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Turkey to Close Restaurants at 10 pm to Contain Coronavirus

Men wearing protective face masks pose for a selfie with the Blue Mosque as they travel in a ferry, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, in Istanbul, Turkey October 19, 2020. (Reuters)
Men wearing protective face masks pose for a selfie with the Blue Mosque as they travel in a ferry, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, in Istanbul, Turkey October 19, 2020. (Reuters)
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Turkey to Close Restaurants at 10 pm to Contain Coronavirus

Men wearing protective face masks pose for a selfie with the Blue Mosque as they travel in a ferry, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, in Istanbul, Turkey October 19, 2020. (Reuters)
Men wearing protective face masks pose for a selfie with the Blue Mosque as they travel in a ferry, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus, in Istanbul, Turkey October 19, 2020. (Reuters)

Turkey will close all businesses including restaurants, pools, hairdressers, wedding venues, cinemas and concert halls at 10 pm daily as part of measures against the coronavirus pandemic, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday.

Daily coronavirus cases in Turkey have recently spiked, with 2,302 patients identified on Monday.

Erdogan was speaking after a cabinet meeting.

Turkey imposed weekend lockdowns, restricted intercity travel and closed restaurants and cafes earlier this year to slow the spread of the virus.

Almost all restrictions were lifted in June. The government has since enforced measures such as social distancing and wearing masks, and has imposed fines on those who break the rules.

Turkey’s top medical association and the main opposition party have criticized the government’s decision only to disclose the number of symptomatic patients.

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Putin Proposes Direct Peace Talks with Ukraine after 3 Years of War

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to make a statement to the media at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 11 May 2025. EPA/GAVRIIL GRIGOROV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to make a statement to the media at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 11 May 2025. EPA/GAVRIIL GRIGOROV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL
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Putin Proposes Direct Peace Talks with Ukraine after 3 Years of War

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to make a statement to the media at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 11 May 2025. EPA/GAVRIIL GRIGOROV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to make a statement to the media at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 11 May 2025. EPA/GAVRIIL GRIGOROV / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Türkiye that he said should be aimed at bringing a durable peace, an initiative welcomed by US President Donald Trump.

Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, unleashing a war that has left hundreds of thousands of soldiers dead and triggering the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
The Russian leader, who has offered few concessions towards ending the conflict so far, said the talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul will be aimed at eliminating the root causes of the war and restoring a "long-term, lasting peace" rather than simply a pause for rearmament.
"We are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions," Putin said from the Kremlin in the early hours of Sunday, according to Reuters. "We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul." Putin said that he would speak to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later on Sunday about facilitating the talks, which he said could lead to a ceasefire.
"Our proposal, as they say, is on the table. The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples."
In a message on the social network Truth Social, Trump hailed Putin's proposal as a positive for ending the war.
"A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!" Trump said. "Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end."
Putin's proposal for direct talks with Ukraine came hours after major European powers demanded on Saturday in Kyiv that Putin agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face "massive" new sanctions.
Putin dismissed what he said was the attempt by some European powers to lay down "ultimatums".
Russia, Putin said, had proposed several ceasefires, including a moratorium on striking energy facilities, an Easter ceasefire and most recently the 72-hour truce during the celebrations marking 80 years since victory in World War Two.
Both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating the temporary truce proposals, including the May 8-10 ceasefire.
Despite Putin's call for peace talks, Russia on Sunday launched a drone attack on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, injuring one person in the region surrounding the Ukrainian capital and damaging several private homes, Ukrainian officials said.
Putin said that he does not rule out that during his proposed talks in Türkiye both sides will agree on "some new truces, a new ceasefire," but one that would be the first step towards a "sustainable" peace.