ANKARA
Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday, including the US military striking a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, Syrian foreign minister saying no willingness seen from the SDF on integration, Israeli forces killing 411 Gazans and injuring 1,100 since the Oct. 10 ceasefire, and US President Donald Trump saying talks involving Russia and Ukraine are continuing.
TOP STORIES
- US military strikes vessel in Eastern Pacific
The US conducted a strike Monday on a low-profile vessel allegedly engaged in narco-trafficking in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, according to the US Southern Command.
It said the operation took place under the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and was executed in international waters by Joint Task Force Southern Spear.
"Intelligence confirmed the low-profile vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations.
"One male narco-terrorist was confirmed killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed," it said through the US social media company X.
- Syrian foreign minister says no willingness seen from SDF on integration
There has been no willingness from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria to integrate into the country's central administration in Damascus, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Monday.
At a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Damascus, al-Shaibani said: “Unfortunately, we have not seen any willingness from the SDF,” referring to integration of the northeast. An agreement on this was signed on March 10.
He said the March 10 agreement clearly demonstrated the will to strengthen Syria’s national unity and to unite the country’s territory through dialogue, an understanding of shared concerns, and civilized methods.
However, the SDF has not shown any real and serious will or taken any concrete steps to implement the agreement. On the contrary, he said, a systematic stalling process has been taking place.
- 411 Gazans killed, over 1,100 injured in Israeli attacks since ceasefire, media office says
At least 411 Palestinians have been killed and 1,112 others injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza since a ceasefire deal took effect on Oct. 10, the government media office said Monday.
A statement by the office said it documented 875 Israeli violations of the ceasefire deal, including 265 incidents of direct shooting at civilians, 49 military incursions into residential areas, 421 incidents of shelling, and 150 incidents of home demolitions.
The media office accused Israel of failing to meet its humanitarian obligations under the deal, allowing access to only 17,819 aid trucks out of the 42,800 shipments agreed under the deal — “an average of just 244 trucks per day out of the 600 agreed daily, meaning a compliance rate not exceeding 41%.”
- Trump says talks between Ukraine and Russia are 'going along’
US President Donald Trump said Monday that talks involving Russia and Ukraine are continuing, but acknowledged that deep tensions between the two sides have made progress difficult.
"The talks on Ukraine, Russia are going along," Trump told reporters in the state of Florida in response to a question about discussions held over the weekend and whether a potential trilateral format involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia could be the next step.
"The talks are going along. I say that, you know, there’s tremendous hatred between these two leaders, between (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin, (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy — tremendous hatred," he said.
Despite those challenges, Trump said dialogue is continuing. “We are talking. Talks are going okay,” he added.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- The US needs Greenland for national security reasons, President Donald Trump said Monday.
- In an operation conducted by Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Mehmet Goren, one of the so-called senior figures of the terror group ISIS (Daesh), was captured in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and brought to Türkiye, according to information obtained from security sources on Monday.
- Three people were killed Monday in an Israeli drone strike that targeted a vehicle in southern Lebanon, in a new violation of a ceasefire agreement, Lebanese media said.
- The US will keep the oil and ships that it seized off the coast of Venezuela, President Trump said Monday.
- Belgium on Monday reiterated that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank constitute infringements of international law, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot's office told Anadolu, following the Israeli government’s approval of 19 new settlements.
- Ukraine’s parliament is forming a working group to consider the issue of potentially holding a presidential election during martial law, the faction leader of the country's ruling party said on Monday.
- The Danish foreign minister said Monday they will summon the US ambassador for an explanation after US President Donald Trump appointed a special envoy for Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, according to media reports.
- Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) urged Thailand and Cambodia on Monday to exercise restraint, as the militaries of the two countries are set to meet this week amid ongoing border clashes.
- The UK government has continued to resist calls for a ministerial meeting to discuss the health and treatment of six prisoners linked to the banned group Palestine Action who are on a hunger strike, despite warnings from hundreds of British health care professionals that they face an immediate risk to their lives.
- Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has confirmed that Italian military personnel have been requested to support future reconstruction or transitional efforts in Gaza and Palestine, according to local media reports Monday.
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said Monday that all core documents on security guarantees between Ukraine, European countries, and the US are ready, while warning that intelligence suggests that Russia may carry out "massive strikes" during the Christmas holiday period.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- China urges Dutch government to revoke administrative order against semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia
China urged the Dutch government Monday to “immediately revoke” its administrative order against semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia, an overseas subsidiary owned by Chinese company Wingtech Technology Co.
A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce pointed out that the Nexperia situation was caused by the Dutch government's “inappropriate administrative intervention in corporate operations,” according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
The ministry urged the Dutch government to “create favorable conditions for negotiations between the companies involved and to help restore the security and stability of global semiconductor industrial and supply chains.”
- Türkiye signs cooperation deal with Azerbaijan covering energy, trade, investments
Türkiye and Azerbaijan signed the 12th Joint Economic Commission protocol Monday, which includes a 110-point action plan covering fields such as energy, trade, investments, and tourism.
The deal was signed by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz and Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov in the Azerbaijani capital Baku.
Yilmaz said the current cooperation aims to contribute to the prosperity of the entire Turkic world by strengthening activities primarily under the umbrella of the Organization of Turkic States on a regional and international scale.
