Morning Briefing: Sept. 14, 2023

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA)- Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday, including the displacement of thousands in Libya floods, the meeting of North Korea leader Kim with Russia’s President Putin, a state of emergency on Italy's Lampedusa Island, and the bodies of alleged aliens presented to Mexico’s legislature.

TOP STORIES

• Thousands displaced by Libyan floods as death toll reaches over 6,000

More than 36,000 people have been displaced due to floods in Libya, the UN migration agency said on Wednesday.

“Storm Daniel caused significant infrastructure damage, including the road network, and disrupted the telecommunications network,” the IOM said in a statement.

Saadeddin Abdul Wakil, undersecretary of the unity government’s Health Ministry, told Anadolu that the death toll had surged past 6,000.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent put the figure of missing people at 10,000.

• Russia, North Korea have opportunities for military cooperation, says Putin

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Russia and North Korea have opportunities to develop military cooperation, despite UN sanctions.

Speaking to the state-run Rossiya-1 TV channel, Putin said Moscow complies with UN sanctions on military-technical cooperation with Pyongyang "but there are opportunities within the rules."

Putin said his meeting with Kim was "productive," describing it as "a frank exchange of views" on the situation in the region and bilateral relations.

• Emergency declared on Italy's Lampedusa Island as thousands of irregular migrants arrive

A state of emergency was declared on Italy’s Lampedusa Island after nearly 6,800 irregular migrants arrived over the last 36 hours, local media reported Wednesday.

One of the boats carrying migrants tipped over, resulting in the drowning of a 5-month-old baby.

Lampedusa Mayor Filippo Mannino said Tuesday evening that the island cannot bear this "shockwave" anymore.

France will intensify controls at its border with Italy due to a 100% increase in the migration flow, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.

• UFO expert presents 'alien' bodies to Mexican Congress

A group of international experts held a hearing in Mexico's lower house to discuss extraterrestrial sightings, with Mexican journalist Jaime Maussan presenting alleged bodies of "non-human" beings.

Maussan presented to lawmakers two dissected bodies of what he called extraterrestrials.

A investigative TV journalist said the alleged ETs have been studied by the country's highest academy, Autonomous National University of Mexico.

The two alleged "alien bodies" were retrieved in Cusco, Peru, and are 1,000 years old, according to Maussan.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The US State Department approved the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets and related equipment to South Korea at an estimated cost of over $5 billion, according to a statement Wednesday.

• US President Joe Biden slammed House Republicans after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced a formal impeachment inquiry lacking any evidence, saying they want to impeach him "because they want to shut down the government.”

• Türkiye "neutralized" a total of 258 terrorists in 43,490 anti-terror operations over the past three months, the interior minister said on Wednesday.

• Nearly 2,000 environmental activists were killed between 2012 and 2022, with Latin America holding the highest percentage globally, an international non-governmental organization announced Wednesday.

• The US warned Iran on Wednesday that it could freeze funds provided as part of a swap deal with Tehran if they are diverted.

• France registered nearly 400 excess deaths during the August heat wave, the country's public health agency said on Wednesday, with people 75 and older the most affected.

SPORTS

• Marco Verratti joins Qatar's Al-Arabi from PSG

Marco Verratti on Wednesday moved to Qatari side Al-Arabi from Paris Saint-Germain.

"The Al Arabi Club management has signed a contract with the Italian international star Marco Verratti, coming from Paris Saint-Germain, for a period of three years, thus concluding the number of our team’s professionals for the 2023-2024 sports season," Al Arabi said in a statement.

• UEFA launches disciplinary proceeding against Croatia for pro-Nazi flag

UEFA on Wednesday launched a disciplinary proceeding against the Croatian football body for a pro-Nazi regime symbol during a UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying group game.

In a statement, the Croatian Football Federation said that a Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) observer submitted a report saying that an individual among the Croatian fans during the match against Latvia was seen to raise a flag of the Ustasha regime on several occasion.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Türkiye to broaden free trade agreement with UK

The scope of the free trade agreement between Türkiye and the UK will be broadened, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a joint press conference with British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Ankara on Wednesday.

"We are about the finalize our preparations," he said, adding the goal is to diversify the bilateral trade volume, which reached nearly $20 billion in 2022.

• US' annual inflation again surges in August

Annual inflation in the US was at 3.7% in August, up for the second month in a row, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Wednesday.

In the month, food prices were up by 4.3%, while energy items posted a decline of 3.6% on an annually basis, the official figures showed.​​​​​​​