Author: Anadolu Agency

At least 12 Sudanese civilians were killed in attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) in South Kordofan State, an activist group said on Wednesday. Sudan Doctors Network said on the social media platform X that hundreds of families were also displaced in the assault in the Khor al-Dalib area since Monday. RSF rebels and their allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) used heavy weapons in attacking residential areas in the southern Sudanese state, it added. There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the report. The Sudanese army controls vast swathes of territory in South Kordofan State…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in a call Tuesday that focused on trade relations as US President Donald Trump prepares to announce a major trade policy decision. Carney and Sheinbaum discussed “the importance of building upon the strong trading and investment relationship between the two countries, to benefit Canadians and Mexicans alike,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. “With challenging times ahead, Prime Minister Carney and President Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of safeguarding North American competitiveness while respecting the sovereignty of each nation,” it noted. Carney pledged to “fight unjustified trade actions…

The Yemeni rebel Houthi group on early Wednesday said it had targeted the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier and its escorting warships in the northern Red Sea. In a televised speech, the group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, said the attack was in response to “the US aggression” on Yemen, noting that it was the third attack in the last 24 hours, using missiles and drones. “The operations of the armed forces will continue at an escalating pace against the American enemy by targeting its warships in the declared area of operations,” Saree said. He also added that the group’s military…

The British prime minister said Wednesday that jumping into a trade war with the US “cannot be the first response of the United Kingdom,” expressing that his government has been preparing for all eventualities ahead of the confirmation of US tariffs. “A trade war is in nobody’s interests, … we will take a calm, pragmatic approach,” Keir Starmer told lawmakers during the Prime Minister’s Questions session in the House of Commons. He noted that the “constructive talks are progressing” on a wider economic prosperity deal with the US. “That is why we are working with all industries and sectors likely…

Palestinians woke up on Wednesday to a devastating Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis that killed 13 members of the same family, including women and children, as they slept in their home. Rida al-Jabour, a displaced woman living near the targeted house, awoke at 4 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) to a massive explosion that reduced the area to rubble. Thick black smoke and ash clouded visibility, while the smell of gunpowder and fear filled the air. As the haze cleared, scattered bodies and body parts, including those of women and children, were found littering the…

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari tested positive for COVID-19, according to his doctor Asim Hussain. A statement from his office said the 70-year-old president has been advised to remain in isolation. The statement also said Zardari is well taken care of and his condition is improving. Zardari previously tested positive for the virus in 2022, however reportedly only experienced “mild symptoms,” according to the local daily Dawn citing the president’s son. This is his second term as the president of Pakistan, after his term in 2008-2013.

China is ready to work with Russia to move toward multi-polarization and greater democracy in international relations, top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks after he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov on Tuesday in Moscow. “China is willing to work with Russia to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, jointly promote the development of China-Russia relations and cooperation in various fields, and continue to benefit the people of the two countries,” Wang Yi said. Wang noted that Beijing is ready to work with…

Large areas of Queensland, Australia are experiencing the worst flooding in over five decades, raising concerns over significant livestock losses. Floodwaters, covering an area double the size of Victoria, have submerged inland parts of the state. Local broadcaster SBS News said Wednesday that residents have been warned of possible renewed flooding due to the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Dianne, which could bring further rain. Water levels have started to drop in many regions, offering signs that the most severe phase may be over. In the town of Thargomindah, more than 200 people were relocated to higher ground after floodwaters breached…

Italian producers would be hit hard by new US tariffs and every effort should be made to avoid a trade war, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday. “It is clear that the introduction of new tariffs would have heavy repercussions for Italian producers,” Meloni said at a prize-giving ceremony for Italian cuisine. US President Donald Trump was set to impose sweeping new tariffs later on Wednesday as he proclaimed “Liberation Day” in the country, in what could escalate a trade war with global partners, increase costs and destabilize a decades-old trade order. “I remain convinced that we need to…

Russia could be ready and able to attack EU countries within five years, warned the bloc’s defense commissioner on Wednesday. Speaking at an EU security forum in Warsaw on the future of EU defense, Andrius Kubilius argued that Russia is already carrying out a hybrid war against the bloc in the form of disinformation campaigns, weaponization of migrants on the borders with Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland, and damaging undersea cable in the Baltic Sea. Maintaining that Russia turned into a war economy and consequently produces more weapons than all NATO members combined, he said: “If we do nothing, military…