By Rabia Ali
ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Wednesday with, including North Korea firing cruise missiles off its east coast, a meeting in Cairo on cease-fire in Gaza, opening of polls in Indonesia, and South Africa's urgent request at the ICJ against Israel's possible Rafah operation.
TOP STORIES
- North Korea fires cruise missiles off its east coast: South Korean military
North Korea fired an unspecified number of cruise missiles off its eastern coast on Wednesday, said South Korean military officials.
The launches mark the fifth time this year that Pyongyang has fired such missiles.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Pyongyang fired the missiles around 9 a.m. (0000GMT) off the coast of the city of Wonsan, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.
Wonsan, previously known as Wonsanjin, is a port city and naval base located in North Korea’s Kangwon province.
- 4-way Cairo meeting on Gaza truce 'positive': Egyptian media
The first day of a four-way meeting in Cairo attended by officials from Qatar, Egypt, Israel, and the US to discuss a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip ended on a "positive" note, with the parties agreeing to continue consultation to find a solution to the humanitarian crisis, Egyptian media close to the government reported.
"The consultations will continue over the next three days," Al Qahera News channel said, citing a well-placed source.
However, none of the officials who attended the meeting have made any comments as of yet.
- Polls open across Indonesia to elect new leaders
Voting began Wednesday in Indonesia’s presidential, national and provincial elections.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0000GMT) amid heavy rain in the capital Jakarta and other parts of the country and are scheduled to close at 1 p.m. (0600GMT).
More than 204 million people are eligible to cast ballots to elect the country’s next president, vice president and lawmakers for the parliament as well as members of provincial legislative bodies.
It marks the seventh general elections in the Southeast Asian country.
- South Africa makes urgent request to ICJ over Israel's planned Rafah offensive
South Africa has requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to urgently assess Israel's intentions to expand its military presence in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, urging it to consider whether it required the court to use its power to prevent further breach of Palestinians' rights.
According to a statement, the request looks into whether Israel's decision "requires that the court uses its power to prevent further imminent breach of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza."
NEWS IN BRIEF
- Israel must give up its expansionist designs and embrace a two-state solution, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday at the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
- France on Tuesday imposed an entry ban on 28 illegal Jewish settlers said to have used violence on Palestinians in the West Bank, expressing its support for sanctions against Jewish settlers at European level.
- Military operations in Rafah could lead to "slaughter" in Gaza, UN relief chief Martin Griffiths warned, adding that more than half of Gaza’s population crammed in Rafah is staring death in the face.
- Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki on Tuesday called for providing “safe passages” for civilians in Rafah amid Israeli preparations for a ground offensive into the southern city during a press conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Berlin.
- The US Senate on Tuesday approved a $95.34 billion assistance plan for Ukraine, Israel and, Taiwan, passing the measure by a vote of 70-29.
- Al Jazeera correspondent Ismail Abu Omar was injured on Tuesday in an Israeli drone strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, according to an eye witness.
- Independent winning candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan will merge with two religiopolitical parties to claim stakes in federal and provincial governments, the PTI announced Tuesday.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced deep concern Tuesday about nutrition in the Gaza Strip, adding that of the 700,000 hungriest people in the world, four in five inhabit that tiny strip of land.
SPORTS
- Turkish wrestler Riza Kayaalp wins silver medal in European Championships
Turkish wrestler Riza Kayaalp won a silver medal in the 2024 European Championships on Tuesday.
Sergei Semenov, a 28-year-old athlete from Russia, pinned Kayaalp to secure a gold medal in the men's Greco-Roman 130-kilogram final in the Romanian capital Bucharest.
Semenov competes as a neutral athlete due to Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine.
- Man City beat Copenhagen in 1st leg of Champions League last 16
Manchester City beat Copenhagen 3-1 in Denmark on Tuesday in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League last 16 to control the tie.
Man City earned a two-goal advantage before the second leg to be held on March 6 in Manchester.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Annual US consumer inflation at 3.1% in January
Annual consumer inflation in the US came in at 3.1% in January, slowing down from a 3.4% gain in December, according to figures released Tuesday.
The consumer price index (CPI), which measures changes in the prices of goods and services from a consumer's perspective, was higher than estimates of 2.9%.
- Moody's downgrades ratings of 5 Israeli banks
Moody's announced Tuesday it downgraded the deposit ratings of five Israeli banks.
The agency said the outlook on the long-term deposit ratings is negative for the Bank Leumi Le-Israel B.M., Bank Hapoalim B.M., Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd., Israel Discount Bank Ltd. and First International Bank of Israel Ltd.