Author: Anadolu Agency

Harvard University President Alan Garber said on Wednesday that the school would not compromise on certain issues despite the federal government’s threat to freeze more than $2 billion in funding. In an exclusive interview to NBC news, Garber said the school had “no choice” but to fight back against what it believes is federal overreach and an illegal attempt by the government to withhold funding as leverage to control academic decision-making. “We are defending what I believe is one of the most important lynchpins of the American economy and way of life — our universities,” Garber said. – TRUMP ADMINISTRATION…

A new fleet of tug boats ordered for the Australian Navy was secretly built at a Chinese shipyard under a $28 million contract awarded to a Dutch company last year, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported Thursday. Citing certification documents, the ABC said the first of three “harbor tugs” was completed in late December at the Damen company’s “state-of-the-art” Changde facility in China’s southern Hunan province before being delivered to Australia. In a letter sent from its Netherlands headquarters last year, Damen told Australia’s Defense Department the tug boat build “will be heavily reliant upon established supply chains both in…

Israeli firefighters have extinguished bushfires that raged in central Israel due to soaring temperatures and high winds. The Israeli Fire and Rescue Authority on Thursday said that nine people were injured, including seven firefighters, and 10,000 dunums (2,500 acres) were destroyed in the fires. It said the flames were brought under control after a 20-hour struggle. The situation “is now under control…(and) will be over in the coming hours,” the authority added. According to the statement, all vacated and affected communities have returned to their areas, and all roads have been reopened. The Israel Meteorological Service had warned of “harsh”…

Türkiye and Russia will hold consultations on the Middle East at the deputy foreign minister level in Istanbul on Friday, diplomatic sources said on Thursday. During the consultations, Nuh Yılmaz will represent Türkiye, and Minister Mikhail Bogdanov will represent Russia, the sources added. The consultations are expected to include a comprehensive exchange of ideas on regional issues, particularly Syria and Palestine. Türkiye attaches importance to consulting with Russia in the context of developments in the Middle East, the sources said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Kyiv supports all peace initiatives proposed by the US that are under its Constitution, while emphasizing that a complete ceasefire is the first step toward ending the war with Russia. During a joint press conference with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zelenskyy said Ukraine accepted the unconditional ceasefire proposed by US President Donald Trump and his team in Saudi Arabia, but “Russia has not reciprocated.” “And we even signaled through the media that we were ready for mirror steps—if Russia did not shoot, we would not respond,” he added. He said that…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country wants a common understanding with the US that Russia is the “aggressor” in the war, emphasizing Kyiv views Washington as a key strategic partner. “We know that the United States has a mediator position in this conflict. And this is the choice that the United States made,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with American journalist Ben Shapiro, cited by Interfax-Ukraine. “But we consider the United States as a strong strategic partner that has influence,” he said. “We would very much like these two forces to be used in relation to Russia, so that…

More than 90% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed and damaged, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday, citing data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as Israel’s ongoing war on the enclave plunges civilians deeper into humanitarian catastrophe. “With nowhere safe to go, families shelter in unsafe ruins,” the agency said on X and urged: “IOM has shelter aid ready—entry points must open NOW.” Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory. The Israeli army resumed…

The UN granted 17 million euros ($19.3 million) to the Lebanese army on Thursday to equip and train new recruits for deployment in southern Lebanon. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met in Beirut with a delegation representing the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), including Head of the Peace Division Evariste Karambizi and Director of the Diplomatic Division Rabih Haddad. Aoun was briefed by the UN delegation about UNITAR activities in the field of logistics and training, the presidency said in a statement. Karambizi said the grant will be allocated for equipping and training 4,500 new army recruits assigned to…

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Boeing “should default China” for not taking finished planes it committed to purchase. “This is just a small example of what China has done to the USA, for years… And, by the way, Fentanyl continues to pour into our Country from China, through Mexico and Canada, killing hundreds of thousands of our people, and it better stop, NOW!” Trump said on Truth Social. Boeing hopes to find new buyers for dozens of planes returned by China after tariffs were imposed that were prompted by Trump’s trade war. Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s chief executive, said…

A sailor from French carrier strike group (GAN) was reported missing during their return transit to Toulon, French defense minister announced Thursday. “During the night of Wednesday, April 23 to Thursday, April 24, a sailor from one of the units of the carrier strike group (GAN) was reported missing. The vessels of the strike group were on their return transit to their home port in Toulon,” French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on X. He noted that search efforts initiated onboard proved unsuccessful, stressing that the GAN immediately turned back to conduct search operations at sea. “As the search continues,…