ISTANBUL
Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday with, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declaring a definitive end to Canada's traditional relationship with the US, Russian President Vladimir Putin's remarks on US plans regarding Greenland and US capturing top MS-13 leader.
TOP STORIES
• Canada's 'old relationship' with US is over, says prime minister
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared a definitive end to Canada's traditional relationship with the US on Thursday, saying the era of deep economic and security integration has concluded.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a Cabinet committee meeting in Ottawa, Carney delivered an assessment of bilateral ties with US while asserting Canadian sovereignty.
"The old relationship we had with the United States based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation is over," Carney said.
• Putin says US plans regarding Greenland 'not extravagant conversations'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia is taking seriously the words of US President Donald Trump about the possible annexation of Greenland.
Speaking at the International Arctic Forum in Murmansk, Putin reminded that similar plans were voiced in the 19th century, but then the Congress opposed President Andrew Johnson's plans.
"This may surprise someone only at first glance. And it is a deep mistake to believe that these are some kind of extravagant conversations of the new American administration. Nothing like that," he said.
• US captures top MS-13 leader in Virginia operation
US authorities announced Thursday the capture of a top MS-13 gang leader operating on the East Coast during a multi-agency operation in Virginia.
The 24-year-old suspect, whose name has not been released, was apprehended in Woodbridge, just south of Washington, DC, Fox News reported.
Authorities confirmed that the individual ranks among the gang's top three US leaders.
NEWS IN BRIEF
• The Israeli army said Thursday that it had intercepted two missiles fired from Yemen as regional escalation continued to rise over Israel’s ongoing onslaught on the Gaza Strip.
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday rejected any easing of sanctions on Russia, saying recent developments have shown that Moscow is “currently not interested in real peace.”
• French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump will feel "cheated" and "betrayed" if Russia does not provide a "clear answer" regarding a proposed truce in Ukraine.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed on Thursday that the US is constantly changing the terms of a key minerals agreement, saying there is currently “no issue on the agenda” that would warrant a trip to Washington.
• US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that Rep. Elise Stefanik will remain in Congress instead of being nominated as the US ambassador to the United Nations.
• Six Russians were killed and 39 foreign tourists were rescued after a tourist submarine sank off Egypt’s Red Sea city of Hurghada, Egyptian authorities said on Thursday.
• US Sen. Bernie Sanders announced Thursday that he will force votes next week on halting nearly $9 billion in new military aid for Israel after it broke a ceasefire in Gaza with large-scale strikes that have added hundreds of new deaths to an already grim death toll.
• Britain's King Charles III was briefly hospitalized Thursday after experiencing temporary side effects from his cancer treatment and canceled his engagements, according to media reports citing Buckingham Palace.
• French prosecutors on Thursday requested a seven-year jail term for former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a €300,000 ( $323.860) fine, and a five-year ban on holding public office in connection with allegations of Libyan financing for his 2007 presidential campaign, public broadcaster France 24 reported.
• The house arrest of South Sudan's First Vice-President Riek Machar has raised fears among the public and the international community.
• Search and recovery efforts continue for four US soldiers who went missing in Lithuania, US Army Europe and Africa said Thursday.
• The Sudanese army announced late Thursday that its troops had succeeded in clearing the last pockets of resistance from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum Governorate.
• US warplanes launched a series of airstrikes Thursday on Yemen, the Houthi group reported.
• Thousands of firefighters are successfully containing the most devastating wildfires in South Korea’s history, helped by better visibility and cooler temperatures from overnight rain.
• The US revoked at least 300 foreign student visas as part of an ongoing crackdown on pro-Palestinian students and academics, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.
SPORTS
• IFAB announces rule change to prevent goalkeepers from time-wasting
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has published rule changes that will come into effect from July 1, including a new rule that will prevent goalkeepers from time-wasting.
According to the booklet published on the IFAB website, a goalkeeper will now be allowed to hold the ball in his hands for a maximum of eight seconds.
If the goalkeeper holds the ball longer than that, the referee will give a visual countdown of five seconds and then award a corner kick to the opposing team.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
• Alibaba introduces AI model to process images, videos on mobile devices
Alibaba Group Holding has unveiled a new multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) model that can process text, images, audio and video on smartphones and laptops, the South China Morning Post reported.
The company introduced Qwen2.5-Omni-7B on Thursday as the newest member of its Qwen model family as the tech giant aims to strengthen its position in the generative AI field.
The multimodal Qwen2.5-Omni-7B model brings advanced AI capabilities closer to everyday users.
• US tariffs' impacts starting to show up in macro data: Fitch
International credit rating agency Fitch Ratings on Thursday reported that the effects of the US tariffs have started to be reflected in international trade data.
In a statement, the agency said that the US' imports rose in January as businesses tried to increase their shipments before the tariffs took effect.
This increase was attributed to higher demand for industrial materials and consumer goods.
