Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing

ANKARA

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

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the Hagia Sophia Fatih Madrassa, or religious school, in Istanbul. The school takes its name from Fatih, or Conqueror, the title given to Sultan Mehmet II, who conquered the city in 1453. It was the first of its kind in the capital of the former Ottoman Empire.

Erdogan released a message expressing Passover, or Pesach, greetings to the Jewish community.

Turkiye's Foreign Ministry condemned the killing of seven Palestinians by Israeli forces and extended condolences to civilians who were killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. "We are deeply concerned about the increasing tensions in the region in recent days,” it said.

Ukrainian General Staff said nearly 20,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian military operation Feb. 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian attacks have killed 14,000 Ukrainians since 2014.

In a related development, Andrey Nebitov, Kyiv police chief, said more than 900 civilians have been killed in and around Ukraine’s capital since Russia waged its war.

According to CNN, Russia has formally protested via a diplomatic note, ongoing US arms shipments to Ukraine, warning of "unpredictable consequences" if they continue.

Russia, in a retaliatory move, declared 18 diplomats of the EU office in Moscow persona non grata.

Meanwhile, North Macedonia ordered six Russian diplomats to leave, the second such expulsion in less than a month.

International credit rating agency Moody’s said Russia may be in default as it tries to pay its dollar bonds in rubles.

NATO announced it deployed ships from Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) to the Baltic Sea for routine operations and training.

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, in a telephone call with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, said Rome remains committed to implementing sanctions against Russia and supporting diplomatic efforts to end the war.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the admission of Finland and Sweden to NATO will have negative consequences for peace and stability in northern Europe.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi argued that US actions in the Indo-Pacific increase the risk of something like the Ukraine crisis happening in the region.

Meanwhile, China carried out military exercises around Taiwan as a delegation of US lawmakers reached the island for a visit that Beijing termed a “deliberate provocative action.”

Japan's population stood at 125.5 million as of Oct. 1, down a record 644,000 from a year earlier, according to Kyodo News Agency.

The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for the first-ever coronavirus diagnostic test using breath samples.