Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - Dec. 28, 2021

By Ali Murat Alhas

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 has administered over 129.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, with more than 56.8 million people receiving the first jab and over 51.4 million others fully vaccinated.

Turkish and Armenian officials are preparing to meet in Moscow as part of efforts towards the normalization of bilateral ties, Mevlut Cavosuglu told reporters.

Turkey’s defense minister said a recent upsurge in separatist talk in the multi-ethnic nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina serves no party.

As an anti-PKK sit-in protest continues in Turkey’s southeastern Diyarbakir province, another family has joined the protest to bring back their children abducted by the terrorist group.

Turkish Coast Guard units rescued dozens of irregular migrants off the coast of Aydin province after they were pushed back by Greek authorities.

- Other developments

Since the start of COVID-19 vaccinations within the EU one year ago, over two-thirds of the population or 67.8% has gotten fully vaccinated, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The coronavirus tally in China, where the outbreak first erupted in late 2019, hit a more than 20-month high Sunday as infections in the country kept rising in recent weeks.​​​​​​​

Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed suspended Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble over alleged corruption and misuse of public land.

Members of the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group attacked a police checkpoint in Iraq’s Salahuddin province, killing three people and wounding four others.

The death toll from flash floods in northeastern Brazil has risen to 18 since November, while the count of fatalities from a powerful typhoon in the Philippines has climbed to 389.