ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying he is "ready" to hold presidential elections within the next few days, UN opposing any change in the Gaza-Israel border, and French lawmakers approving a Social Security budget bill, marking a provisional victory for Sebastien Lecornu’s government.

TOP STORIES

• Zelenskyy says he is ‘ready’ for elections in 60-90 days

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he is "ready" to hold presidential elections within 60-90 days if security and legal conditions are ensured, urging the US and European partners to help create the environment needed for a wartime vote.

It came after US President Donald Trump publicly raised the issue.

Zelenskyy told journalists in Rome that the topic was not discussed in his recent contacts with US officials, and stressed that decisions on elections belong only to Ukrainians.

He rejected claims that Kyiv is avoiding a vote for political reasons, saying the continuation of the war is unrelated to who holds office.

• UN stands ‘firmly' against 'any change' to Gaza, Israeli borders

The UN said Tuesday it opposes any change in the Gaza-Israel border after the Israeli military chief reportedly declared a new border in the territory.

Israel’s reported adoption of the so-called "yellow line" from US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan as a new border appears to go "against the spirit and the letter" of the agreement, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

He affirmed that the UN "firmly stands against any change of the borders of Gaza and Israel," clarifying that when the UN discusses Gaza, it refers to the original boundary, "not the one within the yellow line."

The comments follow a statement by Israeli Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir, who reportedly said the "yellow line is now the new border of Gaza." Zamir also said Israel would maintain "operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip."

• In provisional win for premier, French lawmakers narrowly approve 2026 Social Security bill before it heads to Senate

French lawmakers late Tuesday narrowly approved the draft 2026 Social Security budget bill, marking a provisional victory for Sebastien Lecornu’s government ahead of its next step, review in the Senate.

France’s National Assembly narrowly approved the Social Security budget bill by a vote of 247- 234 and 93 abstaining.

"The three parts of the 2026 Social Security financing bill (PLFSS) – revenue, expenditure, and the account for the current year – were freely adopted after a demanding debate, without invoking Article 49.3 of the Constitution, a first since 2022," Prime Minister Lecornu said, welcoming the approval on US social media platform X.

He said the approval "allows progress in the general interest," reaffirming that the bill remains a "solid, useful, protective text" that "concretely improves" France's social security system.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

• The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes (ICG), chaired by Germany and including the US, EU, UK and several European nations, issued a statement Tuesday expressing "profound concern" regarding renewed violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

• Türkiye condemned Israel’s raid on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem and its seizure of the building.

• Public flight tracking websites showed two US Navy F/A-18 fighter jets approaching Venezuelan airspace around noon Tuesday, conducting an extended flight over the Gulf of Venezuela as Washington stepped up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.

• A suspected drone battery explosion and a subsequent fire at a seven-story office building in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta left at least 22 people dead, including 15 women, local media reported.

• At least 70,366 Palestinians have been killed and 171,064 injured in Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday rejected US President Donald Trump's criticism of the EU's heavy fine levied against X, Elon Musk's social media platform.

• The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on four individuals and four entities accused of recruiting fighters for the civil war in Sudan.

• The EU should remain self-confident in the face of criticisms from the White House strategy document critical of EU policies, bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Tuesday, saying that claims "are not true."

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday handed former Sudanese militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd al-Rahman, known as Ali Kushayb, a joint sentence of 20 years for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur in 2003-2004.

• Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi rejected China's claim that Japanese Self-Defense Forces jets locked radar on Chinese aircraft in recent fighter jet engagements between their militaries, Kyodo News Agency reported.

• A leading global genocide prevention group said that recent remarks on Gaza by former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton amounted to “outright genocide denial.”

• US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack said that Washington is engaged in “ongoing discussions” with Ankara on its bid to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program, expressing hope for a “breakthrough” in the coming months.

• The M23 rebel group, which is at the center of the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, said Tuesday that it is set to hold fresh talks with Kinshasa in Doha in the coming days in the face of recent fierce fighting with government forces.

• Sudan accused the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing "genocide" and demanded international accountability beyond statements of concern.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Global trade to hit record high of $35T despite slowing momentum: UN agency

The UN reported Tuesday that global trade is expected to reach an all-time high of $35 trillion in 2025, despite geopolitical tensions.

"The new data confirm that trade continued expanding through the second half of 2025, even as geopolitical tensions, higher costs, and uneven global demand slowed momentum," the UN Trade and Development Organization (UNCTAD) said in a statement.

Global trade is expected to grow 7% in 2025, adding $2.2 trillion and setting a new record, according to the agency. In the third quarter, global trade grew 2.5% compared to the previous quarter. Growth is expected to continue in the final quarter, though at a slower pace.

• Trump to begin final round of interviews for Fed chair this week: Report

US President Donald Trump will begin the final round of interviews this week to select the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.

Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are expected to meet with former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh on Wednesday, the report said, citing three senior administration officials.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett remains the frontrunner for the job, according to the officials. Hassett has supported Trump's calls for lower interest rates and broad import tariffs.