Morning Briefing: Aug. 19, 2024

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Monday with, including Hamas saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set new conditions that hinder the completion of a cease-fire deal, a report saying the Philadelphi Corridor remains a sticking point in Gaza cease-fire talks and the IAEA raising the alarm over the deteriorating safety situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

TOP STORIES

• Hamas says Netanyahu set new conditions hindering completion of cease-fire deal

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set new conditions in the Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap proposal that was negotiated in Doha on Thursday and Friday, preventing the completion of the deal.

“The new proposal meets Netanyahu's conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor (in the south),” Hamas said in a statement.

"He also set new conditions in the hostage swap file and retracted from other terms, which obstructs the completion of the deal."

• Philadelphi Corridor remains sticking point in Gaza cease-fire talks: Report

The Philadelphi Corridor remains a sticking point in Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap negotiations between Israel and Hamas, Israeli media said.

The corridor is a 14-kilometer (8.69-mile) demilitarized buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

According to the Israeli news website Walla, Israel wants to maintain control over the corridor, while Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal from the area.

• IAEA raises alarm over deteriorating safety at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

The nuclear safety situation is deteriorating at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine after a drone strike hit the road around the site's perimeter, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

Earlier, the IAEA Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia was informed by officials at the power plant, located in a Russian-held area, that an explosive carried by a drone detonated just outside the facility's protected area.

The impact site was close to essential cooling water sprinkler ponds and approximately 100 meters (328 feet) from the Dniprovska power line, the only remaining 750-kilovolt line supplying electricity to the plant.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, for a two-day state visit, the TASS news agency reported.
• The Israeli army targeted a vehicle carrying a news team from Turkish public broadcaster TRT in what it claimed to be a “safe” area of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, the channel said.
• Algeria will “immediately” supply Lebanon with fuel to help the country overcome its electricity crisis, the Lebanese government said.
• North Korea slammed Ukraine’s offensive on Russia's Kursk region, terming it an "unforgivable" act of terror backed by the US and the West, the state news agency KCNA reported.
• At least 16 Palestinians, including a child, were killed in fresh Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.
• South Africa deported 95 Libyan nationals who were arrested last month at a suspected secret military training camp in northeastern Mpumalanga province.
• Israel reported fresh rocket fire by Hezbollah as tension continues to rise along the border with Lebanon.
• Iraq summoned Ruth Coverdale, the British charge d'affaires in Baghdad, to deliver a formal protest regarding comments made by UK ambassador Stephen Hickey, who is currently outside the country.
• Türkiye's Agriculture and Forestry Minister Ibrahim Yumakli said several ongoing forest fires in the country, including those in Izmir's Yamanlar and Urla districts, have been brought under control.
• Sudan reported 354 cholera cases with 22 deaths amid a raging conflict in the country.
• Russia and Azerbaijan plan to discuss the Armenian settlement during Russian President Vladimir Putin's official visit to Baku on Aug. 18-19, the Kremlin said.
• At least 10 people were killed and several others injured after a speeding car slammed into a marketplace in Malawi.
• The Pakistani government claimed that it has nothing to do with ongoing internet disruptions which have affected online businesses, mainly the country's over 2.37 million freelancers working online.
• At least 23 Palestinians, including a woman and her six children, were killed in fresh Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.
• The leaders of the US, Japan and South Korea have renewed their resolve to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, recognizing efforts in disrupting North Korea's "funding of weapons of mass destruction programs."
• Opposition protesters took to the streets in Venezuela's capital Caracas and other cities around the world Saturday to protest the results of the country's July 28 polls that saw the reelection of President Nicolas Maduro.
• A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

SPORTS

• Reigning champions Manchester City begin Premier League season with 2-0 win against Chelsea

Reigning champions Manchester City began the 2024-25 season of the English Premier League with a 2-0 win against Chelsea.

Norwegian star Erling Haaland netted his 91st goal in his 100th game for the Sky Blues in the 18th minute at London's Stamford Bridge.

Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic netted the second goal with a shot to the bottom left corner in the 84th minute.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Afghanistan, Uzbekistan sign $2.5B worth of deals

Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed a string of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth $2.5 billion, state media reported.

Some 35 agreements in energy, agriculture and manufacturing sectors were signed by Uzbekistan's Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Afghanistan's Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund at the Afghanistan International Exhibition Center in the capital Kabul, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported.

Government officials and representatives from the private sectors of both countries also attended the signing ceremony.