Author: Anadolu Agency

The US and Japanese defense chiefs on Sunday reaffirmed the need to bolster the two countries’ alliance amid China’s “expanding military assertiveness” and North Korea’s nuclear and missile development. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed upgrading the alliance’s command and control frameworks for better coordination between the Japanese defense forces and the US military, while also seeking to expand cooperation in space and other fields, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported. Later, addressing a joint news conference, Nakatani said the two sides have agreed to move forward “with a sense of urgency” on initiatives to reinforce…

A pilot and a student were killed on Sunday morning when a two-seater plane crashed in the Philippines’ Pangasinan province, north of the capital Manila, local media reported. The training aircraft crashed into an open field in the town of Lingayen, killing the two at the scene, multiple local media outlets cited civil aviation authorities as saying. It was the second aircraft crash in Philippine this month. On March 5, two Philippine air force pilots were killed when their aircraft crashed during an anti-insurgency mission in the Bukidnon province. In February, a US military-contracted plane crashed in a rice field…

Saudi Arabia on Sunday welcomed the announcement of the new Syrian government and expressed its desire for cooperation with the newly formed cabinet. In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the kingdom welcomes the formation of the Syrian government and “hopes it will achieve the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people.” The ministry further stressed Saudi Arabia’s “eagerness to cooperate and work with the new Syrian government,” underscoring the “importance of the fraternal and historical relations between the two countries, which will enhance ties in various fields.” It also expressed its “best wishes for the new Syrian government’s success…

Twenty Palestinians, including 10 children, were killed and several others injured since early Sunday in Israeli airstrikes across northern and southern Gaza on the first day of Eid al-Fitr. Witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli airstrikes targeted homes, a tent shelter, and civilian vehicles in Gaza City, Jabalia in the north, and Khan Younis in the south. Seventeen people, including eight children, were killed when Israeli strikes hit several areas, including a family’s house in the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis, and a tent sheltering displaced families in Qizan Raswan, south of the city, according to medical sources.…

Türkiye on Sunday reaffirmed its commitment to global sustainability efforts as it marked the International Day of Zero Waste, which the UN General Assembly adopted in 2022. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry told how The Zero Waste initiative, launched in 2017 under the leadership of Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan, “paved the way for the United Nations General Assembly to designate 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste in 2022.” “The International Day of Zero Waste plays a vital role in promoting awareness of environmental protection and effective waste management,” a ministry statement said. “Türkiye reaffirms…

International leaders and environmental advocates highlighted the importance of zero waste initiatives and lauded Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan, chair of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, for her leadership during an exhibition at UN headquarters marking Sunday, March 30, International Zero Waste Day. Speaking to Anadolu, Lara van Druten, a member of the UN Zero Waste Advisory Board, voiced satisfaction with the gathering and said: “To mark the occasion, I’m wearing a suit made from recycled plastic.” Vijay Jagannathan, secretary-general of CityNet, the largest association of urban stakeholders committed to sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region,…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday held phone calls with world leaders to discuss regional and global issues, as well as to extend Eid greetings. During a phone call with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Erdoğan said that Ankara will continue to work with Algiers to halt the ongoing Israeli attacks in Palestine and ensure a ceasefire is established, according to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate. Türkiye will continue to make efforts to enhance the relations between the two nations through steps to be taken and visits to be made, he added. In a separate phone call with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, the national…

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen could face a political ban if convicted in an embezzlement trial set to conclude Monday, a development that could upend her bid for the 2027 presidential election, according to media reports that cites a recent ruling. France’s Constitutional Council ruled Friday that politicians convicted of a crime can be immediately barred from office, a decision that could have significant implications for Le Pen. While the case before the court did not directly involve her, the ruling raises the possibility that she could be disqualified from running if found guilty. In the embezzlement trial, prosecutors…

Israel’s security cabinet approved a new settlement road near occupied East Jerusalem late Saturday, paving the way for further Israeli construction in the contentious “E1” area. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and two settlement chiefs welcomed the decision on Sunday, Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported. The project includes an underground road in the occupied West Bank, allowing Israel to move forward with plans to expand settlements in E1, an area beyond the Green Line. While the road would link Palestinian towns, it would also separate them from the rest of the West Bank and restrict Palestinian movement on…

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he is “very angry” at Russian President Vladimir Putin over comments he made criticizing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s credibility. Putin on Friday called for a “transitional administration” to be installed in Ukraine, vowing, according to Agence France Press, that the Russian military would “finish off” Ukrainian forces. Trump said the comments made him “very angry” and “****ed off” as he seeks to broker a truce that would halt the bloodshed in Ukraine. He further threatened to impose sanctions on Russia’s oil sector if he believes the Kremlin is not contributing to efforts to…