Author: Anadolu Agency

South Korea and the US have begun a search for the remains and belongings of soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, the South Korean Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The six-week search project was launched in Mungyeong area, where a US F-51D fighter jet crashed during the war, according to the Yonhap news agency. During the search, officials from the South Korean Defense Ministry and the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) will focus on recovering components of the fighter jet to help with identification efforts for the aircraft’s pilot. Last year, similar search efforts failed, according to the…

Hungary’s premier on Wednesday praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over last week’s Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, the first in over three years. In a speech in Budapest at an informal meeting of the Organization of Turkic States, Viktor Orban said it was Erdoğan’s personal efforts that made the landmark talks possible. Orban also thanked Erdoğan for helping make the TurkStream natural gas pipeline-which provides Hungary with natural gas at a time when most European countries are facing an energy crisis-into a reality. The premier also thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for exporting natural gas to his country via…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that “Britain is back on the world stage,” as he joined European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa at a press conference in London following a Brexit summit. The summit, held in the capital, marks what all three leaders described as the beginning of a “new strategic partnership” between Britain and Brussels, years after post-Brexit tensions strained relations. Antonio Costa, speaking first, said the two sides had “worked to rebuild trust,” adding: “This is the start of a new strategic partnership.” Von der Leyen then told reporters…

France supports reexamining the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel, the French foreign minister told France Inter radio on Tuesday. “I call on the European Commission to carry out this review, to process this request, and to determine whether or not Israel respects this article and its obligations regarding human rights,” Jean-Noel Barrot said, referring to the proposal by the Netherlands to review the Association Agreement between the EU and Israel. Barrot noted that the proposal particularly aims to revise Article 2 of the agreement, which states that both parties must respect human rights. “It is unbearable because blind…

Israel is seeking to “ethnically cleanse” Palestinians from Gaza as it expands its invasion of the besieged coastal enclave, Democratic representative Rashida Tlaib said Monday. “Israeli forces have begun a full-scale invasion to ethnically cleanse all Palestinians from Gaza,” Tlaib, the first Palestinian woman to win election to Congress, wrote on X. “War Criminal Netanyahu announced plans to forcibly expel the entire population and permanently occupy the land. This is the final stage of their genocide. World leaders must impose sanctions and a full arms embargo,” she added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier Monday said his forces will take…

The People’s Bank of China slashed its benchmark lending rates by 10 basis points on Tuesday, in line with market forecasts. The one-year loan prime rate, a crucial reference for corporate and household loans, was lowered to 3%, from 3.1%. Similarly, the five-year rate, a key indicator for mortgage rates, was cut to 3.5%, from 3.6%. These cuts marked the first reduction in rates since the central bank’s 25-basis-point cut in October, as the world’s second-largest economy seeks to grow further by a series of efforts. The decision followed the US and China’s decision to lower the mutual tariffs by…

More than 97,000 Palestinians have been displaced in the Gaza Strip over the past four days, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday, warning that displacement is a “constant” in Gaza. “Humanitarian aid must never be used to influence the movement of people”, the IOM wrote on X. Expressing readiness with partners to assist displaced communities inside Gaza, the UN agency reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and full, safe, sustained access to operate. Israel has kept all crossings into Gaza closed since March 2, deepening the enclave’s humanitarian crisis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Sunday that…

Israel is seeking to “ethnically cleanse” Palestinians from Gaza as it expands its invasion of the besieged coastal enclave, Democratic representative Rashida Tlaib said Monday. “Israeli forces have begun a full-scale invasion to ethnically cleanse all Palestinians from Gaza,” Tlaib, the first Palestinian woman to win election to Congress, wrote on X. “War Criminal Netanyahu announced plans to forcibly expel the entire population and permanently occupy the land. This is the final stage of their genocide. World leaders must impose sanctions and a full arms embargo,” she added. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier Monday said his forces will take…

The first production model of South Korea’s homegrown KF-21 fighter jet entered its final assembly phase, local media reported on Tuesday. A ceremony was held at Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd.’s headquarters in Sacheon, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) southeast of Seoul, to mark the entry of KF-21 fighter jet into final assembly, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). During the phase, the aircraft will be fully assembled with external and internal components and undergo various performance tests before proceeding to flight testing, DAPA said. South Korea launched the production of a homegrown supersonic fighter in…

The French president on Monday reiterated strong opposition against Israeli moves to intensify its offensive in Gaza, saying the level of human suffering in the enclave is “intolerable.” “We firmly oppose the expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering is intolerable,” Emmanuel Macron said on X, sharing a joint statement by the UK, Canada, and France against on the situation in Gaza and the West Bank. “In the lead-up to the June 18 conference in New York, we must all work toward implementing the two-state solution,” he added. Saudi Arabia and France will host the…