Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – July 30, 2022

By Vakkas Dogantekin

ANKARA (AA) - Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments around the world.

Ukraine's president said the first ship is being loaded with grain after all necessary preparations are completed to restart exports from two ports since Russia launched its war Feb. 24. The first shipments could be on their way by the end of the week.

A Syrian ship carrying stolen grain from Ukraine anchored in Lebanon's Tripoli Port, according to a Lebanese minister.

Russia said at least 40 Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed and 75 others wounded in an overnight attack at a pre-trial detention center in the Russia-controlled territory of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

The US said it has no plans for a telephone call between President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss Washington’s proposal to free two Americans jailed in Russia.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he spoke Friday with his Russian counterpart for the first time in nearly six months to press Moscow to accept a US proposal for the release of two Americans detained in Russia.

The European Union (EU) is putting energy savings at the heart of measures to curb gas demand following economic sanctions against Moscow because of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Rich countries are still failing to fulfill their pledges to provide $100 billion for climate action in poorer nations, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Saudi Arabia reiterated it will not change its firm position on the Palestinian issue, despite a decision to open its airspace to all international aircraft, including from Israel.

Spain confirmed the first monkeypox death in Europe and the second outside Africa in the growing global outbreak.

Türkiye voiced concerns about Germany's counter-terrorism efforts and said it expects concrete steps.

Greece is violating principles by arming Aegean Sea islands and siding with a country just because it is a EU member is against international law, the Turkish foreign minister told his German counterpart.

The EU’s borders must remain open to asylum seekers, Germany’s foreign minister said in Greece -- a pointed remark that increases pressure on Athens for its widely-criticized policy of deadly and illegal migrant pushbacks.

The German foreign minister in Istanbul defined the grain export deal reached between Ukraine, Russia, the UN and Türkiye as a “great success.”

The UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) must carry out its activities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) with the consent of Turkish Cypriots, according to the Turkish Cypriot foreign minister.

American consumers' one-year economic outlook in July fell to its lowest level since 2009, according to a University of Michigan survey.

At least 15 people were killed after flooding decimated eastern parts of the US state of Kentucky, said Governor Andy Beshear.

Russia and Saudi Arabia remain committed to the goals of the OPEC+ agreement of maintaining market stability and balancing supply and demand in global oil markets, the Russian government said in a statement.

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian boy in a village near Ramallah, central occupied West Bank.

Italy is heading to early polls after the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

Istanbul made it on Time Magazine's greatest places of the world 2022 list.

Türkiye attracted 16.4 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2022, an annual surge of 185.7%, official data revealed.

Iran has warned the interim Taliban government in Kabul that failure to resolve the protracted dispute on shared water resources could affect cooperation between the two neighbors.

Türkiye's Zero-Waste project has stemmed 3.9 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and saved the economy billions of dollars since its launch in 2017.