World Thursday, September 17, 2020 07 EU chief pledges to defend Cyprus rights in Turkey standoff UK G7 presidency will try to AFP “I believe we must be very Nicosia firm when it comes to defend- unite post-Covid world: PM ing the rights of all member European Council chief I believe we must be very states, including Cyprus.” AFP over PPE (personal protective promote “Global Britain”, even Charles Michel pledged on firm when it comes to Turkey, Greece and Cyprus London equipment), the borders that as he is criticised at home for Wednesday that the bloc will have been locked in a dispute have sprung up, the sequester- his approach to trying to se- defend the rights of member defending the rights of all over offshore energy rights and Britain will use its presiden- ing of stocks of drugs. cure a tricky post-Brexit trade state Cyprus in its standoff with member states, including maritime borders in the region, cy of the G7 next year to heal “We have seen a return to deal with the EU. He pointed Turkey over maritime and en- Cyprus with Ankara infuriating the EU divisions caused by the global nationalist priorities in a way to a conference Britain hosted ergy rights. allies by sending research ships coronavirus pandemic, Prime that’s been very depressing for in June which saw $8.8 billion Michel’s visit to the island European Council Chief with naval escorts to work in Minister Boris Johnson said on those who believe in globalisa- pledged for global vaccines al- comes a day after Turkey said Charles Michel contested waters. Wednesday. tion and internationalism.” liance Gavi to help immunisa- its Yavuz drillship would con- Although Cyprus has been “One of the things the Britain takes over the rotat- tion programmes disrupted by tinue its search for oil and gas meeting of EU leaders next week as it faces a grave situation. an EU member since 2004, its UK is going to do with the G7 ing presidency of the group of the pandemic. off Cyprus until October 12, that will address Turkish actions That is why we have decided to jurisdiction is not recognised by (presidency) is to try to bring major industrialised nations Johnson, who called the despite international calls to in the eastern Mediterranean call a summit on relations with Turkey, which dismisses the is- the world back together after next year, just as it embarks on current state of international withdraw. with sanctions a possibility. Turkey,” Michel told reporters land’s internationally recognised Covid,” he told a parliamentary a new path after leaving the Eu- relations “totally fissiparous”, The top EU official is in Cy- “The European Union after meeting Cypriot Presi- government as an exclusively committee. “It’s been depress- ropean Union. also praised the WHO for its prus ahead of an emergency stands in solidarity with Cyprus dent Nicos Anastasiades. Greek Cypriot administration. ing -- the fights in the airports Johnson has been keen to work during the outbreak.

US announces charges against Chinese, Malaysian hackers Belarusian protest leader AFP als who formerly worked for Washington Chengdu 404, and the two Malaysians, were indicted for The US Justice Department on hacking into major gaming Wednesday announced charges companies to steal their secrets charged with endangering against five Chinese nationals and “gaming artifacts,” likely and two Malaysians who ran tradable in-game chits and global hacking operations for credits, and resell them. at least six years to steal identi- Together the seven were ties and video game technology, long recognized by cyberse- country’s national security plant ransomware, and spy on curity experts as the “APT41” Hong Kong activists. hacking organization, identi- countries including Poland and Three of the Chinese sus- fied by their shared tools and Russia spy chief Ukraine. pects operated out of Chengdu techniques. There have been protests 404, a Sichuan-based company While some had thought says oppn leader in Belarus every day since the that purported to offer network that the group could be run by country’s disputed presidential security services for other busi- the Chinese government, the Tikhanovskaya a election more than a month nesses. indictments did not identify a US protege ago. Last weekend, at least They hacked the computers strong official connection. 100,000 people gathered for a of hundreds of companies and But according to court fil- DPA mass protest march in Minsk. organizers around the world ings, Jiang Lizhi, one of the Moscow Asked whether Lukashen- to collect identities, hijack sys- Chengdu 404 hackers, boasted ko’s personal safety would be tems for ransom, and remotely to a colleague in 2012 that he Belarusian protest leader guaranteed if he peacefully use thousands of computers to was protected by China’s Min- Maria Kalesnikava, taken into stepped aside, Tikhanovskaya mine for cryptocurrency like istry of State Security, and in- custody in Belarus last week, said: “Yes, even more so,” ac- bitcoin. dicated they were protected if has been charged with endan- cording to an interview pub- Two other Chinese nation- they did not hack domestically. gering national security, the lished by Ukrainian news out- country’s investigative agency let LB.ua. announced on Wednesday. She Tikhanovskaya claims she faces up to five years in prison is the rightful winner of the Au- under the charge in accordance gust 9 election. Within days of Taiwanese FM calls for global with Belarusian law. the vote, she fled to Lithuania defence against China ‘threat’ Kalesnikava engaged in An opposition supporter stands in front of law enforcement officers blocking the street during a rally to amid a violent police crack- “calls for actions directed at protest against the presidential election results in Minsk recently. (AFP) down on the protesters. AFP More than 30 Chinese inflicting harm to the national Tikhanovskaya has main- Paris military planes have recently security of the Republic of Bela- ● Maria Kalesnikava, who Sergei Naryshkin, who tained that the protests should crossed into Taiwan’s air de- rus,” the Investigative Commit- heads the Russian Foreign In- remain peaceful. The election’s Taiwan’s foreign minister fence identification zone, he tee said in a statement posted recently ripped up her telligence Service (SVR), said disputed official tally gave Lu- Joseph Wu urged the interna- said, describing this as “very on the Telegram messaging passport to thwart an Washington had taken the kashenko more than 80 per tional community on Wednes- threatening”. network. “She remains in cus- attempt to expel her to former presidential candidate cent of the votes. Tikhanovs- day to help defend his country “We have been trying very tody. An investigation is ongo- Ukraine, faces up to five Tikhanovskaya and other activ- kaya and her supporters claim and region against “expansion- hard in the last few years to ing,” the statement said. years prison term ists “firmly under its wing” in it was rigged. ist” Chinese moves, saying Tai- beef up our own defence ca- Kalesnikava is a close ally a statement published by Rus- The European Union has pei feared Beijing would resort pabilities and at the same time of Belarusian opposition leader ● Russia’s foreign sian news agencies. denounced the election as to force. we also want to let the interna- Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who intelligence chief accused Naryshkin said the West “neither free nor fair” and con- Taiwan was “on the front tional community understand fled to neighbouring EU state the US of allocating $20 had started to prepare protests demned the crackdown on the line defending democracies that Taiwan as a democracy Lithuania last month amid a million to promote anti-govt long before the August 9 elec- protests, saying “state authori- from being taken over by the has been threatened by Chi- violent police crackdown on op- protests that erupted after tion, adding that the US had ties deployed disproportionate communist China” and needed na, which is an authoritarian position protests. disputed presidential given various rights groups $20 and unacceptable violence.” help from other countries, he country which is trying to ex- Tikhanovskaya pledged elections million (17 million euros) in Russia, Belarus’ closest told the France 24 TV station. pand its influence,” the minis- in an interview published late Maria Kalesnikava funding from last year. ally, has thrown its weight be- Wu said China “has been ter said. Tuesday to ensure long-time The money went to “in- hind Lukashenko, with Russian intensifying its military threat China views self-ruled Tai- President Alexander Lukashen- chief on Wednesday accused cating $20 million to promote dependent bloggers”, he said, President Vladimir Putin prom- against Taiwan” in recent wan as its own territory and ko’s safety if he were to resign the United States of protecting anti-government protests that while “experienced American ising earlier this week to provide years and had stepped up mili- has vowed to one day seize it peacefully. Belarus opposition leader Svet- erupted after disputed presi- instructors” gave training to a 1.5-billion-dollar credit line to tary exercises in the region. -- by force if necessary. Russia’s foreign intelligence lana Tikhanovskaya and allo- dential elections. the most promising activists in Lukashenko’s government.

News Trump posts faked video of Biden playing anti-police song in brief AFP rap song. The footage is taken from a clamation.” Fonsi, had just introduced Barbados to remove Queen Elizabeth II Washington In the video, which Twit- campaign trip to Florida on “China is drooling,” Trump Biden at the event. Trump has ter later marked as “manipu- writes over the retweet. made his claim that he is keep- as head of state US President Donald Trump, lated media,” Biden stands at Tuesday, where Biden took The problem is that Biden ing America safe from left-wing ST JOHN’S: Barbados has announced its intention to remove who is trying to persuade vot- a podium, takes out his cell out his phone and played a did not play NWA’s song. mobs a keystone of his reelec- Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and become a republic by ers that his challenger Joe phone and tells the audience, few seconds of ‘Despacito’ The footage is taken from tion campaign. Polls show he is November next year, as the Caribbean island nation seeks to Biden will encourage violent “I have just one thing to say.” a campaign trip to Florida on currently behind Biden. move fully beyond its colonial past. crime, retweeted a faked video He then appears to play After a few seconds, he Tuesday, where Biden took On Tuesday, Trump The decision was formalised in the so-called Throne on Wednesday purporting to NWA’s 1988 protest song jokes: “If I had the talent of out his phone and played a shared a supporter’s tweet Speech, delivered on behalf of Prime Minister Mia Mottley by show the Democrat playing “Fuck tha Police” and dances any one of these people, I’d be, few seconds of ‘Despacito’. that portrays Biden as a pedo- the island’s Governor-General Sandra Mason to mark the state a crudely worded anti-police slightly, smiling. I’d be elected president by ac- The Latin hit’s singer, Luis phile. opening of parliament on Tuesday. More than half a century after attaining independence from Britain, “the time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind,” Mason said. (AFP)

Venezuela president behind crimes Hurricane Sally slams Yoshihide Suga named Japan’s new PM against humanity: UN probe AFP ister, replacing Taro Kono, who GENEVA: Venezuela’s president and top ministers are responsi- into US Gulf Coast Tokyo becomes administrative reform ble for probable crimes against humanity including extrajudicial AFP some isolated pockets could minister. killings and the systematic use of torture, UN investigators Mobile, US receive as much as 35 inchesof Yoshihide Suga became Ja- Suga is seen as a continu- said on Wednesday. rain. pan’s new prime minister on ity candidate and has said his In their first report, the team tasked with probing a slew of Sluggish Hurricane Sal- “Historic and catastrophic Wednesday, with the former run was inspired by a desire to alleged violations said they had found evidence that state ac- ly was dumping torrential flooding is unfolding along chief cabinet secretary expected pursue Abe’s policies, although tors, including President Nicolas Maduro, were behind serious amounts of rain on the US and just inland of the coast to stick closely to policies cham- analysts warned of challenges crimes. (AFP) Gulf Coast on Wednesday and from west of Tallahassee, Flor- pioned by Shinzo Abe during ahead. threatening “historic and cata- ida, to Mobile Bay, Alabama,” his record-breaking tenure. Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshi- “Tough issues are mounting strophic” flooding in parts of it said. Suga, 71, won an easy vic- hide Suga at a press conference before the Suga cabinet,” said Alabama and Florida. At 10:00 am (1400 GMT), tory in a parliamentary vote, in Tokyo on Wednesday. (AFP) Shinichi Nishikawa, a professor The slow-moving storm Sally had maximum sustained where his ruling Liberal Demo- of political science at Meiji Uni- made landfall as a Category 2 winds of 80 miles per hour, cratic Party (LDP) holds a com- The 71-year-old has pledged versity in Tokyo. FOR RENT hurricane overnight and has the NHC said, and storm surge manding majority. to continue predecessor “The coronavirus is the top since lingered over coastal Ala- warnings were in effect for He bowed deeply as law- priority to tackle. On the dip- new apartments bama and the Florida panhan- parts of the coast along with makers applauded his win, but Shinzo Abe’s policies lomatic front, there are many dle. Residents of some areas tornado warnings. made no immediate comment. uncertain factors, including the in Mansoura were grappling with power out- Sally was moving towards He is not expected to speak their jobs, including Foreign US presidential election,” he ages, downed trees and flooded the north-northeast at five until late Wednesday, when he Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told AFP. (3) Bedrooms Qr. 5,000 streets and homes as Sally miles per hour, the NHC said. gives his first press conference and Finance Minister Taro Aso. Abe formally resigned ear- drenched swathes of the coast It was expected to weaken as it as prime minister. Abe’s brother Nobuo Kishi, lier on Wednesday along with (2) Bedrooms Qr. 4,000 with copious amounts of rain. moved further inland and be- Suga’s new cabinet was an- who was adopted by his uncle his cabinet, ending his record The Miami-based National come a tropical depression by nounced shortly after the vote, as a child and carries his sur- run in office with a year left in Hurricane Center (NHC) said Thursday morning. with several ministers keeping name, is the new defence min- his mandate. 55555065