Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing

Coronavirus in Turkey

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Sunday that the number of coronavirus cases in the country remained at an "anticipated level" and nearly 128,000 out of a total 163,942 patients have recovered from the disease with 989 more discharged from hospitals over the past day.

Another 25 people died from the virus, bringing the death toll to 4,540. More than 2 million tests have been conducted nationwide so far.

Although daily cases and the death toll were on decline, the minister warned people to stick to measures such as washing their hands, wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.

In an effort to increase the country's capacity to fight the virus, two more emergency hospitals in Istanbul were inaugurated with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A two-day-long weekend curfew was also lifted as well as quarantines in 428 settlements across 64 provinces of the country, according to the Interior Ministry.

Global outbreak

Countries worldwide are experiencing varying degrees of success in battling the pandemic with some on their way to reaching a climax in the outbreak and others once severely affected recovering in terms of confirmed cases and deaths.

The world's second worst-hit country, Brazil, now has nearly half a million confirmed coronavirus cases with the death toll over 29,000.

Russia witnessed a spike in new cases with the number crossing 400,000 and the death toll almost 4,700.

Africa's COVID-19 cases rose by 6,000 in a single-day record since the outbreak on the continent. The death toll is around 4,000 and the recovery count about 60,000.

Pakistan recorded a record 3,039 cases and 88 deaths from the virus, and health experts are calling for a strict lockdown to contain the disease.

The disease, which has so far claimed more than 372,000 deaths worldwide, continues to spread and claim lives in the Middle East as well.

Europe seemed to be recovering from the pandemic as the number of cases and deaths declined. For the first time in a while, Spain reported less than 100 infections.

In France, the number of infections is declining and the country reported 35 more deaths.

Italy on Sunday reported 75 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 33,415, as Greece's decision to force some Italian nationals to undergo tests before entering the country sparked a new row.

In addition, the World Food Program (WFP) said the pandemic would hit the poorest economies harder.

Clashes, terrorism

At least 10 people were killed and more than 13 others wounded in a bomb blast which targeted a civilian transport vehicle in the vicinity of Hawa Abdi in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, officials said.

Libya marked yet another bloody day as militants affiliated with warlord Khalifa Haftar fired rockets at residential areas of the capital Tripoli, killing five civilians.

The UN-recognized Libyan administration shelled Haftar's militias at Tripoli airport.

Turkey's counter-terrorism efforts continued with determination as a total of six terrorists were 'neutralized' in the country's east and southeast.

Mavi Marmara attack

A decade has passed since the Turkish ship the Mavi Marmara was targeted by Israeli navy commandos as it was bringing aid to Palestinians. Ten people were killed and dozens of others wounded.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas marked the deadly incident on its 10th anniversary, calling it a heinous crime.

The Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), a Turkish NGO, held a commemoration program in honor of those who lost their lives.

Other developments

If you want to take a look at India's border dispute with its neighbors, you can have a look at our report and infographics.

The killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black American, by a white police officer sparked more protests, with the nation’s capital marking a third of day of demonstrations.

In addition, sports stars across the world slammed the killing of Floyd at the hands of a police officer.