Author: Anadolu Agency

Virginia Giuffre, who became a leading voice against sexual trafficking after surviving abuse at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein, died by suicide at the age of 41, her family confirmed Friday. Giuffre died at her farm in Neergabby in Western Australia, according to a family statement provided to NBC News. “It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night,” it said. “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.” The family described Giuffre as “a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex…

A new survey on Friday showed a dramatic shift in public sentiment, as nearly 100 days into the US’ Trump administration, Canadians view their country’s relationship with the US as poorly as its ties with Russia. According to a report by the Canadian Press, only 16% of Canadians surveyed said Ottawa has a good relationship with Washington-nearly the same as the 15% who rated ties with Moscow positively. The Leger survey, done for the Association for Canadian Studies, showed that in contrast, 36% said Canada has good relations with China, while over 75% gave positive ratings to ties with Mexico,…

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday that children in the Gaza Strip are “starving” because of Israel’s aid blockade. “#Gaza: children are starving. The Government of Israel continues to block the entry of food + other basics. A manmade & politically motivated starvation. Nearly 2 months of siege. Calls to bring in supplies are going unheeded,” Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X. His statement comes as the World Food Programme (WFP) announced it has distributed its last remaining food stocks to kitchens in Gaza. The enclave risks running out of supplies within days, according to the…

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Saturday the death of a young man from injuries sustained by Israeli army gunfire. In a statement, the ministry said Ahmad Ibrahim Nassarrah, 32, succumbed to critical wounds he sustained in the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, nearly two months ago. Meanwhile, Israeli forces also conducted several overnight raids, injuring two Palestinians, including a child, and arresting four others in different towns across the occupied West Bank. According to the Wafa news agency and the Palestinian Information Center, the raids targeted areas in Hebron, Bethlehem, and Ramallah. Separately, in Sinjil, northeast of…

The UN Security Council on Friday strongly condemned a “terrorist attack” in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people on Tuesday. Members of the Council “reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” it said in a statement. The Council stressed that those responsible should be held accountable for “this reprehensible act of terrorism.” They also urged all states to cooperate with relevant authorities. “The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by…

Illegal Israeli settlers on Saturday cut off water lines to a Palestinian Bedouin community in Jericho, eastern occupied West Bank, an official said. Hassan Mleihat, coordinator of the al-Baydar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights, said “a group of Israeli colonists cut water pipelines on Saturday evening that supply drinking water to Palestinian homes in the village of Al-Auja, north of Jericho in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources,” the Wafa news agency reported. In a statement, Mleihat said the illegal settlers “drove provocatively through the area in their vehicles before deliberately cutting pipes that transport water…

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Washington is “very close” to reaching a deal with Japan amid ongoing negotiations concerning US tariffs, The Wall Street Journal reported. Trump’s remarks came as Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s economy minister and lead negotiator in the tariff talks, prepares for a three-day US visit starting Wednesday for a second round of discussions with Washington. Last week, during his visit to the White House as the first foreign trade negotiator hosted by Trump, Akazawa urged the US to reconsider tariffs affecting a range of Japanese exports, particularly from the country’s major automobile industry. “I’m…

Türkiye’s U.N. envoy Ahmet Yıldız said Friday that Syria has made “noteworthy progress” since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, urging greater international support for the country’s political transition and reconstruction efforts. “In just four months, the administration has achieved what many once deemed unthinkable: the successful convening of the National Dialogue Conference, the announcement of a Constitutional Declaration, and the formation of a technocratic Transitional Government,” Yıldız told a U.N. Security Council meeting on Syria. “These milestones mark a clear and promising path toward a Syrian-owned, Syrian-led political transition that aligns with the aspirations of the Syrian people,”…

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş will travel to the Vatican this weekend to represent Türkiye at Pope Francis’ funeral, officials announced Friday. Numerous world leaders and royals will attend the farewell to the pontiff. Figures confirmed to be attending include U.S. President Donald Trump, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, British Prince William, Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Also set to attend are Brazilian President Luiz…

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…