Author: Anadolu Agency

US President Donald Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariffs, which he announced on Wednesday as a “Declaration of Economic Independence,” will usher in a new era in global trade while fueling inflation and recession concerns for the US economy. Trump signed an executive order to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs on over 180 countries, ranging from 10% to 50%, to put an end to trade practices his administration found to have been unfair. The Trump administration aims to generate nearly $700 billion via these additional tariffs to finance tax cuts for the rich, but economists warn that these will result in higher import…

The first convoy of the YPG/PKK-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) withdrew from Aleppo on Friday under the supervision of the Syrian Defense Ministry, Syria’s state-run SANA reported. According to the report, the convoy began its withdrawal from the northern city of Aleppo towards the eastern Euphrates region, with the Syrian Arab Army securing the route from the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods. On Thursday, Aleppo witnessed a prisoner exchange between internal security forces and the SDF, marking the beginning of “prison clearing,” with approximately 250 prisoners released. On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement for…

Arms support to Ukraine will bring more destruction, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said on Friday. Arguing that many European leaders are wrong to think that pouring more weapons to Ukraine would force peace through strength, he said: “It is clear that this will not happen, and that it will lead to more destruction, more casualties, more distancing from peace and the loss of even more territory by Ukraine,” during in his address at the meeting of Aqaba Process for the Balkans Forum in Sofia, according to state-run BTA news agency. Radev warned that regional conflicts can swiftly escalate to global…

US President Donald Trump on Friday urged Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates and criticized him for being “late.” “This would be a PERFECT time for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to cut Interest Rates,” he said on Truth Social. “He is always ‘late,’ but he could now change his image, and quickly,” Trump added. Pointing to the decline in energy prices, interest rates, inflation and even egg prices and the increase in employment in two months, Trump said: “A BIG WIN for America. CUT INTEREST RATES, JEROME, AND STOP PLAYING POLITICS!” Trump’s call to cut rates came…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will engage in discussions with international leaders this weekend to address the growing concerns surrounding the US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Downing Street said on Friday. The talks are set to focus on how nations should collectively respond to the trade measures introduced by Trump. During a morning lobby briefing, a spokesperson revealed that while specific details regarding the identities of the leaders Starmer would be consulting with were not disclosed, the need for these conversations had been driven by the necessity of working “even more closely” with global allies in light of the economic…

The death toll from a Russian missile strike on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih has risen to 16, the governor of the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration, said on Friday. “Currently, there are more than 40 victims of an enemy attack in Kryvyi Rih,” Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also condemned the attack, saying: “A Russian missile struck an ordinary city. Just a street. A residential area. Preliminary information says it was a ballistic missile strike.” He said emergency crews were continuing search and rescue efforts, and at least five buildings had been damaged. “There are…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday announced the launch of a new trilateral cooperation format involving the military leaderships of Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and France, highlighting a significant step toward deeper strategic coordination. “Regarding the meeting with our colleagues from France and Britain… At first, our military worked deeply, very thoroughly; our commander-in-chief Syrsky worked; Palisa Pavlo also worked; and Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov also worked… They worked for quite a long time,” Zelensky said during a press briefing as quoted by Interfax-Ukraine. “This is not the first meeting, but it seems to me that such…

Global trade could shrink by 1% in 2025 due to reciprocal tariffs of 10%-50% imposed by the US on products imported from many of its trading partners, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has projected. In a statement released Thursday, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed concerns that these tariffs, along with other trade restrictions introduced earlier this year, could lead to a significant slowdown in global merchandise trade. “While the situation is rapidly evolving, our initial estimates suggest that these measures, coupled with those introduced since the beginning of the year, could lead to an overall contraction of around 1% in…

Türkiye’s Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek said the tariff increases are expected to have a negative impact on global growth by raising market risk perceptions and driving down commodity prices. “Tariff increases, which are expected to negatively affect global growth, are heightening risk perceptions in markets and exerting downward pressure on commodity prices,” he said. Stating that weak global growth poses a risk to Türkiye’s exports, Şimşek said that Türkiye’s relatively low tariff rate might result in a comparative advantage in some sectors. “On the other hand, the decline in commodity prices and tightening domestic financial conditions are expected to weaken…

After Washington initiated additional tariffs against both allies and rivals, China on Friday imposed a 34% additional tariff on all imports from the US, a move seen as a tit-for-tat against President Donald Trump’s 34% reciprocal tariffs on products from the world’s second-largest economy. The tariffs, set to go into effect next Thursday, will affect all US products imported to China, according to a Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council statement. The statement called the US’ reciprocal tariffs one-sided “bullying,” adding that they violate international trade rules and harm China’s rights and interests. China was subjected to 34% reciprocal…