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

Turkey has administered over 68.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched a mass vaccination campaign in January, according to figures released Tuesday.

The country continues its intensive vaccination campaign to curb the virus’s spread as everyone 18 and over is eligible for vaccine shots.

According to Health Ministry data, nearly 40 million people have gotten their first dose, while over 24.5 million have received their second jabs as well.

Meanwhile, over 1.2 million vaccine doses have been administered in the last 24 hours, the figures showed.

The ministry also confirmed 19,761 new infections and 51 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, while as many as 7,108 more patients recovered.

Amid a nationwide drop in cases and an expedited vaccination drive, Turkey entered a new normalization phase on July 1, lifting almost all virus-related restrictions.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday vowed to boost Turkey’s trade volume with the southern African nation of Angola.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Angolan counterpart Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said: "Our trade volume with Angola is $176 million. The current trade volume is very low for such two powerful countries. We agreed to reach a $500 million trade volume as a first stage.”

"After the UN General Assembly [this September], we will pay a return visit to Angola with a group of businessmen. We want to start high-level visits between the two countries,” he said.

Turkey on Tuesday dismissed remarks made by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the partial reopening of the Maras region in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus as being worthless for Turkey.

“These and similar statements, which ignore the Turkish Cypriot people, are disconnected from the facts and reflect only the views of the Greek Cypriot side, have no value or provision from our point of view,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic.

COVID-19

Bangladesh will launch a COVID-19 vaccination campaign for Rohingya in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar district amid calls for vaccinating the persecuted people.

Rohingya refugees aged 55 and above will get vaccinated initially, and the age limit will gradually be lowered with the arrival of more vaccines from various sources, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told reporters in Dhaka late Tuesday.

South Africa registered 7,773 COVID-19 infections in a 24-hour period, taking the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 2,391,223, health authorities announced late Tuesday.

“A further 370 COVID-19-related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 70,388 to date,” the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced.

Indonesia on Tuesday reported its highest number of deaths since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic with 2,069 fatalities.

It is the first time that deaths have crossed 2,000 in a single day, bringing the country’s death toll to 86,835.

Spain’s fifth wave of coronavirus infections took a devastating turn Tuesday as more major countries warned against travel to the Mediterranean nation and COVID-19 deaths surged.

On Tuesday, the Health Ministry reported 55 COVID-19 deaths, 26 more than the same day last week.

Developments across world

A landmark trial over alleged financial fraud in connection with Catholic charity funds began Tuesday in the Vatican, according to local media.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that the 10 defendants include several prelates, Holy See employees and external managers, and 73-year-old Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, a close aide to Pope Francis, in a case stemming from a loss-making investment in a controversial property deal regarding a building on Sloane Avenue in London.

Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed some top state officials Tuesday, according to a state bulletin.

The bulletin included the president’s latest decisions on the dismissal of state officials, which has been ongoing since Sunday.

Among those dismissed from their duties are the director of the prime ministry council, the secretary-general of the government and the prime minister's advisers.

On Sunday, Saied dismissed the government of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, froze parliament and assumed executive authority with the assistance of a new prime minister.

In sports news, American Simone Biles decided Tuesday to pull out of the team gymnastics finals at the Tokyo Games because of a medical issue.
Biles, 24, had to withdraw from the competition after posting 13.766 on the vault apparatus during the women's team final at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre.