Daily News Brief TRT World

*) Norway, Ireland and Spain recognise Palestine as a state

Norway, Ireland and Spain have recognised the Palestinian state.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called it “a historic and important day” and said the move to recognise the State of Palestine was coordinated with Spain and Norway.

Several European Union countries have in the past weeks indicated that they plan to make the recognition official, arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region.

The efforts come as a mounting death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza prompts calls globally for a ceasefire and Palestinian recognition.

*) Tens of thousands gather for Raisi's funeral in Tehran

Tens of thousands of Iranians have flocked to the streets of Tehran to join the funeral processions of president Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, who died in a helicopter crash.

In the centre of the city, people holding portraits of Raisi gathered in and around the University of Tehran, where Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, is due to lead prayers for Raisi and his companions, including foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.

*) Blinken unsure Israel will make compromises for Saudi normalisation deal

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was unsure whether Israel was ready to make compromises to reach a deal to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia, notably on a pathway to an independent state of Palestine.

His frank assessment came after Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s national security advisor, visited both countries and briefed the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the “potential” of a possible deal.

But Blinken acknowledged doubts about whether Netanyahu and his hard-right government would meet Saudi demands if the normalisation issue became more than “hypothetical.”

*) Schools shut in India, Pakistan as temperatures soar to 47.4C

Authorities in several parts of India and Pakistan have announced the closure of schools amid intense heat waves.

The decision comes as temperatures soar to alarming levels, posing significant risks to the health and safety of students and educators alike.

The India Meteorological Department said the Najafgarh area in the capital New Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 47.4 degrees celsius.

Pakistan, on the other hand, is currently sizzling with temperatures between 38 and 43 degrees celsius, which are likely to soar to 46 degrees celsius in the coming week.

*) TRT World bags Telly Award for video series on Zionist movement

TRT World has bagged a coveted Silver Telly Award in the News & Information category for its compelling video series on the history of the Zionist movement.

This three-episode series delves into the early 19th-century considerations by various Zionist groups to establish a Jewish state in regions such as the United States, Argentina, and Uganda.

The Telly Awards, a prestigious US-based competition, received over 13,000 entries this year. TRT World’s series was chosen from among nominations from six continents and all 50 US states.

*) ICC prosecutor seeks Gaza ‘genocide’ arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/icc-prosecutor-seeks-gaza-genocide-arrest-warrants-for-netanyahu-gallant-18164417

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during Israel’s seven-month war on Gaza.

Karim Khan said he believes Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The prosecutor must request the warrants from a pre-trial panel of three judges, who take on average two months to consider the evidence and determine if the proceedings can move forward.

*) Palestinians in Gaza outraged over ICC request to arrest Hamas leaders

https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/palestinians-in-gaza-outraged-over-icc-request-to-arrest-hamas-leaders-18164527

Palestinians in besieged Gaza have expressed frustration and anger about the International Criminal Court's request seeking arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders.

Yasser al Satari, a Palestinian in Rafah, said the ICC has "equated the victim with executioner," making the "victim and executioner equal."

Another displaced Palestinian Mohammad Abdel of Nuseirat camp said those who are defending their land cannot be considered war criminals.

*) Israel’s onslaught in Gaza ‘not genocide’: Biden

https://www.trtworld.com/content/article/live-blog-israels-onslaught-in-gaza-not-genocide-biden-18164529

US President Joe Biden has defended Israel’s ongoing carnage in besieged Gaza, saying that what it is happening in the blockaded enclave is “not genocide.”

Biden also rejected the decision by International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan to seek arrest warrants for a pair of senior Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Since October last year, Israel has killed more than 35,000 people — majority of them babies, children and women — and wounded over 79,000, while some 10,000-plus Palestinians are estimated to be buried under debris of bombed homes.

*) Trump’s ‘hush money’ trial enters critical phase as prosecution rests case

https://www.trtworld.com/us-and-canada/trumps-hush-money-trial-enters-critical-phase-as-prosecution-rests-case-18164525

Approximately five weeks, 19 witnesses, reams of documents and a dash of salacious testimony later, the prosecution up against Donald Trump has rested its case, handing over to the defence before closing arguments set for next week.

The defence called its first witness, the paralegal of Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, to kick off their case that sees the former president accused of covering up hush money payments to an adult movie actress over an alleged encounter that could have derailed his 2016 White House bid.

Monday saw extended quibbling among the legal teams that, along with the upcoming holiday weekend, means closing arguments that the judge had hoped could start on Tuesday are now set for next week.


And finally…

*) Türkiye declares a day of national mourning for Iran’s Raisi

https://www.trtworld.com/turkiye/turkiye-declares-a-day-of-national-mourning-for-irans-raisi-18164508

Türkiye will observe a day of national mourning over the death of Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said after his late counterpart perished in a helicopter crash.

The crash also resulted in the deaths of Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, as well as that of Malik Rahmeti, the governor of East Azerbaijan province, and Imam Ali Hashim of Tabriz province.

*) Iran’s President Raisi, FM found dead at helicopter crash site

Iranian state media has reported that President Ebrahim Raisi alongside the country’s foreign minister, and other officials have been found dead at the helicopter crash site.

Rescue teams had been scouring the area since Sunday afternoon after the helicopter went missing.

Early Monday, relief workers located the helicopter, with state TV confirming the president’s death.

*) Ireland aims to recognise Palestinian statehood this month

Ireland’s prime minister announces that the country will recognise a Palestinian state by the end of this month while emphasising that this decision does not imply a severance of ties with Israel.

Sources close to Israeli President Isaac Herzog have said that Herzog cautioned Harris that unilateral recognition of Palestine might jeopardise any chance of Hamas releasing hostages it holds in Gaza and could incite further attacks on Israel.

*) Fresh floods kill 66 in Faryab, northern Afghanistan

Fresh floods in Faryab province, northern Afghanistan, have killed 66 people, according to a provincial official.

This latest incident adds to a series of deadly floods this month that have devastated the country.

The flooding has damaged over 1,500 houses, submerged more than 1,000 acres of agricultural land, and resulted in the deaths of hundreds of livestock.

*) Taiwan’s new president Lai Ching-te takes office

Taiwan has inaugurated Lai Ching-te as its new president.

Lai, a relative moderate, will continue the self-governing island’s policy of de facto independence while aiming to strengthen its defences against China.

Lai succeeds Tsai Ing-wen, who guided Taiwan through eight years of economic and social progress despite the Covid-19 pandemic and increasing military threats from China.

*) Israelis march for Netanyahu’s resignation, immediate hostage negotiations

Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in multiple cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa.

The demonstrators demanded a hostage exchange with Palestinian resistance groups, the ousting of Netanyahu’s government, and the scheduling of early elections.

*) US House votes to force arms shipments to Israel

The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that would force President Joe Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments.

The Israel Security Assistance Support Act was approved by 224 to 187 votes, largely along party lines.

Sixteen Democrats joined most Republicans in voting yes, and three Republicans joined most Democrats in opposing the measure.

*) Israeli war on Gaza killed over 100 academics, researchers

Gaza authorities have released a list of more than 100 academics and researchers killed by Israeli forces.

They have called on the free countries of the world and all educational organisations worldwide to condemn this historical crime and to pressure the Israeli occupation to stop its genocidal war on Gaza.

*) Students in Germany stage pro-Palestine demonstrations

University students in Berlin protested against a crackdown on Palestine supporters and police violence.

Around 300 demonstrators gathered at the Free University of Berlin, reacting to a recent crackdown on Palestine supporters' protests at German universities.

They demanded the university administrations withdraw criminal charges against students detained during the demonstrations.

There were also demonstrations in several Swiss cities against Israel's war on Gaza, but they were quelled after police intervention.

*) FIFA to seek legal advice on a proposal to suspend Israel from football

FIFA plans to seek independent legal advice before holding an extraordinary council meeting by July 25 to decide on a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from international football due to human rights abuses in Palestine.

The FIFA president Gianni Infantino outlined the plan at the FIFA congress after representatives of the Palestinian and Israeli football federations had a chance to speak in front of the 211 member associations.

The Palestine Football Association proposal noted “international law violations committed by the Israeli occupation in Palestine, particularly in Gaza” and cited FIFA statutory commitments on human rights and against discrimination.

*) OpenAI teams up with Reddit to enhance ChatGPT experience

OpenAI partners with Reddit in a groundbreaking deal to bring its content to ChatGPT, sending the media platform's shares up 12 percent in extended trade.

The deal underscores Reddit's attempt to diversify beyond its advertising business and follows its recent partnership with Alphabet to make its content available for training Google's AI models.

*) South Africa to ask ICJ to order halt in Israel's Rafah invasion

South Africa will ask the top UN court to order a halt to the Rafah invasion as part of its case in The Hague accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

The hearings at the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, come after South Africa last week asked for additional emergency measures to protect Rafah.

It also asked the court to order Israel to allow unimpeded access to Gaza for UN officials, organisations providing humanitarian aid, journalists and investigators.

*) Ireland to recognise Palestinian statehood 'this month': top envoy

Ireland is certain to recognise Palestinian statehood by the end of May, the country's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said.

Martin, who is also Ireland's deputy prime minister, made the announcement to Newstalk radio station without specifying a date.

In March the leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta said in a joint statement that they stand ready to recognise Palestinian statehood.

*) Several dead, hundreds injured in pro-independence rallies in New Caledonia

At least three people have been killed and hundreds more injured during a second night of protesting in New Caledonia, authorities say.

Demonstrations against a constitutional reform pushed by Paris have roiled the archipelago, which has long sought independence.

Despite heavily armed security forces fanning out across the capital and the ordering of a nighttime curfew, protesting continued.

*) Indonesia’s death toll rises to 67 from Sumatra floods, 20 still missing

Indonesian rescuers have raced to find dozens of people still unaccounted for after heavy rains caused flash floods and washed volcanic debris into residential areas.

67 people died and 20 people remain missing, according to the national disaster agency.

Hours of torrential rain caused mud and rocks to flow into districts near one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, destroying dozens of houses and damaging roads.

*) Meta restores Facebook posts of Malaysian PM Anwar's meeting with Hamas

Meta Platforms has restored Facebook posts by Malaysian media covering Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's meeting this week with a Hamas leader in Qatar.

Earlier, Malaysia had sent a letter asking Meta to explain the removal of the posts by two media organisations about the meeting.

In addition, it addressed the closure of a Facebook account last month belonging to a third outlet, the Malaysia Gazette, which covers Palestinian issues.

Earlier this month, Meta employees published an open letter calling out the company's internal and external censorship of any show of support for Palestinians.

*) Palestinians mark 'Nakba' anniversary amid ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza

https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/palestinians-mark-nakba-anniversary-amid-ongoing-israeli-attacks-on-gaza-18162719

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the southern Gaza city of Rafah in anticipation of a threatened Israeli ground offensive.

This mass displacement coincides with Palestinians marking the anniversary of the "Nakba" or "catastrophe" of 1948.

On the eve of the "Nakba" commemoration, thousands participated in an annual march through the ruins of villages from which Palestinians were expelled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

During this conflict, approximately 760,000 Palestinians fled or were forcibly removed from their homes.

*) Biden moving ahead on $1B arms package for Israel — reports

https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/live-blog-biden-moving-ahead-on-dollar1b-arms-package-for-israel-reports-18162659

The Biden administration has informed key lawmakers that it is preparing to send a new package of more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel.

This is according to two congressional aides who spoke on condition of anonymity. But there is no immediate indication of when the arms will be sent.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the weapons package includes $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds.

*) Israel's Rafah invasion pushed truce talks with Hamas 'backward': Qatari PM

https://www.trtworld.com/middle-east/israels-rafah-invasion-pushed-truce-talks-with-hamas-backward-qatari-pm-18155632

Israel's recent invasion in Rafah has significantly hindered truce negotiations with Hamas, according to mediator Qatar.

Talks have reached "almost a stalemate," said Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the Qatar Economic Forum.

He further pointed out that Israeli politicians' statements suggest a commitment to continuing the war, with no clear vision for Gaza's future.

*) US vows security for Ukraine as Russian forces make advances

https://www.trtworld.com/europe/us-vows-security-for-ukraine-as-russian-forces-make-advances-18159494

The United States will continue to support Ukraine until its security is "guaranteed," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced during a visit to Kiev.

His statement came just hours after Russian forces reported further advances in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Blinken's trip follows the recent approval of a $61-billion financial aid package for Ukraine by the US Congress, providing arms and support for Ukraine's military.

And finally …

*) OpenAI's latest update GPT-4o mimics human cadences, detects moods

https://www.trtworld.com/science-and-tech/openais-latest-update-gpt-4o-mimics-human-cadences-detects-moods-18154900

OpenAI has released an update to its artificial intelligence model, GPT-4o, which now mimics human cadences in verbal responses and can detect people's moods.

Despite its advanced capabilities, OpenAI clarifies that the new model's primary allure lies in its enhanced performance.

GPT-4o operates faster than previous versions and can reason across text, audio, and video in real-time.