ANKARA (AA) - Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments in Turkey, around the world and the coronavirus pandemic.
- Developments in Turkey, coronavirus pandemic and other news
Some 80%-90% of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Turkey occur among people who were never vaccinated or got just one jab, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said after a meeting of the country’s Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board on Thursday.
Over 48.85 million people in Turkey have gotten their first vaccine dose, while more than 37.64 million are fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said.
The ministry also reported 23,496 new coronavirus cases, while 283 more people died from the disease in the past 24 hours.
In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover, the international community must take joint action to deal with a possible migration surge from Afghanistan and not just throw money at the problem, Turkey's foreign minister said Thursday.
Asked whether a renewed Turkish migration deal with the European Union would include Afghans, Mevlut Cavusoglu rejected any deal that is limited to financial assistance in return for Turkey hosting refugees.
Last month, after the Taliban took power, Turkey evacuated 1,409 of its citizens from Afghanistan, the spokesman for Turkey’s Justice and Development (AK) Party said Thursday.
Turkey's exports hit an all-time high in August of $18.9 billion, Trade Minister Mehmet Mus announced Thursday.
The Turkish women's goalball team beat hosts Japan 8-5 Thursday to advance to the Tokyo Paralympics final.
With the addition of two medals Thursday in Taekwondo, the total number of medals Turkey has won in its nearly 30-year participation in the Paralympics rose to 37.
- Worldwide developments related to COVID-19
Over the last week, the number of new COVID-19 cases and related deaths showed an overall decrease in the African continent, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday.
Australia’s New South Wales state announced Thursday an easing of some COVID-19 restrictions from Friday, despite recording over 1,200 new cases in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said.
A double dose of a vaccine is most likely to halve the likelihood of long-term COVID-19 effects for adults, according to a study by a team from King’s College London.
The Belgian royal couple will observe a quarantine as a COVID-19 case was detected in the family, the royal palace announced Thursday.
- Developments across World
China will "maintain" its embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said late Thursday.
China will be the Taliban’s “main partner” and help rebuild Afghanistan, according to a spokesman for the group.
“China will be our main partner and represents a great opportunity for us because it is ready to invest in our country and support reconstruction efforts,” Zabihullah Mujahid said in an interview published by Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Wednesday.
Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani held talks Thursday with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on developments in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Doha, Al-Thani said Qatar is exerting efforts to achieve an international consensus on the situation in Afghanistan.
On day one of an informal meeting in Slovenia, EU defense ministers started discussions Thursday on setting up the bloc’s own rapid reaction force.
The start of the two-day conference of EU defense and foreign affairs ministers, hosted by the Slovenian government in Brdo, assuming the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, was mainly dedicated to assessing lessons from last month’s crisis in Afghanistan.
An Israeli court ruled Thursday to conditionally release Palestinian prisoner Anhar Al-Deek because she is nine months pregnant.
The death toll on the US East Coast from the remnants of Hurricane Ida rose to 40, including 23 in New Jersey and 13 in New York, after the region was hit by record rains and dangerous floods.
Germany’s flood-hit regions are still trying to clean up the damage and rebuild as residents are calling on authorities to do more to help flood victims.