Turkey officially renamed itself as Türkiye

Jun 10 2022

Turkey has officially changed its name as a country in an attempted rebrand due to the negative connotations the original name has. Country leaders were not to keen on the fact that the word ‘Turkey’ was associated with a ‘stupid person’ or ‘failure’ in the English language.

In a letter addressed to the UN’s Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Turkish minister Mevlut Cavusoglu asked that the country be renamed to Türkiye. ‘Together with our Directorate of Communications, we have been successful in preparing a good ground for this’ he wrote.

The name change, which is pronounced tur-key-yay, had become effective the moment the letter was received by the Anadolu Agency on the 1st of June. Cavusoglu told the Agency that they have made it possible for the UN and other international organisations and countries to see this change to use the new name.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced last December that he believed Türkiye better represented the nation. He said that it is accepted as an umbrella brand for the country in national and International venues.

Erdogan advised companies to use ‘made in Türkiye’ on exported goods and ordered state bodies to use the term in their correspondence. Back in 1923, the country had called itself Türkiye following its declaration of independence.

It is unclear if the name will catch on abroad. In 2016, a similar case occurred with the Czech Republic after it officially register its short form name Czechia. However, many people still refer to it using ‘Czech Republic.’.

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Malta in spotlight as MEPs demand right to safe and legal abortion

Jun 10 2022

Any remaining European Union countries with abortion bans have been urged by MEPs to decriminalise the practice, indirectly referring to Malta’s laws in the process.

In a press release, the MEPs stated that they ‘condemn the backsliding in women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights world-wide including in the US and some EU countries, calling for safe access to abortion.’

The call follows a debate on Wednesday in which MEPs adopted a resolution with 364 votes in favour to remind the US Supreme Court to uphold the case of Roe v Wade (1973) which protects the right to abortion in US Constitution.

Apart from the focus on the US’ tackling of the issue, MEPs also urged member states of the EU to decriminalise abortion and remove obstacles to safe and legal abortion. ‘Medical practitioners should not deny women access to abortion care on grounds of religion or conscience, as this can endanger the patient’s life.’

In Malta, women who get an abortion could still face up to three years in prison, with any doctor that might assist them susceptible to a maximum of four years. Malta is the only country in the EU to prohibit abortion entirely.

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Strong winds set to hit Malta ahead of scorching temperatures next week

Jun 10 2022

As Malta rallies for yet another scorching week ahead with temperatures feeling like 31 degrees Celsius as of Sunday, the island will face an out-of-the-blue windy battering in the summer heat.

Various weather news portals report strong winds to continue hitting the island well into today, with the force of said winds registering at around Force 6 and 7.

And given that it still feels like 27 degrees Celsius, prompting many to run to the beach, some caution is advised due to the wind churning up strong waves. It might also make the water slightly more chilly for anyone brave enough to dip their toes in.

But against the current heat the island is facing, not many will shy away from hitting the beach. And they will have plenty of reason to do so next week, as temperatures are set to be scorching all the way through to the following weekend.

As of yet, forecasts are cautioning a week of temperatures burning from 30 to a whopping 33 degrees Celsius. The usual warnings abound by health authorities – stay hydrated, apply sunscreen and look for shade if possible.

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Photo Source: Malta Info Guide

Malta secures UN Security Council seat for second time in history

Jun 10 2022

Malta has just been as a new non-permanent member of the United Nations’ security council for a two year term.

With a 97% vote from among 190 voting member states, Malta secured its place during a ballot taken at around 4pm on Thursday 9th June. The island received 185 votes from 190 nations, having needed 127 to get in.

Malta’s two year mandate sees it joining nine other non-permanent members at the UN’s highest discussion table which take decisions on global peace and security.

Malta is joined by Switzerland, Ecuador, Japan and Mozambique, with the entry being commended by Prime Minister Robert Abela as an honour.

Foreign Minister Ian Borg as also very much pleased with the vote, going on to say that serving on the council provides Malta a significant opportunity to contribute to the maintenance of global peace and security.

The candidacy is charged with handling issues which relate to international peace and security. The council is made up of five permanent members – the US, UK, France, Russia and China – and 10 non-permanent elected members which serve tow year terms.

The non-permanent seats are divided among the UN’s five regional groupings to ensure geographic proportionality. Malta had previously served for a two-year term on the council in 1983.

Borg headed a government delegation in New York ahead of the vote, having a meeting late on Wednesday with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Malta now has an opportunity to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security in, what Borg deemed, a meaningful way.

The country will be working on everything from the children and armed conflict portfolio to the women, peace and security agenda, to the impact of climate change on International security and peace, to the links between literacy and international peace and security.

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