Author: Anadolu Agency

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…

More than 90% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed and damaged, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday, citing data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as Israel’s ongoing war on the enclave plunges civilians deeper into humanitarian catastrophe. “With nowhere safe to go, families shelter in unsafe ruins,” the agency said on X and urged: “IOM has shelter aid ready—entry points must open NOW.” Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory. The Israeli army resumed…

More than 90% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed and damaged, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday, citing data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), as Israel’s ongoing war on the enclave plunges civilians deeper into humanitarian catastrophe. “With nowhere safe to go, families shelter in unsafe ruins,” the agency said on X and urged: “IOM has shelter aid ready—entry points must open NOW.” Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza’s crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory. The Israeli army resumed…

The UN’s top peacekeeping official warned Thursday that UN missions are operating in the most challenging environment since World War II, as global conflicts grow more complex and dangerous. “Now we are obviously in a context that is challenging. Needless to say, we’re facing more conflict within and between states than any time since World War Two,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, during a news conference ahead of the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial meeting set for May 13-14 in Berlin, Germany. He noted that the nature of conflict is “rapidly evolving,” citing transnational organized crime and the…

Harvard University President Alan Garber said on Wednesday that the school would not compromise on certain issues despite the federal government’s threat to freeze more than $2 billion in funding. In an exclusive interview to NBC news, Garber said the school had “no choice” but to fight back against what it believes is federal overreach and an illegal attempt by the government to withhold funding as leverage to control academic decision-making. “We are defending what I believe is one of the most important lynchpins of the American economy and way of life — our universities,” Garber said. – TRUMP ADMINISTRATION…

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that negotiations with Iran concerning its nuclear program are advancing “very well.” “I think we’re doing very well with respect to Iran, and we’re having very serious meetings. And there are only two options,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “One option is not a good option. It’s not a not a good option at all. And I think we’re doing very well on an agreement with Iran, but that one, we’re doing a lot of things, I will say, but that one is, well on its way. We could have a very,…

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Boeing “should default China” for not taking finished planes it committed to purchase. “This is just a small example of what China has done to the USA, for years… And, by the way, Fentanyl continues to pour into our Country from China, through Mexico and Canada, killing hundreds of thousands of our people, and it better stop, NOW!” Trump said on Truth Social. Boeing hopes to find new buyers for dozens of planes returned by China after tariffs were imposed that were prompted by Trump’s trade war. Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s chief executive, said…

A new fleet of tug boats ordered for the Australian Navy was secretly built at a Chinese shipyard under a $28 million contract awarded to a Dutch company last year, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported Thursday. Citing certification documents, the ABC said the first of three “harbor tugs” was completed in late December at the Damen company’s “state-of-the-art” Changde facility in China’s southern Hunan province before being delivered to Australia. In a letter sent from its Netherlands headquarters last year, Damen told Australia’s Defense Department the tug boat build “will be heavily reliant upon established supply chains both in…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country wants a common understanding with the US that Russia is the “aggressor” in the war, emphasizing Kyiv views Washington as a key strategic partner. “We know that the United States has a mediator position in this conflict. And this is the choice that the United States made,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with American journalist Ben Shapiro, cited by Interfax-Ukraine. “But we consider the United States as a strong strategic partner that has influence,” he said. “We would very much like these two forces to be used in relation to Russia, so that…

The UN granted 17 million euros ($19.3 million) to the Lebanese army on Thursday to equip and train new recruits for deployment in southern Lebanon. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met in Beirut with a delegation representing the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), including Head of the Peace Division Evariste Karambizi and Director of the Diplomatic Division Rabih Haddad. Aoun was briefed by the UN delegation about UNITAR activities in the field of logistics and training, the presidency said in a statement. Karambizi said the grant will be allocated for equipping and training 4,500 new army recruits assigned to…