Anadolu Agency’s Morning Briefing – July 23, 2022

ANKARA 

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

Türkiye, the UN, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal in Istanbul to resume Ukraine’s Black Sea grain exports in a landmark development.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the Signature Ceremony of Initiative on the Safe Transportation of Grain and Foodstuffs from Ukrainian Ports Document at the Dolmabahce Palace along with representatives from Russia and Ukraine.

The US welcomed the agreement that will ensure Ukrainian grain previously trapped in Black Sea ports would reach world markets, calling it a “positive step” to address global hunger.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby thanked Erdogan and Guterres for their “continued diplomatic efforts to reach this deal, which could address some of the far-reach impacts” of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Similarly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was grateful to Guterres and Erdogan for their efforts to make the deal possible.

Moreover, numerous world states and international organizations, including Malaysia, Albania, Sweden, Kuwait, Bahrain, South Africa, Ivory Coast and the African Union welcomed the deal and praised Türkiye’s role in reaching the agreement.

Meanwhile, wheat prices dipped to a five-month low thanks to the deal, fueling hopes of an easing of the global food crisis triggered by the war. The price of wheat fell by more than 3% to a level before the onset of Russia’s war on Ukraine, hitting $7.8 per bushel.

Türkiye condemned Greece’s decision to close four more primary schools belonging to the Turkish Muslim minority in Western Thrace for the ongoing school year.

“With this latest decision, more than a half of the Minority primary schools has been closed. Thus, Greece’s policy of closing primary schools belonging to the Turkish Muslim Minority in Western Thrace through ‘temporary suspension’ has proven to be systematic,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic said in a statement.

Russian air strikes in the villages of Al-Yacoubiyah and Judayda in the northern Syrian province of Idlib killed seven civilians, including five children, and injured 13 others.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol claimed that North Korea is ready to conduct a nuclear test at any time.

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, Richard Moore, the head of Britain’s foreign intelligence agency, or MI6, asserted that Russia is “about to run out of steam” in Ukraine, giving Kyiv’s military a chance to strike back.

Natural gas flow from Moscow to Europe has fallen to its lowest level in four years, below 100 million cubic meters since the beginning of July from quantities ranging from 400 to 500 million cubic meters per day, according to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Ukraine transmission system operator.

The European Commission announced it has taken legal action against the UK for not complying with the Northern Ireland Protocol in the Brexit agreement. The bloc accuses the British government of failing to deliver on customs and VAT requirements, as well as not implementing the EU’s regulation on excise duties in general and related to the trade of alcohol in particular.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected Myanmar’s preliminary objections in a Rohingya genocide case brought by Gambia. In the ruling, which is final and without appeal, the ICJ unanimously rejected the first, second, and third preliminary objections raised and the fourth objection with one dissenting vote.

Despite a global outcry, Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority authorized a plan to release treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.

At least 18 people were killed in a police raid targeting organized gangs in Brazil’s second largest city of Rio de Janeiro.