Erdogan says he told his colleagues not to hold bilateral talks with Greece anymore
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on June 1st that he had told his colleagues not to hold bilateral talks with Greece again, the latest reversal after resuming talks last year to resolve their differences in the Mediterranean after a five-year hiatus, Reuters reported.
These talks have made little progress. Erdogan said last week that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis “no longer exists” for him, accusing the Greek leader of trying to block sales of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey during a visit to the United States.
Turkey and Greece, both NATO allies, have long been at odds on a number of issues, such as maritime borders, the extent of their continental shelves, airspace and ethnic divisions in Cyprus.
Bulgaria is still failing to meet two of the conditions for adopting the euro. This is clear from the European Commission’s (EC) Convergence Report 2022.
The report assesses the progress that each member state of the European Union (EU) has made on its path to the single currency of the Old Continent. It also forms the assessment of the decision of the Council of the EU, with which individual countries can adopt the euro.
The four main criteria include price stability linked to inflation, the state of public finances in relation to deficits and debt, exchange rate stability, and long-term interest rates.
According to the EC, Bulgaria still does not meet the criteria for the adoption of legislation on the euro and the stability of prices and inflation levels.
Sofia fulfills the conditions related to the state of public finances, exchange rates and long-term interest rates.
Sweden is also failing in two directions. Stockholm is also expected to make progress on legislation as well as on exchange rates.
The other European countries that are not part of the Eurozone – Poland, Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic – do not meet more than the mandatory criteria.
The only other country that is a member of the EU but does not use the single European currency is Denmark. However, it benefits from an exception in its Accession Treaty, which allows it not to adopt the euro.
All EU Member States are obliged to adopt the European currency once they meet the necessary conditions. It is up to each country to approach the eurozone, and none of them is limited in time.
The European Commission notes that Croatia, which last joined the EU in 2013, is fully ready to adopt the euro on January 1st, 2023. A few days ago, the Zagreb parliament passed a law adopting the euro early next year. Croatia applied to join the eurozone in the summer of 2019, one year after Bulgaria.
One week ago, the Bulgarian government adopted the plan for the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria, and the deadline for the Cabinet to set this to happen was January 1, 2024. The main part of it was related to making changes in the laws to adapt to the standards set by the EC.
Although the decision was adopted by the Council of Ministers, the ministers of the BSP and “There is such a people” voted against it. They justified their actions by the lack of economic analysis of the possible consequences of the adoption of the single currency, as well as by the lack of discussion among coalition members.
A day after the decision, the leader of the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane, which is in favor of Bulgaria’s withdrawal from NATO and the EU, Kostadin Kostadinov, said the party was launching consultations to initiate a national referendum for or against adopting the euro. The decision itself was described by Kostadinov as “another national betrayal” by Kiril Petkov’s cabinet.
Against the decision is the former caretaker Prime Minister and leader of the newly formed Bulgarian Rise party Stefan Yanev. He described the situation as the closure of “the last remnant of the sovereignty of the Bulgarian state”.
After 15 years in Russia, Starbucks will leave the country to join companies such as McDonald’s, Shell, Renault, Visa and Mastercard, which are finally saying goodbye to the Russian market.
The coffee giant has announced that the brand will no longer be present in Russia. Starbucks has 130 locations in the country, representing less than 1% of the company’s annual revenue. Starbucks will pay its nearly 2,000 Russian workers six months’ wages and help them move to new job opportunities outside the company.
Both consumers and investors are pushing Western companies like Starbucks to sever ties with Russia to show opposition to the Kremlin’s war with Ukraine, but it takes time to leave licensing deals. Starbucks has suspended all business with the country since March 8. The break included deliveries of all Starbucks products and the temporary closure of cafes. 200,000 people worked in foreign companies that left Russia
In its latest quarterly results, published in early May, the company did not disclose the financial impact of the suspension of business operations. Former CEO Kevin Johnson has promised to donate the proceeds from Russian business to humanitarian causes.
But it was certainly a smaller financial blow than the one inflicted on McDonald’s, which has been in Russia for more than 30 years. The fast-food giant said shutting down significant operations in Russia and Ukraine cost it $ 127 million in the first quarter. Both markets account for 9% of its revenue in 2021. The company has about 850 restaurants in Russia, most of which are run directly by it.
McDonald’s has announced that it will sell the seats for an undisclosed fee to a Siberian franchisee who will operate them under a new brand.
Dozens of Russian airlines have opened a special account in rubles “C” for leasing payments to foreign companies, Vedomosti reported today, quoted by TASS, citing a federal official and a source close to the government. Russia will service its foreign debt under the ruble gas payment scheme
Among the airlines that are willing to pay for foreign aircraft in rubles are Aeroflot, Pobeda, Russia, Russia, S7 Airlines, Smartia, Yakutia, Alrosa, Yamal “,” Polar Airlines “,” Aurora “, according to the newspaper. Five other airlines – Ural Airlines, Izhavia, Nordstar, Rusline, I Fly – are in the process of opening such accounts, the publication said.
According to an unnamed federal official, no money has yet been received in the C account, as contracts with leasing companies usually include letters of credit (amounting to three monthly lease payments) and maintenance deposits. Thus, the terms for prepaid lease payments for different airlines can vary from three to eight months, and after their expiration, companies will begin to review lease payments, the source said. The Russian ruble continues to appreciate against the dollar
In mid-April, the Russian government imposed temporary rules to fulfill the obligations of Russian airlines and organizations to foreign entities, recalls TASS. The document defines the procedure for implementation in 2022 of contracts providing for the acquisition, lease and leasing of aircraft. If the foreign lessor company has a structural unit registered in Russia, the payments will go to its account in a Russian bank in rubles. The amount will be equal to the value of the liabilities in foreign currency. Payments will be made at the official exchange rate of the Russian Central Bank on the day of fulfillment of obligations.
The first Ukrainian diocese in the Russian-occupied areas left the UOC and came directly under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate. This is the Diocese of Rivne and Sverdlovsk in the southern part of Luhansk region. The short message on the diocese’s website is worded as follows:
The meeting of the diocesan council and the clergy of the Diocese of Rivne adopted the following decision:
1) to suspend the mention of Metropolitan Onuphrius as head of the UOC during the services;
2) The dioceses of Rivne and Sverdlovsk remain under the omophorion of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
The decision comes as no surprise, as both Russian and Ukrainian media outlets claim that in the occupied territories, Ukrainian dioceses will come directly under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate, by analogy with the territories Russia wants to include within its borders. The occupied regions are joined by a “referendum” and the dioceses by a “meeting of the diocesan councils”.
This process was also discussed at the local council in Kyiv on May 27. The council even gave “operational freedom” to the metropolitans in the occupied territories to make “decisions inconsistent with the clergy.”
The Crimean dioceses and the Donetsk diocese said a few days ago that they would not apply the amended UOC statute without stating unequivocally that they were leaving the UOC jurisdiction, but this is expected.
In Russian political and ecclesiastical circles, this process is hailed as inevitable. It is explained by the fact that just as the creation of Ukraine was a “mistake”, so the existence of the UOC is a mistake that must be corrected in the annexed territories. Speeches in this spirit are numerous, for example:
Alexander Dugin – the ideologue of the Eurasian movement, the “Russian world” and the war in Ukraine: “On the UOC Council. In the current situation, no one should have illusions. There is no way we can keep the UOC in the ROC without transferring all of Ukraine to Russia. In fact, it was clear back in 2014. We just postponed it for a while. The unity of the Church can be preserved only together with the restoration of political unity. And until the complete liberation of the whole territory of Ukraine from Nazism, it is simply useless to deal with this issue…
The capitulation (of the Ukrainians) is not a good idea, because they will want to save what they have left. So we will be in the wrong place again – not on the border with Poland, Romania and Hungary, but much further east. The same things will flourish under new cover in the criminal terrorist structure. Once we started so abruptly, we definitely can’t stop now. Our task is to erase from the ground a very specific misunderstanding ”(May 30, 2022).
Deacon Pavel Shulzhenok: “The creation of the UOC was a fatal mistake and a time bomb, as much as the creation of Ukraine itself. There can be only one solution – in the liberated territories, direct subordination to the Moscow Patriarchate must be established. Kyiv itself must also be liberated. The UOC-MP is doomed in principle. “
An extraordinary meeting of the Synod of the Moscow Patriarchate was held in Moscow on May 29, dedicated only to the decisions of the local Assembly of the UOC in Kyiv on May 27.
The position expressed is stronger than the one stated immediately on the day of the Kiev Council by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. The Moscow Patriarchate does not recognize the decisions of the council, insofar as they must be approved by the Moscow Patriarch. The amendments to the Articles of Association have not been considered as “not yet officially published”.
Dissatisfaction is expressed that Moscow Patriarch Kirill is not mentioned in worship in “some dioceses”. According to him, this has created division in the Ukrainian Church and contradicts church canons. The “canons of the Double Council” are mentioned in general, probably referring to Rule 15 of the Council of Constantinople (861) on bishops and metropolitans who dare to sever communion with their patriarch and do not mention it as defined and established. , his name of divine services. ” The mention of this canon is a hint of a possible strengthening of Moscow’s position.
The Russian patriarch “shows understanding and unreserved support” for the plight of pastors and Christians in Ukraine, caused by schismatics, local authorities, the media and extremist organizations. Russian troops are not mentioned as a problem.
The patriarch defended himself against accusations by Ukrainian bishops, who said, albeit in a mild form, that they “disagreed with the Moscow patriarch’s position on the war.” He said he sympathized with all those “affected by the disaster” and called for “civilian casualties to be avoided”.
In particular, today’s decision of the Moscow Synod states:
1. We express our full support and understanding for the archpastors, pastors, monks and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is under unprecedented pressure from representatives of schismatic structures, local authorities, media, extremist organizations and the nationalist part of society.
2. We call on the entire Russian Orthodox Church to pray fervently for the strengthening of our brothers in Ukraine, to give them courage and God’s help in their daily work on the Christian witness.
3. We note that the status of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is defined in the charter of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia of October 27, 1990.
4. We note that the amendments to the Statute of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church adopted by the Council of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church must be considered in accordance with the established procedure for their compliance with the said charter and the Statute of the Russian Orthodox Church, according to which these amendments must be submitted to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for approval.
5. We emphasize that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, with the deepest sympathy for all those affected by the disaster, has repeatedly called for every effort to be made to avoid casualties among the civilian population and for all members of the Russian Orthodox Church to pray. sincerely for the speedy restoration of peace and to provide all possible assistance to all those affected, including refugees, homeless people and livelihoods.
6. We regret that a number of dioceses of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church have stopped mentioning the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, which has already caused division in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and is contrary to Rule 15 of the Twice Council.
7. We testify that the entire Russian Orthodox Church prays for the preservation of the unity of the Church and for an end to the bloodshed as soon as possible.
Rome, Italy. Bust statue of Pythagoras, famous philosopher, mathematician and scientist. Sculpture in Villa Borghese park.
When it comes to the deaths of celebrities from ancient Greece, every story is more absurd than the last
When we think of ancient Greece, we imagine the birth of civilization and the mecca of culture.
That time was a period of great development for humanity – from the creation of democracy to the breakthroughs in philosophy, science and art. Brave heroes and genius innovators seemed commonplace.
But according to Greek mythology, this was an extremely dangerous time, and Greece itself was an unpleasant place to live.
Many of the greatest minds of all time – Pythagoras, Heraclitus – have perished as a result of their own innovations. Strange objects falling from the sky, which were no exception at the time, also posed a serious risk!
When it comes to the deaths of celebrities from ancient Greece, each story is more absurd than the last.
Some of the most curious deaths in the history of ancient Greece:
Pythagoras
Pythagoras was one of the few Greek philosophers whose name is remembered by most people today. This is due to the Pythagorean theorem. He is also known for his incredible achievements in mathematics and science, but he also had some rather strange beliefs.
Pythagoras believed that humans and beans came from the same source and were therefore closely related. Pythagoras experimented with burying a few beans and noticed that they looked like human embryos when he dug them up a few weeks later. So he came to the conclusion that the bean carries a soul and eating or even damaging it would be murder. One of Pythagoras’ death stories tells that he angered a nobleman named Kilon when he refused to allow him to join his followers (he ran a commune of like-minded people). Kilon organized an angry mob tasked with killing Pythagoras in revenge. Pythagoras escaped and escaped the crowd, but when he reached a field of beans, he refused to compromise his convictions and decided not to cross. He was therefore captured and killed.
Pirch
Pirch is a legendary Greek general and military hero, known for his incredible feats in a number of battles. He was preparing for another victory in battle, or perhaps for his honorable death, as he led his army into battle to capture the city of Argos.
An old woman watched from the roof of her house as Pirch and his men passed through the city. Her son took part in the resistance, and she saw Pirch point directly at him. Knowing that her son would not survive the clash with the famous general, she took matters into her own hands. She grabbed a tile from the roof of her house and threw it on Pirch’s head. She managed to hit him right in the head and threw him off his horse. That’s how she managed to kill the great general.
Icarus
The history of Icarus is still known today. He was the son of a famous craftsman named Daedalus, who was known for building the Labyrinth for King Minos. Minos wanted to keep the Labyrinth a secret, so he locked Daedalus and Icarus in a tower. However, the innovative father and son devised an escape plan. Using feathers and wax, they created two pairs of wings so they could fly out the window. However, they had to be careful where they flew, as the wax melted extremely quickly due to heating from the sun, and the feathers could begin to fall off when wet from seawater. After jumping from the tower and starting to float in the air, Icarus forgot this fact and began to fly higher and higher. The wax melted and its wings fell apart, then it fell into the water and died.
Heraclitus
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus suffered from edema, a disease in which fluid builds up under the skin, causing painful swelling. The doctors told him there was no cure, but the genius believed he was smarter than them and could find a solution. Heraclitus covered himself with cow dung from head to toe, believing that this would remove the fluid from his body. He lay in the sun waiting for the medicine to work, but the stool dried up and became a hard shell that made him unable to move. Unfortunately, a pack of wild dogs came across his immobile body and ate it.
The organization, which manages the historic landmark of Stonehenge, paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her 70th birthday on the British throne, projecting portraits of her on the famous megalithic structure, UPI reported.
“We brought together two British icons to celebrate the platinum anniversary. We projected eight portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on Stonehenge. Each is from a different decade of her reign,” English Heritage said in a statement posted on Twitter.
The organization shares a video showing how the project was implemented.
Among the eight portraits projected on Stonehenge is that of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. Others depict Her Majesty in a yellow dress from her visit to Mexico in 1975, on a corgit ride, at the Windsor Horse Racing.
“We wanted to show different aspects of the queen – her personality, her interests and really demonstrate how special a lady she is,” said English Heritage.
Elizabeth II, who turned 96 on April 21, ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. The date marks the beginning of her record for British monarchy. Her coronation was on June 2, 1953.
Former Qatari Princess Kasia Galanio was found dead at her home in Marbella on Sunday by police. The news was first reported by the French newspaper Le Parisen, but was officially confirmed today.
The signal was given by one of her daughters, who lives in France. She has not been able to contact her mother for four days, after which she reported to the police, sources close to the investigation told El Mundo newspaper.
When a patrol arrived at the Marbella address, police officers came across Galanio’s lifeless body. According to initial data, no signs of violence were found. The results of the autopsy are expected, but according to various French publications, the 45-year-old woman died as a result of a drug overdose.
Galanio was born in Los Angeles and was married to Abdelaziz bin Khalifa al-Thani (73), who was the uncle of the Emir of Qatar. After their divorce, the two fought a lawsuit for almost a decade in custody of their three daughters, two of whom are 17-year-old twins.
In the end, the court ruled that the children should stay with the father, as the media reported that the mother had problems with alcohol. So he and his three children moved to Paris.
Abdelaziz bin Khalifa al-Thani settled in France after resigning as Qatar’s oil and finance minister in 1992.
Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine is causing immense suffering and devastation there, but also creating a “perfect storm” which threatens economic devastation of “many developing countries”, the UN chief warned on Wednesday.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres was speaking in Sweden alongside Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, where he is attending the Stockholm+50 conference, which he described as “a crucial opportunity to bolster our response to the triple planetary emergency of climate disruption, pollution and biodiversity loss.”
Mr. Guterres said the UN remained “intensely focused on practical steps to save lives and reduce human suffering” inside Ukraine, including maintaining humanitarian corridors, but for many developing countries, the climate crisis, growing debt and economic insecurity, were now compounded by “ballooning energy costs and growing hunger”, due to the war that is crippling Ukraine’s food exports.
A perfect storm is threatening to devastate the economies of many developing countries, he said.
He called for “quick and decisive action to ensure a steady flow of food and energy in open markets, by lifting export restrictions, allocating surpluses and reserves to vulnerable populations, and addressing food price increases to calm market volatility.”
But there would be no solution, without bringing Ukraine’s food production back into the global market, alongside food and fertilizer from Russia.
Diplomatic push
The UN chief told reporters he was continuing to “exert every possible effort and use my good offices to promote a dialogue” between Moscow and Kyiv, to end the war, and the UN now has two teams led by Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, and UN trade and development chief, Rebeca Grynspan, working on a deal to alleviate the food crisis.
The two agency heads are working on an agreement for the “safe and secure export of Ukrainian-produced food through the Black Sea”, Mr. Guterres said, “along with unimpeded access of Russian food and fertilizers to global markets, especially developing countries.”
According to the UN Spokesperson, Ms. Grynspan had “constructive discussions” in Moscow on Tuesday with Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister, and is now in Washington, for talks on the same issue of facilitating Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
The Secretary-General said he and the Swedish Prime Minister had discussed the Ukraine crisis, it’s implications for wider European security, “and possible pathways towards de-escalation and a negotiated settlement in line with international law and the UN Charter.”
Sweden’s solidarity
He expressed gratitude for Sweden’s “remarkable solidarity” in welcoming Ukrainian refugees and for providing vital support to our humanitarian operations.
Mr. Guterres also welcomed Sweden’s leadership on climate action, showing how setting and striving towards climate targets, could create jobs, generate green growth, and strengthen the social fabric overall.
“I welcome Sweden’s commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045 at the latest, and negative emissions shortly thereafter”, he said, adding that he was counting on the European Union, “to match this ambition and review its renewable energy and energy efficiency targets this year.”
“Adaptation and mitigation must be pursued with equal urgency”, he said, with developing countries receiving necessary support at speed and at scale.
“I count on all developed nations including Sweden to reassure developing countries with a clear and credible roadmap on how they will double finance for adaptation – as agreed in Glasgow (at COP26) last year.
(COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – June 1, 2022) Nagbe has said that Liberia will not remain on the periphery of international maritime organizations “where matters of the industry are being decided”. Given Liberia’s crucial role as leading maritime nation, he said, there is a need for the country to have a seat at the table of the global players.
The Liberia Maritime boss was speaking on June 1, 2022, at the 75TH Session of the Council of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation And Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) in Copenhagen, Denmark. There he emphasized that re-joining the IALA will enable Liberia to contribute to the implementation of its port and coastal state obligations, as well as implement other international conventions.
It will lead to the “reduction of marine accidents, increased safety of life and property at sea, as well as the protection of the marine environment” the Commissioner said.
He told members of IALA governing council that Liberia will be a “reliable partner” once admitted and that the country intends to use the opportunity to train and build the capacity of Liberians in the areas of marine aids to navigation, as well as collaborate with other nations in the field while providing specialized training in accordance with IALA standards.
The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities, which was previously known as the International Association is Lighthouse Authorities, was founded in 1957 to collect and provide nautical expertise and advice to member nations. Liberia’s membership was withdrawn in 1983 following the military coup in the country.
One of the major pursuits of the Liberia Maritime Authority’s Commissioner has been to ensure that the country regains its rightful position in the global industry.
At the meeting, he explained that the National Port Authority of Liberia and its agent, APM Terminals, are already concluding technical details to upgrade the navigational aid infrastructure in order to return it to 24-hour operation.
“Given its important location in the Gulf, this measure will further position Monrovia as a strong link in the global maritime safety and security chain,” Commissioner Nagbe said, noting that IALA support is a “critical catalyst in this venture”.
IALA Council is expected to make a decision by June 3rd, 2022 in Liberia’s re-admittance before the close of the convention in Copenhagen.
