Author: Anadolu Agency

The Palestinian Water Authority PWA) warned Saturday about the imminent humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip because of the collapse of water and sanitation services amid Israel’s offensive. It said the enclave has become a region “dying of thirst.” The PWA accused Israel of “committing a grave and systematic war crime by using thirst and starvation as tools of genocide.” It said that “water extraction in Gaza has declined by 70-80% since the beginning of the ongoing genocide.” “Current water consumption has dropped to an alarming 3-5 liters per person per day—far below the World Health Organization’s emergency minimum of…

US President Donald Trump has a Middle East policy that is different from Israel, a former US envoy said, amid growing divisions between Washington and Tel Aviv over a host of regional issues. “I think what you’re seeing is the Israelis recognizing that as much as they welcomed the election of President Trump and thought that would really give them a blank check to pursue whatever agenda they wanted, Trump has his own agenda,” NBC News quoted Frank Lowenstein, a former Middle East envoy under the Obama administration, as saying during a virtual briefing organized by J Street, an advocacy…

The US should advocate for free and fair trade globally, especially with key partners like Türkiye, where numerous collaboration opportunities exist, said the head of the chamber of commerce in Denver, the capital of the Western US state of Colorado, visiting Istanbul for a trade event. The opportunities between Colorado and Türkiye, particularly Istanbul, are tremendous, J. J. Ament, the chamber’s president and CEO, told Anadolu. The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce has been Colorado’s largest business organization and the leading voice for the region’s business community for over 150 years. “We need to make sure that those barriers are…

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, in an opinion piece, addressed US President Donald Trump and argued that the current Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is actively undermining core US interests in the Middle East and should no longer be considered an ally. Friedman asserted that this Israeli administration’s actions diverge significantly from US policy goals. “This Israeli government is behaving in ways that threaten hard-core U.S. interests in the region. Netanyahu is not our friend,” he wrote. – Shifting priorities According to Friedman, the current Israeli leadership’s primary focus is not on achieving peace with its Arab…

Arab countries welcomed the announcement Saturday of a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, which came after four days of deadly fighting that nearly escalated into a full-scale war. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Kingdom welcomed the deal between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. It voiced optimism that it would help restore peace and security in the region and commended both for “prioritizing wisdom and self-restraint and reaffirms its support for resolving disputes through dialogue and peaceful means.” Qatar also welcomed the agreement, expressing full support for efforts aimed at de-escalation and peaceful conflict resolution. The Foreign Ministry…

Voters in Albania headed to the polls on Sunday for the country’s 11th general elections since the 1991 fall of the country’s communist regime. Polling began at 7 am local time (0500GMT) and will continue until 7 pm (1700GMT). Over 3.71 million registered voters are eligible to cast ballots. Fifty-three political parties and three pre-election coalitions are competing for the 140 seats in parliament. The ruling Socialist Party, led by Prime Minister Edi Rama, has been leading in pre-election polls. The main opposition Democratic Party, led by former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, is also among the favorites and is running…

South Korea logged the lowest economic growth among 19 major economies in the first quarter, following a months-long domestic political crisis and uncertainties caused by US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, data showed Sunday. The real gross domestic product (GDP) — a key measure of economic growth — of Asia’s fourth-largest economy shrank 0.246% in the January-March period from the previous quarter, Yonhap News reported, quoting data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). It marked the weakest quarterly performance among 19 major nations, including the US, Canada, France, Germany and China. Ireland recorded the highest growth rate at 3.219%, followed…

A Kremlin spokesman rejected claims Saturday that Vladimir Putin’s upcoming media appearance is designed to “blow up” coverage, saying the internet often exaggerates matters, according to TASS. “The internet always wants to blow something up. We are not going to blow anything up,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters, addressing speculation that Putin’s remarks would dominate the American media in prime time. Peskov made the comments as Putin’s media appearance was delayed due to prolonged meetings with foreign guests in Moscow for Victory Day commemorations. The Kremlin initially planned the appearance for the evening, but Putin’s engagements with visiting dignitaries continued later…

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip on Saturday. A statement from the Kremlin Palace said Putin met Abbas, who is visiting for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory against Nazi Germany in World War II and May 9 Victory Day, in Moscow. Putin emphasized the importance of relations with Palestine and noted that the two peoples are connected by strong bonds of friendship, in the part of the meeting that was open to the media. Addressing the situation in Gaza, Putin stressed that tragic events are unfolding in…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney urged Russia on Saturday to “come to the table in good faith” for a ceasefire deal in Ukraine or face additional punitive measures. Carney wrote on X that he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and allied leaders as part of the Coalition of the Willing. He stressed that Canada supports a month-long, unconditional ceasefire starting Monday, describing it as a path toward ending the “senseless and brutal war.” “Now, Russia must come to the table in good faith,” he said. “If it chooses to reject or delay the ceasefire, we’ll pursue further and stronger…