Morning Briefing: Oct.1, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday with, including the latest on Israel's operation in Lebanon, deadly Israeli airstrikes in Damascus, and Türkiye urging UN to recommend use of force for Gaza similar to 1950 General Assembly resolution.

TOP STORIES

• Israeli army says it launched ground operation in southern Lebanon

The Israeli army announced early Tuesday that it launched a ground operation in southern Lebanon.

A military statement said that “in accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF (army) began limited, localized and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.”

“These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel,” the statement added.

The military noted that “it is operating according to a methodical plan set out by the General Staff and the Northern Command which IDF soldiers have trained and prepared for in recent months.”

• 3 killed, 9 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Syrian capital

At least three people were killed and nine others injured early Tuesday in Israeli airstrikes targeting multiple sites in the Syrian capital, Damascus, according to the Syrian state news agency.

“The Israeli enemy launched an aerial assault using warplanes and drones from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights, targeting several points in Damascus,” the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) cited an unnamed military source as saying.

“Syrian air defense systems intercepted most of the Israeli missiles and drones,” the source added.

It also reported that “the Israeli aggression killed three civilians and injured nine others, in addition to significant damage to private property.”

Earlier, the General Organization of Radio and TV said in a statement that presenter Safaa Ahmad was killed in the “Israeli aggression on Damascus.”

• Türkiye urges UN to recommend use of force for Gaza, similar to 1950 General Assembly resolution

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday urged the UN General Assembly to immediately recommend the use of force for Gaza, similar to a 1950 measure known as the Uniting for Peace resolution.

"Today, standing up for Palestine, Lebanon means standing up for humanity, peace, and the culture of coexistence among different beliefs," Erdogan said after a Cabinet meeting in the Turkish capital Ankara.

"A handful of radical Zionists, blinded by blood and hatred, are setting the region and the whole world on fire. We will never consent to this cruelty and barbarism," he said about Israel’s continuing attacks on Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.

He added that standing up for Palestine and Lebanon means standing up for "humanity, peace, and the culture of coexistence among different beliefs."

NEWS IN BRIEF

• US, Israel agree on 'necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure' along Lebanese border Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says after phone call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant.
  
  
• An Israeli airstrike targeting the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon early Tuesday left several Palestinians injured.
  
  
• Hezbollah said late Monday that it targeted Israeli soldiers' movements near the towns of Odaisseh and Kfarkela in southern Lebanon, claiming “confirmed hits.”
  
  
• Britain is calling for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon and a political plan that would allow both displaced Israeli and Lebanese to return to their homes.
  
  
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed concern over the worsening situation in Lebanon amid escalating Israeli attacks, adding that it opposes Israel's reported intention to launch a ground incursion into Lebanon.
  
  
• The death toll in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene climbed to 130 Monday night as rescue crews in the southeast US frantically continued their search for survivors.
  
  
• Libya's eastern-based parliament on Monday approved the nomination of a new governor and deputy governor for the country's Central Bank.
  
  
• China on Monday accused the US of supporting the “secessionist” forces in Taiwan, calling it the “greatest threat” to cross-Strait peace and stability, state media reported.
  
  
• Voters in Indian-administered Kashmir headed to the polls Tuesday in the third and final phase of a crucial election that will decide the fates of 415 candidates.

SPORTS

• Jose Mourinho lets his laptop do the talking to protest VAR ruling saying Fenerbahce goal was offside

Fenerbahce head coach Jose Mourinho mounted a bizarre laptop protest during a Sunday Turkish Super Lig match after one of his team’s goals was disallowed for being offside.

Title contenders Fenerbahce won 2-0 at Antalyaspor as Serbian winger Dusan Tadic scored for the visitors, and Brazilian defender Thalisson put the ball into his own net in the second half.

Mourinho, 61, who was hired by Fenerbahce in June after leaving Roma, put his laptop in front of a TV camera to protest the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) ruling disallowing a goal by Fenerbahce’s Bosnian forward Edin Dzeko for being offside.

• NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo dies of brain cancer

NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo has died at age 58 due to brain cancer, the NBA announced on Monday.

"Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement.

"On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others."

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• UK closing its last coal-fired power plant, ending 142-year run

Today marks the end of electricity production at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant in Nottinghamshire, England, after 57 years of operation, marking the end of Britain's 142-year legacy of coal-fired electricity generation.

Around 100 employees at the Dusseldorf-based Uniper-operated power plant will be involved in the decommissioning process over the next two years, while the company plans to employ workers in other power plants or train them to find jobs in different areas within the energy industry.

The UK will be the first G7 major industrialized country to phase out coal in the electricity sector.

• Net profit of Turkish banking sector at $11.3B

The Turkish banking sector's net profit was at 382.77 billion Turkish liras ($11.3 billion) from January to August, the country's banking watchdog said on Monday.

The sector's overall assets amounted to 29.69 trillion liras ($879.3 billion), up 26.1% in the eight-month period versus the end of 2023, the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) said.

Loans, the largest item under assets, totaled 14.64 trillion liras ($433.5 billion), rising 25.4%.