Briefly

EUROPE

Turkey faces uproar over stand on Cyprus

Turkey faced outrage from Western powers on Wednesday after it called for two states in Cyprus and moved to reopen a resort emptied of Greek Cypriots, with the United States saying it would haul its NATO ally before the United Nations Security Council. On a trip to the north of divided Nicosia on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that a half-century of UN efforts had failed and that there should be "two peoples and two states with equal status". Victoria Nuland, the US' undersecretary of state for political affairs, voiced concern that Erdogan's remarks would have a "chilling effect" on UN-led efforts for a solution in Cyprus. The country has been divided since 1974 when Turkey intervened in response to an abortive coup engineered by Athens that aimed to unite the island with Greece.

MOROCCO

Govt denies spying on French officials

Morocco's government has denied reports that the country's security forces may have used spyware made by Israel's NSO Group to eavesdrop on the cellphones of the French president and other public figures. French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday that multiple investigations are under way into any eventual wrongdoing. In a statement late on Tuesday, the Moroccan government lashed out at a global media consortium investigating the suspected widespread use of NSO's Pegasus spyware to target journalists, activists and politicians in multiple countries. The government threatened unspecified legal action.

HAITI

Protests rock city ahead of funeral

Unrest roiled the northern Haitian city of Cap-Haitien on Wednesday as demonstrators set up road blocks in protest against the assassination of President Jovenel Moise earlier this month. Moise's body will be laid to rest in the city on Friday. National police chiefs arriving in Cap-Haitien to help oversee Moise's funeral were met by protests from the slain president's supporters, who hold police responsible for the killing at his residence on July 7. At least one person lay dead in the streets of Cap-Haitien following the unrest.

FRANCE

Vaccine pass launched for cultural venues

People wanting to go to cinemas, museums or sports matches in France have to prove that they have had a COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test from Wednesday as the country rolls out its controversial vaccine passport system in the face of surging new cases. The so-called health pass will be required for all events or places with more than 50 people, before being extended to restaurants, cafes and large shopping centers in August. The government, which is set to formalize the system with legislation being debated in parliament, is hoping to curb a fourth wave of infections and encourage more people to get vaccinated.

INDIA

Smog tower yet to win over doubters

A new attempt at purifying New Delhi's polluted air will see 40 giant fans push out filtered air in the heart of the Indian capital's posh downtown shopping district. But the $2 million "smog tower" has no shortage of doubters who say it will not help a city notorious for some of the world's dirtiest air. The 25-meter-high tower is meant to filter air over a one square kilometer radius around the swanky shops and cafes in Connaught Place. The neighborhood's British colonial-era buildings are hit by a gray-yellow smog every winter. Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal once called the capital a "gas chamber" because of its intense pollution.

Agencies - Xinhua