Author: Anadolu Agency

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made a surprise visit to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Tuesday. The visit was initially reported by Ukrainian and German media, although neither Kyiv nor Berlin has officially confirmed it yet. Details about the purpose or agenda of the trip remain sparse. According to sources, the minister intends to discuss the continuation of German military assistance to Ukraine amid the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war since February 2022. He is also expected to get acquainted with the current situation on the ground.

Amid ongoing progress in the Gaza cease-fire talks, Israel continues its genocidal war on Gaza killing in overnight airstrikes at least 23 more Palestinians in areas across Gaza. The Israeli deadly airstrikes on Gaza came as reports suggested that Palestinians and Israelis are nearing a cease-fire and prisoner-hostage swap deal to end Israel’s ongoing genocidal war on Gaza. A medical source in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, the central Gaza Strip, told Anadolu that nine Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on an apartment, a tent and a cafe that shelter displaced people in…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted on Tuesday a bill to the parliament seeking approval of his decrees on extending the period of martial law and general mobilization. The document proposes extending martial law in Ukraine starting at 5.30 a.m. (0330GMT) on Feb. 8, 2025 for another 90 days. Similarly, it suggests extending the period of general mobilization, also by 90 days, beginning on the same date. Zelenskyy imposed martial law on Feb. 24, 2022, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of Moscow’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. Since then, he has extended army rule several times.

Drones dropping drugs and weapons into high-security prisons in the UK are a threat to national security, the prisons watchdog warned on Tuesday. Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, has called for urgent action to tackle drones after a surge in drugs and weapons flown to prisons holding some of the most dangerous men in Britain. Inspections of HMP Manchester and HMP Long Lartin prisons revealed last year serious concerns with safety and security, with the situation at Manchester “so bad” that Taylor issued an urgent notification for improvement to the secretary of state, according to a statement by…

US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla visited Egypt on Monday to discuss security issues. Kurilla met with Ahmed Khalifa, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, in the capital Cairo to discuss a range of issues, including efforts to address shared security challenges and combat violent extremist organizations. He reaffirmed the military-to-military relationship between the two nations and discussed efforts to advance the partnership to ensure a secure and stable future, CENTCOM said in a statement. On Jan. 11-12, Kurilla visited US servicemembers and conducted key leader engagements in Saudi Arabia. Kurilla met with Gen. Fayyadh…

A Russian court on Tuesday fined Google over 8 billion rubles (approximately $78 million) for not complying with previous penalties given to the US-based company. A magistrate from Moscow’s Nagorny District found Google guilty of evading the implementation of an administrative penalty, said a statement by the press service of courts in the Russian capital on Telegram. The statement said the company was fined just over 8 billion Russian rubles for the offense. It did not specify the administrative penalty the company was found guilty of. In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Google and YouTube, both of which are…

A fire broke out at a military hospital in the Russian city of Tula, local authorities said on Monday. Tula Governor Dmitry Milyaev said on Telegram that personnel from the regional department of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the fire.
 “The preliminary cause of the fire is faulty electrical wiring,” Milyaev said, adding that there were no casualties.
 He further said that all the patients at the hospital were taken to other medical facilities. Milyaev later reported that the threat of the fire spreading to adjacent buildings had been eliminated. Meanwhile, Russian state…

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to Türkiye dropped 3% year-on-year to $9.6 billion last January-November, the International Investors Association (YASED) said Monday. Equity capital inflow rose 9% to $5.5 billion in the first 11 months of last year, the sectoral group said, citing data from the Turkish Central Bank. The Netherlands was the largest source of FDI flows, accounting for 20% of the total, followed by Germany with 13% and the US at 11%. In November, Türkiye attracted $1.14 billion worth of FDI, including $721 million in equity capital inflows. About $194 million was received through real estate investments from…

Porsche, the sports car brand of the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen Group, saw a 3% decrease in global vehicle deliveries last year compared to 2023 due to low demand in China. Total car deliveries in 2024 decreased to 310,718 from 320,221 the previous year, the company said in a statement on Monday. The brand’s sales in China fell 28% last year compared to 2023, to 56,887. “The decline in China is mainly due to the ongoing difficult economic situation in this region,” the company said. Its sales in Europe, however, increased by 8%, particularly in Germany by 11% year-on-year in…

There is a possibility that a cease-fire for the embattled Gaza Strip could be reached this week, said the White House national security advisor on Monday. “There is a distinct possibility that we can get this deal done this week before President Biden leaves office,” Jake Sullivan told Bloomberg, referring to next Monday, when Biden’s successor is due to be sworn in. Sullivan reiterated that the US has been close to a cease-fire before but has not gotten across the finish line. “So I can’t make any promises or predictions,” said Sullivan, adding that he was on the phone with…