President Erdoğan embarks on diplomatic tour to Saudi Arabia and Egypt

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has departed for a two-day regional tour, with scheduled visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The trip aims to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss key regional issues, including the situation in Palestine, with high-level meetings planned in both Riyadh and Cairo.

Saudi-Türkiye investment forum launches ahead of Erdoğan's Riyadh visit

A major investment forum between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye has opened in Riyadh, featuring a delegation of over 200 Turkish companies. The event sets the stage for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's official visit, with both nations aiming to transform strong relations into a deeper strategic partnership.

President Erdoğan appoints Ozkul and Kara as central bank deputies

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed Fatma Ozkul and Gazi Ishak Kara as new deputy governors of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye. The appointments were formally announced in the Official Gazette, marking a key administrative change at the nation's top monetary institution.

Pakistan invited to US-Iran talks, likely hosted by Türkiye

Pakistan has confirmed it received an invitation to participate in upcoming diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran, which are reportedly scheduled to be held in Istanbul. The meeting, potentially occurring this Friday, would include regional stakeholders and address issues from nuclear programs to regional security.

Trump sees early Ukraine progress, cites Putin-Zelenskyy 'hatred' as obstacle

President Donald Trump has stated his administration is seeing initial progress in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war while simultaneously managing high-stakes talks with Iran. He identified the deep personal animosity between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a major barrier to a quicker resolution, even as he expressed rare optimism about potential diplomatic developments.

Newly released Epstein emails reveal Elon Musk, Bill Gates, other tech leaders had contact with financier

Thousands of emails and documents released by the U.S. Justice Department show several high-profile tech figures, including Elon Musk and Bill Gates, had correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein. The files include discussions of island visits, pandemic simulations, and private meetings.

US envoy Witkoff holds Israel talks ahead of scheduled Iran negotiations

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in Israel for discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials. The talks, focusing on Iran and Gaza ceasefire implementation, precede planned US-Iran negotiations scheduled to take place in Istanbul later this week.

EU calls for new Arctic strategy as Greenland crisis highlights security stakes

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called for an urgent renewal of the bloc's Arctic policy, citing heightened geopolitical and security tensions following the US-Greenland crisis. She emphasized that Greenland is of strategic importance to both the US and the EU, while firmly stating its future must be decided by its people and Denmark, within the framework of international law.

Over 21% of Germans at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, official data shows

More than one in five people in Germany—about 17.6 million—were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, according to federal statistics. The rate has risen steadily since 2017, with single-person and single-parent households facing the highest risk.

French authorities raid X's offices as part of algorithmic investigation

French cybercrime prosecutors have conducted a search of the Paris offices belonging to Elon Musk's social media platform X, escalating a legal probe into the company's algorithmic operations. The investigation has led to summons for Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino for questioning in April, signaling a significant legal challenge for the tech giant in Europe.

Five countries considering purchase of Pakistan-China JF-17 fighter jet, report says

Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Libya are reportedly exploring potential purchases of the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, jointly produced by Pakistan and China. The lightweight multirole aircraft has so far been sold to Azerbaijan, Nigeria and Myanmar.

WHO says five Gaza patients evacuated through Rafah crossing on first day of reopening

The World Health Organization reported that five patients were medically evacuated from Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Monday, the first day of its limited reopening. The move follows intense international pressure to allow critically ill Palestinians to access treatment abroad.

Iranian lawmaker cautions US against making a 'third mistake'

A senior Iranian parliamentarian has cautioned that any new US military action against Iran would constitute a grave error—a "third mistake"—and would be met with a decisive Iranian response. The warning, referencing past conflicts and US support for protests, comes as diplomatic efforts intensify to defuse the crisis.

Israeli forces kill Palestinian, injure another in southern Gaza amid continued ceasefire violations

Israeli forces shot and killed a young Palestinian man and wounded another in southern Gaza on Tuesday, marking further violations of the ceasefire agreement that took effect in October. The attacks occurred west and east of Khan Younis.

War remnant explosion injures three civilians in Syria’s Idlib province

An explosion caused by leftover wartime explosives in Syria’s Idlib province wounded three civilians, one critically, according to Syrian state media. The incident occurred months after the fall of the Assad regime, which ended the country’s civil war.

WHO seeks $1 billion for 2026 health crises as funding cuts shutter thousands of clinics

The World Health Organization has launched a $1 billion appeal to tackle 36 severe health emergencies in 2026, warning that funding shortfalls have already forced nearly 7,000 health facilities to close or reduce services, cutting off millions from care.

YPG/PKK detains 23 in Syria's Hasakah for welcoming government forces

The YPG/PKK terrorist organization detained 23 civilians in northeastern Syria's Hasakah province for celebrating the entry of Syrian Interior Ministry security forces. The detentions occurred despite a local curfew, following an agreement between the Syrian regime and the terrorist group.

Gaza Civil Defense halts body recovery due to fuel shortages, cites Israeli blockade violations

Gaza’s Civil Defense has suspended recovering bodies of Palestinians killed in the war because fuel supplies have fallen below operational levels, blaming Israel’ blockade and failure to uphold the ceasefire’s humanitarian provisions.

Iran rules out sending enriched uranium abroad ahead of nuclear talks with US in Istanbul

Senior Iranian advisor Ali Shamkhani said Tehran sees “no reason” to transfer its stockpile of enriched uranium out of the country, a key US demand, ahead of Friday’s nuclear negotiations in Istanbul. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and any reduction in enrichment must be met with reciprocal concessions.

Trump claims Putin agreed to week-long pause in Ukraine strikes

President Donald Trump stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed to a one-week halt in missile attacks on Ukraine, citing extreme winter conditions. While Trump announced the agreement from the White House, the Kremlin acknowledged the request but did not explicitly confirm its acceptance.

Israeli premier attacks Gaza technocratic committee’s use of Palestinian Authority logo

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly objected to the Gaza administration committee’s use of the Palestinian Authority emblem, insisting the PA will have no part in governing Gaza. The committee was formed under the U.S.-backed peace plan to oversee civilian affairs.

Israeli forces uproot 200 grapevines in Bethlehem, raid West Bank towns in widening operations

Israeli military bulldozers uprooted around 200 mature grapevines in the Bethlehem area and raided several towns across the occupied West Bank on Monday, converting a Palestinian home into a military post and setting up temporary checkpoints.

UNICEF warns Rafah crossing reopening insufficient, 4,000 Gaza children urgently need medical evacuation

UNICEF says the partial reopening of Rafah crossing is a positive step but fails to meet Gaza’s immense humanitarian needs, with nearly 4,000 children requiring urgent medical evacuation. The agency warns that continued restrictions and cold weather are putting young lives at severe risk.

Critically ill Gaza patients face years of delay as Rafah crossing reopens

The limited reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing reveals a severe bottleneck for medical evacuations. Despite Egypt preparing 150 hospitals for influx, Israeli restrictions permit only a handful of patients to leave daily, prolonging the evacuation of over 20,000 critically ill Palestinians for years.

Norway's leader counters Trump, defends NATO's value to the US

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store has directly challenged former US President Donald Trump's assertion that America gains nothing from NATO. Speaking in Oslo, Store called the claim "plain wrong," arguing the alliance is based on mutual self-interest, not charity, and stressed the need for deeper European security cooperation.