Author: Anadolu Agency
Replacing the US nuclear umbrella-a cornerstone of transatlantic security for more than seven decades-would be an exceptionally daunting task for Europe, according to a leading expert. Europe’s renewed discussions about nuclear capabilities stem from significant shifts in global strategic dynamics, with the most significant being the new US administration’s focus on Asia-Pacific and its push to redistribute responsibilities within NATO, Tomas Nagy, a senior research fellow on nuclear, space, and missile defense at the GLOBSEC think tank, told Anadolu. “The catalyst was US Secretary of State Pete Hegseth’s statement at the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in February, signaling that the…
Several Asian nations have offered condolences after Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88 after a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced on Monday. Pakistan’s President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences to the Vatican and the entire Catholic community on Francis’ death. The two paid tributes to his services, saying he would be remembered for his efforts in promoting peace, social justice, inter-faith dialogue, and the well-being of the most vulnerable communities worldwide. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he is “deeply pained” by the death of the pope. “In this hour of…
Both Russia and Ukraine on Monday reported airstrikes in their respective countries as an Easter ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin expired at midnight without an extension. Ukraine’s Air Force claimed on Telegram that the country’s air defenses shot down 42 out of 96 drones launched by Russia overnight and that Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv were the regions affected. In the northeastern Kharkiv region, Governor Oleh Synyehubov wrote on Telegram that three separate missile strikes in the region’s front-line Kupiansk district resulted in damage to residential buildings. Meanwhile, Dnipropetrovsk Governor Serhiy Lysak said that a fire broke out at…
The UN on Monday marked 50 days since Israel imposed a complete blockade on humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, warning of a rapidly deteriorating situation that is endangering the lives of civilians. “Today marks 50 days since the Israeli authorities have completely blocked incoming supplies of any kind into the Gaza Strip,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference. Citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric said: “Since early March, not a single truck carrying food, fuel, medicine or any other essentials have been allowed in no matter how critical they are…
During Israel’s 18-month-long war in Gaza, Pope Francis made a daily phone call to Gaza’s only Catholic parish, offering prayers and words of comfort. In his final address and public appearance on Easter Sunday, he called for a ceasefire in Gaza, reiterating his unwavering appeal for peace in the besieged Palestinian enclave. On Monday, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the age of 88. He suffered a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis” associated with thrombocytopenia, according to a previous Vatican statement. Pope Francis is seen as a symbol of…
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a law ratifying a strategic partnership deal signed between Moscow and Tehran earlier this year. The document was published on the Russian government portal. The signing of the law follows the ratification of the deal by the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of parliament, during a plenary meeting on April 16. The State Duma, the country’s lower house of parliament, also ratified the deal on April 8. On Jan. 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a 20-year comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in Moscow. Putin said during a press…
China and Egypt held their first joint air force drill, Chinese media reported on Sunday. Named “Eagles of Civilization 2025,” the joint air force exercise kicked off at an air base in Egypt on Saturday morning, with China deploying fighter jets, early warning aircraft, tanker aircraft and helicopters to the drill, state-run CCTV reported. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force’s J-10C fighter jet, YU-20 aerial tanker aircraft and KJ-500 early warning aircraft are participating in the ongoing exercise, while the Egyptian side has deployed the MiG-29 fighter jets. The exercise featured a long-distance maneuvering. The drill holds significant…
The Donald Trump administration urged the US Supreme Court on Saturday to lift its emergency order that blocked deportations under the Alien Enemies Act The order came following an urgent appeal by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The Hill, a US daily, reported that in a court filing, Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the justices to dissolve the stay and let lower courts resolve the issue, accusing ACLU lawyers of “improperly skipping over the lower courts” and calling their petition “fatally premature.” Sauer also claimed the government provided migrants “adequate time to file” legal challenges and had agreed…
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Sunday it is closely following the case of a Turkish PhD student who was detained in the US last month after writing a pro-Palestinian article for a student newspaper. Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was one of four students who wrote an op-ed in The Tufts Daily at Tufts University, criticizing the school’s response to student activists demanding the school “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,” disclose investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel. Ozturk was apprehended by masked immigration officials March 25 in a Boston, Massachusetts, suburb and subsequently driven to Vermont before being put on…
Chinese satellite company Chang Guang Satellite Technology on Saturday rejected an allegation from the US that it is supporting Houthis by providing them intelligence, Global Times reported. This came after US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that Chang Guang Satellite Technology was “directly aiding Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen by providing satellite imagery used to target US and international vessels in the Red Sea,” according to a Fox News report. In response, the company rejected the accusation, calling the claims “entirely fabricated and maliciously slanderous,” and said that it has no business connections with Iran or the Houthi forces,…