Ukraine’s Donbas ‘Destroyed’ as Russian Artillery and Aircraft Step up Strikes

A woman stands at the entrance to a makeshift shelter in a kindergarten basement in Lysychansk Yasuyoshi CHIBA AFP
A woman stands at the entrance to a makeshift shelter in a kindergarten basement in Lysychansk Yasuyoshi CHIBA AFP
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Ukraine’s Donbas ‘Destroyed’ as Russian Artillery and Aircraft Step up Strikes

A woman stands at the entrance to a makeshift shelter in a kindergarten basement in Lysychansk Yasuyoshi CHIBA AFP
A woman stands at the entrance to a makeshift shelter in a kindergarten basement in Lysychansk Yasuyoshi CHIBA AFP

Russian forces have bombarded areas of Ukraine's eastern Donbas from land and air, killing at least 13 civilians, Ukraine's military said on Friday, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the assaults had turned the region into "hell".

As the war neared the three-month mark, the Russians were intensifying their efforts to subdue the Donbas region, the Ukrainian general staff said.

They had hit civilian infrastructure with "massive" artillery shelling, including multiple rocket-launchers, the general staff said in a statement. Russian aircraft had also struck at targets.

Russian shelling in the Luhansk area of Donbas killed 13 civilians over the past 24 hours, regional governor Serhiy Gaidai said. Twelve of those deaths were in the town of Sievierodonesk but a Russian assault there had been unsuccessful, he said.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports and Russia denies targeting civilians.

"The Donbas is completely destroyed," President Zelenskiy said in an address on Thursday night. "It is hell there - and that is not an exaggeration."

There were also constant strikes on the Odesa region in the south, he said.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports and Russia denies targeting civilians.

Russia's focus on Donbas follows its failure to capture the capital Kyiv in the early stages of the invasion launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 24.

Thousands of people - many of them civilians - have been killed and whole towns and cities razed in the gravest crisis in Europe in decades.

Almost a third of the Ukraine's people have fled their homes, including more than 6 million who have left the country in a refugee exodus, while others remain trapped in cities pulverized by Russian bombardments.

British military intelligence said on Friday that Russia is likely to further reinforce its operations in Donbas once it finally secures the southern port city of Mariupol - scene of a weeks-long siege and Russia's most significant success in an otherwise faltering campaign.

The region, an industrial powerhouse, compromises the Donetsk and Luhansk areas, which Moscow claims on behalf of separatists.

Putin calls the invasion of Ukraine a "special military operation" to rid the country of fascists - an assertion Kyiv and its Western allies say is a baseless pretext for an unprovoked war.

The Kremlin leader was due to hold a security council meeting later on Friday.

Western support
Western powers, who have strongly condemned Russia's actions and sought to isolate Moscow with an array of sanctions, were stepping up their support for Ukraine.

The Group of Seven rich nations on Thursday agreed to provide Ukraine with $18.4 billion to make up for lost revenues as the war wrecks its economy.

The US Senate approved nearly $40 billion in new aid for Ukraine, by far the largest US aid package to date.

The White House is also working to put advanced anti-ship missiles in the hands of Ukrainian fighters to help defeat Russia's naval blockade, which has largely stopped Ukraine's exports of food.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of using food as a weapon by holding "hostage" supplies for not just Ukrainians, but also millions around the world. The war has caused global prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer to soar.

The EU said it is looking into ways of using the frozen assets of Russian oligarchs to fund the reconstruction of Ukraine, while the United States has not ruled out possibly placing sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil.

Hold out
The past week has seen Russia secure its biggest victory since the invasion began, with the Kyiv government ordering the defenders of a steelworks in Mariupol to stand down after a protracted siege.

British military intelligence said as many as 1,700 soldiers were likely to have surrendered at the Azovstal steel factory, matching a similar number released on Thursday by Moscow.

Ukrainian officials, who have tried to arrange a prisoner swap, have declined to comment on the number, saying it could endanger rescue efforts.

Late on Thursday, Sviatoslav Palamar, deputy head of the Azov Regiment defending the steelworks, released an 18-second video in which he said he and other commanders were still inside the plant.

"A certain operation is going on, the details of which I will not disclose," he said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had registered hundreds of prisoners from Azovstal now held by Russia, but it has not given a precise number.

The leader of Russian-backed separatists in control of the area said nearly half of the fighters remained inside the steelworks.

The wounded were given medical treatment while those who were fit were taken to a penal colony and were being treated well, he said.



Long Wait for Freedom: Afghan Refugees in Limbo in Pakistan

Afghan refugee children sit outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Azakhel Voluntary Repatriation Centre in Nowshera. FAROOQ NAEEM / AFP
Afghan refugee children sit outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Azakhel Voluntary Repatriation Centre in Nowshera. FAROOQ NAEEM / AFP
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Long Wait for Freedom: Afghan Refugees in Limbo in Pakistan

Afghan refugee children sit outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Azakhel Voluntary Repatriation Centre in Nowshera. FAROOQ NAEEM / AFP
Afghan refugee children sit outside the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Azakhel Voluntary Repatriation Centre in Nowshera. FAROOQ NAEEM / AFP

Abdullah was a well-known public figure in Afghanistan, a journalist and university lecturer respected by his readers and students.
In Pakistan, however, he is laying low -- worried about being caught in a deportation dragnet and after two years still waiting to be evacuated to the West, AFP said.
He fled Afghanistan when the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 on the advice of US officials and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), fearing retribution from the new authorities who, as a militant group, had a history of targeting journalists.
The 30-year-old crossed into Pakistan along with an estimated 600,000 other Afghans, with tens of thousands promised asylum in third countries.
But more than 345,000 Afghans have returned to their country or been deported since Pakistan in October ordered undocumented migrants or those who have overstayed their visas to leave.
"For fear of the police, I haven't left this room for 15 days," said Abdullah, using a pseudonym for security reasons.
"If I could have led a normal life in Kabul, I would have become a street vendor or shopkeeper. I would have preferred that to my current situation."
Rights groups have said many Afghans have been left in limbo -- their visas expired because of delays in the Pakistan registration system. Thousands are trapped in an interminable relocation process established by Western nations, which has significantly slowed.
Abdullah has a valid visa, but said armed police have twice raided his home.
"In Kabul, I was a journalist and university teacher. Here I've lost my identity," he told AFP from an apartment in Islamabad.
Since fleeing Afghanistan he has exchanged only two or three e-mails with US officials.
RSF has arranged an interview for him at the French embassy in Islamabad.
'Need to live'
Ahmed, a former British army interpreter in Afghanistan, was approved for evacuation two years ago yet remains stuck in an Islamabad hotel room paid for by the UK's diplomatic mission.
"I have been here more than 700 days," the 32-year-old said bitterly.
"I don't know the reason why the UK Government is doing injustice with me, why I have been stuck here. I need a life, I need education and I want to build my new home," said Ahmed, also using a pseudonym.
His Pakistan visa expired over a year ago, and he fears being deported to Afghanistan, even though Islamabad has pledged not to kick out people in his situation.

"When I text my caseworker, he's telling me: 'Be patient, be patient, be patient'," he told AFP.
"The worst word is 'Be patient'," said Ahmed, who is also supported by Sulha Alliance -- an association campaigning for Afghan interpreters who worked with the British army.
Many Afghan refugees, migrants and asylum seekers feel forgotten by the world, which has turned its attention to other crises, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
While Britain has welcomed 21,500 Afghans as part of its resettlement programs for former employees and people at risk, 70 percent of them arrived when Kabul was evacuated by the chaotic airlift that coincided with the Taliban takeover.
Only 175 people have been resettled in the first six months of 2023, according to the Migration Observatory, which analyzes UK Home Office statistics.
The United States has taken in 90,000 Afghans since August 2021 -- again, the majority from the evacuation of Kabul.
Precise data on Afghans in Pakistan awaiting resettlement abroad is not available, but British media have reported that more than 3,000 Afghans are in Islamabad awaiting evacuation, while the German foreign ministry said 1,500 Afghans approved for asylum are still in Pakistan or Iran.
About 20,000 people recommended for asylum by US officials, NGOs and American media outlets are waiting in Pakistan for their cases to be examined, according to Refugees International.
Despite assurances from the Pakistan government that legitimate cases will not be deported, there are exceptions.
Last month, seven members of one family waiting to be reunited with a relative in Spain were deported, according to the Spanish Commission for Aid to Refugees.
'State of uncertainty'
Women's rights advocate Afsaneh, who arrived in March 2022 when the Taliban authorities began rounding up activists, lamented the "state of uncertainty".
The 38-year-old's children were not allowed into the Pakistani school system and the visa for one of them has not been extended.
"It's near to two years... but still my case is not processed," said Afsaneh, whose name has also been changed by AFP.
"It's delayed by Pakistan and by the embassies, who are not taking serious action about those who are facing threats and risks," she said.
Afsaneh has applied to Germany, Spain and Canada for asylum, but only the latter has kept in touch.
The crackdown by Pakistan authorities does seem to have pushed some Western nations to speed up procedures.
At the end of October, Britain resumed evacuation flights that had been interrupted for several months.
"If they (the international community) want to support the Afghan people, they should prove it in action," pleads Munisa Mubariz, 33, a women's rights activist who hopes to leave for Canada soon.
"They should implement their commitment and their plan and their promises to these refugees


‘No Sense of Fatigue’ When It Comes to Support for Ukraine, Blinken Says 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a press conference following the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on Ukraine at its Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium November 29, 2023. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a press conference following the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on Ukraine at its Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium November 29, 2023. (Reuters)
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‘No Sense of Fatigue’ When It Comes to Support for Ukraine, Blinken Says 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a press conference following the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on Ukraine at its Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium November 29, 2023. (Reuters)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a press conference following the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting on Ukraine at its Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium November 29, 2023. (Reuters)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that there was "no sense of fatigue" among NATO allies when it came to helping Ukraine. 

"We must and we will continue to support Ukraine," he said after a NATO-Ukraine meeting in Brussels, adding that NATO allies were unanimous on this position and that he was also hearing continued support for Ukraine in both chambers of the US Congress. 

Kyiv has been concerned that the Israel-Hamas war could divert international attention away from its efforts to defeat Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022. 

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged the West earlier on Wednesday to ramp up arms production. 

The European Union has delivered about 300,000 of its promised 1 million artillery shells to Ukraine so far, he said. 

"We need to create a Euro-Atlantic common area of defense industries," Kuleba said before meeting the NATO foreign ministers, adding this would ensure both Ukraine's security and that of NATO countries themselves. 

Kyiv has recently engaged in a concerted drive to entice leading global arms manufacturers to set up operations in Ukraine, part of a bid to diversify its reliance on weapons and ammunition given by its allies. 

"It is important that our solidarity with Ukraine is not only demonstrated in words but also in deeds," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, urging allies to do more. "These are concrete actions, we need more of them and we need sustained and stepped up support." 

Russia has amassed a large missile stockpile ahead of winter, Stoltenberg warned. 

Russia "is now weaker militarily, politically and economically," he said. "At the same time we must not underestimate Russia," he added, stressing that Russia had been making new attempts to strike Ukraine's power grid and energy infrastructure, "trying to leave Ukraine in the dark and cold." 


Russia Says It Has Taken Control of Village on Outskirts of Ukraine’s Bakhmut 

Ukrainian servicemen check their Sweden made CV90 armored infantry combat vehicle on a position pointing in the direction of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region on November 27, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
Ukrainian servicemen check their Sweden made CV90 armored infantry combat vehicle on a position pointing in the direction of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region on November 27, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
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Russia Says It Has Taken Control of Village on Outskirts of Ukraine’s Bakhmut 

Ukrainian servicemen check their Sweden made CV90 armored infantry combat vehicle on a position pointing in the direction of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region on November 27, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)
Ukrainian servicemen check their Sweden made CV90 armored infantry combat vehicle on a position pointing in the direction of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region on November 27, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Russia's defense ministry said on Wednesday its forces had taken control of a village in eastern Ukraine's war-torn Donetsk region.

Khromove, which Russia calls Artyomovskoe, is on the western outskirts of Bakhmut, a city which Russia captured last summer after a months-long battle. The village had a pre-war population of 1,000 people.

Reuters could not independently verify the defense ministry's assertion and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.


Türkiye's Erdogan Welcomes Gaza Pause as Temporary ‘Stop of Bloodshed’ 

Palestinians cook among the houses destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, amid the temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, at Khan Younis refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, November 29, 2023. (Reuters)
Palestinians cook among the houses destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, amid the temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, at Khan Younis refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, November 29, 2023. (Reuters)
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Türkiye's Erdogan Welcomes Gaza Pause as Temporary ‘Stop of Bloodshed’ 

Palestinians cook among the houses destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, amid the temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, at Khan Younis refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, November 29, 2023. (Reuters)
Palestinians cook among the houses destroyed in Israeli strikes during the conflict, amid the temporary truce between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, at Khan Younis refugee camp, in the southern Gaza Strip, November 29, 2023. (Reuters)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday welcomed a pause in the Gaza war and the exchange of hostages and prisoners between Israel and militant group Hamas as a temporary "stop of bloodshed" in the enclave. 

Türkiye, which supports a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict, has strongly criticized Israel for its ground and air assault on Gaza, launched in retaliation for Hamas' rampage last month in which some 1,200 people were killed and 240 others taken hostage. 

More than 15,000 people, mostly women and children, have so far been killed in the Israeli campaign, health officials in the enclave say. 

"We view the hostage exchanges, the humanitarian pause as a positive development in terms of a stop of bloodshed," Erdogan said. 

Speaking to lawmakers in parliament, Erdogan slammed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's retaliatory assault, adding the Israeli premier would be remembered as the "butcher of Gaza". 

"The statements coming from the Netanyahu government are lessening our hopes that the humanitarian pause can be turned into a lasting ceasefire," Erdogan added, without elaborating, while repeating his view that a genocide was taking place in Gaza. 

He said he would discuss the situation in Gaza during a visit to Dubai later this week, adding Ankara would ramp up diplomatic efforts for a full ceasefire and hostage exchanges in coming days. 

Unlike most of its Western allies and some Gulf states, NATO member Türkiye does not view Hamas as a terrorist group. It hosts some members of the militant group, but has also not taken steps to curb trade or energy ties with Israel. No big Turkish company has moved to divert businesses either. 

Erdogan said Türkiye had "largely completed" evacuating its nationals from Gaza. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Ankara was expecting to receive 50 Gazan patients on Wednesday as part of a medical evacuation scheme which has brought more than 150 people, mostly cancer patients and their companions, for treatment. 

Koca said the 50 evacuees, most of whom are children and young people, would arrive in Ankara on Wednesday afternoon from Egypt. He added the youngest evacuee is a 7-month-old baby. 


Türkiye Freezes Assets of 82 Organizations, People for Alleged PKK Ties

A woman holds a flag of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) during a demonstration against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in central Brussels, Belgium, November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman/ File Photo
A woman holds a flag of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) during a demonstration against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in central Brussels, Belgium, November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman/ File Photo
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Türkiye Freezes Assets of 82 Organizations, People for Alleged PKK Ties

A woman holds a flag of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) during a demonstration against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in central Brussels, Belgium, November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman/ File Photo
A woman holds a flag of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) during a demonstration against Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in central Brussels, Belgium, November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman/ File Photo

Türkiye froze the local assets of 20 organizations and 62 people based in Australia, Japan and various European countries, citing alleged ties with Kurdish group PKK, a decision published in the Official Gazette showed on Wednesday.
Türkiye’s Ministry of Treasury and Finance said the decision was "based on the existence of reasonable grounds" that they committed acts falling within the scope of the law on preventing the financing of terrorism.
The list included three organizations from Germany and another three from Switzerland, both countries that are home to a large Kurdish diaspora. It also named two organizations each from Australia, Italy and Japan.
Other affected organizations were in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom and Iraq-Syria.
A spokesperson for Insamlingsstiftelsen Kurdiska Roda Solen, the one organization on the list in Sweden, said the group is a humanitarian aid organization with no operations and no assets in Türkiye.
Sweden as well as Finland requested to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in May last year following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan raised objections to both requests, citing the Nordic nations' protection of those whom Türkiye deems terrorists, as well as their defense trade embargoes. Türkiye endorsed Finland's bid in April.
From Sweden, it has demanded further steps to control local members of the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK), which the European Union and the United States consider a terrorist group.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told NATO counterparts on Tuesday he was working hard on Sweden's NATO ratification, which the Turkish parliament is debating. He provided a likely timeline of before year-end for the Nordic country to formally join the alliance, a senior State Department official said.


Ukraine Has Received 300,000 of EU’s Promised Million Shells, Says FM 

A local resident stands outside an apartment building damaged by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on November 28, 2023, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. (AFP)
A local resident stands outside an apartment building damaged by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on November 28, 2023, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. (AFP)
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Ukraine Has Received 300,000 of EU’s Promised Million Shells, Says FM 

A local resident stands outside an apartment building damaged by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on November 28, 2023, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. (AFP)
A local resident stands outside an apartment building damaged by recent shelling in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on November 28, 2023, amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. (AFP)

The European union has delivered about 300,000 of its promised million shells to Ukraine so far, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Wednesday while attending a NATO meeting in Brussels.

Speaking to reporters on the event's sidelines, Kuleba called for greater alignment of Ukraine's and NATO's defense industries to ensure Kyiv has the supplies it needs to defeat Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

"We need to create a Euro-Atlantic common area of defense industries," Kuleba said, adding this would ensure both Ukraine's security and that of NATO countries themselves.

Kyiv has for the last several months engaged in a concerted drive to entice leading global arms manufacturers to set up operations in Ukraine, part of a bid to diversify its reliance on weapons and ammunition given by its allies.

Kuleba also said he had a "productive" meeting on Tuesday with Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar.

Slovakia's newly-elected President, Robert Fico, promised to halt military aid to Ukraine, although later clarified that he would not block arms purchases from private companies.

"He reiterated that the maintenance hub for Ukrainian heavy equipment will continue to function in Slovakia. Contracts between Ukrainian and Slovak companies producing weapons will continue," Kuleba said.


Iran Finalizes Arrangements for Delivery of Russian Fighter Jets

A handout photo made available by the Iranian army office shows Iranian Navy soldiers next to Iran's new warship “Deylaman” during an inauguration ceremony at the port of Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea, Iran, 27 November 2023. (EPA/Iranian army office/Handout)
A handout photo made available by the Iranian army office shows Iranian Navy soldiers next to Iran's new warship “Deylaman” during an inauguration ceremony at the port of Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea, Iran, 27 November 2023. (EPA/Iranian army office/Handout)
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Iran Finalizes Arrangements for Delivery of Russian Fighter Jets

A handout photo made available by the Iranian army office shows Iranian Navy soldiers next to Iran's new warship “Deylaman” during an inauguration ceremony at the port of Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea, Iran, 27 November 2023. (EPA/Iranian army office/Handout)
A handout photo made available by the Iranian army office shows Iranian Navy soldiers next to Iran's new warship “Deylaman” during an inauguration ceremony at the port of Bandar Anzali on the Caspian Sea, Iran, 27 November 2023. (EPA/Iranian army office/Handout)

Iran has finalized arrangements for the delivery of Russian made Sukhoi su-35 fighter jets and helicopters, Iran's deputy defense minister told Iran's Tasnim news agency on Tuesday, as Tehran and Moscow forge closer military relations.

Iran's air force has a limited quantity of strike aircrafts, including Russian jets as well as ageing US models acquired before the 1979 revolution.

“Plans have been finalized for Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 jet trainers to join the combat units of Iran's Army,” Iran's deputy Defense Minister Mehdi Farahi said, according to Reuters.

The Tasnim report did not include any Russian confirmation of the deal.

In 2018, Iran said it had started production of the locally-designed Kowsar fighter for use in its air force. Military experts believe the jet is a carbon copy of the F-5, first produced in the United States in the 1960s.


Erdogan Tells UN’s Guterres Israel Must Be Tried in Int’l Courts over Gaza Crimes

Palestinians inspect the destruction caused by Israeli strikes in Wadi Gaza, in the central Gaza Strip on November 28, 2023, amid a truce in battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction caused by Israeli strikes in Wadi Gaza, in the central Gaza Strip on November 28, 2023, amid a truce in battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
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Erdogan Tells UN’s Guterres Israel Must Be Tried in Int’l Courts over Gaza Crimes

Palestinians inspect the destruction caused by Israeli strikes in Wadi Gaza, in the central Gaza Strip on November 28, 2023, amid a truce in battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction caused by Israeli strikes in Wadi Gaza, in the central Gaza Strip on November 28, 2023, amid a truce in battles between Israel and Hamas. (AFP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Israel must be held accountable in international courts for the war crimes it committed in Gaza, the Turkish presidency said.

In a phone call ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Gaza planned for Wednesday, Erdogan told Guterres that "Israel continues to shamelessly trample on international law, laws of war, and international humanitarian law by looking in the eyes of the international community", his office said.

Israel launched an air and ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza after the militant group carried out a deadly gun rampage in southern Israel last month, killing some 1,200 people and taking 240 others hostage. Israeli bombardment has killed more than 15,000 in Gaza, according to the enclave's health authorities.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, part of a so-called contact group of Muslim countries that has been holding talks with Western leaders over Gaza, will attend the meeting in New York on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.


China Coastguard Says it Warns off Japanese Ships in Disputed Waters

File Photo: Photo nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, northeastern Japan, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
File Photo: Photo nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, northeastern Japan, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
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China Coastguard Says it Warns off Japanese Ships in Disputed Waters

File Photo: Photo nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, northeastern Japan, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
File Photo: Photo nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, northeastern Japan, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

The Chinese coastguard said its vessels warned off Japanese ships that "illegally intruded" into waters around disputed East China Sea islets on Tuesday.

The Chinese vessels "took necessary control measures", the coastguard added, without going into details. There was no immediate comment from Japan, Reuters reported.

China urged Japan to immediately cease all "illegal activities" in the area and ensure that similar incidents do not recur, the coastguard added.

The waters around Diaoyu Islands, which Japan calls the Senkaku Islands, are disputed and claimed by both China and Japan. The two sides have faced off in the waters, deploying patrol boats and urging the other to leave the area.


Iranian President Postpones Scheduled Trip to Türkiye

In this photo released on Monday, March 20, 2023, by the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Ebrahim Raisi gives a televised new year message to the nation at the presidency office in Tehran, Iran. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
In this photo released on Monday, March 20, 2023, by the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Ebrahim Raisi gives a televised new year message to the nation at the presidency office in Tehran, Iran. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
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Iranian President Postpones Scheduled Trip to Türkiye

In this photo released on Monday, March 20, 2023, by the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Ebrahim Raisi gives a televised new year message to the nation at the presidency office in Tehran, Iran. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)
In this photo released on Monday, March 20, 2023, by the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Ebrahim Raisi gives a televised new year message to the nation at the presidency office in Tehran, Iran. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Türkiye has been postponed, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news reported on Tuesday, without elaborating on the reason.

"The trip was scheduled to take place on Wednesday but it has been postponed to another date," Tasnim said.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said earlier this month that Raisi would visit Türkiye at the end of November to hold talks on Gaza.