Category: General

ANKARA: The White House said Friday that 17 US doctors who were stuck in the war-torn Gaza Strip were evacuated through the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel. US National Security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that "out of 20 American doctors, 17 are out now, they came out today." The doctors and medical workers were part of a medical mission at the European Hospital near Khan Younis in southern Gaza but found themselves trapped after the Israeli army raided Rafah on May 6, under which the army seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. Since then, the Rafah crossing has been closed, isolating Palestinians in Gaza from contact with the outside world. The Israeli army launched a ground offensive on May 6 in Rafah, home to 1.5 million displaced Palestinians, with the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) estimating more that 600,000 people have fled the city since the start of the Israeli attack. Israel continued its brutal offensive on Gaza despite a UN Security Council resol ution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave. More than 35,300 Palestinians have since been killed, the vast majority being women and children, and over 79,200 others injured since early October following an attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas. More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine. Israel is accused of 'genocide' at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidou inaugurated on Saturday, in Nicosia, a digital interactive museum, created by the students of the Pancyprian Gymnasium (High School), who participate in the "STEAME - Greek Language and Culture" program. Kassianidou noted that the inauguration takes place on the International Museum Day which this year celebrates museums for education and research, describing the museum as an extremely interesting initiative. She assured that one of the primary objectives of the Deputy Ministry is the promotion, protection and upgrade of Cyprus' monuments, archaeological sites and museums. Kassianidou said that these places must be attractive destinations, accessible to citizens and foreign visitors of all ages. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: One Palestinian was killed in an Israeli fighter jet airstrike on a home in the Jenin refugee camp in northern occupied West Bank. The Health Ministry said six others were injured in the strike and arrived at the two hospitals in Jenin. Israeli media, including the Ynet news website, quoted an Israeli military statement that confirmed the strike on a Palestinian "armed cell" that claimed it was planning an attack against an Israeli target. The use of a fighter jet to strike a target in the West Bank is a rare occurrence by the Israeli army, which usually carries out ground incursions into West Bank cities and areas. Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip after a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Nearly 505 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 4,900 others injured by army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry. Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which in January issued an interim ruling that ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

WASHINGTON: The Turkish flag was raised in New York City as part of an event to mark the Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day, a milestone marking the beginning of the country's War of Independence. Trkiye's Ambassador to the US, Sedat Onal, joined Turkish Americans, city and consular officers for the flag raising on Wall Street, one of the most important financial centers in the world. The event saw the attendance of Trkiye's UN envoy Ahmet Yildiz, Consul General Reyhan Ozgur, diplomats and members of the Turkish American community. May 19, 1919, was the day when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was later the founder of the Republic of Trkiye, arrived in the Black Sea city of Samsun from Istanbul to launch the war that four years later transformed the nation into modern Trkiye. In 1938, Ataturk dedicated May 19 to the youth of the Turkish nation as Youth and Sports Day -- a national holiday that sees young people take part in sporting and cultural activities with official ceremonies across the countr y. The 41st Turkish Day Parade, which was first held in 1981 in response to the assassination of Turkish diplomats by the Armenian terror group, ASALA, started on Friday with a flag-raising ceremony. As part of the parade, the 'Century of Trkiye Exhibition' is being held at the Turkevi (Turkish House) in New York City. The exhibition will incorporate three-dimensional projections on custom digital giant screens, which will provide insight into the accomplishments of Trkiye during the previous century. On Saturday, the parade will kick off on Madison Avenue and 38th Street in New York City in the morning and conclude at Madison Square Park. Along the route of the Turkish Day Parade, the janissary band of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will perform renditions of Ottoman Turkish music. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Trkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will pay a two-day visit to Pakistan on Sunday to discuss bilateral relations and international developments. "During the meetings, bilateral relations as well as regional and international developments will be discussed," the country's foreign ministry said in a statement. Trkiye and Pakistan have maintained close relations based on friendship and brotherhood since Pakistan's independence in 1947. The relations between the two countries have been institutionalized with the establishment of the High-Level Cooperation Council in 2009, which was later upgraded to the level of High- Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), the foreign ministry said on its website. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: At least 29 people were injured in a clash that occurred Friday night in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek, the country's Health Ministry said on Saturday. "On the night of May 17-18, 29 people turned to ambulance crews for medical help. 15 people were taken to the emergency and the national hospitals, the rest were treated on the spot," a ministry statement said. The ministry said that one of the victims is a Pakistani citizen who is diagnosed with a fractured jaw and is prepared for surgery. Tensions have been brewing between local and international students in the capital after a brawl earlier this week. Things turned ugly on Friday night when dozens of people gathered outside student hostels in Bishkek. Police squads arrived at the scene and detained about 10 people, including three foreigners. A criminal case was also opened.? The Kyrgyz government condemned what it called 'attempts to provoke violence and riots on interethnic grounds due to the dissemination of untrue information on social net works, and also refutes false reports by the international press about alleged murders and violence against foreign students.' Law enforcement agencies are thoroughly investigating all the circumstances of the incident, and all the perpetrators will be identified and brought to justice, said a government statement. 'The authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic have taken all necessary measures to ensure security, maintain peace and stability. Our law enforcement forces will resolutely stop any attempts to disrupt public order,' it said. Pakistan lodges diplomatic protest Pakistan lodged a diplomatic protest with the central Asian country and demanded that the safety of Pakistani students be ensured. Following the outcry over reports of violence, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry summoned Kyrgyz Embassy's Charge d'affaires Melis Moldaliev over the issue. The Kyrgyz diplomat was conveyed "deep concerns" of the Pakistan government about the reports, a ministry statement said. Pakistan's Ambassador in Bishkek Hassan Z aigham also met Kyrgyz Deputy Foreign Minister Imangaziev Almaz over the issue. Zaigham "strongly raised the concerns of Pakistani nationals particularly the large number of affected Pakistani students and their families," according to the statement. Kyrgyz authorities "controlled the situation which is now back to normal,' Almaz told the Pakistani envoy. He added that Kyrgyz police was "providing security to all the hostels and the matter is being directly supervised by the Kyrgyz President." Almaz assured the Pakistani ambassador that Kyrgyzstan "would take legal action against the perpetrators" of the attack. Source: Anadolu Agency

Ballot papers have already been posted online, ahead of the European elections and the local authorities in Cyprus, so that voters can familiarise themselves with them, while officers serving at polling stations will provide every help that voters may need, Chief Returning Officer, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Dr Elikkos Elia, told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Saturday, ahead of the June 9 election process. Asked how the procedures are progressing three weeks before the elections, Elia said that "we are preparing for the elections and we are currently focusing our work on the polling stations. On Friday we launched the "Where and What I vote" service and I invite voters to visit it in order to see at which polling station they will vote at and to be informed about the ballot papers and the number of crosses they can put on each ballot paper". He noted that most of the ballot papers have been printed and the Printing Office of the Republic of Cyprus is working hard to get everything ready. Asked about concerns by citizens due to the large number of ballot papers they will receive, Elia said that an effort will be made to provide proper information to citizens, adding that already the ballot papers for the European Parliament and municipal elections have been posted on the website of the Election Service. He urged voters to take a look at the ballot papers so that they become familiar with them. He pointed out that it is very important for every voter to see these ballot papers in advance, reiterating that the election day "is a day for democracy, there is a great deal at stake and we must be prepared to take a few minutes to vote in this crucial elections." Elia also noted that highly trained officers will be at the polling stations and assistance will be given to enable every voter to understand exactly how to vote. He added that the process is in its final stage in order to hold the elections on June 9, noting that "we will try to have the results as early as possible. We might be a ble to give some results on Monday morning after the elections and we will also issue a programme for the declaration of candidates in various districts," he said. Asked whether the declaration of new Cypriot MEPs would be made on Sunday night, Elia said this would be done on Monday, but the results would be known by Sunday night. He indicated that the declarations of local authority officials will be made by the Returning Officers in each district, noting that a schedule is being drawn up in relation to the declarations and some declarations will be carried out on Monday and some on Tuesday after the elections. Source: Cyprus News Agency