Morning Briefing: Nov. 22, 2024

ISTANBUL

Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday with, including the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Russia’s use of a new ballistic missile is "more proof" that Moscow does not want peace, and Russia urging the US to exercise restraint after the Pentagon's statement on the possibility of nuclear strike exchanges.

TOP STORIES

• International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Israeli Premier Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Gallant

In a landmark move, the International Criminal Court announced that it had issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes it accuses them of carrying out in Palestinian territories, including Gaza.

The Hague court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I said it “issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest.”

In so doing, it also unanimously rejected challenges by Israel under articles 18 and 19 of the Rome Statute, it said in a statement.

• Zelenskyy says Russia’s use of new ballistic missile ‘more proof’ Moscow does not want peace

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia’s use of a new ballistic missile against the city of Dnipro earlier in the day is “more proof” that Moscow does not want peace.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced earlier that his country struck a plant in Dnipro during an attack using a new intermediate-range ballistic missile called Oreshnik, which he said, in this case, utilized a ballistic missile with "non-nuclear hypersonic" equipment.

Russian Telegram channels said the attack targeted the plant of Pivdenmash -- Ukraine's state-owned aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Dnipro.

• Russia urges US to exercise restraint after Pentagon's statement on exchange of nuclear strikes

Russia urged the US to exercise restraint in response to the Pentagon's statement regarding the possibility of nuclear strike exchanges.

Speaking at a Moscow press briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized Russia's commitment to prevent a nuclear conflict and called on the West to adopt a similarly responsible stance.

"Russia's nuclear doctrine underscores our responsible approach to making every effort to avoid such a conflict. We expect other nations to act responsibly and refrain from provocative actions," he said.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Russia notified the US before its experimental launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) targeting Ukraine, the Pentagon confirmed.
• At least nine people were killed and 25 injured in heavy Israeli airstrikes on several towns in southern Lebanon.
• Australia introduced a draft law that would ban children under 16 from accessing social media, aiming to tackle online harm among minors.
• Knife and offensive weapon offences in the UK handled by the Criminal Justice System (CJS) increased 0.3% in the year ending June 2024 compared to the previous year, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
• Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country struck a plant in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro using a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile.
• The US announced sanctions against 118 individuals and entities tied to Russia’s financial sector, including Gazprombank, the country’s largest remaining bank yet to be blocked by Washington.
• European nations have expressed mixed reactions to the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, with a majority emphasizing respect for the court's independence.
• Former US Rep. Matt Gaetz is withdrawing from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump's next attorney general.
• An Arab-Jewish party in the Israeli Knesset (parliament) hailed the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
• Republican US Sen. Lindsey Graham vowed to introduce legislation that would punish any nation that cooperates with the International Criminal Court after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
• The White House flatly rejected the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for their conduct in the war in Gaza.
• Lithuania’s parliament approved Gintautas Paluckas as the country’s new premier.
• The UN Human Rights Office said it fully supports the International Criminal Court's work to further accountability after the tribunal's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over their conduct in the Gaza war.
• Representatives from the US, China, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea met their Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) counterparts in Laos for an annual meeting of defense chiefs from the bloc.
• Amid reports that Ukraine fired British missiles into Russian territory, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the House of Commons that UK support to Ukraine is solely for self-defense.
• Google slammed what it called the US government’s “radical interventionist agenda” pushing the tech giant to sell off its Chrome browser.
• At least 11 people were killed and several others injured in a gun attack on passenger vans in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to police.
• Russia said its forces have taken control of the village of Dalnje in Ukraine's Donetsk region.
• Russia confirmed that Ukraine targeted its territory with UK-manufactured Storm Shadow missiles, saying two were intercepted by air defenses over the past day.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Ukraine's claims about an alleged intercontinental ballistic missile launch from Russia to Ukraine.

SPORTS

• 2-time Olympic triathlon gold medalist Alistair Brownlee retires at age 36

After a successful 18-year career, two-time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee announced his retirement from triathlons.

"It’s time to close this chapter…This marks my transition from professional triathlon, a moment approached with both dread and excitement in equal measure," Brownlee, 36, said on X.

"Triathlon has profoundly shaped my life; I have dedicated nearly half of it to being a professional athlete, fulfilling my childhood dream and achieving far more than I ever dared to imagine. Why now? It feels right. I am happy and content, eager for what lies ahead. I find myself smiling because it happened, rather than crying because it’s over (to paraphrase Dr. Seuss)," he added.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• China's overseas direct investments up 10.6% to $115.8B in last 10 months

China's overseas direct investments (ODI) rose 10.6% in the first 10 months of the year compared to the same period last year.

According to Commerce Ministry figures, direct investments made by Chinese companies abroad reached $115.83 billion this January-October.

In 10 months of the year, revenues from overseas investments climbed 2% year-on-year, while the value of newly signed investment contracts jumped 15.3%.

• Bitcoin heading towards the $100,000 level

The price of a Bitcoin increased to the $97,500 level, climbing by around 4.3% on a daily basis as of 0930GMT.

The largest cryptocurrency saw a record level of $97,862 during the day, with annual gains reaching around 160% as of Thursday.

During the last 24-hour period, the price of a Bitcoin saw a low of $92,926 and a high of $97,862.