Morning Briefing: Sept. 16, 2023

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) — Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including Israel's intervention in the protest near the fence separating Gaza and Israel, the French ambassador in Niger taken hostage, and flood-hit Libya's displaced residents.

TOP STORIES

• 12 wounded in Israeli army response to Gaza border protest

Twelve people, including an Anadolu photojournalist, were injured during the Israeli army's dispersal of Palestinian protests near the Gaza border, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The ministry in Gaza said Israeli troops shot at protesting Palestinians, resulting in numerous injuries.

Medical sources informed Anadolu that a group of young Palestinians were wounded by live ammunition and rubber-coated bullets, while tear gas also affected demonstrators.

• France's ambassador in Niger 'held hostage' at embassy, Macron says

French President Emmanuel Macron said his country's envoy in Niger and other French diplomats were "literally" living like hostages in the embassy.

"As we speak, we have an ambassador and diplomatic members which are being literally held hostage at the French Embassy," Macron told reporters.

He said food deliveries were not being allowed and that the mission's residents were "eating military rations."​​​​​​​

• Over 38,000 residents displaced in flood-hit Libya, says UN agency

Devastating floods in Libya displaced more than 38,640 people, according to the UN migration agency.

At least 30,000 were displaced in Derna due to Storm Daniel, 3,000 in Al-Bayda, 2,595 in Al-Marj, 2,195 in Benghazi, 350 in Soussa, 300 in Almkheley, 200 in Wardeah, and less than 20 in Shahat, said the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Libya.

"Over 5,000 are presumed dead, with a total of 3,922 deaths having been registered in hospitals, according to WHO sources," the agency said, adding that rescue teams continued searching for survivors.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The Development Road project, which spans from province of Basra in Iraq's southern tip to the Turkish border in the north, is expected to enter its implementation phase in the coming months, as stated by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
• In response to a growing influx of migrants from Africa, Italy requested UN assistance to address the issue, according to media reports.
• The British government officially outlawed the Russian mercenary Wagner Group as a terror organization, rendering membership or support to it illegal.
• Search and rescue teams in Morocco continued operations for an eighth consecutive day after a powerful earthquake struck the nation a week ago.
• The UN Security Council extended the mandate of an investigative team to promote accountability for crimes by the Daesh/ISIS terror group, for a final one-year, non-extendable term.
• Nigeria is currently experiencing a second wave of diphtheria, according to the World Health Organization.

SPORTS

• US investment firm 777 Partners agree on deal for Everton takeover

US investment firm 777 Partners agreed to buy the English Premier League's Everton, the Liverpool-based football club said after the deal was concluded.

"777 Partners has signed an agreement with Farhad Moshiri to acquire his full stake in Everton Football Club, which accounts for 94.1 per cent of the Club's shares," Everton said in a statement.

• US basketball regains top spot in FIBA men's world rankings,

Even though the US basketball team did not secure a medal at the World Cup, they reclaimed the number-one spot in the FIBA World Ranking Men with 786.6 points.

"There were also notable improvements for Georgia, who moved up 10 positions and into 23rd on 465.9 points, Japan jumped 11 spots to 26th on 432.2 points and Lebanon claimed an uplift of 16 places into 28th on 423.3," FIBA said in a statement.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Russia Central Bank lifts key rate by 100 basis points

The Central Bank of Russia said it decided to raise its key interest rate by 100 basis points to 13%.

At an earlier emergency meeting last month to support the weakening ruble, the bank had hiked the rate by 350 basis points to 12%.

"The return of inflation to the target and its further stabilization close to 4% also implies that tight monetary conditions will be maintained in the economy for a long period," the bank said in a statement.

• New York manufacturing activity begins to expand in September

In a surprising turn of events, the New York Fed manufacturing index showed significant improvement in September, as revealed in a new report.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Empire State Manufacturing Index, which gauges overall business conditions in New York, saw a remarkable increase of 21 points compared to the previous month, reaching a value of 1.9 in September.

The development defied market expectations, which had anticipated the index to register at minus 10, following a sharp drop in August, when it plummeted from 1.1 in July to minus 19.