ISTANBUL -- Russian and Ukrainian delegations held a third round of peace talks here on Wednesday evening at the Ciragan Palace, during which the two sides agreed on another prisoner exchange but clashed on ceasefire terms and a potential presidential meeting.
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Rustem Umerov led the Russian and Ukrainian delegations, respectively. The closed-door talks were chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. (Türkiye-Peace Talks-3rd Round)
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DAMASCUS -- Sporadic clashes, drone strikes, and ground fighting continued in southern Syria's Sweida province and surrounding areas despite a declared truce, with the number of displaced reaching over 145,000, the United Nations said Wednesday.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the violence between July 20 and 22 has included mortar attacks and aerial surveillance, further injuring civilians and forcing thousands to flee. Most of the displaced have remained within Sweida province, while others have sought safety in neighboring Daraa and Rural Damascus governorates. (Syria-Sweida-Displaced Persons)
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ANKARA -- Ten firefighters died and 14 others were injured Wednesday when trying to extinguish a forest fire in Türkiye's central province of Eskisehir.
"We lost 10 lives, five forest workers and five Search and Rescue Association volunteers," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on social media platform X. (Türkiye-Wildfires-Firefighters Deaths)
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MANAMA/BEIRUT -- Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa announced on Wednesday the opening of a permanent Bahraini diplomatic mission in Beirut, marking a renewal of the kingdom's full diplomatic relations with Lebanon.
The announcement was made during his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who is on an official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain, according to the Bahrain News Agency. (Bahrain-Lebanon-Ties) ■
