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Morning Briefing: May 20, 2023

Here is a rundown of all the news you need to start your Saturday, including new sanctions on Russia, Pentagon document leaks, Jordan Neely's funeral in New York and the latest on the Sudan conflict.

TOP STORIES

US issues hundreds of sanctions against Russia over Ukraine war

The US and international partners unveiled hundreds of new sanctions against Russia on Friday, seeking to punish Moscow for the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The economic penalties draw on multiple US agencies, including the Treasury Department, which blacklisted 22 individuals and 104 entities with activities in over 20 countries and jurisdictions in an attempt to further clamp down on efforts to evade existing US sanctions.

Russia adds International Criminal Court prosecutor to wanted list

The Russian Interior Ministry said Friday that it listed Karim Khan, who recently issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a wanted person, without specifying charges.

This comes after country's investigative committee opened a criminal case in March against Khan and ICC judges.

Hundreds evacuated as wildfire continues to rage in western Spain

More than 700 people have been evacuated from their homes as a fire in Spain's Extremadura region continued to rage on Friday.

Powerful winds and dry conditions helped the fire spread quickly. Since it began on Wednesday night, it has affected as many as 8,000 hectares (20,000 acres), according to Victor Perez, Extremadura's wildfire coordinator.

US House Republicans 'pause' debt ceiling talks as deadline looms

Republican negotiators announced Friday they halted negotiations with the White House to raise the US debt ceiling as the window to reach an agreement narrows.

NEWS IN BRIEF

The final results of Trkiye's presidential election on May 14 was published Friday in the country's Official Gazette.

President Joe Biden informed key allies of the US' support for an international initiative to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter aircraft amid Kyiv's diplomatic push for the fighter jets ahead of a major counteroffensive, said a report Friday.

A senior UN official's plan to meet Russian children's commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, has drawn criticism from human rights groups.

A UN-led Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul overseeing shipments has registered six new vessels out of 15 applications to participate in the grain deal, a spokesperson said Friday.

Sixteen mayors in the state of New Jersey showed support for Muslim Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, who was disinvited from an Eid al-Fitr reception organized by US President Joe Biden at the White House earlier this month.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Friday that new sanctions against Russia would ensure Moscow pays a price for its actions in the war against Ukraine.

A federal judge in the US capital on Friday ordered that Jack Teixeira, the man accused by prosecutors of one of the most consequential leaks of classified US documents in decades, be held until his trial begins.

Source: Anadolu Agency