Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – November 24, 2020

By Seda Sevencan

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 6,713 more coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, according to Health Ministry data released Monday.

The new cases raised the overall count to 453,535.

As many as 3,254 patients also recovered over the past day, taking the tally to 377,891, while the death toll rose by 153 to 12,511.

Turkey has the potential to utilize opportunities stemming from changing global supply chains due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the country's top trade official said Monday.

Turkey decried the illegal search of a Turkish-flagged ship carrying humanitarian supplies to Libya carried out by a German frigate serving under a Greek-commanded EU naval mission.

Ankara condemns Operation Irini and the EU has once again proven its bias with the illegal search of a Turkish cargo vessel, said the country's vice president.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry summoned the EU and Italian ambassadors and German charge d'affaires in protest against the EU naval mission's treatment of the Turkish-flagged ship.

Following the controversial search of the Turkish-flagged ship carrying humanitarian aid to Libya, the EU operation that carried out the search admitted Monday that it had no permission from Turkey to do so.

Turkish security forces "neutralized" at least three terrorists in southeastern Mardin province, the Interior Ministry said.

Also, four PKK terrorists were neutralized in northern Iraq, said the Turkish National Defense Ministry.

- Global outbreak

With current vaccine developments, the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel is growing brighter, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief said Monday.

The COVID-19 vaccine, being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, has 70% efficacy against the novel coronavirus, the British pharma giant announced Monday.

Iran confirmed 453 more coronavirus-related fatalities Monday, raising the nationwide death toll to 25,255, according to the country's Health Ministry.

Italy on Monday reported a 19% fall in fresh daily coronavirus cases and 630 new deaths related to COVID-19, topping 50,000 fatalities since the start of the pandemic.

Parts of Spain are beginning a tentative return to normality as the Health Ministry confirmed 25,886 new coronavirus infections and 512 COVID-19 deaths over the weekend.

Russia hit a record daily high of over 25,000 coronavirus cases Monday as the government resists uniform nationwide restrictions.

India’s Supreme Court on Monday sought a report from four states over a recent spike in coronavirus cases and observed that “worse things will happen in December if states are not well prepared.”

Pakistan on Monday announced that all schools will be closed to in-person education from Thursday as the country saw a recent spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.

At least 49,702 people have died of complications related to the novel coronavirus infection across Africa since the beginning of the pandemic, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in an update Monday.

-Other developments

The Saudi foreign minister denied reports of a groundbreaking meeting Sunday between top Israeli officials and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Israeli media alleged Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly traveled with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with the crown prince.