Morning Briefing: Oct. 3, 2024

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday with, including the Israeli army admitting that Iranian missiles hit its airbases, Israel barring the UN’s secretary-general from entering the country and 100 homes being damaged in northern Tel Aviv by Iran’s missile attack.

TOP STORIES

• Israeli army admits Iranian missiles hit airbases

The Israeli army confirmed that missiles launched from Iran late Tuesday hit its airbases.

An unnamed Israeli military source told Anadolu that "airbases were damaged in the attacks."

Refusing to disclose the locations of the bases, the source said: “If we mention where the strikes occurred, the enemy will simply know which elements were hit.”

• Israel bars UN secretary-general from entering country

Israel has barred the UN secretary-general from entering the country, declaring him officially unwelcome, the foreign minister said.

"I have declared UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata in Israel and banned him from entering the country," said Israel Katz in a statement.

Several UN officials were also banned from entering Israel in recent months, including UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinians Francesca Albanese, accused of siding with the Palestinians, and the UN humanitarian office chief in the occupied Palestinian Territory, who said in August that Israel did not extend his visa due to a UN report accusing Israel of violating the rights of Palestinian children.

• 100 homes damaged in northern Tel Aviv by Iranian missile attack

Israeli authorities said that some 100 homes in the northern city of Hod Hasharon suffered damage from Tuesday’s missile attack from Iran.

Some of the buildings were heavily damaged and will take some time to fix, while dozens of others have only minor damage, the Israeli public broadcaster KAN quoted city officials as saying.

Later Tuesday, Israel’s Army Radio confirmed that Iranian missiles fell in open areas in Netanya, located in Hod Hasharon, part of the greater Tel Aviv area.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Hospitals in Lebanon are overwhelmed with the influx of injured patients amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
• A Belgian member of the European Parliament criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for failing to explicitly condemn Israeli attacks in Lebanon and Gaza.
• China said it evacuated more than 200 Chinese nationals and some of their foreign family members from Lebanon amid mounting attacks by Israel.
• The Israeli army has wiped out 902 Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 last year, the government media office in Gaza said.
• Vietnam protested the “suppression, injuring and seizure of property” of its fishermen by Chinese law enforcement agencies in the disputed South China Sea.
• Firefighters held a demonstration in Portugal’s capital Lisbon to demand a pay rise and better working conditions.
• The US criticized Israel's decision to declare UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "persona non grata" and ban him from entering the country, saying that the step is not "productive."
• At least three civilians were killed and as many others were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a residential apartment in Syria’s capital Damascus.
• The UN said that Israel’s decision to declare UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata is "one more attack on UN staff" by Tel Aviv.
• US President Joe Biden said he does not support any attack by Israel on Iran's nuclear sites, a day after Iran launched a series of strikes on Tel Aviv.
• Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Arab-Israeli conflict is developing into a "major regional war."
• In his first comments following the death of eight Israeli officers and soldiers in battles in southern Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tel Aviv is in the “middle of a tough war.”
• Hezbollah said it destroyed three Israeli Merkava tanks near a town in southern Lebanon and wounded Israeli soldiers in other attacks on several settlements in northern Israel.
• Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim began a three-day visit to Pakistan, focusing on trade, energy and agriculture.
• The members of the UN Security Council expressed support to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Israel barred him from entering the country and declared him "persona non grata."
• Japan's newly appointed Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said he is not pursuing a proposal by the new prime minister to establish an “Asian NATO,” saying the idea cannot be immediately materialized.
• Four Iraqi soldiers were killed and three others injured in an attack by Daesh/ISIS terrorists in Kirkuk province, northern Iraq, the country’s Interior Ministry said.
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Doha for his first visit to Qatar since taking office in July, Qatar-based Al Jazeera reported.
• Sri Lanka barred its citizens from traveling to Israel amid heightening tensions in the Middle East following Tel Aviv’s ground operations in Lebanon, media reports said.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned over the spiraling violence in the Middle East, stressing the significant deterioration of the situation in Lebanon.
• The UN human rights chief called on all states to act to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East.
• South Korean prosecutors have decided not to charge first lady Kim Keon-hee in connection with the acceptance of a luxury bag as a gift two years ago.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed multiple decrees, reshuffling staff in the country’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
• Russia will begin geological exploration for lithium, oil and gas deposits in Mali next month, a top official said in Bamako.
• France condemned a fresh Israeli attack on a school and an orphanage in northern Gaza.
• China said it opposes violations of Lebanon's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, as well as moves that fuel “antagonism” and escalate tensions.
• At least 45 migrants have died and 111 are missing after smugglers forced passengers off two boats into the open sea off the coast of Djibouti, the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed.
• Russia claimed that it has taken control of another village in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region as its offensive continues to make advances.

SPORTS

• Turkish Airlines EuroLeague's new season to start on Thursday

The 2024-25 season of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Europe's top-tier club-level basketball contest, will begin with the ALBA Berlin vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR game in Germany on Thursday.

Led by Turkish head coach Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens are the defending champions as the Greek club beat record holders Real Madrid 95-80 in the Berlin final in May.

Two-time EuroLeague champions Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce Beko, which won the 2017 title, will go on to represent Türkiye in the prestigious tournament.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Türkiye is ‘open to business and dialogue,’ says finance minister

The diversification of supply chains after the pandemic has benefited Türkiye, and the country now has “a comprehensive reform program that will help boost competitiveness, productivity and potential growth," Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said.

“We are open for business, and we are open to dialogue,” Simsek said at the Berlin Global Dialogue (BGD) 2024, where this year’s theme was “building common ground.”

Simsek noted that Türkiye is located in a challenging region, with the Russia-Ukraine war significantly impacting inflation dynamics. While the country has overcome several macroeconomic challenges, other issues such as inflation “require more time to address.”