Morning Briefing: April 18, 2024

ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Thursday with, including the US president doubling down on plans for additional funding for Ukraine and Israel, an ongoing meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Italy, and Israel's premier stressing that it will decide itself on how to counter Iran's weekend attack amid a chorus of calls for restraint.

TOP STORIES

Biden says he 'strongly supports' House Speaker's plan to pass Ukraine, Israel aid

US President Joe Biden signaled strong support for House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to usher additional funding for Ukraine and Israel through the chamber.

"I strongly support this package to get critical support to Israel and Ukraine, provide desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, and bolster security and stability in the Indo-Pacific," Biden said in a statement.

"The House must pass the package this week and the Senate should quickly follow. I will sign this into law immediately to send a message to the world: We stand with our friends, and we won’t let Iran or Russia succeed," he added.

G7 foreign ministers gather, tensions in Middle East, aid to Ukraine to dominate agenda

The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers convened on the Italian island of Capri on Wednesday, with discussions centering on the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

The meeting began in the shadow of expectations that Israel would retaliate against Iran for its missile and drone attacks against Israel.

Escalating tensions between Israel and Iran and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine will dominate the ministers' agenda during the three days of talks.

Israel to decide itself how to respond to Iran’s attack, Netanyahu says

Israel will decide itself on how to respond to Iran's weekend attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"I thank our friends for supporting Israel's defense — support both in words and in deeds," Netanyahu said during a Cabinet meeting, according to a statement by his office.

"They also have all kinds of suggestions and advice. I appreciate those, but I want to make it clear: We will make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself," he added.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• EU member states need to "take action to recognize Palestine," Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Wednesday.
• Israel's far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Wednesday for the dismantling of the country's War Cabinet.
• Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) should be sanctioned by the EU, the Belgian Premier Alexander De Croo said Wednesday.
• Yemen's Houthi group called on the UN Wednesday to resume food aid distribution in the war-torn country to mitigate "dangerous stages" of famine.
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday called on Israel to refrain from a massive retaliatory strike on Iran and focus on regional diplomacy to further isolate the Iranian regime.
• Türkiye and other countries of its region do not want others to bring their own conflicts to this geography, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday.
• Police in South Africa said Wednesday they are investigating the demise of five people killed by unidentified gunmen in the township of Khayelitsha near Cape Town.
• Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Wednesday he no longer trusts the army after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
• NATO, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and the Netherlands pledged further support for Ukraine on Wednesday.
• At least 17 people were killed and 60 injured in a Russian missile strike Wednesday in the northern Ukraine city of Chernihiv.
• The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan are constantly in touch, discussing matters related to their countries via the phone.
• Russia on Wednesday banned the entry of 235 Australian municipal deputies.

SPORTS

Toronto Raptors' Porter banned from NBA for violating league rules on gambling

The NBA said it banned the Toronto Raptors' Jontay Porter for violating the league's rules on gambling, including with bets against his own team.

"The league's investigation found that prior to the Raptors’ March 20 game, Porter disclosed confidential information about his own health status to an individual he knew to be an NBA bettor," the NBA said in a statement.

USA Basketball unveils men's national team roster for Paris 2024

USA Basketball revealed that the men's national team roster for Paris 2024 will include LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant.

The team unveiled the 12 basketball start, including three-time Olympic champion Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns and the NBA's all-time scoring leader LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers, who won gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Games and a bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

UN to launch $2.8 billion global appeal for Gaza, West Bank Palestinians

The UN will launch a $2.8 billion appeal for donations to meet the needs of 3.3 million people in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released a statement that noted that the UN and its partners' appeal will cover the period from April to December 2024.

US mortgage applications up despite rates reaching 4-month high

US mortgage applications increased last week despite mortgage rates climbing to their highest level in four months, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) report.

The market composite index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, rose 3.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending April 12. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 4% compared with the previous week.