Morning Briefing: Jan 3, 2025

ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday with, including South Korean investigators entering impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's residence in Seoul to execute a warrant for his detention, Israel conducting airstrikes on Syrian army positions near Aleppo, and the Taliban beginning to distribute land to returning Afghan refugees.

TOP STORIES

• South Korean investigators enter President Yoon's residence to detain him

Investigators from South Korea’s anti-corruption agency entered impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's residence in Seoul to execute a warrant for his detention following his failed attempt last month to impose martial law.

"We have begun executing a detention warrant for President Yoon," the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) announced to the press, according to Yonhap news agency.

They were blocked by a military unit inside the presidential residence compound, however, said Yonhap.

Yoon's defense team has vowed to take legal action over the "illegal" execution of the warrant.

• Israel strikes Syrian army positions near Aleppo

Israel bombed Syrian army positions in the Al-Safira area southeast of Aleppo city.

An air defense base and warehouse were targeted, said local sources.

A number of people in the area were killed and injured in around 10 airstrikes, according to preliminary reports.

• Taliban begins distributing land to returning Afghan refugees

Afghanistan’s interim Taliban administration began distributing land among repatriated Afghan refugees from Pakistan and Iran, said officials.

"Returnees deserve to receive land for agriculture and building houses," Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban administration’s nominee to the UN, told Anadolu by phone from Kabul.

He said the administration, which was established after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, has various programs aimed at providing facilities to returnees.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US President Joe Biden marked the 235 judicial confirmations accomplished during his administration, the largest number in a single term since the Carter administration.
• Greece is set to strengthen its rocket artillery capabilities with the planned purchase of Israeli-made PULS multiple rocket launcher systems, local media reported. Athens is also considering the purchase of various types of ammunition for the systems, including Predator Hawk tactical ballistic missiles with a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) and SkyStriker loitering munitions.
• Argentina announced that it has filed a complaint against Venezuela at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for arresting a member of its gendarme, or border guard, which has triggered a diplomatic dispute.
• Yemen’s Houthi group said that its forces carried out 22 strikes in one week against US and Israeli targets with missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
• More than 115,000 Syrians have returned home since the fall of the Assad regime, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said.
• Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Mexico as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in its 2024 report.
• Daesh/ISIS and other terrorist groups will not find a "safe harbor" in the US, President Joe Biden said following deadly New Year’s Day attacks.
• Iconic Turkish Arabesque singer, musician, actor and director Ferdi Tayfur died at a hospital in Türkiye's Mediterranean province of Antalya, a spokesperson confirmed.
• The US State Department approved the possible sale of advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and related equipment to Japan, the Pentagon said.
• Iraq condemned Israel’s renewed targeting of displaced Palestinians’ tents in the Gaza Strip.
• Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on three areas in southern Lebanon, continuing violations of a cease-fire agreement that went into effect on Nov. 27, 2024.
• The World Health Organization's director-general called on Israel to allow more medical evacuations from Gaza.
• Belgian Foreign Minister Bernard Quintin said in a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara that "Türkiye is one of Belgium's most important partners," citing a sizable Turkish community in Belgium which strengthens ties between the two countries.
• The newly-elected 119th US Congress is set to begin on Friday with Republicans in full control of both chambers for the first time since 2019.

SPORTS

• Turkish Airlines EuroLeague leaders Monaco win at ALBA Berlin

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague leaders Monaco beat ALBA Berlin 105-90 in a Round 19 basketball game in Germany.

Monaco have a 13-6 win/loss record to be on top of the EuroLeague regular season standings.

ALBA Berlin are still at the bottom of the EuroLeague with 16 losses in 19 games. The German club is in 18th spot.

Second-place Olympiacos from Greece beat Zalgiris Kaunas 92-85 in Lithuania.

Piraeus' Olympiacos are going 13-6 to chase Monaco in the standings.

Zalgiris Kaunas have won 10 games but lost nine others in their EuroLeague campaign to move down to ninth position.

• Dumfries strikes twice to send Inter Milan to Italian Super Cup final

Dutch full-back Denzel Dumfries scored twice as Inter Milan beat Atalanta 2-0 to qualify for the Italian Super Cup final.

Head coach Simone Inzaghi's Inter won the game 2-0 at Al-Awwal Park to reach the final, where they will take on either Juventus or archrivals AC Milan on Jan. 6 in Riyadh.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Apple to pay $95M to settle claims of Siri eavesdropping on customers

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a civil lawsuit that alleges the privacy-focused company used its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhones and other popular devices.

The proposed settlement, which was filed Tuesday in a federal court in Oakland, California, would resolve a five-year-old lawsuit alleging that Apple secretly activated Siri to record conversations for over a decade, CBS News reported.

Apple is not acknowledging any wrongdoing in the settlement, which still requires approval from US District Judge Jeffrey White.