Morning Briefing: Sept. 8, 2024

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start Sunday, including Türkiye condemning the Israeli foreign minister's false accusations against President Erdogan; former Israeli official says Netanyahu's stance on the Philadelphi Corridor driven by fear of government collapse, former Shin Bet chief and China urging the US to ‘maintain’ stable climate policies

TOP STORIES

• Türkiye condemns Israeli foreign minister's false accusations against President Erdogan

The Turkish government condemned a recent post by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz as lies and slander targeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Türkiye.

Turkish authorities pointed out that Katz holds no real credibility, even within the Netanyahu government, which will be infamously remembered for crimes against humanity and leaving a dark stain on history.

A statement suggested that Katz is attempting to remain relevant by drawing the attention of social media users in Türkiye in a bid to secure his position within a "genocide network."

• Netanyahu's stance on Philadelphi Corridor driven by fear of government collapse, says former Shin Bet chief

Nadav Argaman, former head of Israel's Shin Bet security agency, criticized Benjamin Netanyahu for his insistence on maintaining control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border and suggested the prime minister's actions are motivated by a desire to prevent his government from collapsing.

Argaman, who led the agency from 2016 to 2021, called for an immediate halt to the war and a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in an interview with Channel 12, and urged the return of Israeli hostages.

Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas that claimed 1,139 lives; around 250 were taken as captives. About 101 Israelis are still believed to remain in the blockaded enclave.

• China urges US to ‘maintain’ stable climate policies

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the need for stable US climate policies and increased cooperation, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Wang highlighted recent progress in bilateral climate discussions in a meeting with John Podesta, a senior advisor to US President Joe Biden on international climate policy.

"Since the beginning of this year, the climate change teams of both sides have communicated closely and reached a series of pragmatic cooperation results," he said.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Several students were injured after a massive fire broke out at a girls' school in Isiolo in central Kenya.
• Israeli protesters took to the streets to demand a hostage swap deal with the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip.
• Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli military positions and soldiers near the Lebanese border.
• Three paramedics were killed and two others injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a civil defense fire truck in southern Lebanon.
• Four Palestinians were killed and 20 injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting the Amr Ibn Al-As School, which shelters displaced Palestinians in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza City.
• Illegal Israeli settlers demolished 47 agricultural structures and homes last week in the Taybe area in western Hebron in the southern West Bank.
• A British government spokesperson expressed "deep concern" following the death of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old Turkish American activist, who was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.
• Russia claimed its forces captured the settlement of Kalynove in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region.
• An autopsy on Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish American activist, has confirmed she was killed by an Israeli sniper’s bullet to the head, according to Nablus Gov. Ghassan Daghlas.
• Israel said 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon, landing in open areas in Upper Galilee in northern Israel.
• A magnitude 5 earthquake hit southern Türkiye, the disaster authority announced.
• Dead Israeli prisoner Almog Sarosi said he and other prisoners were targeted in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, in a video released by Hamas' Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades before his death.
• Hezbollah announced it attacked several Israeli army sites and gatherings of soldiers in northern Israel as the army in Tel Aviv continued raids across southern Lebanon.
• The US reiterated the urgency of providing Ukraine with air defense systems in the face of intensified Russian aerial attacks.
• A New York judge delayed former US President Donald Trump’s hush money sentencing until Nov. 26.

SPORTS

• Scoring 900 goals, Ronaldo's goal-scoring achievements pivotal in numerous victories for his teams throughout his career

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first men's player in history to score 900 goals in official matches. His remarkable goal-scoring feats have been instrumental in securing countless victories for his teams during his illustrious career.

Scoring against Croatia in an opening UEFA Nations League match, the 39-year-old Portuguese superstar reached the remarkable milestone in Portugal’s 2-1 win Sept. 5.

Ronaldo's record-breaking goal came in the first half when he found the net from close range following Nuno Mendes' long-range assist.