Author: Anadolu Agency
A senior political leader in Hamas has reiterated that they are ready to “hand over all the prisoners immediately” if such a move would bring an end to the ongoing war. Basem Naim, said he thinks US President Donald Trump “can do it if he exercises enough pressure on the Israelis to end this war immediately,” adding that Trump “has the capability and the will to reach this peaceful situation.” “We are ready to cooperate with him to achieve this goal of a more peaceful region,” he told Sky News. He stressed that Gaza and Gazans are deserving, like all…
The Turkish foreign minister underlined the importance of Istanbul peace talks as Russian and Ukrainian delegations held a meeting in Istanbul aimed at advancing peace efforts between the two countries. “Today was an important day for world peace,” Hakan Fidan said on X, regarding the Istanbul peace talks. The intense diplomatic talks, held under Türkiye’s facilitation, resulted in an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners from each side as a confidence-building measure, Fidan noted. They also agreed to share in writing the conditions that would enable a ceasefire with the other party, he added. “Parties also have agreed in principle to…
Danish drug-maker Novo Nordisk announced Friday that its CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen will step down from his position as the firm’s shares saw a fall during the increasing competition in the drug market. “The changes are, however, made in light of the recent market challenges Novo Nordisk has been facing, and the development of the company’s share price since mid-2024,” the company said in a statement. The company emphasized that it has been through a significant growth journey and transformation under the leadership of Jorgensen. “During his eight-year tenure as CEO, Novo Nordisk’s sales, profits and share price have almost…
A UAE-US business dialogue was launched Friday in Abu Dhabi with the participation of US President Donald Trump as part of the last stop on his Gulf tour, according to livestreaming of the event. The opening ceremony featured presentations of companies specializing in artificial intelligence, aviation, and health care by US and Emirati businesspeople showcasing flagship projects and investment opportunities. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE president, said Thursday that over the next decade, his country plans to invest $1.4 trillion in the US. Following Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the UAE is the third and final stop on…
Türkiye’s benchmark stock index opened Friday at 9,542.75 points, slightly up 0.02% or 1.45 points from the previous close. On Thursday, Borsa Istanbul’s BIST 100 fell 1.65% to close at 9,541.30 points, with a daily transaction volume of 85.6 billion Turkish liras ($2.21 billion). As of 09.50 am local time (0650GMT), exchange rates stood at 38.8370 liras to the US dollar, 43.5540 to the euro, and 51.7645 to the British pound. The price of an ounce of gold was $3,213.95, while Brent crude oil was trading at $63.90 per barrel.
Australian war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith lost an appeal Friday against a landmark decision that found he committed war crimes in Afghanistan, according to local media reports. The federal court justices upheld the original verdict and ordered Roberts-Smith to pay the legal costs of the media outlets he sued for defamation, which were estimated to be upwards of AUD$25 million ($16 million), ABC News reported. In 2023, a local court in Australia dismissed Roberts-Smith’s case against media organizations and three journalists over their coverage of the war crimes in Afghanistan. The defamation case was dismissed after Judge Anthony Besanko found that…
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday called for a renewed commitment to diplomacy at the Türkiye-Russia-Ukraine trilateral meeting on Russia-Ukraine peace in Istanbul. “We must seize this opportunity to advance on the path to peace,” Fidan said during his opening speech, addressing delegations from both Russia and Ukraine, as well as Turkish mediators.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on Friday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to carry out the largest prisoner-of-war exchange since the onset of the conflict between the two countries. Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul, Umerov emphasized that this agreement was the key outcome of the meeting, mentioning that the date for the exchange has been set but cannot be disclosed at this stage. “The meeting has concluded. We discussed a ceasefire and prisoner exchanges. Currently, we have agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners for 1,000 prisoners. These are the results of our meeting,” he stated. Umerov further…
The more than 50,000 Palestinians that have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 were commemorated Thursday in simultaneous protests in France, Belgium and Switzerland. The coordinated action, led by a pro-Palestinian group of health care workers, took place across 41 cities in France and two cities each in Belgium and Switzerland. In Paris, the protesters gathered at Trocadero square near the Eiffel Tower, where they read out the names of 1,600 Palestinians killed in Gaza. Speaking to Anadolu, Rania, a Palestinian student, said they took to the streets to mark the 77th anniversary of the…
France will file a complaint against Iran at the International Court of Justice for what it says is a violation of its obligation to grant consular protection to French nationals detained in Iran, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Friday. “Today, I am filing a complaint before the International Court of Justice against Iran for violating its obligation to grant the right to consular protection,” Barrot said in an interview with France 2 television. Barrot said two French citizens detained in Iran for three years had been “deprived of” visits from embassy representatives. Cecile Kohler, a 40-year-old literature teacher, and her…