Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - August 10, 2020

By Seda Sevencan

ANKARA

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

- Turkey

Compared to May, the rate of people in contact with COVID-19 patients to turn into cases rose across Turkey by 1.3 times, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

Turkey on Sunday reported 1,182 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 240,804. The country’s death toll due to the outbreak remains at 5,844.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey has become the third country after the US and China to locally develop a vaccine against COVID-19, according to World Health Organization data.

Erdogan also said that Turkey has sent medical aid to over 150 countries and six international organizations.

A total of 83 terrorists have been neutralized and a large amount of weapons and ammunition seized as part of operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, the country's defense minister said Sunday.

In addition, the National Defense Ministry said that Turkey “neutralized” three PKK terrorists as part of an anti-terror operation in northern Iraq.

- Blast in Lebanon

A security officer was killed and 238 demonstrators injured Saturday in protests in Lebanon's capital.

France's President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday brought the international community together to raise funds for Beirut in a virtual conference.

Macron called for accelerating aid delivery to Lebanon at the opening of a virtual emergency donors’ conference for Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Information Minister Manal Abdelsamad stepped down in the first government resignation in the wake of last week’s massive explosion at Beirut Port.

- COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed over 729,000 lives in 188 countries and regions since originating in Wuhan, China last December, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

More than 19.7 million infections have been reported worldwide, including over 12 million recoveries.

The US, Brazil and India have the highest number of cases -- over 10 million in total.

Coronavirus cases and deaths are on the rise in Brazil and Mexico.

Eurasian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia continue to report new deaths and cases related to the novel coronavirus.

Australia saw 17 more deaths from the coronavirus over the past day, the highest single-day figure so far, authorities said.

As many as 163 new coronavirus-related fatalities have raised the death toll in Iran to 18,427, the Health Ministry said.

Flights resumed at Mitiga airport in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Sunday after a four-month hiatus due to the country’s efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Novel coronavirus infections in the US surpassed 5 million Sunday as cases have spiked in the country, according to a running tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Also, Atletico Madrid reported two positive cases of the novel coronavirus Sunday following testing.

- Other developments

Belarusians began casting votes Sunday in the presidential election

Bangladesh on Sunday registered 10 more deaths, taking the number of fatalities to 184 as the South Asian country faces one of its worst floods in history.

The death toll in a massive landslide Friday in the southern Indian state of Kerala rose to 43 on Sunday, according to a senior police officer in the area.

At least 30 people died due to massive floods and landslides in South Korea, local media reported Sunday.

The death toll from three days of heavy monsoon rains triggering flash floods in Pakistan has risen to at least 58, officials said Sunday.

At least six people died in flash floods triggered by thunderstorms and heavy rain that hit the eastern Greek island of Evia, authorities said Sunday.