Morning Briefing: Oct. 4, 2023

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday, including the removal of US House speaker in a historic first, the withdrawal of Serbian forces from the border with Kosovo, Pakistan giving one-month deadline to illegal immigrants, and death of dozens of soldiers in Niger.

TOP STORIES

• US House Speaker McCarthy ousted in historic vote

Kevin McCarthy was removed from the speakership of the US House of Representatives on Tuesday in a historic vote prompted by a revolt from the top Republican's right flank.

The 216-210 vote saw eight Republican lawmakers and all present Democrats vote to remove him from the post.

Republican Representative Patrick McHenry was appointed interim speaker until a leader can be selected.

Representative Matt Gaetz took to the House floor on Tuesday, accusing McCarthy of failing to live up to his word.

• Serbia withdrawing forces from Kosovo border: US

Serbia has begun to draw down its massive military buildup along the border with Kosovo in a positive step toward reducing regional tensions, the US administration said on Tuesday.

"Since we stated publicly that we had seen Serbian forces on the border, we have also seen them start to move those forces away," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.

The withdrawal began on Sept. 29.

Last month, a clash broke out in northern Kosovo near the Serbian border, leaving one police officer dead and another injured.

• Pakistan issues one-month deadline for illegal immigrants to leave

Pakistan on Tuesday gave a one-month deadline to all the illegal immigrants to leave the country, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said.

After the Nov. 1 deadline, he said, all foreigners living illegally will be deported, and their properties will be seized.

The decision was taken after some of them are involved in "funding and facilitating" terrorist activities.

Out of 24 suicide bombings in Pakistan since January, 14 suicide bombers were found to be Afghan nationals, said the minister.

• Niger confirms dozens of soldiers killed in terrorist attack

Niger on Tuesday confirmed the deaths of 29 soldiers in a terrorist attack in Tabatol, near the border with Mali.

It also announced three days of national mourning.

The Defense and Security Forces conducted a military operation and succeeded in neutralizing several dozen terrorists, Niger's Defense Ministry said in a statement read on national television.

However, it did not mention links of the terrorists either to the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, or the Support Group for Islam and Muslims militant outfits active in the region.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Canada marked a page in history Tuesday by electing Liberal MP Greg Fergus the first Black speaker of the House of Commons. He will replace Anthony Rota.

• At least 23 Indian army personnel are missing after a cloud burst triggered a flash flood in the northeastern Sikkim state, according to an official statement.

• Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L'Huillier were jointly awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics "for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics."

• South Korea's Defense Ministry warned Wednesday that North Korea will witness the "end of its regime" if it makes any effort to employ nuclear weapons.

• Türkiye on Tuesday destroyed 16 terror targets and "neutralized" several terrorists of PKK/KCK and other elements in air operations in northern Iraq, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said.

• France agreed to future contracts with Armenia which will allow the delivery of military equipment to Yerevan, announced the French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna during visit to Armenia.

• An explosion at an illegal oil refinery in Nigeria's Niger Delta region killed at least 37 people Tuesday, when the refinery was processing crude oil, according to local media.

• At least three people were killed and two others injured after a minor gunman opened fire in a shopping mall in Thailand's capital Bangkok on Tuesday.

• At least 21 people died and 12 people were injured Tuesday evening after a bus fell from an overpass near Venice, according to local police.

SPORTS

• Galatasaray stuns Manchester United in historic win

Galatasaray beat Manchester United 3-2 in a UEFA Champions League match on Tuesday at Old Trafford, marking an historic win for the Turkish powerhouse.

The Istanbul club claimed their first-ever victory on English soil.

Galatasaray won the five-goal thriller in the Theatre of Dreams to move to second place in the group.

• Neymar scores his 1st goal for Al-Hilal

Brazilian football star Neymar's first goal helped Al-Hilal to secure a 3-0 away win against Iran's Nassaji Mazandaran in an AFC Champions League match Tuesday in Tehran.

Neymar, a former Paris Saint-Germain forward, finished with his left foot in the 58th minute for his first Al-Hilal goal in five matches.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Annual inflation rises to 6.4% in OECD area

The annual inflation rate rose to 6.4% in August in the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) region.

The figure was up from 5.9% in July, as the year-on-year decline in energy prices slowed, the international group said on Tuesday.

The annual inflation increased in 14 OECD countries in August.

• World Bank revises South Asia's growth forecast to 5.8% from 5.6%

The World Bank revised South Asia's economic growth forecast for 2023 to 5.8% up from a previous projection of 5.6%.

This is higher than any developing region on the globe.

The World Bank said inflation has remained elevated in South Asia although it has been declining in the rest of the world.