Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing

ANKARA

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

• Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the so-called independence of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine captured by the Russian army.

• The BBC announced that it would cut 382 jobs as part of wider staff reductions to BBC World Service.

• US President Joe Biden added his voice against Russia's controversial referendums in Ukraine, stressing that Washington will not recognize Moscow's annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

• The head of the UN condemned Russia's move to annex Ukraine's occupied territories following what the West called ''sham'' referendums.

• The European Union is ready to make the Kremlin pay a “hefty price” for the latest escalation of the conflict in Ukraine by announcing the annexation of four regions, an EU official said.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in a ceremony Friday on Ukraine's breakaway regions joining Russia, the Kremlin spokesman said.

• The US Senate passed a bill to fund the government through mid-December, averting a government shutdown for now.

• Hurricane Ian could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history, said President Joe Biden, adding he has heard early reports of a substantial loss of life.

• Hundreds of people are feared dead as Tropical Storm Ian leaves the US state of Florida on Thursday after making landfall as a devastating Category 4 hurricane.

• The Turkish president in a phone call urged his Russian counterpart to give negotiations another chance on the war in Ukraine.

• The management company of the Nord Stream gas pipelines said it is not certain whether the damage to the pipelines is repairable, Swedish media reported.

• Poland’s minister of foreign affairs expressed his suspicions that Russia may be behind the leaks in the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines.

• Bitcoin mining in 2020 consumed 7.8% more electricity than the entire country of Austria and 55.8% more than all of Portugal, according to a study published in Nature.

• The death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman in police custody has drawn varied reactions from different segments of Iranian society, with football players no exception.

• Türkiye reiterated that it will take all measures to protect Turkish Cypriots following a decision by the US to lift an arms embargo on the Greek Cypriot administration.

• Bulgaria has refused to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons, according to media reports.

• Queen Elizabeth II died of “old age,” according to her death certificate.

• A military court in Myanmar sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her Australian economic adviser to three years in prison on charges of violating the official secrets act, local media reported.

• The latest GDP figures confirmed that the US economy has technically entered a recession following a 1.6% drop in the first quarter.

• Germany's annual inflation rate hit 10% in September, a flash estimate showed.

• A nationwide strike in France disrupted transport services and closed the Eiffel tower.

• The tallest woman in the world has made her very first trip by plane with the help of Turkish Airlines.