Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - Oct. 31, 2020

By Jeyhun Aliyev

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

A magnitude-6.6 earthquake jolted Izmir on the Turkish Aegean coast, according to the Disaster Management Agency Authority (AFAD).

At least 24 people were killed and more than 800 injured, including 743 people in Izmir, and in neighboring provinces, five in Manisa, two in Balikesir and 54 in Aydin.

Turkey mobilized all means available to help people affected, according to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He said the government, together with ministers and all institutions, is making all efforts to save people who have been under the rubble of collapsed buildings and to help everyone affected by the shock.

Meanwhile, Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis exchanged condolences for the loss of lives.

Arab nations offered condolences to Turkey after the quake.

Turkey registered 2,322 new coronavirus patients during the past 24 hours, according to Health Ministry data. The overall tally now stands at 373,154.

The health minister told member country representatives at a Turkic Council's Health Scientific Board Meeting in Istanbul that Ankara continues “to contribute to our brotherly countries" to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Turkey’s recent announcements at frequent intervals of a Navtex for seismic research activities in the Eastern Mediterranean are a sign of its resoluteness, according to an expert.

Turkey's International Jurists Union condemned terror attacks in France and hatred against Muslims.

Turkey "neutralized" two YPG/PKK terrorists who attempted to infiltrate the region of its cross-border anti-terrorism operation in northern Syria, according to Turkey's National Defense Ministry.

- COVID-19 updates worldwide

Spain registered its highest daily jump in coronavirus cases, as its health minister ruled out a full-blown lockdown, for now. The country saw cases surge by 25,595 – breaking the previous record set Thursday by more than 2,000 cases.

Latin America and the Caribbean are seeing an increase in the number of coronavirus cases and fatalities as the death toll nears 400,000.

France entered the second national lockdown imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus. It was tested to its core Thursday with the coronavirus still raging, a new lockdown set for midnight, and Nice was the site of a horrific terror attack.

Germany’s total coronavirus cases neared 500,000 as it recorded more than 18,000 new infections -- the highest daily figure since the pandemic began.

The US surpassed 9 million confirmed coronavirus cases as Americans prepare for Election Day in the middle of a soaring pandemic.

The US has broken its record for new daily COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The UK government announced there were a further 24,405 positive cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 989,745.

The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines among European Union member states will be fair, EU officials said late Thursday.

Tunisia and Qatar have reported new coronavirus cases and deaths, local health authorities said.

Poland also reported 21,629 cases in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day spike since the start of the pandemic.

Sweden announced its highest number of daily cases as 2,820 people tested positive in the past 24 hours.

Russia reported 18,283 cases, a new single-day record since the beginning of the pandemic.

Nigeria’s health authorities confirmed two more COVID-19 deaths and 150 new infections across the West African country.

Taiwan has not reported a single case for more than 200 days.

- Upper Karabakh conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed Friday in Geneva not to target civilians in a conflict in Upper Karabakh, according to a group founded to find a solution to hostilities.

"The sides will not deliberately target civilian populations or non-military objects in accordance with international humanitarian law," said a statement by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)’s Minsk Group' co-chairs -- Igor Popov from Russia, France’s Stephane Visconti and Andrew Schofer from the US.

Also, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with co-chairs of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)’s Minsk Group in Geneva.

Azerbaijan has moved the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over Armenia’s attacks on civilians, authorities announced.

The Azerbaijani army liberated nine more villages in the Upper Karabakh region from Armenia's occupation, Azerbaijan's president said.

Azerbaijan’s military destroyed Armenia’s two Smerch missile systems, the country’s Defense Ministry said. The ministry also announced that it repulsed night attacks by Armenia from various directions on the front.

A mother who gave birth 22 days ago was killed in a cluster bomb attack by Armenia on Azerbaijan's Barda city.

More than 12,100 coronavirus cases and over 190 deaths were reported across Eurasia and Central Asia on Friday.

- Other developments

The terrorists must not be confused with Muslims, former French President Francois Hollande warned Friday. "These Islamist terrorists want there to be a war between religions," Hollande said while reacting to the Nice knife attack.

Newly retired Mixed Martial Arts star Khabib Nurmagomedov criticized French President Emmanuel Macron for his anti-Islam remarks.

"May the Almighty disfigure the face of this creature [Macron] and all its followers, who, under the slogan of freedom of speech, offend the feelings of more than one and a half billion Muslim believers," Khabib from Russia said on Instagram.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev spoke on the telephone with his Turkish counterpart and said his country is ready to help Turkey after a powerful quake jolted the Aegean region.

US President Donald Trump will attend 14 rallies during the final three days of his campaign for the 2020 presidential election next Tuesday, his campaign announced.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden offered condolences to Greece and Turkey Friday after the earthquake.

“Our prayers are with the people of Turkey and Greece after today’s earthquake," National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien said in a statement posted to Twitter, retweeting Erdogan.

The EU, NATO, the World Health Organization and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation offered assistance to Turkey and Greece.

Following Friday prayers, hundreds of thousands of Muslims in Bangladesh and Pakistan took to the streets to protest anti-Islamic measures and rhetoric by France.

Hundreds of people held a protest in southwestern Yemen against Macron’s anti-Islam remarks and republication of caricatures insulting the Prophet Muhammad.

Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj said he took back his decision to resign at the end of October. He will remain in office until the ongoing intra-Libyan political dialogue talks come to an end, Libyan government spokesman Galib al-Zaklai said on Twitter.

The African Development Bank provided $200,000 to help residents affected by floods in South Sudan.

A police officer was attacked by a man wielding two knives in Paris. Police subdued the suspect at the scene, according to local media.