August 3, 2024

Daily News Brief

*) Israel, US preparing for 'unpredictable' Iranian retaliation Israel and the US are preparing for an "unpredictable Iranian retaliatory strike on Israel as soon as this weekend," the Wall Street Journal has reported. "There is no point. Israel crossed all the red lines. Our response will be swift and heavy," the Journal quoted an Iranian diplomat. The diplomat said attempts by various countries to convince Tehran not to escalate had been and would be "fruitless" given Israel's recent attacks, according to the newspaper. *) Türkiye slams Israeli FM's baseless remarks targeting President Erdogan Several Turkish officials have slammed Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz's recent post targeting Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Türkiye’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, said, “Israel Katz’s obsession with constantly targeting our country and our esteemed President with his delusions instead of fulfilling his duties as foreign minister is a complete sickness.” Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun also denounced Katz's post targeting Erdogan, saying Türkiye has nothing to learn from "bloodthirsty genocidal murderers". *) Causalities feared as massive blast rocks Somali capital Mogadishu A huge explosion has rocked the Somali capital Mogadishu with police fearing casualties and reporting gunfire shots shortly after the blast. The explosion occurred on Mogadishu's popular Lido beach, followed by gunfire. Police official Ahmed Abdi said that officers from law enforcement and various security agencies rushed to the beach. "We don't know the exact cause of the explosion, but it appears to be a suicide attack," said Abdi. *) Far-right overwhelms UK as another city explodes in anti-Muslim riots Rioting has erupted in Sunderland, northeast England, where police faced "serious and sustained levels of violence." The unrest follows the killing of three young girls by a non-Muslim suspect, which far-right groups have exploited to incite anti-Muslim sentiment. According to the local media, the far-right mob surrounded a mosque in Sunderland and also chanted Islamophobic slogans. *) Intel cuts over 15 pct of its workforce to streamline operations US chip maker Intel said it will slash more than 15 percent of its workforce as it streamlines operations. The plan to cut approximately $20 billion in expenses this year came as Intel reported a loss of $1.6 billion in the recently ended quarter. "By implementing our spending reductions, we are taking proactive steps to improve our profits and strengthen our balance sheet," chief financial officer David Zinsner said.