Morning Briefing: May 16, 2023

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown off all the news you need to start your Tuesday, including Türkiye’s presidential election heading to a runoff, the FBI being criticized for investigating alleged Trump-Russia ties, and the UN pressing talks as grain deal deadline looms.

TOP STORIES

• Türkiye’s presidential election heads for runoff on May 28

As no presidential candidate managed to secure an outright majority in Sunday’s polls in Türkiye, a runoff election would be held on May 28, the country’s election authority announced.

According to the head the Supreme Election Council Ahmet Yener, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the joint candidate for People’s Alliance, led the first round with 49.51% of the vote, while main opposition leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who was backed by the six-party Nation Alliance, was behind with 44.88%. Sinan Ogan, the third contender, got 5.17%.

Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu will now face the second-round runoff as no one managed to secure more than the 50% required threshold.

Domestic voter turnout in the elections was 88.92%, with turnout abroad being 52.69%.

In the parliamentary elections, the People’s Alliance, led by Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), got 49% votes, obtaining over 320 seats in 600-seat parliament.

Erdogan said they respect the nation’s will manifested through the ballot.

• FBI should never have launched Trump-Russia probe

A report has strongly criticized the FBI’s handling of investigation into alleged ties between Russia and former President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Special Counsel John Durham said the agency should have never launched the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, which used "raw, unanalyzed and uncorroborated intelligence."

The FBI says it had taken steps to rectify its mistakes.

• UN presses for grain deal talks as deadline looms

The UN said talks to extend the Black Sea grain deal would continue in coming days as the May 18 deadline nears.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said talks on the continuation of the initiative are critically important.

Türkiye, Russia, Ukraine and the UN held a two-day high level meeting in Istanbul last week to discuss the extension, but no agreement was reached.

To agree to another extension, which was signed in Istanbul last July, Russia is seeking the removal of obstacles to its fertilizer exports.

NEWS IN BRIEF​​​​​​​

• At least three were killed in the US state in New Mexico in an incident of mass shooting, police said. The suspect was shot dead on the spot.

• Recent floods in Ethiopia have left at least 45 people dead and caused widespread destruction, displacing 35,000 households and destroying 23,000 livestock, the UN said.

• The Pakistan army said people involved in attacks on military installations during violent protests last week after former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest would be tried in military courts.

• A man in the US state of Massachusetts was arrested on May 9 for allegedly acting as a Chinese agent, the Justice Department said.

• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for suspension of Israel's membership in the UN as he marked 75th anniversary of the Nakba, the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their lands.

• The US said it will join the Council of Europe's "Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation" in Ukraine as a founding associate member.

• Greece threatened to block Albania’s EU bid over the detention of an ethnic Greek politician.

SPORTS

• Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba injured again

Italian Serie A club Juventus confirmed Paul Pogba's injury, who was forced off the field just 23 minutes into the game against Cremonese on Sunday.

"The diagnostic tests that Paul Pogba underwent this morning at J|Medical showed a low-grade lesion of the rectus femoris of the left thigh. The footballer has already started his rehabilitation programme," the club said in a brief statement.

• City inch closer to clinch English Premier League title

Manchester City are getting closer to win the 2023 English Premier League title as they are in need of three points in the last three matches.

Manchester City boosted their points to 85 in 35 matches, and will next host Chelsea on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. Title contenders Arsenal's hopes faded after the Gunners were stunned by Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

• EU approves Microsoft’s video gaming acquisition

A $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft has been cleared by EU regulators.

“An in-depth market investigation indicated that Microsoft would not be able to harm rival consoles and rival multi-game subscription services,” the European Commission said in a statement.

• Rising fertilizer prices will exacerbate food crisis

The rise in fertilizer prices will exacerbate the problem of agricultural commodity prices in the coming years, said Abdulhakim Elwaer, the assistant director general of the Food and Agricultural Organization.

Gas supplies and energy prices will affect fertilizer prices and an expected crisis will affect the final commodity price, he told Anadolu during the Islamic Development Bank Group's annual meeting in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah.