Day: March 9, 2024

ISTANBUL: Rallies were held Friday in Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who are experiencing a devastating Israeli onslaught for more than five months. Anadolu reported several rallies in the Moroccan cities of Tangier, Casablanca and Oujda. The rallies marked International Women's Day and highlighted the steadfastness of women in Gaza in the face of the Israeli occupation. The Tunisian Association of Democratic Women also marked International Women's Day by holding a news conference to highlight the situation of women in Gaza and their suffering under the occupation. Hundreds of Mauritanians marched in the capital, Nouakchott, holding Palestinian flags and banners that demanded a halt to the Israeli war on the besieged Palestinian enclave. Israel has waged a retaliatory offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7. The offensive has killed more than 30,800 victims and injured nearly 73,000 others, in addition to mass displacement and destruc tion. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation. Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January, ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Hamas rejected the results of an Israeli investigation Friday into the "Gaza Flour Massacre" in southern Gaza City where 118 victims were killed and 760 injured. 'We reject the nominal and misleading investigation presented by the criminal Zionist occupation army today regarding the massacre of the Nablusi roundabout last week, in which about 120 Palestinians were killed while waiting to receive aid,' the Palestinian resistance group said. 'This false and deceitful investigation goes beyond the undeniable facts, which documented the direct shooting of Palestinians in the upper parts of the body with the intention of immediate killing, as evidenced by the examination of the martyrs' bodies, in addition to other evidence confirming their deliberate exposure to gunfire from soldiers and tanks,' it said. Hamas emphasized that the 'horrific massacre will remain a witness to the criminality and Nazism of this entity devoid of humanitarian and ethical values.' It said the 'massacre and other massacres and violations haunt until justice is served for our grieving Palestinian people, and its leaders and soldiers are tried for the crimes and violations they have committed against our Palestinian people.' Hamas pointed out that the attack 'has received widespread international condemnation, prompting the Zionist Nazi entity to attempt to exonerate its terrorist soldiers from the horrific crime they committed without justification, except for their thirst to kill more of our people.' The Israeli army announced the results of a preliminary investigation into the killings and said its forces 'did not open fire on the convoy itself. Rather, shots were fired at several Gazans who moved toward soldiers and a tank at an IDF checkpoint, endangering troops.' Israeli forces opened fire on hundreds of Palestinians on Feb. 29 as they gathered to receive humanitarian aid on Al-Rashid Street, resulting in the casualties, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. More than 30,800 Palestinians have been killed and near ly 73,000 injured in Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Palestinian groups estimate that thousands of Palestinians have been detained by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the seaside enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Trkiye and the US agreed on the significance of finding a way to end the conflict in Gaza, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday after the seventh meeting of the US-Trkiye Strategic Mechanism in Washington. 'Trkiye, US in joint statement emphasize the importance of finding a way to end the conflict in Gaza, and to immediately overcome the humanitarian crisis,' the ministry said in the statement released after the meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his US counterpart Antony Blinken. The statement also added that the countries relaunched the Trkiye-US Counterterrorism Consultations to 'expand cooperation against terrorism that threatens both countries' national security.' 'Trkiye, US announce they will capitalize on opportunities to advance defense industry cooperation,' the statement also said on economic cooperation. The ministry added: 'Trkiye, US affirm the importance of developing bilateral forums to improve and deepen economic cooperation.' Sour ce: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Saturday, including US President Joe Biden's remarks on the Israel's ongoing war on the besieged Gaza Strip, African Union's urging cease-fire in Sudan during Ramadan, and North Korea's border military drill from an area in striking range of South Korea's capital Seoul. TOP STORIES Biden says Gaza war has taken greater toll on civilians than all previous conflicts there combined US President Joe Biden acknowledged the unprecedented nature of Israel's ongoing war on the besieged Gaza Strip during his State of the Union address Thursday evening. Biden accepted that the conflict has led to over 30,000 Palestinian deaths in the coastal enclave, saying the war has "taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined." He said "most" of the dead "are not Hamas" and that "thousands and thousands" of those who have been killed are "innocents, women and children, girls and boys." "Nearly 2 million Palestinians are under bombardment or displacement. Homes destroyed, neighborhoods in rubble, cities in ruin. Families without food, water, medicine. It's heartbreaking," Biden told a joint session of Congress. African Union urges cease-fire in Sudan during Ramadan The head of the African Union Commission (AUC) called for a cease-fire in conflict-torn Sudan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "Moussa Faki Mahamat calls upon the Sudanese parties to observe a total cease-fire across the whole national territory throughout the holy month of Ramadan," the African Union said in a statement. Fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023. A central cause of tension was the integration of the RSF into the armed forces. North Korea's Kim 'guides' border drill with 'enemy's capital in striking range' A day after ordering the North Korean military to step up "practical actual-war drills," the country's leader Kim Jong-un "guided" border drills from an area in "striking ra nge" of the south's capital Seoul, state-run media has reported. Kim inspected "large combined units" of the Korean People's Army as they fired long-range artillery as part of a drill near the border on Thursday, Pyongyang-based KCNA News reported. This comes after South Korea and the US launched 11 days of military exercises on the Korean Peninsula earlier this week. NEWS IN BRIEF At least 78 Palestinians were killed and 104 others injured in the last 24 hours as Israel continued its onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip, the territory's Health Ministry said on Friday. The Israeli army reported seven rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward northern Israel. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Friday that a permanent cease-fire has to be reached in the Gaza Strip and the door should be opened to a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel. Azerbaijan rejected the French remarks on the 'targeting of freedom of expression and press' and 'arbitrary arrests' in the Caucasian country. New Delhi deported the first batch of Myanmar nationals who had crossed into India amid the ongoing ethnic conflict in Myanmar, according to officials. Five people were killed as aid boxes dropped from a plane fell on them in Gaza City, the Civil Defense Service in the besieged Palestinian enclave said More than 9,000 women have been killed in the Gaza Strip in the five-month-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, and "this must stop," the executive director of UN Women said. Rallies were held Friday in Morocco, Tunisia, and Mauritania in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who have been subjected to a devastating Israeli onslaught for more than five month. France condemned Israel's approval of additional settlement units in the occupied West Bank. Several people were killed and injured by airdropped aid boxes in Gaza City, as several parachutes failed to deploy properly. China's national oil giant China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) made an oilfield discovery with a volume of 100 million tons in the eastern South China Sea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that his country achieved 'serious humanitarian results' on the rescue of nationals in Russian captivity thanks to Trkiye's efforts. SPORTS Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz to miss Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to appendicitis Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz, 29, will miss Saturday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix because of appendicitis. "Carlos Sainz has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will require surgery. As from FP3 and for the rest of this weekend, he will be replaced by reserve driver Oliver Bearman," Scuderia Ferrari said in a statement. BUSINESS and ECONOMY Bitcoin hovers around all-time high at resistance level Bitcoin was hovering around its all-time high but failing to surpass its resistance level. The price of Bitcoin was trading around $67,930 at 10.45 a.m. EDT for a daily gain of 1%, while it increased 10.5% last week, according to data from CoinMarketCap, a digital asset pri ce-tracking website. The world's biggest cryptocurrency saw its price climbing to $68,990 on Tuesday -- the highest level in its 15-year history. US adds 275,000 jobs in February, unemployment rises to 3.9% from 3.7% The US economy added 275,000 jobs in February, much higher than market estimates, the Labor Department announced. The market expectation for nonfarm payrolls was to show a gain of 198,000 last month. Job additions for January, on the other hand, were significantly revised down by 124,000 from 353,000 to 229,000, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: The UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA could collapse due to funding cuts from some Western countries, led by the US, the agency head warned Saturday. Philippe Lazzarini told Swiss broadcaster RTS that 'the agency is at risk of death, it is risking dismantlement' due to it being starved for funds after a handful of its staffers were accused of involvement of attacks by Hamas. The agency has been investigating the allegations. 'What is at stake is the fate of the Palestinians today in Gaza … who are going through an absolutely unprecedented humanitarian crisis,' he added. Lazzarini said he is waiting for Catherine Colonna, head of the independent review group tasked with examining the agency's work, and a report within a few weeks. Lazzarini expressed cautious optimism about some donors resuming funding for the agency after her report is published. The independent review group, led by former French Foreign Minister Colonna, was established on Feb. 5 and is working with the Raoul Wallenber g Institute in Sweden, the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights. Several countries have suspended funding for the agency, which was established in 1949 to help Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. The agency said it terminated contracts with the dozen or so employees following the allegations. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack led by Hamas, in which nearly 1,200 people were killed. Nearly 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 72,500 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January or dered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: This month Turkish and Greek vessels worked together in the Aegean Sea for Exercise Ariadne-2024, said Trkiye's National Defense Ministry on Saturday. Trkiye's minehunter TCG Anamur and Greece's HS Evropi participated in the drill, which took place on March 2, said the ministry on X. The Aegean neighbors took part in the military training as members of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2, it added. Source: Anadolu Agency

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Constantinos Kombos expressed optimism that operation "Amalthea" for humanitarian aid to Gaza from Cyprus will be activated this weekend. In statements to CNA, Dr. Kombos said that the planning is for this weekend but there are some issues that have yet to be clarified. The closer we get to the time, we need to be sure that the issues are ??, he said, adding that "there is an optimism that over the weekend the operation will be activated." The view, he added, is that this should be done as quickly as possible but the aim is "not the speed to affect efficiency, to have a balance." Asked if the pilot departure took place on Friday, the Foreign Minister said that we are talking about the same, the first departure that will activate (the plan) and "if there is no problem, mainly on the other side, which is not our responsibility of course, as Cyprus, if this is done without a problem, then we consider that it has begun and we will be ready for a second and third mission." Aske d about the assurances given by the Israelis, Dr. Kombos said, "look, very easily an incident can happen, because of the situation there, people may move towards the aid. "There may be malicious action by some," he said, adding that there are too many things that despite anyone saying "it's okay" can't be predicted. "It's an operational issue on the ground. When the ship sets sail, during the journey, when it gets closer, when it arrives, when it unloads, there are too many elements, so nobody can tell you that there is no issue because it is in a war zone that we are moving," he noted. The Foreign Minister added that what matters from our point of view is that we have responsibility and control over our mechanism. Beyond that, the other parties, there is the alliance in which "everyone has a role, a responsibility, depending on the capabilities they have." He noted that no one is under the illusion that they can control the situation. "There are various issues, that's why we say the window is this weekend as long as there is nothing to avert this, like any incident, whether in Gaza, Israel or on the borders with Lebanon that causes unrest which you realize will affect the operation, even the weather can cause problems. That's the situation right now," he added. On Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who paid Cyprus a visit, said she hoped that the Cyprus Maritime corridor will be launched either Saturday or Sunday. Source: Cyprus News Agency

The close cooperation for the implementation of the maritime corridor for the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza was confirmed today by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Constantinos Kombos, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed, in a telephone conversation. According to a post by Kombos on the platform "X", he spoke by telephone with the Emirati Foreign Minister regarding Cyprus' Maritime Corridor for the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. In the post, he expressed deep gratitude for the support and cooperation and added that "we agreed to continue working closely together." Source: Cyprus News Agency

The government, and every official individually, must be daily role models for the cultivation, promotion and foundation of gender equality and work specifically in this direction, said on Friday the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, during his address at the event for Women's Day that took place at the Presidential Palace in cooperation with the Office of the Commissioner for Gender Equality. He said that in the 12 months since taking office, the government proceeded with the upgrading of the role of the Commissioner for Gender Equality and Gender Equality Officers in all Ministries and Deputy Ministries, with the coordinating role of the Commissioner expected to be voted by Parliament soon. "Tackling gender discrimination is everyone's responsibility, especially men's, and a collective effort is needed to promote gender equality,' the President said, adding that "the government, but also each and every official individually, must be daily role models for the cultivation and promotion and f oundation of Equality." What interests us above all is "to create the conditions through our policies so that women can fully express their potential and interests," President Christodoulides said. He also said that the largest ever participation of women in the country's history has been achieved, especially in the composition of the Council of Ministers, which amounts to 39%, and in the Boards of Directors of semi-government organisations, reaching 40%, especially in the positions of presidents and vice presidents. He also highlighted the recent signing of a policy statement by all members of the government for zero tolerance of sexist and harassing behaviour. "We must proceed with permanent solutions through substantial reforms to achieve the reconciliation of professional and family life for women, to create the conditions so that women can express interest in participating in the decision-making process in the political and social life of the country," the President underlined. Regarding the wage gap between men and women, the President of the Republic said the Ministry of Labour will proceed within the year to strengthen female employment through special incentive schemes for hiring unemployed women, while the Ministry of Agriculture has set as a priority to ensure unhindered and gender-free funding in all agricultural sectors. On the issue of violence against women, President Christodoulides said that the Government is promoting the implementation of the National Strategy and the Action Plan for the Prevention and Handling of Violence against Women. A total of 75 frontline Health Officers will be trained to deal with the handling cases of gender-based violence, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice. This is be planned for the first half of 2024. The aim is for the early identification and response to such unacceptable incidents. Commissioner for Gender Equality Josie Christodoulou said in her speech that European countries have the best record in the world in terms of gender equality, with Cypru s ranking 21st among the 27 EU Member States, having achieved great progress in the position of women in society since its accession to the Union. "Our goal is to integrate the horizontal gender dimension into policies, actions and measures of the state so that the different needs of women and men are taken into account in their planning and evaluation and to establish a culture of gender equality," she noted. Source: Cyprus News Agency