ANKARA

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

China dispatched the biggest number of military aircraft across the Taiwan Strait as part of its major military exercises surrounding Taiwan in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent trip, according to the Defense Ministry of the self-ruled island.

China announced sanctions on Pelosi and her family, accompanied by “countermeasures” against the US, following her visit earlier this week.

The status quo in the Taiwan Strait enjoys "overwhelming" support among American lawmakers, said Pelosi.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was “no justification” for Beijing's actions and he called China’s military response to Pelosi’s trip an "overreaction."

Nothing has changed about the US' One China Policy, said Blinken, adding that Washington expects cross-Taiwan Strait issues “to be solved peacefully.”

China's Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of various European countries and Japan and lodged a protest against a G7 statement on Taiwan, state-run media reported.

The Israeli army killed a leading Islamic Jihad member in the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media.

Türkiye “strongly” condemned Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and said it is “unacceptable that civilians, including children, lose their lives in attacks.”

Jordan demanded that Israel “immediately stop” its aggression on the Gaza Strip and Qatar voiced strong condemnation of Israeli "aggression" against the enclave.

Russia imposed sanctions on 62 Canadian citizens, barring them from entering the country, as the fallout continues from the Ukraine war, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Blinken called for Armenia and Azerbaijan to engage in "direct dialogue" as he spoke with the leaders of the Caucasus nations amid heightened tensions.

Canada banned the importing of handguns as of Aug. 18 but the effectiveness of the ban was questioned since figures show that last year 86% of weapons traced in Toronto were smuggled in illegally from the US.

Three of the four people who were taken to a hospital with critical injuries following an apparent lightning strike near the White House have died, according to police.

The European Union hopes talks in Vienna will “very soon” lead to an agreement on reviving the Iran nuclear deal because all options are exhausted, said an EU official.

The head of Greece’s National Intelligence Service and the prime minister's general secretary have resigned because of a surveillance scandal involving a journalist and an opposition leader, according to state media.

A video leaked Friday showed Rishi Sunak, one of the final two candidates to lead the British Conservative Party, telling party members that when he was Chancellor, he had begun changing funding formulas to divert money from poorer areas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met in Russia's coastal city of Sochi to discuss ties, international and regional issues.

Talks between Ankara and Moscow on developments in Syria will "bring relief to the region," according to Erdogan.

Russia has many strategic projects being carried out together with Türkiye, Putin said during his meeting with Erdogan.

European states should be grateful to Türkiye for being able to buy Russian gas via Turkish Stream, he said.

Putin praised Erdogan for his role in the signing of a historic deal to unblock Ukraine’s grain exports.

Ukraine's president took aim at a recent Amnesty International report alleging that the country's troops endangered civilians and violated international law in its ongoing war with Russia, saying that the publication "cannot be tolerated."

Russia is ready to discuss a prisoner exchange with the US but it should be at the level of presidents, according to the Russian foreign minister.

Top leaders and lawmakers belonging to India’s main opposition Indian National Congress party were detained during nationwide protests against a range of issues, including inflation and unemployment.

UN special envoy for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert met prominent Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf to discuss that country’s political crisis, state media reported.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne activated an inter-ministerial crisis unit to address the worst drought seen in France.

Efforts continued to contain a forest fire in Germany’s capital which broke out at a bomb disposal site in Grunewald.