Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - March 18, 2023

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

Türkiye on Friday said it is starting the approval process of Finland's NATO membership in its parliament. The move has been welcomed by the US and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the presidential commissioner for children's rights for alleged war crimes.

But the Kremlin said Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC and considers its decisions “null and void."

While Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal called the warrants an "important step towards justice," US President Joe Biden said the move was "justified."

Meanwhile, China’s President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia next week, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un once again threatened to use nuclear weapons if the US and South Korea continue to show "open hostility" toward Pyongyang, according to state-run media.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is scheduled to visit Egypt on Saturday upon an invitation by his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.

On the health front, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said COVID-19 might no longer be a public health emergency of international concern later this year.

New information on Twitter Files revealed that the US government and major social media companies worked hand-in-hand with Stanford University to censor or limit true information about COVID-19.

Political parties opposing the French government's pension reform plan submitted a no-confidence motion in parliament after the country’s prime minister used special constitutional powers to push through the controversial overhaul without a vote.

Former US President Donald Trump and his family failed to report foreign gifts worth nearly $300,000 during his presidency, according to a report by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.