Morning Briefing: May 28, 2025

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Wednesday with, including Israel killing three and wounding dozens at Gaza aid distribution center, US Trump warning Russia's Putin amid Ukraine strikes, and top Russian diplomat stating Istanbul possible venue for second round of Ukraine peace talks.

TOP STORIES

• Israeli forces kill 3, wound dozens at Gaza aid distribution center

Israeli forces killed three Palestinians and wounded 46 on Tuesday at an aid distribution center in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.

The office accused the Israeli army of committing a massacre against civilians suffering from hunger, saying the victims had gathered in areas known as “buffer zones” where Israel had set up aid centers. Seven people remain missing, the office said in a statement.

Earlier, the office reported that several Palestinians were wounded when the Israeli army fired into crowds of starving Gazans as they stormed a US-backed aid distribution facility in Rafah.

“The Israeli occupation’s plan for aid distribution in the so-called buffer zone has failed disastrously,” it said in a statement.

• Trump warns Putin 'playing with fire' as strikes on Ukraine continue

US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "playing with fire" as Moscow continues to strike Ukraine.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Putin does not realize that "if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD."

“He’s playing with fire," said Trump.

The warning follows Trump's criticism on Sunday when he said Putin has "gone absolutely CRAZY" after Russia launched airstrikes on Ukraine for three consecutive nights.

Trump expressed confusion about Putin's behavior. "I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him," he said.

• Top Russian diplomat says Istanbul possible venue for 2nd round of Ukraine peace talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the Turkish metropolis Istanbul could host the second round of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv to find a settlement for the ongoing Ukraine war.

“As for the second round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, if you ask me, I would again turn to our Turkish friends. Istanbul is very good,” Lavrov said during a joint news conference following talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow.

Türkiye facilitated the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in three years in Istanbul on May 16, where the two sides agreed to a large-scale exchange of prisoners involving a total of 1,000 people from each side and to continue negotiations for a truce.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Hundreds of active and reservist Israeli army officers have drafted an open letter, urging the Israeli government and military leadership to halt the ongoing genocide in Gaza, labeling it a political war that “doesn't serve Israel's national security and is therefore immoral,” according to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
  
  
• King Charles opened a new session of the Canadian parliament on Tuesday with a rebuke of US President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Canada.
  
  
• Jordan's UN envoy Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud on Tuesday became the newest member of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) during an election by the UN General Assembly and Security Council.
  
  
• German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Tuesday slammed Israel’s Gaza strategy, stressing that denying food and medicine to Palestinian civilians was “unacceptable” and violated international humanitarian law.
  
  
• The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has delivered 462,000 meals to Palestinians "who desperately need it" through 8,000 food boxes, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Tuesday.
  
  
• Illegal Israeli settlers launched attacks on Palestinians in areas of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday evening.
  
  
• French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Tuesday in Indonesia as part of his three-nation Southeast Asian tour.
  
  
• The fifth round of US-Iran negotiations in Rome was "constructive" and marked "further progress," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Tuesday.
  
  
• The UN relief chief Tom Fletcher urged immediate and unhindered access Tuesday to deliver humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the need to assist civilians amid hostilities.
  
  
• A fresh rain spell compounded by thunderstorms and cloudbursts killed at least five people and injured another 80 in Pakistan on Tuesday, officials and local media reported.
  
  
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and China held their inaugural trilateral summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
  
  
• SpaceX’s Starship rocket blasted off Tuesday in its ninth test flight of the Elon Musk-led company’s efforts to demonstrate success after two failed missions earlier this year.
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• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will close its offices in Angola in the last quarter of 2025 due to a shortage of funds caused by a decrease in funding and donations.

SPORTS

• Chelsea, Real Betis fans clash ahead of Conference League final

Fans of Chelsea and Real Betis clashed Tuesday ahead of the UEFA Conference League final.

British and Spanish fans in Wroclaw, Poland for the final came face to face in Market Square, where numerous UEFA events are taking place, including the UEFA Conference League Fan Festival on May 27 and 28.

Despite precautions by Polish police, a fight broke out between fans. Officers intervened with a sound bomb, and several fans were taken into custody. Injured supporters received first aid from their friends.

The final will be played on May 28 at Stadion Wroclaw in Wroclaw.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY​​​​​​​

• US-based software firm Salesforce to acquire AI company Informatica for $8B

US-based software company Salesforce has agreed to acquire Informatica, a pioneer in enterprise AI-powered cloud data management, for $8 billion, according to a statement Tuesday.

Informatica’s common stockholders will receive $25 per share in cash, Salesforce announced.

The acquisition will strengthen Salesforce’s data foundation, enabling the deployment of advanced, responsible agentic AI, it said.

• Turkish logistics firm Pasifik Eurasia joins forces with China Railway for Middle Corridor

Turkish international railway logistics firm Pasifik Eurasia and China Railway are joining forces to revitalize railway transportation on the Middle Corridor after a diplomatic level meeting in Beijing on May 23.

Pasifik Holding Chairman Fatih Erdogan and China Railway General Manager Song Xiude met during the visit of Türkiye's Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu to China.

The parties involved in the meeting agreed to cooperate to seize the true potential the Middle Corridor route can offer, a staple of the Belt and Road Initiative.