Author: Anadolu Agency

President-elect Donald Trump who has pledged to end the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, two large foreign policy concerns for the U.S., is preparing to return to the White House come January. Trump may deliver his promise by benefiting from the “excellence in diplomacy” offered by one country close to both conflicts, Türkiye, according to renowned U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs. In an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, reflected on the potential impacts of Trump’s return to office on global foreign policy and economic relations, highlighting Türkiye’s unique…

An entire family of five was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Friday evening, Lebanese state news agency reported. The National News Agency (NNA) said the Israeli airstrike on the southern Ain Qana town killed Lebanese citizen Ni’mat-Allah Hussein Mallah, his wife and his three children and completely destroyed their home. The agency also reported that in the past few hours, the Israeli warplanes also struck the southern towns of Ramadiyeh, Jebcheit, Al-Shaitiya, Jouaiyya and Khirbet Selm. Israel launched an air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are targets of the Hezbollah group in late September,…

Systematic Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure could create additional risks during winter, particularly for vulnerable populations, if power outages last for several days in subzero temperatures, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine warned Friday. “As we approach the 1,000-day mark since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion in 2022, more than 12,000 people have been killed and almost 40% of the people in Ukraine need humanitarian assistance, including 3.6 million internally displaced people,” said Matthias Schmale, assistant UN secretary-general, during a press conference. Schmale noted that 65% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed, stating that targeting energy systems constitutes…

If anyone was ready to cheer a Donald Trump reelection, it was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Despite their relationship cooling toward the end of Trump’s first term particularly after Netanyahu quickly congratulated Joe Biden on his 2020 win, a gesture Trump took as traitorous, the two share deep ideological ties. This time around, Netanyahu didn’t wait. He enthusiastically hailed Trump’s “greatest comeback” even before the Nov. 5 results were final. Adding to the chorus, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz, eagerly celebrated Trump’s potential return as a chance to strike at the “axis of evil led by Iran.” – Trump’s…

US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday promised a “strong military”, as he repeated his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Trump, who campaigned on an “America First” foreign policy, has said previously that he wanted to strike a deal between Kyiv and Moscow, without giving details, and end bloodshed in the Middle East. “We have to get back to a great country with low taxes and a strong military. We’re going to fix our military, we did once and now we’re going to have to do it again,” he said Thursday at a gala organized by the…

Anadolu Efes beat Real Madrid 74-64 on Thursday to clinch their sixth Turkish Airlines EuroLeague win. Real Madrid had three double-digit scorers as Elijah Bryant came off the bench to score 13 points and five rebounds at the WiZink Center in Madrid. Jordan Nwora and Darius Thompson each produced 10 points. For the losing side, despite 20 points from Facundo Campazzo, Real Madrid couldn’t secure a home win. Mario Hezonja scored 13 points and Walter Tavares had 13 rebounds. Anadolu Efes are ninth with six wins and four defeats while Real Madrid are 11th with four wins and six losses.…

A UEFA Nations League match between France and Israel kicked off Thursday at the Stade de France in Paris amid record-low attendance due to security concerns. Whistles echoed throughout the 80,000-seat stadium when Israel’s national anthem was being played. A group of Israeli hooligans with their faces covered attacked French fans, with around 50 people involved, said local broadcaster BFMTV. Videos posted on social media showed Israeli supporters clashing with police and the stadium’s security intervening. The venue saw a notably low turnout for the Group A2 match, with only 20,000 tickets having been sold, giving the match a subdued…

The “only legitimate state” on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), said Türkiye’s vice president on Friday. “The Turkish Cypriots took a vital step towards independence by establishing their own state and have clearly expressed their national will. Today, the only legitimate state on the island of Cyprus is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” Cevdet Yilmaz said in a speech in Lefkosa, the TRNC’s capital, marking the country’s 41st anniversary. Yilmaz said the declaration of the TRNC on Nov. 15, 1983 was a turning point for the Turkish Cypriot people. Despite the…

Türkiye and Azerbaijan on Friday signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of tourism in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy gathered with the Chairman of the State Tourism Agency Fuad Nagiyev on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku. “We are ready to share our tourism experience with our brother Azerbaijan,” Ersoy said. Underlining that tourism ties between Ankara and Baku have good potential, Ersoy noted that relations should be further developed and tourist visits should be increased. In his part, Nagiyev said: “We are ready to further develop our…

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving showed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza by wearing a chain with the Palestine flag in the shape of Israel’s land mass. In a pre-game interview on a San Francisco basketball court Tuesday, Irving, 32, was seen wearing the necklace. “I’m excited for him (his Dallas teammate Klay Thompson). I want him to be present as much as possible, to really receive the love and the flowers that he deserves. He put in a lot of hard work here, a lot of sacrifice for this organization,” Irving told reporters as Thompson, a former Golden State Warriors…