ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday, including protesters in the US gathering nationwide for "No Kings" rallies opposing the Trump administration; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying the European Union is in no position to significantly influence events in the Middle East, even if it wanted to; and Russia claiming that Moscow and Washington have begun discussions on construction of "Putin-Trump Tunnel" connecting two continents.

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• Protesters gather nationwide for 'No Kings' rallies opposing Trump administration

Millions gathered in the US for “No Kings” rallies, voicing opposition to President Donald Trump and his policies.

More than 2,000 demonstrations were organized across the country, including in major cities from Los Angeles to New York.

The rallies come amid a government shutdown and the deployment of federal troops in different parts of the country.

• EU is in no position to influence events in Mideast, German chancellor says

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the European Union is in no position to significantly influence events in the Middle East, even if it wanted to.

“We are witnessing the temporary end of a rules-based, multilateral order grounded in international law. We are in a phase in which the law of the strongest prevails in many places. Nevertheless, accusations directed at the European Union are misplaced. Even if we had wanted to, we would not have been able to decisively influence events in the Middle East,” Merz said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.

“Who in Europe has bunker-busting weapons to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program? Who has the means to force the warring parties to a ceasefire? Who among us has the means not only to threaten Hamas with disarmament, but also to enforce it if necessary? We are in a phase of transition to a time in which strength will once again play a greater role and rules-based agreements will fade into the background,” he added.

• Russia claims Moscow, Washington have begun discussions on construction of ‘Putin-Trump Tunnel’ connecting 2 continents

Moscow and Washington have started discussions on the construction of a tunnel under the Bering Strait to connect the two countries, Russian Presidential Envoy for Economic Affairs Kirill Dmitriev claimed.

"Discussions on the tunnel begin," Dmitriev, who also serves as the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said on the US social media platform, X.

US President Donald Trump said at a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the White House that he finds it "interesting," the project to build a tunnel under the Bering Strait, which would connect Russia and the US via railway transport.

NEWS IN BRIEF

The interim administration in Kabul claimed that Pakistan carried out late-night airstrikes in Afghanistan’s border province of Paktika, as officials from the two sides were set to hold talks in the Qatari capital of Doha.

The Palestinian National Council president urged the international community to take immediate action to deploy international forces in the Gaza Strip to protect Palestinians.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that repair crews have begun restoring external power lines leading to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

The Libyan High National Elections Commission (HNEC) announced the start of elections in 16 municipalities across the country, following a delay in August.

The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, handed over the bodies of two more Israeli hostages to Red Cross teams in the Gaza Strip, and they are being transferred to the Israeli army.

President Donald Trump said American forces destroyed a "drug-carrying" submarine that was traveling toward the US on a "well known narcotrafficking route."

The Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) has launched debris removal and cleanup operations in Gaza to accelerate rehabilitation following damage from Israeli attacks.

The Palestinian Embassy in Cairo announced that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will reopen Monday to allow Palestinians wishing to return to Gaza to cross.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces have seized another Ukrainian settlement in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.

A vessel was hit by an "unknown projectile" east of Yemen's port city of Aden, causing a fire, the UK's maritime agency reported.

A massive fire broke out in the cargo section of Bangladesh's main Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, suspending flights and landing operations, according to airport and fire service officials.

Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Asim Munir expressed Islamabad's hope that the “Gaza peace initiative would lead to an enduring peace in the region.”

Four people were killed and four injured in an overnight fire at a wooden residential house in Novosibirsk, the Prosecutor's Office of the Novosibirsk region said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with European and NATO leaders on details of his conversation with US President Donald Trump, stressing the joint goal of safeguarding lives and strengthening security across Europe.

Philippine authorities evacuated thousands of people to safe places as tropical storm Fengshen, locally known as Ramil, approached coastal provinces.

Thousands rallied in Vienna in solidarity with Palestinians, criticizing the government and the EU for their policies toward Israel, which committed genocide in Gaza.

An explosion at a military plant in Russia's Bashkortostan region killed three people and injured nine others, according to regional authorities.