Former Fat Brands CEO Andrew Wiederhorn has been indicted for allegedly avoiding paying taxes through a scheme involving million in shareholder loans that were never repaid and reported as losses.
Israeli forces engaged in fierce battles with Hamas fighters in Jabalia, Gaza, while militants attacked tanks in Rafah. The U.S. military started delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza. Residents reported destruction in Jabalia, with homes and shops being demolished. The Israeli Defense Forces claimed to have killed over 60 militants in recent days. The conflict has led to widespread hunger and a collapsed medical system in Gaza. Over 630,000 people have been displaced in Rafah since the military offensive started. Israel is facing accusations of violating the Genocide Convention in Gaza.
A man who once advocated against violence shot the prime minister of his country because he disagreed with his views. The prime minister, Robert Fico, had fueled social divides and extremism in Slovakia, moving from left to far right. Despite accusations of corruption and forced resignation in 2018, Fico regained support during the pandemic by leading protests against pandemic measures and vaccines. His actions led to chaotic and violent demonstrations, ultimately resulting in an attempted assassination. This incident highlights the dangers of populist leaders who sow hatred and division in societies, emphasizing the need to uphold democracy.
Fact: Cyprus will host an international meeting of interior ministers to discuss migration, with a focus on declaring parts of Syria safe for migrants to return.
A new system deactivating mobile phones in the immediate vicinity of the central prisons will be installed and operational in one-and-a-half years. The previous deactivation system had been problematic, and delays in implementation were caused by the emergence of 5G technology. Additionally, steps are being taken to alleviate overcrowding at the prisons, including the construction of a new building at the open prison site and a completely new prisons complex by 2027. Legislation concerning the functioning of the attorney-general’s office is also being drafted based on a study commissioned by the government.
The Mufti’s Office of Cyprus expressed concern over increasing attacks on Muslim places of worship in Republic-of-Cyprus-controlled areas, particularly after the recent vandalism of the Albanian Mosque in Limassol. They condemned the attack and called for an end to such provocative acts, urging authorities to identify and punish those responsible. The “ministry of foreign affairs” in the occupied north accused the Greek Cypriot side of allowing attacks on mosques in the south to go unpunished, leading to a repetition of such crimes. They called for the perpetrators to be identified and brought to justice.
Oleg Deripaska dismissed the latest U.S. sanctions on companies connected to a scheme as nonsense. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Russian companies disguising ownership of a .6 billion industrial stake controlled by Deripaska, leading to Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International dropping a planned purchase. Deripaska, previously sanctioned by Britain and the U.S., has challenged the sanctions, calling them groundless and absurd. He was also stripped of his Cypriot citizenship after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and added to the E.U.’s sanctions list in April 2022.
Fact: A permanent tax on European companies’ excess profits could generate more than €100 billion per year, or over half of the EU’s annual budget.
The first Cyprus Forum London is being held today at the Cyprus High Commission in London. The event, organized by Oxygen for Democracy in collaboration with the High Commission of Cyprus, includes discussions on various topics such as justice, geopolitics, education, and the economy. The forum aims to facilitate discussions among policymakers, academics, civil society representatives, and thought leaders. The agenda has been curated with the help of various organizations including the Hellenic Observatory at the LSE, SEESOX at Oxford, the British Council, the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, and the Department of Politics at the University of York. The event can be watched online.
Fact: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former fixer, testified that Trump ordered him to pay adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to stay quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter, and then approved a plan to reimburse Cohen through bogus invoices.