Author: Anadolu Agency

European stock markets ended Thursday with losses as US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 200% tariff on all wines, champagnes, and alcoholic products from the EU unless the union withdraws a 50% tariff on American whisky. He accused the EU of being “one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World,” claiming it was formed to “take advantage” of the US. “If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES,” Trump…

Oil prices continued to fall Thursday as US President Donald Trump’s 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports took effect, alongside ongoing efforts toward a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. The international benchmark, Brent crude, decreased by 0.19% trading at $70.56 per barrel at 10.50 a.m. local time (0750 GMT), down from $70.70 at the previous session’s close. The US benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, fell by 0.05%, settling at $67.40 per barrel, compared to its prior session close of $67.44. The implementation of the 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports has raised concerns that it could lead to economic…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday launched the “UN80 Initiative” to improve the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness as it marks its 80th anniversary. Guterres, during a news conference at UN headquarters in New York, wanted urgency and ambition in reforming the organization. “The need is great and the goal is clear: an even stronger and more effective United Nations that delivers for people,” he said. He highlighted the global challenges and stated, “The United Nations has never been more needed.” “These are times of intense uncertainty and unpredictability,” he said, emphasizing that the UN remains crucial to promoting peace, development…

Russia said on Tuesday that it does not rule out contacts with officials from Washington in the coming days, as the US and Ukraine held talks in Saudi Arabia during which Kyiv agreed on a 30-day ceasefire. “We do not rule out contacts with US representatives in the next few days,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state news agency TASS. Her remarks came after talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia. In a joint statement, the parties declared Ukraine’s readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an “immediate, interim” 30-day ceasefire, provided that Russia agrees…

Türkiye attracted foreign direct investments worth $1.4 billion in January, International Investors Association (YASED) said on Wednesday. The amount of FDI rose by 65% year-on-year in January, the association said, citing the Central Bank figures. It said the total amount of FDIs since 2002 reached $276 billion. Some $934 million worth of investments during January came as capital investment, $356 million in debt instruments, $132 million for purchasing real estate. In the first month of 2025, wholesale and retail trade had a 72% share in investment capital inflows worth $934 million.

The Tbilisi City Court on Wednesday jailed former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to nine years in prison for embezzling public funds. The court found Saakashvili guilty of using state budget funds for personal expenses during his presidency, including paying for his son’s education, renting planes and luxury cars, and purchasing items for his personal wardrobe. The charges were brought against him in 2014, with the estimated damage amounting to 9 million Georgian lari ($2.9 million). Saakashvili’s defense argued that these expenditures were related to the former president’s official representation. “I am being tried as a thief and falsely accused because…

The Kremlin spokesman announced on Wednesday that fresh Russia-US contacts are scheduled, with Moscow expecting to receive comprehensive information about Tuesday’s US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah. “We have scheduled contacts with the Americans in the coming days, during which we expect to receive full details,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow. He added that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz are expected to update Russia on the specifics of the discussions with Ukraine. “We understand that, as mentioned yesterday in Jeddah, Secretary Rubio and Assistant Waltz will provide us with detailed information through various channels…

The 27-member EU exported iron and steel worth €77.8 billion (around $85 billion) worldwide last year, Eurostat released on Wednesday. The EU’s imports in the iron-steel field totaled €73.1 billion, and the foreign trade surplus was at €4.7 billion, official figures showed. In a five-year period from 2019, exports increased by 9.9% and imports by 19.7%. On the iron and steel side, the country’s exports totaled €45.5 billion, up 19.3%, and imports amounted to €33.6 billion, up by 28.7% over the same period. Eurostat said: “For iron and steel, Türkiye was one of the main partners both for exports and…

Australia on Wednesday described the US tariffs being imposed on its steel and aluminum as “entirely unjustified.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Canberra will not impose retaliatory tariffs, but said US President Donald Trump’s tariffs were an act of “economic self-harm,” Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. The White House has confirmed it will not grant Australia or any other country an exemption from tariffs, which are part of Trump’s plans to bring more manufacturing to the US. A 25% tariff on Australian steel and aluminum is set to become effective from Wednesday. “Australia has a close relationship with the…

NASA has launched two missions to explore the universe’s origins and the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the agency announced on its website Tuesday. The SPHEREx observatory and the PUNCH satellite constellation lifted off Tuesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, US. After multiple delays since February due to technical reviews and weather conditions, the spacecraft is now set to map the entire celestial sky four times over the next two years, collecting data on hundreds of millions of galaxies. SPHEREx—short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer—will…