Turkey, Armenia, and why Biden used the ‘G’ word
Yasar Yakis
Joe Biden
https://arab.news/rb2vr
Every year, as April 24 draws near, hasty preparations are made in Turkey to counter what the countries with strong Armenian communities will do to commemorate the day. This date is the anniversary of the relocation in 1915 of Armenians living in the eastern Ottoman provinces.
The Turkish view is that they were relocated because Armenian gangs were cooperating with the invading Russian army and committing atrocities against Turks, hoping to carve out a homeland for themselves.
This year, the entire Turkish media was focused on whether US President Joe Biden would use the word “genocide” in his statement. While Biden’s statement has no legal effect in international law, it may encourage several other countries to follow suit.
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia will start constructing a mosque named after King Salman bin Abdul Aziz at the new campus of the International Islamic University (IIU) in Pakistan’s capital city, Islamabad, “very soon,” the institute’s rector told Arab News on Saturday.
“The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques has decided to lay the foundation of the King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Mosque within this year, with a capacity of 12,000 worshippers at the new campus of the International Islamic University,” Dr. Masoom Yasinzai said.
“This is not just going to be a mosque but will have a huge complex with a research and cultural center for scholars and students,” he continued, adding that it will also house a library, a museum, and an auditorium named after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
(Bloomberg)
Middle Eastern equities markets were mixed on Sunday as traders looked for direction following good performance across the region in April.
The main index in Kuwait rose 0.5%, the biggest advance, with gauges in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman also up.
(Bloomberg)
The United Arab Emirates’ non-oil economy shrank 6.2% last year on lower oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic, the first contraction since 2011 at least, according to preliminary government data.
LONDON: Oman will ban the movement of people and vehicles from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. from May 8 until May 15, the state news agency said on Sunday, citing the Supreme Committee for Combating Coronavirus.
Oman will also ban commercial activity all day during the same period, except for food stores, gas stations, health institutions and pharmacies. Home delivery services for all goods are also exempt.
The decision came following a supreme committee meeting chaired by Minister of Interior Hammoud bin Faisal Al-Busaidi on developments in the pandemic.
The sultanate also said government employees will work from home from May 9 until May 11, and urged private sector companies to implement business continuity plans by working remotely and downsizing the number of employees who are required to come to the workplace.