Author: Anadolu Agency

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said Kyiv has officially received a new draft agreement from the US on a critical minerals deal, saying it significantly differs from the proposed framework earlier, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported. Addressing a press briefing, Zelensky emphasized that the deal, which was formally submitted to his office, will be compared with earlier proposals shared with Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko in bilateral talks with US officials. He firmly rejected the notion that US military assistance to Ukraine should be considered a loan. “We are grateful for the support, but this is not a credit,…

The World Bank reported Thursday that air pollution claims the lives of around 5.7 million people each year, with 95% of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In a report titled Accelerating Access to Clean Air on a Livable Planet, the bank estimated that air pollution causes an economic loss equivalent to about 5% of global gross domestic product (GDP) due to its effects on health, productivity losses and reduced life expectancy. “An integrated approach-for example, designing and sequencing policies that achieve multiple goals such as energy independence or emission reduction, along with measures to reduce air pollution-could halve…

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba warned Friday that the US government’s plan to impose 25% tariffs on auto imports will have an “extremely large impact” on the Japanese economy. “We will think about the most effective means to make the United States understand that this will not be of benefit to it,” he told a parliamentary committee. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to impose 25% tariffs on imports of foreign-made cars and light trucks, part of his broader strategy to increase trade taxes on foreign goods. The tariffs will go into effect on April 2, when…

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi will pay an official visit to Russia next week, according to the Foreign Ministry. In a short statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Wang Yi will visit Moscow from March 31 to April 2 at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. The trip comes amid negotiations between the US and Russia to normalize bilateral ties as well as reach a ceasefire in Ukraine. Wang is also expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during the trip. The two sides will hold “in-depth discussions on the future of China-Russia relations, as well as international…

Germany’s intelligence service BND has issued a stark warning about Russia’s potential military attack on a NATO country in the near future, German public broadcasters reported Friday. According to WDR and NDR television channels, the German military and BND intelligence service have informed political authorities that Russia will have the military capability to wage “large-scale conventional warfare” by the end of this decade. “Russia sees itself in a systemic conflict with the West and is prepared to implement its imperialistic goals through military force, even beyond Ukraine,” said the report, which drew on recent intelligence findings, satellite surveillance, and economic…

A Russian researcher at Harvard Medical School has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after her visa was revoked upon reentering the country from an overseas trip, according to a report by The Guardian on Friday. Kseniia Petrova, a genome research specialist, was stopped at Boston Logan International Airport on Feb. 16 after returning from France. Authorities told her that her visa had been revoked and that she would be deported to Russia, despite concerns that she may face political persecution, her friends and colleagues said. Petrova, who had previously protested the Russian government’s invasion of Ukraine…

Ukraine on Friday expressed concern over Russia’s continued control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, warning that the situation poses risks to nuclear safety and regional stability. “Ukraine strongly condemns the attempts of the Russian Federation to legitimize the illegal control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, calling the plant’s occupation “a direct threat to the security of the entire European continent.” Kyiv said centralized control and actions that affect the plant’s technical stability contradict international nuclear safety standards, and urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to take a clear position on…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday dismissed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent proposal to place Ukraine under a “temporary government.” Asked about Putin’s proposal of a UN-led temporary government in Ukraine, Guterres said: “First of all, Ukraine has a legitimate government, and so obviously that must be respected.” Regarding the ongoing conflict and efforts to mediate peace, Guterres confirmed that the UN has had some contact with the US. However, he clarified that the UN is not currently playing a direct role in negotiations aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the Black Sea region. Meeting with submarine sailors in Russia’s…

The US revoked at least 300 foreign student visas as part of an ongoing crackdown on pro-Palestinian students and academics, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference in Guyana, Rubio suggested the actual number could be even higher. “Maybe more, it might be more than 300 at this point,” he said when asked about an Axios report. “We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” he added, emphasizing his commitment to stricter immigration policies. Earlier, Axios reported that administration officials are considering barring certain…

Greenland is expected to announce a four-party unity government on Friday, local media reported Thursday. The Demokraatit party, the winner of the most recent elections, will form the coalition with the Siumut, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Atassut parties, according to public broadcaster KNR and the newspaper Sermitsiaq. Together, the four parties won around 75% of the seats in parliament. Only one party-Naleraq, which favors greater cooperation with the US-will be in the opposition. The government formation coincides with a high-profile visit by a US delegation, including Vice President JD Vance, his wife Usha Vance and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. The…