Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – March 15, 2022

ANKARA 

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

Lebanon’s prime minister announced Monday that he would not seek re-election in parliamentary polls scheduled for May 15.

France has shut down a mosque for a six-month period amid an ongoing drive against Muslims and their places of worship.

Northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) summoned Iran's consul general in Erbil early Tuesday over an Iranian missile attack on the city.

France, which holds the presidency of the European Union, announced late Monday that the bloc has approved a new set of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit Slovakia and Bulgaria this week after attending a NATO Defense Ministers Meeting in Brussels, the Pentagon said Monday.

The World Bank on Monday announced nearly $200 million in additional financing to help Ukraine’s social services for vulnerable people.

Slovakia announced Monday that it had decided to expel three Russian diplomats from the country.

Citigroup, the US bank with the largest presence in Russia, said Monday that it will expand its exit from the country.

The International Monetary Fund on Monday said Russia's war on Ukraine has dramatically changed the Ukrainian economy's outlook, with the global body expecting "a deep recession and large reconstruction costs" amid a humanitarian crisis.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived Monday in Turkiye for his first official visit since taking office.

Turkiye will resolutely maintain its efforts for a permanent cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish president said Monday.

Peru's Congress approved a motion to start impeachment proceedings against President Pedro Castillo on the grounds of permanent moral incapacity, the second attempt so far since he came to power in July 2021.

British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Monday that all remaining COVID-19 travel restrictions, including testing for arrivals, will end as of early this Friday.

A Fox News journalist was injured just outside of Kyiv while covering Russia's war on Ukraine, the American television news network announced Monday.

Britain’s Supreme Court on Monday denied permission to appeal against a High Court decision to extradite Julian Assange to the United States.

Ukraine is facing a horrific humanitarian catastrophe as Russia presses a war that has the potential to spread far beyond the country's borders, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address members of the US Congress on Wednesday amid Russia’s continued war on his country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to refrain from storming Ukraine’s big cities for fear of great losses among civilians, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

At least two civilians were killed as Russian forces targeted an apartment building in the capital Kyiv, the country's State Emergency Service said Monday.

Turkiye denied claims that an ancient inscription found in East Jerusalem and brought to Istanbul during the Ottoman period will be delivered to Israel, according to diplomatic sources Sunday.

Three weeks into Russia’s war, more than 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine and 6.7 million have been internally displaced, UN agencies said Monday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is set to visit Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the Vienna nuclear talks and the situation in crisis-stricken Ukraine.

The EU on Monday welcomed the latest talks between Turkish and Greek leaders, expressing hope that relations between the countries will continue to improve.

Australia on Monday joined its Western partners and announced fresh sanctions against 33 prominent Russian businessmen and their close relatives, official said.

German carmaker Volkswagen said Monday that it has suspended production at its facilities in China amid a lockdown in the country.

Australia and the Netherlands are initiating legal proceedings against Russia for the 2014 downing of the passenger plane MH17, Canberra announced Monday.

The Russian war on Ukraine is likely to dominate a Monday meeting between key officials of the US and China in Rome.

Leftist candidate Gustavo Petro won Colombia’s presidential primary Sunday and emerged as the potential front-runner in the election, which will be held in May.