Rabia Ali
19 July 2023•Update: 19 July 2023
ISTANBUL
Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday, including Turkish President Erdogan's visit to UAE, the detention of a US soldier in North Korea, Ukraine’s advancements against Russia, and a heatwave in Italy.
TOP STORIES
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in the UAE for the last leg of his three-nation Gulf tour to strengthen regional ties.
He will meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today in an official ceremony in Abu Dhabi, and have one-on-one talks.
Türkiye and the UAE are also expected to sign several agreements. During the talks, bilateral relations will be reviewed, and steps to enhance cooperation in various areas, particularly the economy, will be discussed.
The US has confirmed that a soldier was taken into custody in North Korea on Tuesday after crossing the militarized border while on a tour.
The individual, "willfully and without authorization crossed the military demarcation line," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters.
The soldier was reportedly being escorted back to the US to face disciplinary action after being held in military detention in South Korea.
He had cleared airport security in South Korea when he joined a tour group that was to visit the border village of Panmunjom and crossed into North Korea illegally.
Ukraine said Tuesday that its forces have advanced against Russian troops on the Kupiansk front in Kharkiv.
“The enemy offensive in the Kupiansk direction is currently unsuccessful. The fighting continues, but the initiative is already on our side,” Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram.
Maliar said Ukrainian forces near the city of Bakhmut have made advances and that fighting on the northern flank continued during the day.
“The enemy is trying to regain lost positions. Our fighters have to deal with dense mines and intense enemy fire,” she added.
A heatwave that hit Italy and vast areas across Europe was approaching its peak on Tuesday, as temperatures were set to break new records in Italian cities.
Rome has set up dozens of special “help points” around the city, to protect the elderly and tourists from soaring temperatures, expected to climb to a new high of 42C (107.6F).
The islands of Sicily and Sardinia were also bracing to reach the hottest-ever temperature in Europe, with a peak of 48C (118.4F).
NEWS IN BRIEF
- US President Joe Biden hosted Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog at the White House on Tuesday, as they consulted over "enhanced coordination to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and Iran’s growing defense partnership with Russia."
- French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Russia of "weaponizing food" by suspending the grain deal, as he commented on Moscow's decision to pull back from the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs appealed for urgent humanitarian funds to assist drought-stricken Somalia, where half of the country's population is at risk of losing vital life-saving assistance due to fund shortage.
- The body of a baby discovered last week on a beach in Tarragona, northeastern Spain, was that of an eight-month-old girl from a capsized boat that killed all 15 irregular migrants, including her parents, local law enforcement said.
- At least 161 senior officers and commanders of the Israeli Air Force's operational headquarters resigned from reserve service Tuesday over the government’s plans for judicial reform.
- Kenyan police have decided to declare three-day anti-government protests scheduled for this week by opposition leader Raila Odinga as illegal.
- Bangladesh sees the highest dengue death rate in 5 years as it records 13 deaths in the last 24 hours mostly in the capital Dhaka, with over 1,500 new cases.
- Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday signed a tripartite agreement, Trans-Afghan project, to connect the three countries through a rail network.
- Nelson Mandela’s legacy lives on many years after his passing, said South African President Ramaphosa, as people worldwide celebrated International Nelson Mandela Day on July 18.
SPORTS
Former Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was moved out of an intensive care unit Tuesday after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage in July.
After retiring from football in 2011, van der Sar, who had 130 caps for the Netherlands, joined the board at Ajax before becoming chief executive in 2016. He resigned from the position in May.
The 2023-24 season fixtures for the Turkish top-tier football division Trendyol Super Lig draw were held on Tuesday as it will kick off on Aug. 11.
The 20-club Super Lig campaign will end on May 19, 2024, nearly a month before the UEFA EURO 2024.
Four clubs, who will complete the 2023-24 season in 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th spots, will be relegated to a lower division as the Turkish football body confirmed.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
The Spanish National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) has fined US-based technology giants Apple and Amazon €194.1 million ($218 million) for breaching competition rules.
Both firms restricted the number of resellers of Apple products on Amazon's website in Spain, "unreasonably," the commission said on Tuesday.
Firms limited the advertising spaces on the Amazon website in Spain, it said.
Türkiye and the UK have agreed to hold talks on a new and modernized free trade agreement (FTA), the British government announced on Tuesday.
The existing FTA, which the two countries signed after the UK left the EU, does not cover key areas such as services, digital, and data, the UK's Department for Business and Trade revealed.
It added that the new deal was expected to boost bilateral trade and help British firms maximize opportunities.
