Author: Turkiye Scoop
Palestinians require a political path towards peace with Israel, even if a two-state solution to the conflict appears far off, U.S. President Joe Biden said Friday as he met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. On his first visit to the Palestinian territories as president, Biden also reaffirmed a “full” U.S. effort towards accountability over the killing of Palestinian-American Al-Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. Biden, who has repeatedly emphasized his support for Palestinian statehood since landing in the region on Wednesday, acknowledged that “the goal of the two states seems so far away,” with the peace process moribund since 2014. “There must be…
United Nations human rights experts have urged Israel to release Ahmad Manasra, a 20-year-old Palestinian who was imprisoned at the age of 14 and is currently suffering from serious mental health problems, citing his deteriorating mental health. “Ahmad’s imprisonment for almost six years has deprived him of childhood, family environment, protection, and all the rights he should have been guaranteed as a child,” the experts said in a statement. “This case is haunting in many respects and his continuous detention, despite his deteriorating mental conditions, is a stain on all of us as part of the international human rights community.”…
Civilians living in northwestern Syria are continuing to suffer at the hands of the Bashar Assad regime as well as terrorist organizations. The White Helmets Syrian civil defense group on Thursday announced that “regime forces and Russia bombed the periphery of an IDP camp in Deir Samman village and the outskirts of Alqatura village with artillery shelling in the western countryside of Aleppo.” It said that teams were at the scene of the bombing, and no casualties were recorded. A day earlier, the group had stated that one civilian was injured by artillery shelling fired from areas controlled by the…
An inquiry by the French Senate into crowd chaos at this year’s Champions League final in Paris concluded that organizers were to blame, not supporters, undermining claims by the police and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. A fact-finding mission led by two senators was set up after the Liverpool-Real Madrid game on May 28 which was marred by a delayed kick-off, crushes, teargas and street crime. The investigation concluded that the problems were caused by a “string of dysfunctions” including a lack of preparation by French authorities and European football body UEFA, as well as poorly executed security arrangements. “These dysfunctions…
U.S. tennis superstar Serena Williams is set to continue her comeback at the Canadian Open WTA event in Toronto next month, organizers confirmed on Thursday. The former world No. 1, who played her first singles match in a year during a first-round defeat at Wimbledon last month, was named in a star-studded field for the Aug. 6-14 tournament. Williams, who is using her protected ranking to enter the main draw, joins a field that includes 41 of the top 43-ranked players in the world, including two-time French Open champion and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Williams was beaten in three…
Russia and Belarus athletes may not be allowed to compete at the Paris 2024 Games over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Craig Reedie has said. The IOC issued guidance to sports governing bodies in February to remove the two countries’ athletes from competition. Belarus has been used as a staging ground for Russia’s invasion, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.” “A decision is going to have to be taken on what happens to each of these two countries, and my guess is that the general feeling would be that they should not qualify,” former IOC Vice President…
Recently-crowned Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic said on Monday it is unlikely he will feature in this year’s U.S. Open as he continues to refuse to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. As things stand, the 35-year-old’s unvaccinated status means he will not be allowed into the United States to play in the tournament, which starts next month. The Serb was deported from Australia over his vaccination status in January, preventing him from defending his Australian Open title. “At the moment I can’t go to the United States, I’m hoping for positive news, but there’s not a lot of time, I don’t know, hope…
One of the top five leaders of the Daesh terrorist group in northwestern Syria has been killed in a United States military airstrike, the U.S. military said Tuesday. In a statement, U.S. Central Command said Maher al-Agal had been killed in the drone strike in northwest Syria and a close associate of his was seriously injured. “Extensive planning went into this operation to ensure its successful execution. An initial review indicates there were no civilian casualties,” the statement added. It said al-Agal was responsible for developing Daesh networks outside of Iraq and Syria. Reuters had earlier reported on the killing,…
The Russian Tennis Federation was quick to claim Elena Rybakina as “our product” on her run to the women’s title at Wimbledon. They then praised her training program in the country after she won the Venus Rosewater Dish as Wimbledon champion while representing Kazakhstan. “It’s the Russian school, after all. She played here with us for a long time, and then in Kazakhstan,” Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev told sports website Championat on Saturday after Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Centre Court. The 23-year-old Rybakina was born in Moscow and played in the Russian system until 2018, when…
Charles Leclerc revived his Formula One title challenge by holding on to win the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday for a third victory of the season, while his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz’s hopes of a second-place finish ended when his engine blew as he was about to attack Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. Leclerc was clearly stressed in the closing laps as his throttle was not working properly, making it more difficult to control his speed into turns. “Yes. Come on!” Leclerc screamed on team radio after crossing the line. “I was scared. I was really scared. Yessss!” The Monaco driver…