Author: Anadolu Agency

Britain has criticized North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launches, saying they violated multiple UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea’s “ballistic missile launch on 14 January is another breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions,” a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said in a statement on Tuesday. They said unlawful ballistic missile launches continue to destabilize the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula. “The UK strongly urges the DPRK (North Korea) to stop such provocations and return to dialogue,” the spokesperson added. The statement came after North Korea fired several suspected short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, also…

The Dec. 3 martial law declaration by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was “wrong,” Han Duck-soo, who was impeached as prime minister, accepted in a parliamentary briefing on Wednesday, Yonhap news reported. “Looking at its substantive flaws, including procedural ones, I believe (the martial law) was not normal,” Han told lawmakers during a committee meeting over Yoon’s martial law decree. Yoon shocked the nation last month when he imposed army law, which was annulled by a parliamentary vote within hours. “I think that the martial law was wrong,” Han said. The 63-year-old Yoon has since been impeached and was…

Russia is “cautiously optimistic” about the possibility of an early cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov emphasized the urgent need to halt hostilities, citing the severe humanitarian crisis in the blockaded enclave. “This cautious optimism stems from the dire humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, which continues to worsen. A cease-fire and truce are urgently needed to alleviate the inhumane hardships faced by those still residing in the region,” Peskov stated. Israel and Hamas are said to be close to finalizing a deal for the cease-fire…

The Venezuelan government has imposed diplomatic restrictions on the Netherlands, France, and Italy, citing their “hostile actions” and “support for extremist groups” as reasons. Caracas asked the countries to limit the number of their accredited diplomats in their respective embassies to three within 48 hours, according to local media. “Venezuela will continue to take steps in accordance with international law to safeguard its stability, sovereignty, and the peace and prosperity it has achieved through its own efforts,” the country’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said on Telegram on Tuesday. Gil also said diplomats from the Netherlands, France, and Italy must get…

As TikTok faces a potential ban in the US due to take effect this weekend, many users are turning to Chinese-based social media app RedNote (Xiaohongshu) as an alternative. The US Supreme Court is currently deliberating whether to ban TikTok or mandate its sale to an American company due to national security concerns, as mandated by a law passed last year. In response, some TikTok users in the US have started using RedNote, another popular Chinese platform with around 300 million users globally. The move has led to over 160,000 posts under the hashtag #tiktokrefugee, with RedNote becoming the most…

Russia on Tuesday accused Ukraine of carrying out an overnight attack on its Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, using US-made ATACMS missiles and UK-made Storm Shadow missiles. According to a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry, six ATACMS missiles, six Storm Shadow missiles, and 31 drones were launched by Kyiv, targeting facilities in the region. The ministry claimed that Russian air defenses intercepted all missiles and drones, with no casualties reported. The ministry also alleged that two additional Storm Shadow missiles were intercepted over the Black Sea and warned that Ukraine’s actions “will not go unanswered.” In November 2024, Ukraine…

The Spanish foreign minister began his Middle East tour in Beirut on Wednesday, holding high-level meetings with Lebanese officials to underline Spain’s commitment to peace, stability, and security in Lebanon. In a meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Jose Manuel Albares emphasized Spain’s support for the country’s efforts to form a new government and pursue stability and prosperity. “I conveyed Spain’s support for the progress in forming the new government and our commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity in Lebanon,” Albares said on X. He also met with Lebanon’s new President Joseph Aoun to discuss political stability, reconstruction, and…

France will end state funding for a high school attended predominantly by Muslim students starting in September this year, local media reported Tuesday. Fabienne Buccio, prefect of the Auvergne Rhone Alpes region in southeast-central France, announced the termination of three agreements between the state and the Al-Kindi school group in Decines-Charpieu, a commune in the region of Lyon in southeastern France. Authorities said the agreements were terminated on the grounds that Al-Kindi allegedly violated administrative, pedagogical and “republican” values. The Al-Kindi school group, which includes elementary, middle and high schools, serves approximately 620 students. The move has raised concerns over…

Russia on Tuesday accused Ukraine of carrying out an overnight attack on its Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, using US-made ATACMS missiles and UK-made Storm Shadow missiles. According to a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry, six ATACMS missiles, six Storm Shadow missiles, and 31 drones were launched by Kyiv, targeting facilities in the region. The ministry claimed that Russian air defenses intercepted all missiles and drones, with no casualties reported. The ministry also alleged that two additional Storm Shadow missiles were intercepted over the Black Sea and warned that Ukraine’s actions “will not go unanswered.” In November 2024, Ukraine…

Russia on Tuesday accused Ukraine of carrying out an overnight attack on its Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, using US-made ATACMS missiles and UK-made Storm Shadow missiles. According to a statement by the Russian Defense Ministry, six ATACMS missiles, six Storm Shadow missiles, and 31 drones were launched by Kyiv, targeting facilities in the region. The ministry claimed that Russian air defenses intercepted all missiles and drones, with no casualties reported. The ministry also alleged that two additional Storm Shadow missiles were intercepted over the Black Sea and warned that Ukraine’s actions “will not go unanswered.” In November 2024, Ukraine…