By Erdogan Cagatay Zontur
ANKARA (AA) – 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 on Thursday confirmed 1,304 more cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the total to 184,031, according to the country’s health minister.
The total number of recoveries from the disease reached 156,022 while 755 patients remain in intensive care.
The country’s Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, spoke in a televised live interview on CNN Turk on US support to fight terrorism, the latest developments in Libya and Turkey-US cooperation on Libya.
Turkey is setting restrictions on going out this Saturday and next Saturday due to university and high school entrance exams on those days, the Interior Ministry said Thursday.
There will be a general lockdown on June 20 and 27 between 9.30 a.m. and 3 p.m., said a ministry statement. The lockdown will also be in effect on June 28 between 9.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.
Education Minister Ziya Selcuk said Turkey has taken all preventive measures amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Turkish Coast Guard rescued 29 asylum seekers who had been pushed back by Greek coastal authorities into Turkish territorial waters off the Aegean coast.
The country has launched Operation Claw-Tiger against terrorists in northern Iraq, aiming to neutralize the PKK and other terrorist elements that threaten the security of Turkish people and borders.
In the first 36 hours of the operation, Turkish forces hit over 500 targets of the PKK terror group in the region with F-16 jets, howitzers and multiple rockets.
A YPG/PKK terrorist also surrendered to security forces in southeastern Turkey.
– Global coronavirus developments
Global coronavirus recoveries surpassed the 4.13 million mark early Friday, according to a running tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University.
Spain confirmed 585 more coronavirus cases over the past day, while the tally of nationwide cases has reached 245,268.
Italy reported 66 more novel coronavirus-related fatalities, bringing the country's death toll to 35,514. Meanwhile, recoveries continued to climb, surpassing the 180,000 mark.
In France, cases and deaths remain low as the lockdown continues. The country reported a total 29 deaths in hospitals with 158,641 confirmed cases of infection. A total of 73,675 people has recovered.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Russia rose to 561,091 Thursday as 7,790 more infections were registered in the country over the last 24 hours. The country's Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare announced Thursday that nearly 500 doctors in Russia have died from the novel coronavirus.
– Global news
Mary Elizabeth Taylor, the assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs, resigned over President Donald Trump's handling of racial tensions.
Trump sparked anger amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd after tweeting "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."
Floyd, 46, an unarmed black man, died on May 25 after being pinned down by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota after reportedly attempting to use a counterfeit $20 bill at a local store.
China said it “strongly deplores" a sanctions bill signed by the US president against Beijing over its crackdown on the minority Muslim Uyghur ethnic group, calling for cooperation rather than confrontation.
China is accused of carrying out repressive policies against the Turkic Muslim group and restraining their religious, commercial and cultural rights.
Kenya won a United Nations Security Council seat as a non-permanent member after thrashing Djibouti in the second round of voting.
Kenya will now be able to speak on behalf of Africa to come up with reforms and policies that favor the African continent.
