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

Turkey reported a little more than 18,000 new coronavirus cases. A total of 18,052 infections, including 2,178 symptomatic patients, were confirmed across the country. Turkey's overall case tally is more than 5.02 million, while the nationwide death toll stands at 42,746, with 281 fatalities in the past 24 hours.

A top public health expert in Turkey stressed the need to gradually lift coronavirus restrictions after May 17, when a total lockdown ends.

Turkey wants an update to a 2016 refugee deal with the EU and the continuation of positive relations with the bloc, said the Turkish deputy foreign minister.

Turkish security forces neutralized three YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria. In another operation, at least two PKK terrorists were neutralized in northern Iraq in a joint operation by Turkish security forces and its spy agency.

The armed unmanned marine vessel (SIDA), the first platform of the ULAQ series developed in cooperation with Turkish defense industry companies, is ready to launch missiles.

Vice President Fuat Oktay marked Laylat al-Qadr, or the Night of Power, which marks the first revelation of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad.

Turkey's president issued a special message marking Mother’s Day, praising mothers as the shapers of family and society.

COVID-19 updates worldwide

India registered 4,187 deaths from the virus in a single day, raising the death toll to 238,270; it reported 401,078 new cases.

The highly infectious Indian variant has been detected in Bangladesh despite a total closure of borders between the two South Asian countries.

The European Commission approved a new contract with pharmaceutical companies BioNTech/Pfizer to assure vaccines until 2023.

The UK will be free from the coronavirus and variants by midsummer, according to the outgoing chief of the country’s vaccine task force.

Other global developments

A UN peace envoy said he was "deeply concerned" by heightened tensions and violence in and around Jerusalem.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party (SNP) won 64 seats in Thursday’s election, the final vote count result showed.

Israeli police used stun grenades to disperse Palestinians gathered at the Damascus Gate in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem.

The number of people injured rose to 80 in clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the Palestine Red Crescent reported. The number injured in clashes since Friday currently stands at 285.