Day: February 10, 2024

ANKARA: The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said six-year-old girl Hind Rajab, who was trapped in her family car after it came under Israeli army in Gaza City, was found dead after nearly two weeks of uncertainty. The non-profit in a statement late Friday said the bodies of the child, and two of its paramedics, Youssef Zeino and Ahmed Al-Madhoon, who went out on a mission to rescue the little girl on Jan. 29 had been found. Hind was traveling in a car with her family including 15-year-old cousin Layan Hamadeh, fleeing fighting in northern Gaza, when they came under Israeli fire, according to the Red Crescent. Surrounded by the bodies of relatives, they had called for help and a PRCS ambulance was dispatched. According to the humanitarian group, Layan was killed while speaking to the PRCS team by telephone, as gunfire could be heard in the background. When the Red Crescent team called back, it was Hind who answered, possibly the only survivor in the car. Soon after the Red Crescent lost all contac t with its team and the child. The Israeli army has yet to comment on the matter. Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7 that has killed nearly 28,000 Palestinians following a surprise Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the initial attack. The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while much of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Supporting the healthy integration of artificial intelligence into the media sector, Anadolu on Saturday organized a forum titled Managing Artificial Intelligence in Media at AAtolye. The rapid advancement of technology makes the use of artificial intelligence applications in the media sector inevitable. Artificial intelligence is transforming the media industry across a broad spectrum, from data processing to content creation, personalized news feeds to automatic language translation. While providing opportunities for faster processing, analysis, and presentation of news in a way that enhances interaction, it also brings ethical, legal, and societal responsibilities. So, a bridge needs to be established between the fundamental principles of journalism and new technological possibilities. Discussion on use of artificial intelligence in media The forum, attended by academics and journalists from reputable universities and media organizations in Trkiye, as well as industry representatives, focuse d on the use of artificial intelligence in the media and the ethical principles that should be adhered to. As an outcome of the forum, a Guide to Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Media was prepared. This guide aims to contribute to the framework that Anadolu and other media organizations can follow when using artificial intelligence technologies. Continuously adaptable to evolving technological innovations and changing needs in the media sector, the guide draws on Anadolu's extensive journalistic experience and universal practices related to artificial intelligence use in the media industry. The 10 points outlined in the guide, prepared with contributions of forum participants and Anadolu News Academy, are as follows: Protection of journalistic principles Media organizations do not compromise journalistic professional principles in the use of AI. Media organizations strictly adhere to the press ethics that encourage journalists to present news in an accurate, impartial, and ethical manner. Use of AI algorithms in media The use of AI algorithms in media effectively occurs in various areas such as personalization of news, content recommendations, language processing, and analysis of sound and images. The use of these technologies brings ethical and legal issues such as data privacy, content manipulation, and impartiality. Therefore, media organizations use algorithms that are consistent with journalistic professional principles and press ethics, ensuring impartiality in the AI applications media organizations use. Media organizations avoid algorithms that exploit humanity's fundamental values and personal weaknesses. Fidelity to truth, verification mechanisms Media organizations support applications that contribute to the fight against disinformation and fake news. Media organizations remember that AI outputs can be filtered, and may contain false, biased, and discriminatory information. Media organizations are cautious against misleading information and create verification mechanisms. Media organ izations avoid any technological applications (like deepfake) that distort the truth. Media organizations allow journalists to use personal initiative for control within the process against the danger of disinformation and manipulation. Social benefits, readers' rights The use of AI in the media sector primarily aims to protect social benefits and convey information more effectively. Therefore, AI applications are used by media organizations not to increase circulation, ratings, or views, but to help news reach readers, viewers, and listeners quickly, transparently, and accurately. Respect for human dignity, privacy Protecting individuals' privacy and personal information is a fundamental human right and must be respected. Therefore, media organizations fully respect data privacy and the right to privacy in the use of personal data, prioritizing consent. Media organizations avoid any AI applications that could harm human dignity. Media organizations license and cite the sources of real human profiles and voices used for AI-based digital twins (digital avatars) in accordance with copyright laws. Media organizations promote fair use by respecting copyright owners and meeting legal requirements. Editorial framework against bias Potential biases in AI applications can affect the opinions expressed. Therefore, media organizations carefully use these technologies. Media organizations ensure that opinions expressed by AI are supervised and verified by human editors to reduce possible biases. Sustainable journalism AI offers significant opportunities for speeding up processes and automation in the media sector. However, this automation concern should not diminish the value of human creativity. In this context, media organizations regulate the use of AI in creative job fields like news production, cartooning, writing, photojournalism, visual direction, and graphic design, minimizing negative impacts on employment and protecting journalists' rights. Sustainable Journalism promotes a balanced technological integrati on in the media industry by preserving human capabilities and creativity. Preservation of human-produced information, diversity The share of data produced by AI in AI applications is constantly increasing. Media organizations maintain a reasonable level of human-produced original information in AI applications for the sustainability of content richness. Media organizations also pay special attention to the diversity of information and sources. This approach preserves content quality and forms a more robust information foundation by combining AI-produced data and human creativity in a balanced way. Legal responsibility, transparency, copyrights Media organizations contribute to clearly defining the legal framework of content produced by AI, respecting transparency and copyright issues. In this context, media organizations use a logo to indicate that the content is produced by AI and clearly state AI's contribution and the sources used in the content through footnotes and warnings. Legal process in use of AI The use of AI in media does not yet have a clear legal framework due to the rapid development and changing nature of technology. Until clear universal and national rules and guidelines are established for the use of AI, media organizations follow temporary regulations and ethical rules that have been prepared. Source: Anadolu Agency

Kition Ocean Port announced on Saturday that an agreement has been reached with employees of the company at Larnaca Port. The employees participated on Friday in a strike, protesting against the company's outsourcing policy and the way employees were treated. According to the company's press release the agreement was reached after constructive dialogue between its management and employee representatives. As noted, the concerns raised by the employees have been carefully considered, and measures are being taken to address them promptly. 'We value the dedication and hard work of our employees and are committed to ensuring fair treatment and favourable working conditions,' the company stressed and assured that operations at the port continue as usual, underscoring its commitment to ensure an open and active port, excellent service and a positive work environment. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: Nicaragua has asked to intervene in the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), according to a statement. The Central American country aims to drag four Western countries into the case for complicity with Israel. "On 23 January 2024, Nicaragua, … filed in the Registry of the Court an Application for permission to intervene 'as a party' in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel)," the ICJ said this week. The Government of Reconciliation and National Unity of Nicaragua said on X last week that it notified the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada "of its decision to hold them responsible under international law for gross and systematic violations to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, international humanitarian law and customary law, including the law of occupation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in particular the Gaz a Strip." Nicaragua also urged those four countries "to immediately halt the supply of arms, ammunitions, technology and/or components to Israel as it is plausible they might have been used to facilitate or commit violations of the Genocide Convention, including but not limited to acts of genocide, attempted genocide, complicity in genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide." By suspending funds to the UN's Palestinian refugee agency, or UNRWA, those countries also disregard their obligations, and "actively facilitate violations of the rules of international law by Israel." "Nicaragua has underscored that this act contributes to the collective punishment of the Palestinians," the statement added. "Consequently, Nicaragua has given written notice to these governments that it will adopt all measures it considers appropriate in accordance with international law, including recourse to the International Court of Justice, to guarantee respect for these fundamental international texts and customary international law." Several countries suspended funding to UNRWA after Israel alleged that some of the agency's employees were involved in the cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7. UNRWA warned Thursday that it will halt its operations within weeks if international funding remains suspended. Last month, the ICJ issued an interim order demanding that Israel stops obstructing aid deliveries into Gaza and improve the humanitarian situation in the enclave following a lawsuit by South Africa, accusing Tel Aviv of committing genocide. Israel has pounded Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas in October, which Tel Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people. At least 27,947 Palestinians have since been killed and 67,459 others injured in the Israeli onslaught, according to local health authorities. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Four of seven suspects arrested for suspected ties to the Israeli intelligence service admitted Friday to connections to Mossad, according to official documents. Seven of the nine suspects who were detained by the joint operation of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the General Directorate of Security (EGM) were arrested and four confessed to ties to Israeli intelligence, according to a referral letter prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. 'Foreign person and company research' request from Israeli intel The letter said a suspect identified as G.K. has been in contact with an Israeli intelligence division referred to in the documents as "Israeli Intelligence Service Online Operation Center" since 2019 under the capacity of "private detective" and continued contact with foreign persons and companies upon orders by Yuriy Kovalchuk, who was determined to be a part of the division. It also underlined that he fulfilled the instructions for research, reconnaissance an d follow-up activities. G.K., who gained a financial benefit, collected information about six people in collaboration with other suspects identified as S.A.Y., F.S.K., S.Y. and Y.A.D. -- two of whom are spouse and stepson. The letter emphasized that the suspect also obtained information from the state's database through contacts in public institutions and organizations and shared them with another suspect, M.K., who was detained on "espionage" charges. It said he shared information with M.K. in exchange for financial income. The letter also stated that M.K. made 64 payments to G.K.'s account and 35 times to the spouse's account between 2019 - 2022, in return for information. Records obtained showed that G.K. was in communication with Mossad officials within the scope of the examination of digital materials. It was recorded that he accepted the situation. It also mentioned in the letter that it was determined that G.K. acted together with the spouse during the follow-up to give the appearance of family. I n the letter, which included evaluations about G.K's spouse F.S.K., it underlined that a large number of and unusual amounts of money movements were determined in F.S.K.'s bank accounts, and that F.S.K., who was aware of the money traffic due to involvement in tracking and information gathering activities, also partially admitted to the findings in her statements. It was mentioned in the letter that S.Y., the spouse of another suspect, B.Y., participated in espionage by posing as a family and that they placed GPS devices on the vehicles of targets and took photographs. M.K. detained in 'military and political espionage' case The letter included information that M.K. was detained within the scope of the case file in which he was tried for "military and political espionage" at the Istanbul 30th High Criminal Court. It said that although M.K. appeared to be a law firm employee, he obtained personal information of foreign nationals illegally, and shared the information with other S.A.Y, G.K. and detained defe ndant S.K., who is on trial for "espionage" in the same court. The text said that the suspects transmitted information to Mossad together and therefore M.K. was an important figure in the network. It was also stated that M.K., who benefited from espionage activities, had an unusual amount of money in a bank account and numerous Historical Traffic Search (HTS) records with regard to communication with other suspects. The letter pointed out that the evidence was not fully obtained due to the inability to complete the examination of digital materials belonging to the suspects, and requested the suspects be arrested on the grounds that they were a flight risk. M.K.'s statements were included in the arrest warrant issued by the Istanbul Criminal Court of Peace. M.K. defended himself and said, "It is impossible for him to spy, he has not gone abroad, he has not received money from anyone, he works with a lawyer, he does not know anyone and he does not accept the accusations." The judge's decision also noted a Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) report that showed many and unusual amounts of money movements in F.S.K.'s bank accounts and tracked a foreign national in Trkiye in collaboration with spouse G.K. The letter included evaluations regarding S.A.Y., saying that they collected information on foreign nationals by tracking them based on information from "Igor," who is determined to be working for the Mossad, under directives by G.K. The judge ruled that the suspects should be arrested for crimes of "illegally seizing or disseminating personal data", "obtaining confidential state information for the purpose of political or military espionage" and "unlawfully recording personal data." Determining that Mossad is tracking its targets in Trkiye through private detectives, MIT, within the scope of its efforts, the letter said the Israeli intelligence service is collecting biographical information, carrying out reconnaissance and investigation, taking footage and using tracking devices. Within the scope of the investigation carried out by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was determined that the nine suspects sold information obtained to Mossad through private detectives. Seven of the nine suspects were caught in the operation carried out simultaneously in Istanbul and Izmir by teams of the Istanbul Police Department Intelligence Branch and the Anti-Terrorism Branch Directorate. It was also learned that two of the suspects were previously arrested within the scope of the investigation regarding the same crimes. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Pro-Palestinian protesters on Friday interrupted former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech at the Columbia University, and called her a 'war criminal.' "Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, you are a war criminal! The people of Libya, the people of Iraq, the people of Syria, the people of Yemen, the people of Palestine as well as the people of America will never forgive you,' a man shouted during her address, according to videos circulating on social media. While the protester was removed from the lecture hall, he continued to chant: 'Free, free Palestine' and 'You will burn." The ex-first lady then attempted to commence her speech on sexual violence related to conflicts, saying: "Yelling doesn't solve the problem," only to be disrupted by another protester. However, she attempted to speak above the protester's disruption, but eventually abandoned her efforts as more individuals joined in. 'OK, we're going to stop a minute. You know what, why don't all of you just interrupt me so that you won't be interrupting our panelists so that we don't have this kind of disruption when we have people who are real experts in this area,' she said. 'People are free to protest, but they are not free to disrupt events or classes and that is going to be the standards that we follow here and going forward,' she added. Clinton also faced a similar confrontation in October. A crowd member interrupted a panel discussion at the same university, trying to get her to denounce US President Joe Biden's call for additional funding for Ukraine and Israel. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Friday said charges accusing him of mishandling classified documents should be dropped now that a special counsel investigation declined to charge the President Joe Biden. 'If he's not going to be charged, that's up to them. But then I should not be charged,' Trump said at a National Rifle Association expo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His remarks came a day after Justice Department Special counsel Robert Hur announced that he will not prosecute Biden for his handling of classified documents even though he 'retained and disclosed classified materials' after his vice presidency. "Our investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen," Hur wrote in a report, adding that it "does not establish Mr. Biden's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." Trump also made remarks at Biden's mental faculties after the special counsel's report raised questio ns about the president's memory. 'This is nothing more than selective persecution of Biden's political opponent, me. I don't think it's Biden, because I don't think he knows he's alive,' Trump said. Former President Trump was indicted last June on 37 counts regarding nearly 300 classified documents taken from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office, and his alleged efforts to cover up the information from federal investigators. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: At least seven people, including three children, died in a fire caused by a Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv Friday night, head of local military administration Oleh Synehubov said. The strike hit a fuel tank, causing a leak and the substance to inflame, Synehubov said on Telegram on Saturday, adding that the fire spread to the nearby residential unit primarily consisting of private houses. "In one of the private residential unit, as a result of a fire, the entire family of five people was killed," he said. Synehubov emphasized that three of the victims were children, noting that three people also got injured. Meanwhile, Ukraine's online map tracking air raid alerts showed that warnings were announced in two more Ukraine's regions -- Dnipro and Kirovohrad. "All circumstances are being established. Relevant services are working on the site. The information will be updated. Eternal memory to the dead," Synehubov said. The Russian Defense Ministry in a separate statement said thre e Ukrainian drones were shot down Friday night over the Bryansk region, and 15 over the Belgorod region. Russia started its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, and as it approaches its third year the prospects of a settlement remain unclear. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: At least 117 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll in Israeli onslaught on the besieged enclave to more than 28,000, the territory's Health Ministry said on Saturday. 'The Israeli occupation committed 16 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 117 martyrs and 152 injured during the past 24 hours,' the ministry said in a statement. 'Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them." Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people. The attacks have killed more 28,064 people, mostly women and children, and wounded 67,611 others. The offensive has also left 85% of Gaza's population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while most of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. The International Court of Justice in a provisional ruling mandated Israel to preven t genocidal attacks in Gaza, but it has continued with the assault. Source: Anadolu Agency