my visa was renewed by my sponsor in July this year for another two years. But what made me decide to go back home for good was the health problem I encountered last month. I contracted the coronavirus and suffered in hospital. I only got a clean bill of health last week. My children in Manila were praying hard for me to survive the virus, and indeed God is great,” she said.
“I agreed with my children that I should go back home to the Philippines. It was an agreement with them that I made when I was in the hospital. I still have residency until the end of 2023, but maybe it’s God’s purpose that I got COVID so I can leave Kuwait,” Rose said. “I have lived in Kuwait for the last 25 years – this is my second home. Kuwait has been very nice to me, but I have to go – my flight is next week,” she added./KT
KUWAIT: Around 300 workers of a company in Farwaniya governorate went on strike yesterday morning demanding their salaries, which they claimed they haven’t received for months. After the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) received a call from Farwaniya police station informing them about the strike, representatives from the labor relations department immediately went to the scene. The inspectors registered a report of the strike, its reasons and the workers’ demands.
Aseel Al-Mazyad, Official Spokesperson and PR and Media Manager at PAM, said the workers who went on strike claimed they haven’t been paid for more than three months. “The workers also claimed that they paid some financial amounts to renew their visas. PAM’s representatives listened to the laborers’ complaints, and we are currently working on resolving the matter by following legal and administrative procedures in cooperation with other related institutions,” Mazyad said.
Hazard allowance
Elsewhere, a large number of employees of the Ministry of Electricity and Water held a sit-in at the ministry diwan in response to a call from the ministry employees’ forum to demand payment of various allowances. Participants said most of them work in a dangerous environment and deserve to be appreciated. Member of the organizing committee Mohammad Al-Mashaan said ministry workers feel they are marginalized as ministry and union officials are ignoring their demands. He said they face danger at worksites but receive only KD 35 monthly in hazard allowance.
Meanwhile, organizing committee member Mahmoud Al-Misbah said Environment Public Authority reports confirm the existence of high levels of pollution at stations and various worksites. Engineer Nour Al-Salem said the protesters are demanding hazard, PC monitor and night shift allowances.
Coordination of the workers’ forum Hassan Al-Shimmari said the ministry is delaying approval of employees’ rights despite the immense efforts being exerted. He said despite Kuwait having the best standards of water production in the Arab world, their demands are being ignored. This comes while a group of social affairs ministry employees working at family care homes staged a protest at the ministries complex yesterday against a recent decision whereby they are asked to work on weekends in order to be paid overtime shift allowances.
Service increase
The recent developments come at a time in which the government is searching for ways to curb spending and offset state’s budget deficit. In this regard, the finance ministry has reportedly written to ministries and their subsidiaries to review fees for services when preparing the 2022-2023 budget and increase them suitably.
The ministry asked for prioritizing construction projects and contracts and postpone unnecessary items among them, Al-Anbaa Arabic daily reported yesterday quoting sources. Every ministry and government entity were informed about the budget ceiling allocated for them because of current financial situation of the state. They must commit to the ceiling so that projects are not sent back. The ministry said Oct 14 is the deadline to submit budget proposals.
Acting Finance Ministry Undersecretary Aseel Al-Saad Al-Munaifi said ministries and authorities should send estimations of new appointees who will be needed, and estimate the indemnity amounts for non-Kuwaiti employees and include it in the budget drafts./ kuwaittimes
The Jerusalem Municipality, which is administered by Israel, on Sunday destroyed Muslim graves near the Al-Aqsa mosque in occupied eastern Jerusalem.
Several graves at the Al-Yusufiye Cemetery near the Al-Aqsa mosque were demolished by the municipality's engineering vehicles in the Old City.
After Palestinians gathered on reports of bones found at the cemetery during the demolition operation, the municipality vehicles left the scene.
Ahmed al-Dajani, executive director of the Commission for the Protection of Muslim Graves, told Anadolu Agency that an Israeli court has given the “Israeli” Archeology Directorate permission to work on a site close to the graveyard.
He said among the graves demolished were those of Muslims who were martyred in the conflicts between 1948 and 1967, and that “Israel” will face legal action in response to the municipality's act.
While the region is an indispensable part of the cemetery, the Jerusalem Municipality under “Israeli” administration has planned to build a park close to Al-Yusufiye Cemetery, he added.
Al-Yusufiye Cemetery, located next to the wall surrounding the Old City, is one of the oldest Muslim graveyards in occupied Jerusalem.
Earlier, the Jerusalem Municipality attempted to demolish a historic staircase that led to the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque, but the move was later prevented by the Palestinians.
Both the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered occupied areas under international law./aa
Hundreds of homes and grocery stores were severely damaged after an overnight storm slammed the island of Evia in Greece.
On Sunday's first ray of light, residents witnessed the extent of the devastation, with roads turning into rivers of mud and several bridges being destroyed.
Traffic has been interrupted, and several areas have been flooded and muddied, according to local media.
The coastline front in Achladia, as well as in Agia Anna, has been devastated, and residents of Kotsikia have seen equipment from their stores and houses float on the shore.
The fire department is on alert with 50 firefighters and 15 vehicles in the area.
Speaking on Open TV, Governor of Central Greece Fanis Spanos said the damage in the area is unprecedented, with over 100 homes, roads, squares, and playgrounds having submerged.
Some residents speaking to local media said they had survived the fire this summer, but are now on the verge of drowning.
The Evia island, particularly in the northeastern part, was hard-hit with a major wildfire blazing for more than 10 days in the summer, turning thousands of hectares of rich forest into ash.
"As always, our priority is human lives," a government spokesman said on the Ant1 news channel on Sunday.
"Everyone understands that flood protection works cannot be completed in less than two months, nevertheless great efforts were made by the state mechanism, the Environment Ministry, the local administration, and the residents to remove the debris from August wildfires and avoid greater damage," he said./agencies
Bangladesh on Sunday started installing a major component of its first nuclear power plant.
Attending the event via videoconference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the day was "very important and historic" as installation efforts began for the reactor pressure vessel in the first reactor building of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP), located in the west of the country.
Hasina said the plant would meet the country's growing electricity needs, while also contributing to its socio-economic development.
"Bangladesh has become a part of the nuclear world. This is for peace, which is very important. Electricity will be generated in the nuclear power plant which will be supplied to every corner and village across the country," the prime minister said.
The plant, which is slated to be operational in 2023 and is located in the district of Pabna, consists of two units, each having a capacity of 1,200 megawatts.
She added that the second unit of the same nuclear plant would be operational in 2024, adding that her government was searching for a suitable location for it in the southern part of the country.
The installation of reactor pressure vessels is one of the most critical tasks in a nuclear power plant's construction.
Hasina lauded Russian President Vladimir Putin and a Russian company assisting with the implementation of the country's largest megaproject.
Alexey Likhachev, the director-general of the Russian state-owned nuclear power company Rosatom, joined the event from the plant's project site. The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission is carrying out the project with the technical and financial support of Russia.
Russia will take care of waste management under the agreement by removing radioactive waste from the project site.
Bangladeshi workers involved in the project are being trained in Russia and India.
100 economic zones
Bangladesh is working to establish 100 economic zones and electricity will be required for industrial activity, the prime minister said.
"We have already provided electricity to nearly 99% villages. However, in the growing economic development and rise of people's income capacity, use of electricity will rise further," she said.
She also stated that once the Rooppur project is completed, her administration was looking for a suitable location to develop a second nuclear power station, adding: "If we can build another nuclear power plant, there'll be no problem in power supply in the country."
The prime minister stated that Bangladesh was aware of the risk of environmental contamination, as well as the safety and security of the power plant, and that three to four safety layers were in place to protect it./agencies