Twitter cannot be held liable for allowing an attack on an Istanbul nightclub that killed 39, according to the Supreme Court. Twitter was accused of violating the Anti-Terrorism Act because it gave ISIS a platform to release propaganda that spark the attack. A group of Americans who were relatives of a Jordanian killed in the attack filed a suit against Twitter, which a court of appeal had revived in 2021 but the US Supreme Court has ruled cannot proceed. The ruling shows that social media companies cannot be held responsible for user-generated content, a decision widely welcomed by other internet giants.
US President Joe Biden plans to unveil “substantial” new sanctions targeting hundreds of entities across Asia, Europe and the Middle East as part of a renewed push to end Moscow's war on Ukraine. Among the $300 sanctions will be individuals, entities, vessels and aircraft that help Russia skirt measures such as the blocking of Russian banks from the Swift financial messaging system, as well as future energy and extractive technical capabilities. While the senior White House official declined to specify the entities targeted in the upcoming sanctions, he did say "all G7 members are preparing to implement new sanctions and export controls".
The Turkish lira reached an all-time low against the dollar following President Erdogan's stronger-than-expected showing in the recent presidential election, with the currency losing over 1% since the vote. The equity markets and banking stocks fell further, leaving many of the bonds and issues below the 70 cent margin for distressed territories, although the cost of insuring the country's debt against default fell slightly. Foreign investors have become increasingly wary of investing in Turkey, with net international reserves dropping to over a 21-year low, while Turkish banks are restricting access to individual loans and postponing decisions on extending corporate loans.
The US Supreme Court has protected social media platforms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter by rejecting one lawsuit involving a lethal attack on a Turkish nightclub and tossing a second case back to a lower court. The move preserves a law known as Section 230, which provides legal immunity for social media under which they cannot be held responsible for the material posted on their platforms. The court's move has highlighted calls for Congress to revise the law, adopted in 1996, that provides such legal protection.
President Bashar al-Assad’s Syria is attending an Arab League summit for the first time since its suspension from the regional body 12 years ago. Syria was readmitted this month after states, including summit hosts Saudi Arabia, which had backed the opposition accepted that his grip on power was secure. However, not every country was enthusiastic. Qatar’s foreign minister told a news conference in Doha that it had dropped its opposition only because it did not want to “deviate from the Arab consensus.” The US has said it does "not believe that Syria merits readmission."
Antalya, Turkey has seen a significant increase in the number of Russian visitors recently. Following sanctions implemented due to the invasion of Ukraine in 2014, Turkey maintained a visa-free travel agreement with its neighbour enabling Russian visitors to travel more cheaply. Of the 13.4 million visitors who arrived in Antalya by air in 2015, three million were Russian; there were 213,000 Russians who flew into the city during the first three months of 2016, compared with just 89,000 Britons. Consequently personal and rental costs have risen dramatically in the area. This has occurred despite (or as a direct result of) the Turkish lira's devaluation making the cost of general living cheaper for the few British holiday home buyers who have chosen to stay in the area. The tourism industry within the city has thrived, and new hotels are already near completion. Despite the five suicide attacks in Turkey in eight months and violent events in Istanbul, which have impacted numbers of German and North African holiday makers visiting Antalya, visitor totals in the region have remained relatively stable with some hotels suffering only minor cancellations.
Hotel chains are competing to attract the business of American pet owners, with 23 million US households acquiring a new pet since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Mars Pet Nutrition. A report shows that over half of Americans expect to take their dogs on holiday with them. Hilton claimed that "pet-friendly" was the third most popular filter on its website in 2021. However, travelling with pets can be challenging. Dogs struggle with time differences and changes to routine, and eating and elimination can also be problematic. Hotels are offering pet-friendly facilities, including experiences like "bark-uterie boards". Virgin Hotels Chicago is ranked as one of the city's most pet-friendly hotels by pet-care website, rover.com. Guests are not required to cage dogs in the rooms, nor are they banned from leaving them unattended. The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago has weight restrictions of 25lbs on dogs. Over two-thirds of US households own pets, according to the American Pet Products Association.
Assad, president of Syria, will attend an Arab summit in Saudi Arabia, marking his government's readmission to the bloc after it was ostracised by most Arab states in 2011. The crackdown on protests against his rule and the ensuing civil war are said to have resulted in the death of 350,000 people. Assad's return to the fold opposes the views of the US and other Western powers who have refused recognition and called for sanctions. However, other countries' leaders welcome Assad's return. While Arabia allies have brought Assad in from the cold, they demand that he curbs Syria's flourishing drugs trade and aid the return of war refugees.
Syrians have responded with mixed emotions to President Bashar al-Assad's return to the Arab League, with some welcoming his return while others express dismay that Arab states are welcoming back a leader they blame for death and destruction during 12 years of brutal civil war. Some people in refugee camps say that Arab states have welcomed back a "terrorist" who used many weapons to force people to flee while others say they are glad to see meetings between Arab leaders restarting, hoping they will be useful for Syria and the Arab world. Before Assad's return to the Arab League, 14.6 million Syrians were in need of aid, a figure that is likely to have increased due to the scale of the crisis exacerbated by the earthquake in February.
Turkey’s big economic gamble looks set to continue
CNN
23-05-19 11:58
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to continue cutting interest rates to tackle inflation should he be re-elected, despite falling short of winning 50% of the votes cast in last Sunday’s election. Erdogan’s loss of seats has prompted concern from investors, and Turkey’s lira fell to a record low against the US dollar. City analysts warned that Turkey needs to curb inflation, secure financial stability, and achieve sustainable growth, regardless of the election results.
Turkey’s Erdoğan vows to keep cutting rates to fight inflation if re-elected
CNN
23-05-19 10:46
Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has promised to continue his low interest rates policy if he is re-elected on 28 May. The Turkish lira crashed by more than 40% last year as Erdoğan's economic policies fuelled a jump in inflation. While central bankers across most of the world's biggest economies have been raising rates at a rapid clip to control surging prices, Turkey has been doing the opposite. "Please do follow me in the aftermath of the elections, and you will see that inflation will be going down along with interest rates," he told CNN's Becky Anderson in an exclusive interview.
MIT economics professor Daron Acemoglu has published a book called Power and Progress that examines the past millennium of technological progress, its imbalances and the need for proper incentives and regulatory safeguards to be put into place. While it was assumed neoliberal globalisation would always be beneficial, Acemoglu's research shows that major technological disruption such as the Industrial Revolution can flatten wages for an entire class of working people, involving distributional conflict and power dynamics. He argues capital takes what it wants in the absence of constraints and technology is a tool that can be used for good or ill. Acemoglu says it's not automatic and economists must remember this process as it can create growth but not enrich the masses.
Syria's Assad attended last week's Arab League Summit in Saudi Arabia in his first visit since the nation's suspension in 2011 after protests against his regime turned into civil war. Assad has since regained ground, and although the U.S. President, Donald Trump, has threatened to attack the nation and has implemented new sanctions against it, regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have not been as hostile. According to current ISS Middle East director, Naffa'a Bareddine, the Arab League's decision to readmit Syria could set off a chain reaction allowing the Syrian government to pursue its goal of retaking all Syrian territory, a move that could push Israel to intervene further militarily.
The trend for converting historical or unusual buildings into hotels, which have saved many architecturally important structures from demolition, is highlighted by a piece carried by the Sydney Morning Herald. Among the 10 properties featured are the Crawford Hotel, Denver, originally the Denver Union train station, which features 600 pieces of art, many with a travel theme, curated by local art group NINE dot ARTS; the Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Turkey, the city’s last Ottoman palace which was seriously damaged by fire in 1910 and which took six years to restore; and Mamula Island Hotel, Montenegro, the site of a former Austro-Hungarian fortress used as a concentration camp and prison under fire by both sides during WW2, and which is a new 32-room hotel backed by firm Orascom Development.
As Turkish opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu challenges President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming presidential elections, the outcome will have global repercussions. Erdogan, who has held power for 20 years, has alienated some allies with his authoritarian policies and his increasingly close relations with Russia. Kilicdaroglu has pledged to restore democracy and improve human rights, but some are unsure if he can match Erdogan's skills on the international stage. Turkey has cemented its position as a valuable diplomatic broker since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but its role in Nato and its stalled candidacy for European Union membership continue to complicate its relationship with the West. Both candidates have promised to return as many Syrian refugees as possible if they win the election, but this raises further concerns about the welfare or accommodation of displaced Syrians if Turkey puts a stop to the support offered to refugees.
Stevenage, a “new town” built nearly 80 years ago as a refuge for families fleeing postwar London, is to be regenerated with housing and job opportunities rather than retail, in response to the pandemic and increased online shopping. A report by planning consultancy Marrons shows that restoring high streets is key to Boris Johnson’s levelling-up agenda, with a £3.6bn town fund and £1bn future high streets fund disbursing between £5m and £15m in grants to more than 70 successful towns. However, the fragmentation of Whitehall funding has led to calls for more strategic initiatives that aim to encourage private sector investment, and a greater concentration of limited government resources, including transport links, leisure and health facilities, and mixed-use residential housing. Shevaun Haviland, head of the British Chambers of Commerce, warns that derelict shops are creating ‘ghost towns’ that need to be brought back to life.
Turkish citizens living abroad have begun voting in the presidential runoff election between incumbent Tayyip Erdogan and challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Erdogan failed to win an outright majority in Sunday's first round of voting, which Kilicdaroglu trailed by 4%. Attention is now focused on nationalist Sinan Ogan, who came third with 5% of the vote. Erdogan took 49.5%. Of the 64 million-strong electorate, 3.4 million are eligible to vote abroad. They can do so until 24 May.
In his latest book, Foreign Bodies: Pandemics, Vaccines and the Health of Nations, historian Simon Schama tracks the history of vaccination and how it has impacted our current situation dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The book covers the birth of vaccination, which reveals a narrative opposite that of today, with vaccine pioneers suffering prejudice and facing bureaucratic obstacles. The book highlights inspiring figures, such as Waldemar Haffkine, a Jewish microbiologist from Odesa who becomes a hero of the Raj, vaccinating millions of Indians against cholera and the plague. This is a history of scientific discovery, with Schama's avoidance of superficial discovery moments in favour of scholarly detail and analysis.
Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will face a second round of voting later this month to determine whether he will have extended powers. This follows Sunday's win which saw him secure 52% of the presidential vote with over 99% of the votes counted. However, it is thought that his rival, Muharrem Ince of the Republican People’s Party, secured nearly twice as much as the next opposition, trailing Erdogan with 31%. Erdogan is expected to win a parliamentary majority and secure a comfortable victory in the second round, largely because a coalition with nationalist politicians, the MHP, is expected to give his party a parliamentary majority.
Voting has opened for Turkish citizens living outside the country in the presidential runoff election, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to secure the required support for a first-round victory earlier this month. Three million Turkish nationals and citizens live in Germany, with 1.5 million registered to vote. The deadline for all voters abroad to cast their ballot is 24 May, before the domestic vote on 28 May. Erdogan will go head-to-head with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, an opposition leader, with voters choosing between "two starkly different world visions", according to Turkish policy expert Asli Aydintasbas.
In the first round of voting, Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) formed a comfortable parliamentary majority, and he received 49.24% of the vote, compared to Kilicdaroglu’s 45.07%. Nationalist politician Sinan Ogan took 5.25%. Kilicdaroglu has exhorted Turks to vote, calling it their “national duty”. The election has captured international attention because of “the opposition’s chance of winning”, Aydintasbas said, noting that while there is strong support for Erdogan, the country’s first-time voters appear “to see nothing but him,” leaving many calling for a change.
