Morning Briefing: Aug. 13, 2026

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying that supporting Palestine is a shared responsibility of all humanity at a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who was visiting Türkiye, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan saying that Türkiye will continue supporting dialogue and cooperation between Libya’s western and eastern regions during a visit to Libya.

TOP STORIES

• Supporting Palestine is shared responsibility of all humanity: Turkish president

Supporting Palestine is a shared responsibility of all humanity, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

“I want to once again emphasize that supporting Palestine is a shared responsibility of all humanity, particularly the Muslim world,” Erdogan said at a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara.

Abbas said the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement -- signed by Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia -- could be a starting point for ensuring regional stability and security.

• Türkiye to continue supporting dialogue between Libya’s east and west

Türkiye will continue supporting dialogue and cooperation between Libya’s western and eastern regions and work for the country’s peace, stability and prosperity, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.

“We will continue our constructive role here, as well as our role as a mediator,” he told reporters in Benghazi after completing meetings in Tripoli and Benghazi during his visit to Libya.

Fidan said his meetings with leaders from both sides of Libya’s political divide had given him a "positive" impression, noting that there was broad support for reunification.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US President Donald Trump announced that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her role at the end of August and become one of his top outside advisers.
• US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Latin American members of the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition (ACCC) to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the tribunal of undermining national sovereignty.
• Under new Eurovision rules announced, countries affected by war or serious geopolitical instability will no longer be able to host the song contest if safety and security are at risk.
• The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Britain must take the first step to restore direct military contacts with Moscow.
• Russia warned that the EU, by seizing Russian vessels, "is bringing great dangers upon itself."
• Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said the Sept. 30 deadline for ending the international coalition’s military mission in Iraq and completing the withdrawal of its forces was "final and irreversible."
• Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said that Iran, Türkiye, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Indonesia have a responsibility as major Muslim countries to advance unity across the Islamic world.
• Pakistan said it is making "all-out" efforts in collaboration with regional partners to revive long-stalled direct talks between the US and Iran to end their months-long war.
• Kuwaiti authorities said security forces foiled “a terrorist plot” targeting a vital facility and arrested a Kuwaiti national affiliated with the ISIS (Daesh) terror group before the plan could be carried out.
• Turkish Parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus said the “Terror-Free Türkiye” process has been carried out with broad political and social consensus while preserving national sensitivities and the country’s fundamental state structure.
• China’s domestically developed C919 passenger jet completed its first scheduled international commercial passenger flight, flying from Beijing to Mongolia, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.
• Syria has sent formal letters to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the president of the UN Security Council rejecting Colombia’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, the state news agency SANA reported.
• Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that it is important to ensure "free and safe navigation" in the Strait of Hormuz "without additional costs" and called on Tehran to urge Yemen's Houthi group to exercise restraint.
• North Korea denounced South Korea’s push to develop nuclear-powered submarines, accusing Seoul of seeking a path toward “nuclear armament” and warning that Pyongyang would build capabilities to counter emerging threats.
• Courts in England and Wales have joined a number of restaurants, theaters and pubs in banning Meta smart glasses amid growing concerns over “spyware,” according to media reports.
• Türkiye will launch its first offshore Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA) tender in the first quarter of 2027, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US inflation eases to 3.4% in July

The annual inflation rate in the US eased to 3.4% in July, down from 3.5% in June, in line with market expectations.

The monthly inflation rate was at 0.1% last month, up from minus 0.4% in June, official figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed.

• Global youth unemployment rises amid weak growth, AI-driven change: ILO

Global youth unemployment is rising amid stagnant economic growth, weak job creation and rapid technological change driven by artificial intelligence, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a report.

“Global youth unemployment is rising as stagnant economic growth and weak job creation increase barriers to job entry for young people and push more of them outside employment, education or training,” the Global Employment Trends for Youth 2026: Back to the Future report said.

SPORTS

• PSG edge out Aston Villa 2-1 to win back-to-back UEFA Super Cups

Paris Saint-Germain defeated Aston Villa 2-1 in Salzburg, Austria to retain the UEFA Super Cup.

Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave the Champions League holders the lead in the 20th minute at Stadion Salzburg.

• Istanbul's Besiktas start talks to sign Serbian striker Vlahovic

Turkish football side Besiktas said that talks had begun with Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic over a possible transfer.