Turkey carries out mass detention of ISIL suspects
Ankara has stepped up operations against armed groups since early October. Turkey has arrested hundreds of people suspected of having links to ISIS (ISIL). The roundup was carried out in operations across 32 provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday. Ankara has ramped up operations against the armed group and Kurdish groups during the war in Gaza and after a bomb exploded near government buildings at the start of October. The majority of the suspects were arrested in Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir, the country’s three biggest cities, Yerlikaya said on the social messaging platform X. The nationalities of the detainees have not been revealed. The operation was carried out simultaneously across the country, said the minister, who shared footage that showed police entering apartments and buildings and dragging suspects into vehicles. 32 İlde DEAŞ Terör Örgütüne yönelik eş zamanlı olarak düzenlenen “KAHRAMANLAR-34” Operasyonlarında 3⃣0⃣4⃣ şahıs yakalandı❗ Aziz Milletimizin huzuru, birlik ve beraberliği için teröristlerin hiçbirine göz açtırmayacağız. Güvenlik güçlerimizin üstün gayretleriyle mücadelemize… pic.twitter.com/WKlpZVGMeN — Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) December 22, 2023 ISIL originated in the aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. It was forged from an alliance between an al-Qaeda offshoot and elements of Iraq’s defeated Baath Party. At its peak in 2014, its fighters controlled one-third of Iraq and Syria. But the group lost its grip on the territory after campaigns by US-backed forces in Syria and Iraq as well as Syrian forces backed by Iran, Russia and various paramilitaries. Although beaten back, some ISIL fighters remain in hiding, mostly in remote areas of Syria and Iraq, from which they continue to carry out attacks. Turkey continues to be targeted and has been hit by a string of deadly bombings since 2015. One attack in Istanbul on January 1, 2017, killed 39 people in a nightclub. Ankara has ramped up its crackdown against people in the country with possible links to ISIL ever since. It is assumed that the latest detentions may have been made with one eye on the coming New Year’s celebrations. In May, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the country’s intelligence forces had killed the suspected leader of ISIL, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi. “This individual was neutralised as part of an operation by the Turkish national intelligence organisation in Syria,” Erdogan said. “We will continue our struggle with terrorist organisations without any discrimination.” In recent weeks, Turkish authorities have also carried out operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party, or PKK, which Ankara considers a terrorist organisation. The Kurdish fighters claimed responsibility for detonating a bomb near Turkish government buildings in Ankara on October 1. “For the peace and unity of our people, we will not allow any terrorists to open their eyes,” Yerlikaya said on Friday. “We will continue our battle with the intense efforts of our security forces.” Adblock test (Why?)
Parliament security breach: Delhi court extends ‘mastermind’ Lalit Jha’s custody till January 5
In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow smoke from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by some of the MPs.
‘Hawa nikal gayi…’: Rahul Gandhi on BJP MPs amid security breach in Parliament
The Congress leader remarked that the December 13 Parliament security breach raised questions about what drove the invaders to take such a measure.
Delhi excise scam case: Court rejects AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s bail plea
The anti-money laundering agency had arrested Singh on October 4. The ED has alleged that Singh played a key role in formulating and implementing the now-scrapped 2021-2022 excise policy, which benefited certain liquor manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, for monetary considerations.
Innovative Brand Revolutionises Personalised Silver Jewellery With Customisable Pieces
Each creation is not only a work of art but also an exclusive, intimate story.
The number of Texas midwives is increasing — but advocates say the state needs more
The state agency that oversees midwives is trying to make it easier for women to join the profession, including lowering fees.
How the Texas vision for seamless mental health care fell apart over 60 years
A lack of private providers, a swamped community mental health system, and low insurance reimbursement have cut off many in Texas from basic mental health services.
How Gov. Greg Abbott lost a yearlong fight to create school vouchers
The governor projected confidence throughout 2023 that vouchers would pass. But his insistence on universal eligibility ensured his failure to convince 21 House Republican holdouts.
Most memorable political gaffes and blunders of 2023
If there is one thing Americans can expect from an election season, it is a plethora of political gaffes, and 2023 did not disappoint. From the GOP presidential primary to the White House, America’s politicians continued to stumble and bumble their way toward 2024. Let’s get the easiest target out of the way first. Perhaps the single-most memorable political gaffe of the year occurred June 2 when President Biden was sending off graduates at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Biden delivered a commencement address and stood on stage to shake the hands of every last graduate, but he collapsed to the floor as he turned to leave. Americans have seen Biden trip and fall previously, most often on the steps leading up to Air Force One, but his tumble at the Air Force Academy was by far the most drastic of his presidency so far. Secret Service and military members nearby rushed to lift the president off the ground. FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS FLOATED SEX TRAFFICKING CHARGES AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN, DOC SHOWS Vice President Kamala Harris served Americans a generous helping of word salad throughout the year, but her most recent verbal stumble came just in time for Christmas. Harris appeared on MSNBC’s “The Last Word” with Lawrence O’Donnell earlier this week to discuss former President Trump’s recent claim that illegal immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” THOUSANDS OF BLUE STATE RESIDENTS FLOCK TO IDAHO, BRINGING CONSERVATIVE POLITICS WITH THEM: DATA Her attack on Trump didn’t land how she planned, however. “You know, every election cycle we talk about this is the most election of our lifetime,” Harris said. “Lawrence, this one is, this one is.” “We are literally talking about people who are attempting to divide our country in the most crude, frankly, and profound way,” she said. “We are talking about those who are intent and purposeful to, to attack fundamental freedoms.” “The freedom to be free from fear of violence and hate … the freedom to just … be. The freedom to just be,” she added. Harris’ biggest gaffe came in July, however, when she gifted the American people with an incomprehensible and repetitive definition of the word “culture.” “Culture is — it is a reflection of our moment in our time, right? And in present culture is the way we express how we’re feeling about the moment,” Harris said at a New Orleans music festival. NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA EXODUS CONTINUES, BUT ‘CATASTROPHIC EFFECT’ OF BIDEN ECONOMY MAY BE ON THE WAY: EXPERTS “And we should always find times to express how we feel about the moment that is a reflection of joy, because as you know, it comes in the morning,” she added. “We have to find ways to also express the way we feel about the moment in terms of just having language and a connection to how people are experiencing life. And I think about it in that way, too,” Harris finished. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made the brave and potentially innovative move to launch his 2024 presidential campaign on what was then called “Twitter Spaces.” The highly anticipated announcement, set to be made via a conversation with X CEO Elon Musk and tech entrepreneur David Sacks, was plagued by tech issues, with mobile apps repeatedly crashing and participants on the call unable to speak or hear one another. Nearly 700,000 users logged in to hear the announcement roughly 20 minutes after it was set to launch. The event was then abruptly shut down without explanation. “The servers are straining somewhat,” Musk was heard saying at one point. DeSantis’ opponents were quick to jump on the stumbling start. “This link works,” Biden tweeted, with a link to donate to his campaign. Former President Donald Trump’s MAGA War Room tweeted an image of the Twitter Spaces with the words “failing to launch…” emblazoned across the top. Entrepreneur and 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has had many viral moments on the campaign trail, but none of them compare to an interview he conducted last week on X. Ramaswamy appeared in an X “Spaces” conversation with Musk, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, influencer Andrew Tate and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. At one point during the conversation, participants called out Ramaswamy for appearing to have taken his phone into the restroom. Ramaswamy could be heard talking about how he is “super pro-human – and I mean all humans … uh, you know, humans in America” while the sound of splashing water could be heard in the background. Jones jumped on the sound immediately: “Somebody’s got their thing on while they’re peeing!” Host of the conversation Mario Nawfal jumped in to attempt to fix the situation. “Vivek, Vivek, that’s your phone, Vivek. I’m not able to mute you.” “Sorry about that,” Ramaswamy responded. “Well, I hope you feel better now,” Musk quipped. “I feel great, thank you,” Ramaswamy finished. Fox News’ Jamie Joseph, Thomas Catenacci and Kelley Phares contributed to this report
AIIMS invites chain-smokers to help in early detection of lung cancer, check details
Generally, after the diagnosis of lung cancer, on average, only 8 to 9 months are left for a patient, but AIIMS is now working on a technology to see if there is any way to identify lung cancer patients in time.