Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing

ANKARA

Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic and other news around the world.

As Russia's war on Ukraine rages into its second week, civilians are fleeing clashes in the northern city of Irpin.

Moscow expects a response from Ukraine's peace negotiators regarding the resumption of talks, according to the Russian foreign minister.

The West’s imposing sanctions on Moscow is like a declaration of war, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Many Western media organizations, including BBC, CNN, ZDF, and Bloomberg, have stopped reporting in Russia following a new law to punish disseminating information deemed false.

Major companies from different sectors around the world have announced the suspension of operations in Russia due to its war on Ukraine.

Visa and Mastercard said they have suspended all Russian operations.

Russia's military operations in Ukraine have forced 1.3 million people to flee, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said as another UN agency said the fighting has severely affected water, sanitation, and hygiene for millions of besieged Ukrainians.

The last day has seen more than 100,000 people cross from Ukraine into neighboring Poland, according to a top official.

Nationals from various countries were seen entering the war zone from Poland to fight alongside Ukrainians.

On day 10 of the war, Britain advised its nationals to leave Russia if their presence is not essential.

French President Emmanuel Macron launched his re-election campaign by unveiling a video message where he defended his performance as head of state.

A university in the southern German city of Munich apologized to two female Muslim students for discriminatory practices during online exams after the incidents sparked widespread criticism on social media.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will pay a two-day visit to Turkiye on March 9-10, said authorities.

Turkiye has evacuated 11,496 of its nationals from Ukraine since Russia launched a war on its neighbor, according to the Turkish foreign minister. He said the humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine should be "permanent and countrywide.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and European Council President Charles Michel discussed the latest developments surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war via telephone. Erdogan told Michel that Turkiye will do its best to re-establish peace between Russia and Ukraine.