Anadolu Agency’s Morning Briefing – Oct. 19, 2022

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

• Two US Air Force F-16 jets intercepted two Russian bombers near the state of Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said Tuesday.

• French cement maker Lafarge will pay more than three-quarters of a billion dollars after pleading guilty to US charges of providing material support to two designated terrorist groups, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.

• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba submitted a proposal Tuesday to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on severing diplomatic relations with Iran as relations between the two countries have become strained due to claims that Tehran has been providing drones to Russia.

• The Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Tuesday welcomed a decision by the Australian government to end its recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

• A nationwide strike by French trade unions caused major transport disruptions across France on Tuesday amid an ongoing strike at oil depots.

• The European Union said Tuesday that it would enable energy companies to set up consortiums for gas purchases.

• Germany’s interior minister has dismissed the head of the national cybersecurity agency, local media reported Tuesday.

• The death toll from a military plane crash in Russia’s southern port city of Yeysk rose to 14, authorities said Tuesday.

• Sweden’s new prime minister announced the members of his Cabinet on Tuesday and set out priorities for his government, including fighting crime, a stepped-up defense posture, and action against climate change.

• The Lebanese army said Tuesday that an Israeli gunboat had violated the country’s territorial waters in the second such incident this week.

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that he has no available data about deliveries of Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Russia.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday that 30% of his country’s power stations have been destroyed since Oct. 10, causing massive blackouts across the country.

• Local authorities continued to report airstrikes in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on Tuesday morning as another wave of drone and missile strikes on cities throughout the country entered its second week.

• Israel’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Australian envoy to Tel Aviv on Tuesday over Canberra’s move to reverse its recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, according to local media outlets.

Source: Anadolu Agency