Author: Anadolu Agency
US President Donald Trump said Sunday that “it’s good to see that the world knows we are serious” about addressing trade imbalances with other countries, claiming world leaders and business executives have been requesting relief from tariffs since they were announced earlier this month. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said his April 2 declaration of “Liberation Day” — which introduced reciprocal tariffs on countries he accuses of unfair trade practices — has prompted outreach from foreign governments and corporate leaders. “They must right the wrongs of decades of abuse, but it won’t be easy for them,”…
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid warned Sunday of potential “political murder” within the country, holding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for inciting violence, according to Israeli media. “We are exposed to political murder from within, and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar is at the top of the list of those getting (assassination) threats,” he said, Israel Hayom newspaper reported. Bar has been at the center of a political firestorm since the Israeli government decided to dismiss him on March 20. The Supreme Court later suspended the decision pending a review of legal petitions filed by the opposition. Lapid criticized Bar’s…
European leaders on Monday expressed deep sorrow over the death of Pope Francis, remembering him as a symbol of compassion, social justice, and moral leadership whose voice resonated far beyond the Catholic Church. The 88-year-old pontiff died of a cerebral stroke and irreversible heart failure, Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli has said in a death certificate. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the late pontiff inspired millions with “his humility and love so pure for the less fortunate,” and that his legacy would continue to guide efforts for a “more just, peaceful and compassionate world.” EU foreign policy chief…
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Church, announced his death from the Casa Santa Marta building in the Vatican on Monday. “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” he said. Tributes have poured in from leaders across Latin America, where a majority of the population identifies as Catholic and where Pope Francis was perceived as…
US President Donald Trump said Monday there is a “very good chance” that Russia and Ukraine could reach a deal this week to end the over three-year-long war. “There is a very good chance,” Trump told a reporter when asked if he thinks Moscow and Kyiv could reach an agreement this week. “We had very good meetings on Ukraine, Russia,” he added. His remarks came during the annual Easter Egg Roll event held at the White House. On US-Iran nuclear talks, Trump said: “We had very good meetings on Iran.” Regarding trade tensions with the EU, Trump expressed confidence that…
This spring, the art world turns its gaze on London, where one of the most significant rediscoveries in recent Orientalist art will go under the hammer at one of London’s important auction house Sotheby’s. On April 29, as part of its highly anticipated Orientalist Art sale, the auction house will present Preparing Coffee, a long-lost painting by Osman Hamdi Bey — arguably the most revered figure in the canon of Ottoman painting. Estimated at £1-1.5 million (about $1.3-2 million), the composition, Preparing Coffee, from 1881 has resurfaced after more than a century in private European collections, known until recently only…
Several Asian nations have offered condolences after Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88 after a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced on Monday. Pakistan’s President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered condolences to the Vatican and the entire Catholic community on Francis’ death. The two paid tributes to his services, saying he would be remembered for his efforts in promoting peace, social justice, inter-faith dialogue, and the well-being of the most vulnerable communities worldwide. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he is “deeply pained” by the death of the pope. “In this hour of…
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said his country will analyze proposals for a moratorium between Moscow and Kyiv on strikes against civilian infrastructure in each other’s countries. “As for the proposal not to hit civilian infrastructure facilities, this needs to be sorted out,” Putin told journalists in Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed on Sunday a halt to strikes on civilian infrastructure for a period of at least 30 days, with the possibility of an extension. “If Russia does not agree to such a step, it will be proof that it intends to continue doing only those things which…
The UN on Monday marked 50 days since Israel imposed a complete blockade on humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, warning of a rapidly deteriorating situation that is endangering the lives of civilians. “Today marks 50 days since the Israeli authorities have completely blocked incoming supplies of any kind into the Gaza Strip,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference. Citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric said: “Since early March, not a single truck carrying food, fuel, medicine or any other essentials have been allowed in no matter how critical they are…
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Monday that several Israeli soldiers were killed and injured in an ambush in Gaza City. The group’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said that its fighters had detonated a tunnel shaft after luring an Israeli force into it in the Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City. There was no immediate Israeli comment on the report. Earlier on Monday, the Qassam Brigade released a clip documenting its fighters targeting Israeli forces on Al-Awda Street east of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza on April 19. The Israeli army resumed its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip…