September 1, 2024

Daily News Brief

*) Israeli attacks on West Bank devastate Jenin infrastructure The Israeli army has destroyed about 70 percent of the streets and infrastructure in Jenin city in the northern occupied West Bank during its ongoing military offensive for the fourth day. The Palestine news agency Wafa reported that “water has been cut off from 80 percent of the city and the entire camp due to the destruction of networks”. Israeli offensives in Jenin and Tulkarem have claimed 22 Palestinian lives, adding to the more than 40,600 deaths in Gaza since October 7 last year. *) Türkiye to carry out ‘Steel Dome’ air defence project to bolster security Türkiye will carry out its “Steel Dome” air defence system project, the country’s president has said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said if Israel has the Iron Dome, then Türkiye will also have the “Steel Dome”. Erdogan said the “Steel Dome” will ensure that Ankara’s layered air defence systems and all of its sensors and weapons work in integration with each other. *) Ukraine pushes for US approval to target Russian territories Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has increased pressure on the United States to let Kiev strike deeper into Russian territory. This comes after his representatives met senior US officials in Washington. Zelenskyy said, “Clearing the Ukrainian sky of Russian guided aerial bombs is a strong step to force Russia to seek an end to the war and a just peace.” Washington has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion worth of military aid since 2022 but has limited the use of its weapons to Ukrainian soil and defensive cross-border operations. *) UN urges more aid to Sudan amid crisis The UN’s deputy secretary-general has welcomed food aid reaching Sudan but said it is insufficient as she visited a border post in Chad to witness the passage of a humanitarian convoy. Amina Mohammed, during her visit to the Adre border crossing, also called for a resolution to the fighting in Sudan. During recent negotiations in Geneva, the warring parties made little progress to end the fighting but did pledge to allow humanitarian aid to pass through two key border points. *) Paralympic organisers postpone triathlon in Seine over water quality Paralympic organisers have postponed the triathlon by a day over worries about the River Seine’s water quality. The organisers said their latest analysis shows a deterioration in the water quality following heavy rainfall over the last two days. Despite a $1.5 billion upgrade to improve the Paris sewerage and water treatment system, the Seine has been dogged by pollution concerns, notably for its levels of enterococci and E.coli bacteria.