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 more than 30,000 new coronavirus cases, according to the Health Ministry. The nation also registered 151 fatalities and 18,892 recoveries were confirmed in the last 24 hours.
The national football team beat Norway 3-0 in a match played at the La Rosaleda stadium in Malaga, Spain. The win comes after Turkey started the qualifiers with a 4-2 win against the Netherlands on Wednesday. Turkey secured their second win and has six points in Group G.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Qatari Foreign Minister in Istanbul.
Erdogan also marked the Muslim holy night of Barat and Judaism’s fest of Passover.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and his German counterpart, Horst Seehofer, held a virtual meeting where they discussed key issues, including terrorism, immigration and security.
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin received US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad and his delegation at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
During the meeting, recent developments in Afghanistan and details of Afghan peace talks that Turkey plans to host in Istanbul were discussed.
Turkey "strongly condemned" the recent violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Myanmar, which resulted in the deaths of more than 140 people by security forces, according to media reports, volunteer groups and witnesses.
COVID-19 updates worldwide
France reported more than 41,800 new cases and 304 additional fatalities. With the new additions, its death toll rose to 94,302.
Brazil’s Health Ministry reported 3,650 new deaths for the first time since coronavirus hit the South American nation. The new figures took the death toll to 307,112.
The population in Italy has declined by about 384,000 in the past year, as deaths reached their highest level with declining birth rates and an outbreak of the coronavirus. The Italian National Statistical Institute said the pandemic reinforced the downward trend in the population, which has been declining since 2015.
A new variant with the most divergent mutations has been found in travelers from Tanzania, according to a scientific research institute based in South Africa.
The World Health Organization urged the "immediate" donation of 10 million vaccine doses to 20 poorer nations to ensure equitable distribution of jabs worldwide.
Other global developments
China announced sanctions on US and Canadian officials regarding alleged human rights abuses of the Uyghur minority by Beijing.
A Turkish military cargo plane carrying hospital supplies and a field hospital arrived in Bangladesh following a deadly blaze on March 22 in Cox’s Bazar which shelters thousands of Rohingya refugees.
The International Union for Muslim Scholars decried as a double standard against Islam a French government request for imams to recommend same-sex marriage.
The Afghan government warned of chaos and civil war in case of a haphazard withdrawal of US and NATO forces without a peace deal in place.
Myanmar saw its most violent day of a crackdown on pro-democracy protesters when the ruling military regime put on a show of strength during its annual Armed Forces Day.
Volunteer groups and witnesses said more than 140 people have been shot dead by security forces throughout the country on Saturday, according to media reports.
Meanwhile, the Karen National Union, a major rebel group in Myanmar, claimed to have killed 10 government soldiers amid escalating tensions near the country’s eastern border with Thailand.
North Korea warned the US that it may face “undesirable happenings” if it continues provocations and “habitual hostility” against Pyongyang.
