By Alperen Aktas
ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Thursday with, including Hezbollah reaffirming its readiness to confront Israeli aggression in its first statement on the Israel-Lebanon cease-fire, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying that Türkiye is ready to contribute to stopping the massacre in Gaza and establishing a cease-fire, and the ICC prosecutor seeking an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s junta chief over the persecution of Rohingya Muslims.
TOP STORIES
- In 1st statement on cease-fire, Hezbollah reaffirms readiness to confront Israeli aggression
Hezbollah issued its first statement after a cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel took effect, affirming its readiness to confront any future Israeli aggression.
“Our forces will remain fully ready to address the Israeli enemy's ambitions and aggressions,” the statement said 17 hours after the deal took effect.
The group pledged to closely monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.
“Our fighters’ eyes will remain fixed on the enemy's movements and withdrawals beyond the borders, and their hands will stay on the trigger to defend Lebanon’s sovereignty,” the statement added.
- Türkiye ready to contribute to stop massacre in Gaza, establish cease-fire: President
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his country's readiness to contribute in every way to stopping the ongoing massacre in Gaza and establishing a lasting cease-fire.
Israel has killed more than 43,000 people in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
In his address at Türkiye's AK Party's parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan also welcomed the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon that came into effect.
- ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Myanmar junta chief over persecution of Rohingya Muslims
The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor announced that his office is seeking an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s junta chief over the deportation and persecution of Rohingya Muslims.
“After an extensive, independent and impartial investigation, my Office has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Senior General and Acting President Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Defense Services, bears criminal responsibility for the crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution of the Rohingya, committed in Myanmar, and in part in Bangladesh,” said Karim Khan in a statement.
According to the prosecutor, these crimes were committed between Aug. 25, 2017 and Dec. 31, 2017 by the Myanmar Armed Forces, supported by the national police and the border guard police as well as non-Rohingya civilians.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- Polling stations have closed in Namibia, where voters cast ballots for a new president and members of parliament.
- Supporters of the PKK terrorist group clashed with police in London’s Harringay neighborhood after the Metropolitan Police arrested seven people in connection with suspected terrorist activity linked to the group.
- US President-elect Donald Trump announced his nominee to be his special envoy for the Ukraine and Russia conflict.
- Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said the commitment to combat all forms of discrimination was underlined in the declaration adopted at the 10th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).
- The British foreign secretary reiterated that Israel has legal obligations as an occupying power, emphasizing the need to hold Tel Aviv accountable for those obligations.
- A senior UN official warned against the "dangerous cycle of escalation" in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, citing alarming developments that further imperil regional and global stability.
- Russia offered Ukraine to immediately exchange 630 prisoners of war (PoWs) and begin negotiations for additional swaps, as Moscow is currently preparing for future exchanges.
- A German Foreign Ministry spokesman said his government had no role in the closure of the Berlin office of the Russian TV Channel One (Pervy).
- The Finnish government seeks to introduce stricter conditions required to obtain citizenship.
- Russia said it expelled two German journalists in a retaliatory move.
- The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said it is committed to any cease-fire efforts that ensure an end to Israel’s ongoing onslaught, troop withdrawal and the return of displaced civilians to their areas.
- Ukraine said the cease-fire agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon is an important step towards peace and regional stability.
- The European Parliament approved the new European Commission team under Ursula von der Leyen, the commission’s returning president.
- Six people have been arrested in an investigation into suspected activity linked to the terrorist group PKK – a group that has killed tens of thousands of people in Türkiye – British police said.
- Russia announced that it sent a 32nd batch of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, which it said amounted to 28 tons.
- China called for “principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit” in relations with the G7, state media reported.
- Suspects in the murder of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan, an Israeli-Moldovan citizen who was killed in the UAE, were apprehended in Türkiye through a joint operation by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and law enforcement, security sources said.
- US President-elect Donald Trump has chosen pandemic lockdown critic Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s leading medical research agency.
- China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun is facing a corruption investigation, a foreign media report claimed.
SPORTS
- Juventus star Kenan Yildiz wins 2024 Golden Boy Web Award
Kenan Yildiz, a Turkish and Juventus winger, won the Golden Boy Web Award.
"The ‘talent’ of Juventus and the Turkish national team was able to count on the unwavering support of his home fans, always ready to go wild when it comes to voting for one of their stars," the Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport said in a statement after Yildiz received the most online votes, with 33.2%.
"His performances at the European Championship and a sparkling start in black and white did the rest," it added.
- FIFA announces launch of $50M legacy fund aimed at supporting social programs worldwide
FIFA confirmed the launch of a $50 million legacy fund created in collaboration with Qatar "to have a social impact across multiple regions for the first time."
"The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Legacy Fund is a landmark project that builds on the unprecedented impact of the tournament from a sustainability point of view," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
"FIFA is taking the concept of a legacy fund to the next level in terms of reach and impact by tackling key priorities such as refugees, occupational health, education and football development," he added.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- EU-Russia trade plummets to historic low
Trade between the European Union and Russia has experienced significant contraction over the past three years since the war in Ukraine escalated, reaching a dramatic low according to the most recent statistics.
The EU imposed a series of sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which marked a new phase in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict that had begun in 2014. These sanctions have led to a sharp decline in bilateral trade between the two regions.
In 2021, before the invasion, Russia was the EU's fifth-largest trading partner, contributing 5.8% to the EU’s total goods trade with the world.