Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – April 5, 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 on Sunday reported almost 42,000 new coronavirus cases, according to the Health Ministry.

A total of 41,998 cases, including 1,508 symptomatic patients, were registered across the country over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to over 3.48 million.

The nationwide death toll reached 32,263 with 185 more fatalities and as many as 22,674 more patients won the battle against the disease, raising the number of recoveries to over 3.1 million.

More than 39.5 million coronavirus tests have been conducted in Turkey to date, with 246,210 done since Saturday. The latest figures showed that the number of COVID-19 patients in critical condition stands at 2,311.

Turkey expressed concern over Saturday's arrests of the former head of the Jordanian Royal Court as well as other former officials for “security reasons.”

Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay met Sunday with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani at the international airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger.

COVID-19 updates worldwide

India on Sunday recorded its biggest coronavirus surge since last September with 93,249 new infections, the Health Ministry said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce a series of measures on Monday to reopen society, including trials of domestic vaccine passports.

Other global developments

Exit polls in Bulgaria showed that Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party won Sunday’s general elections.

Kosovo’s parliament elected Vjosa Osmani as the country’s new president.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sayed Abbas Araghchi ruled out any direct or indirect talks with the US one day before heading to Vienna for much-anticipated talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

Jordan said that former Crown Prince Hamzah bin Al-Hussein was involved in “attempts to destabilize the country's security" with foreign parties.

Gunmen killed an anti-terrorism court judge and his three family members in northwestern Pakistan, police said.

More than 50 people were killed after flash floods and landslides swept an island in southern Indonesia and neighboring Timor Leste, with the death toll expected to rise, rescue officials said.