Congress

In the bowels of an imposing modernist tower in Paris, Laurent Duplouy carefully handles a pristine copy of "Tomb Raider" before slotting it back on the shelf alongside thousands of other classic video games.

The 13th International Istanbul Opera Festival will start with the "7 Tenor" concert at Haliç Congress Center Open Air Stage on July 16. The event will feature four major opera works and a concert to be staged by the Ankara, Istanbul and Antalya State Opera and Ballet Directorates until July 30. All works within the scope of the festival will be staged at 9 p.m.

There is outrage in Ankara after the House of Representatives ratified Chris Pappas' amendment to block the sale of American F-16s to Turkey.

Under the Pappas amendment, not only the sale of new F-16 fighters, but also any modernization kit or equipment upgrade to Turkey is expressly prohibited.

Boeing's CEO said the company could cancel the 737 MAX 10 if regulators don't certify the jet before new crew alerting system standards take effect in December, according to a report.

US President Joe Biden has approved the sale of upgraded F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.

"Our position on the F-16 issue is extremely clear. We have been discussing this issue for months. President Biden supports this request of Turkey," emphasized Jean-Pierre.

Less than a week after Turkey did not even hint at its claims against Greece in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean at the Madrid NATO summit, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu lashed out once again at Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over his request in an address to a US Joint Session of Congress in May that it not approve the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said they see no negative picture in the process of acquiring F-16 fighter jets from the United States.

"There is a relatively positive atmosphere in our relations with the U.S. Problems will likely be resolved, relations will be improved," he said speaking to the NTV broadcaster on June 4.

Supporters of the HDP shout slogans during their march against the arrest of pro-Kurdish People's Democtaric Party HDP parliamentarians in Istanbul, 18 June 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

More than 500 days into his presidency, Joe Biden's hope for saving the Earth from the most devastating effects of climate change may not be dead.

But it's not far from it.

Police in India's capital New Delhi arrested a Muslim journalist Monday evening for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in what many have slammed as the latest example of shrinking press freedoms under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.