World

SILVAN, Turkey: The outcome of Turkey's elections on Sunday could depend on a jailed presidential candidate's sway over voters more than 1,200 km (750 miles) away in the country's largely Kurdish southeast.In prison since 2016 and now on trial on terrorism-related charges, Selahattin Demirtas is the driving force behind the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) bid to win the 10 percent of votes that parties need to enter parliament.With virtually no media coverage of him or his party, Demirtas has got his message out through social media, party colleagues and his wife Basak, who regularly visits him in Edirne Prison near the northwest border with Greece and Bulgaria.While he has no formal role leading the party from jail, there is no legal obstacle to him running for president."They think they cut him off from the outside world but they can't see the thousands of Demirtases here," HDP co-leader Pervin Buldan told a cheering crowd waving green, white and purple party flags in the … [Read more...] about Jailed Kurdish leader may hold key in Turkish elections

PARIS: Hindered by strikes and outdated equipment, French air traffic control is responsible for a third of aviation delays in Europe, Le Parisien said on Monday (Jun 18), citing a senate finance committee report.Between 2004 and 2016, French air traffic controllers were on strike 254 days, while second-placed Greece only had 46 days of stoppages, Italy 37 and Germany four, according to the report seen by the daily."Every day of a strike in France has a much bigger impact on European traffic than (strikes) in other European countries", the report's author, senator Vincent Capo-Canellas, noted after six months of work including numerous field visits.In addition to frequent industrial action France is also the champion for delays, linked to obsolescent equipment, the report said."Our country is responsible for 33 per cent of delays due to air traffic control in Europe," Capo-Canellas said, representing 300 million euros in annual losses for airlines."In France, the control equipment is … [Read more...] about France air traffic responsible for third of Europe delays: Report

AMSTERDAM: A bus struck four people at a Dutch concert in the early hours of Monday morning, killing one and wounding three, police said on Tuesday.A police statement said the bus drove away from the scene and is being sought. Other media reports described the vehicle as a small white bus.The incident took place at the "Pink Pop" concert, a popular festival being held in Limberg province in the south of the Netherlands.(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Paul Tait) … [Read more...] about Bus strikes Dutch concert-goers, kills one, wounds three

ANKARA - Turkish police have arrested a man suspected of torturing a puppy after shocking images emerged online of the maimed animal in a case that has outraged the country and grabbed the political agenda ahead of next week's elections. The puppy, whose four paws and tail had been cut off, was found in a forest in the Sapanca district in the northwestern province of Sakarya and taken to a vet for treatment. The wounded animal died during surgery on Friday. President Tayyip Erdogan told an election rally in Istanbul on Sunday that police had detained a construction machine operator on Saturday in relation to the puppy's death. Erdogan pledged that Turkey's animal rights laws would be amended after the June 24 vote in which he is aiming to win a second term. Hayvan dostlarımız, bize Rabbimizin emanetidir. Onlara sahip çıkalım, onları koruyalım. pic.twitter.com/qcDzUTebse— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RT_Erdogan) June 17, 2018 "Whether at home … [Read more...] about Man in Turkey arrested after puppy dies from having paws and tail cut off

ANKARA: The jailed presidential candidate for Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition made his first television appearance in over a year and a half on Sunday (Jun 17), giving a campaign speech ahead of next week's elections.Selahattin Demirtas, who has been in detention for close to 20 months on security charges and faces a sentence of up to 142 years if convicted, was nominated by his Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) as a candidate last month.One of Turkey's best-known politicians, he has had to run his campaign mostly through social media from his prison cell in the northwestern city of Edirne, while Turkish media have been saturated with coverage of President Tayyip Erdogan and his ministers.Speaking on state broadcaster TRT in a scheduled 10-minute address, to which he is entitled under election law, Demirtas said voting for Erdogan and his ruling AK Party would mean putting the fate of the country "between one man's two lips"."The only reason I am still here is that the AKP is scared of … [Read more...] about Turkey’s jailed pro-Kurdish candidate in first TV appearance for 20 months