ANKARA
nadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic and other news in Turkey and around the world.
Turkey's overall COVID-19 case count has risen to 2.2 million with more than 11,000 new additions whereas the death toll reached 21,295, according to the country's Health Ministry.
The new year is going to be one of recovery and reforms for Turkey as it is determined to work hard to claim its rightful place in the global order, according to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the number of terrorists joining the PKK terror group dropped significantly in 2020; many Turkish officials argue that recent military technological developments have played a significant role in that regard.
Fourteen asylum seekers from countries such as Afghanistan, Egypt and Syria were held by Turkish gendarmerie forces in northwestern Kirklareli province which borders Bulgaria.
Three YPG/PKK terrorists who attempted to infiltrate the Operation Peace Spring zone in northern Syria, also south of the Turkish border, were neutralized by Turkey.
The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned a "heinous attack" in Somalia which left four Turkish nationals dead after an attack that targeted a Turkish firm.
A team of Turkish scientists and archaeologists discovered the remains of a 2,500-year-old Aphrodite Temple in the Urla-Cesme peninsula in western Turkey.
COVID-19 developments across world
More than 800,000 Russians were vaccinated for the novel coronavirus as President Vladimir Putin ordered the initiation of mass vaccinations to fight the virus.
Japan will consider declaring another state of emergency because of the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to an official.
Palestinian health officials reported 25 deaths from the outbreak and more than 1,000 new cases.
India began a massive nationwide one-day trial run of the coronavirus vaccination.
World
At least four civilians were killed and 37 injured in the Ras al-Ayn and Afrin districts of Syria following deadly car explosions. The Syrian National Army and local security forces believe the attack was carried out by YPG/PKK terrorists.
Fifty-six civilians in Niger were killed after terrorists attacked two villages in the southwest. No group has claimed responsibility but Boko Haram has terrorized the country for several years.
Kane Tanaka, a Japanese woman recognized by the Guinness World Records as the oldest living person, celebrated her 118th birthday; she was born Jan. 2, 1903.
A terror group affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed responsibility for an attack that killed three French soldiers in eastern Mali.
