June 9, 2023

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Friday, June 9th. *) Saudi Arabia rules out normalisation with Israel without two-state solution The Saudi foreign minister has said that normalisation of ties with Israel "is in the interest of the region" but without giving Palestinians "dignity and justice" such a move will have limited benefits. Prince Faisal bin Farhan was speaking alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Riyadh. "We should continue to focus on finding a pathway towards a two-state solution," Prince Faisal bin Farhan said. Blinken for his part urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to undermine prospects for a Palestinian state. *) Zelenskyy hails 'results' in eastern Ukraine fighting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed what he described as the "results" in heavy fighting in Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. "There is very heavy fighting in Donetsk region," Zelenskyy said in his daily video message, delivered in a train after visiting areas affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka power dam. Zelenskyy referred to other areas where fighting is going on, but said he would provide no details. *) Hafize Gaye Erkan is Türkiye central bank's new governor Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has chosen seasoned banker Hafize Gaye Erkan to succeed Shahap Kavcioglu as the governor of Türkiye's Central Bank. Forty-one-year-old Erkan earned a doctorate in operations research and financial engineering at Princeton University. She also completed two training programmes on management sciences at Harvard Business School and leadership at Stanford University. Erkan has held a number of top posts at major banks and companies including US-based First Republic Bank and Marsh McLennan, Goldman Sachs, and Tiffany & Co. *) US Senate confirms highest-ranking Muslim in govt despite GOP blockade The US Senate has confirmed Dilawar Syed as deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration, ending more than two years of delays after a blockade by Republicans in the last