Author: Anadolu Agency

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that drug cartels are running the US’s southern neighbor amid a report that the CIA is expanding its drone operations in Mexico. Asked by a reporter about whether the increased drone activity signals a new stage in the war against the cartels, Trump said: “Well, we’re going to see.” The reporter asked a follow-up question about whether the US aircraft have the authority to take lethal action, to which Trump demurred. “Mexico has allowed a tremendous number of people to go through their country and to ours, and even people coming from Mexico, and…

The Pentagon is expected to begin layoffs this week as part of a broader cost-saving initiative, according to a report Tuesday. The Washington Post, citing five people familiar with the matter, said the Trump administration has instructed defense agencies to submit a list of their probationary employees by the end of Tuesday, anticipating that many may be terminated later this week. The directive for the cuts came after personnel from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has overseen significant staff reductions at other federal agencies, visited the Pentagon, it reported. While it remains unclear whether any probationary employees…

Türkiye’s short-term external debt reached $172.3 billion at the end of December, marking a rise of 0.4% compared to November 2024, the country’s Central Bank said on Wednesday. The banks’ short-term external debt fell 0.7% to $74.3 billion and the short-term external debt of other sectors rose 3.9% to $63.2 billion over the same period. Short-term foreign exchange loans Turkish banks took from abroad decreased 1.6% to $16.8 billion, while foreign exchange deposits of non-residents in resident banks declined 0.4% to $18.7 billion. Trade credits linked to imports by other sectors rose 4.4% to $54.7 billion, the data showed. The…

The UK’s annual inflation rate rose to a 10-month high of 3%, surpassing market expectations, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday. Markets had predicted the January figure to come in at 2.8%, compared to 2.5% in December 2024. The primary drivers of the increase were transport, as well as food and non-alcoholic beverages, the ONS said in a statement. Annual transport inflation reached its highest rate since February 2023 with 1.7% in January, shifting from a 0.6% decline in the previous month. This was mainly due to upward pressures from airfares and motor…

America and Europe are undergoing a “non-consensual divorce,” said former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, as US President Donald Trump advances talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine without Europeans on the table. Speaking to Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser late Tuesday, Borrell attributed the split to the ideology of Trump’s administration. “Because he doesn’t like Europe’s political and social model. For Trump, Europe is the anti-model, the same as a democratic Ukraine is for Putin,” he said. Borrell added that US Vice President JD Vance showed a complete rejection of European values and institutions at the Munich…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Wednesday that another round of high-level meetings between Russia and Syria is planned for next week. “Next week, we are scheduled to hold high-level contacts with our Syrian colleagues. We will provide further details later,” Lavrov said during the Government Hour, an annual meeting between the foreign minister and members of parliament. Lavrov praised the Jan. 29 visit of a Russian delegation to Syria, noting that the new Syrian leadership recognizes the historically strategic nature of its relationship with Moscow. It was the first visit by Russian officials to Syria after the fall…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday said that Ankara is reshaping global diplomacy and asserting its influence in line with its historical legacy. “Türkiye continues to break molds in foreign policy, challenge conventions, and write a brand-new success story in harmony with its historical legacy,” Erdoğan said during his address at the AK Party Group Meeting in Ankara. He also reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to stand by oppressed communities around the world. “Today, as well, we stand tall without bending or wavering, alongside the oppressed and victims, whether in Gaza or elsewhere,” he declared.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russian forces had crossed into the Ukraine along the border of Kursk region, parts of which are controlled by Kyiv. Speaking to reporters in St. Petersburg, Putin said he was informed an hour earlier about Russian advances. Ukraine staged an incursion and seized parts of Kursk last August. The Russian president also addressed the recent attack on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), accusing Ukraine of coordinating the attack with Europe. Ukraine receives space reconnaissance data from the West, Putin said, adding that there is a link between new EU sanctions and the…

Western security services and politicians fear that a potential deal between the US and Russia on Ukraine could lead to an end to the presence of US troops in large parts of Europe, Germany’s top-selling BILD newspaper reported Wednesday.
 “According to our information, it’s about (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s 2021 demands, i.e. a withdrawal of US troops from all NATO states that joined the alliance after 1990,” an unnamed Eastern European security official told BILD. According to the report, Italy is also preparing for a possible withdrawal of US troops from Kosovo. This would leave the European allies alone in…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday spoke with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, focusing on security guarantees and efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. “I had a good and meaningful conversation with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. He shared details of his recent meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and stressed the importance of broad international involvement, including Europe, the US, UK and Türkiye. Rutte, meanwhile, briefed Zelenskyy on his meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg. Zelenskyy said they agreed on the need for a guaranteed peace, not just a temporary cease-fire. “There must be…