Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing

ANKARA

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

• Voting concluded in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) on a referendum, with 99.23% choosing reunification with Russia, according to the final results approved by the DPR’s Central Election Commission, Russia’s state news agency Tass reported.

• The UN's political chief said Russian-backed referendums in Ukraine's occupied territories are "not a genuine expression of popular will" or "legal" under international law.

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the situation in Donbas will radically change from the legal point of view, including in the security domain, after the referendum on joining Russia.

• Moscow can use nuclear weapons to defend itself, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, days after he asserted that all means could be used to protect territories incorporated into Russia from Ukraine.

• The Baltic Pipe natural gas pipeline officially opened, which is aimed at reducing energy dependency on Russia.

• The mayor of Washington, D.C. issued a proclamation declaring October as Turkish Heritage Month.

• Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issued a royal decree appointing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as prime minister as part of a Cabinet reshuffle.

• Russia's referendums are an attempt to steal territory and erase norms of international law, Ukraine’s president told the UN Security Council, calling for the complete isolation of Russia.

• Tech billionaire Elon Musk topped Forbes' list of the 400 wealthiest people in the US, far outstripping the country's second-wealthiest person.

• Coast Guard units in Türkiye’s western province of Mugla rescued 118 irregular migrants after Greek authorities illegally pushed them into Turkish territorial waters.

• A UN envoy called for engagement with Afghanistan’s de facto authority the Taliban to promote governance that works to benefit the Afghan people and respects the norms of the global community.

• NATO is following with “great concern” reports from the Baltic Sea on leaks in the Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

• Kenya's new President William Ruto named his 22-member Cabinet.

• Over 78,000 Russian nationals have entered Georgia in the past 10 days, Georgian authorities said after Moscow called up reservists in the country to fight in Ukraine.

• France will start building its first new-generation nuclear reactors before May 2027, according to local media outlets.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his gratitude to Türkiye’s first lady Emine Erdogan for supporting zero waste initiatives during a conference in New York.

• The global food crisis is a result of the West’s “predatory policies,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin admitted creating the private military company Wagner Group.

• Millions of Britons are being forced to take second jobs to make ends meet amid an escalating cost-of-living crisis, the BBC reported.