ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying his country is "10 percent" away from reaching a peace deal with Russia, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning the Israeli parliament’s adoption of amendments targeting UNRWA, and US forces striking three alleged narco-trafficking vessels in international waters.

TOP STORIES

• Ukraine '10 percent’ away from reaching peace deal with Russia: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his New Year’s Eve address that Ukraine is “10 percent” away from reaching an agreement to end the war with Russia, while warning that Kyiv will not accept a "weak deal" that could prolong the conflict.

Zelenskyy said his country seeks an end to the war, while rejecting the notion of peace at any price.

"We want an end to the war, but not the end of Ukraine," he stressed.

• UN chief condemns Israeli parliament’s adoption of amendments targeting UNRWA

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Israeli parliament’s adoption of amendments to a law to cease the operations of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), saying they aim to further undermine its ability to operate.

"These amendments seek to further impede UNRWA’s ability to operate and carry out its mandated activities.

"The Law and its amendments are inconsistent with the status and international legal framework applicable to UNRWA and must be immediately repealed," Guterres said in a statement, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

• US forces strike alleged narco-trafficking vessels in international waters

The US conducted kinetic strikes against three alleged narco-trafficking vessels in international waters, said the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

The operation was conducted by Joint Task Force Southern Spear at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to SOUTHCOM.

SOUTHCOM said that Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out lethal kinetic strikes Wednesday on two other vessels allegedly operated by "Designated Terrorist Organizations."

​​​NEWS IN BRIEF

• The head of the Ukrainian delegation for peace talks with Russia announced that Kyiv has aligned its diplomatic stance with Washington and key European capitals following a joint call involving senior US and European officials to plan future engagements.
• French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to work until “the very last second” of his mandate amid a political deadlock in the country.
• Madagascar confirmed five mpox cases in the island nation's northwestern city of Mahajanga.
• Turkish security forces detained four suspects in Türkiye’s northern Bartin province as part of an operation against the ISIS (Daesh) terror group, security sources said.
• US President Donald Trump announced that the National Guard will be removed from Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, citing what he described as significant crime reduction in those cities due to its presence.
• US national security officials said Ukraine did not target Russian President Vladimir Putin or one of his residences in a recent drone strike, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
• Israel approved the construction of 126 settler homes in the Sa-Nur settlement outpost in the northern West Bank, which was evacuated in 2005 under a unilateral disengagement plan, Israeli media reported.
• One police officer was killed and several others were injured in a suicide bombing in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo, state media reported.
• Türkiye’s National Defense Minister Yasar Guler said that no terrorist group, including the PKK, YPG and SDF, will be allowed to carry out their activities in the region.
• Venezuelan authorities have detained multiple American citizens since the Trump administration initiated its campaign of military and economic pressure against the country, The New York Times reported, citing a US official.
• Speaking at new year celebrations at Mar-a-Lago, Trump claimed millions of dollars had been stolen in Minnesota, vowing to "get to the bottom of it.”

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US issues new Venezuela-related sanctions targeting companies, oil tankers

The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector, stepping up pressure on the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four companies for operating in Venezuela’s oil sector and identified four associated oil tankers as blocked property.

According to a Treasury statement, the vessels continue to provide financial resources that support what the department described as Maduro’s “illegitimate narco-terrorist regime.”

• China to impose additional 55% tariffs on some beef imports as of 2026

China said it will impose additional tariffs of 55% on imported beef from some countries, including Brazil and the US, if import amounts exceed certain quotas.

The Commerce Ministry said that an investigation has been launched to determine whether the import volume of the beef products increased, whether it caused damage to domestic industries and the extent of the damage, as well as the causal relationship between the increase in import volume and the damage.