Author: Anadolu Agency

Türkiye in 2024 signed military framework agreements with 89 countries, expanding its global cooperation, the country’s National Defense Ministry said on Sunday. “Our strength is our glory,” the ministry said in a video detailing its activities in 2024, highlighting Türkiye’s contributions to NATO and regional and global peace and stability. Ankara this year also signed military training cooperation agreements with 65 countries and military financial cooperation agreements with 33 nations, the ministry added. The ministry added that negotiations are ongoing for additional agreements with 42 countries for a military framework, 13 for military training cooperation, and 14 for financial cooperation…

Asma Assad, the British-born wife of ousted Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad, has been effectively barred from returning to the UK after her British passport expired, according to local media. Without a valid passport, Asma Assad cannot return to her hometown London, according to the Sunday Times. Moscow confirmed earlier this month that the Assads had fled Damascus and been granted asylum in Russia, though their exact whereabouts are unknown. The report further suggests she is in critical condition due to leukemia, with only a 50-50 chance of survival. “The disclosure about her passport status came as her father, Fawaz…

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday that an Israeli raid on the Kamal Adwan Hospital put “the last major health facility” in the northern Gaza Strip out of service, calling an end to “this horror.” Initial reports indicate that some key departments were severely burned and destroyed during the raid, while 60 health workers and 25 patients in critical condition, including those on ventilators, reportedly remain at the hospital, it said on X. The UN agency said patients in moderate to severe conditions were forced to evacuate to the destroyed and non-functional Indonesian Hospital. “WHO is deeply concerned for…

Israel reportedly engaged in secret communications with the ousted Bashar Assad’s regime in recent years using the messaging app WhatsApp, according to a report Friday by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. It said Israel conducted covert operations to establish contact with Assad and his inner circle, sending messages through Israeli intelligence agents posing as “Musa” on WhatsApp. The messages allegedly reached high-ranking officials in Damascus. One operation reportedly sought to negotiate a secret deal where Assad would halt the transfer of weapons to Lebanon in exchange for lifting international sanctions against his regime. The report noted that by the end of…

Türkiye’s defense industry has reached 70% domestic production capacity in 2024, according to the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MUSIAD)’s Türkiye Defense Industry 2024 report released Friday. It discusses the current situation and future projections of the domestic defense industry and states that significant successes have been achieved in strategic products, with an increase in domestic production capacity to 70%. The report includes an evaluation by the MUSIAD Defense Industry Board, which suggests that foreign dependency in engines and power transmission systems should be reduced. The report highlights that there is still foreign dependence on resources for engine and power…

Türkiye’s defense industry has reached 70% domestic production capacity in 2024, according to the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MUSIAD)’s Türkiye Defense Industry 2024 report released Friday. It discusses the current situation and future projections of the domestic defense industry and states that significant successes have been achieved in strategic products, with an increase in domestic production capacity to 70%. The report includes an evaluation by the MUSIAD Defense Industry Board, which suggests that foreign dependency in engines and power transmission systems should be reduced. The report highlights that there is still foreign dependence on resources for engine and power…

The White House confirmed Friday that a ninth US telecommunications company was breached as part of an extensive Chinese hacking campaign targeting critical infrastructure in the US and other nations. The cyber-espionage group referred to as “Salt Typhoon,” also known by aliases such as Earth Estries, FamousSparrow, Ghost Emperor and UNC2286), has been active since at least 2019, specializing in infiltrating government and telecom networks globally. White House Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger disclosed the new breach during a news conference, emphasizing vulnerabilities in the private sector’s cybersecurity practices. “The reality is that China is targeting critical infrastructure in…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged China on Friday to influence North Korea, emphasizing Beijing’s responsibility to ensure the war in Ukraine does not escalate. “The Korean nation should not lose its people in the battles in Europe. And this can be influenced, particularly by Korea’s neighbors, especially China. “If China is sincere in its statements that the war should not escalate, it must exert appropriate pressure on Pyongyang,” Zelenskyy said in an evening address on X, following a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to discuss developments on the frontline. “The Donetsk areas are the most intense, as…

An injured staff member of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) was safely evacuated from Yemen on Friday following an attack on the Sana’a airport, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). “Today we managed to evacuate our WFP (World Food Programme) UNHAS colleague who was injured in yesterday’s attack on Sana’a airport in Yemen. We are now in Jordan, where he will receive further medical treatment,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X. The victim was part of a UN mission negotiating the release of detained colleagues in Yemen. Tedros expressed gratitude to the UNHAS team for their…

Elon Musk, a US business magnate who owns SpaceX, Tesla, and the social media platform X, continues to face censorship accusations from conservatives amid a row over immigration on Friday. According to an NBC News review, X reportedly revoked at least 14 conservative accounts’ blue verification badges late Thursday or Friday, cutting them off from a variety of premium features, including the ability to monetize their accounts through subscriptions and advertising revenue sharing. Following these events, Musk posted on X to remind users that the algorithm is programmed to maximize “unregretted user-seconds.” “If far more credible, verified subscriber accounts (not…