Morning Briefing: March 23, 2025

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday, including a Russian negotiator saying Moscow hopes to settle “at least one issue” during Monday’s talks with the US in Saudi Arabia; more than 5,350 violations committed by illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank in the past decade, according to report and Kim Jong-un saying North Korea will "invariably" support Russia.

TOP STORIES

• Russia eyes to solve ‘at least one issue’ in Monday talks with US in Saudi Arabia

A Russian negotiator said Moscow hopes to settle “at least one issue” during Monday’s talks with the US in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to Russia’s Zvezda TV channel, Grigory Karasin said it would be difficult to address all existing problems due to their complexity and multiplicity.

"We hope to achieve progress. First of all, we have a question there that we will work on directly. It is difficult to count on getting progress on the entire agenda, but we are going with the mood to fight for the solution of at least one issue," said the senior lawmaker.

• Over 5,350 violations committed by illegal Israeli settlers in occupied West Bank in past decade: Report

Illegal Israeli settlers have carried out more than 5,350 acts of violence against Palestinians and their properties in the occupied West Bank in the past 10 years, according to a report.

The report, released by the Palestine Liberation Organization's National Bureau for Land Defense and Settlement Resistance, details a wide range of illegal settler violations, including stone-throwing at Palestinians, their homes and vehicles, as well as arson attacks targeting houses, businesses, farms and other private properties.

Other violations include the destruction of Palestinian olive trees, sabotage of water infrastructure, theft and killing livestock, and forced displacement using various methods.

• North Korea will ‘invariably’ support Russia: Kim Jong-un

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un assured Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu that Pyongyang will "invariably" support Moscow’s military efforts and strategic interests, according to state media.

During their meeting in Pyongyang, Kim emphasized North Korea’s unwavering commitment to backing Russia’s actions to defend its sovereignty and security.

The discussions covered security cooperation and regional developments, with both sides reaffirming their shared positions.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• At least seven people were killed and 40 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, according to an Anadolu tally based on official Lebanese sources.
• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye is conducting multi-faceted diplomatic efforts to reestablish a ceasefire and to end massacres in the Gaza Strip.
• The Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, said communications with mediators on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a prisoner exchange deal have “not stopped.”
• A shooting at a park in the southwestern US state of New Mexico left three people dead and 15 injured, according to police.
• The Alliance Fleuve Congo, a rebel alliance that includes M23 rebels, announced its withdrawal from the town of Walikale and its surroundings in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, days after seizing the mineral-rich area.
• US President Donald Trump demanded a public apology from Maine Gov. Janet Mills, following a clash about his executive order banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
• The Israeli army killed 130 more Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, taking the death toll since October 2023 to 49,747, the Palestine Health Ministry said.
• UNICEF urged the interim Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan to lift a ban on girls' secondary education as the new school year begins without girls for a third consecutive year.
• Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned of the dangers of dragging Lebanon into a new war after Israeli forces claimed to have intercepted three rockets fired from southern Lebanon toward the Israeli settlement of Metula.

SPORTS

• Boxing legend George Foreman dead at 76

Two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist George Foreman, has died, his family announced. He was 76.

"We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers, and kindly ask for privacy as we honor the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own," the family said.

His family described him in a statement on Instagram as a preacher, husband, father and grandfather who lived with faith and purpose.