Day: May 13, 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat qualified for the Western and Eastern Conference Finals respectively after beating the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks on Friday. LeBron James led the Lakers to a 4-2 series win with 30 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists while Anthony Davis racked up a double-double with 17 points and 20 rebounds at Crypto.com Arena. "It was great to be able to play one of our most efficient games, one of our best games of the series, and it started because of the defensive matchup we had," James said afterwards. "We defended at a high level, and when we do that, we can be extremely good. I thought we were locked in for as close to 48 minutes as possible tonight." Austin Reaves scored 23 points and D'Angelo Russell netted 19 points in their 122-101 win over the Warriors. Stephen Curry was Golden State's highest scorer with 32 points, while Donte DiVincenzo added 16. The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets will face off in the Western Conference Finals in the 2023 NBA playoffs. Heat advance to finals in East The Miami Heat moved to the Eastern Conference Finals after beating the New York Knicks 96-92 in Game 6 of their second-round series. In the 4-2 series win, Jimmy Butler scored 24 points and Bam Adebayo helped the Miami side with 23. Jalen Brunson gave the Knicks 41 points but his effort was not enough to ensure a win. "Just got to give them a lot of credit. They didn't play like an 8 seed - at all. They were unbelievable. The utmost respect for them and that organization. I liked the way we fought," Brunson said. The Miami Heat is set to face the winner of the Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers game.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Palestine on Saturday appealed for international pressure on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza amid Israeli airstrikes on the territory. In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called for a 'firm stance' to force Israel to reopen Gaza crossings to allow the entry of medical supplies, food, and fuel into the strip. Hussein Al-Sheikh, the secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)'s Executive Committee, urged the US and the international community 'to intervene to stop the Israeli aggression" against the Palestinians and open its crossings with Gaza. "We call on international and humanitarian institutions to intervene quickly to open the crossings with the Gaza Strip and transfer the injured for treatment," he added on Twitter. Israel has closed its crossings with Gaza, including the Erez and Kerem Shalom terminals, since it began its air offensive on the strip on Tuesday. At least 33 Palestinians have been killed and dozens injured in the attacks, which Israel says were in response to rocket fire from Gaza. Palestinian factions retaliated with firing barrages of rockets into Israeli territories. Regional and international powers have called for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian factions, but no breakthrough has been made yet. According to Palestinian figures, more than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year. At least 20 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.

Source: Anadolu Agency

At least 15 residential buildings have been destroyed in Israel's air offensive on the Gaza Strip, according to a Palestinian official on Saturday. At least 33 Palestinians have been killed and dozens injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since Tuesday, according to the Health Ministry. The Israeli army said the airstrikes were part of its Operation Shield and Arrow in response to rocket fire from Gaza following the death of a Palestinian hunger striker in an Israeli prison last week. Palestinian factions retaliated by firing barrages of rockets into Israeli territories. 'Around 940 housing units have also been damaged, of which 49 units have become uninhabitable,' Salameh Maarouf, head of the Hamas-run Government Media Office, told a press conference in Gaza City. He estimated the initial losses from the Israeli offensive on residential buildings in Gaza at around $5 million. 'The agricultural sector also incurred direct losses from the Israeli attacks at over $3 million,' he added. Regional and international powers have called for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian factions, but no breakthrough has been made yet. According to Palestinian figures, more than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year. At least 20 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Economist's "misguided attempt" to dictate how Turkish voters should vote in elections came as no surprise, Trkiye's ambassador to the UK said on Saturday in a letter to the British magazine. On its cover last week, The Economist featured images of banners with slogans such as "Erdogan must go" and "Protect democracy," referring to Trkiye's May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections, along with the words: "The Most Important Election of 2023: Trkiye and the Future of Democracy." In response to this coverage, Turkish Ambassador in London Osman Koray Ertas said: "Trkiye is a democratic country that has a long-standing tradition of holding free and fair elections, where governments have been elected into office by popular vote." "Trying to belittle and smear the democratic choice of the people, and attempting to lecture them from afar on what they 'should' do comes off as presumptuous to say the least," he added. He also said The Economist's coverage ignored the many contributions Trkiye has made to global and regional security and welfare over the years. "My country will continue to be a provider of peace in a volatile region. We deem this a responsibility to our history and people," he concluded. Last week Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly criticized the magazine, accusing it of maliciously intending to interfere in Turkish politics and manipulate the will of the nation. "We will not allow our domestic politics to be directed or the national will to be swayed by the covers of magazines, which are the operational apparatus of global powers," Erdogan said on Twitter.

Source: Anadolu Agency