Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - Aug. 20, 2022

ANKARA

Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments around the world.

• The Biden administration announced a new tranche of military aid to Ukraine worth $775 million in the latest bid to bolster Kyiv's forces as they seek to push back against Russia's ongoing offensive.
• The US agreed to donate six attack and two utility helicopters to the Czech Republic, according to the central European nation’s defense minister.
• El Shafee Elsheikh, the Daesh/ISIS terrorist who was part of a group known as the "Beatles," was sentenced in US court to eight consecutive life terms for torturing and murdering four American nationals.
• Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan inked multiple deals worth more than $12.5 billion in various fields, according to state-run Saudi Press Agency.
• Nine EU countries expressed concern about Thursday’s Israeli raids on Palestinian NGOs.
• Twitter took action against a Republican in Florida seeking election to the state's legislature after he called for legalizing violence against federal agents, including the FBI.
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau nominated the first Indigenous person to the country’s highest court amid mass grave scandals in Indigenous residential schools rocking the country.
• Canada's ban on importing handguns took effect but whether it will keep criminals' trigger fingers off the lethal weapons is open to question.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and vowed to boost cooperation in several areas.
• Erdogan said Ankara is ready to contribute to ending the Russia-Ukraine war through diplomacy and invited both leaders to meet in Türkiye.
• Ankara is not eyeing Syria, its territorial integrity is important to Türkiye; the Syrian regime should know this, said Erdogan.
• Erdogan said Ankara's main contention is the fight against terrorism in northern Syria and signaled that Türkiye is 'ready' for an operation against terror groups.
• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged wealthier countries "to open their wallets and their hearts" for those bearing the brunt of a global food crisis aggravated by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
• A delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could visit the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in early September, according to Russia’s representative to the UN nuclear watchdog.
• Relations between Türkiye and Israel will gain "new momentum" after the appointment of ambassadors, said the Turkish president.
• Pakistan rejected the Indian government's attempt to allow outsiders to vote in the upcoming election in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, urging the international community to take prompt notice of New Delhi's "demographic changes."
• North Korea rejected the South Korean president's economic incentive offer, calling it the "height of absurdity," according to state-run media.
• Workers in the Rail, Maritime, and Transport (RMT) union working in the London underground system went on strike concerning pay and pensions.
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected claims by opposition politicians that he was involved in a tax fraud scandal while he was mayor of Hamburg in 2016.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin announced upcoming military exercises of the Moscow-led bloc Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
• Police in Greece clashed with asylum-seekers and activists as authorities started evacuating a refugee camp in Athens, local media reported.
• Police in Nigeria found 20 mummified bodies stacked on an iron rack in a “suspected ritual shrine,” according to a police spokesperson.
• At least nine civilians were killed and 15 wounded when a missile targeted the town of al-Bab in northern Syria, according to initial reports.
• Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Iraqi Shia cleric Ammar al-Hakim to discuss the lingering political crisis in Iraq.
• The Turkish Red Crescent helps Afghans who opt to voluntarily return to their countries from Türkiye find employment, thereby reducing the amount of immigration from Afghanistan.
• A court in China sentenced a billionaire to 13 years in prison for his company's illegal fundraising, illegal use of funds and bribery. It also imposed a $1 billion fine.
• A Moscow court postponed a hearing on the prohibition of activities by the Jewish Agency for Israel in Russia.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin will attend the G20 summit in Indonesia, according to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who will host this year's gathering.
• Oil prices have dipped with lingering recession fears.
• China’s yuan outperformed the dollar in terms of trading volume on the Moscow Exchange for the first time on record, Russian media reported.
• Flash floods that wreaked havoc in parts of northwestern China this week have claimed 18 lives, with 13 still missing.
• Marking World Humanitarian Day, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate released a new book, Türkiye's Friendly Hand: Humanitarian Diplomacy.