Morning Briefing: March 25, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Monday with, including the surge in the death toll from a terrorist attack on a concert hall in Russia, Israel's barring of UN aid delivery to northern Gaza, France's raising terror alert to the highest level, and storming of two hospitals in Gaza by Israeli forces.

TOP STORIES

• Death toll from concert hall shooting in Russia rises to 137

The death toll from the concert hall shooting in the city of Krasnogorsk in Russia’s Moscow region on Friday rose to 137, the country’s federal investigative authority said on Sunday.

A statement by Russia’s Investigative Committee said that the bodies of 137 people have been found at the site of the “terrorist attack,” three of which it said were children.

“The investigation of the crime scene continues. To date, 62 bodies have been identified. For the remaining victims, genetic examinations are being carried out to establish their identities,” the statement further said.

• Israel bars UN’s food convoys to northern Gaza

Israel will not approve UN food convoys to the northern Gaza Strip, head of the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians said Sunday.

“Despite the tragedy unfolding under our watch, the Israeli Authorities informed the UN that they will no longer approve any UNRWA food convoys to the north,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on X.

“This is outrageous and makes it intentional to obstruct lifesaving assistance during a man-made famine,” he added.

Israel accused 12 of the UNRWA’s 30,000 employees of involvement in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, which killed nearly 1,200 people.

• France raises terror alert to highest level

France raised its terror alert to its highest level on Sunday following a terrorist attack at a Moscow concert hall.

A Defense and National Security Council (meeting) was convened at the Elysee by the President of the Republic (Emmanuel Macron), Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said in a statement on X.

With the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group claiming responsibility for the attack "and the threats weighing on our country, we have decided to raise the Vigipirate posture to its highest level: attack emergency," he said, referring to France's national security alert system.

• Israeli army storms Nasser, Al-Amal hospitals in Khan Younis

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported on Sunday that Israeli forces stormed the Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip amid heavy gunfire.

“Israeli occupation vehicles are besieging both Al-Amal Hospital and Al-Naser Hospital amidst very intense shelling and heavy gunfire,” the society said in a statement.

“Occupation vehicles are currently surrounding Al-Amal Hospital and conducting extensive excavation work around the hospital,” it added.

“All of our teams are in extreme danger at the moment and are completely immobilized,” it added.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Polling officials in Senegal began counting votes in Sunday's presidential election as President Macky Sall warned candidates and political camps against prematurely proclaiming victory.
  
  
• Three armed people on Sunday attempted to break into a police station in Armenia’s capital Yerevan, during which two of the three assailants were injured.
  
  
• A civilian was killed when an Israeli warplane struck a car in Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon on Sunday, according to local media.
  
  
• Israel's decision to prevent UNRWA from operating in northern Gaza is “deepening the famine and eliminating the rights of refugees,” the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
  
  
• Germany and Spain on Sunday condemned Israel's decision to seize 800 hectares of land belonging to the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank's Jordan Valley region.
  
  
• Simon Harris will become Ireland's youngest-ever prime minister after being named new leader of the Fine Gael party on Sunday.
  
  
• US Vice President Kamala Harris said any attack by Israel on Rafah, despite all warnings, would be a "huge mistake."
  
  
• One person was killed in Ukrainian attacks on the city of Belgorod, Russian authorities said on Sunday.
  
  
• Some 24 Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip are held by Israel at Megiddo Prison, according to prisoners’ affairs groups on Sunday.
  
  
• Protesters covered the steps of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art with a large patchwork blanket on Sunday displaying messages of solidarity with Palestine.

SPORTS

• Sainz wins Australian Grand Prix as Verstappen retires

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix in the 2024 Formula One World Championship round 3 on Sunday.

Ferrari dominated the race as Sainz's Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc finished second, while Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen, along with two Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, had to retire from the race.

• Galatasaray winger Kerem Akturkoglu condemns Israel's attack on Al-Shifa Hospital

Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray's winger Kerem Akturkoglu condemned Israel's attack on Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza in a post on Sunday on his official Instagram account.

"What is humanity waiting for to stop this oppression, rape and terrorism? Do human rights, the inviolability of life, property and chastity only apply to a part of the world?" he wrote.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• ATOMEXPO-2024 International Forum to start on Monday

An international nuclear energy event ATOMEXPO-2024 will kick off on Monday in the Russian coastal city of Sochi.

The 13th edition of the forum, backed by the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM), will convene under the theme "Clean Energy: Empowering Clean Future".

The participants will discuss the role of nuclear power engineering in the national strategies to combat climate change.​​​​​​​