Morning Briefing: Feb. 9, 2025

By Beril Canakci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Sunday, including Hamas' release of three more Israeli captives amid a Gaza ceasefire deal; Lebanon forming a new government for the first time since 2022 and an Israeli airstrike killing six in eastern Lebanon despite a ceasefire.

TOP STORIES

• Hamas releases 3 more Israeli captives amid Gaza ceasefire deal

The Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, set free three more Israeli hostages under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Israel.

The three captives were handed to Red Cross representatives in the central city of Deir al-Balah.

• Lebanon forms new government for 1st time since 2022

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam formed a new government, the first since 2022.

President Joseph Aoun said he accepted the resignation of former caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and signed a decree with Salam to form the new government of 24 ministers.

• Israeli airstrike kills 6 in eastern Lebanon despite cease-fire

Six people were killed and two injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Shaira area in Lebanon’s eastern Baalbek district, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).

The Israeli military said its air force carried out the strike under the direction of intelligence services, claiming it targeted Hezbollah members inside a site in the Bekaa Valley, allegedly used for producing and storing strategic weaponry.

A fragile cease-fire has been in place since Nov. 27, ending months of mutual shelling between Israel and the Lebanese resistance group that escalated into full-scale conflict in September.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Head of the Turkish Intelligence Organization Ibrahim Kalin held talks in Tehran with Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib and Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian.
• A bus carrying Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli prisons arrived in the West Bank city of Ramallah under a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
• US President Donald Trump has ruled out deporting Prince Harry, citing the Duke of Sussex’s marital issues as a reason for leniency, saying, "I’ll leave him alone."
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in prolonging the war rather than engaging in negotiations for peace.
• The Arab League revealed that communications are underway to hold an Arab summit to discuss the Palestinian issue.
• German police arrested pro-Palestinian protestors in Berlin and forced them to stop playing music and chanting Arab slogans against Israel during a rally.
• A major fire broke out in a building of a former plant in eastern Moscow that houses creative workshops and studios, according to the Russian Emergency Ministry.
• China announced the country lodged “serious representations” with Panama for its exit from the Belt and Road Initiative.
• Palestine and Egypt denounced a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia, considering it a violation of the kingdom's sovereignty.
• Turkmens in northern Syria held a meeting to support the country’s territorial integrity and contribute to the efforts of the new government.

SPORTS

• Annual Super Bowl showdown expected to contribute nearly half-billion dollars to US economy

The US' annual Super Bowl event, which will crown the champion of the National Football League (NFL), is expected to contribute about a half-billion dollars to the US economy.

The 59th edition of the Super Bowl, the most-watched and largest sporting event in the US, will take place at 2330GMT Monday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

An audience of more than 100 million is expected to tune in across the US, while 83,000 fans will watch live in the stadium.

• January 2025 transfer window breaks multiple records

Transfer activity during the 2024-25 winter window, which ran from Jan. 1 to Feb. 4, set new numbers and total spending records, FIFA announced.

FIFA's International Transfer Snapshot shows that men’s professional football witnessed a record-breaking 5,863 international transfers in January. The figure marks the highest recorded for a January transfer window, surpassing the previous record from January 2024 by almost 20%.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia disconnect from energy system shared with Russia, Belarus

The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia disconnected from a shared energy system with Russia and Belarus.

The BRELL (Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) system was created after the dissolution of the Soviet Union to ensure a stable electricity supply to its former parts.