Morning Briefing: Aug. 4, 2024

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here's a rundown of all the news that you need to start Sunday, including Iran saying Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated by a "short-range projectile," accusing Israel and the US of being behind last week’s attack; Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump agreeing to debate US Vice President Kamala Harris; and Russia seeking innovative solutions to payment problems due to sanctions.

TOP STORIES

• Iran says Haniyeh assassinated by ‘short-range projectile,’ accuses Israel, US over deadly attack

The assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was "designed and executed" by Israel with US support, using a short-range projectile, according to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

In a statement, the IRGC called the assassination a “terrorist crime” and vowed “severe punishment," in a statement.

Haniyeh was assassinated early Wednesday at his residence in the Iranian capital Tehran in an attack that officials blamed on Israel.

• Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump agrees to debate US Vice President Kamala Harris

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said he had agreed to debate Democratic candidate Kamala Harris live on Sept. 4, in the runup to Nov. 5 Election Day, but on Fox News, not ABC television as previously agreed by both sides.

"I have agreed with Fox News to debate Kamala Harris," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

There has been no response from Harris on the proposal from Fox News, generally seen as a pro-Trump outlet. Harris became the Democratic Party front-runner after US President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign last month. Her entry into the race has drawn massive campaign donations and tightened the race, according to polls.

• Russia seeks innovative solutions to payment problems due to sanctions

Russia’s government and business community are seeking innovative solutions to banking and international payment problems due to sanctions imposed on the country, most of them over the Ukraine war.

Russia was excluded from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system in the wake of its war in Ukraine, which resulted in issues in imports and exports that still plague the Russian government.

The sanctions restrict the use of dollars and euros and since the Russian economy is heavily dependent on international trade, problems in foreign currencies caused difficulties.

NEWS IN BRIEFING

• A teen was killed and six others injured in an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

• Turkish security forces arrested a member of the PKK terror group’s structure in Austria

• At least 10 Palestinians, including children, were killed and several injured in an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced residents in Gaza City.

• Hezbollah announced that fighters targeted buildings used by Israeli soldiers in northern Israel's Avivim settlement and Hadab Yaron.

• The Israeli army demolished 135 homes and facilities in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in July, the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Committee reported.

• A light aircraft crashed into an empty house during a test flight in Thailand, killing the pilot.

• Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov praised cooperation with the EU during a meeting with the bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, describing Brussels as "one of the reliable partners of Kyrgyzstan, which has been supporting the country in sustainable development since independence."

• Another Hezbollah fighter was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

• Nearly 10 months into Israel’s onslaught against Gaza, Tel Aviv’s Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi and his British counterpart Adm. Tony Radakin met in Tel Aviv to discuss strategic security issues and areas of cooperation between their countries.

• At least 30 more Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces in military raids in the occupied West Bank, according to two prisoner affairs groups.

• Airlines from the US, Europe, and Asia have suspended flights to Israel and Lebanon, citing security concerns following recent developments in the Middle East.

• Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to begin a two-day visit to Egypt on Sunday at the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty.

• At least five Palestinians, including a child, were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a house in southern Gaza.

• Several people went missing after their houses washed away in flash floods that hit southwestern China's Sichuan province.

• A powerful magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the southern Philippines.

SPORTS

• Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen wins women's Olympic gold at Paris 2024

China's Zheng Qinwen won Olympic gold in women's tennis at the Paris 2024 Games.

Zheng, 21, beat Croatia's Donna Vekic in straight sets of 6-2 and 6-3 in the singles gold medal match at Court Philippe-Chatrier.

On Thursday, Zheng beat Polish top seed and Paris 2024 favorite Iga Swiatek to advance to the final.

• US gymnast superstar Simone Biles wins her 3rd Olympic gold in Paris

US gymnast superstar Simone Biles won the women's vault title for her third gold medal at the Paris Games.

Biles, 27, secured another Olympic title with 15,300 points in the final, beating Rebeca Andrade from Brazil at Paris' Bercy Arena.

Andrade took silver with 14,966 points.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Chipmakers' shares bleed red Friday amid major selloff

The world's biggest semiconductor manufacturing and technology companies saw their shares plummet amid a major selloff around the world.

Sony's market price fell 6.65% on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, while shares of multinational electronics manufacturer Kyocera were off 6.72%.

In South Korea, Samsung posted a 4.21% loss and chip supplier SK Hynix, which supplies fifth-generation high-bandwidth memory chips to American chipmaker Nvidia, saw its stock price fall 10.4%.