Latest news with #Turkis
Express Tribune
07-08-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Turkish women recreate ancient 3,500-year-old bread
In the Turkish province of Corum, home to the ancient Hittite capital of Hattusha, a women's cooperative has revived the 3,500-year-old "Hittite bread" mentioned in archaeological tablets, producing it organically using traditional methods. Tuba Topkara, an agricultural engineer who moved with her family from Corum city center to Elvancelebi village a year and a half ago, has joined the 15-member Valide Sultanlar Sofrasi Women's Cooperative, which specialises in traditional baked goods. While exploring new product ideas, she learned the ancient "Hittite bread" recipe from gastronomy teacher Ulku Mensure Solak. Topkara, who studied the 2007 book Hittite Cuisine as an Experimental Archaeology Study co-authored by Solak, decided to begin producing "Hittite bread" within the cooperative with Solak's guidance. Taking on the role of cooperative chair, she partnered with local farmers to plant heirloom wheat seeds. She also restored an unused stone oven in the village for bread production. Topkara carefully managed the wheat's cultivation and harvest before milling it in a traditional stone mill to produce organic flour. Cooperative members kneaded the dough, which contained organic flour, sourdough starter, rock salt, and spring water, in a wooden trough before baking it over a wood fire in a specially designed stone oven. Prepared according to 3,500-year-old Hittite tablet recipes, the bread was first offered to the public through the Corum Municipality. 'Fully organic' Speaking to Andalou, Topkara emphasised that the "Hittite bread" is prepared using a unique recipe and that being handmade by women adds a distinctive flavor. She explained that heirloom wheat grown in the village is milled in a traditional stone mill to produce flour. "We transform the flour into dough using special rock salt and our local spring water with traditional methods," she said, adding: "The bread is then baked over an oak wood fire by the women in our cooperative, packaged, and delivered to consumers." Expressing her ambition to promote the bread globally, Topkara added: "We want to make the 3,500-year-old Hittite bread not just a symbol of Corum, but of the world. The Hittites lived in this region, and this bread is part of their legacy. We began production after conducting our own R&D studies." Solak, co-author of the book Hittite Cuisine as an Experimental Archaeology Study, said the recipes referenced in ancient Hittite tablets, particularly in religious texts, formed the basis of their experimental archaeological research. She highlighted the significance of staying true to ancient techniques in the bread's preparation, saying: "Hittite bread should be produced as authentically as possible, with stone mills and stone ovens." She added: "What makes it truly special is that it's fully organic." Stressing the purity of the ingredients, she continued: "You won't find any genetically modified components in this bread. We're bringing this age-old recipe back into both Turkish and global kitchens by using the very methods once employed by the Hittites, and the outcome has been remarkable." Highlighting the bread's 3,500-year history, Solak said: "The Hittites documented these recipes in ritual texts. We know their ingredients and methods, and by tracing these clues and using organic wheat, we have revived the ancient recipe."
Politico
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Playbook PM: Disaster for Ukraine in the Oval Office
Presented by the Coalition for Medicare Choices THE CATCH-UP FROM THE OVAL: The meeting between President Donald Trump, VP JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy quickly devolved into acrimony and chaos today, as the American leaders accused Kyiv of being insufficiently thankful for U.S. help. In an extraordinary exchange the likes of which are not often seen publicly in the Oval Office, Vance called Zelenskyy 'disrespectful' and Trump upbraided him for doing a poor job on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. 'You've done enough talking. You're not winning this,' Trump told him at one point. 'You gotta be thankful. You don't have the cards.' The latest details from POLITICO's Eli Stokols Trump castigated Zelenskyy for not reaching a cease-fire even as Ukraine suffers setbacks in the war. 'You're gambling with World War III,' he warned. Trump emphasized that he wasn't aligned with either Russia or Ukraine, just the U.S. As Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova put her head in her hands, the shouting match exposed the extreme political and existential peril for Ukraine as it faces an aggressive Russia and a recalcitrant U.S. Trump dismissed calls for the U.S. to act as a security backstop for Ukraine, indicating that he wanted any such guarantee to follow a natural resources agreement. Earlier in the meeting, Zelenskyy had tried to appeal to Trump. He showed him pictures, saying Russia was not abiding by the rules of war, and even said Trump's path would be better than Joe Biden's. But by the end, it was disaster for Ukraine. The press conference was canceled, Zelenskyy left the White House, and the deal was reportedly not signed. 'It's amazing what comes out through emotion, and I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations,' Trump said in a statement afterward. 'I don't want advantage, I want PEACE. He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace.' More Ukraine reading: Even if the U.S. and Ukraine sign the resources deal, it may not be so easy for the countries to get access to rare earth minerals and the resulting funds, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Victoria Butenko and Daria Markina-Tarasova report from Irshansk. 'Much of what does exist will be difficult to exploit, particularly at a time of war,' as mines struggle to extract much amid the conflict. More Russia reading: Moscow hopes that it will be able to build back espionage presence in the West as a result of enhanced diplomatic ties and reopened embassies/consulates in the U.S., American officials tell CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen. … Meanwhile, Israel has urged the U.S. to support keeping Russian bases in Syria, Reuters' Maya Gebeily and Humeyra Pamuk scooped. Jerusalem wants Syria to remain 'weak and decentralised,' with an ongoing Russian presence counterbalancing Turkish influence. INFLATION NATION: The latest economic data presented something of a mixed bag for the country. The personal consumption expenditures price index, which the Fed prefers to measure inflation, rose 2.5 percent annually in January — moving in the right direction from December's 2.6 percent, and better than some other recent measures that had shown inflation ticking up. It's still half a point higher than the central bank wants. 'Still, Friday's report offers respite on the inflation front,' Bloomberg's Augusta Saraiva writes. What economists didn't expect is that consumer spending actually fell in January, by 0.2 percent or an inflation-adjusted 0.5 percent. That could be just an anomaly, reflective of cold snaps that kept people indoors last month. But it may also give the Fed pause about the economy's health as it navigates the path forward on interest rates. A worsened consumer outlook, along with potential disruptions from tariffs, even led one Fed branch today to predict that the economy will shrink this quarter, though it's an outlier, AP's Christopher Rugaber and Anne D'Innocenzio report. Happy Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at eokun@ 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE: For the first time ever, English will be declared the country's national language in a forthcoming executive order from Trump, WSJ's Meridith McGraw scooped. Concretely, he will also do away with a mandate that has existed for the past couple of decades ordering federal agencies and other groups to provide materials in other languages to people who don't speak English, though they'll still be allowed to do so. 2. IN THE DOGE HOUSE: The first Elon Musk-inspired email from OPM demanding five bullet points of accountability from federal workers ran into resistance from agency heads, but the Trump administration is now planning another approach to make it more concrete, WaPo's Emily Davies, Carol Leonnig and Hannah Natanson scooped. Coming tomorrow, government employees will get another such email asking what they did this week. And it's expected to become a weekly requirement, ultimately through Microsoft forms. Crucially, the answers will go to HR departments at each agency — with more direct authority to demand them — rather than right to OPM. The cuts: More mass firings are expected to keep rolling out across the Pentagon and other agencies. Roughly 200 Social Security Administration contractors, along with 200 employees, are being fired, Bloomberg's Gregory Korte reports. Booz Allen Hamilton and similar firms stand at significant risk of losing tons of government contract business, WSJ's Chip Cutter reports. And in Oklahoma City, WaPo's Danielle Paquette reports on both the local toll of federal firings and the frightful Timothy McVeigh memories evoked by the rhetorical 'dehumanization' of the federal workforce. How we got here: NYT's Jonathan Swan, Teddy Schleifer, Maggie Haberman, Ryan Mac, Kate Conger, Nicholas Nehamas and Madeleine Ngo go deep on how the world's wealthiest person came to take over the federal government. Two years ago, Musk began floating the idea of radically cutting the bureaucracy by getting access to its computer systems. Doing that and seizing the U.S. Digital Service and OPM gave Musk an official foothold to remake the government — which Democrats never expected — in plans forged more specifically after the election with advice from Russell Vought, Stephen Miller and Amy Gleason. 'The team is now moving faster than many of the legal efforts to stop it, making drastic changes that could be hard to unwind even if they are ultimately constrained by the courts,' they write. 'Mr. Musk's associates have pushed out workers, ignored civil service protections, torn up contracts and effectively shuttered an entire agency established by Congress.' 3. TRADE WARS: China pushed back today on Trump's announcement of additional tariffs on its goods, with a spokesperson warning that it would take 'all necessary measures to defend its legitimate rights and interests,' per Bloomberg. Another spokesperson accused the U.S. of using fentanyl concerns as 'blackmail,' imperiling ongoing drug coordination efforts between the countries, per Reuters. The step back: Trump loves tariffs and sees them as a tool to achieve several aims at once, from getting leverage in immigration negotiations to bolstering domestic manufacturing to creating revenue. But experts tell NYT's Ana Swanson, Andrew Duehren and Colby Smith that his various levies on different countries could conflict with each other in getting to those goals. 4. HOW IT HAPPENED: 'Secret U.S. Drone Program Helped Capture Mexican Cartel Bosses,' by WSJ's Steve Fisher and Vera Bergengruen: 'The U.S. has secretly flown unarmed drones from Mexican airfields to spy on drug cartels, leading to the arrests of kingpin Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, one of his sons and other drug lords … The flights, operated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency at the Mexican military's request, have also provided vital information for large drug seizures.' 5. ROOMIES: 'Speaker Mike Johnson Is Living in a D.C. House That Is the Center of a Pastor's Secretive Influence Campaign,' by ProPublica's Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski: 'In 2021, Steve Berger, an evangelical pastor who has attacked the separation of church and state as 'a delusional lie' and called multinational institutions 'demonic,' set off on an ambitious project. His stated goal: minister to members of Congress so that what 'they learn is then translated into policy.' … Speaker Mike Johnson has been staying at the home since around the beginning of this year.' But Johnson's office said the speaker is paying fair market value for the rent and has never talked about policy with Berger. 6. PRIMARY COLORS: Black Detroit Democrats have been defeated by Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) for two cycles in a row, but they're working to coordinate better and try to oust him next year, POLITICO's Ally Mutnick and Nick Wu report. State Rep. Donavan McKinney is weighing a campaign, encouraged by labor leaders and talking to the Congressional Black Caucus. Former state House Speaker Joe Tate and former state Sen. Adam Hollier didn't rule out bids either. But Thanedar, a wealthy self-funder, has triumphed over divided opposition before. 7. RAZIN D'ETRE: 'MAGA hat drama could taint Trump's top military adviser pick,' by POLITICO's Paul McLeary and Joe Gould: '[T]he story Trump tells about retired Lt. Gen. Dan 'Razin' Caine donning a politically affiliated ball cap when they met in Iraq in 2018 could violate military rules, muddy his confirmation process and taint his credibility. … [A] military official who has served with him and has knowledge of the encounter denied it.' 8. TIKTOK ON THE CLOCK: As TikTok seeks to stay alive in the U.S. when a 75-day extension expires in April, it's going on offense to try to reassure D.C. Republicans of its security. The latest independent security review from HaystackID, which is contracted/paid by TikTok, determined that there's been no 'indication of internal or external malicious activity' and 'no sharing of protected U.S. user data with China.' TikTok has been hoping it'll be able to reach an agreement to avoid a forced sale from ByteDance, as required by law, by convincing the Trump administration and lawmakers that American users' data is protected. (China hawks on the Hill haven't been convinced so far.) The announcement TALK OF THE TOWN Donald Trump said he doesn't think the NFL should ban the 'tush-push.' And he had dinner with Jeff Bezos the same day that Bezos shifted the WaPo opinion section to be libertarian. That change has cost the paper another 75,000 digital subscribers this week, per NPR. PLAYBOOK REAL ESTATE SECTION — 'JD Vance's House in Del Ray Is for Sale,' by Washingtonian's Andrew Beaujon: 'The five-bedroom farmhouse … includes four bedrooms in the main unit, off-street parking, and a snazzy ADU out back. … [H]is house can be yours for $1.7 million.' OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at Rep. Darren Soto's (D-Fla.) birthday last night at Royal Sands Social Club: Sheyla Asencios, José Javier Rodríguez, Sonia Ferré, Susie Feliz, William Ramos, Miguel Estien, Ines Hernandez, Andres Chong-Qui Torres, Leopoldo Martinez Nucete, Alex Howard and Joel Flores. — The Roosevelt Institute's 'Reimagine America' Conference kicked off yesterday at Le Méridien, gathering the progressive economic policy community. SPOTTED: Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, Lina Khan, Elizabeth Wilkins, Felicia Wong, Jennifer Abruzzo, Katherine Tai, Ben Beachy, Rohit Chopra, Joelle Gamble, Angela Hanks, Alex Jacquez, Lindsay Owens, Elizabeth Pancotti, Anna Canfield Roth, Mike Konczal, Julie Margetta Morgan, Alvaro Bedoya, Sharon Block, Chiraag Bains and Kathryn Anne Edwards. — Widehall's Steve Clemons hosted a 'pop-up event' at Compass Coffee Chinatown as part of the White House-designated Career & Technical Education Month, featuring Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), Micron Technology's Bo Machayo and others. Guests enjoyed espresso martinis, lattes and snacks. SPOTTED: Mignon Clyburn, Diego Sanchez, Alejandro Roark, Melodie Brown Thomas, Elizabeth Baker Keffer, Daniel Swartz, Natalie Fertig, Nick Niedzwiadek, Joseph Zeballos-Roig, Beth Antunez, Rowan Bishop, Peter Cherukuri, Matt Corridoni, Papia Debroy, Yasmeen Long and Anastasia Dellaccio. — SPOTTED at Semafor's 'Innovating to Restore Trust in News: A National Summit' at Gallup's Great Hall yesterday: FCC Chair Brendan Carr, Mark Thompson, Emma Tucker, Megyn Kelly, Bret Baier, Justin Smith, Ben Smith, Max Tani, Cesar Conde, Mehdi Hasan, Joe Kahn, Katherine Maher, Michael Calderone, Will Sommer, Lachlan Cartwright, Peter Kafka, Ted Johnson, Jeremy Barr, David Folkenflik, Michael Grynbaum, Katie Robertson, Ben Mullin, Jodie Ginsberg, Molly Jong-Fast, Nate Friedman, Alyson Shontell, Kris Jones, David Corn, Sara Just, McKay Coppins, Sam Jacobs, Sam Feist, Mark Halperin, Jim Clifton, Jim Brady, Erik Wemple and Paul Needham. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Ben Williamson has been named assistant director for public affairs at the FBI. He most recently was chief of staff for Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas), and is a Trump White House alum. TRANSITIONS — Richard Walters is joining FGS Global as a partner. He previously was an adviser to the RNC chair and the Trump 2024 campaign. … Matthew Axelrod is now a partner at Gibson Dunn and co-chair of its new sanctions and export enforcement practice group. He most recently was assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security. … … Nellie Liang will return to Brookings as a senior fellow in the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy. She previously was Treasury undersecretary for domestic finance. … Gordon Speed has been elevated to managing director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action's federal affairs office, leading its federal lobbying efforts. He previously was deputy managing director. … Adriana Rivera will be director of government affairs and defense at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International. She currently is military legislative assistant for Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Ethan Porter, an associate professor of media and public affairs and political science at GW, and Ronit Zemel, director of culture and comms at HIAS, on Tuesday welcomed Saul Zemel Porter, who came in at 8 lbs, 7 oz. Pic … Another pic Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn't happen without our deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC Mayor Adams, Trump border czar Homan announce 'game changer' for ICE enforcement
New York Mayor Eric Adams and Trump administration border czar Tom Homan sat side by side in an exclusive Fox News interview Friday, discussing how their border collaboration will be a "game changer" for national security. The two discussed their plan to reopen the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office on Rikers Island so that suspected "dangerous" illegal immigrants can be deported. "Getting back in Rikers Island is a game changer. Not only do we get the bad guys really hitting the streets, the intelligence of how [Tren de Aragua] operates, where they're operating, all this intelligence they gather at Rikers Island, we have access to," Homan said alongside Adams on "Fox & Friends." "The far left has hijacked this narrative [that] ICE is running in our schools, ICE is running in our churches, and they are creating this frenzy. They're not in the business of just grabbing children. We need to just stop all this noise," Mayor Adams chimed in. Bondi Announces New Lawsuits Against States Allegedly Failing To Comply With Immigration Actions: 'A New D.o.j.' "Rikers Island, particularly after all the reforms, Rikers Island is now having some of the most dangerous people in our city. And by having ICE on Rikers Island, part of our gang intelligence, using our intel with NYPD correction officers, we could identify those gangs inside and outside on the street." Read On The Fox News App Adams also shut down any "quid pro quo" accusations about his border security cooperation, and took a firm stand against those protesting the U.S. Department of Justice's decision to drop charges in a bribery case. "Think about my attorney, Alex Spiro, one of the top trial attorneys in the country, imagine him going inside saying that the only way Mayor Adams is going to assist in immigration – which I was calling for since 2022 – is if you drop the charges," the mayor said Friday. "That's quid pro quo. That's a crime," he continued. "Come on, this is silly." Adams reacted to several senior DOJ officials who resigned instead of complying with an order to drop the bribery charges against him. The resignations came amid President Donald Trump's effort to overhaul the agency, which he said has been weaponized against political opponents, and included Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, Trump's pick to temporarily lead the office prosecuting Adams. Sassoon wrote a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi about her decision, saying: "I remain baffled by the rushed and superficial process by which this decision was reached… Rather than be rewarded, Adams's advocacy should be called out for what it is: an improper offer of immigration enforcement assistance in exchange for a dismissal of his case." The Democrat mayor previously claimed he was targeted by the Biden administration, and since has been willing to work with the Trump administration crackdown to curb illegal immigration. Adams pleaded not guilty to charges that he accepted bribes from Turkish officials. "They articulated exactly, 'weaponization.' When you [look] at leg room turning into bribery, because I asked for a governmental entity to do a building inspection, we need to be clear on the root of all of this." Three other deputies in the Justice Department's public corruption unit – Rob Heberle, Jenn Clarke, and Marco Palmieri – also resigned on Thursday over the Adams case, a person familiar with the matter told Fox News. Get The Fox News App By Clicking Here New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday evening that she was considering removing Mayor Adams from office amid allegations of a quid pro quo, in which Adams backed Trump's immigration policies, in exchange for dropping the charges, the New York Post reported. She's the only state official who has the power to remove Mayor Adams from his post. Read More From Fox News Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this article source: NYC Mayor Adams, Trump border czar Homan announce 'game changer' for ICE enforcement
Daily News Egypt
05-02-2025
- Business
- Daily News Egypt
Industry Minister engages with Turkish companies on investment, expansion in Egypt
Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel Al-Wazir met with representatives of nine Turkish companies operating in Egypt across textiles, ready-made garments, packaging, and home appliances to discuss investment support and expansion plans. The meeting, chaired by Mustafa Denizli, head of the Turkish side of the Joint Business Council, focused on strengthening existing investments and exploring future opportunities in the Egyptian market. At the outset, Al-Wazir emphasized the long-standing economic ties between Egypt and Türkiye, built on a history of constructive cooperation across various sectors. He reiterated the government's commitment to supporting serious investors in expanding their operations in Egypt. He also announced that a task force is being established—per the Prime Minister's directive—to monitor Turkish investments and address any challenges they face. This task force will include key entities such as the Ministry of Labor to facilitate solutions and enhance Turkish exports from Egypt to global markets. During the meeting, Turkish companies outlined challenges they encounter in the Egyptian market. Al-Wazir assured them that the Ministry of Industry is coordinating with relevant authorities to take swift action in resolving these issues as part of the government's broader strategy to develop Egypt's industrial sector and position the country as a regional manufacturing hub. He also clarified that companies wishing to fully rely on solar energy by constructing private solar power stations within their factories can proceed immediately without requiring approval from government authorities. This aligns with Egypt's push to encourage renewable energy investments while reducing reliance on the national electricity grid. Furthermore, the minister instructed the compilation of a list of Turkish investors who have acquired industrial land, completed payments, and begun production to expedite contract registration at the Ministry of Justice. He also called for a record of Turkish company officials and foreign workers in these businesses to accelerate the issuance of residence and work permits in coordination with the Ministry of Labor. The Ministry of Industry remains committed to providing industrial land and pre-licensed units in various governorates to attract new Turkish investments while facilitating the expansion of existing businesses. Al-Wazir underscored that recent reforms aim to streamline industrial operations and ensure the long-term sustainability of infrastructure within industrial zones. Additionally, he reaffirmed that export incentives will be determined based on key factors such as local component percentages, technological integration, and export volumes—aligning with Egypt's strategy to drive export-led industrial growth. Denizli reiterated Turkish companies' commitment to expanding their investments in Egypt and highlighted growing interest from new Turkish investors looking to enter the market. He also noted that Turkish businesses in the ready-made garments sector are organizing a trade exhibition in Cairo this week to showcase their products. If successful, the event is expected to scale up in future editions.
