By Rabia Ali
ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Thursday, including deadly Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki's remarks about the new Palestinian government, UN refugee agency unable to deliver aid in northern Gaza, and peace talks between Armenian and Azerbaijani diplomats in Germany.
TOP STORIES
- Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon kill 2
Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed two people and injured 14 others, Lebanon’s National News Agency said Wednesday.
“Israeli warplanes carried out raids in three sorties on the towns of Seddiqine and Kafra, resulting in the deaths of two people from Kafra and 14 injuries,” the agency reported.
There have been no comments from the Israeli army.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli army announced that its warplanes “bombed a rocket launcher and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in the towns of Ibl al-Saqi, Bint Jbeil and Yarin.”
- New Palestinian gov't should take 'full responsibility' in West Bank, Gaza: Foreign minister
A new government in Palestine should take "full responsibility and action" both in West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Wednesday.
"Maybe the current government which resigned was not seen or heard for such responsibility," Riyad al-Maliki told a press conference organized by the UN correspondents' association in Geneva.
Al-Maliki said the time now is "not for the government where Hamas would be part of it because, in this case, then it will be boycotted by a number of countries as it happened before."
- UN refugee agency unable to deliver aid to northern Gaza amid Israeli fire
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Wednesday it is still unable to safely deliver humanitarian aid to the northern Gaza Strip amid Israeli fire.
We “have been unable to reach northern Gaza and increasingly parts of southern Gaza, safely,” UNRWA said in a statement.
“Aid convoys reportedly continue to come under fire and are denied access by the Israeli Authorities.”
The refugee agency said that humanitarian aid flows into Gaza have dropped by 50% in February.
- Azerbaijani, Armenian diplomats meet in Berlin for peace talks
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan met in Berlin on Wednesday as part of peace talks between the two countries.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who hosted the talks in Villa Borsig, thanked her counterparts for coming to Berlin, and undertaking negotiations to resolve their disputes.
“We believe that Armenia and Azerbaijan now have an opportunity to achieve an enduring peace after years of painful conflict,” she said, underlining that Germany is committed to support the peace process.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- Türkiye is ready to again host peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said In a video message to the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit on Wednesday.
- Sebastian Fischer, the German Foreign Ministry spokesman, on Wednesday sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recently unveiled plan for post-war Gaza.
- An attack on Chad's National State Security Agency claimed several lives in the capital N'Djamena on Wednesday, the country's government announced.
- The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 has jumped to 29,954, the Health Ministry in the besieged Palestinian enclave said in a statement on Wednesday.
- Fifty members of US Congress on Wednesday called for full funding of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to provide urgent humanitarian relief to the Gaza Strip.
- Severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the state of Acre in northwestern Brazil has forced 11,000 people to evacuate.
- US President Joe Biden is "fit for duty," his physician said Wednesday following a routine annual medical screening that is sure to be the focus of intense scrutiny heading into November's presidential election.
- The European Parliament made its first-ever call for an "immediate and permanent cease-fire" in Gaza as Israel continued its attacks on the enclave.
- An Israeli filmmaker said Wednesday he received death threats over a documentary that highlights settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
SPORTS
- Beijing to host 2027 World Athletics Championships
Beijing has been chosen to host the 2027 World Athletics Championships, track and field's governing body said Wednesday.
The World Athletics Council selected the city at a meeting in Glasgow.
"Congratulations to Beijing on their successful bid to host the World Athletics Championships in 2027, 12 years after our athletes lit up the National Stadium for the 15th edition of our global showpiece," said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
- Inter Milan beat Atalanta to extend lead atop Italian league
A confident Inter Milan beat Atalanta 4-0 in a Wednesday match to extend their lead atop the Italian Serie A division.
The home win enabled Inter to go 12 points clear of second-place Juventus, who have 57 points in 26 matches. Inter have won all eight of their league games so far this year and are in pursuit of a 20th Serie A title.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Bitcoin hits $60,000 for 1st time in more than 2 years
The price of Bitcoin hit $60,000 on Wednesday for the first time in more than two years.
Bitcoin hit the mark at 8.23 a.m. EDT and it was trading at $60,226 at 8.43 a.m. for a daily gain of 6.2%. That was last seen in November 2021.
- US economy expands 3.2% in Q4
The US economy expanded 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to the Commerce Department's second reading released Wednesday.
The figure is revised down from the first reading of 3.3% made last month.
American economy expanded 4.9% in the third quarter of last year.