By Alperen Aktas
ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Thursday with, including a report by the UN, saying more than 520 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, WHO chief urging immediate application of UN resolution for Gaza cease-fire and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying they are working to close deal on Gaza cease-fire.
TOP STORIES
- More than 520 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem since Oct. 7: UN
The UN reported that more than 520 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since Oct. 7.
Deputy spokesman Farhan Haq stressed at a news conference that the situation "continues to escalate, amid ongoing violence by Israeli forces and settlers."
"Since 7 October, more than 520 Palestinians, nearly a quarter of them children, have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Almost three-quarters of those fatalities occurred during operations by Israeli forces. During the same period, more than 5,200 Palestinians were injured in these areas," he said.
- WHO chief urges immediate application of UN resolution for Gaza cease-fire
Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed a recent UN Security Council resolution calling for a full and immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, calling on all parties to take the necessary steps for the decision's immediate implementation.
Speaking at a press conference on global health issues, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus touched on the dire situation in the Palestinian territory where more than 37,200 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7 last year.
On the Security Council resolution passed on Monday, Tedros urged action on all sides for it to be implemented "immediately" to bring a permanent end to the suffering of millions.
- Blinken says US working to close deal on Gaza cease-fire
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hamas has proposed changes to a potential cease-fire deal in Gaza, and Washington is working for an agreement.
"Some of these changes are workable," Blinken told a joint news briefing with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha.
He underscored Washington's commitment to narrowing gaps "to close the deal" with mediators.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- The number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU hit 94.6 million in 2023, the region’s statistical bureau Eurostat said.
- Qatar said Wednesday it is committed to bridging the gap between Hamas and Israel to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
- Former US President Donald Trump will meet congressional Republicans near the Capitol Hill for the first time since his supporters attacked the building on Jan. 6, 2021.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Jeddah at the start of a visit to Saudi Arabia.
- The UN warned about a "profoundly alarming" situation in North Korea and called for an end to its "self-imposed isolation" from the world.
- At least five Palestinians were killed and eight others injured in a drone strike on civilians in the central Gaza Strip.
- Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler reached Brussels to attend a NATO meeting, the National Defense Ministry said in a brief statement.
- The Biden administration rolled out sweeping new sanctions on Russia in an attempt to thwart previous efforts to circumvent economic penalties imposed in retaliation for its war on Ukraine.
- Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, according to the military.
- A court in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka formally charged the country’s lone Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus and 13 others with embezzling 252.2 million taka ($2.2 million) from a welfare fund.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with King Felipe VI of Spain in the Spanish capital Madrid, discussing global developments, including the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip
- Four Palestinians were injured, including one seriously, by Israeli gunfire in occupied East Jerusalem, according to Israeli media.
- At least 49 people were killed and dozens injured after a fire broke out in two residential buildings in the city of Mangaf in southern Kuwait, the Interior Ministry said.
SPORTS
- EURO 2024's 'Group of Death': Italy, Spain, Croatia to battle for knockouts
Current holders Italy, former champions Spain, and powerful Croatia, the teams in FIFA's top 10 rankings will battle it out in UEFA EURO 2024 Group B, dubbed the "Group of Death."
On paper, Italy, Spain and Croatia are expected to reach later stages in the championship that will begin on Friday.
Albania, which joined the strong trio, do not have any star in their squad but can defend their goal deep and are likely to look for counterattacks against these powerful football nations.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- Fed Chair says figures have not given confidence so far this year for rate cuts
US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that macroeconomic data have not given Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) members confidence this year to begin rate cuts.
"The most recent inflation readings have been more favorable than earlier in the year, however, there has been modest progress toward our inflation objective," Powell said at a news conference after the Fed's two-day meeting concluded.
"We need to see more good data to bolster our confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2%," he added.
- Bitcoin hits $70,000 again as slowing inflation fuels Fed hope
Bitcoin's price climbed above $70,000 once again as consumer inflation figures for May slowed down on both annual and monthly basis, and fueled hope among investors that the Federal Reserve's first rate cut could come soon.
The price of the world's biggest cryptocurrency plummeted Tuesday to $66,000 for the first time in three weeks, with worries about the Fed's monetary policy meeting mounting.
Bitcoin, however, strongly recovered Wednesday to hit $70,000 at 11.00 a.m. EDT (1500GMT) for a daily gain of 4.8%. Ethereum was up 3.8% to $3,641 at the time, while some altcoins saw their prices rising as much as 14% for the day.