Morning Briefing: August 22, 2024

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Thursday, including Israeli sources accusing US Secretary of State Blinken of sabotaging Gaza cease-fire talks, Iran vowing retaliation against Israel, emphasizes 'surprise' timing amid Gaza cease-fire talks, a report of Illegal migration to Europe soared in 2023, Germany was top destination and Israeli attacks killing 50 more Gazans as death toll surpasses 40,200

TOP STORIES

• Israeli sources accuse US Secretary of State Blinken of sabotaging Gaza cease-fire talks

Well-placed Israeli sources accused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of sabotaging negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.

According to a report by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, unnamed sources said: “Blinken made a grave mistake by claiming that Netanyahu accepted the US proposal, putting the ball in Hamas' court.”

The sources argued that Blinken “seriously undermined the negotiations and demonstrated a lack of understanding,” accusing him of fostering false optimism for internal US political reasons, particularly to ensure the smooth running of the Democratic Party's convention in Chicago, which began Monday and continues through Thursday.

• Iran vows retaliation against Israel, emphasizes 'surprise' timing amid Gaza cease-fire talks

Iran’s permanent mission to the UN said the country is "meticulously" planning a retaliatory strike against Israel amid Gaza cease-fire talks.

Asked if Iran is intentionally withholding its attack on Israel as negotiations for a truce in the Palestinian enclave continue, the mission in a statement said: "Iran’s response must yield two distinct objectives.

Its first objective is to "punish the aggressor" for its actions, and secondly, to strengthen Iran's deterrence capabilities "to induce profound regret within the Israeli regime, thereby serving as a deterrent against the repetition of any act of aggression in the future."

• Illegal migration to Europe soared in 2023, Germany was top destination: Report

Illegal migration to Europe increased significantly in 2023, while Germany remained the top destination, the Federal Criminal Police Office said.

According to the latest official figures, illegal border crossings across the EU’s external borders increased from 326,300 to 380,200, marking the highest figure since 2016.

In Germany, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) registered 266,224 cases of illegal entry and residence in 2023, representing more than 33% increase from the previous year. Many of the irregular migrants were asylum seekers from Syria and Afghanistan.

• Israeli attacks kill 50 more Gazans as death toll surpasses 40,200

At least 50 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, pushing up the overall death toll since last Oct. 7 to 40,223, the Health Ministry in the war-torn enclave said.

A ministry statement added that some 92,981 others have been injured in the ongoing assault.

“Israeli forces killed 50 people and injured 124 others in four ‘massacres’ of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• At least 16 people were killed and over 50 others injured in an explosion in a pharma company in southern India, officials said.
• Emails containing bomb threats were received by more than 100 synagogues and Jewish organizations across Canada.
• The UN reported that at least one Palestinian has been killed every day in August, on average, by Israeli airstrikes on the West Bank.
• The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) requested the UK attorney general to strip the Jewish National Fund (JNF) UK of its charity status due to its involvement in funding the Israeli military operations and illegal settlements.
• Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend a new round of negotiations in Egypt to reach a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap deal with Hamas.
• The US and Britain launched three airstrikes against Houthi sites in Yemen, the Yemeni group said.
• An Algerian tanker loaded with approximately 30,000 tons of fuel is set to depart as the initial shipment of aid to help restart power plants in Lebanon.
• US Rep. Bill Pascrell, who served in the House for nearly three decades, died morning, his family announced.
• The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (DCD) said that vaccination against mpox will begin within days in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other affected countries.
• At least 13 people, including women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.
• Around 30,000 people are packed in every kilometer in Gaza amid Israeli evacuation orders for residents in the enclave, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said.
• Russia said that voting for the country’s upcoming local elections will be postponed in seven districts of the Kursk region.
• The flood situation in southeastern Bangladesh has deteriorated due to continuous rainfall and rising levels of rivers, leaving over 1.5 million people stranded.
• A growing number of criminal cases, ranging from drunk driving to rape, are being filed against US soldiers in Japan, raising serious concerns.
• Russia claimed that it took control of another settlement in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
• At least four Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, health authorities said.
• Britain's maritime agency reported that a vessel that was attacked was targeted again by "an unknown projectile," causing a fire onboard and leaving the ship without engine power.
• Belgium condemned the recent Israeli attack on a school in Gaza and repeated calls for a cease-fire.
• Authorities in Argentina quarantined a cargo ship in the Parana River due to a suspected case of mpox disease.
• Beijing slammed Washington’s directions to its forces for potential “coordinated nuclear confrontations involving Russia, China and North Korea,” state media reported.
• Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his US counterpart Antony Blinken discussed the latest status of the cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
• The deathRussia claimed that it downed 45 Ukrainian drones during attack on multiple regions of the country overnight, including the capital Moscow. toll from Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s border region of Kursk has risen to 31, state media reported.

SPORTS

• Joao Felix returns to Chelsea on 7-year contract

Chelsea confirmed the signing of Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid on a seven-year contract.

'I’m really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can’t wait to get started. I can see some familiar faces from the last time I was here, which is always nice," Felix said in a statement.

"I loved my time here before and I told my friends and family that I’d love to return to the Premier League one day. To do that with Chelsea is a great feeling and I’m excited to be back," he added.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US mortgage applications down 10%, falling from highest since January 2023

US mortgage applications fell 10% last week, retreating from their highest level since January 2023, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) report released Wednesday.

The market composite index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was down 10.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Aug. 16. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 11% compared to the previous week.

"Both mortgage rates and mortgage applications have now stabilized after a few weeks of financial market volatility, which led to a quick drop in mortgage rates," Joel Kan, MBA’s vice president and deputy chief economist, said in a statement.