Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - April 15, 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 62,700 infections, including 2,802 symptomatic patients and over 55,400 recoveries.

The country’s case count exceeded 4 million, with recoveries totaling 3.48 million, according to Health Ministry data.

The death toll from the virus reached 34,734 with 279 additional fatalities.

Turkey’s Yildirim Akbulut, who served as both prime minister and parliament speaker, passed away in the Turkish capital Ankara. He was 86.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country has managed to be one of the few nations with air-to-air missile technology. He also noted that the Canal Istanbul mega-project will result in greater peace of mind for the Turkish nation.

A total of 425,430 teachers and school workers in Turkey have been included in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign so far, according to the country’s national education minister.

Turkish authorities fined Google 296 million Turkish liras ($36.6 million) for violating the country's competition law.

A Turkish soldier was martyred in a rocket attack in northern Iraq, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said.

- COVID-19 updates worldwide

The global tally for coronavirus infections surpassed 137.8 million, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

India set a new daily high for coronavirus cases, recording more than 184,000 new infections in the past 24 hours, according to official figures.

Another 3,459 people lost their lives to the novel coronavirus in Brazil while over 73,500 new infections were confirmed in the country over the past 24 hours, health authorities said.

A third wave of COVID-19 continues to take its toll on Pakistan with 135 deaths recorded over the past 24 hours, the highest single-day figure since June 2020.

Meanwhile, Pakistan announced that it will locally produce the CanSino COVID-19 vaccine with the help of China.

Poland reported 803 more COVID-19 fatalities, its second-highest daily death toll since the start of the pandemic.

Denmark became the first country in the EU to completely cease the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

- Other global developments

The governments of Britain, France and Germany expressed “grave concern” over the announcement that Iran would start enriching uranium up to 60%.

NATO will begin to withdraw all member state forces from Afghanistan by May 1, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

At least 714 people have been killed in a brutal crackdown by security forces on pro-democracy protesters since the Feb. 1 military takeover in Myanmar, according to the latest figures by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry decried an Israeli violation at Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.

Greece and Libya have agreed to resume talks on the delimitation of maritime zones, a statement from Athens confirmed.

A global chemical weapons watchdog's determination that the Assad regime used chemical weapons in a 2018 attack in northwestern Syria "should come as a surprise to no one," said the US State Department.

Erbil International Airport in northern Iraq was targeted by an explosives-laden drone, according to the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).