Morning Briefing: June 11, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Tuesday with, including the UN Security Council adopting US proposal for Gaza cease-fire, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's regional tour to the Middle East, and Turkish president’s meeting with Azerbaijani counterpart in Ankara.

TOP STORIES

• UN Security Council adopts resolution supporting US proposal for Gaza cease-fire

The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution that supports a Gaza cease-fire proposal announced by US President Joe Biden.

The resolution, penned by the US, received 14 votes in favor at the 15-member Security Council, with Russia abstaining.

The adopted resolution highlights the diplomatic efforts led by Egypt, the US, and Qatar, and welcomes Biden's three-phase proposal presented on May 31.

The resolution states that Israel has accepted Biden's proposal and calls on Hamas to do the same and implement it.

• Egypt, US agree to intensify efforts to reach cease-fire deal in Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed on Monday to intensify efforts to reach a cease-fire deal in Gaza.

Blinken met the Egyptian leader in Cairo on his first stop in a regional tour that will also take him to Jordan and Qatar, his eighth Middle East tour since Oct. 7, 2023.

The two sides reviewed the latest developments in their joint efforts to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner swap deal, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.

• Turkiye's Erdogan, Azerbaijan's Aliyev discuss bilateral ties, Gaza

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev at the Presidential Complex in Ankara and discussed various topics, including bilateral ties, Israel's aggression in Gaza, reconstruction efforts in liberated Azerbaijani territories, and regional and global issues.

Erdogan expressed his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s reconstruction and development efforts in areas recently liberated from decades of Armenian occupation.

He also emphasized Türkiye's monitoring of the process for the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces from Karabakh, a region liberated by Azerbaijan in 2020-2023.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during closed-door talks Monday that the Biden administration and other world leaders "will stand behind" the cease-fire agreement.
  
  
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday conveyed "extreme sorrow" and condemnation over the deaths of Palestinian civilians following Israel's deadly attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp to free four hostages.
  
  
• Yemen’s Houthi group said Monday it arrested a spy cell working for the US and Israel amid tensions in the Red Sea over a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
  
  
• Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is considering a Cabinet reshuffle after his New Democracy (ND) party witnessed declining support in last week's European Parliament elections, local media reported on Monday.
  
  
• The Palestinian Hamas group on Monday welcomed the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution that supports cease-fire in Gaza announced by US President Joe Biden.
  
  
• The Pentagon on Monday rejected claims that Israel used the US’s floating aid pier off Gaza during its hostage rescue operation but said there was some type of activity "nearby."
  
  
• The Israeli army killed four Palestinians and injured eight others during a raid late Monday on the village of Kafr Ni'ma in western Ramallah in the West Bank.
  
  
• At least 40 more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, pushing up the death toll to 37,124 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said on Monday.
  
  
• Malawi military helicopter carrying the country’s vice president and eight other people went missing on Monday, the government said.
  
  
• Protesters gathered Monday at Union Square in New York City to demonstrate against Israel's ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and express solidarity with Palestinians.
  
  
• South Africa’s new members of parliament will elect the country's next president on Friday during their first sitting, the office of the chief justice said in a statement on Monday.

SPORTS

• Poland beat Türkiye 2-1 in international friendly

Poland beat Türkiye 2-1 on Monday in the last international friendly match before the 2024 UEFA European Championship (EURO 2024).

Hellas Verona attacker Karol Swiderski brought the lead to Poland in the 12th minute. Poland's midfielder from AS Roma, Nicola Zalewski, scored the late winning goal for his team in the 90th minute.

• Valencia fans get jail terms in Spain racism case

Three Valencia football club fans on Monday were sentenced to eight months in prison in "the first conviction in Spain for racist abuse at a football match."

"The three perpetrators were sentenced to 8-month imprisonment, given a 2-year ban to enter a stadium, and ordered to pay the costs of the proceedings," the Spanish La Liga said in a statement.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Elon Musk threatens to ban use of Apple devices at his companies over OpenAI partnership

Tech billionaire Elon Musk vowed Monday to ban the use of Apple devices at his companies after the iPhone maker announced a partnership with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

"If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies. That is an unacceptable security violation," Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, said in a post.

• Türkiye attracts foreign direct investment worth $2.8B in first 4 months

Türkiye attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) totaling $2.8 billion in the first four months of this year, an investment association announced on Monday.

The International Investors Association (Yased) said the country also attracted FDI worth $1.28 billion in April.

In April, $477 million was for investment capital, $452 million for real estate investment, $353 million for debt instruments, and $262 million for wholesale and retail trade.​​​​​​​