Author: Anadolu Agency
France on Friday reiterated its strict travel ban for French nationals to Iran, warning of a serious risk of arbitrary detention solely due to their nationality. “All travel to Iran is strongly discouraged. All trips are strictly prohibited, regardless of the reason,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine told a press briefing. He renewed the government’s call for any French citizens still in Iran to leave the country without delay. “We reiterate our call for all French nationals who may be in Iran to leave the country immediately. They are indeed at risk of being arbitrarily arrested and detained solely because…
China on Friday criticized the United States over newly imposed port fees, warning that the measures will ultimately hurt American consumers and disrupt global trade, according to state-run Global Times. Port fees, “raise global shipping costs, disrupt supply chain stability, and increase inflationary pressures in the US, ultimately harming American consumers and businesses, without revitalizing the US shipbuilding industry,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian. Lin added that the tariffs on cargo handling equipment “harm the interests of both others and itself,” and called on Washington to “immediately cease its wrongdoings.” He warned that Beijing will take “necessary measures…
China on Friday said it is “playing a positive role to ease tensions” as the US accused a Chinese firm of helping Yemen’s Houthis attack American warships in the Red Sea. A Chinese satellite company linked to the country’s military is supplying Houthis in Yemen with imagery to target US warships and international vessels in the Red Sea, according to American officials cited by the Financial Times. The Trump administration has repeatedly warned Beijing that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. is providing the Houthis with the intelligence, but the concerns were ignored, the paper said, quoting American officials. Asked…
A former senior Israeli diplomat said the war in Gaza has created a deep divide among Israeli society, with pressure mounting on the government in Tel Aviv from both the public and the military to bring the hostages held by Hamas home, even at the cost of halting military operations. Support is growing for a petition launched by approximately 1,000 current and former Israeli Air Force reservists calling for the return of all captives held in the Gaza Strip, even if it means ending the war against Hamas. The petitions have now received over 122,000 signatures, with support from across…
Russia’s permanent representative to the UN said Thursday that Germany would be directly involved in the war in Ukraine if it delivers Taurus long-range missiles to Kyiv. “Yes, it would,” Vassily Nebenzia told Anadolu when asked whether such a move would mean Germany becoming a direct party to the conflict. He accused Germany and several other Western nations of already being involved in the war through support for Ukraine. “These countries are waging a war against Russia using their proxy forces. Delivering Taurus missiles would be another step toward escalation,” he said. Taurus missiles, with a range of more than…
Inflation in Türkiye has been falling for 10 straight months and this will continue, said the Turkish finance minister on Friday, stressing that the country’s will and program to fight inflation are robust and strong. “We are determined to implement the disinflation program. There is a very strong political will and we have a very strong program,” Mehmet Şimşek told an International Economic Summit in the Sakarya province, appearing via live link. Though the world faces serious structural problems, Türkiye has an advantageous position in dealing with them, he said. “We want to turn our advantages into permanent gains. For…
Belarus’s Ambassador to Russia, Aleksandr Rogozhnik, met with his Guinean counterpart Niankoye Haba to discuss expanding political and economic cooperation, the Belarusian diplomatic mission said Thursday. During their meeting in Moscow, Haba, who also serves as ambassador to Belarus, expressed Guinea’s interest in bolstering ties with Belarus, particularly in the field of agriculture. He highlighted Belarusian know-how as vital for Guinea’s food security and welcomed opportunities for collaboration. Rogozhnik invited Guinea to attend the Belagro agricultural exhibition in June and noted Belarus’ willingness to supply a wide range of agricultural and industrial machinery. “Guinea is also interested in Belarusian mining…
Türkiye has destroyed almost 121 kilometers of tunnels in northern Syria near its border as part of an ongoing military operation, the National Defense Ministry said Thursday. At a briefing in the capital Ankara, spokesman Zeki Aktürk told reporters that efforts are ongoing to establish lasting peace, security, and stability in Türkiye’s operation zones in Syria, as well as to facilitate the safe return of Syrians to secure environments. In this context, Aktürk said: “As part of the tunnel destruction operations that began on Jan. 8, 2025, nearly 66 kilometers of tunnels have been destroyed in the Tal Rifaat area…
Türkiye’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz met with Khamis al-Khanjar, leader of Iraq’s Sovereignty (Siyada) Party, in Baghdad, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday. The ministry said on X that the two officials exchanged views on bilateral relations and recent regional developments as part of Yılmaz’s official visit to Iraq. The meeting comes amid growing engagement between Ankara and Baghdad aimed at strengthening political dialogue and cooperation on regional stability. No further details were provided about the specific topics discussed, but Türkiye has maintained close ties with multiple political actors in Iraq, focusing on areas such as security, trade, and…
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani arrived in Russia on Thursday for an official visit for talks with President Vladimir Putin. Al Thani’s plane touched down at Moscow’s Vnukovo-2 government airport, where he was welcomed by an official delegation. Following his arrival, the Qatari delegation headed to the Kremlin, where the two leaders are expected to discuss a broad range of issues related to bilateral cooperation, with a focus on trade, economic relations, and humanitarian collaboration. The agenda will also include several pressing international topics. Given Qatar’s involvement in facilitating humanitarian initiatives between Russia and Ukraine — such…