Morning Briefing: Feb. 17, 2024
Anadolu’s recap of top stories from around the globe
ISTANBUL
Here’s a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Saturday, including the International Court of Justice calling on Israel to “immediately” implement Jan. 26 provisional measures, the death of incarcerated Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, and former US President Donald Trump being slapped with a $350 million fine in a civil fraud case.
TOP STORIES
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday urged Israel to immediately and effectively implement provisional measures it ordered last month to prevent genocide in Gaza.
"The Court notes that the most recent developments in the Gaza Strip, and in Rafah in particular, 'would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare with untold regional consequences,' as stated by the United Nations Secretary-General," said a statement by the court.
It said the "perilous situation" in Gaza and Rafah, the enclave's southernmost city, "demands immediate and effective implementation of the provisional measures indicated by the Court in its Order of 26 January 2024."
The Russian penitentiary service said on Friday that opposition figure Alexey Navalny died in a prison colony where he was serving out his sentence.
The service said in a statement that Navalny lost consciousness after a walk in the Arctic Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, where the colony is located.
The ward immediately called for an ambulance, and all resuscitation measures were taken but to no avail, according to the release.
A New York judge on Friday ordered former US President Donald Trump to pay a fine in excess of $350 million and to refrain from doing business for three years in the state where he made his real estate empire.
Justice Arthur Engoron issued the biting ruling following a monthslong civil fraud trial that sought to determine the damages that Trump was to pay after being found liable for misleading authorities and banks about the value of his real estate holdings. The trial was focused squarely on the extent of damages that Trump would be forced to pay.
Engoron had sided with prosecutors in their contention that Trump engaged in a pattern of overvaluing his assets when reporting to banks to get more favorable loan terms while skirting taxes by devaluing his properties in financial disclosures.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- The UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders proposed imposing an arms embargo on Israel in response to attacks in the Gaza Strip.
- Ukraine’s Chief of General Staff Oleksandr Syrskyi said he had decided to withdraw units from Avdiyivka, eastern Ukraine to “avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen.”
- At the Munich Security Conference, Britain urged China to “use its influence on Iran to pressure the Houthis over their actions in the Red Sea.”
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog secretly met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, US news website Axios claimed, based on two unnamed sources.
- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell discussed Turkish-EU relations on the sidelines of Germany’s Munich Security Conference.
- France and Ukraine have signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron announced.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where they discussed a number of issues, including the Taiwan Strait, the Russian war in Ukraine, and the Middle East.
- US President Joe Biden said Friday that he hopes Israel does not mount its planned ground invasion of southern Gaza's Rafah city, where over 1 million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge as negotiations for a cease-fire play out.
- In an official visit to Cairo, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye will act together with Egypt against the forced displacement of Gazans from their own lands.
- Greece’s parliament voted Thursday to legalize same-sex civil marriage, making it the first Orthodox Christian country to do so.
- Two ministers in Israel's War Cabinet have threatened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with dissolving the cabinet, accusing him of excluding them from decisions on Israeli hostages in Gaza, local media reported.
SPORTS
- Inter Milan cement Serie A leadership after hammering Salernitana 4-0
Inter Milan cemented their Italian Serie A leadership on Friday with a 4-0 hammering of Salernitana.
French forward Marcus Thuram brought the lead to the hosts in the 17th minute at Giuseppe Meazza.
Two minutes later, Argentine attacker Lautaro Martinez extended the lead for Nerazzurri.
Salernitana defender Jerome Boateng had to come off due to an injury and was substituted with Giulio Maggiore in the 24th minute.
Dutch midfielder Denzel Dumfries netted the third goal in the 40th minute.
Inter's Austrian veteran attacker Marko Arnautovic finished the scoring in the 90th minute of the match.
Bayern Munich's winter signing Sacha Boey has suffered a severe hamstring tear, leaving him sidelined for several weeks, the German club confirmed on Friday.
"FC Bayern will be without Sacha Boey for the coming weeks after the 23-year-old January arrival suffered a large tear in his left hamstring in training," the German Bundesliga title contenders said in a statement.
- Legendary Kenyan runner, who broke 4 world records, dead at 72
Kenyan athletics legend Henry Rono, who in 1978 broke four world records in a span of only 81 days, died Thursday at age 72.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Speaking on investment and trade opportunities between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, the Turkish Treasury and finance minister said Friday that deepening and broadening bilateral ties is critical.
The two countries can easily strengthen their ties through partnerships in key sectors such as tourism, construction, and the defense industry, Mehmet Simsek stressed at the Türkiye-Saudi Arabia Investment and Business Forum in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul.
A total of 27 agreements between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia were also signed as part of the Türkiye-Saudi Arabia Investment and Business Forum in Istanbul.
While six agreements were official, other deals were signed in the business field.
American athletic footwear and apparel giant Nike will cut 2% of its global workforce amid a corporate restructuring plan.
"We are not currently performing at our best, and I ultimately hold myself and my leadership team accountable," CEO John Donahoe said Thursday in a memo to the employees. "This is how we will reignite our growth."
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