Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes. Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter
Here is your 15 minutes wrap-up for the highlights from Turkey and all around the World. 1. CORONA CASES IN TURKEY AND IN THE WORLD Turkey •
Death Toll in Turkey Rises By 115 To 1.518 People o Health Ministry declared that 115 more people lost their lives in Turkey due to the pandemic in the last 24 hours. While the overall death toll rose to 1.518 people, the number of cases rose by 4.281 to 69.392. (Turkish)
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Penalty of Violence Against Healthcare Workers Is Intensified o Bill of Law on Amendments of Some Laws and Higher Education Law including regulation concerning prevention of violence against healthcare workers and compensation of education cancelled due to the Covid-19 has been ratified by the Turkish Parliament. (Turkish)
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New Regulation for Pharmacies in Istanbul for the Weekends o A two-day lockdown has been declared for 31 cities on April 18-19 within the scope of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in Turkey while Istanbul Chamber of Pharmacies announced the number of pharmacies on duty in Istanbul shall be raised by three times on April 18th, Saturday. (Turkish)
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Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Workers to Be Exempted from Curfew o Bekir Pakdemirli, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, has revealed that farmers, producers and the food sector workers who are engaged in agricultural and animal husbandry activities shall be exempted from the curfew. (Turkish)
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Minister Cavusoglu: We’ll Bring Citizens Living Abroad to Turkey o Mevlut Cavusoglu, Foreign Affairs Minister, has noted that they brought 25 thousand Turkish citizens who were abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic to Turkey and they will soon bring Turkish citizens who are still abroad and apply for returning after the quarantine conditions are ready. (Turkish)
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Financial Measures Bill Against Covid-19 Becomes A Law o The Bill that concerns to decrease the impacts of the novel coronavirus pandemic on Financial and social life and amendments in some laws has been accepted by the Turkish Parliament. (Turkish). Please kindly find related tax circulars from this link (Link)
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Ministry of Trade Poises for Holding A Virtual Fair o Discussing the effects of the pandemic with the sector representatives, Ruhsar Pekcan, Minister of Trade, talked as follows: “Directorate General for Export has been working on virtual fairs. We might create new opportunities through virtual fairs, B2B meetings, and virtual trade delegations. (Turkish)
World •
The Evolution of The Pandemic in France
Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes. Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter
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The coronavirus epidemic is starting to slow down in the main European countries concerned. In France, the figure of 15.000 victims has been crossed. The number of patients cured is increasing and resuscitation care is declining slightly. However, tension remains very high in health services. (French)
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Italy Aims to Turn Suffering to Advantage with Experimental Covid-19 Treatment o For nearly a month, Italy held the awful distinction of having the most coronavirus deaths of any country in the world -- topping China, the original epicenter, in midMarch, and being overtaken by the United States three and a half weeks later. But now doctors are hoping to turn Italy's terrible suffering to its advantage. The country is pinning its hopes on using the blood plasma of Covid-19 survivors to help those who are suffering most from it in hospitals now. (English)
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UK Government Promised Tests for Care Homes, Government to Publish Exit Strategy, Deaths Under-Reported According to Experts o All care home residents and staff with Covid-19 symptoms will be tested for coronavirus as laboratory capacity increases, the government has promised. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was "determined" to ensure everyone who needed a test had access to one. Care providers been calling for more testing for weeks, amid outbreaks at more than 2,000 homes. (English) o Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer is urging the government to publish an exit strategy from the coronavirus lockdown this week. The government is expected to announce on Thursday that social distancing measures will continue. Sir Keir said Labor would back such a move but to maintain public trust "there needs to be transparency". The government said talking about an exit before the virus had reached its peak risks confusing the public. (English) o The number of deaths as a result of the coronavirus outbreak could be even higher than official statistics suggest because of under-reporting by doctors, experts have warned. Concerns have been raised that patients may be dying of other causes as a result of not seeking healthcare when they feel unwell during the pandemic. There are also fears some deaths caused by Covid-19 had not been attributed to the virus. (English) o A forecast by the UK's tax and spending watchdog suggests the coronavirus crisis will have "serious implications" for the UK economy, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak has said. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned the pandemic could see the economy shrink by a record 35% by June. Mr Sunak stressed that the forecast was only one possible scenario. But he said it was important that the government was "honest with people about what may be happening". (English)
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Ireland, One Island, Two Coronavirus Strategies. Which One Is Right? o Northern Ireland, which is covered by the UK's National Health Service, is advising people to self-isolate if they suspect they're infected. But testing kits are largely reserved to patients in hospital and health service workers. Meanwhile, south of the border, the Republic of Ireland is testing people much more widely across the community and tracking coronavirus cases well beyond hospitals. “It’s pretty crazy,” Gabriel Scally, President of Epidemiology and public health at the Royal Society of Medicine, told Euronews. He’s calling for an “all-island strategy” to be set up. (English)
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US Halts Funding To WHO, Trump Attacked Over Halting the Funding, Inequality Surfaces in the US Due to Covid-19
Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes. Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter
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US President Donald Trump says his administration will halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO). He said the WHO had "failed in its basic duty" in its response to the coronavirus outbreak. Mr Trump has himself come under criticism at home over his handling of the outbreak. (English) US President Donald Trump has been heavily criticized for halting funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Philanthropist Bill Gates, a major funder of the WHO, said it was "as dangerous as it sounds". UN Secretary General António Guterres said it was "not the time" to cut funds to the WHO, which "is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against Covid-19". (English) The sick who still go to work because they have no paid leave. Families who face ruin from even a temporary layoff. Front-line workers risking infection as they drive buses, bag takeout meals and mop hospital floors. For years, financial inequality has widened in the United States and elsewhere as wealth and income have become increasingly concentrated among the most affluent while millions struggle to get by. Now, the coronavirus outbreak has laid bare the human cost of that inequality, making it more visible and potentially worse. (English)
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China Approves Three COVID-19 Vaccines for Clinical Trials o China has approved three COVID-19 vaccine candidates for clinical trials, said an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) on Tuesday. The first phase of the clinical trial was completed at the end of March, and the second phase started on April 12. It is the first COVID-19 vaccine in the world that has entered the second phase of clinical trials, according to the World Health Organization. (English)
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Shanghai Reports Three New Cases of Virus That Were Caught Outside 0f China o Shanghai has reported three new coronavirus cases in Chinese nationals who caught the virus abroad, as the country’s health authorities warn of the number of imported cases increasing. (English)
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Greece Entered the Markets by Issuing Bonds o Officials stress it is too early to relax restrictions despite Greece’s relative success in containing the virus’ spread. The number of infections rose to 2,192 and the official death toll to 103. (English) o Greece drew €2 billion from international capital markets, following the successful issuance of seven-year syndicated bonds. (English) o Greece extends travel ban to and from UK, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany until May 15 at the very least. (English)
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New Package of Measures Announced While Russia's Coronavirus Cases Are Increased o Russia confirmed 3.388 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 24.490. (English) o The Moscow government approved the third package of measures to support small and medium-sized businesses. In particular, support for the payment of wages, assistance for commercial property owners and deferral of advance payments. (Russian) o Energy companies will be able to apply for state support only if there is a continuous decrease in electricity consumption, which will entail a significant reduction in the gross revenue of enterprises. (Russian)
Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes. Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter
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Vladimir Putin instructed to provide direct free state assistance to small and medium-sized businesses in the amount of 12,130 rubles per employee. (Russian) The Softtree company of the National Technology Initiative (NTI) Market Safe launched a mobile application that, using machine learning and big data analysis technologies, estimates the probability of coronavirus infection for a user. (Russian)
2. MARKETS •
G20 Countries Agree Debt Freeze for World's Poorest Countries o The actions to freeze both principal repayments and interest payments will free up more than $20 billion for the countries to spend on improving their health systems and fighting the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan told reporters after a virtual meeting of G20 finance officials. (English)
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Coronavirus Crisis Will Erase Nearly a Decade of Oil Demand Growth This Year o The International Energy Agency (IEA) said Wednesday that it expects the coronavirus crisis to erase almost a decade of oil demand growth in 2020, with countries around the world effectively having to shut down in response to the pandemic. Activity in the transportation sector has fallen dramatically almost everywhere, the IEA said, noting that confinement measures had been implemented in 187 countries and territories in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. “Even assuming that travel restrictions are eased in the second half of the year, we expect that global oil demand in 2020 will fall by 9.3 million barrels a day versus 2019, erasing almost a decade of growth.” (English)
3. BUSINESS WORLD •
Amazon Could Close Its French Logistics Sites Until At Least April 20th o Amazon is considering closing its six logistics platforms in France this Wednesday and at least until April 20. (French)
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China Unicorns' Valuations Slide as Virus-Fearing Investors Seek Early Exits o Valuations of Chinese unicorns have fallen below levels reached in the firms’ most-recent fundraising rounds, secondary market offerings by existing investors show, highlighting the strain on backers amid the coronavirus outbreak and volatile markets. (English)
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Lenovo Data Centers, Coding Unit to Expand o Lenovo Group Ltd is expanding its data center business and software and services unit this year as the Chinese tech giant looks to cope with the COVID-19 challenges and opportunities, company officials said on Tuesday. The move comes after the world's largest personal computer maker restarted production in all its factories in China, including its gigantic plant in hard-hit Wuhan, capital of Hubei province. (English)
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Tofas Extends the Break Until May 4th o Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS has extended the break in production from April 20th to May 4th due to the delays in international supply and delivery processes. (Turkish)
Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes. Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter
4. TECHNOLOGY & STARTUPS •
Biometrics Security Technology Developer Biocatch Raises $145M o The company’s technology tracks user behavior on websites to determine if a customer is real or a fraudster, according to a statement. Its technology is now used by more than 40 of the largest global financial institutions, the company said. (English)
5. ARTS & CULTURE & LIFESTYLE •
A Year After the Blaze, Notre Dame's Rebuild Is on Hold Due to Coronavirus o Work at the Paris site has been suspended since March 16, when France introduced widespread measures to help control the spread of Covid-19. And despite the months of recovery work already undertaken, there is ongoing uncertainty about the full extent of the damage. (English)
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Winners of 16th Akbank Short Film Festival Are Announced o Results of 16th Akbank Short Film Festival, in which 2217 films from 74 countries are submitted, are announced through the Instagram page of Akbank Sanat with the presentation of Ceyda Düvenci. (Turkish)
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Istanbul Film Festival’s Awarded Films Selection o After IKSV announced that Istanbul Film Festival is postponed due to coronavirus, awarded films from the festival’s last 10 years are published online (Turkish)
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Global Citizen Brings Over 70 World Artists to Your Home: "One World: Together at Home" o As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to force people apart, Global Citizen is using the power of music and advocacy to bring people together with ‘’One World: Together at Home’’ on April 18 at 20:00 (New York Time). This special event is organized in collaboration with Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Camila Cabello, Céline Dion, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Kimmel, Matthew McConaughey, Oprah Winfrey, Pharrell Williams, Sam Smith, Shawn Mendes, Taylor Swift, Usher and more in order to celebrate and support healthcare workers and the COVID19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. (English)
6. SPORTS •
The Tour De France Will Take Place from August 29th To September 20th o This postponement had become inevitable since the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced on Monday April 13th, the ban on "events with a large audience at least until mid-July". (French)
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Cristiano Ronaldo Came Up with Portugal Team Donation Idea o Football stars from around the world continue to unite in the fight against the coronavirus, with Portugal's national team the latest to give up a portion of its earnings. The players have given up half of their bonuses for qualifying for Euro 2020 and will reportedly put the money towards helping non-professional teams across the country avoid going bust during the Covid-19 lockdown. (English)
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Could F1 2020 start in Austria? Sky F1 Vodcast with Christian Horner and Carlos Sainz
Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes. Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter
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The prospect of starting the Formula 1 season with a behind-closed-doors July race in Austria is "absolutely feasible", according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner - one of the guests on the latest Sky F1 Vodcast. (English)
European Tour Pros Warned to Expect Significant Changes When Golf Returns o European Tour players have been warned of the "profound impact" caused by the suspension of golf during the coronavirus pandemic. The Tour's chief executive, Keith Pelley, has emailed all professional members detailing the significant changes they can expect when competitive golf resumes. (English)
7. SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE •
Today Is Not That Day o After the President of the United States, Donald Trump, had announced that he was halting funding for the UN health agency, pending a review of its response to the initial outbreak, UN Secretary-General Guterres said, ‘’ I believe that the World Health Organization, which is absolutely critical in efforts to win the war against Covid-19, must be supported." The US contributed nearly $900 million to the WHO’s budget for 2018-19. That represents one-fifth of its total budget for those years. (English)
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Call from Macron After IMF: Debts Must Be Suspended o French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a moratorium on debt to help African countries deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and urged G20 finance ministers to reach a deal on suspending debt payments in a meeting Wednesday evening. (English)
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Ekosfer Association: Air Pollution Reduced but Risk Continues o Air pollution is decreasing in the world due to the measures of coronavirus. In this regard, Ekosfer Association Board Member Özgür Gürbüz said, “This crisis, in which more than 100 thousand people lost their lives, showed us the speed of nature's self-recovery and how we actually live in dirty and problematic cities. If we do not learn from here, we may experience similar pains due to the growing climate crisis. ”(Turkish)
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UN Explained: 74 Million People in Arab World Lack Hand-Washing Facility o 74 million people in the water-scarce Arab region are at greater risk of catching the novel coronavirus because they lack a sink or soap at home, the United Nations said. Moreover, according to a UN report, this includes 31 million people in Sudan, more than 14 million in Yemen and 9.9 million in Egypt. (English)
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FAO Rolls Out Toolkit for Smart Policymaking During The COVID-19 Crisis o The World Food and Agriculture Organization has created a virtual space to respond to and mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. This platform, called Food and Agricultural Policy Decision Analysis (FAPDA), serves as a global library that provides detailed information about the social and financial conditions, different agricultural equipment and supply chains of countries. (English)
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German Zoo May Have to Feed Animals To Each Other Due to Coronavirus Lockdown
Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes. Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter
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A German zoo has created a list of animals it may have to slaughter and feed to other animals as it struggles for funds because of the coronavirus crisis. (English)
8. REGULATORY UPDATES •
Curious About Current Regulation Updates? Follow Our Tax Circulars: o Click the link for our Tax Circulars. (English)
Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes. Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter
Note: This information note has been prepared for Mazars Denge employees by Mazars Denge Marketing & Communication team using the information obtained from international and national press organs and is shared only for informational purposes. Resources: T.C. Cumhurbaşkanlığı Resmi Gazete, Sağlık Bakanlığı, Sözcü Gazetesi, Anadolu Ajansı, Webrazzi, ARTnews, Dünya Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, Hürriyet Gazetesi, The Guardian, The Sun, Independent, Financial Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Le Monde, Gouvernement, China Daily, Aposta, Teyit.org, Reuters, Interpress, Ekathimerini, Greekreporter