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Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - May 4, 2021

Daily briefing on novel coronavirus pandemic worldwide, Turkey, other developments

Jeyhun Aliyev  | 04.05.2021 - Update : 04.05.2021
Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - May 4, 2021

ANKARA

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 24,733 new coronavirus cases, including 2,501 symptomatic patients, the Health Ministry said Monday.

Turkey’s overall COVID-19 tally is now over 4.9 million, while the nationwide death toll rose by 347 over the past day to 41,191.

Turkish scientists have developed a detection kit for the British, South African and Brazilian variants of the novel coronavirus.

Turkish appliance giant Arcelik and biomedical company Biosys have collaborated to develop an oxygen therapy device critical for treating COVID-19, said Biosys.

Turkey’s ongoing 17-day lockdown is paying off with falling COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations, said the Turkish health minister.

Turkish officials arrived in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on an official visit.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will pay a visit to Slovenia on Tuesday, according to an official statement.

As Libya emerges from years of turmoil and conflict since the 2011 death of Muammar Gaddafi, Turkey prioritizes protecting the sovereignty and unity of independent Libya, the county’s foreign minister said.

Rejecting the Greek Cypriot stance on the Cyprus issue, Turkey's ruling party stated that there would not be any negotiations with an approach that fails to recognize Turkish Cypriots.

Managing to outpace pre-pandemic levels, Turkish exports hit $18.8 billion this April, the country's trade minister announced Monday, citing preliminary data.

The award-winning "Off the Grid" documentary series of Turkey's international news platform TRT World is set to air an exclusive episode titled "Syria's Imprisoned Women: Surviving Torture."

A total of 12 million people have visited Turkey’s largest mosque since its inauguration two years ago.

Turkey’s parliament speaker said his country wants permanent steps to be taken to resolve issues between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

COVID-19 updates worldwide

The European Commission proposed on Monday to allow non-EU citizens to travel to the bloc if they are vaccinated.

Italy started vaccinating its national football team players against the novel coronavirus ahead of the UEFA EURO 2020 tournament.

After months of lockdown, Greece is loosening its coronavirus measures starting Monday with the reopening of its food sector.

Greece saw 134 COVID-19 fatalities in the last 48 hours, health authorities announced.

India’s top television journalist was busy recording the sufferings of people at hospitals and cremation grounds during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic when she received news of the death of her 80-year-old father.

The World Bank will provide $54.6 million to support better health care in Burundi, a bank official said Monday in the capital Bujumbura.

Kenya confirmed 18 new COVID-19-related deaths and 137 new infections after doing 1,641 COVID-19 tests across the country in the last 24 hours.

The EU medicine regulator announced that it had started to review whether BioNTech/Pfizer vaccines can be given to young people aged 12 to 15.

The World Health Organization chief welcomed Sweden’s announcement that it will share 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with the COVAX Facility to provide life-saving vaccines to people at risk from COVID-19 in low-income countries.

Pakistan is set to receive another 13.2 million doses of coronavirus vaccines by the end of June, said a top health official.

Two Cuban COVID-19 vaccines are in solid progress to be available in summer, Dr. Rolando Perez Rodriguez, director of Science and Innovation at the Cuban Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries Group (BioCubaFarma), told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.

Iraq began evacuating its nationals from India amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the South Asian country.

Cambodia reported 841 new coronavirus cases, the nation’s second-highest daily total, state-run media reported.

Thailand reported a new daily high of 31 coronavirus deaths and 2,041 new infections, the Health Ministry said.  

Other global developments

President Joe Biden on Monday dramatically increased the US's refugee admissions cap, setting the new limit at 62,500.

The Biden administration will begin reuniting children separated from their parents under former President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.

Bill and Melinda Gates are getting a divorce following nearly three decades of marriage, the couple announced Monday.

The fact that the Turkish private sector is “very dynamic” encourages the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to invest in Turkey, according to the bank’s president.

Foreign exchange rates have plummeted in Iran in recent days with the US dollar hitting a new low against Iran’s currency amid renewed optimism over a possible deal between Tehran and Washington.

An American lawyer criticized remarks of President Joe Biden calling 1915 events "genocide," saying it was a political statement and had nothing to do with the law.

Anadolu Agency reporters Erbil Basay and Cuneyt Karadag were slightly injured while covering clashes between the police and demonstrators during May Day protests in Berlin.

The 28-day deadline that Israeli President Reuven Rivlin issued to Likud Party leader and current caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government is set to expire Tuesday evening.

A New Jersey man who accused a Turkish-American police chief of being a "terrorist" has pleaded guilty to making terroristic threats.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Serb member of the Presidency said that the Republika Srpska (RS) entity has written its own "non-paper,” or discussion paper, on the situation in the country, alluding to recent reports of an alleged unofficial document on redrawing borders in the Western Balkans.​​​​​​​

French non-profit organizations demanded the UN Committee on Child Rights to launch an investigation into violations of the rights of unaccompanied minors in the country, most of whom are foreigners.

As the world came together to commemorate World Press Freedom Day on Monday, Zimbabwean scribes say they have little to celebrate.

Sadiq Khan, London’s current mayor and Labour Party candidate for mayoral election on May 6, says he has a plan to help London recover from the “devastating” effects of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic if he wins a second term.

The UK on Monday played host to a meeting of foreign ministers from the G7, welcoming senior officials from the world’s most powerful and wealthy nations.

At least 16 civilians and one police officer have died during protests against government tax reform in Colombia since the start of unrest six days ago, said the country's Ombudsman Carlos Camargo.

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