Day: November 7, 2022

Germany on Monday condemned the Syrian regime’s rocket attacks on a refugee camp in the northern city of Idlib.

“We have seen the reports of military attacks by the Syrian regime, as well as the Russian forces in the region,” the Foreign Ministry’s deputy spokeswoman, Andrea Sasse, told a news conference in Berlin.

“We condemn the use of cluster bombs, which are internationally banned. We also condemn military attacks that target civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, particularly refugee camps,” she added.

Sunday’s rocket attack on the refugee camp left at least 10 civilians dead, including children, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR). More than 77 civilians were wounded and 12 of them were in serious condition.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone where acts of aggression are expressly prohibited under a 2018 deal between Türkiye and Russia. Despite multiple cease-fire understandings, the Assad regime and its allies carried out frequent attacks within the zone.

Syria has been embroiled in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN estimates.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Billionaire Elon Musk appealed directly to independent voters on Monday, urging them to vote for Republicans during this week’s midterm election.

Musk, in a post on his personal Twitter account, said that with Democrats in control of the White House, voters would mitigate “the worst excesses of both parties” by ensuring Republican control of Congress.

“To independent-minded voters: Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress, given that the Presidency is Democratic,” he said.

This year, 35 seats in the Senate are up for grabs, as well as all 435 seats in the House of Representatives.

Most analysts agree that Republican will gain control of the House, though who will lay claim to the currently evenly-split Senate remains a topic of much speculation. Key races in 10 states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona, will likely prove decisive.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Ukraine on Monday called for a boycott on various international companies that have maintained operations in Russia despite the war between the two countries.

“International companies which remain working in Russia are directly funding Russian war crimes and genocide of Ukrainians. I reiterate my call on their customers and partners to boycott these brands until they stop making blood profits and pull out of Russia,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, according to a tweet by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

The tweet included a picture that contained the logos of various international Western companies that it said continue to operate in Russia, with Nestle, P&G, Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Siemens, Bayer, and Unilever among them.

It also included several international lenders and insurance firms such as ING, UniCredit, Aegon, HSBC, and Aviva.

Russia’s war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the EU, US, and UK, among others, imposing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

Major international companies have since decided to boycott Russia or have suspended their operations in the country, including H&M, IKEA, Volkswagen, Nike, Apple, Volvo, Daimler, Netflix, Disney, MSC, Mango and Maersk.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that 80,000 mobilized people are currently in the combat zone in Ukraine, with about 50,000 actively taking part in hostilities in the region.

Putin made the announcement in a meeting with Igor Rudenya, governor of Tver Oblast, during a trip to the region.

Tver, the administrative center of the oblast, is 180 kilometers (112 miles) northwest of Russia’s capital Moscow.

His remarks came after Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said on Tuesday that 87,000 of 300,000 mobilized people have already been sent to the combat zone in Ukraine.

“87,000 people were sent to the combat areas after additional training and combat coordination. The combat coordination of the formed units is being completed at the training grounds. The main efforts are focused on field training, the ability to use means of communication, navigation, and reconnaissance,” Shoygu said.

The Defense Ministry also announced on Tuesday the beginning of the autumn conscription in Russia.

This year 120,000 people have to report to the military under conscription, according to the ministry.

On Sept. 21-Oct. 28, Russia also carried out a partial military mobilization, under which 300,000 recruits were enlisted into the army.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Palestine’s Ambassador to Türkiye on Monday paid a visit to the headquarters of Anadolu Agency, the country’s premier news source.

Ambassador Faed Mustafa was welcomed at the headquarters in the capital Ankara by Serdar Karagoz, the agency’s director general, and Yusuf Ozhan, the deputy director general and editor-in-chief.

During the meeting, Karagoz expressed pleasure to host Mustafa as he provided information on Anadolu Agency’s global news presence and journalistic work.

Saying that there are many Anadolu Agency staff in Ramallah, East Jerusalem and Gaza, he noted that the agency is among the top news agencies that provide the world with the most content from the region.?

“We will continue to inform both Türkiye and the world on what is happening in Palestine,” Karagoz added.

On his part, Mustafa commented on the significance of media, especially Anadolu Agency, in strengthening relations between the two countries.

Pointing out that Anadolu Agency is seen as a source for the Palestine issue, Mustafa said that along with Palestinian News & Information Agency (WAFA), Anadolu Agency are the two media organizations he follows the development around the world.

“Take the occasion, I would like to thank Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish people for their support for the Palestinian cause,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ozhan presented the agency’s ongoing efforts and works worldwide to enhance the quality of coverage further. In his presentation, he noted that Anadolu Agency continues to invest globally in human and technical capacity.

Recalling that Anadolu Agency provides content in 13 languages, Ozhan stressed that the agency aims to become the news source for all people around the world.

Founded in 1920, Anadolu Agency is a leading global news agency operating across the world. It serves subscribers in more than 100 countries, including in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Asia-Pacific.

Source: Anadolu Agency