ISTANBUL 

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday with, including the UN secretary-general urging world leaders to support the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, saying there is no "alternative to UNRWA", the EU urging Israel and Hezbollah "to urgently implement a cease-fire" and the Israeli prime minister denying that he accepted a Lebanon cease-fire proposal.

TOP STORIES

• 'No alternative to UNRWA': UN chief urges world leaders to support agency

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders to increase support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which provides essential services to nearly 6 million people.

A high-level meeting co-organized by Jordan and Sweden in support of UNRWA was held on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, where Guterres described the situation in the Gaza Strip as "beyond imagination."

"We have failed the people of Gaza. They are in a living hell that somehow gets even worse by the day," he said.

• EU urges Israel and Hezbollah ‘to urgently implement a cease-fire’

The European Union urged Israel and Hezbollah “to urgently implement a cease-fire” across the Blue Line, the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon.

“We deplore the heavy price paid by civilians, including children and UN staff, and urge the respect of International Humanitarian Law in all circumstances,” the 27-member bloc said in a statement.

Noting that any further escalation would have dramatic consequences for the wider region and beyond, it urged all relevant actors to implement immediate measures towards de-escalation.

• Israeli prime minister denies accepting Lebanon cease-fire proposal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied media reports that he agreed to a temporary cease-fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“This is an American-French proposal that the prime minister hasn’t even responded to,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

The US, European Union and nine other nations called on Israel and Hezbollah late Wednesday to agree to a 21-day cease-fire amid an escalation in their cross-border warfare.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The Lebanese group Hezbollah hit a settlement and several military sites in northern Israel amid an escalation in cross-border warfare with Israel.
• At least 43 people, including 37 children, drowned during a Hindu festival in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, the PTI news agency reported.
• Azerbaijan has signed a contract to buy JF-17 Block-III fighter jets from Pakistan, an official statement said.
• US President Joe Biden announced $7.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine -- a significant boost in support as the war with Russia continues.
• European Council President Charles Michel said Israel cannot achieve security without lasting peace.
• Israel said it detected nearly 80 rockets fired from Lebanon towards its northern regions, causing fires and damage.
• Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to put in additional efforts to conclude a peace treaty that is being discussed between the two neighbors.
• Lebanon said the death toll from Israeli assaults across the country hit 1,540 since last October.
• The White House said an all-out war between Israel and Lebanon is not the answer, a day after the US and its allies called for a temporary cease-fire in a joint statement, which it said was coordinated with Israel.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s presence at the UN General Assembly, which he considered a "shame.”
• China’s top diplomat Wang Yi encouraged Bangladesh to overcome difficulties and challenges and move toward “unity and stability as soon as possible,” according to a statement by Beijing.
• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for Israel’s suspension from the UN General Assembly.
• Russia said its forces captured the settlement of Ukrainsk in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, where Moscow continues to claim advances amid its offensive on multiple fronts.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held bilateral meetings with many leaders in New York, where he attended the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.
• China defended its first test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in decades, with the rocket falling into the Pacific Ocean.
• Despite international calls for a temporary cease-fire, Israeli warplanes continued to hit Lebanon, with an entire family among the victims.
• Japan launched an information-gathering satellite into space to be used for national security purposes.
• The US, European Union and nine other nations urged Israel and Lebanon to agree to a temporary cease-fire amid escalating tensions on their borders.

SPORTS

• Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose retires after 16 years

Former NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Derrick Rose announced his retirement from the game of basketball after 16 years.

The 35-year-old made the announcement on Instagram.

"Thank You, My First Love. You gave me a gift, our time together, one that I will cherish for the rest of my days. You told me it's okay to say goodbye, reassuring me that you'll always be a part of me, no matter where life takes me. Forever yours, Derrick Rose," wrote the now-retired Memphis Grizzlies player.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Zelenskyy thanks US, Biden for new $7.9B military aid package for Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the US and his counterpart Joe Biden for its latest military aid package to Kyiv amounting to $7.9 billion.

“I am grateful to @POTUS Joe Biden, U.S. Congress and its both parties, Republicans and Democrats, as well as the entire American people for today’s announcement of major U.S. defense assistance for Ukraine totaling $7.9 billion and sanctions against Russia,” Zelenskyy said on X.

Indicating that Kyiv will use the latest military aid package “in the most efficient and transparent manner” to achieve their common goals, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude to the US for providing equipment that is “most critical to protecting our people.”

• Switzerland, Sweden and US have world’s most innovative economies, says UN agency

Switzerland, Sweden, the US, Singapore and Britain have the world’s most innovative economies, while China, Türkiye, India, Vietnam and the Philippines are the fastest “10-year climbers,” the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said.

Daren Tang, the group’s head, told journalists at an online press conference that its Global Innovation Index 2024 “shows a softening in venture capital activity, R&D funding and other investment indicators.”

“In 2023, we saw a decline in R&D expenditures, a reduction in scientific publications and a scaling back of venture capital investments to pre-pandemic levels,” said Tang.