Morning Briefing: June 20, 2023

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here’s a rundown of all the news you need to start your Tuesday, including, the latest on US-China relations, Israel’s deadly raid in West Bank, and a search for a tourist submersible.

TOP STORIES

• Blinken, Xi meet in Beijing, agree to stabilize relations

In a rare meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing and called for mutual respect between the two countries.

While Xi said the world "needs a generally stable China-US relationship,” Blinken later told a press conference that the "relationship was at a point of instability and both sides recognize the need to work to stabilize it.”

Commenting on Blinken’s two-day visit to China, US President Joe Biden said relations between the two countries are on the "right trail.”

• Israeli fire in Jenin kills 5 Palestinians, injures dozens

At least five Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin.

The Health Ministry confirmed that casualties were caused by Israeli gunfire during the raid, resulting in injuries of 91 Palestinians.

Armored vehicles were used in the raid, while Israeli snipers were positioned on rooftop.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel to "halt and reverse" its latest decisions on settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

• Desperate search underway for missing Titanic tourist submersible

Authorities in the US and Canada are racing against the clock to locate a submersible vessel that was carrying five people to see the Titanic wreckage site in the North Atlantic Ocean.

The search is taking place about 900 miles (1,448 km) east of Cape Cod, where the water is roughly 13,000 feet (3.9 km) deep.

Canada and the US have each deployed C-130 planes with Ottawa also sending a P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol plane to the region of the North Atlantic.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Death toll from migrant shipwreck off Greece climbed to 81, as more bodies were recovered.

• The UK expressed its "unwavering commitment" to collaborate with Sweden for its NATO membership ahead of the military alliance’s July summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.

• Richard Ferrand, a former parliamentary speaker and a close ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, ignited a political debate in France, suggesting a change to the Constitution that would allow the president to serve a third term.

• Donors pledged nearly $1.5 billion in aid for the humanitarian response to Sudan and the neighboring nations hosting refugees fleeing the conflict.

• The US celebrated Juneteenth, a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the country on June 19, 1865.

• The UN adopted a historic treaty aiming to protect the oceans and ensure sustainable use of marine biodiversity after more than 15 years of discussions.

• Europe has been warming faster than any other continent in recent decades, with temperatures rising at twice the global average rate, said a new report by the World Meteorological Organization.

• Denmark eliminated Danish language test requirement for nurses from or trained in the EU and non-EU countries as a legal prerequisite to work in the country.

• World premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the seventh installment in the film series, was held in Italy. Starring Tom Cruise, the movie was completed in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SPORTS

• Türkiye beat Wales 2-0 in EURO 2024 qualifier

Türkiye beat Wales 2-0 in their UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying game.

Umut Nayir scored in the 72nd minute, while young Turkish star Arda Guler's screamer to the top left corner from long range made it 2-0 in the 80th minute.

Türkiye have 9 points, while Wales have 4 points in Group D.

• Spartak Moscow forward Promes sentenced to 18 months

A Dutch court found Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes guilty of assault and sentenced him to 18 months in jail.

The former Dutch international striker was involved in an altercation in 2020 where he stabbed his cousin in the knee.

He scored seven goals in 50 caps for the Netherlands, and was named footballer of the year in the 2017 Russian League.

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

• India's IndiGo airline places order for 500 planes with Airbus

Budget Indian airline IndiGo said it placed an order for 500 passenger jets in "the largest-ever single aircraft purchase by any airline” with French aerospace giant Airbus.

The deal comprises a mix of A320NEO, A321NEO and A321XLR aircraft and will provide IndiGo with a further steady stream of deliveries between 2030 and 2035.

• China’s economic slowdown triggers oil price decline

Oil prices declined as data reflecting the struggling economy of the world’s largest oil importer, China, overshadowed Saudi Arabia’s planned production cuts of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in July.​​​​​​​

Data indicated a slowdown in China's industrial output and the country's decision to increase stimulus to help its weakening economy.