ISTANBUL
Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including Israel’s killing Anadolu’s freelance cameraman Abu Nabhan; Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro being sworn in for a third term and Trump's penalty-free sentencing in a hush-money case.
TOP STORIES
Anadolu freelance cameraman Saed Abu Nabhan killed by Israeli army
Saed Abu Nabhan, a freelance Anadolu cameraman in Gaza, was killed by an Israeli army long-range rifle attack.
The Israeli military surrounded an area in the Al-Jadeed refugee camp, located in the central Gaza Strip's Nuseirat region, where journalists were present, before targeting those in the area.
Footage showed a wounded individual being rushed out of a house on a stretcher by aid workers.
Nearby, Abu Nabhan is seen trying to run while covering the incident with his equipment. At that moment, he is targeted by what appears to be a shot fired from a long-range rifle.
Abu Nabhan then falls to the ground and lies motionless. Those nearby struggle to approach him with the threat of being targeted by Israeli bullets.
Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro takes presidential oath for 3rd term
Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as president in Venezuela for a third term, pledging it would be a period of peace and democracy.
Maduro took the oath before the head of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, who placed the presidential sash on him. It took place two hours earlier than scheduled and lasted about half an hour.
"I swear before this Constitution that I will fulfill all its mandates, that I will fulfill all the obligations of the Constitution and the laws of the Republic, and that this new presidential term will be the period of peace, prosperity, equality and new democracy," Maduro said at the emblematic Eliptico Hall.
President-elect Trump sentenced without penalty in New York hush-money case
US President-elect Donald Trump was sentenced without penalty after being found guilty in his New York hush-money case, setting him on track to become the first American president sworn into office as a convicted felon in his upcoming Jan. 20 inauguration.
Trump made a virtual appearance for the court proceedings and lashed out at what he deemed an unfair process, hours after the Supreme Court shot down his bid to avoid sentencing.
"I am totally innocent. I did nothing wrong," said Trump, who is still under a gag order in the case.
"This has been a political witch hunt," he said.
"It was done to damage my reputation so I would lose the election," he added, referring to last fall’s presidential election, which he won.
Technically, Trump could have been sentenced to up to four years in prison, but Judge Juan Merchan handed down a sentence of an unconditional discharge for the 34 counts Trump was convicted of falsifying business records in May to cover up $130,000 in hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The payments were made to keep Daniels' story of an alleged 2006 affair with Trump from being made public during the 2016 presidential election.
The special circumstance of the unconditional discharge means that Trump will not have to serve prison time, nor pay monetary penalties.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- Israel, the US and Britain carried out their first coordinated attack on Houthi targets in Yemen, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the ousted Bashar Assad regime had turned Syria into a hub for drug production and a source of instability in the region, highlighting the heavy toll the conflict has taken on Türkiye.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet US President-elect Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
- Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani received an Italian delegation led by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani at the People’s Palace in Damascus, according to Syrian state news agency, SANA.
- The global warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit) set by countries was surpassed in 2024, the hottest year on record, according to a report.
- The security chief of South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has resigned.
- At least 30 people were killed in an armed attack in northwestern Nigeria, local media reported.
- A legal case against Boaz Ben David, an Israeli soldier accused of war crimes during the Gaza war, has been submitted to a Swedish court, the Hind Rajab Foundation announced.
- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she does not believe President-elect Donald Trump would try to seize Greenland by force.
- South Korea is mulling over raising the 65-year-old limit for seniors after the country became a "super-aged" society, health officials announced.
- Japan imposed new sanctions on Russia for its war on Ukraine which will complete three years next month.
- The former Polish president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) slammed Warsaw's decision to protect Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu from the court’s arrest warrant should he decide to attend a commemoration of the liberation of Auschwitz.
SPORTS
- Fenerbahce Beko sign US guard Errick McCollum
Fenerbahce Beko signed US guard Errick McCollum, the Istanbul-based basketball giants confirmed.
Fenerbahce Beko said McCollum, 36, has joined the team until the end of the 2024-25 season.
McCollum played for various clubs, including Türkiye's Galatasaray, Anadolu Efes and Karsiyaka.
- Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez set to make Australian Open main table debut
Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez is set this month to make her Australian Open main table debut.
Sonmez, ranked as high as 88th in the world, will participate in the first Grand Slam of 2025.
The 22-year-old, who is ranked 93rd in the updated classification, will be the only Turkish player to appear in the tournament’s main table matches.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Ethiopian premier launches country’s first- stock exchange
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially launched the country’s first stock exchange, the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX), to woo domestic and international investors.
On X, Abiy hailed the launch as a historic milestone for the economic and financial landscape of the country.
“We have officially rung the bell to launch the Ethiopian Securities Exchange – the first stock exchange for our country. Invest in Ethiopia – a fast-growing economy with immense potential and a dynamic trajectory toward prosperity,” he said.
The stock exchange is expected to play a critical role in the development of the Horn of Africa country’s capital market and economic growth.
- Türkiye's jobless rate down to 8.6% in November
Türkiye's unemployment rate declined to 8.6% in November, from 8.7% in October, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said.
The number of jobless dropped 84,000 from a month ago to 3.07 million as of November, TurkStat data showed.
The unemployment rate for men stood at 7% and 11.7% for women.
The labor force participation rate rose to 54.2% in November, falling 0.4 percentage points from the previous month.
The employment rate edged down 0.2 percentage points to 49.6%, meaning 32.7 million people.
Youth unemployment, defined as those aged 15-24, fell 0.5 percentage points to 15.8%. The rate was 11.9% for males and 23% for females.
