Author: Anadolu Agency

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Congress on Monday about the “potential reorganization” of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). President Donald Trump earlier in the day appointed Rubio as the acting director of USAID. USAID “has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad,” the State Department said in a statement, adding “significant portions” of the agency’s funding are not aligned with the core national interests of the US. Rubio “has also now notified Congress that a review of USAID’s foreign assistance activities is underway with an eye towards potential reorganization,” it…

US President Donald Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday. Following the talks, which will mark Trump’s first meeting with a foreign leader since his inauguration on Jan. 20, he and Netanyahu are expected to hold a news conference. Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, DC comes as a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas continues to hold in the Gaza Strip, where more than 47,500 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023. Trump said Monday that he cannot guarantee that the ceasefire in Gaza will hold and told reporters in…

The Trump administration’s plan to merge the US development aid and foreign assistance agency into the State Department and impose funding freezes has sparked a backlash from former officials, who warn of dire global consequences. Speaking to CBS News on Monday, surgeon Atul Gawande, a former USAID global health director, called the changes “not an overhaul, but a destruction.” He also highlighted the harm already caused, including halted HIV treatments for 20 million people and disrupted disease monitoring in 49 countries. Public health advocates say cutting funding to fight diseases worldwide allows them to spread and flourish and also harm…

The Kremlin on Tuesday called US President Donald Trump’s plans to exchange Ukrainian rare earth minerals for further military aid a “commercial proposal.” A day earlier, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Ukraine should provide the US with its rare earth minerals in exchange for Washington’s continued support for Kyiv in the country’s ongoing war with Russia. Noting that Washington and Kyiv are engaged in ongoing talks over the matter, Trump further complained that the US is providing more economic and military aid to Ukraine than Europe. “Well, probably, if we call a spade a spade, this is…

Palestinian resistance group Hamas confirmed Tuesday that negotiations of the second phase for the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement have started. “The second-phase negotiations and contacts have started, and we are focused on shelter, relief, and rebuilding for our people in Gaza,” group spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua said in a statement. He accused Israel of “delaying the implementation of humanitarian protocols in the ceasefire agreement and stalling its execution.” “Shelter and humanitarian aid are urgent priorities that cannot be subject to Israeli delays,” he added.

The Israeli army has detained 380 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the start of the Gaza ceasefire agreement on Jan. 19, a prisoners’ affairs group said on Tuesday. The Palestinian Prisoner Society said that the highest number of arrests were reported in the northern city of Jenin and its refugee camp where 110 people were taken into custody. According to the group, 22 people were also rounded up in the city of Tubas and 20 others in Tulkarem. On Jan. 21, the Israeli army launched an assault on Jenin city and its refugee camp, killing at least 25…

Greece voiced opposition Tuesday to any plans to displace Palestinians from their territory, rebuffing a recent proposal by US President Donald Trump. “Any scenario that could lead to turmoil and further uncertainty, including population displacement from Gaza or the West Bank, should be prevented,” Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis said after meeting his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Al Safadi in the capital Amman. Trump’s widely criticized proposal suggested the Palestinians in Gaza could be resettled in Jordan and Egypt. Gerapetritis added that the current ceasefire in Gaza and hostage release agreement could be a turning point and positive step toward ensuring stability…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received the Egyptian foreign minister in Türkiye’s capital Ankara, the presidency said on Tuesday. The closed-door meeting between Erdoğan and Badr Abdelatty was held at the presidential complex, where Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was also present. No further details were provided.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will meet with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Türkiye’s capital Ankara on Wednesday, the communications director said on Tuesday.
 The discussions will focus on cooperation in the defense industry, with Türkiye-Germany relations to be addressed in all its aspects, Fahrettin Altun said on X.
 The situation of the Turkish community in Germany will also be on the agenda, Altun added. He said that the talks are also expected to include an exchange of views on Türkiye-EU relations and current regional issues. “We believe that the long-standing and deep-rooted bilateral relations between Türkiye and Germany…

Türkiye’s inflation is expected to continue falling further to 23% at the end of 2025 and 18% in 2026, Fitch Ratings senior director Erich Arispe Morales told Anadolu. Fitch upgraded Türkiye’s credit rating from B+ to BB- with a stable outlook in September 2024, and affirmed the rating and the stable outlook at the end of January this year. Morales stated that Türkiye’s current account deficit is declining and its international reserves are stronger. He highlighted that the ongoing decrease in foreign exchange-protected deposits and the year-end inflation of 44.4% in 2024 are in line with the revised targets of…