Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - Oct. 1, 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 nearly 109.5 million coronavirus vaccine jabs since the country launched an immunization drive in January, according to official figures released Thursday.

More than 53.8 million people have been given a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while around 44.5 million are fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said.

According to the data, some 86.74% of Turkey's adult population has now received at least one dose of a two-shot vaccine.

Turkey has also given third booster shots to more than 10.39 million people.

The ministry recorded 29,104 new coronavirus cases, 216 fatalities and 32,119 recoveries over the past 24 hours.

Turkey "remains committed" to every decision agreed with Russia on Syria, and there is "no stepping back," said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey's foreign minister discussed strategic relations and global issues with the head of the African Union Commission.

With 377 schools and nearly 50,000 students of the Maarif Foundation across the world, Turkey now ranks among the top five countries with its global school network, the head of the foundation said.

The Turkish parliament on Friday will launch the fifth legislative session of its 27th term.

Other developments

Some 67.5% of Muslims living in the US have experienced Islamophobia at least once in their life, according to a study by the University of California, Berkeley.

The US Congress voted on a spending plan to keep the government running past a midnight deadline, but only temporarily.

The European Union announced that Serbia and Kosovo have reached a deal to deescalate border tensions over a dispute involving license plates which had entered its second week.

Germany's Social Democrats and their rival Christian Democrats will hold separate talks with other parties Sunday on coalition government options, party officials said.

Words by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg criticizing world leaders for pledging but not taking action to fight climate change have gone viral on social media.

Suicides among US troops increased 15% in 2020 from 2019, according to a Pentagon report.

Amid an ongoing drive against Muslims and their places of worship, France has shut down one-third of 89 inspected mosques since November 2020, the French interior minister said.

Pakistani authorities announced strict restrictions on non-vaccinated people in the country, including a ban on boarding domestic and international flights.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un indicated that he is willing to restore communication with South Korea but brushed off US offers for talks as "cunning ways" and "a petty trick" to mask its hostility toward Pyongyang.

The Kilauea volcano has erupted at its summit, spewing thick plumes and creating fire fountains up to 100 feet (about 30 meters) tall and flooding the Halemaumau Crater floor, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The world should not live in fear of the coronavirus as it will continue to exist for some years, but it has become manageable, said a co-founder of the German company BioNTech. -