Morning Briefing: July 26, 2023

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday, including condemnations over Quran burning incident in Denmark, Turkish president's meeting with his Palestinian counterpart, Azerbaijan’s possible peace treaty with Armenia, and China’s replacement of its missing foreign minister.

TOP STORIES

• Danish far-right group’s Quran burning sparks outrage, UN adopts resolution against desecration

A far-right Islamophobic group burned Quran on Tuesday outside the Turkish and Egyptian embassies in Copenhagen, sparking condemnation from across the Muslim world.

Türkiye condemned and said that such incidents not only offend billions of Muslims but also harms social peace and culture of coexistence.

Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution Tuesday that deplores all acts of violence against holy books as a violation of international law.

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution drafted by Morocco by consensus.

• Türkiye pledges unwavering support for Palestinian cause

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Tuesday to continue supporting the Palestinian cause and enhance the prosperity of Palestinians.

"We are deeply concerned about the violence of illegal settlers," Erdogan said during a news conference with his visiting Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara.

Erdogan said that they cannot tolerate any acts attempting to change the historical status quo of holy places, particularly the al-Aqsa Mosque.

The only way to a just and lasting peace in the region is to support a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, he added.

• Peace treaty with Azerbaijan may be signed by year’s end, says Armenian prime minister

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Tuesday that a peace treaty with Azerbaijan may be signed by the end of the year.

Pashinyan named normalization between Azerbaijan and the Karabakh region as the condition for signing the treaty with Baku.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

• China replaces Foreign Minister Qin, absent from public for month

China on Tuesday removed Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who was not seen in public for a month, and re-appointed Wang Yi as the country's top diplomat, state media said.

Qin, 57, was removed after China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, convened a session on Tuesday.

Qin's last public appearance was on June 25 when he hosted counterparts from Russia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

His absence had raised eyebrows, but the Foreign Ministry had said he was unavailable because of health issues.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Israeli citizens opposed to the government’s controversial plan to reform the judiciary vowed that they would keep the protests going despite the parliament’s approval of the bill seeking a cut in the Supreme Court's power.

• The government of Ecuador announced a state of emergency Tuesday in all prisons that will last 60 days, after riots broke out at the Litoral Penitentiary, killing 18 and injuring 11.

• Two pilots died when a plane deployed to put out wildfires on the Greek island of Evia crashed Tuesday in the coastal town of Karystos, according to media reports.

• The conflict in Sudan, caused by the power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marked its 100th day on Tuesday, inflicting severe damage to infrastructure, health care, education, economy, and society.

• The US Department of Defense announced an additional $400 million in military aid to Ukraine, including air defense munitions, artillery and other ammunition.

• Italy was split in two between record heat and wildfires in the southern regions and violent storms in the north, as extreme weather killed at least five people and wounded several, authorities reported.

• Belgian court found eight people guilty for their roles in the 2016 bombing attacks in Brussels that killed more than 30 people and left hundreds injured.

• Thailand's parliament speaker postponed a joint parliamentary vote to elect the country's next prime minister, local media reported.

SPORTS

• Galatasaray draw against Zalgiris

Galatasaray were held to a 2-2 draw against Zalgiris in the first leg of a UEFA Champions League second qualifying round match Tuesday.

Neither team was able to produce a goal in the first half but Zalgiris broke the deadlock with a close-range finish from Mathias Oyewusi in the 48th minute at Vilnius' LFF stadium.

Galatasaray leveled when Abdulkerim Bardakci scored on a header in the 75th minute.

Three minutes later, the Istanbul club took the lead when Halil Dervisoglu's right-footed shot found the goal from close range.

The Lithuanian club equalized with a stoppage-time goal from Donatas Kazlauskas as the first leg ended in a draw.

Kazlauskas stripped off his jersey in celebration and received a second yellow card, and was sent off.

The second leg will be played at Galatasaray's home ground Aug. 2.

The winner will face either Ludogorets or Olimpija Ljubljana in the next stage.

• Philippines beat New Zealand to earn 1st Women's World Cup win

The Philippines beat New Zeeland 1-0 to claim their first-ever Women's World Cup win on Tuesday.

The Filipino women's team tasted a narrow win, thanks to a first-half header by California-born Sarina Bolden at the Wellington Regional Stadium.

Her header in the 24th minute was the country’s first-ever goal in the competition’s history.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

• UK faces highest debt interest bill among developed nations this year

The UK is facing the highest debt interest costs among developed nations this year, primarily due to its significant proportion of inflation-linked debt, Fitch Ratings said Tuesday.

It forecasts that Britain will allocate 10.4% of its total government revenue to service its debts in 2023, amounting to a substantial £110 billion ($141.9 billion).

• IMF raises growth expectation for world economy

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the world economy from 2.8% to 3% for 2023, it revealed on Tuesday.

The fund has kept its forecast at 3% for 2024, the report, named World Economic Outlook, showed.

The IMF expected that the US economy will grow by 1.5% this year.