ANKARA
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
The Taliban's actions and not words will determine the future Afghanistan process, said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey has administered more than 91.08 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since launching a mass immunization campaign in January, according to official figures.
Over 46.94 million people have received a first dose, while more than 35.9 million are fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said.
The country also began administering its national coronavirus vaccine candidate to volunteers in Kayseri province as part of Phase 3 studies.
Couples that plan on having a baby should get the coronavirus vaccine, a Turkey-based reproductive health institution recommended.
Addressing a youth forum in Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkey's president called on Muslims to raise their voices against injustices they witness.
Recent environmental crises across the globe are worrying and requires cooperation, Turkey's first lady said Wednesday.
A group uniting Muslim youth groups in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states and other countries worldwide called for additional support for young leaders working for their communities, countries and Islam.
Turkey offered its condolences to Venezuela over floods and landslides caused by torrential rains in the western state of Merida which claimed at least 20 lives.
Worldwide developments related to COVID-19
The Swiss government said Wednesday that it will compel people to show proof of vaccination to enter restaurants and indoor events as health officials have warned of a fourth wave of COVID-19.
The US is supplying another 1 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam, the US vice president said Wednesday.
South Korea reported over 2,000 new COVID-19 cases as infections have spiked again since the country was hit by the Delta strain of the coronavirus on Aug. 3, local media reported.
East Africa’s tourism sector lost more than $4.8 billion and 2 million jobs in 2020 amid COVID-19 curbs, according to a report.
The president of Palau urged citizens to get vaccinated immediately, days after the tiny island nation reported its first two infections and lost its status as one of the world’s few remaining COVID-free countries.
Grappling with a surging virus wave, Indonesia took another step to boost vaccinations, granting emergency use approval for another vaccine – Russia’s Sputnik V.
Developments across world
The Taliban have committed to allowing Americans and at-risk Afghans to leave the war-torn country after the Aug. 31 US withdrawal deadline, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Canadian government sources said that Canada may have one to two days to conduct evacuations despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's remarks that the country could airlift people out of Afghanistan past an Aug. 31 deadline.
The Taliban movement has called on Turkey and other countries to assist Afghanistan, days after the group seized power.
Tajikistan’s president met with the Pakistani foreign minister in the capital Dushanbe and exchanged views on a range of issues, including Afghanistan, the presidency said in a statement.
The Syndicate of Hospitals in Lebanon warned that the lives of many patients are in danger due to a shortage of fuel affecting the country.
The international community should work to establish a new Myanmar where Rohingya Muslims are “recognized” as equal citizens, a London-based human rights group said.
Frustration is mounting among stateless Rohingya in Bangladesh’s refugee camps as their longing for a peaceful and dignified repatriation to their home country remains unfulfilled.
Educating Rohingya in their native language and helping them practice their culture should be among the major focuses for facilitating the sustainable repatriation and reintegration of persecuted Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, according to rights activists and policy analysts.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on the latest developments in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have taken control.
The Russian foreign minister said the Afghan campaign should teach the US that democracy cannot be forced on others.
Germany is in talks with the Taliban for an extension to the Aug. 31 deadline for evacuations from Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
The UN said there is a "critical and essential need" for Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport to remain fully functional for aid to flow following the US withdrawal.
The British government reaffirmed its security commitments to Ukraine on the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence from Russia in 1991.
Britain warned its citizens in Afghanistan, asking them not to go to Kabul airport due to the “high threat” of a terrorist attack.
South Africans expressed mixed reactions after the foundation of former President Jacob Zuma asked them to make donations to help him cover the costs of a series of legal battles.
Even as the landlocked East African country of Uganda remains among the poorest nations in the world, it is eagerly waiting to host 2,000 Afghan refugees.
Rwanda is set to welcome refugee students fleeing Afghanistan, officials confirmed Wednesday, making it the second African country to host Afghan refugees after Uganda.
Israel is stepping up plans for a possible military operation in Gaza and a strike against Iran, Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieut. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said.
At least 14 Palestinian protesters were injured as the Israeli army fired on them near the security fence in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, medical sources and witnesses said.
The Tajik leader of the forces stuck under the siege of the Taliban in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley called on Russia to assume a mediatory role and help conduct emergency peace talks between his forces and the Taliban to make a buffer zone in the valley.
The governor in Nigeria’s central Plateau state reinstated a 24-hour curfew in a local government area as 36 people were killed in a fresh attack by gunmen.
