Russia’s defense ministry said Thursday it had shot down 19 drones overnight across the country and in annexed Crimea, with other authorities reporting one person killed in the Belgorod region. Kyiv has stepped up its air strikes against energy and military facilities on Russian territory in recent months, a campaign in response to Moscow’s relentless…
Turkish police on Thursday detained an Istanbul district mayor from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), along with 20 others, over alleged collusive tendering, broadcaster NTV reported. An Istanbul prosecutor ordered the detention of Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Koseler and three others over the alleged collusion, as well as 17 others for establishing, joining, and aiding…
The number of babies born in Japan fell for a ninth consecutive year to hit a record low 720,988 in 2024, the health ministry said on Thursday, the latest data underscoring the rapid shrinkage and ageing of the country’s population. Births declined 5 percent from a year earlier, while the number of deaths hit a…
Egypt rejected on Wednesday an Israeli opposition leader’s proposal that it take over the administration of Gaza, calling the idea “unacceptable” and contrary to longstanding Egyptian and Arab policy. “Any notions or proposals that circumvent the constants of the Egyptian and Arab stance (on Gaza)… are rejected and unacceptable,” the official MENA news agency quoted foreign ministry…
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that strengthening ties with Riyadh was a top priority for the Trump administration after meeting Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman on Tuesday. “Strengthening this key relationship is a top priority for the Trump Administration, especially when it comes to working towards our shared interests across the Middle…
Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages while it waited for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to be released by Israel in return, in an overnight exchange marking the final swap as part of a fragile truce in Gaza. The ceasefire came into effect on January 19 and has largely held, despite numerous setbacks….
Diplomats from Russia and the United States will meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss the operation of their respective embassies in Moscow and Washington, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday. The meeting follows Russia-U.S. talks in Saudi Arabia last week that marked an extraordinary shift in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump…
Trump confirmed Zelenskyy would visit Washington on Friday but suggested the United States would not be making far-reaching security guarantees Ukraine said on Wednesday it was set to approve a framework minerals deal with the United States but that its success would depend on talks with President Donald Trump. The deal, under which Kyiv would hand some…
The foreign minister has suggested that recent statements by France and the UK about the possibility are meant to heat up the conflict Moscow is not considering the possibility of a NATO peacekeeping force being deployed to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a press conference in Qatar on Wednesday. US President Donald…
Russia’s defense ministry said it had shot down 128 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions and annexed Crimea, one of the largest such attacks since the start of the conflict. Ukraine launched an overnight drone attack on Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, damaging several houses including in the Black Sea port of Tuapse, Russian officials said on…
Russia and the United States are interested in finding joint economic projects, a newly appointed Russian presidential envoy was quoted by state news agency TASS as saying on Wednesday. Kirill Dmitriev was named by President Vladimir Putin on Sunday as his special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation. He is seen as a key…
UAE Minister of Investment Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi said on Wednesday that financial services are a top priority for the Gulf state as they have a significant growth potential. Speaking at a conference in Abu Dhabi, Alsuwaidi said company law needs to be reformed or enhanced. “Areas that need improvement, and that’s something we’re working on…
Ukraine’s army chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said he discussed continued military support for Kyiv and battlefield developments with British Defense Chief Antony Radakin. “Admiral Sir Antony Radakin once again assured me of the United Kingdom’s readiness to provide military assistance to the Ukrainian Defense Forces,” Syrskyi said in a statement on Facebook.
French Finance Minister Eric Lombard said he expects the US to provide backup for European troops to help maintain peace once a ceasefire is agreed between Ukraine and Russia. The UK, Germany, France and other European countries are willing to send troops to guarantee a truce, he told Bloomberg Television in an interview in Cape Town, where…
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for building a strong, modern army to cope with any war during a visit to a military academy, state media KCNA said on Wednesday. Kim’s trip to the Kang Kon Military Academy comes after North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine….
