Author: Anadolu Agency
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced Friday that Norway will provide €7 billion ($7.9 billion) in military aid to Ukraine in 2025, following a meeting with Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik. Umerov said the fresh pledge includes an additional €5 billion in security support and praised Oslo’s commitment. “Together, we analyzed the most effective ways to direct these funds to strengthen Ukraine’s Defense Forces,” he wrote on X. Equipping Ukrainian units with modern strike systems, armored vehicles, and advanced technologies is among the top priorities, according to Umerov. “This is critically important support in light of the current threats,”…
A group protesting controversial US tech billionaire Elon Musk destroyed a Tesla vehicle in London on Thursday during a demonstration billed as a “public art project.” Members of the Everyone Hates Elon campaign group smashed the secondhand car with sledgehammers and baseball bats, inviting others to join in. “Therapy is expensive, but this is free,” read a poster promoting the event. The group said that it offered people a way to “safely and legally” destroy a Tesla and that the vandalized car will be auctioned to raise money for local food banks. “There are more billionaires than ever before and…
Finance and central bank officials from China, Japan, South Korea, and other regional countries met this week and discussed the impact of US tariffs on the global and regional macroeconomic situation, according to a statement from China’s central bank on Friday. Xuan Changneng, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, attended the regular meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the finance and central bank deputy heads of China, Japan, and South Korea on April 8-9 in Malaysia, according to the statement. “The meeting discussed the impact of U.S. tariffs on the global and regional economic outlook,…
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Friday that his country wants a “win-win” outcome from tariff talks with the US as he dispatches a top economic aide to visit Washington next week, according to local media. Speaking to a government task force meeting in his office in Tokyo, Premier Ishiba formally tasked Ryosei Akazawa, his economic revitalization minister, to hold talks with US officials over President Donald Trump’s tariffs on his country. “Part of the reciprocal tariff has been put on hold, but there is no change in the fact that sectors such as auto, steel and aluminum, which serve…
Nearly 50 people have been killed in India and Nepal due to lightning strikes, hailstorms, and heavy rain, local media reported on Friday. At least 25 people were killed in various areas of the eastern Indian state of Bihar on Thursday when the region was hit by lightning strikes and hailstorms, the PTI news agency reported. The state’s chief minister office also confirmed the death toll in a statement, but former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav claimed that more than twice that number had lost their lives. “I am deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of more than 50 people…
Industrial production in the UK grew 1.5% month-on-month in February, beating market forecasts, according to official data released on Thursday. This rebound followed an upwardly revised fall of 0.5% in January, data from the Office for National Statistics showed. Markets had expected the figure to post an increase of 0.1% in February The rise in monthly output in February 2025 resulted from increases in manufacturing (up 2.2%), electricity and gas (up 2.0%), and water supply and sewerage (up 1.1%), it said. These were partially offset by a decrease in mining and quarrying (down 3.0%). The monthly increase in manufacturing output…
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in Russia for talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Friday. Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov neither confirmed nor denied whether Witkoff would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin but pedged to tell the public if such a meeting occurs. “Yes, I confirm, he has indeed arrived,” Peskov said. Earlier on Friday, US media outlets reported on Witkoff’s visit to Russia, suggesting that he was scheduled to have a third face-to-face meeting with Putin later that day. Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 showed Witkoff’s plane landing in St. Petersburg on Friday…
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday began a meeting about Ukraine with US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, according to a statement from the Kremlin. Witkoff arrived in the morning at Pulkovo Airport and earlier in the day, met with Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund. This marks Witkoff’s third visit to Russia and the previous trip took place on March 13 in Moscow, where he met senior Russian officials before being received by Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said that Witkoff delivered additional information on Ukraine during the March talks, and that…
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani praised Türkiye’s continued support for her country during her speech at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) on Friday. “I thank President Erdoğan for his personal engagement since when he was prime minister in making sure that more and more nations around the world recognize our struggle for freedom and our right in independence,” Osmani said, speaking as a panelist at the “ADFTalks” session. Erdoğan personally shows his support to us at every opportunity, she added during the session which was moderated by TRT World’s Andrew Hopkins, also highlighting the importance of international cooperation. “Through their (the…
US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is heading to Russia for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to media reports. The meeting may take place later on Friday, US outlet Axios claimed, citing sources familiar with the trip and flight data. This will be the third face-to-face meeting between Putin and Witkoff.