Author: Anadolu Agency

The UN said on Thursday that the number of refugees returning to Syria from neighboring countries in the three weeks following the fall of the Assad regime has exceeded 50,000. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi shared on X that the number of Syrian refugees returning to their homes is “slowly increasing.” “Material conditions inside Syria remain dire – more humanitarian and recovery assistance must be delivered to returnees and all those in need,” Grandi said. Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of the capital Damascus on Dec.…

Israeli warplanes launched a new wave of airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday evening amid rising regional tensions over Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Israeli media said. The strikes targeted several strategic sites in Yemen, including Sanaa airport and the port of Al-Hudaydah in western Yemen, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN said. Israel’s Channel 12 said power stations were targeted in the attacks, without providing further details. According to Israeli Channel 13, dozens of Israeli fighter jets took part in the attacks, which coincided with a televised speech by Houthi leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi. KAN said the US was notified before the…

Senior Azerbaijani officials on Thursday confirmed to Anadolu the validity of earlier media reports suggesting that an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday was caused by a Russian missile system. This came after Azerbaijani media, citing government sources, reported that the preliminary results of the investigation into the incident determined that the plane was attacked by a Pantsir missile system as it approached the city of Grozny. According to the report, the aircraft’s communication system was completely paralyzed due to the use of Russian electronic warfare systems, which resulted in the plane disappearing from…

Residents of Suwayseh, a village in Syria’s Quneitra province illegally occupied by the Israeli army, have called for an end to Israeli aggression and demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Following the fall of the Baath regime in Syria, Israel increased its airstrikes on the country and expanded its illegal ground occupation. Residents of Suwayseh, located in southwestern Quneitra, shared their grievances with Anadolu. Shadi Abu Zayd described how Israeli forces entered 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the occupied Golan Heights the border strip, damaging Suwayseh and neighboring villages. He also mentioned direct attacks on civilians, including a child. Abu…

Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ali Youssef praised Türkiye for its generous support toward Sudan amid the ongoing conflict in the North African country. Since April 2023, Sudan has faced violent clashes between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over military reform and integration issues. The conflict has claimed more than 20,000 lives, displaced millions, and left more than 25 million in dire need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN. In an interview with Anadolu, Youssef evaluated the “trustworthy and historical” relations between Sudan and Türkiye, saying that these ties have strengthened communication between the two peoples over…

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said he was at Yemen’s Sanaa airport when it was hit by Israeli air strikes. “As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport came under aerial bombardment. One of our plane’s crew members was injured,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X. “At least two people were reported killed at the airport.” “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” he said, adding that the mission needs to wait for the…

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) urged the US media on Thursday to condemn Israel’s latest killings and attacks on journalists in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. “By remaining silent as their Palestinian colleagues are killed, kidnapped and attacked, American media professionals give tacit approval to the far-right Israeli government to continue its campaign of censorship targeting all those who expose its ongoing genocide,” CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said in a statement. His remarks came after five journalists from the Al-Quds Today channel were killed Thursday when an Israeli airstrike struck their broadcasting van near the…

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday claimed that his outgoing US counterpart Joe Biden proposed postponing Ukraine’s NATO accession in 2021. “I know that the current President Biden spoke about this, it is no secret, back in 2021. He proposed exactly this to me – to delay Ukraine’s admission to NATO for 10-15 years, because it is not ready yet,” Putin told reporters in a press briefing in St. Petersburg. Expressing that he agreed with Biden’s assessment about Ukraine not being ready, Putin said: “But you will prepare it and accept it.” “From the historical point of view … it…

Türkiye’s Ambassador to Khartoum emphasized the vital contributions of Turkish institutions in Sudan and reaffirmed Türkiye’s solidarity with the Sudanese people amid difficult conditions. “Despite these challenging and exceptional circumstances, we are making every effort to convey the message that Türkiye stands alongside Sudan with all its institutions,” Fatih Yıldız told Anadolu Agency (AA). The official reflected on the bilateral relationships and the ongoing activities of the Turkish Embassy in the country. Highlighting the deep historical ties between the peoples of the two countries, he remarked: “Port Sudan is currently the de facto administrative center of the country.” “Our primary…

In 2024, marking the seventh anniversary of the Zero Waste Project, Türkiye’s environmental landscape saw significant strides in climate action, waste management and pollution control. Key topics included the preparation of the Climate Law, the unveiling of the climate road map, the National Strategy for Combating Desertification, and efforts to address pollution in Izmir Bay. In a major milestone, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum presented Türkiye’s climate road map during the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 11-22. The road map outlined ambitious targets, including increasing the share of renewable energy in…