Day: April 7, 2024

ISTANBUL: Air Arabia Egypt's inaugural flight took off on Saturday from Cairo to Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, marking a significant expansion in the airport's short-haul network. The flight's arrival in Istanbul was greeted with a water cannon salute, a traditional of sigh of respect or appreciation in the aviation industry. A ceremony was held to commemorate the first flight, attended by Nuket Angin, Air Arabia's regional director for Eastern Europe, and top management from Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. The event featured a warm welcome for cabin crew and passengers, including the presentation of flowers and the offering of Turkish delight to guests. During his keynote speech, Serhat Sogukpinar, chairman of the Executive Board at the airport, highlighted the importance of linking Istanbul with Cairo, both major hubs for tourism and trade. "With the addition of another airline, our weekly flights to Cairo not only increase but also diversify, " Sogukpinar said, adding that more airlines and destinations are expected to be added. Flights to Cairo will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, expanding the airport's connectivity to Egypt. Air Arabia Egypt will be the 47th carrier in Sabiha Gokcen's international network. It will also be the fourth carrier to offer flights from the airport to Egypt and the fourth member of Air Arabia Group to operate at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Russia on Sunday declared a federal emergency in the country's Orenburg region after flooding in and around the area caused by a burst in a section of an embankment dam in the city of Orsk late Friday. 'Taking into account the current situation and the reports we have heard, I propose to classify the emergency situation in the Orenburg region as a federal emergency and establish a federal level of response,' Russian Emergency Situations Minister Aleksandr Kurenkov said amid a visit to the Orsk city, according to local media. A statement by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry quoted Kurenkov saying that more than 6,000 residential buildings, 9,000 household plots, and 40 low-water bridges remain flooded in the Orenburg region. Some 2,518 residential buildings and 4,587 household plots were flooded in the city of Orsk alone, Kurenkov noted and said more than 4,000 people were evacuated, including 885 children. 'Flood conditions can change rapidly. All forces and means must be kept in a state of constant readiness. If necessary, make decisions in a timely manner, including on the evacuation of the population,' Kurenkov was also quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Orenburg Mayor Sergey Salmin said on Telegram that the situation in the region 'remained critical,' and that water levels are rising and will continue to rise in the coming days. 'It must be said that Orsk took the main, first blow of the elements,' Orenburg Governor Denis Pasler told the state news agency TASS, adding that flooding is recorded along the entire bed of the Ural River, including the Chelyabinsk region and the Russian Republic of Bashkiria. Late Friday, a section of a dam in the city of Orsk burst due to 'untimely measures taken to maintain the hydraulic structure in proper technical condition,' the regional prosecutor's office said, according to the Russian media outlets. Also, in neighboring Kazakhstan, the country's Emergency Situations Ministry said on Saturday that flooding was reported in the Akmola, Aktobe, Atyrau, Kosta nay, Pavlodar, and North Kazakhstan regions, where over 46,000 people were evacuated, including 14,589 children. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: At least 38 more Palestinians were killed and 71 others injured over the last 24 hours, as Israel continues its onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip, the territory's Health Ministry said on Sunday. 'The Israeli occupation (forces) committed four massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 38 martyrs and 71 injured during the past 24 hours,' a ministry statement said. 'Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,' it added. Flouting the International Court of Justice's provisional ruling, Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 33,175 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 75,886 injured since Oct. 7, 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people. The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of fo od, 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 ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Evacuation orders remain in place for several towns after heavy rainfall and gusty winds wreaked havoc on communities west of Sydney, with swollen rivers still threatening residents' homes, local media reported on Sunday. Residents are bracing for a "significant" clean up after parts of New South Wales (NSW) state, of which Sydney is the capital, were inundated with a month's worth of rain in 24 hours, according to the local broadcaster SBS News. Evacuation orders remain in place for towns along the Napean and Hawkesbury rivers. The Hawkesbury is predicted to peak near 9.6 meters (31.5 feet), with adjacent towns bracing for flooding. A massive downpour that began on Friday saw around 300 homes evacuated in northeast Sydney, with around 5,000 volunteers working through the night helping the affected people, emergency services said. The wild weather has caused landslides, flash flooding, and inundated homes, and emergency service workers have performed over 200 flood rescues in the affected areas. According to State Emergency Commissioner Carlene York, 60 emergency warnings remain active across the state, with NSW State Emergency Services (SES) issuing at least a dozen evacuation orders due to flooding fear. Residents and business owners cleared to return are assessing the damage to their properties after they were hit with 200-250 millimeters of rain in 24 hours. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: The Turkish Foreign Ministry declared Sunday the country stands in solidarity with the people and government of Kazakhstan as devastating floods wreak havoc in multiple regions of the Asian country. "We are deeply saddened by the devastating floods in various regions of Kazakhstan," it said. The catastrophe has inflicted "serious damage," forcing tens of thousands of Kazakhstanis to evacuate. Expressing heartfelt condolences "to the people and Government of Kazakhstan," the ministry said Trkiye is "ready to provide any assistance" to aid in the recovery efforts and alleviate the suffering caused by this disaster. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: The German military frigate Hessen, part of the EU's Red Sea protection of commercial ships mission, successfully prevented a cargo ship attack Saturday. The frigate, serving in the EU's "Aspides" military mission, thwarted an attack on a civilian cargo ship in the Red Sea, the German Armed Forces, or Bundeswehr, wrote on X. The frigate continued its mission, according to the statement that said it successfully destroyed an approaching missile. Hessen, along with a contingent of 250 soldiers, has been stationed in the region since late February. The Aspides mission is dedicated to safeguarding the navigation routes of commercial vessels traversing the Red Sea. Source: Anadolu Agency

ALLEPO: A terror attack was carried out Saturday in Syria with a vehicle carrying a bomb at the entrance of the Bab intersection in the north of Cobanbey province, adjacent to the Elbeyli district of Kilis in Trkiye, according to Anadolu. Two people inside the vehicle were killed in the explosion, and one person was injured. Security forces intensified efforts in the vicinity and initiated an investigation. No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged an immediate end Saturday to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the release of hostages and the urgent delivery of aid by all means possible. "This terrible conflict must end. The hostages must be released. The aid - which we have been straining every sinew to deliver by land, air and sea - must be flooded in," Sunak said in a statement on the six-month anniversary of the Oct. 7 "terrorist outrage" by Hamas against Israel. He described it as "the most appalling attack in Israel's history" and said it was "the worst loss of Jewish life since World War II." "Six months later, Israeli wounds are still unhealed. Families still mourn and hostages are still held by terrorists," noted Sunak. He condemned the ongoing "bloodshed" and the recent killing of British aid workers while affirming the UK's support for Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism. The toll on civilians in Gaza has only worsened with "hunger, desperation, and loss of life" persis ting on an "awful scale," he said. Sunak also urged a "humanitarian pause" leading to a "sustainable cease-fire" to alleviate the suffering of children in Gaza and to promote "peace, dignity, and security" for "both Israelis and Palestinians." "That is the fastest way to get hostages out and aid in and to stop the fighting and loss of life," he added. Source: Anadolu Agency

KAMPALA: Turkish state aid agency, TIKA, hosted more than 1,000 guests Saturday at an iftar dinner and distributed food aid packages in partnership with the Keskl Association, a Turkish NGO, at the Royal Palace of Busoga kingdom in eastern Uganda. The iftar, or fast-breaking meal, was graced by the king of Busoga, William Gabula Nadiope IV and the Turkish ambassador Faith Ak, among others. Nadiope thanked guests for turning up in large numbers and encouraged the people of Busoga to utilize the rainy season to plant crops to harvest enough food. He welcomed Ak and expressed his wish that friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries continue. First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga, who also serves as the Minister for East African Community Affairs, hailed Trkiye as an important and true friend. 'Our gathering here today is not sudden, but a continuation of friendship and love we have built over time, between the people of Turkey and Uganda,' she said, She said ties with Trkiye co ntinued to grow as economic and social relations have scaled up. Ak said developing relations is essential for shared prosperity. 'We have a constructive, warm relationship with the government of Uganda. I want to thank our president, his Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Without their leadership and firm efforts, we would not be able to reach the current excellent level of our bilateral relations,' he said. He underscored the Turkish government's readiness to continue good relations and a provision of full support through TIKA to further develop relations. 'TIKA has been doing a great job concerning development assistance. They have completed more than 70 projects in Uganda in various fields so far, and currently, they are working on new ones,' he noted. 'Our support for Uganda's development is not limited to TIKA. Various Turkish NGOs have been active in Uganda for a long time, and their work has been welcomed and appreciated in almost all corners of Ugand a,' he said. Ak added that both countries hold much potential for cooperation in trade, education and tourism. The mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Mubaje, said the monarch of Busoga has promoted unity, peace and development in the region. Mubaje also hailed ties between Uganda and Trkiye. Abdu Salaam Wamimbi, advisor to the mufti on international relations, hailed Trkiye for a scholarship program provided by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) as a good opportunity for international students who want to study abroad. The Trkiye Scholarships program, also known as Trkiye Burslari, offers a range of programs for undergraduate, graduate, research and language education opportunities in Trkiye's most prestigious universities for international students and researchers. The event was attended by the TIKA coordinator to Uganda, Omer Aykon, Turkish Airlines manager to Uganda Ali Ozdemir, rector of the Islamic University in Uganda, professor Ismail Simbwa Jagenda, and others. Source: A nadolu Agency