Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – July 2, 2022

ANKARA 

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

• The US Defense Department announced $820 million in additional security assistance for Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary Todd Breasseale said.

• At least 21 people were killed in two Russian missile strikes in Ukraine’s Odesa region, a Ukrainian official said.

• Ukraine accused Russia of firing phosphorus bombs on Snake Island, according to media reports.

• Signing a memorandum to address Türkiye's terrorism concerns was the first step, and now it is time for Sweden and Finland to implement their commitments, the Turkish president said.

• As a result of Türkiye's efforts in Madrid, PKK/PYD/YPG and FETO were written off as terror groups in NATO's records for the first time, said the Turkish president.

• A senior Turkish diplomat rejected allegations that Türkiye used F-16 jets as a bargaining chip for signing a memorandum that paved the way for Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO.

• The EU condemned civilian deaths in the conflict in Syria.

• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to mend ties after tensions rose concerning a scrapped submarine deal last year.

• The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) presented to the UN proposals for cooperation with the Greek Cypriot administration on hydrocarbons, electricity, renewable energy and water based on a two-state solution.

• Protesters raided the House of Representatives in Tobruk in eastern Libya.

• One of Germany's leading news websites has published a story featuring the inner face of the YPG/PKK terror organization.

• Nigeria and Germany signed a historic declaration in Berlin that will pave the way for the return of 1,130 Benin Bronze artifacts to Nigeria.

• Turkish and Armenian officials have agreed to open the land border for third-country citizens visiting both countries as soon as possible, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

• Three people were killed when a magnitude-6.1 earthquake struck the southern city of Hormozgan in Iran, according to media reports.

• The UN human rights chief urged the Taliban to respect the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

• The European Region remains the center of the expanding monkeypox outbreak, and the World Health Organization said that efforts are needed to prevent the disease from establishing itself across a growing geographical area.

• WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange has appealed the UK Home Office’s decision to extradite him to the US on espionage charges.

• Nuclear-armed nations are projected to seek out more weapons in the coming decade, although there has been a drastic decline in the number of nuclear warheads worldwide during the past 50 years

• The COVID-19 outbreak in North Korea began with citizens coming into contact with “alien things” near the border with South Korea, state media in Pyongyang reported.