Author: Anadolu Agency

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…

Protesters in Japan have urged Hungary to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to meet his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban in Budapest on Wednesday evening, over Gaza genocide. Netanyahu has begun his four-day visit to Hungary, despite an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant over allegations of war crimes in Gaza. Hungary, an ICC member, is obliged to arrest and hand over anyone subject to a warrant from the court. Hungary’s Premier Orban was among the first to condemn the ICC warrant. Terming it cynical, he had said Netanyahu’s freedom would be guaranteed when he wished to…

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow wants to resolve the Ukrainian conflict and that “eliminating its root causes” will be mandatory in any solution. Speaking at a news conference with his Vietnamese counterpart, Bui Thanh Son, in Moscow, Lavrov said he briefed his colleague on the situation around Ukraine. “We have provided (Vietnam) with relevant information about our approaches (to Ukraine — in the current situation and will seek a settlement of the conflict with the mandatory elimination of its root causes,” he said. Lavrov said both nations are clear on further strengthening cooperation, focusing specifically on…

New Zealand’s human rights chief Stephen Rainbow has apologized for “Islamophobic” remarks after he received strong criticism from Jewish and Muslim groups, according to reports Wednesday. Rainbow said in a statement that New Zealand has no place for Islamophobia and that he personally apologized to the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ). His comments indicating that Muslims are the greatest threat to the Jewish community on the island instead of the white supremacists drew criticism from the representative of Alternative Jewish Voices — Philippa Yasbek and Dayenu: Jews Against Occupation — two anti-Zionist Jewish organizations, along with FIANZ,…

Tesla’s car deliveries fell 13% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, amid controversies about CEO Elon Musk’s political stance, according to data released Wednesday. The number of vehicles delivered by the US electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer in the first quarter decreased to 336,681 from 386,810 in the first quarter last year. The market expectation was that the number of vehicles delivered by the company would be between 360,000 and 370,000. The company produced 362,615 vehicles in the first quarter of this year, also down from 433,371 vehicles in the same period of 2024. The EV producer’s sales in Europe…

The European Commission has fined 15 leading car manufacturers and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) a combined €458 million (approximately $494.2 million) for participating in a cartel related to the recycling of end-of-life vehicles. According to a statement issued Tuesday, Mercedes-Benz was granted full immunity from the fine under the EU’s leniency program for being the first to reveal the existence of the cartel to regulators. “All companies admitted their involvement in the cartel and agreed to settle the case,” the Commission said. End-of-life vehicles — those no longer suitable for use due to age, wear, or damage –…

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday criticized the court ruling that disqualified far-right French politician Marine Le Pen from running to be president in 2027. “I think that no one who cares about democracy can rejoice in a sentence that affects the leader of a large party and takes away representation from millions of citizens,” she told Italian daily Il Messaggero, adding that she does not know “the reasons for such a strong decision.” Le Pen, 56, a frontrunner for the 2027 presidential contest, was barred from holding public office for five years after being convicted of embezzling European Union…

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday, who is in Russia for a three-day official visit that began Monday. At the Kremlin, Putin expressed satisfaction with the development of Russian-Chinese bilateral relations and noted his hopes that the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia in early May will provide further momentum to their cooperation. “I’m aware that your visit entails a comprehensive and busy schedule. Primarily, this relates to the preparations for the upcoming visit of the President of the People’s Republic of China to Russia. Rest assured, we’re working diligently…

German authorities are seeking to deport four foreign residents for taking part in pro-Palestinian protests, media reported on Tuesday. According to online outlet The Intercept, Berlin’s Senate administration issued deportation orders for nationals from the United States, Poland, and Ireland, despite none having been convicted of any crimes. The orders are scheduled to take effect within a month. “What we’re seeing here is straight out of the far right’s playbook,” said Alexander Gorski, an attorney representing two of the affected protesters. “You can see it in the US and Germany, too: Political dissent is silenced by targeting the migration status…

The Georgian parliament approved a new foreign agents bill on Tuesday, which the ruling party said is modeled after a similar US law, according to Georgian public broadcaster 1TV. The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) was adopted during its third and final reading during parliament’s plenary session. The law requires entities representing “foreign principal agents” to officially register, disclose relevant documents publicly, submit annual financial declarations and comply with monitoring to determine compliance or foreign affiliation. Failure to register or meet the legal requirements will result in criminal liability, according to amendments made to Georgia’s Criminal Code. The Anti-Corruption Bureau…