Rabia Ali
05 July 2023•Update: 05 July 2023
ISTANBUL
Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday, including Israel's deadly raid on Palestinians, the latest on the Black Sea grain deal extension, and mass shootings in the US.
TOP STORIES
The death toll from an Israeli military raid on the West Bank city of Jenin has risen to 12, according to health officials. Nearly 120 others have been injured in the attacks.
On Monday, Israeli forces launched their largest raid in Jenin in more than 20 years.
Meanwhile, Israeli police reported a car-ramming and stabbing incident in which seven people were injured.
Palestinian resistance group Hamas claimed responsibility, saying it was its “first response” to the ongoing Israeli raid of Jenin.
Russia stated on Tuesday that it sees no grounds for extending last year’s Black Sea Grain Initiative deal, which is set to expire in less than two weeks, the Kremlin said.
All necessary efforts are being made to ensure that vessels participating in it can successfully complete their mission and leave the Black Sea before July 17, said its Foreign Ministry.
Russia believes that instead of exports to Africa, the food was largely transported to "well-fed countries.” Another factor is last month’s blast crippling the Togliatti-Odesa pipeline, built to carry exports of Russian fertilizers.
Mass shootings in the US reached a record high in the first half of the year, with over 330 mass shootings recorded, according to data collected by the Gun Violence Archive.
The latest incident includes the killing of least three people in a shooting in Texas on Monday night, on the eve of US Independence Day. Eight people were injured.
No arrests have been made and the reason for the shooting is still unclear.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- By mutually appointing ambassadors, Ankara and Cairo have marked a new milestone in the normalization of ties, said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday.
- Iran on Tuesday gained full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the end of a summit of SCO Council of Heads of States, making it the ninth member of the regional bloc.
- The UN refugee agency said on Tuesday that it has long been alarmed by the "increasing frequency" of Greek migrant pushbacks.
- Fresh clashes erupted between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group in Sudan on Tuesday, according to witnesses. Clashes were reported in the capital Khartoum as military aircraft were seen flying in the area
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday reiterated his opposition to Ukraine’s plans to immediately join NATO ahead of the next week’s alliance summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius.
- South Sudan’s president pledged Tuesday to hold the country's first elections since independence next year, saying he would run for the nation’s highest office as the flag bearer for his Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) party.
- At least three people were killed and two others wounded in an attack on the Somali capital Tuesday with improvised rockets, said an official.
- A preliminary test for suspicious powder found at the White House on Sunday came up positive for cocaine, according to media reports. The Secret Service is investigating how the suspected cocaine ended up at the White House.
SPORTS
Defending champion Elena Rybakina secured a comeback victory against Shelby Rogers in Wimbledon's first round on Tuesday.
The No. 3 seed defeated American Shelby Rogers 4-6, 6-1, and 6-2 on the Centre Court, easing concerns about her fitness following an illness that forced her out of the French Open.
Rybakina, 24, will face the winner of the match between Nao Hibino and Alize Cornet in the next stage.
Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck on Tuesday won the fourth stage of the Tour de France, marking two consecutive wins.
The 25-year-old Belgian cyclist finished the 181.8-kilometer (113-mile) route from Dax to Nogaro in four hours, 25 minutes, and 28 seconds.
Caleb Ewan of the Lotto-Dstny team came in second while Phil Bauhaus of Bahrain Victorious finished third.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Annual consumer inflation in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area fell to a 17-month low in May, mainly owing to falling energy prices, according to data released on Tuesday.
Consumer prices rose 6.5% year-on-year in May, the slowest hike since December 2021, data from the Paris-based organization showed, with headline inflation slowing from 7.4% in April.
Energy prices dropped 5.1% from a year ago in May, after rising 0.7% in April, while food inflation eased to 11% in May from 12.1% in the previous month.
American consumers this year were projected to spend a record $9.5 billion on food for July 4, Independence Day.
The figure was at its highest level since 2014, according to National Retail Federation data.
It was also up 23.4% from last year's $7.7 billion and 46.1% higher than the $6.5 billion seen during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
