Author: Anadolu Agency

Bulgaria will demand compensation for the relatives of a Bulgarian UN staffer killed in Gaza last month, the foreign minister said Thursday, the BTA news agency reported. The remarks came after Israeli confirmation that the March 19 explosion in the town of Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, which killed Marin Marinov, was caused by a shot fired by an Israeli tank. “I would like once again to express my deepest condolences and sympathy to the family’s grief for their grave loss,” Georgiev said. He added that the Bulgarian side received official apologies from Israel over the death of its citizen. He…

US federal agents arrested Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil without a warrant last month, citing concerns that he might flee before one could be obtained, according to newly filed court documents. “Generally, a warrant of arrest must be obtained. However, an exception to the warrant requirement exists where the immigration officer has reason to believe that the individual is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained,” attorneys for the government argued in the filing in the court. The government’s lawyers justified the arrest by claiming Khalil was uncooperative and stated “he was going to leave the scene,” but…

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that trade talks with South Korea “may be moving faster” than expected. “We had a very successful bilateral meeting with Republic of South Korea today. We may be moving faster than I thought, and we will be talking technical terms as early as next week, as we reach an agreement on understanding as soon as next week. “So, South Koreans came early. They came with their A game, and we will see if they follow through on that,” Bessent told reporters at the White House. South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok departed Tuesday…

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Friday said the country’s trade relationship with the EU is “arguably more important” than its ties with the US, despite her ongoing focus on securing a deal with Washington. Speaking to the BBC ahead of her meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday, Reeves acknowledged the attention given to transatlantic trade, but stressed the strategic importance of improving ties with Europe. “I understand why there’s so much focus on our trading relationship with the US but actually our trading relationship with Europe is arguably even more important, because they’re our nearest neighbors and…

Numerous world leaders and royals will attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome on Saturday. US President Donald Trump, UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, German President and Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Prince William, Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have all confirmed their attendance at the funeral. Other leaders and royals who will attend Pope Francis’ funeral include Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Argentine President Javier Gerardo Milei, Ecuadorian President Daniel…

Two organizations’ move against the slave-like conditions of coffee workers in Brazil may cause difficulties for coffee and fast-food giants Starbucks, Nestle, JDE, Dunkin’, Illy, and McDonald’s. International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) and the nonprofit watchdog organization Coffee Watch filed petitions on behalf of Brazilian farmworkers in the US District Court of Washington against the coffee giant, claiming that workers face harsh working conditions, as shown in Coffee Watch’s statement on Thursday. Coffee Watch requested that the US government prohibit imports of coffee tainted by slavery and forced labor from Brazil by major importers such as Starbucks, Nestle, JDE, Dunkin’ Donuts,…

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde on Friday warned that the ongoing escalation in global trade tensions complicates the inflation outlook. “While the international community has benefited from an increase in trade and a reduction in barriers over many decades, the escalation of trade tensions and the imposition of tariffs have created strong headwinds for the global economy,” she said during her speech at the International Monetary and Financial Committee meeting in Washington, DC. Stating that global inflation is expected to decline gradually due to the easing of labor markets in advanced economies and the impact of monetary policy…

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday warned of a sharply rising risk of infectious disease outbreaks in Myanmar’s earthquake-affected areas, as thousands remain displaced in makeshift shelters ahead of the monsoon season. “The risk of infectious disease outbreaks is rising sharply. With the monsoon season approaching, the threat of dengue and malaria is becoming a reality,” Thushara Fernando, WHO representative to Myanmar, said during a UN press briefing in Geneva. One month after twin earthquakes struck central Myanmar, more than 3,700 people have been confirmed dead, over 5,100 injured and at least 114 still missing. Tens of thousands are…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday claimed that components manufactured by US companies were found in a missile used to attack the country’s capital Kyiv earlier this week, killing 12 people. “The missile that killed civilians in Kyiv contained at least 116 components sourced from other countries-and most of them, unfortunately, were manufactured by American companies,” Zelensky said on X. On Thursday, a Russian missile attack on Kyiv killed 12 people and injured 90 others, with Ukraine alleging the use of a North Korean missile in the attack. Neither Russian nor North Korean officials have commented on the claims. “The…

Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula “will stay with Russia” as part of any agreement to end the Kremlin’s war on its eastern European neighbor, US President Donald Trump said in remarks published Friday. “Crimea will stay with Russia. And Zelensky understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time. It’s been with them long before Trump came along,” Trump said during an interview with Time Magazine. The strong backing of Russia’s position came just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would never recognize Moscow’s occupation of Crimea, remarks that prompted Trump to lash out at…