Morning Briefing: April 1, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Monday with, including local elections in Türkiye, calls for elections for a new Palestinian government, and an attack on the residence of Libya's prime minister.

TOP STORIES

• Vote count continues as margin remains tight in Türkiye's local elections

As the vote count in Türkiye’s local elections nears its end, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has a close lead over the governing Justice and Development (AK) Party, according to unofficial results.

With over 90% of the ballot boxes opened across the country, the CHP leads with 37.32% of the votes, followed by the AK Party with 35.78%.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye’s local elections concluded in “a manner befitting our democracy,” describing democracy and the national will as the “winner" of the polls.

• New Palestinian government should prepare for elections: President Abbas

The new Palestinian government, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, should prepare for holding legislative and presidential elections in all Palestinian governorates, especially in East Jerusalem, President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday.

Abbas's remarks came on the occasion of the new government's swearing-in ceremony, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The new government’s “tasks include unifying the nation’s institutions, maximizing relief and reconstruction efforts in Gaza and the West Bank, and reviving the economy,” Abbas said.

• Libyan prime minister’s Tripoli residence attacked

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s residence in Tripoli came under attack on Sunday, reports said.

The attack was reportedly carried out by unknown perpetrators from the sea.

Sources within Dbeibeh’s administration said the strike on his residence in Tripoli’s luxury Hay Andalus neighborhood was carried out using two drone-launched missiles, causing only material damage.

Other reports said the attack was carried out with rocket-propelled grenades.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for a one-way suicide drone attack early Monday on the southern Israeli port city of Eilat.

• At least 32,782 Palestinians have been killed and 75,298 injured in Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said on Sunday.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening approved operational plans for an attack on Rafah city in the southernmost Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt

• At least four Palestinians were killed and 16 injured on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on a tent for displaced people on the grounds of a Gaza hospital, according to WAFA.

• Thousands of Israelis gathered in front of the parliament or Knesset building in Jerusalem to demand a hostage swap deal with Hamas and early elections, an Israeli media outlet said.

• World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged Israel to urgently enable access to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza and establish a humanitarian corridor.

• Israeli officers and soldiers have admitted that most of the fatalities classified by the army as “terrorists” during its war on the Gaza Strip are actually civilians, a report said Sunday.

• At least 10 people were killed and a dozen others injured in incidents caused by heavy rains coupled with hailstorms that battered northwestern Pakistan over the last two days.

• The interim Taliban government in Afghanistan confirmed on Sunday that several foreign nationals, including two US citizens, have been detained for "violation" of the country's laws, local media reported.

• Pope Francis on Sunday repeated his call for ensuring access to humanitarian aid and a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Vatican News reported.

SPORTS

• Borussia Dortmund shock Bayern Munich for 1st win in 10 years

Borussia Dortmund stunned Bayern Munich 2 - 0 on Saturday to take their first Der Klassiker win in Munich in 10 years.

Second in the German Bundesliga table, Bayern Munich, the home team of the Der Klassiker showdown, allowed Bayer Leverkusen to lead by 13 points with seven games to go.

• Italian football team Napoli takes knee before match to protest racism

Italian football team Napoli's players took a knee before a league match Saturday to support their Brazilian teammate Juan Jesus, who claimed he was racially abused during a match.

Before kick-off against Atalanta at Naples' Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, Napoli players kneeled to support Jesus, who is Black.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• 63% of Japanese say they are in financial stress, poll shows

A record 63.2% of respondents in a government survey in Japan said they do not feel financially secure and have a negative outlook on their future.

Compared to 2022, the proportion of people who faced financial stress in 2023 rose 0.7 percentage points against the backdrop of rising prices, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported Sunday, citing a Cabinet Office poll.