Morning Briefing: Oct. 8, 2024

ISTANBUL

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday, including the 1st anniversary of the Gaza genocide, rockets fired from Lebanon in central Israel, and Tunisian President Kais Saied in Tunisia winning a second term.

TOP STORIES

• Several Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza on 1st anniversary of genocide

At least 50 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in Israeli attacks Monday in several parts of the Gaza Strip, according to health sources.

The Israeli army continued its attacks on the northern, southern and central parts of the besieged enclave on the first anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war.

Health sources said three Palestinians were killed in an attack by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on a tent near Al-Furqan Mosque in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. Five Palestinians were killed and 18 injured in two separate airstrikes on other locations in the camp. Another 16 Palestinians were killed in separate attacks to the east and west of Khan Younis.

In Rafah city, eight Palestinians were killed in an attack by Israeli warplanes targeting a home in the Miraj area, and one Palestinian was killed in an attack in the Khirbet al-Ades area.

• Israeli army says rockets fired from Lebanon towards Tel Aviv

The Israeli army said late Monday that it detected five rockets being fired from Lebanon towards the Tel Aviv area in central Israel.

The attack came after Tel Aviv earlier witnessed rocket attacks from Gaza and Yemen, according to Israel’s Army Radio.

The army in a statement claimed that its air defenses intercepted some of the rockets while others landed in open areas without causing damage or casualties.

Sirens were sounded at least three times in dozens of towns in the Tel Aviv area during the day during the rocket attacks from Gaza, Yemen and Lebanon, the Times of Israel news website reported.

• Tunisian President Saied wins 2nd term

Tunisia's President Kais Saied has won a second term with 90.69% of the votes in the presidential election held on Sunday, the country's electoral commission announced on Monday.

At a press conference in the capital Tunis, the head of Tunisia's Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE), Farouk Bouasker, said the voter turnout was 28.8%.

While Saied received 90.69% of the votes, his competitor Ayachi Zammel garnered 7.35%, and Zouhair Maghzaoui received only 1.97% of the votes, Bouasker added.

Tunisia's election took place amid political tensions, economic challenges, and a polarized nation.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Israel will eventually pay the price for the genocide that has been going on in Gaza for a year, the Turkish president said on Monday.
  
  
• The Israeli army on Monday evening claimed that some 100 of its fighter jets struck over 120 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon within an hour.
  
  
• Dozens of pairs of shoes were lined up in front of the White House on Monday by pro-Palestinian protesters to represent children killed during Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 last year.
  
  
• Israel issues new evacuation orders for Gazans on the anniversary of the genocide, for Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahia in northern Gaza.
  
  
• Spain’s foreign minister responded Monday to a claim by Israel that his country has become "a paradise for sowing hatred," saying it is a "country of tolerance."
  
  
• Norway on Monday called for a cease-fire as “unimaginable suffering” of the civilian population continues in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.
  
  
• The White House said Monday that the Biden administration is "continuing" to advise the Israeli government on its response to last week's Iranian ballistic missile attack.
  
  
• Kosovo lifted its import ban on Serbian goods on Monday, a restriction that had been in place since June 2023, allowing goods to pass through the Merdare Border Gate between the two countries.
  
  
  
  SPORTS
  
  
• Bundesliga's Bayern Munich, Ligue 1's Monaco are undefeated leaders in Europe's top 5 football leagues

German Bundesliga's Bayern Munich and French Ligue 1's Monaco are undefeated leaders in the Europe's top 5 football leagues.

Liverpool top the English Premier League, Barcelona lead Spanish La Liga and Napoli sit atop the Italian Serie A standings in the other top leagues of Europe.

• Dutch football legend Johan Neeskens dies at 73

Dutch football legend Johan Neeskens died at the age of 73, the country's football body confirmed on Monday.

"We're deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Johan Neeskens. Forever one of our greatest icons. Rest in peace, Johan," the Dutch FA said on X.

His former clubs Dutch giants Ajax and Spanish powerhouse Barcelona also offered condolences on social media.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Red Sea trade sees historic decline amid rising tensions in Middle East

Trade in the Red Sea, once accounting for 10% of all global maritime trade, has seen a historic decline with the rising tensions in the Middle East caused by Israel’s uninterrupted attacks on Gaza, which has reached its first anniversary.

The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen launched attacks in retaliation on commercial vessels allegedly linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

The vast majority of commercial vessels that previously used the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait have rerouted and since been sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point of Africa, for about a year now.

• Services production up in EU, eurozone in July

Services production in the EU and the eurozone increased 2.6% year-on-year in July, the regional statistical office Eurostat said on Monday.

In the EU, services production for transportation and storage soared 2.9%, accommodation and food services 0.9%, information and communication 5%, and real estate activities 0.5% on an annual basis in July.

Meanwhile, services production for professional, scientific, and technical activities climbed 2.7%, while administrative and support services rose 2.2% over the same period.