ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday with, including Libya’s Tripoli-based government confirming death of army chief in plane crash near Ankara, Russia calling US blockade on Venezuela "real act of aggression," and Belgium filing intervention in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

TOP STORIES

• Libya’s Tripoli-based government confirms death of army chief in plane crash near Ankara

Libya’s Tripoli-based government confirmed Tuesday evening the death of army chief Mohammed al-Haddad and four aides in a plane crash near Ankara.

In a statement, the government, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, called the death “a tragic loss to the nation, the military establishment, and all the people.”

“We have lost men who served their country with sincerity and dedication and were an example of discipline, responsibility, and national commitment,” it added.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the wreckage of the Tripoli-bound Falcon 50 jet carrying Haddad was found about two kilometers south of Kesikkavak village in Haymana district.

• Russia calls US blockade on Venezuela 'real act of aggression'

Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia called the US blockade on Venezuela "illegal," describing it as "a real act of aggression" that risked becoming a precedent for future action against other countries in the region.

Addressing an emergency session at the UN Security Council, Nebenzia said the aim of the US' "total and complete blockade" on sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuelan waters was to exert "military, political and economic pressure, with the aim of changing an inconvenient regime for the United States."

"The illegal US blockade on the coast of Venezuela is the most clear and absolutely real act of aggression, and the responsibility of Washington is also evident for the catastrophic consequences of such cowboy-like conduct for the residents of the country, which is now blockaded," he said.

• Belgium joins South Africa's genocide case against Israel at ICJ

Belgium formally filed a declaration of intervention at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the 2023 case brought by South Africa against Israel over alleged violations of the Genocide Convention in the Gaza Strip, the court said.

The ICJ confirmed that Belgium lodged its declaration on Dec. 23, invoking Article 63 of the Court's Statute.

Article 63 says that states that are parties to a convention under interpretation in ICJ proceedings have the right to intervene.

Belgium emphasized that its intervention focuses on Articles I through VI of the Genocide Convention, with particular attention to Article II, specifically regarding the interpretation of the "specific intent" required for genocidal intent.

​​​NEWS IN BRIEF

• Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez voiced “full solidarity” with Denmark and Greenland following the US announcement of a special envoy to the territory.
• The US imposed visa restrictions on five individuals accused of leading organized efforts to coerce platforms into censoring "American viewpoints."
• Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on bilateral cooperation and upcoming high-level contacts.
• Thailand and Cambodia both reported fresh clashes as the two sides are scheduled to hold military talks.
• Canada strongly condemned Israel’s decision to approve 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, warning that continued settlement expansion undermines peace efforts and prospects for a two-state solution.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra in Moscow.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "calm" and "restraint" in Honduras as the country awaits the official results of its Nov. 30 general elections.
• A senior UN official told the Security Council that diplomatic efforts failed to produce an agreement on the future of Iran's nuclear program amid continued sharp divisions over efforts to reimpose UN sanctions.
• US F-35 fighter jets were mission-ready roughly half the time in 2024 because of maintenance issues with Lockheed Martin, a Pentagon watchdog said in a report.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv is working toward a "final agreement” with the US to end the war with Russia
• China sharply criticized the US for increasing its military deployment near Venezuela, warning that Washington's actions have heightened regional tensions and threatened peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Iran's UN envoy strongly rejected the convening of a Security Council meeting on nuclear non-proliferation, calling it part of a politicized agenda that undermines the rule of law.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US economy expands by 4.3% in Q3, exceeding forecasts

The US economy expanded by 4.3% on a quarterly basis in the third quarter of the year, beating market expectations of 3.3%.

It followed 3.8% growth in the second quarter, preliminary data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed.

The rise in real gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter primarily reflected a smaller decrease in investment, an acceleration in consumer spending, and upturn in exports and government spending, a bureau statement said.

• Ryanair fined $302M in Italy over 'abusive strategy' with travel agencies

Italy’s competition watchdog imposed a hefty fine of €256 million ($302 million) on low-cost airline Ryanair for allegedly implementing an "abusive strategy" to block travel agencies' access to its services.

The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) said Ryanair complicated the process for travel agencies to purchase flights via its website, a practice that was observed from April 2023 until at least April this year.

It imposed the fine on Ryanair DAC and its parent company, Ryanair Holdings PLC.