Morning Briefing for Feb. 25

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

The death toll rose to more than 44,200 from Feb. 6 earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye as relief efforts continue to assist victims. The quakes have been followed by 9,136 aftershocks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed gratitude to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron for his solidarity with Türkiye over the devastating earthquakes.

Erdogan also thanked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for displaying solidarity with Türkiye.

In addition, Erdogan and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, discussed the earthquakes and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war which marked the one-year mark.

Russian Foreign Ministry warned the US, NATO and Ukraine against "reckless steps" in Transnistria amid an alleged deployment of Ukrainian troops in the region in battle order.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said Warsaw delivered the first batch of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg announced that Türkiye, Finland and Sweden will meet to discuss the accession of the two Nordic countries to the alliance in March. NATO also reaffirmed its solidarity with Ukraine in the "heroic defense" of its nation as the military group "solemnly" marks one year of Moscow’s "brutal" war on Kyiv.

Britain, on the first anniversary of the Ukraine war, said it banned the export of “every item Russia has been found using on the battlefield to date.” The new package of “internationally coordinated sanctions and trade measures” was announced by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council, said Moscow must push "the borders of threats" as far as possible, "even if it will be the borders of Poland."

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution submitted by Ukraine that demands Russia “completely and unconditionally withdraw" its forces.

In Northern Ireland, a recent attempted murder of a police officer is being treated as "terrorism-related," police confirmed, citing the Irish dissident group, New IRA.

The US Federal Reserve's preferred inflation indicator increased in January, annually and monthly, coming in higher than expectations, according to Commerce Department figures.

The German economy contracted 0.4% in the fourth quarter compared to the previous quarter, according to data.

In addition, data from Türkiye's Culture and Tourism Ministry shows that foreign tourist arrivals in Türkiye surpasses pre-pandemic levels in January, topping 2 million.

Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) announced it "neutralized" Halil Menci, a PKK/YPG terrorist who played a key role in the planning and implementation of a 2022 bombing in Istanbul.

In sports news, Manchester United came from behind to beat Barcelona 2-1 at home in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff knockout round.