#Cyprus issue

[kyreniacommentator]

Missing Cyprus Bus martyrs commemorated

Missing Cyprus Bus martyrs commemorated The Missing Bus Martyrs, remembered as the first victims of mass murder during the Turkish Cypriot people’s struggle for existence, were yesterday commemorated with a ceremony held in front of the Missing Bus Monument and Museum. The 11 Turkish Cypriots who vanished 61 years ago on May 13, 1964, while on their way to work at the British Bases in Dhekelia…

[guiltycorp]

did you guys see the new Dybowski allegations thing, a post from his wife detailing the abuse she faced from him? (this translation on reddit looks correct to me) sigh yeah I don't know, there is immediately a lot of people doubting the post's authenticity but at this point like let's be real! sure, before this in my mind there was some plausible deniability concerning the rumors of him harassing his female students - although knowing that particular university and what the students themselves said it seemed a little too likely anyway tbh and now there is NO doubt in my mind ...when i was googling his wife's name i realised that she had also been his student at one point, jesus christ and then that man had the audacity to feign deep hurt that his darling students could 'twist' his almost-paternal feelings towards them like that, blegh, typical i've also listened to a bunch of his interviews recently out of sincere interest in his creative process and he did mention having problems with alcohol which at the time i kind of squinted at, like yeah haha, admitting you have a problem is the first step, but like for a teacher it's a bit too yikes... anyway all this to say is that despite my previous hype and interest idk if i'm even going to play p3 now ://// it's too difficult to divorce the man from the game considering that it seems he is more heavily involved now than during p2 development, and also the whole plot is clearly him projecting his self-aggrandizing teaching experiences? from the way he talked about his new take on Daniil and Simon it truly sounded like whatever is left of his early ideas about the characters and the lore will be tainted by him doubling down on all of his personal flaws in recent years ...maybe the promised demo-version will shed some light on the kind of game it will actually be and i'd be happy to somehow get back to previous hype but mmm #doubt

[coochiequeens]

Can there be an ethical way to exploit a woman for a womb and treat a baby like a commodity?

The global surrogacy industry is experiencing an unprecedented boom, raising ethical concerns across borders. As more couples turn to surrogacy as a path to parenthood, this assisted reproductive technology has evolved into a multi-billion dollar market.

According to recent research, the global surrogacy industry is projected to grow from $21.85 billion in 2024, to $196 billion by 2034. This explosive growth is primarily concentrated in Europe and North America, where surrogacy is legal and regulated. 

However, the legal landscape of surrogacy remains a complex patchwork across nations, with some countries embracing it while others maintain strict prohibitions. This inconsistency in regulations has created gray areas.

Scientific research highlights the possibility of abuse arising from gaps in legal frameworks and disputes, whether surrogacy is legal or not. It points to unethical practices such as trafficking of women, coercion of both surrogates and prospective parents by agencies, lack of respect for bodily autonomy or informed consent, ‘sham’ procedures and multiple embryo exchanges.

Cross-Border Exploitation: A Dark Web of Surrogacy

Surrogacy-related abuse often happens in a region formed by three countries: Turkey, Georgia and Northern Cyprus.

While surrogacy remains illegal in Turkey, it’s perfectly legal in its northeastern neighbor Georgia and southern neighbor Northern Cyprus, creating a dangerous legal vacuum that enables exploitation.

The Hope for the Future Association, based in Tbilisi, Georgia, is one of the organizations reporting cases of abuse and illegal surrogacy in the country. 

“Our organization has evidence of both Georgian and Turkish citizens being used as surrogate mothers, along with cases of children being transported across borders with falsified documents,” said Tamar Khachapuridze, the association’s director. “We’ve reported these to the prosecutor’s office. Despite a decade-long investigation by Georgian prosecutors, these cases remain collecting dust. It appears someone is working to keep these dark dealings under wraps.” 

While surrogacy remains illegal in Turkey, it’s perfectly legal in its northeastern neighbor Georgia and southern neighbor Northern Cyprus, creating a dangerous legal vacuum that enables exploitation.

The Hope for the Future Association, based in Tbilisi, Georgia, is one of the organizations reporting cases of abuse and illegal surrogacy in the country. 

“Our organization has evidence of both Georgian and Turkish citizens being used as surrogate mothers, along with cases of children being transported across borders with falsified documents,” said Tamar Khachapuridze, the association’s director. “We’ve reported these to the prosecutor’s office. Despite a decade-long investigation by Georgian prosecutors, these cases remain collecting dust. It appears someone is working to keep these dark dealings under wraps.” 

Khachapuridze cited a particularly alarming case involving a Turkish surrogate mother. After undergoing embryo transfer in Georgia, she was reportedly transported to Thailand three months before giving birth, where she delivered a baby intended for a single Chinese man.

This case directly violates Georgian law, which explicitly prohibits embryo transfer or any surrogacy procedures for women from foreign countries.

When we obtained the case number from Khachapuridze’s files and approached the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office with written questions about the existence and content of the investigation, our written inquiries and follow-up calls went unanswered.

Rusudan Nanava, a Tbilisi-based lawyer handling surrogacy cases, explained the wall of silence: “I doubt you’ll get any information from the prosecutor’s office. Criminal cases, especially those involving surrogacy, are treated with the highest level of confidentiality.”

Georgia’s Legislative Tug of War: Balancing Ethics and Economics

In a significant policy shift, the Georgian government is grappling with proposed legislation that could fundamentally reshape the country’s surrogacy landscape. The move comes amid growing concerns over human trafficking and exploitation in the industry.

“We’re seeing cases of law abuse, including human trafficking,” said independent member of parliament  Tamar Kordzaia. “While the government pushes for change through surrogacy laws, I believe we could address these issues through other regulatory measures.”

The controversial bill, introduced in June 2023, would effectively end commercial surrogacy in Georgia, permitting only altruistic arrangements. This shift would bar foreign couples—who currently make up 95 percent of intended parents—from accessing Georgian surrogacy services, restricting the practice to Georgian citizens only.

However, Kordzaia remains skeptical about the bill’s future, which has yet to take effect.  

“This is moving at a glacial pace, despite the government’s ability to fast-track legislation when it wants to,” she said. “The economic implications are severe—both for medical facilities and the women who rely on surrogacy income. I suspect the bill will ultimately be withdrawn.”

In a country where 11.5 percent of women aged 18-65 live below the absolute poverty line, surrogacy has become a lifeline for many Georgian women struggling to make ends meet. Their stories paint a stark picture of economic desperation intersecting with the global fertility market.

Take Teona, a 42-year-old teacher and domestic violence survivor, who turned to surrogacy twice a decade ago. “As a woman, I wanted to help another woman who couldn’t have children,” she said, her voice tinged with both pride and pragmatism. “Of course, there was financial motivation. My main goal was to buy my own apartment, and I did it—for my child’s future.”

Dr. Keti Gotsiridze, director of the Reproductive Health Center of the Chachava clinic, one of Georgia’s well-established health institutions, said according to the data research of her clinic, surrogacy practice contributes $300 million a year to health tourism. Gotsiridze said 90 percent of their clients are foreigners. Surrogate mothers are paid 25-30 thousand Euros; Chachava works with an average of 300-400 surrogate mothers a year. 

For the time being, it seems that the new legislation to change the practice of surrogacy in Georgia has been shelved due to economic concerns. However, the question of how to prevent human trafficking, which has also emerged with the abuse of the existing law, remains unanswered. 

Cross-Border Surrogacy Investigation Closes With No Charges Filed

A prosecutorial investigation has revealed an alleged surrogacy trafficking network spanning Turkey, Georgia and Northern Cyprus, highlighting the devastating human cost of unregulated fertility treatments.

The case began on Sept. 3, 2021, when Turkey’s Health Ministry received an anonymous tip about “F. IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) Center,” a fertility clinic in Istanbul’s affluent Beşikta�� district. According to the whistleblower, the clinic was targeting vulnerable young women, including minors, from the working-class neighborhood of Ümraniye with promises of financial gain through surrogacy.

The scheme was elaborate: Women were provided with fertility drugs to use at home for durations  ranging from two to 12 days. They were then allegedly trafficked to Georgia and Northern Cyprus using forged documents, with all expenses covered by the network. The fertility medications were reportedly sourced from pharmaceutical warehouses and distributed through a café in Üsküdar, serving as a front for the operation.

Despite the gravity of these allegations, the investigation faced significant hurdles. After a year-long probe, authorities could only identify one suspect, known as A.A., who allegedly recruited the women. The café implicated in the scheme closed its doors just one month before police surveillance began.

When we reached out to M.K., the lawyer who owned the café, he confirmed his ownership but denied any knowledge of the fertility drug distribution, claiming he was also a victim in the scheme.

Another crucial lead emerged regarding Dr. S.T., who allegedly treated the women at “F. IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) Center” and later deleted their medical records. However, police terminated the investigation, citing lack of evidence and the doctor’s clean criminal record.

When reached for comment, Dr. S.T. denied all allegations, dismissing the claims made in the investigation as baseless.

The case took another turn when the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the case in January 2023. The Provincial Health Directorate appealed, arguing that “the investigation was inadequate” and “the material and moral elements of the crime have not been fully established.” Nevertheless, on May 31, 2023, the Istanbul 7th Criminal Court of Peace rejected the appeal without explanation.

The case remains closed, leaving crucial questions unanswered about the fate of these young Turkish women, the conditions they endured, and the clinics involved in Georgia and Northern Cyprus. The Ministry of Health has remained silent on queries about similar reported cases, raising concerns about the scale of this cross-border surrogacy trade. 

A Cross-Border Underground Surrogacy Network

A police raid in Istanbul in 2019 exposed a sophisticated trafficking network spanning Turkey, Georgia and Northern Cyprus. The operation revealed a complex web involving a Northern Cypriot ringleader and two Moldovan accomplices who coordinated the trafficking of Turkish women for surrogacy purposes.

During the raid, police discovered large quantities of fertility drugs. According to detained suspects’ testimonies, these hormones were supplied by the Northern Cypriot kingpin and administered to potential surrogate mothers recruited from Turkey. The women were then trafficked to clinics in both Northern Cyprus and Georgia, with one prominent facility identified as “IVF Tours Georgia” in Tbilisi.

To verify whether this clinic continues to engage with Turkish women five years after the raid, we conducted an undercover investigation. Posing as potential surrogates from Turkey, we contacted “IVF Tours Georgia” via email. The response was swift and telling: Not only did they accept our inquiry, but they immediately began discussing financial arrangements and medical screenings. This exchange revealed a striking fact: Despite Georgian law restricting surrogacy to Georgian citizens, the clinic openly offered services to Turkish nationals, highlighting the persistent nature of this illegal cross-border trade.

Lack of Oversight Fuels Surrogacy Concerns in Northern Cyprus

In Northern Cyprus, a growing surrogacy industry operates within a complex web of legal ambiguity and insufficient oversight, despite having well-crafted regulations. Former health minister (2018-2019) and Republican Turkish Party MP Filiz Besim warns that human trafficking cases persist due to inadequate supervision.

“While we have meticulously drafted laws permitting surrogacy, the lack of oversight remains a critical issue,” Besim said. “Our unique position outside international law, due to our unrecognized status, has created vulnerabilities that are being extensively exploited. This has led to the emergence of illicit international networks involved in human, women, and child trafficking.”

Deputy Besim emphasizes that women—particularly from Caucasian countries—are being brought from abroad as surrogate mothers in violation of laws. He notes that due to insufficient oversight, questions remain about the agreements, facilitators, and conditions under which these women are transported.

Our anonymous field interviews and observations reveal serious concerns about surrogacy practices stemming from the country’s lack of oversight. A troubling gray area has emerged where low-income women face potential exploitation. Women may be pressured into surrogacy due to financial hardship, raising ethical concerns about the commodification of women’s bodies and children’s rights.

International organizations like U.N. Women have voiced similar concerns about surrogacy practices in regions like Northern Cyprus, citing these risks and inadequate oversight. They stress the importance of protecting surrogate mothers through proper safeguards: ensuring they are fully informed, free from coercion, and fairly compensated for the risks they undertake

Surrogacy became legal in Northern Cyprus in August 2016 under the Law Regulating Human Cell, Tissue, and Organ Transplantation Rules. A new, more robust bill was drafted in April 2023, though Parliament has yet to convene to discuss these changes.

Northern Cyprus has emerged as Europe’s leading destination for reproductive treatments. The industry’s prominence is evident in everyday encounters in the capital, Lefkoşa, where stories of successful surrogacy arrangements—including a recent case involving a European couple—are commonplace.

While official statistics remain undisclosed, artificial intelligence analysis estimates approximately 500 surrogacy arrangements occur annually in Northern Cyprus. According to LaingBuisson, a London-based healthcare market research firm, the country handles about 11 percent of all egg donation treatments in Europe.

Social Media’s Underground Surrogacy Market

Despite legal bans and restrictions, a thriving underground surrogacy market in Turkey continues to operate in plain sight. There are numerous advertisements openly seeking surrogate mothers on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. 

In one of these advertisements, we wrote  to a woman who said  she could  be a surrogate mother, with a request to have a child. Ten years ago in Turkey, the woman said she had been a surrogate mother once and explained how the process would work and offered us two methods to help her conceive:

“The child could be from my egg and your husband’s sperm. Would you be okay with that after birth? We’d never need to know each other. We wouldn’t even need a transfer. We could handle it ourselves – inject your husband’s sperm directly into my uterus. Or, we could select healthy eggs and have your and your husband’s eggs transferred to me.”

Most alarmingly, she assured us that certain private clinics would perform these procedures clandestinely, promising there would be “no issues” with birth certificates—a clear indication of document fraud.

The desperation of infertile couples seeking parenthood through these illegal channels may be understandable, but the risks are severe. These back-alley procedures not only endanger the health of all parties involved but also expose them to serious legal consequences. The combination of medical risks and criminal liability creates a potential storm of challenges for vulnerable individuals. 

The Delicate Balance: Finding a Legal Middle Ground

Is there a way to craft ideal legislation that prevents exploitation while acknowledging the deep human desire for parenthood? Attorney and professor Dr. Özlem Yenerer Çakmut believes the answer lies in nuanced regulation rather than absolute prohibition.

“We can’t simply ignore the profound yearning of those who dream of experiencing not just parenthood, but the entire journey—from pregnancy to birth,” Yenerer explained. “These are couples who want more than adoption; they want to be part of every moment, every milestone.”

“The challenge lies in striking a delicate balance between regulation and prohibition,” she continued. “A blanket ban isn’t the answer, especially in societies where having children carries immense social and cultural weight. While we can’t legitimize illegal practices, we can work toward meaningful legislation that protects all parties involved while acknowledging these deeply human desires.”

There is also a section of the world strongly opposed to surrogacy. At its forefront stands the Casablanca Declaration, a document signed by 100 experts from 75 countries in March 2023, calling for a universal ban on surrogacy practices.

Leading this charge is Olivia Maurel, herself born through surrogacy in 1991, who has emerged as one of the movement’s most compelling voices. 

“Standing against surrogacy means advocating for its universal abolition,” Maurel declared with conviction born of personal experience. “This isn’t just about abstract principles—it’s about defending the fundamental rights of women and children, about protecting human dignity in its most basic form. Surrogacy, by its very nature, undermines these essential values.”

For some, surrogacy represents a last resort in their journey to parenthood. A 46-year-old woman living in Georgia, who chose to remain anonymous, shared the challenging aspects of this process. After having her uterus and ovaries removed due to health issues, she and her husband decided to pursue surrogacy six years ago.

The woman described maintaining close contact with the surrogate mother both before the transfer and throughout the pregnancy. “I monitored her doctor visits, tests and medications regularly. I ensured she maintained a healthy diet, and I was present during the birth. I was with my baby from the moment of delivery.”

Despite being a challenging and costly process, she pursued surrogacy to fulfill her dream of motherhood. “If surrogacy is the only path to becoming a mother, you must give it your all, learn to manage your emotions, and stay focused on your goal. The difficulties and pain are temporary; the love for a child is permanent,” she said.

E.U. Redefines Surrogacy Regulations

Recent legal scholarship challenges the traditional binary approach of outright bans versus complete legalization. Instead, experts advocate for a nuanced international framework that transcends cultural and moral absolutes while protecting fundamental human rights. This perspective emphasizes the critical need for comprehensive national legislation in countries where surrogacy exists, whether legal or not, to safeguard the rights of both women and children.

Amid this contentious landscape, the European Parliament Council took decisive action on Jan. 23, 2024, reaching a provisional agreement to classify exploitative surrogacy practices as human trafficking. The measure was formally adopted on May 27, 2024.

The new framework imposes strict penalties on those who exploit women through forced surrogacy or deceptive practices, while establishing comprehensive support systems for victims. E.U. member states must implement these protections into their national legislation within two years.

The production of this investigation is supported by a grant from the IJ4EU fund. The International Press Institute (IPI), the European Journalism Centre (EJC) and any other partners in the lJ4EU fund are not responsible for the content published and any use made out of it.

This reporting was supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalist

About Seda Karatabanoğlu and Zeynep Yüncüler

Seda Karatabanoğlu graduated with a bachelor's degree from Istanbul University's Faculty of Communication in Turkey and a master's degree in European studies and international relations at l'Université Paul-Valéry in France. She worked at Cumhuriyet Newspaper. Her articles have been published on many online platforms such as Euronews Turkish and DW Turkish. Currently residing in France, she continues her work as an independent journalist.

Zeynep Yüncüler is a graduate of Izmir University of Economics, where she studied in the Media and Communication Department. She worked at Milliyet Daily, 'Artı 1' TV, BirGün Daily, ‘Artı Tv’ and Punto24, an independent journalism platform in Turkey. She also served as the secretary for the Journalists’ Union of Turkey's Istanbul branch. She was honored with the best interview award (2016) by the Progressive Journalists’ Association (ÇGD). Currently, she is a freelancer.

[nonasuch]

Miss Universe National Costume 2024, Part 2!

Splitting this off into a new post so I'm not clogging up everyone's dash quite as much.

Miss Malta is some sort of environmental protection Sailor Scout. I think the giant bow would look better on the back of the skirt but otherwise this is solid.

It has just come to my attention that I skipped over Miss Albania and several other A/B countries, back at the beginning. I sincerely apologize! She went to all this trouble putting together a Fifth Element cruise ship passenger costume, and I nearly missed it.

Miss Armenia, in what even I have to admit would be a legit Princess Leia fit.

Miss Bahrain, adding some green to her Gold And Vaguely Historical look, along with what is either a comically large prop chalice or an upside-down lamp.

Miss Bangladesh appears to believe that adding two plush tigers from the toy store around the corner from the pageant venue will conceal the fact that she is just wearing a tiger-print evening dress. Miss Bangladesh is incorrect.

Miss Belgium. Girl. No.

Miss Belize let the seventh-grade art class do her whole costume, which was a bold choice.

Okay, I think that's everyone I missed! Back to alphabetical order. And I should have to rely less on shitty screenshots, now. Some countries were benefiting from the low resolution, tbh.

Kind of feel like Miss Maldives had a luggage mishap and she's just wearing the outfit she packed for a slightly dressy dinner.

Miss Martinique's costume would honestly have looked better in the shitty screencap version. The construction is... bad. It's bad.

Feel like we're in a little bit of slump here. Miss Mauritius did not stick enough butterfly appliqués to her gown to conceal that it is, in fact, just a regular evening gown.

Slump officially over! We are so back. Everyone say thank you, Miss Mexico.

I would like this better if it had just committed to the giant skirt and not felt the need to make it a Sexy Miniskirt look. Sorry, Miss Moldova.

Miss Mongolia wanted to stand out from all the other gold armor on stage, so she decided to a) wear cooler armor and b) bring a bow and arrow instead of a sword. Great work, Miss Mongolia.

Starting to feel like I'm picking on the smaller countries that probably don't have a huge pageant culture or the budget for really elaborate costumes, but on the other hand Miss Montenegro's costume is super low-effort AND the fabrics look cheap, so what am I supposed to do?

Okay, this looks like a pretty standard Miss Universe Sexy Bird, yes? Well, THIS is how Miss Myanmar entered the stage:

She had to fight her way out of that thing! God only knows what the visibility was like in there.

I think the hat is doing most of the heavy lifting to keep Miss Namibia's costume from being Just An Evening Dress, sadly.

Oh, yikes. It's more obvious in motion but Miss Nepal's bodice looks like it's made of craft foam and it fits real weird. The rest of it looks a little like she got together with Miss Cyprus and a pile of tablecloths for a sewing bee last night, I'm sorry to say.

Miss Netherlands has chosen a Tribute to Delft. I think if I were in charge of this costume I would do a much fuller skirt that falls from the waist, instead of the weird trumpet-skirt-with-hoop we've got here. And, obviously, I would make the windmill on the bodice actually spin.

It looks like she's having some issues keeping the wings and peplum in place, but I really like Miss New Zealand's costume from a design perspective. It at least slightly resembles the bird it's supposed to be (New Zealand fantail) and I think the feather pattern is meant to be in a Maori art style.

Miss Nicaragua is a Sexy Cathedral, which I think might be a Miss Universe first and is definitely a big old step closer to drag.

Okay, pausing here to get the next batch ready.

[thumbsart]

I'm obsessed with this map, tbh. It has Ireland and Turkey, but the Turkish portion of Thrace is removed. Russia is gone completely. Northern Ireland is included, which is reasonable (though technically breaking the parameters of the original post at time of writing), but so is seemingly the Greek island of Rhodes? I think Cyprus (partially claimed by Turkey) is also gone and also the northern tip of Morocco?

I think this map's borders would start at least one war, which is impressive because it erases 99% of Europe. 10/10

Ireland is the only country in Europe

[toriaaniin]

The Fallout of Staying Quiet

There’s no denying that Bridgerton Season 3 should’ve been Luke’s moment. He delivered a deeply romantic, emotionally intelligent performance as Colin Bridgerton, and viewers around the world noticed. It was a breakout role — one that should’ve catapulted him into the next phase of his career. And yet, nearly a year later, Luke has retreated from the spotlight. When he does appear, it’s often in ways that raise more questions than they answer.

This weekend, a restaurant in Cyprus posted a photo of Luke dining there. Completely normal — until you add in the fact that Cyprus is where Antonia’s family lives. The woman is "supposed" to be Luke’s girlfriend, though he has never publicly acknowledged her. That silence might have made sense a year ago. But now? The mixed messaging is creating reputational damage — for both Luke and Nicola.

Nicola, meanwhile, is navigating her own set of challenges. As someone who has long used her voice to uplift the LGBTQ+ community, she's recently faced criticism for letting assumptions swirl around her close friendship with Jake Dunn — a man widely believed to be gay. The longer the narrative is left to shape itself, the more confusion arises. It's not that Nicola lacks good PR support — she’s represented by top-tier teams, and there’s no doubt she knows exactly what she’s doing. But that’s part of what makes this moment so difficult to interpret: if this silence is strategic, what's the strategy?

Maybe the real issue is that the “public story” — the one seen in press appearances and social media posts — doesn't align with what many fans suspect is the truth. Let’s just call it the curated version (I call it the Grand Narrative) versus the lived or True Narrative. What began as careful privacy or clever misdirection now feels like a muddled middle ground. The result? A fractured public image for Luke, unfair speculation for Nicola, and fatigue in a fandom that has been paying close attention.

This doesn’t just hurt feelings — it hurts momentum. And for two actors who clearly care about their work and their fans, it’s frustrating to watch. Luke deserves a team (or strategy) that positions him thoughtfully and truthfully. Nicola deserves the space to shine on her own terms without being dragged into noise that isn’t hers to carry.

And the fans? We’re still here — watching, waiting, hoping. But we’re not just looking for romance. We’re looking for clarity. For a narrative that makes sense. And for the possibility that honesty might be the boldest soft launch of all.

Aaniin Xxx

P.S. I have opinions about today's Cyprus restaurant image that are centred around misdirection and age of the photo. After a day of viewing hateful comments on this restaurant's post, and on Nicola, I knew that I wanted to focus a blog post on PR strategy and fandom fatigue.

[sayruq]

The Royal Air Force (RAF) has flown 200 surveillance flights over Gaza since December, it can be revealed.The UK government refused to give any details about the flights which began on December 3 but Declassified has independently constructed a timeline. The extraordinary number of missions over the past five months works out at well over a flight per day and continues as Israel invades the supposedly “safe” southern city of Rafah.March saw the highest number of British spy flights over Gaza with 44 missions. The new information comes amid speculation that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to issue arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers. British officials could also face prosecution for complicity in war crimes, including defence secretary Grant Shapps. All the British spy flights have taken off from RAF Akrotiri, the UK’s sprawling air base on Cyprus, and have been in the air for around six hours. Gaza sits around 30 minutes flight time from the base so it is likely the RAF has gathered around 1,000 hours of surveillance footage over Gaza.

[clarabosswald]

had to get out of bed to vent about this because jesus fucking christ.

tl;dr there is enough real shit to criticize and condemn about israel, stop making stuff up.

anyway this is the full thing that just happened to me on reddit:

on which i commented

(the pancakes thing is a reference to a post i saw on tumblr, btw. it had 10k+ notes.)

which then prompted this lovely interaction with the sub's mods:

so here's the thing.

no, "not legally recognized" and "illegal" are not the same thing. just like "not legal" and "not legally recognized" are not the same thing!

interfaith marriage is not illegal in israel! neither is queer marriage! neither is secular marriage!

the thing about jewish marriage here is that, within israel, in order to get full spousal rights from the government, you need to go through the state rabbinate. the state rabbinate grants marriage only according to their very strict interpretation of the jewish religion. that means that anyone who doesn't want to get married like that, will have to pick other routes.

for instance. cyprus is a popular marriage destination for israelis! any israelis! including secular jews! i know that because my own parents, who are 100% jews but also 100% secular, flew to cyprus to get married there, and then got legally recognized as fully married back in israel!

queer couples who get married abroad are legally recognized as married within the country!

other religions - muslim, christian, druze, etc. - have their own religious marriage institutions that are legally recognized!

while traditional marriage in israel is tied to religious institutions, there are alternative routes to being legally recognized as a couple, which grant at least some, if not all the rights granted to religiously married couples!

all of this knowledge comes not from taking wikipedia articles as gospel, but from actually living in this stupid cesspool of a place!

pretending to know more about local queer issues than local queers is queerphobic as fuck!

pretending to know more about jewish issues than a jew is antisemitic as fuck!

to make things crystal clear: israel is a fucked up place there are plenty of actual, real, crimes this state does that are actually grounded in real evidence you don't need to make shit up to make this country look bad speaking over, invalidating, and excluding locals from talking about their own lived experience doesn't make you righteous! it makes you a pompous, elon musk-wannabe dickwad!

your local plot of grass is touch starved as fuck

[kyreniacommentator]

President Tatar: Türkiye will always stand with us

President Tatar: Türkiye will always stand with us President Ersin Tatar expressed his deep satisfaction with TEKNOFEST being organized in the TRNC, emphasizing that the festival’s role in inspiring youth and symbolizing hope for the future. Continue reading President Tatar: Türkiye will always stand with us

[fiamat12]

Afternoon, Fia. Legal Anon checking in. I haven't gone away. I've been lurking in the shadows waiting for this all the unravel. I do think the NDA obligations have become more and more apparent as a major factor in this story as time has elapsed but to give everyone a glimmer of hope, it can't last forever and Antonia's leverage dies with all the massive effort it seems Luke has made to satisfy the deal.

I see ChatGPT has become a source of information gathering. I also see the issue of breaking the NDA being conflated with a Lukola launch. It may be how the question is being asked.

Luke and Nicola aren't breaking the NDA by launching unless there is a stipulation stating that they can't come out as a couple until a certain time or before a certain milestone is met. The obligations being met, which was presumably the consideration in the agreement, is the primary way Luke meets the terms. Once he has done so, he is free and Antonia will stay silent, which has been the goal. Had he not met the terms she could have talked, or posted damning stories on social media, and made things even more complicated for him, Nicola and their careers.

As I've have discussed with you, Fia, it would have been easier and more efficient for him to pay her off but it seems that the parties weren't amenable to such an arrangement. They either couldn't agree on a monetary sum or one or both parties didn't agree to it in principle. Someone was playing hard ball, as we say, and moving on from this has required a Herculian effort, it seems.

I, as everyone else, am looking forward to what the next month brings. Perhaps we will finally see our lovely pair coming into the light. My bottle of champagne is still chilling.

Hello dear friend! Glad you're still lurking and waiting for it all to unravel.🙏 A Herculian effort is right! He literally went to Cyprus at some point. Smdh. 🤦‍♂️

Out of the shadows into the light just like Polin, please! We have waiting patiently and are more than ready for that glass of bubbly! 🍾🥂

[blueiscoool]

Greece Returns 1,055 Ancient Coins to Turkey

Greece on Thursday returned a hoard of over 1,000 stolen ancient coins to Turkey in the first repatriation of its kind between the historic rivals and neighbors, Agence France-Presse reported.

The move came a few months after Turkey publicly supported Greece in its long quest to reclaim the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum in London.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said the hoard of 1,055 silver coins had been seized by Greek customs guards on the border with Turkey in 2019.

“These coins had been illegally imported,” Mendoni said at a ceremony at the Numismatic Museum, which specializes in currency and medal collections, in Athens.

Greeks are “particularly sensitive” to repatriation issues, she said.

“All illegally exported antiquities from whichever country should return to their country of origin,” Mendoni added.

Turkish Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the operation was the first repatriation from Greece.

Greek and Turkish experts determined that the coins were part of a stock hidden in Asia Minor between the late 5th and early 4th century BCE, she added.

While research is ongoing, it is possible the hoard was secreted in modern-day Turkey during the Persian Wars expeditions of Athenian general Cimon, a veteran of the 480 BCE Battle of Salamis, she added.

Broadly used

Most of the cache were tetradrachms — ancient large silver coins — originally minted in Athens and used broadly in the eastern Mediterranean, said Museum Numismatologist Vassiliki Stefanaki, a coinage expert.

Stamped with the image of an owl, the Athenian relics were also used locally to pay tribute to the Persian Empire, and Persian governors used them to reward their troops, she said.

Other coins came from Cyprus, the islands of Aegina and Milos, from Asia Minor cities founded by Greek settlers, the Iron Age kingdom of Lydia, and Phoenicia in modern-day Lebanon, officials said.

Mendoni on Thursday also thanked Turkey for supporting Greece’s campaign to secure the return of the Parthenon Marbles from London.

The British Museum has long maintained that the Marbles were removed from the Acropolis in Athens by royal decree granted to Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.

But in June, Zeynep Boz, the head of the Turkish Culture Ministry’s anti-smuggling committee, told a UNESCO meeting in Paris that no such document had been found in Ottoman archives.

Her statement was “decisive” in favor of Greece’s position, Mendoni said Thursday.

Ersoy through a translator said Turkey wanted “with all its heart” to see the Marbles return to Athens.

“The Greek people should have them, they belong to them,” he said.

Boz, who attended Thursday’s ceremony in Athens, told Agence France-Presse that the timing of the coins’ return by Greece was not related to her report in June.

The five-year delay was caused by the time required by the Greek justice system to authorize the coins’ repatriation, she said.

[thevioletfantasy]

The whole Alpine mess.

Bits taken from HammertimeMagazine

The arrest of William Oakes, brother of Oliver Oakes, has not only rocked the paddock, but has also put the spotlight back on Hitech Grand Prix and its links to Dmitry Mazepin.

The real unresolved issue would be the change of ownership of the team, which occurred in March 2022, at a crucial moment from a geopolitical point of view. Until nine days before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Hitech was controlled at 75% by Bergton Management Ltd, a company based in Cyprus with ties to Mazepin.

Three days after Mazepin and his son Nikita were hit by the sanctions, it was Oliver Oakes who set up a new entity, Hitech Global Holdings Ltd, through which he formally assumed control of the team.

The sporting "feud" between Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto, in fact, would only be the latest "symptom" of a deeper tension, linked to Oakes' failed attempt to bring the Hitech name to Formula 1 with the financial support, far from transparent, of the Mazepin family.

Part of the capital used to support the team's expansion projects - including the interest in purchasing Alpine - would come, as told to you this evening, from funds transferred by the Mazepin family through a front company based in Cyprus. A scheme that would have circumvented the sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Kingdom on the Mazepin family with the outbreak of the war.

Oliver Oakes himself would have been at the center of this operation: not only as a formal beneficiary of the Hitech shares sold by Bergton Management Ltd in March 2022, but also as a possible intermediary for still active interests.

The failure to officially enter Formula 1 through Hitech - stopped by the FIA ​​- would have pushed Oakes to look for a new path, aiming for an internal climb at Alpine.

The puzzle is completed with other disturbing details: Doohan and Paul Aron - would have followed Oakes within the Alpine team, together with numerous engineers and technicians. Colapinto, on the contrary, would have been a foreign body to the system, introduced by Flavio Briatore and supported by sponsors deemed "inconvenient" for the internal balance.

The recent arrest of William Oakes therefore appears to be the (temporary) epilogue of a house of cards built on unstable foundations. Cash, offshore corporate structures and an escape to Dubai complete the portrait of an ambitious and dangerously exposed project.

The most absurd thing about this whole situation is that Flavio Briatore does not seem to be involved in this whole mess at the moment.

PS: considering the comments, please note that the drivers are NOT involved in this, they are NOT the point here 🤣

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

At 00:23 Maltese time, the Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship came under direct attack in international waters. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had been organizing a nonviolent action under a media black out to avoid any potential sabotage. Volunteers from over 21 countries travelled to Malta to board the mission to Gaza, including prominent figures. On the morning of their scheduled departure, the vessel was attacked. Armed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull. The last communication in the early morning of the 2nd of May, indicated the drones are still circling the ship.

The ship, located in international waters just off the coast of Malta, issued an SOS distress signal immediately following the attack. A vessel from Southern Cyprus was dispatched but is not providing the critical electrical support needed. The drone strike appears to have deliberately targeted the ship’s generator, leaving the crew without power and placing the vessel at great risk of sinking.

[paikothecateater]

So, the Hetateens are pretty distant from one another in terms of where they live. That's to say that 1) physical hangouts are incredibly rare. 2) when they do manage to meet up, at least one of them is getting their ass kicked because of the difference in timezones. 3) their only convenient option is online video calls which also aren't ideal because at least one of them always has some sort of technological error and the timezones are still an issue.

However, it's still their best option, so the Hetateens end up on very long calls. It is incredibly chaotic. You have like two of them who are just asleep because it's night where they are, you have an entire debate going on, there's fighting and no one knows who's playing music.

Some instances that have occurred on these calls:

- Iceland forgetting to mute his mic before falling asleep and unknowingly sleep talking to his friends. He started fighting with Norway (who wasn't even at home at the time) in his sleep, yelled at Mr. Puffin, had a whole existential rant about fish, and started talking about how much he loves his friends which awwe but they also make fun of him every time.

- Cyprus, despite it still being morning where he lives, always going to sleep whenever any of the others do. It'd straight up just be 2pm where he is but the second someone else needs to sleep, he suddenly needs to go to bed too.

- Hong Kong and Taiwan arguing loudly and running into each other's rooms to fight. Like Taiwan fully gets up from her chair, runs out of the room then the others get to watch her run into Hong Kong's room to smack him with a book or something. They used to just sit next to each other as opposed to calling from two separate rooms, but the fights were too frequent then.

-Liechtenstein doing random shit in the background while everyone is talking. She just does a full makeup tutorial or randomly unboxes one of the millions of packages she got, not contributing to the conversation at all other than the occasional nod and "Ohh... Uh huh..."

-Luxembourg taking his phone on a whole road trip. Like he takes the call to the kitchen and basically gives them a tour of the kitchen and premium footage of him making a smoothie, then he goes on a run and just like shows them everything he sees. It sounds nice, but it's very chaotic. The phone is shaking violently like 99% of the time, they can barely hear a word out of Luxembourg's mouth because he's always doing a million things. It's very unorganised.

-Hong Kong joke flirting with everyone for no reason. "damn, Iceland, you're starting at me a lot, are you like in love with me?" and Iceland stares at him in pure disgust. Or there's like a moment of awkward silence after Luxembourg finishes explaining what he's gonna do for the day and Hong Kong just goes: "I want you..." for no reason. It's incredibly dumb and it always results in an uproar of "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!?" But Hong Kong just finds it fun.

- Cyprus gets mad at the others for swearing. Hong Kong will occasionally unleash a tirade of cuss words just to piss Cyprus off.

- Raivis barely talking the whole time and only ever unmuting to say something that will absolutely start an argument for his own entertainment. He and Liechtenstein innocently wave at each other the whole time. Raivis is also the one who has the most technical issues throughout these calls because he refuses to upgrade his laptop even though it's barely surviving.

- Hong Kong and China arguing loudly in full earshot of the others.

-Seychelles squinting at the camera suspiciously and mouthing things like 'you think you tough?' at it. If you happen to be looking at her screen, it's automatically targeted towards you. It's so random too. She's normally super sweet and coquette core, but out of nowhere she'll just stare into the camera like it killed her entire family.

Among other things.

[kittyit]

well let me start off by saying that neither ww1 nor ww2 were actually called that during their durations so expecting any country leader to stand up and say "hey this is ww3 right here" is non-sentical, it would be a career suicide (in the reasonable parts of the world anyway, not USA). The image of ww3 is almost universally used as fearmongering and announcing it at any official capacity would send the world into panic mode, which is very counterproductive to any party.

Notice how any currently ongoing grab for land (by which I'll be further meaning Russian invasion into Ukraine, genocide in Gaza and Azerbaijan occupation of Artsakh though I'm sure there are more things I'm not fully in touch with) explicitly avoids being called war as well. They're always reclamation that, special military operation this. This is entirely intentional because nobody wants a fucking war but minds a military operation.

That aside now think about the ongoing issues too. War in Ukraine, Ukrainian side is supplied by the western powers/NATO, Russian side is supplied by Iran, North Korea, China. This is basically repeating the lineup of the cold war with some adjustments with Ukraine as a testing ground for weapons. But we'll have to examine that further than just Putin loosing his marbles at long last because this is a part of a long lived imperialist pipe dream of restoring USSR/Russian Empire; it is geopolitically motivated at the top levels and xenophobically at the low levels. Not that Putin and his underlings don't believe Ukrainians are lesser people, they just don't care about that as much as they care about conquering the parts of Ukraine that are the most resource lucrative - the eastern coal, steel and previous stone mines, the southern parts with open access to black sea, famously lucrative Ukrainian agrarian regions. They already profit off it so this is neither simply political agenda nor a blatant cash grab, it's both a fascist, imperialist ideology combined with a land grab rush. Which they are winning.

And if we look into Armenia vs Azerbaijan situation then you'd notice it looks very similar. Azerbaijan #1 ride or die ally is Turkey, and Armenia is located very inconveniently in geopolitical terms, nevermind the fact that it has already suffered a genocide and had land taken. It's common knowledge that Turkey also has a pipe dream of restoring the Ottoman Empire. Source: 1) they tell on themselves constantly if you pay attention 2) the entire invasion of Cyprus for no fucking reason in 20th century 3) the tongue-in-cheek diplomacy with Greece for ages. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan were once part of the Ottoman Empire, and while it is doubtful that Azerbaijan would officially join Turkey provided an opportunity, they're close allies to the point where things like borders don't really matter (Russia and Belarus are similar, though there actually was an attempt to unite them legally that kinda fell through). But Turkey is in NATO and is posing as an overall Good Guy so Erdogan would never actually put his act where his mouth and ideas is. Now "tiny irrelevant" Azerbaijan, supplied by Turkic weaponry (which is nothing to scoff at - they do supply NATO fyi)? Easy. And there we have another ethnic cleansing and an open intend to go whole way.

Now some were suprised by Russia standing aside in Artsakh when they were supposed to help their ally but you can't miss out on the context that Armenia was never a full hearted ally of Russia and was basically forced to join the alliance out of fear of eradication, and Russian troops were actually on site of Artsakh helping the Azeri side. This has not come as a surprise to Armenians who were wholly aware of their political situation, because we need to keep in mind that Putin is friends with Erdogan (because he helped negotiate the Black Sea routes with Putin - remember that?), and by extension is married to the "let's restore the Ottoman Empire" imperialist dream. It holds little threat to him because one, Erdogan owes Russia in both economy and help with Artsakh, and two, Russia does still have more military power than Turkey has.

Putin's hand and approval partially guided the invasion in Artsakh and fully guides the war in Ukraine, he is also on good terms with Netanyahu, Israeli soldiers in Gaza use Russian's handbook on propaganda and public relationships. Also China is supplying Russia and North Korea, so there's also that. Also Russian presence in Africa, forgot to mention that. On the "western" side we have America and other NATO members supplying Ukraine, Belarus is so fully immersed into Russia people forget it's a state, Poland and Baltics all but openly stating they're preparing for invasion in case Ukraine loses and ceases to exist - which is will, and sooner rather than later. What's in it for USA? Land and money, mostly tbh. It's not about defeating Putin, it never was (Trump fucking loves him but nothing will stop him from switching up when Putin inevitably attacks Poland/Finland/etc as he has already stated he intends to), but trapping already broke eastern Europe in even more unpayable debt which they will be forced to pay off in labor and resources, as well as some ideological boost of morale? Please.

Empires' dick measuring contest, doesn't that remind you of anything? It will be more complicated than both of the previous world wars because we also have late stage capitalism and propaganda machines unlike anything humanity has ever seen before, but structurally, it will be more reminiscent of ww1 than ww2.

We don't call it WW3 despite how many countries are involved politically and financially *yet* because nothing has so far happened on American or Western European soil nor have either started a draft, but I think it's fairly safe to say we're in the beginning years of one, think 1939, especially with a fascist government rising to power in USA. So my answer is yes, ww3 full swing in the following 10 years is almost guaranteed, but we're kind of already in one in everything but name.

That said, I might be biased, seeing as I am Ukrainian.

thanks for sharing your thoughts. honestly this is out of my wheelhouse as I'm slowly understanding more and more geopolitics but I appreciate you explaining your perspective and it's valuable to hear from a Ukrainian sister. wishing you nothing but the best

[sayruq]

The Jerusalem Post said the maritime corridor plan was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s idea, citing an unnamed “senior diplomatic source.” Netanyahu had reportedly first proposed the plan to Biden in October, and pressed the issue again with the US president in January.“ This source, close to the prime minister, insinuated that Biden was simply implementing a plan by Netanyahu, not actually initiating anything new,” the Post reported. While touring Gaza’s coast in a naval vessel on Sunday, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant expressed enthusiasm about the plans of a maritime corridor. “The process is designed to bring aid directly to the residents and thus continue the collapse of Hamas’s rule in Gaza,” he said.

But why would Israel, the engineer of the Gaza famine, endorse the idea of establishing a maritime corridor for aid to address a crisis it initiated and is now worsening? This might appear paradoxical if one were to assume that the primary aim of the maritime corridor is to deliver aid.Palestinians in Gaza received the news about the planned port with fear and suspicion. Analysts have speculated that this could be a ploy to eliminate Egypt as an outlet between the Gaza Strip and the rest of the world, and sever the coastal enclave’s reliance on Egypt economically and politically by way of the Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing – the sole point of exit and entry for most people in Gaza. This would ostensibly complete Israel’s control of the Gaza Strip without dependence on Egyptian cooperation, reliable as it may have been. Abdel Bari Atwan, a Gaza-born world-renowned Palestinian journalist, invoked the US-facilitated evacuation of thousands of Palestinian guerilla fighters of the Palestine Liberation Organization from Beirut in 1982 as an insight into what these plans could possibly suggest. Palestinian fighters were transferred by US warships off the Beirut coast to Cyprus and eventually to Tunisia. Atwan indicated that the maritime corridor would create a pathway for the forcible evacuation of Palestinians by sea. Other analysts have expressed similar fears.

Michael Fakhri, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, slammed what he called “absurd” US plans for getting aid into Gaza, whether through airdrops or the temporary port. “From a humanitarian perspective, from an international perspective, from a human rights perspective, it is absurd in a dark, cynical way,” he said. Human rights groups have dismissed announcements of building a temporary pier as a distraction from Israel’s systemic and deliberate policy of starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. “The proposed maritime humanitarian corridor and temporary seaport is another tool to weaponize aid,” the Palestinian refugee advocacy group Badil said. It is meant to “absolve Israel of its responsibilities and obligations, and support Israel in its ‘day after plans’: to eliminate and replace UNRWA [the UN agency for Palestine refugees] and establish a potential mechanism for Palestinian forcible transfer out of the Gaza Strip.”