Author: Anadolu Agency

Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a phone conversation with Iraq’s top diplomat Fuad Hussein over the recent situation in Syria, the Turkish Foreign Ministry sources noted on Sunday. The two ministers discussed the developments in Syria, the sources said. The fighting erupted on Nov. 27 between Assad regime forces and anti-regime armed groups in the western countryside of the Aleppo province in northern Syria. Since last week, the anti-regime armed groups have made rapid progress from the western countryside toward the city center, capturing much of it by Saturday. The armed groups took control of the town of Khan…

The death toll from continued sectarian clashes in northwestern Pakistan jumped to 130 over the past 11 days as another six people were killed on Sunday. Some 186 people have also been injured in armed clashes that broke out late last month in the restive Kurram tribal district near Afghanistan. Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsud told reporters that a cease-fire agreement has been enforced in the lower part of Kurram, whereas efforts are underway to persuade the warring Shia and Sunni tribes to follow suit in other parts of the district. Shia and Sunni tribes have long been locked in disputes…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday, stressed that Türkiye opposes developments that would increase instability in the region and will never allow terrorist activities targeting Syrian civilians. According to information obtained from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Fidan and Blinken discussed the recent developments in Syria during their phone conversation. Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s stance against any action that could escalate instability in the region and underscored the importance of reducing tensions in Syria. He emphasized that achieving peace and stability in Syria requires concluding the political process between the…

At least 19 people, including three children, were killed in Israeli attacks across the war-torn Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to medics. A medical source told Anadolu that four Palestinians were killed in Israeli shelling targeting a group of civilians in the Shaboura refugee camp in the southern city of Rafah. Two children lost their lives and several people were injured when an Israeli helicopter hit a tent sheltering displaced families in Al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, the same source said. Four more people, including a child, were killed and five others injured in an airstrike in Jouret Allout in the…

Palestinians have denounced a decision by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to confiscate loudspeakers from mosques in Arab towns within Israel. The extremist minister boasted Saturday about confiscating mosque loudspeakers, claiming they are a “source of disturbance.” In a statement on Sunday, the Palestinian National Council, the Palestinians’ top decision-making body, decried the decision as a “crime” against mosques. This is “a blatant assault on holy sites and religious practices, which are guaranteed by international and humanitarian laws, and a flagrant attempt to entrench racism,” it said. “These practices represent an act of bullying against the true owners…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan Sunday discussed the latest developments in Syria with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. According to sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the two ministers discussed Syria during their phone conversation. The talks come as the Syrian National Army Sunday gained full control over the central district of Tel Rifaat in its Operation Freedom Dawn, launched against the PKK/YPG terror group in Syria. The army also liberated Hirbil village to the east of the district and is progressing in other areas on the periphery. Located 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the…

The Syrian National Army (SNA) captured 33 Syrian regime soldiers during the Operation Dawn of Freedom. A post shared on the operation’s social media account confirmed the capture of the regime soldiers. The video shared announced that 33 regime soldiers were taken as prisoners along the Aleppo-Raqqa highway during the operation. – Operation Dawn of Freedom The operation began after opposition armed groups launched an offensive against Aleppo on Nov. 27. In response, Syrian regime forces allied with the PKK/YPG and ceded certain areas to the terrorist group. The PKK/YPG, reinforced by additional forces from eastern Syria, began fortifying these…

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced Sunday that Israel does not intend to support any party in the ongoing conflict in Syria. During his participation in a security conference organized by the daily Israel Hayom, Sa’ar stated: “Israel is not a direct party to the military operations but is closely monitoring developments in the Syrian scene.” Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government is closely following developments in Syria and is determined to protect what he claimed as “our vital interests.” On Nov. 27, clashes erupted between Syrian armed opposition factions and forces of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in the…

The Syrian National Army (SNA) has taken control of the strategically significant Minnigh Airbase as part of “Operation Dawn of Freedom.” The operation, launched to counter the PKK/YPG’s plans to establish a terror corridor between Tel Rifat and northeastern Syria, resulted in the recapture of the airbase, located just 13 kilometers (8 miles) from Türkiye’s border. The airbase had been under the PKK/YPG control since its occupation in 2016. Previously, Russian and Iranian forces had also used the airbase as a headquarters for distributing military supplies. The PKK/YPG utilized the site to target areas liberated during the Euphrates Shield and…

Bargain hunters chasing Black Friday deals have officially launched the holiday shopping season, with spending records expected to fall, CBS News reported. According to the online coupon company RetailMeNot, the average shopper is forecasted to spend just a little over $1,000, a 14% increase from last year. “Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the two biggest shopping days of the year,” said Caila Schwartz, the salesforce director of consumer insights. “We’re seeing that Black Friday is the top digital shopping day. So no longer Cyber Monday, but Black Friday.” Retailers are adapting to evolving consumer habits by starting discounts earlier,…