Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” unveiled at the World Economic Forum in Davos last Thursday. Lula said Trump is attempting to create a “new United Nations” under his own control rather than reforming the existing UN. He refused to join the initiative, which requires a $1 billion payment for permanent membership and places Trump as chairman.

According to the report, 19 countries’ leaders and representatives signed the founding charter of the Board of Peace. Although initially described as a body to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, its charter suggests a broader scope that could rival the UN. Lula emphasized multilateral cooperation and warned against the use of power in global politics, echoing a recent phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who urged maintaining the UN’s central role.

France and the United Kingdom, both close U.S. allies, have expressed doubts about the plan. London objected to Russia’s inclusion due to the Ukraine war, while Paris said the council’s charter conflicts with its international commitments and UN membership obligations.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that U.S. President Donald Trump is the only leader capable of forcing Israel to stop its offensive in the besieged Gaza Strip. In an interview with journalist Hadley Gamble on the program 'On the Record,' Fidan argued that if President Trump uses Washington’s influence, it would be effective in ending the conflict. He also noted that Israel has violated ceasefire agreements multiple times.

Fidan emphasized that Turkey believes Trump is the only person who can exert real pressure on Israel. When asked about the possibility of Turkey sending troops to Gaza, he referred to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s earlier remarks, saying Ankara is ready to do everything within its capacity to advance a peace plan.

He added that Turkey is willing to participate in an international stabilization force in Gaza, but any troop deployment would depend on broader international consensus.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said that Ankara is prepared to send troops to Gaza if conditions become favorable. In an interview with a Turkish television channel on Friday, he stated that while Ankara opposes taking a direct role in Gaza, its efforts regarding the situation will continue. The statement was reported by TRT World.

Fidan described Gaza as Turkey’s top priority and expressed willingness to provide military assistance if the situation allows. He also mentioned that the Rafah border crossing could reopen early next week. The report noted that displaced Palestinians are enduring harsh winter conditions in tents.

When asked about the possible disarmament of Hamas, Fidan said the issue must be part of any broader roadmap. He emphasized that Ankara’s highest priority is ensuring that Gaza’s residents can remain on their land.

Delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States met in the United Arab Emirates to discuss ways to end the ongoing war. The meeting, held on Friday in Abu Dhabi, marked the first direct and public discussion between Moscow and Kyiv. The talks focused mainly on Russia’s demand for control over parts of Ukrainian territory. The U.S. delegation included three representatives, among them Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, son-in-law of President Donald Trump. The specific agenda of the meeting was not officially disclosed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he was in contact with his country’s representatives during the talks. Earlier, he expressed optimism that the meeting could be a step toward ending the conflict. Speaking in Davos, Zelensky said the core issue remained territorial division, emphasizing that both Ukraine and Russia must be ready for compromise. Russia has demanded that Ukraine cede about 25 percent of the Donetsk region still under Kyiv’s control, while Ukraine proposed creating an economic zone in Donbas and sought security guarantees in exchange for conditional troop withdrawal.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Israel is looking for an opportunity to attack Iran, warning that such an action could further destabilize the region. He made the remarks in a television interview on Friday, emphasizing that he hopes Israel will choose a different path. Fidan clarified that his observation applies specifically to Israel, not necessarily to the United States.

Fidan added that during his recent visit to Iran, he directly conveyed these concerns to Iranian officials, describing his approach as that of a true friend who speaks hard truths. His comments followed a phone call on Thursday between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which Erdoğan reaffirmed Turkey’s opposition to any foreign intervention in Iran and its commitment to the neighbor’s peace and stability.

On Friday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran would consider any attack by its enemies as a declaration of total war against Iran.

More than three months after a ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli forces have continued attacks and restrictions on humanitarian aid, according to a United Nations briefing on Thursday. UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that about 230,000 women and girls, including 15,000 pregnant women, are being denied essential reproductive health services due to Israeli military actions and blockade. The UN Population Fund reported that the destruction of hospitals, clinics, and health centers, along with displacement and flooding, has severely limited access to medical and psychological support.

The situation in Gaza remains dire, with civilians suffering from cold and lack of shelter. A six-month-old child reportedly died in Khan Younis due to extreme cold, bringing the winter death toll to 11. Despite the ceasefire, Israeli shelling continued across Gaza, including in Gaza City, Rafah, and Khan Younis. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 477 people have been killed and 1,301 injured in the three months since the ceasefire, with total casualties from the conflict reaching over 71,000 dead and 171,000 injured.

Israeli operations have also intensified in the occupied West Bank, where several Palestinians were recently arrested in Nablus and Bethlehem.

At least seven people have been confirmed dead and dozens remain missing after a landslide struck Pasirlangu village in West Bandung, Indonesia’s West Java province, early Saturday morning. The disaster occurred around 2am local time when water and loose soil from Mount Burangrang swept through the area, destroying about 30 homes while residents were asleep. Rescue teams from Indonesia’s armed forces, disaster management agencies, volunteers, and local communities are continuing search and rescue operations, according to officials.

Local authorities have ordered evacuations in landslide-prone areas to prevent further casualties. The affected zone covers roughly 30 hectares. The landslide was accompanied by flash flooding, and residents reported hearing a loud rumbling sound before the collapse. Indonesia’s weather agency had warned of extreme weather and heavy rainfall across West Java for a week starting Friday.

The incident follows a series of deadly floods and landslides last month that killed more than 1,170 people in North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh. The government has filed lawsuits against six companies for environmental degradation believed to have worsened such disasters, amid growing concerns over deforestation, climate change, and rising sea levels.

Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, has become a focal point of global attention due to its vast mineral wealth and strategic Arctic location. Following renewed threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to seize the island, Denmark has deployed additional troops there. Despite Trump later withdrawing a tariff threat against eight European nations opposing his stance, tensions between the United States and Europe over Greenland remain high. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to meet Danish and Greenlandic officials, while China and Russia are closely monitoring the situation.

A 2023 survey found that 25 of the 34 critical raw materials listed by the European Commission exist in Greenland, including one of the world’s largest rare earth deposits in the southern Gardar province. These minerals are vital for green energy technologies and defense industries. However, environmental restrictions, bureaucratic hurdles, and opposition from indigenous communities have slowed development. Greenland’s mineral potential positions it as a key player in global supply chains for electric vehicles and renewable energy, but sustainable extraction and careful governance will be essential to avoid social and ecological conflict.

Iran has warned that any attack against it will be treated as an all-out war. The statement came from a senior Iranian official in response to the movement of a large US naval fleet toward the Gulf region. The unnamed official said Iran is fully prepared for any situation and remains on maximum alert.

The warning followed remarks by US President Donald Trump, who told reporters aboard Air Force One that a massive naval fleet was advancing toward the Gulf to monitor Iran. The Iranian official expressed hope that the deployment was not intended to provoke conflict but emphasized that the Iranian military was ready for the worst-case scenario.

The official added that any violation of Iran’s sovereignty or territorial integrity by the United States would be met with a strong response. He declined to specify what form that response might take but said Iran would use maximum force to repel any attack.

At least 27 people were killed in separate airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s military junta on a wedding gathering and a funeral, according to a report by local outlet The Irrawaddy on Thursday. The attacks occurred in Kachin State’s Hpakant Township and Magway Region’s Aunglan Township, leaving many others injured, including women and children.

The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) stated that 22 civilians died and at least 28 were injured when the junta bombed Kaung Zar village in Hpakant during a funeral. The village, home to displaced families, lies near the Irrawaddy River close to Hpakant town. KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu said there were no KIA members in the area and accused the junta of deliberately targeting civilians. Earlier the same day, another airstrike on a wedding preparation in Magway’s Tat Kone village killed at least five people, including a child.

Days earlier, the junta also bombed a prison run by the Arakan Army in Rakhine State, killing 21 detained soldiers and relatives and injuring 30 others.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is set to visit Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, where she will meet with Greenland’s Prime Minister and other top leaders. The visit comes at a sensitive time following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of threats to take control of the Arctic island. According to AFP from Copenhagen, Frederiksen will travel to Nuuk after completing her Brussels trip, where she met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte early Friday.

Earlier in the week, Rutte reportedly reached a verbal understanding with Trump in Davos regarding the Greenland issue. During their Brussels meeting, Rutte and Frederiksen agreed on the need to strengthen NATO’s activities to enhance security in the Arctic region. Following an agreement on a NATO “framework,” Trump reversed his earlier stance on Greenland.

Although details of the plan have not yet been disclosed, Trump has claimed that the United States achieved all its objectives and that the understanding will remain permanently effective.

At least 21 people were killed and 28 others injured when Myanmar’s military junta carried out an airstrike on a village near Bhamo in northern Kachin State. The attack occurred Thursday afternoon in Hotilin village, west of Bhamo, during a prayer ceremony for the dead. According to Colonel Naw Bu, spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), a jet bombed the mourning site, a camp for displaced people, a school, and a market. Around 500 people, including displaced residents, were present at the time, and several of the wounded are in critical condition.

The strike comes amid ongoing conflict across Myanmar since the military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government on February 1, 2021. Following the coup, peaceful protests were met with deadly force, pushing many opposition groups to take up arms. Non-governmental data indicate that more than 7,700 people have been killed by security forces since then.

The KIA, allied with pro-democracy forces, has been fighting the junta, which has recently intensified air attacks ahead of a planned election in Bhamo. KIA claims control of the city’s outskirts, making the vote unlikely to proceed.

The United States is considering a complete withdrawal of its troops from Syria following the collapse of the YPG and SDF forces and the takeover of northeastern Syria by President Ahmed al-Shara. The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the Pentagon is reassessing the effectiveness of its ongoing mission in Syria amid rapidly changing developments. Citing three U.S. officials, the report said questions have arisen about the justification for maintaining American troops after the SDF’s defeat.

According to the report, senior U.S. officials see no reason to keep troops in Syria if the SDF fully disintegrates. The Pentagon had previously stated in July that around 1,500 U.S. troops were deployed in Syria. Earlier, after beginning his second term in January, President Donald Trump said he would make a decision regarding the troop deployment. When asked about the matter, a Pentagon official told Anadolu Agency that they had no comment and do not speculate on future operations or hypothetical situations.

The report indicates that the Pentagon’s reassessment could lead to a significant shift in U.S. military engagement in Syria if the withdrawal proceeds.

The United States has formally completed its withdrawal process from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to an announcement made on Thursday by President Donald Trump’s administration. The move comes one year after Trump signed an executive order initiating the withdrawal. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the State Department jointly confirmed the decision.

An HHS senior official stated that the WHO had deviated from its core mission and acted against U.S. interests in protecting American citizens. The Trump administration’s main criticism centered on the WHO’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing the organization of delaying the declaration of a global health emergency. The administration also claimed that the WHO unfairly criticized Trump’s early travel restrictions on certain countries.

HHS further argued that countries like China contribute less financially to the WHO than the United States, yet no American has ever held the position of Director-General. Public health experts criticized the withdrawal, warning that it could weaken the U.S. response to future health crises.

Ten bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of an Indonesia Air Transport plane that crashed in the Mount Bulusaraung area of South Sulawesi province. The bodies were found seven days after the aircraft went missing while en route from Yogyakarta to Makassar, the provincial capital. The plane lost contact over Maros district on Saturday, and its debris was located on Sunday.

According to the report, the aircraft was carrying seven crew members and three passengers, all of whom perished in the crash. A joint search and rescue team recovered the plane’s black box from the crash site. The state news agency Antara reported that only two of the victims have been identified so far.

Authorities are expected to use the recovered black box to investigate the cause of the crash, though no official explanation has yet been provided.