Author: Anadolu Agency
At least five people died and hundreds were arrested during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Germany, which were marred by riots in several cities, according to media reports on Wednesday. The fatalities occurred as five men lost their lives handling pyrotechnics. Several others sustained injuries, some of which were life-threatening. In Berlin, police reported arresting 390 people. A preliminary assessment indicated that at least 13 police officers were injured, including one seriously. Emergency responders and police officers were attacked with firecrackers and New Year’s rockets. Despite the incidents, a police spokesperson stated that there was no major violence in the…
A 6.2 magnitude Richter earthquake struck a group of South Atlantic islands on Wednesday. The earthquake struck at a depth of 77.7 kilometers (48.2 miles) off the South Sandwich Islands, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. There were no reports of casualties or significant damage.
At least two people died, and 22 others were injured in a fireworks-related incident in Hawaii on New Year’s Day, local media reported. Emergency responders, including police, fire, and emergency medical services, are currently at the scene of the accident, which occurred in the Salt Lake-Aliamanu area of Honolulu, according to Hawaii News Now. Police called on the public to stay clear of the area as they work to provide care and maintain security at the scene.
Pope Francis on Wednesday urged world leaders to annul the debt of poorer countries, the official Vatican news agency reported. Speaking after his traditional New Years’ Day Angelus, the pontiff said: “I encourage leaders of nations with Christian traditions to set an example by canceling or significantly reducing the debts of the poorest countries.” No country or people should be crushed by debt, he added. Also touching upon the ongoing wars and conflicts across the world, he said: “Let us pray for an end to all fighting and for a decisive focus on peace and reconciliation. My thoughts go to…
Turkish civil society organizations will hold a demonstration in Istanbul on Jan. 1 in a show of solidarity with Palestine, where Israel continues its brutal attacks. The National Will Platform, comprising 308 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), will gather under the theme of stopping the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands are expected to walk from historic peninsula mosques after early morning prayers to converge at the Galata Bridge, which spans the Golden Horn, to protest. Ibrahim Besinci, head of an NGO, said Israeli attacks continuing in Gaza for 15 months are “exterminating” people in front of the world. “Remaining silent…
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that no one can prevent China’s reunification with Taiwan, according to state media. “We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same family. No one can ever sever the bond of kinship between us,” Xi said in his 2025 New Year message, Xinhua News Agency reported. “No one can block the historical momentum of the reunification of the motherland,” he added. Xi’s remarks come as tensions over Taiwan continue to escalate. Since Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te took office in May, Beijing has staged three major military…
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Tuesday said that “more than half” of his country’s state budget for the past year was spent on defense. “This year, more than half of state budget expenditures were directed towards defense. Literally, every hryvnia collected within the country,” Shmyhal said in his address at a government meeting, the excerpt of which he shared on Telegram. Expressing that the investments of the state and the private sector have increased the capabilities of Ukraine’s defense industry six-fold, Shmyhal said more than 800 state and private companies operate in the country’s defense sector. Shmyhal said that…
Ukraine said on Tuesday that at least one person was injured due to overnight Russian missile and drone strikes that targeted multiple regions of the country, including the capital Kyiv. Serhiy Popko, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said on Telegram that debris from downed Russian missiles was recorded over the capital’s Darnytskyi district, resulting in damages to three private buildings and two cars. “No casualties were reported,” Popko further said, calling on Kyiv residents to be attentive to air raid warnings sounded in the capital. Later, the Kyiv Regional Military Administration said on Telegram that a woman…
The US sanctioned a Russian judge Tuesday for the arbitrary detention of activist Alexei Gorinov for comments on the Russia-Ukraine war. The Treasury Department said Olesya Mendeleeva ordered the arbitrary detention of Gorinov — a Moscow city councilor, public defender, and human rights activist. Mendeleeva sentenced Gorinov in July 2022 to seven years in prison for voicing opposition to the war against Ukraine. Gorinov suffered physical abuse and was denied medical treatment while in detention, according to the statement. “Russia’s manipulation of its legal system silences dissent and suffocates the truth about Russia’s indefensible war against Ukraine,” said Acting Under…
The Ukrainian military said on Tuesday its forces had hit a Russian oil depot in the western Smolensk region, setting fire to tanks storing oil products. Ukraine’s general staff said on the Telegram app that the depot was used for military purposes. It did not specify the weapon used for the strike but said it was carried out in cooperation with drone forces. Smolensk region governor Vasily Anokhin said that the attack caused a fuel spill and fire According to his statement on Telegram, 10 Ukrainian drones were shot down by Russian air defences but the wreckage of one of…