ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including Syrian forces deploying in Aleppo neighborhood after SDF withdrawal; US vice president calling Trump-Petro phone call 'very productive' and; US Senate advancing bill to curb Trump’s war powers on Venezuela

TOP STORIES

Syrian forces deploy in Aleppo neighborhood after SDF withdrawal: Interior Ministry

Syrian internal security forces began deploying in the Ashrafieh neighborhood in the northern city of Aleppo following the withdrawal of the PKK/YPG terror group operating under the name SDF, according to the Interior Ministry.

A statement said internal security units started deploying in Ashrafieh after the neighborhood was recently handed over to state authorities under a plan to re-establish security and stability in the area.

The forces have begun carrying out duties to protect civilians and prevent security breaches or acts of disorder, the statement added.

The ministry said the deployment is being conducted in coordination with Syrian army units positioned in the area.

The deployment comes after a large number of SDF members defected in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods, while others fled.

US vice president calls Trump-Petro phone talk 'very productive'

US Vice President JD Vance described President Donald Trump's call with Colombian President Gustavo Petro as "very productive," saying it supports broader efforts to promote peace in the Caribbean by weakening the power of criminal cartels.

"The President had a very productive phone call with the President of Colombia yesterday, and we continue to talk at all levels of government with a number of our friends in the Caribbean region," Vance said at a press briefing at the White House.

He argued that targeting illicit revenue streams would help reduce instability across Latin America and the Caribbean.

"I actually think this is really good for peace in the Caribbean, because when you take away a major source of illegal cartel revenue, which is the cocaine trade, the fentanyl trade, other sources of illicit revenue, you actually remove the power of one of the main destabilizing forces in Latin America and in the Caribbean," he said.

US Senate advances bill to curb Trump’s war powers on Venezuela

The US Senate on Thursday advanced a measure to curb President Donald Trump’s authority to launch strikes on Venezuela.

The Senate agreed to the motion to discharge the War Powers Resolution by a vote of 52-47.

Five Republicans -- Sens. Josh Hawley, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Rand Paul and Todd Young -- voted in favor of the bill, which was introduced by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine.

Republican Sen. Steve Daines did not vote.

A decisive vote is expected next week.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US President Donald Trump said the only thing that can stop him is his “own morality,” not international law.
• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said it was time for national unity in Syria, urging the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to fulfill its responsibilities.
• The rector of Belgium’s Ghent University has stepped back from receiving an honorary doctorate following revelations she used fabricated AI quotes in a speech last fall, Flemish-language broadcaster VRT reported.
• Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration will establish a new assistant attorney general position that will be run out of the White House to investigate alleged cases of "fraud" nationwide.
• A widespread strike took place across Iran as protests entered their 12th day. Shopkeepers in almost all provinces went on strike by closing their shutters.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lamented the decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from 31 entities linked to the world body.
• President Emmanuel Macron said France will vote against the signing of a trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries, citing concerns about agriculture, food sovereignty and limited economic gains.
• The UN said humanitarian agencies continue to assist vulnerable families in the Gaza Strip amid severe winter conditions, while warning that Israeli restrictions are preventing the expansion of education services for children.
• Japan lodged a protest with China on Beijing's mobile drilling rigs in the East China Sea, according to media reports.
• China and the African Union are committed to jointly “safeguard” the legitimate rights and interests of the Global South, as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf held talks in Addis Ababa.
• Authorities urged residents in central Japan to evacuate as a forest fire began to expand, with emergency crews working to contain flames.
• The US Homeland Security chief said she is open to deploying additional federal agents to Minnesota following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, which has drawn outrage.
• Three Palestinians were killed when an Israeli drone strike hit a tent sheltering displaced civilians in southern Gaza, in the latest violation of last year’s ceasefire deal, according to a local emergency service.
• European Council President Antnio Costa and Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen are set to begin a first-of-its-kind visit to the Syrian capital on Friday, according to Syrian media.
• French President Emmanuel Macron accused the US of “gradually turning away from certain allies” and “breaking free from international rules.”

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Company bankruptcies in Germany hit record high since 2005

Business bankruptcies in Germany reached 17,605 last year, the highest since 2005, affecting 170,000 jobs, the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) reported.

An IWH report showed bankruptcy filings by companies and partnerships rose 17% in December compared to the same month in 2024, reaching 1,519.

It noted that the number of bankruptcies in December was 75% higher than the average for December from 2016-2019 -- before the coronavirus pandemic.

US trade deficit falls to lowest level since 2009

The US trade deficit fell to $29.4 billion last October, its lowest since June 2009, the US Commerce Department announced.

According to the data, the country's trade deficit fell 39% compared to the previous month in October; the market expectation for the deficit was $58.1 billion.

The US foreign trade deficit in September was $48.1 billion.