Rabia Ali
31 January 2024•Update: 31 January 2024
ISTANBUL
Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Wednesday, including the UN relief chief’s remarks about withdrawal of funds to UNRWA, Iraqi Shiite militia group claiming to suspend attacks on US forces, and Gaza death toll increasing.
TOP STORIES
UN relief chief Martin Griffiths warned Tuesday that cutting off funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will have “catastrophic" consequences.
"Withdrawing funds from @UNRWA is perilous and would result in the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza…," Griffiths said on X.
At least 12 countries — Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Finland, Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, the US, France, Austria and Japan — have suspended funding for UNRWA, after allegations that UNRWA’s staff was involved in Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Iraqi group Kataib Hezbollah, part of the Islamic Resistance umbrella organization, on Tuesday said it has stopped targeting US military sites in the region to "avoid embarrassment" to the Iraqi government.
"We announce that we are suspending military operations against the occupying forces (USA). We will continue to defend our people in Gaza with other methods," the group said in a statement.
Shiite militia group also denied that it is backed by Iran, adding that it took the decision to support the people in Gaza on its own.
The Palestinian death toll from a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7 has surged to 26,751, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Tuesday.
The Gaza-based Health Ministry made the statement as the Israeli onslaught against Gaza enters its 116th day.
It also said 65,636 other people have also been injured in the onslaught.
The statement noted that in the past 24 hours, the Israeli army committed 13 massacres across the Gaza Strip which left 114 people killed and 249 others injured.
NEWS IN BRIEF
- US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he is not seeking to expand the conflict in the Middle East as he prepares to respond to a suicide drone attack that killed three American troops in Jordan.
- The UK on Tuesday in a statement expressed concern over a recent Israeli conference held in Jerusalem that advocated for the resettlement of Gaza.
- The Israeli army said Tuesday that it has been pumping seawater to flood an underground tunnel network in the Gaza Strip used by Hamas in an effort to destroy it.
- Sweden has decided to pause financial support to UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), joining several other countries that have suspended the funding.
- Israel is prepared for a war in the north that will be "devastating" for both Hezbollah and Lebanon, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Tuesday.
- The European Union’s Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue said Tuesday that there has been little progress in the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged a probe into Israel's accusations that some staffers of the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) collaborated with Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks before suspending funds for the humanitarian organization.
- Turkish foreign minister on Tuesday emphasized the country's unwavering commitment to the provisions of the 1936 Montreux Convention that regulates the passage of ships through the Turkish Straits.
- The US and China launched a joint counter-narcotics working group on Tuesday to combat global manufacturing and trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs, including fentanyl.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina announced Tuesday that bone remains found in the garden of a house in the city of Brcko have been identified as belonging to two victims of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday confirmed that continental Europe saw a record temperature of 48.8 C (119.8 F) in 2021.
SPORTS
- Mali, South Africa reach Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals
Mali and South Africa both reached the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Tuesday
Mali beat Burkina Faso 2-1 in a round of 16 match.
Turkish club Fenerbahce Beko beat French side ASVEL Villeurbanne 83-73 in a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague round 24 game Tuesday.
US center Johnathan Motley led the Yellow Canaries to victory with 24 points at LDLC Arena.
ASVEL's US forward Mike Scott was the most effective player of his team in the game with 26 points and seven rebounds.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
US-based global tech major Microsoft saw its revenue jump 18% in the final quarter of 2023, according to its financial results statement released Tuesday.
Revenue came in at $62 billion for the three months ended Dec. 31, which the company refers to as the second quarter of the 2024 fiscal year.
Net income was more than $21.8 billion, while operating income was $27 billion, both rising 33% compared to the same period of the previous year.
US-based multinational financial tech company PayPal said Tuesday that it will reduce its global workforce by around 9%, or 2,500 jobs.
"We are doing this to right-size our business, allowing us to move with the speed needed to deliver for our customers and drive profitable growth," President and CEO Alex Chriss said in a statement.
Chriss said employees that will be affected by job cuts will be notified from Tuesday through the end of this week.
