Morning Briefing: January 19, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Friday, including Houthi's strike on a US ship in the Gulf of Aden, the launch of the Ax-3 space mission including Türkiye’s first-space traveler, the opposition of a Palestinian state by the Israeli prime minister, and Türkiye’s advice to Iran and Pakistan on maintaining calm after escalations.

TOP STORIES

• Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted US ship in Gulf of Aden

Yemen’s Houthi group said Thursday that they struck a US vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

Speaking to Al-Masirah television, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the attack was in response to US and UK aggression against Yemen and also to aid the Palestinian people.

Sarea said the assault was carried out using cruise missiles.

Earlier, the US announced that it destroyed two Houthi anti-ship missiles in the region.

The Houthis said their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly war on the Gaza Strip.

• Ax-3 space mission begins journey to International Space Station

The Ax-3 space mission began its journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, blasting off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center with its four-person crew, including Türkiye's first spacefarer, Alper Gezeravci.

Launching from SpaceX's facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 4.49 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (ET) (2149GMT) on a Falcon 9 rocket of private space exploration company SpaceX, the crew is expected to dock at the ISS at approximately 5.15 a.m. ET on Saturday.

Gezeravci, Türkiye’s first ever space traveler, and his three crewmates from Spain, Italy, and Sweden will conduct over 30 scientific experiments and demonstrations on the ISS as part of the Ax-3 mission.

• Netanyahu tells US he opposes Palestinian state: Israeli media

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he has told the United States that he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of any postwar scenario, said local media.

According to Israeli Channel 12, Netanyahu underscored the deep divisions between the close allies three months into Israel’s assault on Gaza.

Netanyahu also pledged to continue the military campaign until Israel achieves a decisive victory over Hamas, something many analysts have said is impossible.

• Türkiye advises Iran, Pakistan to restore calm after strikes

Türkiye advises against further escalation and urges the restoration of calm, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday after the two neighbors launched airstrikes against “terrorists” in each other’s territory.

"Unfortunately, we see that the war in Gaza has increased regional escalation," Fidan told a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi in Amman, the capital of Jordan.

Fidan said he spoke to his Iranian and Pakistani counterparts, Hossein Amir Abdollahian and Jalil Abbas Jilani, respectively, and "advised that the issue should not escalate further, and urged the restoration of calm."

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a significant milestone early Friday as Türkiye ventures into the second century of the Republic with the commencement of its inaugural human space mission.
  
  
• The Palestinian death toll from a deadly Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 has soared to 24,620, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Thursday.
  
  
• British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday called on the House of Lords to pass his controversial Rwanda bill, saying that it is now time to start the asylum flights to the East African country.
  
  
• The families of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip staged a protest Thursday in Tel Aviv to pressure the government to reach a hostage deal.
  
  
• Sweden has not done enough to convince Hungarian authorities that it is a suitable candidate for NATO membership, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said at a press conference Thursday.
  
  
• Former President Donald Trump urged the US Supreme Court on Thursday to reverse a decision in Colorado to keep him off of that state's ballot.
  
  
• Mexico and Chile submitted a case Thursday concerning Israel and Palestine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) asking it to investigate the crimes committed against Palestinians.
  
  
• The US said Thursday it does not want to see ongoing violence between Iran and Pakistan escalate after the neighbors engaged in a series of attacks on each other's territory.
  
  
• The Members of the EU Parliament passed a resolution Thursday that urged a cease-fire in Gaza under two conditions, the resolution was adopted in a 312 - 131 vote, with 72 abstentions.

SPORTS

• Atletico Madrid eliminate Real Madrid from Copa Del Rey

Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid 4-2 in a Thursday derby to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Spanish Copa del Rey.

Home team Atletico Madrid drew the first blood in the first half. Real Madrid leveled in stoppage time as Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak scored an own goal.

The visitors made it 2-2 in the 82nd minute. In the extra time, Atletico Madrid's French star Antoine Griezmann scored a solo-effort goal. Diego Simeone's men cemented a 4-2 win in the 119th minute.

• Sports' top court rules in favor of Sevilla on dismissal of 'overweight' player

Sevilla won a legal case Thursday against their former defender Joris Gnagnon after the Spanish La Liga club had dismissed him in 2021 for being "overweight.”

In a statement, the club said the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the world’s highest sports court, ruled in favor of Sevilla on its terminating of Gnagnon’s contract as it has been justified that the player "failed to maintain appropriate weight and fitness levels."

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Sidelining Serbian dinar, Kosovo to adopt euro currency

Kosovo will adopt the euro currency for cash and payment transactions as of Feb. 1, the country’s Central Bank announced in a decree late Wednesday.

The move could attract controversy and even unrest, as up to now, ethnic Serbian communities in Kosovo have used the dinar, the official currency in neighboring Serbia, in both state institutions as well as commercial establishments. Many local Serbs feel an attachment or even allegiance to Serbia.

• US initial jobless claims fall to lowest level since September 2022

The number of Americans filing first-time unemployment claims fell by 16,000 last week to 187,000, according to Labor Department data released on Thursday.

"This is the lowest level for initial claims since September 24, 2022 when it was 182,000," it said in a report.

The figure came in far lower than the market estimates of 207,000.