Author: Anadolu Agency

Participants at a pro-Palestinian rally over the weekend in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka were seen carrying portraits of Ottoman Caliph Sultan Abdul Hamid II as they protested Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. “Some protesters were seen holding the portraits at the massive pro-Palestine rally in Dhaka on Saturday as sources of inspiration to see an independent Palestine and to recall the role of the Muslim Caliph in becoming a safeguard of the people of Palestine,” SM Mushfiq Hasan Jami, one of the key organizers, told Anadolu on Monday. Jami, repeating the same observation, said they also…

Amnesty International on Monday slammed US President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office as a disaster for human rights. “President Trump’s first 100 days have been disastrous for human rights in the US and internationally,” Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said during a meeting in Brussels before Tuesday’s launch of the group’s State of the World’s Human Rights Report. Callamard said the Trump administration opened the door to “corporate capture of state power” as billionaire Elon Musk gets more access to government, warning that this is leading to an “an era of rampant corruption, disinformation and impunity.” “Governments…

A suspect has been charged with murder after he plowed his car into a crowd at a street festival in Vancouver, Canada celebrating Filipino heritage, killing 11 people, police announced Sunday. Authorities have charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, with eight counts of second-degree murder following the incident Saturday night. Lo, a local resident, was arrested at the scene by police after bystanders and witnesses intervened to detain him. “The charge assessment is ongoing and further charges are anticipated,” police said in a statement. Lo has appeared in court and remains in custody. Eleven people ranging in age from 5 to…

IBM plans to invest $150 billion in the US over the next five years, the tech giant announced on Monday. The company said in a statement that the investment would help stimulate the economy and also help IBM accelerate its global leadership role in computing. The statement said that over the next five years, a $150 billion investment plan is expected to boost quantum computer production in the country. IBM’s investment decision could make it one of the country’s largest technology employers. The firm could also have the world’s largest quantum computer system and begin designing quantum computers in the…

India signed a deal worth around $7.4 billion with France on Monday for the procurement of 26 Rafale aircraft, according to an official statement. India and France have signed an “intergovernmental agreement” for the procurement of 26 Rafale aircraft for the Indian Navy, the Defense Ministry said, adding that it also includes additional equipment for the Indian Air Force’s existing Rafale fleet. The agreement, signed by officials from both sides in New Delhi, includes the transfer of technology for the integration of indigenous weapons in India, as well as the establishment of a production facility for the Rafale fuselage. Manufactured…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday received Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, a UN agency. The meeting took place in the Turkish capital Ankara, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on X. No further information on the meeting was as yet provided.

The Vatican on Monday announced that cardinals from around the world will meet next month in a secret conclave to elect the next pope, following the death of Pope Francis. The closed-door gathering is set to begin on May 7 inside the Sistine Chapel and will include around 135 cardinals. The election process, steeped in centuries-old tradition, comes after Pope Francis died on Easter Monday. His funeral was held on Saturday. There is no official timescale for how long the conclave may last, though the previous two papal elections—in 2005 and 2013—were both concluded within two days. Pope Francis was…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched emergency medical supplies to Iran to help treat those injured in a recent deadly explosion, the agency’s chief announced. “Our thoughts are with the people in Iran affected by the tragic explosion. Deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X Sunday night. Around 40 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured when a powerful blast tore through containers and shook the surrounding area at Bandar Abbas Port. Images from the area show that a section of the port was badly damaged. No details…

German pharmaceutical company Merck announced Monday that it has reached an agreement to acquire US-based SpringWorks Therapeutics for $3.9 billion, a move aimed at strengthening its oncology portfolio and expanding its presence in the United States. SpringWorks Therapeutics, headquartered in Connecticut, has accepted the German company’s acquisition offer of $47 per share, Merck said in a statement. Merck will acquire SpringWorks Therapeutics for an equity value of approximately $3.9 billion to expand its sales in the field of cancer diseases. “The planned acquisition will strengthen the presence of Merck Healthcare in the United States and expand the reach of SpringWorks’…

The UN refugee chief on Monday said violence has become the defining feature of today’s world, criticizing the UN Security Council for failing to prevent and stop wars. “This is a season of war. This is a time of crisis. From Sudan to Ukraine, from the Sahel to Myanmar, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Haiti, violence has become the defining currency of our age,” Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR), told the Security Council. “Preventing and stopping war — upholding peace and security — that is the Security Council’s mandate. That is your primary responsibility.…