Morning Briefing: August 7, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Wednesday with, including Bangladesh’s Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus being tapped to lead the transitional government, the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as Hamas’s new political chief, and Hezbollah launching a “swarm” of rockets into Israel.

TOP STORIES

• Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to head Bangladesh's transitional government

Following the prime minister’s dramatic downfall, Bangladesh’s lone Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will serve as the head of the country’s transitional government, an official statement said.

The decision, confirmed by the president's press secretary Joynal Abedin, was reached during a meeting involving President Mohammad Shahabuddin, the chiefs of the country’s armed forces and leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which had led weeks of tumultuous anti-government protests.

Earlier, the movement’s 13 coordinators visited the president’s official residence to discuss the situation and the framework for the interim government with Shahabuddin.

• Yahya Sinwar appointed new Hamas political chief

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas appointed Yahya Sinwar as its new political chief.

Sinwar succeeds Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president on July 31, the group said in a statement on its Telegram channel.

Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, told Anadolu, “Hamas’s choice of Sinwar as its leader sends a message with significant implications directed to the enemy (Israel) and its allies.”

Hamas and Iran accuses Israel of assassinating Haniyeh, but Tel Aviv has not denied or confirmed its responsibility.

• Several injured as Hezbollah launches ‘swarm’ of rockets into northern Israel

At least 17 people were injured in a Hezbollah rocket attack on northern Israel on Tuesday amid fears of a full-blown war between the two sides, according to Israeli media.

The Israeli army said several rockets were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel with one intercepted and another falling in the city of Nahariya.

Israel’s Army Radio said 17 people were injured in the attack, including one seriously.

The Israeli army said people were injured in Nahariya when an interceptor rocket missed its target and hit a highway.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US Vice President Kamala Harris nominated Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 presidential race.

• Hezbollah said its response to Israel’s assassination of senior commander Fuad Shukr is “inevitable” amid rising fears of a full-blown war between the two sides.

• US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington is sure that an Iran-backed militia is behind an attack on Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq.

• The Israeli army killed 30 more Palestinians in attacks in the Gaza Strip, taking the death toll to 39,653 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave said.

• Niger announced an “immediate” end to its diplomatic relations with Ukraine over Kyiv’s alleged support of Malian “terrorist groups.”

• The UN warned of "multiple rounds of displacement" causing "fatigue" among the people of Gaza amid ongoing Israeli attacks and evacuation orders.

• In the aftermath of far-right riots across the UK, individuals arrested are facing severe legal consequences, with charges ranging from violent disorder to potential terrorism offences, local media reported.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) said the circulation of COVID-19 is rising in all countries, while an "alarming decline" in vaccine coverage has been observed.

SPORTS

• Türkiye reach women's volleyball semifinals at 2024 Olympics

Türkiye reached the women's volleyball semifinals by beating China 3-2 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Crescent Stars eliminated China with 23-25, 25-21, 26-24, 21-25 and 15-12 sets in the quarterfinal clash.

Türkiye will face the winners of the other quarterfinal clash between Italy and Serbia.

• USA’s Gabrielle Thomas wins gold medal in women’s 200m final

Gabrielle Thomas from the United States claimed the gold medal in the women's 200 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Thomas won bronze (200m) and silver (4x100m) at Tokyo 2020 but now occupied the top of the podium, finishing the race in a time of 21.83 seconds at the Stade de France.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• US sanctions tobacco firm for supporting Paraguay’s former president

The US Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Paraguayan tobacco company Tabacalera del Este S.A. (Tabesa) for providing financial support to Paraguay’s former president.

Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara was sanctioned by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Jan. 26, 2023 for his involvement in corruption, it said in a statement.

• Microsoft users report problems with services

Users reported problems related to Microsoft's services due to an authentication process, according to the outage tracker site Downdetector.

Microsoft said on X that it investigated the issue related to services such as SharePoint Online or OneDrive for Business. It deployed a fix and determined the issue was solved.​​​​​​​