Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing – Aug. 9, 2021

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 76.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched a mass vaccination campaign in January, according to official figures released Sunday.

The ministry also confirmed 22,699 new infections and 108 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, while as many as 5,835 more patients recovered.

Meanwhile, there are currently no fires that threaten any settlements in Turkey, the country’s agriculture and forestry minister said Sunday.

Speaking to reporters in southwestern Mugla province, Bekir Pakdemirli said “the overall situation regarding all forest fires in Mugla is getting better.”

He said 16 forest fires broke out in the coastal city and six aircraft, 39 helicopters, 630 sprinklers, 128 construction machines and 3,600 personnel joined efforts to douse the blazes.

Also, the Turkish Coast Guard rescued a group of asylum seekers who were abandoned by a Greek Coast Guard boat on an uninhabited Turkish island, said an official statement.

The Greek boat dropping off the asylum seekers on the Mediterranean island of Basak near the coastal town of Kas in Antalya province was seen by drones assisting in local firefighting efforts, the National Defense Ministry said.

After the irregular migrants were abandoned without survival supplies on the uninhabited island, they were quickly rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard Command, said a ministry statement.

Worldwide developments related to COVID-19

The number of COVID-19 vaccine shots administered worldwide crossed 4.43 billion Sunday, according to Our World in Data, a tracking website affiliated with Oxford University.

China, where the virus was first detected in late 2019, leads the count with more than 1.77 billion jabs, followed by India and the US with 506.81 million and 350.63 million, respectively.
Brazil has administered nearly 151.7 million vaccine shots, while the figure stands at 99.65 million in Japan.
Tunisia launched a COVID-19 vaccination drive Sunday for people over the age of 40, with more than half a million receiving the jab, according to officials.

The Health Ministry said in a statement that a total of 551,008 vaccine doses were administered at 335 health centers across the country.

It noted that the country’s COVID-19 National Vaccination Day attracted great attention.

A shipment of medical equipment and medicines donated by the Turkish government to Indonesia for battling COVID-19 arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Sunday evening.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the medical aid consisted of 50 sets of ventilators and 600,000 boxes of medicine.

The Turkish embassy’s charge d’Affaires, Burak Ali Karacan, handed over the aid to Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, which was witnessed by representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, Scotland has lifted nearly all COVID-19 restrictions as of Monday except for the wearing of face masks.

The move, which comes three weeks after England, was announced by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the Scottish Parliament on Aug. 3.

Bangladesh has inoculated over 2.8 million people with COVID-19 vaccinations, the highest number ever in a single day, as part of a six-day special immunization campaign, said an official statement.

According to a government health bulletin, 2.8 million people were immunized on Saturday, with a record 2.7 million receiving their first dose.

Developments across world

After marching on multiple northern cities in Afghanistan, the Taliban said Sunday that it seized Taluqan, the capital city of northern Takhar province, next to Tajikistan.

The group’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahed, shared several photos and videos of the insurgents hoisting the Taliban flag at the main square in Taluqan, a large and important city, freeing inmates from prison and entering the provincial administration’s compound.

“Today, late [in the evening] the center of Takhar province [Taluqan] with all relevant offices [including the governor’s office, police headquarters, intelligence center, prison and all government installations] are won,” he said in a statement that also instructed fighters not to enter peoples’ homes or make arrests.

Meanwhile, a firefighting plane crashed on the Greek island of Zakynthos on Sunday while it was responding to a fire there, authorities said.

The Fire Service said the pilot of the plane survived and was picked up by another firefighting aircraft.

In sports news, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which began without spectators on July 23 due to the coronavirus, concluded Sunday with a closing ceremony.

During the ceremony, which was held without fans, athletes carried flags from all countries to the center of the field.

The Olympic Stadium also hosted a spectacular fireworks show, concerts and parades. Volunteers working during the Games were also given plaques.