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Here’s a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Wednesday with, including the latest on a meeting of the Türkiye-US working group on Syria, the UK halting free trade talks with Israel, and Sudanese army declaring Khartoum ‘completely free’ of paramilitary RSF.

TOP STORIES

• Türkiye, US recognize importance of maintaining Syria's territorial integrity

Delegations from Türkiye and the US discussed "shared priorities" in Syria in talks Tuesday, according to a joint statement.

The US hosted Türkiye for a new round of the Syria Working Group in Washington, DC, where the Turkish delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yilmaz and the US side by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

Turkish Ambassador to the US Sedat Onal and US Ambassador to Türkiye Thomas Barrack were present at the talks.

Türkiye and the US are committed to increasing cooperation and coordination on stability and security in Syria as outlined by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump, according to the joint statement.

• UK halts free trade talks with Israel, calling Netanyahu-backed Gaza offensive 'monstrous'

The UK on issued its strongest condemnation yet of Israeli attacks on Gaza and the occupied West Bank, calling the humanitarian crisis in Gaza “abominable” and announcing a formal pause to free trade talks with Israel.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Foreign Secretary David Lammy described Israel’s ongoing military campaign as “dangerous, repellent, and monstrous.”

He warned that Israel’s stated policy of allowing only “just enough to prevent hunger” into Gaza amounted to a deliberate starvation strategy.

Lammy also announced new sanctions on three Israeli settlers, including prominent activist Daniella Weiss, along with two illegal outposts and two groups accused of inciting violence against Palestinians.

• Sudan’s army declares Khartoum ‘completely free’ of paramilitary RSF

The Sudanese army said that the capital Khartoum is now “completely free” of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), following months of intense warfare.

“We announce today the full clearing of the entire state of Khartoum from any presence of the Al-Dagalo militia and the purification of our national capital from the stain of the rebels,” army spokesperson Nabil Abdullah said in a recorded statement.

“We confirm that the state of Khartoum is completely free of the rebels,” he added.

The military spokesman said early Tuesday that army forces continued “to crush the RSF militia” in the south and west of Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Spain’s parliament passed a non-binding motion calling on the government to impose an arms embargo on Israel in response to its military operations in Gaza.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington expects Russia to present broad terms “in a number of days” that would allow progress toward a ceasefire in Ukraine.
• The United Arab Emirates announced that it has reached an agreement with Israel to deliver urgent humanitarian aid to 15,000 civilians in the Gaza Strip.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims that Washington is planning to deport Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, emphasizing that any relocation discussions involve only voluntary arrangements.
• The EU will launch a review of its granting trade privileges to Israel amid mounting concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the bloc's foreign policy chief announced.
• The Netherlands on voiced concern over Israel’s intensified Israeli strikes on Gaza and urged steps to ensure that “massive” humanitarian aid can reach the embattled enclave, long deprived of aid by an Israeli blockade.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party submitted a bill to the Knesset (parliament) to strip army and security personnel who call for disobeying military orders of their ranks, local media said.
• The EU approved its 17th sanctions package against Russia, targeting nearly 200 shadow fleet ships, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
• The UK announced a sweeping package of 100 new sanctions targeting Russia’s military, energy, financial sectors, and information operations, in response to Russia's attacks on Ukraine.
• Neo-Nazis and far-right extremists committed 42,788 crimes in Germany last year, the highest number recorded in more than a decade, the government said.
• Millions of users of the Spanish mobile network Telefonica experienced outages on Tuesday, losing access to landlines, internet and emergency lines.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• EU lifts economic sanctions on Syria to support its reconstruction

The EU decided to lift its economic sanctions on Syria to support the Syrian people in rebuilding their country after over a decade of civil war, the bloc’s foreign policy chief announced Tuesday.

"Today, we took the decision to lift our economic sanctions on Syria. We want to help the Syrian people rebuild a new, inclusive and peaceful Syria," Kaja Kallas said on X.

"The EU has always stood by Syrians throughout the last 14 years – and will keep doing so," she added.

• Apple CEO meets with Trump at White House: Report

Apple CEO Tim Cook met with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, CNN reported, citing an administration official.

The official did not disclose the subject of their discussion, it added.

The meeting came after Trump said Thursday that he spoke with Cook and told him not to expand his production facilities in India but to do so in the US.

Trump said he informed Cook that he does not want him to build production facilities in India, adding that Apple will be "upping their production in the United States" as a result of their discussion.