Author: Anadolu Agency

Pakistan will “defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio amid tensions with India. Sharif conveyed to the US “Pakistan’s strong condemnation of India’s missile and drone strikes that had led to the death of 31 civilians, injured 57 others and damaged civilian infrastructures,” his office said in a statement. This was the second call from Rubio to Sharif since tensions triggered by the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people. The situation took a new turn after India launched missile strikes inside Pakistan…

Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said Thursday that Türkiye and Iraq will resolutely continue to take new steps to increase their bilateral trade volume to $30 billion, and increase mutual investments. Ömer Bolat welcomed in capital Ankara Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who is visiting Türkiye as an official guest of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “I believe that the bilateral and inter-delegation meetings to be held under the chairmanship of our President Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani will make significant contributions to further advancing Türkiye-Iraq relations, which have been rapidly developing in the political, economic, security…

A humanitarian aid ship carrying 20,000 tons of wheat from Ukraine arrived Thursday at the Toros Port in the Turkish northern province of Samsun as part of a UN World Food Program (WFP) initiative to support crisis-hit regions, including Syria. The Beirut-flagged “Brave Commander” was welcomed with a ceremony by the WFP Türkiye Office, Turkish Foreign Ministry, Agriculture and Forestry Ministry and the Samsun Governorship. Acting Deputy Gov. of Samsun Kemal Yıldız described the shipment as a symbol of shared conscience and solidarity for all humanity. Voicing pride at hosting the WFP, Yıldız underlined that Türkiye has been a leader…

India on Wednesday claimed it targeted “nine terror camps” inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir to “pre-empt as well as deter more such cross-border attacks.” Addressing a news conference, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the April 22 attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir was carried out by “Pakistani and Pakistan-trained terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba.” Misri’s news conference came just hours after India launched missile strikes targeting nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir early Wednesday. Misri said intelligence monitoring of “Pakistan-based terrorist modules indicated that further attacks against India were impending.” The official said India exercised its “right…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated Wednesday that Kyiv’s offer for a 30-day ceasefire remains valid as it accused Russia of responding with attacks instead of engaging in diplomacy. “Our proposal to stop the strikes, to cease fire for at least 30 days remains in force,” Zelensky said in a video statement. “But it is from Russia that the world sees no answer — no answer, except for new strikes.” The Ukrainian leader said the pattern of Russian attacks clearly shows who is “the source of the war” and stressed that Moscow will eventually be forced to end its aggression. “War…

The UN human rights chief on Wednesday warned Israel that the use of starvation of the civilians as a tool of war in Gaza is a “war crime.” Commenting on the Israeli plans to expand its attacks on Gaza, Volker Turk said in a statement: “Expanding the offensive on Gaza will almost certainly cause further mass displacement, more deaths and injuries of innocent civilians, and the destruction of Gaza’s little remaining infrastructure.” Underlining that people in Gaza have already been deprived of even the most basic necessities, including food, because of Israeli blockades and attacks on community kitchens, among other…

Russia on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the escalation of conflict between India and Pakistan. “We are deeply concerned over the escalation of military confrontation between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack near Pahalgam,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Russia strongly condemns acts of terrorism, opposes all forms of its manifestations, and emphasizes the need for concerted efforts by the entire international community to effectively combat this evil, the ministry stressed. “We call on the involved parties to exercise restraint in order to prevent further deterioration of the situation in the region. We hope that existing…

Honduran Police said Tuesday that the US Embassy in Honduras was briefed by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the supposed mass shooting threats. Juan Manuel Aguilar Godoy, the head of Honduras’ National Police, said the US Embassy issued a security alert based on information shared by the FBI. According to the intelligence supplied by the US Federal Agency, three different landmarks were targeted: the Elliot Dover Christian School in Tegucigalpa, the Centro Civico in Tegucigalpa, and an unnamed mall in Tegucigalpa. “The FBI was the one who obtained the information, and according to international regulations, they are…

The Pakistani Air Force downed two Indian Air Force jets, state-run Pakistani state TV reported, following missile strikes by New Delhi. The Air Force has “downed two jets of the enemy,” PTV said on X. Earlier, India launched missile attacks targeting several cities in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the spokesman for Pakistan’s military, said India had fired missiles on the cities of Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh, Muzaffarabad and Kotli from its air space. He confirmed at least three deaths and more than a dozen injuries. The escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors comes in the wake of…

The UN appointed Spanish diplomat Miguel Angel Moratinos Cuyaube on Wednesday as Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ special envoy to combat Islamophobia. Moratinos will continue in his current role as High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), which he has held since 2019, according to a statement by the UN spokesperson’s office. “Mr. Moratinos brings decades of diplomatic experience and leadership on multilateral issues, including dialogue among civilizations and combating discrimination,” it said. “Mr. Moratinos has reinforced UNAOC’s role as a global platform for dialogue and bridge-building.” A seasoned diplomat, Moratinos served as Spain’s foreign minister from 2004 to…