Turkey's economy will continue to grow following a record-high rise in its exports last month, the country's president said on Thursday.

"Our November exports increased by 33.44% to $21.5 billion, compared to the same month of last year, according to foreign trade data announced today," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter. "On an annual basis, our exports reached $221 billion."

"We will work harder, produce more, and grow further," he added.

Erdogan also shared an infographic on Turkey's recent export figures.

Turkey's total exports climbed to over $203.1 billion during the first 11 months of 2021, up 33.82%, from the same period of last year, according to the infographic.

The greatest share of the country's exports went to Germany, followed by the UK and US, it shows./aa

The US and Mexico reached an agreement Thursday that will revive the Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP, commonly known as “Remain in Mexico.”

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the developments, saying that no migrant will be returned to their home country, for now.

“The Government of the United States has accepted the humanitarian concerns of the Government of Mexico, among which are greater resources for shelters and international organizations, protection for vulnerable groups, consideration of local conditions of security and shelter capacity- as well as the application of measures against COVID-19, such as medical check-ups and the availability of vaccines for migrants,” it said in a statement.

Migrants will reportedly be vaccinated for the coronavirus, with adults receiving the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine and eligible children getting the Pfizer shot.

The US will provide legal counseling and exemptions for “vulnerable” people such as unaccompanied children and pregnant women.

The border policy pushed by the former US administration of Donald Trump seeks to deter asylum seekers coming from Mexico to the US.

President Joe Biden intended to scrap the policy, allowing asylum seekers to wait in US territory until their migration resolution cases could be heard by a judge.

But a court ruling from in the state of Texas reignited the policy.

In 2018, Trump threatened to apply tariffs to steel imports if Mexico did not comply with his “request” to stop migration flows from Mexico’s border. ​​​​​​​

The result was MPP, which saw Mexican authorities detaining migrants and having them wait in Mexico until their cases allowed them in the US or they were deported.

Around 70,000 migrants have been subjected to the “Remain in Mexico” protocol since it was first implemented in January 2019.​​​​​​​/aa

Spain confirmed its first community transmission case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus on Thursday, reporting the infection of a vaccinated man in Madrid.

"The affected had no travel history or close contact with anyone who had traveled to any of the countries where the variant has been detected," said a statement from the Government of the Community of Madrid.

The 62-year-old man who had received two jabs of the AstraZeneca vaccine began to experience symptoms on Monday. He is now in confinement alongside the person who lives with him.

Meanwhile, Madrid officials are sequencing two other suspicious viruses in people who also have no travel history.

Thursday's omicron case is the fourth reported in Spain, but all of the others were in people who had recently traveled to South Africa.

Three of the cases were found in Madrid and another in the Balearic Islands.

Meanwhile, 19 people have now tested positive for the omicron variant in Portugal, according to the country's head of health.

Speaking to broadcaster RTP, Graca Freitas said all of the cases found were in people with ties to the Belenenses SAD football club.

Thibang 'Cafu' Phete, the team's defender, had recently returned from South Africa.

On Monday, Portuguese health authorities confirmed that 13 players and staff from Lisbon's first-division team had tested positive for the new variant of concern.

Several players have already been in confinement since last Saturday when the team were forced to play a football match despite being short players.

More than 100 people, who may have had contact with the infected team members, have been in isolation and are being closely monitored by health officials to prevent the spread of the mutant virus.​​​​​​​/aa

An armed man who prompted a lockdown at UN headquarters in New York is in custody, police said Thursday.

"In regard to reports of a man with a firearm at 42nd Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan—the individual is now in custody and there is NO THREAT to the public," the New York Police Department said on Twitter.

"Continue to avoid the area and expect delays. More information to follow when available," it added.

Anadolu Agency footage shows the man in a red jacket pointing a shotgun to his neck, with officers and snipers positioned nearby. Police can be seen talking to the man, apparently to convince him to drop the gun.

UN security issued a warning earlier to all staff, diplomats and journalists not to leave the building due to the "security situation" outside the building./aa

The US state of Minnesota detected its first omicron coronavirus case Thursday -- the second in the country, according to authorities.

The Minnesota Department of Health found the variant in a resident with a recent travel history to New York City.

The patient is an adult male, resident of Hennepin County and had been vaccinated, said the department in a statement. He developed mild symptoms Nov. 22 and sought testing Nov. 24.

He attended the Anime NYC 2021 convention at the Javits Center from Nov. 19 - 21. He was advised to isolate himself from others.

"Minnesota epidemiologists will continue to investigate in collaboration with New York City and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," it said.

The US identified its first case of the omicron variant in the state of California on Wednesday. The patient was a traveler who returned Nov. 22 from South Africa and tested positive Nov. 29.

President Joe Biden said Monday that the US will see cases of the omicron variant "sooner or later," but that is no reason to panic.

South African scientists announced Nov. 24 that they discovered the variant, which has several mutations that may carry the risk of reinfection. Cases of the variant have since been found in a number of Western countries.

Last Friday, the World Health Organization declared the strain a "variant of concern."/agencies

Iran has submitted two key drafts pertaining to removal of sanctions and nuclear commitments to the European parties currently holding talks in Vienna to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iran's lead negotiator, Ali Bagheri-Kani, made the announcement on Thursday morning after four days of intense deliberations between Iran and the P4+1 countries.

The senior Iranian diplomat told reporters that other parties, referring to the Europeans, need to "study" the drafts delivered by Iran and return for "serious discussions.”

"If they are ready to continue the talks, we are in Vienna to continue talks," Bagheri said.

He added that the first draft is about Iran's demand for sanctions to be lifted, while the second draft is about Iran's nuclear commitments and activities.

The seventh round of talks resumed on Monday after a five-month hiatus during which a new government took over in Tehran.

During Monday's talks, the Iranian delegation reportedly made a strong pitch for the removal of sanctions and prioritizing it over other issues.

It insisted that the measures taken by Tehran since May 2019, a year after the US withdrawal, have been "within the framework" of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Enrique Mora, the top EU representative who co-chaired the meeting with Bagheri, noted a "sense of urgency" about reviving the nuclear deal but referred to many "political and technical issues" impeding the efforts.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, expert-level meetings of two working groups – removal of sanctions and nuclear issues – were discussed by the parties.

Following the submission of drafts, Bagheri on Thursday held a meeting with Enrique Mora as well as the negotiators from E3 countries – France, Germany, and the UK.

He is also expected to meet the head of UN nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, later in the day to discuss the two drafts.

On Wednesday, there were reports that the European parties have called for an end to the latest round of talks in Vienna, asking for a timeline and deadline.

Iran has responded by saying it is willing to continue talks "as long as required,” with a focus on getting sanctions lifted.

Importantly, while Iran's top priority in these talks is the removal of sanctions, the US has called on Tehran to first return to full compliance with the deal and reverse all recent nuclear measures.

In a tweet late on Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that the talks are "proceeding with seriousness" and sanctions removal is being treated as a "fundamental priority" by Iran.

"Good deal (is) within reach if the West shows goodwill. We seek rational, sober & result-oriented dialogue," he added./aa

Turkey announced on Thursday that screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) disease will be required prior to marriage in the country by the end of the month.

"We are implementing the program of SMA screening for all couples before marriage and newborns," Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters following an SMA Scientific Committee meeting.

"SMA screening is becoming mandatory before marriage," he added.

"As a result of the screening, couples whose genetic structures carry the risk of giving birth to a baby with SMA can have a child using in vitro fertilization without this risk, if they wish. The cost is covered by our state," Koca added.

He also noted that SMA's inclusion in genetic screenings for diseases in newborns in order to catch the illness early, when treatment is effective.

The minister said the new measure would go into effect by the end of the month.

Turkey has been treating SMA Type 1 since 2017, and Type 2 and 3 since 2019, according to Koca.

SMA is a genetic neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle atrophy and weakness, explains the SMA Foundation website. The disease generally manifests early in life and is the leading genetic cause of death in infants and toddlers.

It is the second-most common autosomal recessive disease in humans, after cystic fibrosis. The overall incidence of SMA is about one in 6,000 to one in 10,000 live births, with a carrier frequency as high as one in 40, according to medical news outlet Medscape./aa

The European Union on Thursday removed Jordan and Namibia from its list allowing non-essential travel to the bloc as the Council of the EU revised rules for traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the new rules valid as of Thursday, residents from Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Kuwait, New Zealand, Peru, Rwanda, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay can travel to the EU for non-essential purposes regardless of their vaccination status.

The same applies to Chinese citizens, in case Beijing grants the same rights to EU citizens.

The travel list, updated every two weeks, grants access to 27 EU states and non-EU members of the Schengen zone -- Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

However, EU governments are allowed to disregard the recommendations and allow visitors from other countries, as well as restrict the entry of those on the list if they are not fully vaccinated.

The European Commission proposed last week EU member states gradually open their borders to international travelers to remove this system of country listing that grants access based on nationality and does not consider the vaccination status.

If EU member states agree, every vaccinated individual by a WHO-approved jab can enter the bloc for non-essential purposes as of Jan. 10, and the country lists will be repealed as of March 1.

The WHO's emergency list features Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, also approved by the European Medicines Agency, well as the Covishield, Covaxin, Sinopharm, and Sinovac jabs.

The EU imposed travel restrictions last March to stem the spread of the COVID-19./aa

US stocks opened higher Thursday, recovering from major losses in the previous session amid risks stemming from the first case of the omicron coronavirus variant in the country.

The Dow Jones industrial average was up almost 430 points, or 1.27%, to 34,442 at 9.50 a.m. The blue chip index lost 461 points Wednesday.

The S&P 500 rose 46 points, or 1%, to 4,559 after falling 54 points in the previous session.

The Nasdaq gained 28 points, or 0.2%, to 15,282, after the tech-heavy index was off 283 points at the last closing bell.

The US identified its first case of the omicron variant in the state of California on Wednesday, increasing worries for investors amid potential quarantine measures and a halt to economic recovery around the world.

Despite climbing above 30 on Wednesday for the first time since March, the VIX volatility index, known as the fear index, was down 9.8% to 28.08.

The dollar index fell 0.17% to 95.86, while the yield on 10-year US Treasury notes was up 0.6% to 1.443%.

Crude prices were down more than 1%. Brent crude fell to $68.18 per barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude was down to $64.94.

Precious metals were mixed with gold losing 0.9% to $1,765 an ounce but silver was up 0.1% to $22.34./aa

Six civilians were injured Thursday in an attack by Assad regime forces and Iran-controlled terror groups in the northwestern province of Idlib in Syria.

Two of the injured are in serious condition, according to information obtained from civil defense sources. The injured were taken to hospitals.

Forces stationed in Saraqib violated a cease-fire in the region as they attacked a residential area in Binnish with ground-to-ground weapons.

In March 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed to a new truce in Idlib to end hostilities and attacks on civilians./aa