By Gozde Bayar
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 reported 20,049 new coronavirus cases including 902 symptomatic patients, according to the Health Ministry. The total number of cases in the country passed 2.95 million while the nationwide death toll reached 29,777 with 81 fatalities over the past day.
In their virtual meeting with Turkey’s president, top EU officials will aim to boost cooperation and develop a mutually beneficial relationship with Turkey, a top EU official told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.
On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the 18 March statement with the EU, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that Turkey is a key country in Europe's future as it was in the past.
Turkey’s foreign minister discussed issues related to the EU with his French counterpart via telephone, according to Turkish diplomatic sources Thursday.
Turkey on Thursday observed the Canakkale Victory and Martyrs' Day, which marks the anniversary of the 1915 victory during World War I.
An indictment prepared by Turkey’s top prosecutor for the closure of an opposition party in the country accused the party of seeking to destroy the unity of the state and the nation.
Rockets fired from across the border with Syria fell in Turkey's southern Kilis province, the country's National Defense Ministry said late Thursday.
A Panamanian-flagged ship ran aground off Turkey's northwestern province of Canakkale on Thursday, said a coast guard source.
- COVID-19 updates worldwide
The EU’s drug agency on Thursday asserted that the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 is safe.
Following three straight weeks of rising infections, the COVID-19 caseload in Central Europe, the Balkans and Baltic states is among the highest globally, the Europe chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday.
US President Joe Biden said Thursday he is on pace to achieve his goal of administering 100 million COVID-19 vaccines in just over half the time promised.
Italy will resume using the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine Friday following a positive response by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on its benefits compared to possible risks.
The French prime minister on Thursday announced a semi-lockdown of adversely affected regions and the resumption of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.
Nearly 7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa office said Thursday.
The current coronavirus vaccines could work against the Brazilian variant better than first expected, Oxford University said Thursday.
Aspirin may reduce the risk of severe coronavirus symptoms, according to a study by George Washington University on Thursday.
- Other global developments
Amid a contentious week for Russian-US relations, Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited his US counterpart to have a live discussion on Friday or Monday.
Asked what he would answer to Biden's accusations, Putin said he wishes him "good health," stressing that he said that without any irony.
US President Joe Biden has no regrets after calling Russian leader Vladimir Putin a "killer," the White House said Thursday.
Foreign ministers of G7 countries and the EU condemned “Russia’s continued actions to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence” on Thursday.
The Netherlands’ conservative People’s Party of Freedom and Democracy, or VVD, led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte claimed its fourth term election victory, winning 35 seats in the parliament according to exit polls Thursday.
The UN Security Council on Thursday condemned an intensification in the Houthi offensive to seize a key Yemeni government-held city.
The US warned all entities on Thursday to immediately abandon work on the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline.
Israel said it received an official letter from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague clarifying the scope of its war crimes probe in Palestine, according to local media.