Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - April 18, 2021

Daily briefing on novel coronavirus pandemic worldwide, Turkey, other developments

2021-04-18 06:31:58

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

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the latest move by the Greek government to appoint the chief mufti and Athens' treatment of Turkish descendants residing in Western Thrace.

Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of the Hasankeyf-2 Bridge in southeastern Turkey that Turkey managed to "record investments in the past 19 years."​​​​​​​

Turkey reported more than 62,500 coronavirus cases; the country's overall case tally stands at more than 4.21 million while the death toll reached 35,608 with new 288 fatalities.

Turkish authorities donated 10,000 more vaccine doses to Bosnia amid the coronavirus outbreak; the first shipment included 30,000 CoronaVac doses last month.

Families whose children had been abducted or forcibly recruited by the PKK terror group continued a sit-in protest in southeastern Diyarbakir province. The protest began on Sept. 3, 2019, and continues.

- Developments worldwide

The YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror group, killed two civilians in northern Syria when they refused to close their shops; two other civilians were injured and a terrorist was killed.

German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer lambasted Russia for being a "direct and specific" threat to European security.

Alexander Sosonyuk, Ukrainian consul general, was arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service for spying allegations.

The Boko Haram terror group targeted a grain-producing town along Lake Chad on Nigeria's border with Niger; 18 people were killed.

The Assad regime in Syria has dropped nearly 82,000 barrel bombs in nine years, according to a Syrian NGO; the bombs killed 11,087 civilians, including children and women.

A Turkish charity donated new clothes and shoes to 500 orphaned children in Ethiopia; the distribution was organized by the Turkiye Diyanet Foundation in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Britain's Prince Philip was laid to rest after a ceremonial funeral at Windsor Castle; the Duke of Edinburg died on April 9.