Rabia Ali
19 November 2025•Update: 19 November 2025
ISTANBUL
Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday, including US President Trump hosting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington, Israeli strike killing several in Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, and US House passing bill ordering Justice Department to release Epstein files.
TOP STORIES
- US President Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meet in Washington
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is upgrading ties with Saudi Arabia, designating the Kingdom as a major non-NATO US ally.
"I'm pleased to announce that we're taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them," Trump said as he hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a formal dinner at the White House.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Tuesday that he wants his country to be part of the Abraham Accords.
"We want to be part of the call, but we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path of two-state solution (between Israel and Palestine)," bin Salman, also known as MBS, told reporters at the White House alongside US President Donald Trump.
- Several killed in Israeli strike on Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon
At least 13 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon, the Health Ministry said late Tuesday.
In a statement, the ministry said that several others were injured in the attack that targeted a center inside the camp, without specifying the exact number.
According to the state news agency NNA, three missiles were fired into the center.
The outlet said a large number of injured people were admitted to hospitals in Sidon following the attack, amid calls for residents to donate blood for victims.
The Israeli army claimed that the attack targeted Hamas members inside the center. It alleged that the targeted facility was being used to plot attacks against Israel.
- US House overwhelmingly passes bill ordering Justice Department to release Epstein files
The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation to compel the Justice Department to release more files on the investigation of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The lower chamber of Congress voted 427-1 on Epstein Files Transparency Act. It will now be sent to the Senate.
This came after a discharge petition to compel a vote in the House on the Epstein files' release. The petition reached the required 218 signatures after Rep. Adelita Grijalva signed it last week.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- Four illegal Israeli settlers were injured in an attack near a settlement in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, local media said.
- The European Union on Tuesday welcomed the adoption of the UN Security Council’s resolution endorsing a ceasefire and a 20-point plan for peace in Gaza, describing it as an "important step in advancing a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict."
- The Trump administration has been secretly working with Russia on a new draft plan to end the war in Ukraine, according to a report Tuesday.
- Slovakia’s prime minister reiterated his country's position that it will not supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, according to an official statement Tuesday.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for Poland on Tuesday following sabotage on a key railway line, but stopped short of directly blaming Russia without seeing the full evidence.
- US President Donald Trump on Tuesday hailed Syria's "tremendous progress" in the last 11 months under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday reiterated Türkiye’s policy on normalizing relations with Armenia.
- The Sudanese army claimed major gains across the Kordofan region Tuesday following renewed clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
- The US State Department on Tuesday approved a potential sale of Patriot air defense system sustainment and related equipment to Ukraine, a package valued at up to $105 million, according to a statement by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the" appalling suffering" in Sudan in a call Tuesday.
- The UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories reiterated her criticism of the European Union and its member states over policies she said are aiding the destruction of Palestine.
- The US social media company X was down on Tuesday for thousands of users around the world, according to the outage tracking site Downdetector.com.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Trump, Saudi crown prince ink deals on nuclear technology, AI, F-35s, critical minerals
US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a series of agreements Tuesday that address a vast array of bilateral issues, from defense to civil nuclear technology.
The White House said the pacts "deepen the U.S.-Saudi strategic partnership, expand opportunities for high-paying American jobs, strengthen critical supply chains, and reinforce regional stability—all while putting American workers, industry, and security first."
Bin Salman earlier announced that the Kingdom has increased a commitment it made in May to invest $600 billion in the US, raising the total to nearly $1 trillion, a key ask from the US president heading into Tuesday's meeting.
- AI firm Anthropic to receive $15B in investment from Microsoft, NVIDIA
US-based technology firms NVIDIA, Microsoft, and Anthropic announced a strategic partnership on Tuesday, according to a press release.
As part of the deal, NVIDIA and Microsoft are committing to invest up to $15 billion in total in Anthropic.
"For the first time, NVIDIA and Anthropic are establishing a deep technology partnership to support Anthropic’s future growth," the AI firm Anthropic stated.
