Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - April 13, 2021

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic and other news in Turkey and around the world.

- Coronavirus and other developments in Turkey

Turkey registered more than 54,500 infections, including 2,671 symptomatic patients and over 41,200 recoveries.

The country’s case count stands at 3.9 million with recoveries totaling 3.37 million, according to Health Ministry data.

The death toll from the virus reached 34,182 with 243 additional fatalities.

Some 85% of new COVID-19 cases across Turkey are due to the UK variant, the country's health minister said, urging people to take further steps to stem the virus's spread.

Protecting Libya's sovereignty, territorial integrity, political unity and the welfare of the Libyan people are among Turkey's top goals, said Turkey’s president after meeting with the prime minister of Libya's Government of National Unity.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu pushed back on Canada's defense industry embargo, urging it to review the policy, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

Also, Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the Afghan peace process and a number of other issues in a phone call.

Police arrested eight people in Turkey for their alleged links to the PKK/KCK and FETO terror groups, according to authorities.

- COVID-19 updates worldwide

The global tally for infections surpassed 136.4 million, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

India confirmed a new record high of nearly 169,000 single-day cases, surpassing Brazil to become the second most affected country globally again in terms of cases after the US.

Thailand reported a record 985 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the overall caseload to 33,610.

Zambia got its first batch of 228,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from the COVAX facility, meant to deliver vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, UNICEF announced.

The Spanish government announced that it will give around 230,000 of its employees the opportunity to work remotely three days per week, even after the pandemic is over.

All people over 50, the clinically vulnerable and health and social workers in the UK have been offered a COVID-19 jab, the British government said.

- Other global developments

Muslims across the world welcomed the holy month of Ramadan by performing the first Tarawih prayer. US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Monday marked the beginning of Ramadan in the US.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg discussed the need for Russia to end its buildup of forces along the Ukrainian border.

A police officer fatally shot a driver in Minneapolis in the US state of Minnesota, leading to clashes between protesters and officers, local media reported.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri hailed Turkey's recent steps towards establishing dialogue with Cairo.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said that Israel was behind Sunday’s attack on the Natanz nuclear facility near Tehran, according to local media.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have carried out a massive aerial attack on Saudi Arabia involving 15 drones and two ballistic missiles.

Ukraine called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the border.

At least 34 migrants have died off the coast of Djibouti after their boat capsized, the UN migration agency's regional director said.

The Assad regime used chemical weapons against its population in Saraqib, Syria in 2018, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Canada has canceled arms permits to Turkey that were suspended last year, the nation's Foreign Minister Marc Garneau announced.

France’s Senate adopted a controversial bill that has been criticized for targeting Muslims with several amendments that toughen provisions previously approved by the National Assembly.