Author: Anadolu Agency

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…

Iraq said Tuesday that the country’s border with Iran are “fully secured.” “All shared borders with Iran are fully secured and protected against any smuggling operations or border violations,” Border Guard Commander Lt. Gen. Mohammed Abdul Wahab Sukka said during a meeting with Iranian border guard commanders. He said Iraqi authorities are ready to cooperate with the Iranian border guards “to ensure border protection and facilitate the movement of pilgrims,” according to the state news agency INA. Iranian Border Guard Commander Ahmad Ali Goudarz, for his part, said border forces in the two countries “are working shoulder to shoulder for…

Bosnia-Herzegovina’s top diplomat has hailed Türkiye’s role as a mediator in the Balkans region, pointing out “strong regional ties and growing global influence.” Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on Thursday, Foreign Minister Elmedin Konakovic described Türkiye as a key player on the world stage: “Türkiye is an important and major political factor in the world. In the Balkans, it can often serve as a serious mediator because it maintains relationships with other countries. I have great respect for this.” He also expressed admiration for Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his expertise: “I value him greatly. I consult him on…

China conducted four manned space missions as well as three cargo resupply missions over past two years with launch of 15 astronauts since the country completed its Tiangong space station two years back. In its first report detailing 181 scientific and application projects over the past two years, China Manned Space Agency said five separate crews with 15 astronauts completed extended stays in orbit. Four spacecraft return missions were also conducted, it added. The agency said it achieved at least 34 results, including those related to space life and human research, microgravity physical science research, and new space technology and…

Azerbaijan said on Monday that Moscow had promised to punish those responsible for the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that Baku says was shot at by Russian air defences. The AZAL Embraer 190 jet crash-landed in Kazakhstan on December 25, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has demanded that Moscow accept responsibility for mistakenly firing on the plane as it tried to make a scheduled landing at Grozny airport in south Russia. Russia has not confirmed that one of its air-defence missiles hit the plane, though President Vladimir Putin told Aliyev in a…

Greece announced on Monday a national strategy to address internet addiction and excessive social media usage among minors, state news agency AMNA reported. Speaking at the launch event, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “It is the image of children glued to a mobile phone who lose touch with the world. We discover along the way that they have severe psychological problems – depression, isolation, distraction. It has to do with the dark side of technology.” Maintaining that a universal ban would not be ineffective, he said the examination of the state’s regulatory role and holding the companies that design algorithms…

Flags across UK government buildings are flying at half-staff on Monday in honor of former US President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at the age of 100. The announcement of his death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from world leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and King Charles III. In a statement, King Charles III remembered the president’s historic 1977 visit to the UK with “great fondness,” highlighting his remarkable dedication to service.
 The king conveyed his condolences in a message to US President Joe Biden and the American people, praising Carter’s lifetime commitment to peace and…