Israel Prepares to Receive 50,000 Immigrants, Jews from Russia, Ukraine

Ukrainian refugees show their documents before they board a flight at Iasi International Airport in Romania, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, en route to Israel, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
Ukrainian refugees show their documents before they board a flight at Iasi International Airport in Romania, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, en route to Israel, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
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Israel Prepares to Receive 50,000 Immigrants, Jews from Russia, Ukraine

Ukrainian refugees show their documents before they board a flight at Iasi International Airport in Romania, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, en route to Israel, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)
Ukrainian refugees show their documents before they board a flight at Iasi International Airport in Romania, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, en route to Israel, March 8, 2022. (Reuters)

The Jewish Agency for Israel announced on Monday that it expects the arrival of at least 50,000 new Jewish immigrants from Russia and Ukraine in the next six months.

The figures were announced in an emergency research at the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, which detailed the Agency’s plans to set up posts along Russia's borders to assist Russian refugees who are interested in immigrating to Israel.

According to the Agency, as many as 6,000 immigrants are expected to arrive in Israel from Russia in each of the next six months. It expected half that amount to arrive from Ukraine.

Israel's Minister of Aliyah and Integration Pnina Tamano Shata said the government approved on Sunday a special budget of 90 million shekels ($25 million) to finance the absorption of these immigrants.

Jewish Agency Chairman Doron Almog announced plans to set up a special “aliyah express” track for new Russian arrivals that will allow them to board flights to Israel before completing all the necessary paperwork, so long as they are able to provide basic proof that they are eligible to immigrate under the Law of Return.

According to the law, any individual with at least one Jewish grandfather is eligible for “aliyah”, or Jewish immigration to Israel, and automatic Israeli citizenship.

A similar “aliyah express” track was created in March when a massive influx of immigrants from war-torn Ukraine was anticipated.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, a total of 13,172 Ukrainians and 24,707 Russians have immigrated to Israel, according to Jewish Agency figures.

Another 35,000 Russians and nearly 27,000 Ukrainians are currently residing in Israel – they are either waiting out the war as tourists or are in the process of immigrating, figures show.

After the war broke out, the Jewish Agency set up stations near Ukraine’s borders with Poland, Moldova, Romania and Hungary to assist refugees interested in immigrating to Israel.

Almog told the committee that similar stations are about to be set up on Russia's borders with Finland and Azerbaijan in order to help Russian refugees.

He said the Agency had allocated half a billion shekels for this wave of immigrants from Ukraine and Russia.

Of this sum, 200 million shekels had already been spent on bringing Ukrainian refugees to Israel, and another 300 million shekels would be required for the expected influx of Russians.

Almog said he expected the Israeli government to provide some of the required funding.



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.

 

 

 

 

 


Vermont Man Charged with Attempted Murder in Shooting of Students of Palestinian Descent 

A vigil is held on the grounds of Brown University, after three students of Palestinian descent were shot and wounded in Vermont, at the school's main green in Providence, Rhode Island, US, November 27, 2023. (Reuters)
A vigil is held on the grounds of Brown University, after three students of Palestinian descent were shot and wounded in Vermont, at the school's main green in Providence, Rhode Island, US, November 27, 2023. (Reuters)
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Vermont Man Charged with Attempted Murder in Shooting of Students of Palestinian Descent 

A vigil is held on the grounds of Brown University, after three students of Palestinian descent were shot and wounded in Vermont, at the school's main green in Providence, Rhode Island, US, November 27, 2023. (Reuters)
A vigil is held on the grounds of Brown University, after three students of Palestinian descent were shot and wounded in Vermont, at the school's main green in Providence, Rhode Island, US, November 27, 2023. (Reuters)

The man accused of shooting and wounding three college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington, Vermont, over the weekend pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges on Monday and was ordered by a judge to remain held without bond.

Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arraigned in Chittenden County Criminal Court in Burlington, appearing via a video feed from the county jail where he has been detained since his arrest on Sunday, the day after the attack.

Police have said investigators were treating Saturday evening's gun violence in the heart of Vermont's largest city as a suspected hate-motivated crime.

Two of the three men who were shot recounted they were wearing black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, and one said they were conversing in a mix of English and Arabic when the gunman confronted them, according to charging documents filed in court.

The three friends - identified in court documents as Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid, all aged 20 - remained under medical care on Monday with gunshot wounds to the spine, chest and buttocks, respectively, authorities said.

The victims told police they were shot while strolling near the University of Vermont, about a block from the house of Awartani's grandmother, following an afternoon at a bowling alley, according to a police affidavit filed in support of the charges.

All three men are undergraduate students at colleges in other cities but were staying with Awartani and his relatives in Burlington for the Thanksgiving holiday.

According to police, Easton approached the three men right outside his apartment, drew his pistol and wordlessly opened fire from a few steps away, then vanished from the scene. Investigators said he fired four shots in all.

‘I've been waiting for you’

The shooting sparked an intense manhunt by local, state and federal law enforcement, including the FBI and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Eaton was taken into custody the following day after an ATF agent knocked on his door while canvassing the neighborhood and was greeted by the suspect, who held his hands out with palms upturned and said to the officer, "I've been waiting for you," according to the police affidavit.

A search of the apartment later turned up a handgun, ammunition matching the rounds found at the crime scene, a .22-caliber rifle and two shotguns, police said.

He was charged with three counts of attempted second-degree murder, a felony punishable by a prison sentence of 20 years to life if convicted.

"Although we do not yet have evidence to support a hate crime enhancement, I do want to be clear that there is no question that this was a hateful act," said Sarah Fair George, state's attorney for Chittenden County, during a briefing on Monday.

The shooting came amid a surge in anti-Islamic, anti-Arab and antisemitic incidents and threats reported around the United States since a bloody conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas erupted on Oct. 7.

"In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime," Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said in a statement on Sunday.

Dressed in an orange jumpsuit at his three-minute arraignment, Eaton responded "yes, sir" when asked by the judge if he understood the charges against him.

Police said the suspect had legally acquired the gun used in the shooting a few months ago.

The US Department of Justice is assisting local authorities in the investigation, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Monday.

"No person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of lethal violence," Garland said ahead of a separate meeting at the department's Southern District of New York office.

The White House said President Joe Biden was horrified by the shooting. "There is absolutely, absolutely no place for violence or hate in America," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a news briefing.

According to the victims' families, Awartani is a student at Brown University in Rhode Island, Abdalhamid is enrolled at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, and Aliahmad attends Trinity College in Connecticut.

Police said all three are of Palestinian descent - two of them US citizens and the third a legal US resident.

They are graduates of the Ramallah Friends School, a private Quaker secondary school in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the families said.


Elon Musk, Israel Agree for Use of Starlink in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with businessman Elon Musk during their visit to Kfar Aza kibbutz (dpa)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with businessman Elon Musk during their visit to Kfar Aza kibbutz (dpa)
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Elon Musk, Israel Agree for Use of Starlink in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with businessman Elon Musk during their visit to Kfar Aza kibbutz (dpa)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with businessman Elon Musk during their visit to Kfar Aza kibbutz (dpa)

Israel and Tycoon Elon Musk had agreed in principle that SpaceX's Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip."

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi issued a statement that seemed a retreat from his opposition last month to Musk's proposal to use Starlink to support communication links in the blackout-hit enclave with "internationally recognized aid organizations."

During his visit to Israel, Musk met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visited a kibbutz in southern Israel, where Hamas launched its attack on Oct. 7.

Netanyahu told Musk during an interview published on his "X" account at the end of their visit to Kfar Aza that Israel must disarm Gaza after the destruction of Hamas and "eliminate extremism" in the Palestinian territories.

Netanyahu's office released footage showing the two men walking through rubble on the kibbutz.

"We have to demilitarize Gaza after the destruction of Hamas, and we have to deradicalize Gaza ... and then we have to also rebuild Gaza," he said.

Karhi announced a preliminary agreement that Starlink would only operate in Israel and Gaza with the Israeli government's approval.

"Elon Musk, I congratulate you for reaching a principle understanding with the Ministry of Communications under my leadership," Karhi wrote.

"As a result of this significant agreement, Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip."

In statements, Musk declared his support for the campaign launched by Israel against the Hamas movement.

"Those that are intent on murder must be neutralized," Musk added.

"The propaganda must stop that is training people to be murderers in the future. And then making Gaza prosperous. And if that happens, I think it will be a good future."

Reuters indicated that Musk had a direct online discussion with Netanyahu, adding that he asserted: "I'd like to help as well," Musk said

Netanyahu hoped Musk would help, adding that his visit reveals the commitment to secure a better future.

Musk himself was assailed for his endorsement of an anti-Jewish post on Nov. 15.

Musk also watched footage assembled from Hamas bodycams, CCTV, and other sources of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in which Israel says 240 people were taken captive back to Gaza.

Early on Monday, the billionaire tweeted during his Israel visit that "actions speak louder than words."

Later, Musk met families of hostages held in Gaza with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Herzog said Musk had a huge role in the global fight against antisemitism.


Berlin Welcomes Release of Gaza Hostages, Including Two Germans

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock looks on at a joint news conference with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis (not pictured) in Vilnius, Lithuania April 22, 2022. (Reuters)
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock looks on at a joint news conference with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis (not pictured) in Vilnius, Lithuania April 22, 2022. (Reuters)
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Berlin Welcomes Release of Gaza Hostages, Including Two Germans

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock looks on at a joint news conference with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis (not pictured) in Vilnius, Lithuania April 22, 2022. (Reuters)
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock looks on at a joint news conference with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis (not pictured) in Vilnius, Lithuania April 22, 2022. (Reuters)

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed Monday the release of 11 Gaza hostages, including "two German teenagers" as part of the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas.

"After 52 days of suffering and despair, their mother can hold them in her arms again. My thoughts are with the families who are still waiting in fear. We are doing everything we can so that they too can hold them in their arms," Baerbock posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The release of the two hostages on Monday brings the total number of German passport-holders released by Hamas to 10 -- four were released on Friday and four more on Saturday, AFP reported.

Baerbock also welcomed the announcement by Hamas of a truce extension, which she said would allow "precious time for our aid to reach the people of Gaza."

"And it's a glimmer of hope so we don't lose sight of what could happen: concrete steps towards a secure future for all the people in the region."


North Korea Cites Rare Dissent in Elections Even as 99% Back Candidates 

This picture taken on November 26, 2023 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on November 27, 2023 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un voting in the election of delegates to the People's Assembly of the province (municipality) and the district, at a polling station at the Yongseong Machinery Union Enterprise in South Hamgyong Province. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on November 26, 2023 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on November 27, 2023 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un voting in the election of delegates to the People's Assembly of the province (municipality) and the district, at a polling station at the Yongseong Machinery Union Enterprise in South Hamgyong Province. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
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North Korea Cites Rare Dissent in Elections Even as 99% Back Candidates 

This picture taken on November 26, 2023 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on November 27, 2023 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un voting in the election of delegates to the People's Assembly of the province (municipality) and the district, at a polling station at the Yongseong Machinery Union Enterprise in South Hamgyong Province. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)
This picture taken on November 26, 2023 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on November 27, 2023 shows North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un voting in the election of delegates to the People's Assembly of the province (municipality) and the district, at a polling station at the Yongseong Machinery Union Enterprise in South Hamgyong Province. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

North Korea on Tuesday made a rare mention of dissenting votes in recent elections, although analysts dismissed it as an attempt to portray an image of a normal society rather than signaling any meaningful increase of rights in the authoritarian state.

The reclusive North has one of the most highly controlled societies in the world, with leader Kim Jong Un accused of using a system of patronage and repression to retain absolute power.

Reporting on the results of Sunday's election for deputies to regional people's assemblies, the North's state media said 0.09 percent and 0.13 percent voted against the selected candidates for the provincial and city councils, respectively.

"Among the voters who took part in the ballot-casting, 99.91 percent voted for the candidates for deputies to provincial people's assemblies.... (and) 99.87 percent voted for candidates for deputies to city and county people's assemblies," state news agency KCNA said.

The North's parliament and regional councils serve as a rubber stamp to the ruling Workers' Party, with their elections usually registering over 99% voter turnout.

This month's election marks the first time North Korea has referred to dissenting votes in local polls since the 1960s, an official at South Korea's unification ministry handling relations with the North said.

Held every four years, the latest regional election was also the first polls since North Korea revised its election law in August to allow multiple candidates.

"The portrayal of a more democratic society, particularly in comparison to South Korea and the US, is aimed at reinforcing the regime's legitimacy and authenticity on the world stage," think tank, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said in a report.

A photo released by state media showed Kim Jong Un casting a ballot, standing before two boxes - one in green for approval, and the other in red for dissent.

"Discreet voting will likely remain limited as the boxes will continue to be conspicuously monitored," the report said, adding that the candidate selection process will remain tightly controlled by Pyongyang.

The voter turnout slightly decreased to 99.63% from 99.98% four years ago, a sign analysts say that could indicate a minor weakening in state control in a country where voting is considered mandatory.


Israel’s Finance Minister Defends Settlement Funds in Budget Row 

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023. (Reuters)
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023. (Reuters)
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Israel’s Finance Minister Defends Settlement Funds in Budget Row 

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023. (Reuters)
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023. (Reuters)

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hit back at critics of the government's proposed war time budget on Monday, ahead of a vote that has already created a rift between centrist and far right members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet.

On Sunday, centrist Minister Benny Gantz demanded that Netanyahu remove all political payouts from the new budget, saying they will harm the war effort. Those include so-called "coalition funds" intended for settlements in the occupied West Bank and for the ultra-Orthodox Jewish education system.

Smotrich said the funds going there, about 4.9 billion shekels ($1.3 billion) according to the proposal and down from a prior 5.8 billion, were being mislabeled and that they would amount to less than 1% of the budget. He called the criticism a deceitful campaign spearheaded by hostile media.

The row over devoting funds to settlements comes at a sensitive moment for Israel as it seeks to mobilize international support for the war in Gaza.

There has been deep unease, even among countries friendly to Israel including the United States, about the continual expansion of Jewish settlements into land the Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state.

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, said that he was "appalled" at the funds.

"This is not self-defense and will not make Israel safer. The settlements are grave IHL (international humanitarian law) breach, and they are Israel’s greatest security liability," he said on X.

The pro-settlement Smotrich said those funds had been cut back and urged Gantz's party members to "come to their senses" and vote for the budget, even as the allocated funds drew ire abroad and anger from the Palestinians.

A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said more money going to the settlements in the occupied West Bank, as Israel wages war against Hamas in Gaza, would have dangerous repercussions.

Gantz on Sunday said that should the government meeting take place and the budget remain as is, his faction would "vote against the proposed budget and weigh its next steps".

The former defense chief, who has emerged as Netanyahu's primary political rival, left the opposition to join him in a small-forum war cabinet shortly after Hamas' Oct. 7 killing spree through southern Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.

Under the coalition agreement Netanyahu struck with Smotrich and the heads of other religious and far-right parties after last year's election, billions of dollars are due to be set aside for ultra-Orthodox and far-right-wing pro-settler parties.

Israel's central bank and hundreds of economists have also called on the government to scrap funds not vital to financing the war.


Türkiye Detains 98 Over Alleged Kurdish Militant Links 

New Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stands during a press conference where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the new cabinet, in Ankara, Türkiye June 3, 2023. (Reuters)
New Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stands during a press conference where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the new cabinet, in Ankara, Türkiye June 3, 2023. (Reuters)
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Türkiye Detains 98 Over Alleged Kurdish Militant Links 

New Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stands during a press conference where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the new cabinet, in Ankara, Türkiye June 3, 2023. (Reuters)
New Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stands during a press conference where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the new cabinet, in Ankara, Türkiye June 3, 2023. (Reuters)

Turkish police on Monday detained 98 suspects over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, most of them on a charge of spreading PKK propaganda on social media, the interior ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said the suspects were detained in simultaneous operations across 18 provinces, with most of the detentions being in southeastern regions.

The PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the European Union, United States, and Türkiye, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

Ankara frequently carries out cross-border airstrikes and operations against the PKK, which has bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. It also regularly conducts operations against people linked to it domestically.

In recent weeks, Türkiye has intensified attacks on Kurdish militants in Syria and Iraq, as well as against its members in the country, after militants detonated a bomb near government buildings in Ankara on Oct. 1.

Separately, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social messaging platform X that authorities had destroyed 63 shelters, caves, and storage units used by PKK militants in six provinces.

"The shelters that the terrorist organization prepared to be used for logistical purposes and to carry out acts in the winter months have been identified and destroyed one by one," Yerlikaya said, adding several weapons, ammunition, and equipment had been seized in the raids.


North Korea Restores Border Guard Posts Amid Rising Tensions Over its Satellite Launch 

People watch a TV monitor displaying daily news at a station in Seoul, South Korea, 27 November 2023. (EPA)
People watch a TV monitor displaying daily news at a station in Seoul, South Korea, 27 November 2023. (EPA)
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North Korea Restores Border Guard Posts Amid Rising Tensions Over its Satellite Launch 

People watch a TV monitor displaying daily news at a station in Seoul, South Korea, 27 November 2023. (EPA)
People watch a TV monitor displaying daily news at a station in Seoul, South Korea, 27 November 2023. (EPA)

South Korea said Monday North Korea is restoring frontline guard posts that it had dismantled during a previous period of inter-Korean rapprochement, deepening tensions that spiked over the North's recent spy satellite launch.

The two Koreas each earlier dismantled or disarmed 11 of their guard posts inside their heavily fortified border under a 2018 deal meant to ease frontline military confrontations. But the deal is now in danger of being scraped, as both Koreas openly threaten to breach it amid rising animosities over the North’s satellite launch.

After North Korea claimed to place its first military spy satellite into orbit last Tuesday, South Korea said it would partially suspend the deal and resume front aerial surveillance in response. South Korea called its step “a minimum defensive measure” to respond to the launch that it says involved the North’s intentions of improving its missile technology as well as establishing a space-based surveillance system.

North Korea immediately slammed South Korea’s decision, saying it would deploy powerful weapons at the border in a tit-for-tat measure. The North said it also won’t abide by the 2018 deal any longer.

In a background briefing for local journalists Monday, South Korea’s military said it detected North Korea building guard posts and trenches at border sites where its dismantled guard posts once stood. The military said it found North Korea deployed troops and heavy weapons there.

The contents of the briefing were shared with foreign media including The Associated Press.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry also distributed to the media four photos that it said showed related activities on the northern side of the border, with North Korean soldiers building a guard post and moving a suspected recoilless rifle to a newly built trench.

After being briefed on the North Korean move, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the military to keep a close watch on the North and maintain a firm readiness, according to Yoon’s office.

South Korea, the United States and others strongly condemned the North's satellite launch which they viewed as a provocation that threatened regional peace. UN Security Council resolutions ban any satellite launches by North Korea because the world body regards them as covers for testing its long-range missile technology. North Korea says it has sovereign rights to launch spy satellites to cope with what it calls escalating US-led military threats.

On Monday, Kim Son Gyong, a senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official, called the US and others’ condemnation of the satellite launch “such brigandish idea” and “a typical expression of the most hideous and brazen-faced violation of sovereignty that denies the justification of the existence” of North Korea.

South Korean officials said they confirmed the North Korean satellite entered orbit. But they said they need more time to verify whether the satellite is functioning normally.

South Korea suspects Russian technological assistance likely enabled North Korea to send the spy satellite into space. South Korean, US and Japanese officials accused North Korea of seeking high-tech Russian technologies to enhance its military programs in return for shipping conventional arms to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Both Russia and North Korea denied their alleged weapons transfer deal.