Morning Briefing: March 21, 2025

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday with, including US President Donald Trump signing an order to dismantle the US Department of Education, Russia accusing Europe of turning into a "war party," and the White House saying that Trump "fully supports Israel" as Israeli forces resumed their attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip.

TOP STORIES

• Trump signs order to dismantle US Department of Education

US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, the latest federal agency that he has sought to eliminate as he seeks to fulfill a long-term goal of some conservative groups.

"We're going to be returning education, very simply, back to the states where it belongs. And this is a popular thing to do, but much more importantly, it's a common-sense thing to do, and it's going to work. Absolutely, it's going to work," he said during a White House ceremony.

"People have wanted to do this for many, many years, for many, many decades, and I don't know, no president ever got around to doing it, but I'm getting around to doing it," he added.

• Kremlin accuses Europe of turning into a ‘war party’

Russia’s Kremlin accused Europe of “militarizing” itself so much that it has turned into a “war party.”

“Europe has so far gone into militarizing itself and has rather turned into a war party,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

Saying that Russia hears many signals coming from Europe every day, Peskov argued that signals from Brussels and other European capitals mainly concern plans to militarize the bloc.

• White House says Trump 'fully supports Israel' as it renews attacks on Gaza

US President Donald Trump "fully supports Israel" as Tel Aviv resumes its attacks on the besieged Gaza Strip, the White House said amid an escalating death toll.

Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt continued to blame Hamas for Israel's decision to renew its offensive following a breakthrough ceasefire that endured for roughly two months, saying Trump "has made it very clear that he wants all of those hostages to come home."

"And he fully supports Israel and the IDF and the actions that they've taken in recent days," she added, using an acronym to refer to Israel's military.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The Sudanese army said it has continued to advance in central Khartoum, capturing strategic positions near the Presidential Palace.
• Poland aims to plant up to one million mines on its borders with Russia and Belarus, announced the country’s deputy defense minister.
• The US State Department approved the sale of advanced precision kill weapon systems and related equipment to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said.
• Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov announced that a new round of Russia-US talks will take place on March 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said US President Donald Trump should be convinced to withdraw American troops from Syria, adding that it would be cost-effective for Washington.
• The US continues to press Israel for answers and "full accountability" on the killing of Turkish American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the occupied West Bank last September, a State Department spokesperson told Anadolu.
• The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development signed two grant agreements with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to provide $1.5 million to support Gaza’s water sector and $2 million to improve education in Lebanon.
• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) accused the Greek Cypriot administration of pushing back migrant boats.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected any talks on the potential US ownership of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
• An investigation was launched after a UN staffer was killed during an explosion at two UN guest houses in the Gaza Strip, a UN official said.
• Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced to lawmakers that the country will inaugurate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) within six months, a significant milestone for the massive hydropower project on the Nile River.
• Russia called on mediators in the Gaza conflict to intensify efforts to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table and resume a January ceasefire.
• North Korea warned Japan against deploying long-range missiles on the southernmost Kyushu Island, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
• The Taliban released an American national who had been held in Afghanistan for more than two years, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
• Syrian security forces arrested a former commander in the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad for involvement in war crimes in Syria, the Interior Ministry said.
• At least 22 Naxal rebels were killed in two gun battles with Indian security forces in the central state of Chhattisgarh, officials said.
• The Palestinian Hamas group's armed wing announced firing a rocket barrage toward Tel Aviv, central Israel, marking the first rocket firing from Gaza after Israel broke the ceasefire Tuesday.
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Russia to honor its commitment to a partial ceasefire in Ukraine while pledging continued support for Kyiv to bolster its negotiating position.
• The Trump administration announced that it is suspending $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania due to the school's policies supporting transgender athletes.

SPORTS

• Kirsty Coventry becomes 1st female Olympic president

Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe was elected as the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), becoming the first woman and first African to hold the position.

Coventry, Zimbabwe's sports minister and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, won in the first round of voting at the 144th IOC Session in Greece.

“The young girl who first started swimming in Zimbabwe all those years ago could never have dreamt of this moment,” Coventry said at the election announcement ceremony.

• Bayern Munich announce death of 18-year-old footballer after head injury

Guo Jiaxuan, an 18-year-old Chinese footballer, died after suffering a serious head injury during a training match in Spain in February, German club Bayern Munich announced.

Guo, who was reportedly struck in the face by a knee during training camp, was declared “brain dead” by a local hospital before being transferred to China, where he was receiving further care in a Beijing hospital.

The young stopper was part of the Bayern Munich World Squad, which gave players from around the world a chance to showcase their talents.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• European stocks close lower as BoE warns of tariff uncertainty

European stock markets ended in the red as investors focused on the Bank of England's (BoE) interest rate decision and remarks about uncertainty caused by the US trade policy.

The BoE kept its policy interest rate constant at 4.5%, in line with forecasts.

Noting the implementation of new US tariffs on imports, the bank said global trade policy uncertainty has intensified and Washington has made a range of tariff announcements, to which some governments have responded.

• Turkish Central Bank raises overnight lending rate to 46% amid financial market volatility

In an interim meeting convened to address recent financial market developments, the Turkish Central Bank hiked the overnight lending rate to 46%.

The bank maintained the policy rate (one-week repo auction rate) at 42.5% and the overnight borrowing rate at 41%.

The decision reflected the bank's assessment of risks posed by current market conditions to the inflation outlook, underscoring its commitment to supporting a tight monetary policy to combat inflationary pressures.