Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - Dec. 17, 2021

ANKARA (AA) – Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments in Turkey, around the world, and the coronavirus pandemic.

- World

France on Thursday announced tighter border controls with the UK as cases of the new omicron coronavirus variant rise exponentially in Great Britain.

The NATO chief said Russia’s “provocative” military buildup continued despite international pressure.

NATO’s eastern flank is facing its most dangerous situation in three decades because of the Russian threat and Belarusian attempts to destabilize the region, said the president of Lithuania.

The UK recorded its highest daily number of COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

The Bank of England on Thursday increased interest rates by 0.15 percentage points to 0.25% for the first time in more than three years, a bank statement said.

An experimental pill developed by Pfizer to treat COVID-19 can be used in European Union countries even though its full review is still pending, the bloc’s drug regulator said.

The European Parliament condemned Russia’s military buildup around Ukraine and urged countries not to make the Nord Stream 2 pipeline operational.

- Developments in Turkey

Turkey is raising the minimum wage 50.4% as of Jan. 1, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with his counterparts from several African countries who are attending the 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in Istanbul.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Elon Musk, the founder of electric carmaker Tesla and space exploration company SpaceX, held a video call and spoke on a range of issues, including the digital economy and Turkey's National Space Program.

Turkey will compete against Luxembourg, Lithuania and the Faroe Islands in Group 1 of League C in the UEFA Nations League.