Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - Dec. 19, 2021

By Seda Sevencan

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

- World

At least 11 people were killed in Pakistan and more than a dozen injured in an explosion that shook the southern port city of Karachi, according to officials.

Armenia appointed a special representative for dialogue with Turkey, said an Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Kyrgyzstan took delivery of armed drones that it purchased from Turkey, according to an official statement.

Voters in Taiwan began casting ballots amid that country's first standalone national referendums.

A total of 248 people have been killed in tribal clashes in Sudan’s western Darfur state since October, according to local medics.

Palestine welcomed a United Nations vote in favor of a resolution affirming its right to sovereignty over its natural resources.

The Iraqi government agreed to have nationals stranded along the Lithuanian border moved to residential complexes in the capital, Vilnius.

Also, the Netherlands announced a four-week lockdown amid concerns about the omicron coronavirus variant.

Egypt confirmed its first three cases of the omicron variant.

- Developments in Turkey

It is a "great injustice" that the African continent, with 1.3 billion people, is not represented at the UN Security Council, according to Turkey's president.

Underlining that it was a disgrace for humanity that only 6% of Africa's population has been vaccinated for the coronavirus, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "Turkey plans to send 15 million vaccine doses to Africa."

Turkey has administered more than 123.63 million COVID-19 vaccine doses since it launched an immunization drive in January, according to official figures.

More than 56.64 million people have received a first vaccine shot, while over 51.14 million have been fully vaccinated, Health Ministry data showed.

The country has also given third booster shots to more than 13.9 million people.

The ministry confirmed 17,644 new infections, 191 deaths and 25,568 recoveries in the last 24 hours.