President Nikos Christodoulides said he “cannot understand” why Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar declined the chance of a tripartite meeting with himself and United Nations Envoy Maria Angela Holguin.
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar rejected a UN proposal for a trilateral meeting with UN secretary-general envoy Maria Angela Holguin and President Nikos Christodoulides.
The personal envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Maria Angela Holguín Cuéllar, met with the two leaders and emphasized the importance of listening to civil society and making progress towards finding a lasting solution to the Cyprus issue. She conveyed the support of the international community and urged the leaders to move forward.
Fact: The personal envoy of the UN secretary-general, Maria Angela Holguin, described her meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides as “constructive.”
Fact: Holguin will arrive on Tuesday evening in Cyprus, where she will stay until May 14.
The text discusses the implementation of Digital Services Taxes (DSTs) in Europe and the efforts to replace them with a new international tax system called Pillar One. The United States has responded to DSTs with retaliatory tariff threats, urging countries to abandon unilateral measures. About half of all European OECD countries have either announced, proposed, or implemented a DST, impacting mainly U.S. companies.
Maria Angela Holguin, the personal envoy of the UN Secretary General, will arrive in Cyprus on Tuesday evening and stay until May 14. This will be her third mission to the island as she seeks common ground between parties in efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.
Israel conducted airstrikes in Rafah after instructing Palestinians to evacuate parts of the city where over a million war-displaced people are sheltering. Ceasefire talks in Cairo are stalling, and Hamas warns that any Israeli operation in Rafah could jeopardize the truce negotiations. The evacuation order has sparked fears of a full-blown assault, with Hamas declaring readiness to defend Palestinians in Rafah. The UN and aid agencies have expressed concern over the humanitarian consequences of the evacuation. Israel has been threatening to launch incursions in Rafah, citing the presence of Hamas fighters and hostages. The US has urged Israel to pursue a hostage deal to avoid a military operation in Rafah.
United Nations Envoy Maria Angela Holguin is set to arrive in Cyprus on Tuesday and begin her latest round of meetings. The EU has expressed full support for her efforts and those of the UN to find a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem. Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has withdrawn consent for a compromise on a federal basis and is working on a roadmap with the OIC to end isolation imposed on the Turkish Cypriot people.
Journalists covering environmental issues are facing increased violence worldwide, according to a report by UNESCO. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that press freedom is under threat, with dozens of journalists being killed while reporting on topics such as illegal mining and logging. The report revealed that only five out of 44 cases of murdered environmental journalists resulted in convictions. In Latin America, the protection of environmental defenders and freedom of expression are particularly urgent issues. The deaths of journalists in Gaza during Israel’s attacks were also condemned by Guterres and Chilean President Gabriel Boric.