Author: Anadolu Agency

US President-elect Donald Trump appointed Brian Burch, an outspoken conservative and president of CatholicVote who is vocal critic of Pope Francis, as the US ambassador to the Vatican. The Vatican, often referred to as the “Holy See,” serves as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and is led by Pope Francis. . “I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday. Stating that Burch, a vocal critic of pope, is a “devout” Catholic, US President-elect added that Burch has earned “numerous”…

An investigation by the Israeli army on Saturday disclosed several failed attempts to intercept a ballistic missile launched from Yemen, which struck central Tel Aviv. The missile, fired by Houthi forces, landed in a stadium in the Jaffa area early Saturday creating a large crater, injuring 20 people, and damaging numerous apartments, according to Israeli daily Haaretz. The investigation revealed that the missile was detected and an alert was issued for the central region, according to the Israeli army report. It noted that initial interception attempts using upper-atmosphere defense systems failed outside Israeli borders. Subsequent attempts at lower altitudes also…

The suspect who drove into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing five people and injuring more than 200 others, is a 50-year-old Saudi doctor described as anti-Islam, and a supporter of far-right and Zionism. German media has named the person as Talib A, who knocked over dozens of people on Friday evening before being arrested by police. The suspect came to Germany in 2006 and had been working as a psychiatrist in Bernburg, south of Magdeburg. His social media posts often expressed concerns about the rise of Islam in Germany. He shared posts in…

Pope Francis on Saturday condemned the recent Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, expressing sorrow over the bombing of children in the Gaza Strip the previous day. “Yesterday, children were bombed. This is not war. This is cruelty. I want to say this because it touches my heart,” he told members of the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s central administration. He also lamented that Israeli airstrikes had prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest representative of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, from entering Gaza. Israel has killed more than 45,000 people, most of them women and children, in Gaza since the Oct.…

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed on Saturday that it killed five Israeli soldiers in a “stabbing and engagement operation” in the Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza. In a statement, the military wing said that during a combined operation in Jabalia, its fighters “eliminated three Israeli soldiers by stabbing them with knives, seized their personal weapons” and then “stormed a house where an infantry unit was fortified and killed two soldiers at its entrance.” It added that its fighters “engaged with others at point-blank range in the middle of Jabalia camp.” Israel launched a large-scale ground operation in…

Türkiye is expected to receive larger foreign capital and resource inflows next year as its economy becomes increasingly more stable and incentives investors, Erdal Bahcivan, chairman of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO), told Anadolu. Bahcivan said the global economy is entering disinflation with inflation going down, especially in the EU. “The political uncertainties in France and Germany will reveal what will happen to Europe, while, the second Trump era’s more protectionist and closed economy becomes a strong discourse, it may bring along a number of other question marks that we cannot fully predict,” said Bahcivan. He highlighted that Türkiye’s…

The last 18 months have seen notable and mutually beneficial progress in Türkiye-Greece ties despite the fact that significant issues remain unsolved, according to leading Greek experts. Reflecting on the tense summer of 2020, Maria Gavouneli, head of Athens-based think tank ELIAMEP, noted the shift in approach. “I think at some point common sense prevailed – that it was not the way to do business, especially if you are neighbors and condemned by history and geography to live side by side,” she said of the renewed rapprochement between Greece and Türkiye. While both sides acknowledge that major disputes remain unresolved,…

Türkiye and Poland are advancing their economic partnership, with expanding trade and investment prospects ushering in a new age of cooperation, a Polish diplomat has said. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Witold Lesniak, Poland’s consul general in Istanbul, highlighted the dynamic relationship between the two nations and emphasized growing partnership in sectors such as agriculture and cosmetics. “Our economic partnership is thriving,” Lesniak said. “We see great potential in further strengthening our bilateral ties, especially in trade, innovation and mutual investment.” Expanding horizons Trade between Poland and Türkiye reached 12.2 billion euros ($12.6 billion) in 2023, a 17% increase from…

Navigating through Istanbul’s narrow, bustling streets, Ahmet expertly maneuvers his motorcycle, skillfully dodging pedestrians and cars. He pauses outside a small warehouse to grab a bag of groceries and take a quick puff from his cigarette, readying himself for the next delivery just moments away. Ahmet is one of thousands of delivery workers caught up in the rapid growth of Istanbul’s quick commerce (q-commerce) sector. What began as a service for speedy meals and essentials has now evolved into a multibillion-dollar industry, becoming an integral part of daily life in a city of over 15 million people. In recent years,…

The family of a Turkish-American activist killed by Israel demanded justice and accountability from Joe Biden’s administration as they paid a visit to Washington, D.C., this week. During their meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, members of Congress and other officials, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi’s family demanded an independent, U.S.-led investigation into her death and expressed frustration with the Biden administration’s lack of action. Mehmet Suat Eygi, Ayşenur’s father, expressed frustration with the U.S. government’s handling of his daughter’s killing by Israeli forces. “Opening an investigation, this is the part about justice,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA). “But we…