Morning Briefing: July 12, 2023

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Wednesday, including a meeting between Turkish and US presidents, Russia’s veto of UN resolution on Syria cross-border aid delivery through Türkiye, NATO leaders' summit, and anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

TOP STORIES

• Turkish, US presidents engage in talks on bilateral relations, security cooperation at NATO summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Joe Biden met Tuesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit, and discussed bilateral ties, security cooperation and regional issues.

"We discussed our bilateral relations and the possibilities of cooperation in the security field during our meeting," Erdogan wrote on Twitter.

The White House later said Biden congratulated Erdogan on the agreement with Sweden and NATO, to send the Nordic country’s accession protocol to parliament for ratification.

• Russia vetoes UN resolution to extend cross-border aid to Syria

Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution seeking to extend cross-border aid delivery for nine months from Türkiye through a gate into northern Syria.

Thirteen other Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution, but as Russia is a permanent Council member, its veto prevailed.

The aid operation, which has been in place since 2014 and allowed the delivery of aid to 4 million people in Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, expired Monday.

The US slammed the move and called it "inhumane."

• Ukraine to receive NATO invitation when allies agree, conditions are met: Stoltenberg

Ukraine will receive a membership invitation when allies agree and conditions are met, the NATO chief said on Tuesday after a North Atlantic Council meeting during NATO Summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

"We will issue an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO when allies agree and conditions are met," Stoltenberg told a news conference.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said it would be "absurd" if NATO leaders did not offer his country a timeframe for membership.​​​​​​​

• Bosnia bids farewell to 30 newly identified Srebrenica genocide victims

Bosnia and Herzegovina bade farewell to 30 more newly identified genocide victims at a memorial service on Tuesday, marking the 28th anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

After this year’s funeral, the number of burials in the cemetery rose to 6,751. Every year on July 11, newly identified victims of the genocide are laid to rest at a memorial cemetery in Potocari, eastern Bosnia.

More than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed when Bosnian Serb forces attacked the eastern town of Srebrenica in July 1995.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• NATO allies welcomed an agreement between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson that paved the way for the Nordic country's entry into the military alliance.

• The UK, US and some European Union member countries rejected condemning the burning of the Quran during an urgent debate Tuesday at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

• The State Department reiterated US support for F-16 fighter jets to Türkiye, saying: "We intend to move forward with the sales."

• Russia’s foreign minister on said Moscow knows the steps to be taken to ensure its security in response to Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

• Thousands demonstrated at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday against the passing of a bill that would curb the powers of the Supreme Court.

• Ten more bodies were exhumed from graves in Kenya, bringing the death toll to 360 in suspected starvation cult incident, authorities said.

• Voters in Madagascar will head to the polls in November to cast their ballots in presidential elections, as incumbent president is expected to seek reelection amid controversy over his dual nationality.

• British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called recent allegations against a BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager thousands of British pounds in exchange for sexually explicit photos, as "shocking and concerning.”

• South Korea's population is anticipated to decline by 27% from its present 52 million to 38 million by 2070 due to decrease in marriages, said the country's statistical office.

SPORTS

• ​​​​​​ Djokovic to face Sinner in Wimbledon singles semifinal

Novak Djokovic will face Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon men's singles semifinals after he beat Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

The Serbian legend eliminated Russia's Rublev ​​​​​​​4-6, 6-1, 6-4 and 6-3.

"There were some thrilling rallies," Djokovic said after securing the 46th Grand Slam semifinal of his career.

• Dutch football icon van der Sar recovers from 'life-threatening danger'

Dutch football legend Edwin van der Sar, who suffered a brain hemorrhage last week, is out of "life-threatening danger," Ajax Amsterdam announced on Tuesday.

The former Manchester United goalkeeper was on holiday on a Croatian island when he was taken ill and rushed to hospital on Friday.

He was widely considered one of the world’s best goalkeepers.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

• Bank of America charged $250M by US consumer protector

The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced Tuesday it ordered Bank of America to pay more than $250 million for illegally charging junk fees, withholding credit card rewards and opening fake accounts.

The bank was also ordered to pay $90 million in penalties to the CFPB and $60 million in penalties to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which found the bank’s "double-dipping on fees" was illegal.

• Microsoft can seal $69B acquisition of Activision Blizzard, US judge rules

A US judge ruled Tuesday in favor of Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of video game company Activision Blizzard.

"Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision has been described as the largest in tech history. It deserves scrutiny," Federal Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley from the state of California said in her ruling.