ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday, including the shooting of two US National Guard members in Washington, DC, a fire that broke out at a high-rise complex in Hong Kong claiming at least 44 lives, and Guinea-Bissau’s military deposing the country’s president and closing all land, sea and air borders, saying it had uncovered a plot to “destabilize” the nation.

• 2 National Guard members shot in Washington, DC

Two members of the US National Guard were shot in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday.

"This heinous assault was an act of evil and act of hatred and an act of terror. It was a crime against our entire nation. It was a crime against humanity," President Donald Trump said in a video message from the state of Florida, where he is spending the holiday.

Trump said the suspect entered the US from Afghanistan in 2021 during former President Joe Biden’s term, vowing "to ensure that the animal who perpetrated this atrocity pays the steepest possible price."

"I can report tonight that, based on the best available information, the Department of Homeland Security is confident that the suspect in custody is a foreigner who entered our country from Afghanistan, a hellhole on earth. He was flown in by the Biden administration in September 2021," he said.

US media, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the suspect has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, who is now in custody.

• Fire at Hong Kong high-rise complex claims at least 44 lives, 279 missing

A fire that broke at an eight-building residential complex in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district has claimed 44 lives, while 279 people remain unaccounted for.

The number of casualties continues to rise, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The fire broke out around noon Wednesday in the complex, which consists of more than 1,900 apartments, and spread rapidly due to bamboo scaffolding installed on the exterior for renovation work.

• Guinea-Bissau military deposes president, closes borders after alleging plot to ‘destabilize’ country

Guinea-Bissau’s military deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and closed the country’s land, sea and air borders, saying it had uncovered a plot to “destabilize” the nation.

A group of military officers identifying themselves as the "High Military Command for the Restoration of National Security and Public Order" read a statement at the armed forces headquarters that was broadcast on state television TGB.

The officers said they “assumed full powers of the state.”

The military said it was responding to the discovery of a plot to “destabilize” Guinea-Bissau involving an “operational scheme” by national politicians, a “well-known drug baron,” nationals and foreigners, as well as attempts to manipulate election results.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Israel must immediately halt its attacks violating the Gaza ceasefire and fulfill its obligations, said Türkiye's National Security Council.
• Germany's defense minister accused Russia of not responding positively to a revised peace plan for Ukraine.
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the US must not sideline Europeans in negotiations with Russia over Ukraine, insisting that any settlement requires European agreement.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following developments in Guinea-Bissau "with deep concern" after the country’s military deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embalo.
• US President Donald Trump urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to dial back her remarks on Taiwan following a phone call from Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing officials briefed on the matter.
• The Dominican Republic has authorized the US to use its territory "for a limited time" to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean, said President Luis Abinader.
• A French court has focused its latest hearing on how cement company Lafarge negotiated with armed groups in Syria while continuing its operations there in 2013 and 2014.
• Bulgarians rallied in the capital Sofia against a new budget draft submitted by the government to parliament.
• A group of Democratic senators urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to account for what they described as “many hundreds” of potential violations of US human rights law by Israeli military units in Gaza, citing findings from a classified State Department report.
• Two prominent Scottish pro-independence podcasters have been arrested and charged with terrorism offences after expressing support for Palestine Action, a protest group proscribed by the UK government earlier this year.
• US President Donald Trump said that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit, citing the country's refusal to hand off the G20 presidency to a US Embassy representative.
• Twenty-two US state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s guidance that restricts eligibility for a federal nutritional program that provides monetary allowances for low-income families.
• Israel has sharply escalated its use of torture and severe abuses against Palestinian detainees since the Gaza war began in October 2023, Israeli human rights organizations said in a report submitted to the UN Committee Against Torture.
• The medical group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it had withdrawn its staff from Zalingei Hospital in Central Darfur after a health worker was killed and four others were injured in a shooting outside the facility in western Sudan.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pope Leo are set to hold a news conference at Cihannuma Hall in Türkiye’s Presidential National Library in Ankara, the world’s third-largest library.
• The National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine said its head, Rustem Umerov, was summoned to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US stocks end midweek in green amid Fed rate cut expectations

US stocks closed higher midweek as expectations for a rate cut at the Federal Reserve’s December meeting continued to build.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.67%, or 314.67 points, to close at 47,427.12.

The Nasdaq increased 0.82%, or 189.10 points, to 23,214.69, while the S&P 500 added 0.69%, or 46.73 points, to 6,812.61.

• IMF warns Germany faces challenging growth outlook without bold reforms

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Germany faces a persistently challenging medium-term growth outlook unless bolder reforms are implemented at home and at the EU level.

"Following several years of large economic shocks and negative growth, Germany’s landmark reform of its fiscal rule earlier this year has set the stage for an economic recovery, driven by a gradual acceleration of domestic investment and consumption," the fund said in a statement.

However, it was emphasized in the statement that medium-term prospects remain limited due to rapid population aging and weak productivity growth, and therefore, it is important to use existing fiscal space wisely to increase the economy's long-term production capacity.