ISTANBUL
Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday with, including Israeli army's deadly raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, China calling for "new starting point" in ties with US under Trump, Türkiye declaring a day of national mourning over deadly fire in Bolu province, and WHO commenting on US decision to withdraw from organization.
TOP STORIES
- 10 Palestinians killed, 40 injured in Israeli military raid in northern West Bank
Ten Palestinians were killed and 40 others injured in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday, the Health Ministry said.
Witnesses said special Israeli forces raided several areas in the Jenin refugee camp with Israeli drones striking two sites in the area.
A military statement said the operation in Jenin, code-named "Iron Wall," is expected to last several days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the Jenin operation is part of the army’s "systematic and decisive way against the Iranian axis wherever it sends its arms in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Judea and Samira (the West Bank)."
- China calls for ‘new starting point’ in ties with US under Trump
China on Tuesday called for a “new starting point” in ties with Washington under newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump, state media reported.
Beijing is “willing to work with the new US administration… in line with the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, maintaining communication, strengthening cooperation, properly managing differences, and driving greater progress in China-US relations from a new starting point,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in the Chinese capital.
Guo was responding to questions about whether Beijing will invite Trump to visit China.
- Türkiye declares a day of national mourning over deadly fire in Bolu province
Türkiye will mourn on Wednesday due to a fire that broke out in a hotel in Bolu province, said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday.
A fire at a ski resort in northern Türkiye killed at least 76 people and injured 51 others, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday. Of the injured, 17 were discharged from hospital while one remains in intensive care, Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu said.
The fire broke out at around 3.30 a.m. local time (0027GMT) in the restaurant area of the Kartalkaya ski resort hotel, quickly engulfing the building, according to Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin.
- WHO regrets US decision to withdraw from organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said it regrets new US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the organization.
The WHO "plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world's people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks and often in dangerous places where others cannot go," spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic told a UN briefing in Geneva.
Noting that the US was a founding member of WHO in 1948, Jasarevic said that for over seven decades, WHO and the US have "saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats."
NEWS IN BRIEF
- President Donald Trump announced billions of dollars in private sector investment Tuesday to build artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the US.
- Sheikh Muhammad Hamadi, a Hezbollah official in the Western Bekaa region, eastern Lebanon, was assassinated Tuesday evening outside his home in the town of Machghara.
- Four people were injured in a stabbing attack Tuesday evening in Tel Aviv's Nahalat Binyamin area, with the assailant fatally shot at the scene, according to Israeli media reports.
- Sweden will not support the terrorist groups YPG, PYD, or the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) in “any way,” the country’s foreign minister told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Türkiye’s capital Ankara on Tuesday.
- Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on Tuesday said he notified Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz that he intends to resign on March 6, admitting failure to fully achieve the objectives of the Gaza war and taking responsibility for the inability to prevent the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
- Paris agreement continues to be the best hope for all humanity, so, Europe "will stay the course," president of European Commission said Tuesday after Trump withdrew from the climate accord.
- The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday condemned US President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel sanctions imposed on illegal Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
- Trump said Tuesday that he is open to tech billionaire Elon Musk buying TikTok.
- China’s President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday held a video conference, the Chinese state media reported.
- Bangladesh said Tuesday that it will consider India’s failure to repatriate former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a breach of an extradition treaty between the two countries.
- The French judiciary has issued an arrest warrant for ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad on charges of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, an official said Tuesday.
- Over 1 million people have fled the conflict in Sudan and arrived in neighboring South Sudan, marking a grim milestone in an ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by nearly two years of fighting, UN agencies said Tuesday.
SPORTS
- Raphinha’s late goal secures Barcelona win over Benfica
A late goal from Raphinha sealed a 5-4 win for Barcelona over Benfica in a nine-goal thriller in UEFA Champions League matchday seven Tuesday.
Rafinha put the ball into Benfica's net on a counterattack in the 96th minute -- the winning goal.
With the result, Barcelona are second with 18 points and Benfica are 18th with 10 points.
- Fenerbahce reaches agreement with Aston Villa in principle for Diego Carlos
Fenerbahce reached an agreement Tuesday with Aston Villa for Diego Carlos.
"Our club has reached an agreement in principle with Aston Villa for the transfer of Diego Carlos," Fenerbahce said in a statement.
"The Brazilian player has been invited to Istanbul for medical checks and to finalize transfer negotiations," it added.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- 1.4B people traveled internationally in 2024: UN
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced Tuesday that 1.4 billion people traveled internationally in 2024, marking a significant recovery for global tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the sector's worst crisis in 2020-2021.
According to the Madrid-based UNWTO, this represents an 11% increase which refers to approximately 140 million more travelers compared to the previous year, bringing international tourism figures back to pre-pandemic levels, with largest growth in visitor numbers compared to 2019 was observed in the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
- Repairs underway at Rafah crossing as it prepares to reopen for aid deliveries to Gaza
Repairs are underway on the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, with plans for its reopening within days to facilitate increased aid deliveries to Gaza, a senior Egyptian official said Tuesday.
The crossing sustained significant damage during a 15-month-long Israeli offensive supported by the US which concluded with a ceasefire on Sunday.
The ceasefire agreement, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, stipulates that the crossing will reopen on the seventh day of its implementation, scheduled for this Saturday.
