عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Türkiye Jails 18 More Istanbul Municipal Officials

People gather outdoors following an earthquake shock with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People gather outdoors following an earthquake shock with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
TT
TT

Türkiye Jails 18 More Istanbul Municipal Officials

People gather outdoors following an earthquake shock with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People gather outdoors following an earthquake shock with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

A Turkish court has jailed pending trial 18 employees of the Istanbul municipality on corruption charges, state-owned Anadolu and other media reported on Wednesday, amid a crackdown on the opposition and the city's jailed mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main political rival who leads him in polls, was jailed in March pending trial over corruption charges. He also faces charges of aiding a terrorist group.
The mayor has denied all charges, and his arrest triggered the largest protests in a decade, economic turmoil and accusations of a politicized judiciary. The government rejects those claims and says the judiciary is independent.
According to Reuters, Broadcaster NTV said 34 of the total 52 people who were detained at the weekend under the investigation were released with judicial restrictions.
Turkish media had reported on Saturday that authorities detained dozens of Istanbul municipality employees as part of legal probes focused around Imamoglu, expanding a crackdown on the main opposition that began late last year.
Those detained included the municipality's secretary general, Imamoglu's chief of staff, the chairman and deputy chairman of the municipality's water and sewerage administration (ISKI), as well as a department head at ISKI.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Russia Says Forces Capture Ukrainian Settlement, Strike Energy and Drone Sites

An apartment building damaged during a Russian airstrike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine November 13, 2026. (Reuters)
An apartment building damaged during a Russian airstrike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine November 13, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Russia Says Forces Capture Ukrainian Settlement, Strike Energy and Drone Sites

An apartment building damaged during a Russian airstrike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine November 13, 2026. (Reuters)
An apartment building damaged during a Russian airstrike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine November 13, 2026. (Reuters)

Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday that its forces had captured ‌the settlement ‌of Tersianka in ‌Ukraine’s ⁠southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, ⁠news agency Interfax reported.

The ministry also ⁠said Russian ‌forces ‌had struck ‌Ukrainian energy ‌and transport infrastructure used by the ‌military, ammunition depots, and drone ⁠production ⁠and storage sites.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.

World

US Floated Idea of Ukraine Ceding Donbas for NATO Membership, Zelenskiy Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a bilateral press conference with Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin at Government Buildings, in Dublin, Ireland, November 11, 2026. (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a bilateral press conference with Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin at Government Buildings, in Dublin, Ireland, November 11, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

US Floated Idea of Ukraine Ceding Donbas for NATO Membership, Zelenskiy Says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a bilateral press conference with Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin at Government Buildings, in Dublin, Ireland, November 11, 2026. (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a bilateral press conference with Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin at Government Buildings, in Dublin, Ireland, November 11, 2026. (Reuters)

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that US negotiators had floated a question about Ukraine's potential withdrawal from its eastern region of Donbas in exchange for joining NATO, following the latest round of peace talks with Russia ‌in Abu ‌Dhabi.

Zelenskiy reiterated his ‌position ⁠that Kyiv was ⁠not willing to retreat from its territory.

He said that if Ukraine received a comprehensive security package, that includes security guarantees, ⁠a strong and well-funded ‌Ukrainian ‌army and funds to rebuild, he ‌would put the question ‌to a referendum.

"The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw ‌from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had ⁠been ⁠raised," Zelenskiy told reporters in remarks released by his office on Saturday.

"That is why I believe NATO is back on the agenda. But you have also heard (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's signals, and this is an extremely difficult conversation."

World

New French Protests Focus on Children and Police

A protester waves a French flag amid tear gas smoke during a demonstration in Lyon, France. (Getty Images/AFP)
A protester waves a French flag amid tear gas smoke during a demonstration in Lyon, France. (Getty Images/AFP)
TT
TT

New French Protests Focus on Children and Police

A protester waves a French flag amid tear gas smoke during a demonstration in Lyon, France. (Getty Images/AFP)
A protester waves a French flag amid tear gas smoke during a demonstration in Lyon, France. (Getty Images/AFP)

France faces more rallies on Saturday with demonstrators venting frustrations ranging from inflation to opposition to a new police bill at the latest protests.

The European Union's second largest economy has been gripped by high-school blockades and cost-of-living demonstrations for more than a month, ahead of presidential elections next year that the far right sees as its best chance of seizing power.

Some of the largely peaceful rallies have seen fringe violence, as well as accusations of police brutality.

People were to take to the streets for the fifth Saturday in a row, with a main rally in Paris from 1:00 pm (1200 GMT) and dozens of other gatherings across the country.

In the capital, the Yellow Vest movement would join high-school students, unions and other activists fighting for children's rights or opposed to a bill to give police more protection in their use of weapons.

"Society's in bad shape," said Claire Bourdille, from a collective battling violence against children and teenagers. "We can't focus on one cause more than another."

Activists have in recent months demanded better protection for children against sexual abuse.

Others will be protesting against a new bill in parliament to grant police who use their weapons a presumption of legitimate self-defense.

Backers, including the far-right National Rally party of presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen, say it is necessary to avoid police being automatically suspected of using disproportionate force.

- 'License to kill' -

Activists argue the bill, approved by the lower house and soon to go to the Senate, amounts to a "license to kill".

They say it would make holding security forces accountable even harder in a country where most cases of alleged police brutality rarely reach a criminal court.

Lawyers last week denounced alleged police violence at recent protests that led to "mutilations" including hand, foot and eye injuries.

Karl Ghazi, of the CGT union, said Saturday's protest in Paris might be different with "real activist fatigue" after a month and a half of protests.

"It'll essentially be child rights activists on one side and people against the 'license to kill' on the other," he said.

Around 146,000 people took part in demonstrations across France on Saturday last week, according to authorities, far lower numbers than on previous weekends.

The largest protests in recent weeks occurred during a union-led strike on Thursday last week, when more than half a million people took to the streets nationwide, according to official figures.

Unions have called for a new day of strikes on Tuesday, after rejecting a government promise to increase the minimum wage by 0.6 percent as "crumbs".