He told the state news agency Anadolu that Turkey won’t back down from its plans to start drilling in July with the European Union reluctant to confront Erdogan, fearful he will send more refugees and migrants to the bloc, mainly through Greek islands. Anadolu Agency said that dozens of nongovernmental organizations plan to take up a claim with the International Court of Justice in The Hague that 12 of Greece’s eastern Aegean islands, areas of Crete, Western Thrace, Mosul and Kirkuk in Iraq, and the Crimea, legally belong to Turkey. Source The National Herald
Several British politicians criticized HSBC Holdings Plc’s support for China’s sweeping proposed security legislation for Hong Kong, soon after the global lender’s top executive in Asia publicly showed his support for Beijing.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the governing U.K. Conservatives’ house leader, said London-based HSBC may be more closely “aligned with the Chinese government than Her Majesty’s government.” Source Bloomberg
Police have raided 40 hate-speech suspects across 12 German states as probes continue into the murder of pro-refugee politician Walter Lübcke. Internet posts were made before and after he was shot dead in June last year. Frankfurt-based federal prosecutors liaising with investigators in 12 of Germany’s 16 regional states staged raids Thursday on 40 suspects accused of posting “criminally relevant comments” about Walter Lübcke. Source Deutsche Welle
Turkey on Thursday rescued 85 migrants and refugees, including a number of women and children, who were pushed back by Greek forces into Turkish territorial waters, according to security sources. Source Daily Sabah
