Ankara (AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declares a three-month state of emergency in 10 southeastern provinces hit by a major earthquake that has claimed at least 5,000 lives in Turkey and Syria. “We have decided to declare a state of emergency to ensure that our (rescue and recovery) work can be carried out quickly,” Erdogan says in televised remarks.
Gaziantep (Turquie) (AFP) – Images of rescue efforts in the northern suburbs of Gaziantep, southern Turkey, where hundreds of people stand before the ruins of a collapsed building, waiting for news of their missing loved ones. An ambulance stands ready to take evacuees from the rubble. IMAGES
Besnaya (Syria) (AFP) – Countries all around the world have rapidly mobilised to send aid and rescue workers after a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed more than 5,000 people in Turkey and Syria. The Syrian Red Crescent has pled for more Western aid for the country as efforts are complicated by sanctions and more than a decade of war.
Bamako (AFP) – Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, arrives in Mali in a sign of deepening political and security ties between Moscow and Bamako’s ruling junta, who are seeking Russia’s help in battling an Islamist insurgency that remains entrenched despite years of fighting. Lavrov, who was in Iraq on Monday, is welcomed off the plane in the early hours by his Malian counterpart, Abdoulaye Diop.
Incirlik Air Base (Turkey) (AFP) – French civil security rescue teams arrive at a NATO military base in the town of Incirlik in the southern Turkish province of Adana. The workers are here to assist the Turkish authorities in the search for survivors following a deadly earthquake that left more than 5,000 people dead in Turkey and Syria.
Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) – Syrians gather at a convent in Aleppo to spend the night as they fear more tremors following a deadly earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday.
Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese Marvel fans brimmed with anticipation as they piled into a Shanghai cinema for the midnight premiere of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, the studio’s return to China’s big screens after an almost four-year hiatus.
Hatay (Turkey) (AFP) – “Where is my mum?” A girl asks rescuers, after being pulled alive from the rubble caused by a devastating Turkey quake on Monday night. Turkey’s southeastern city of Hatay lying on the border with Syria is among the cities struck hardest by a major earthquake that killed more than 3,800 and flattened countless buildings.
Manila (AFP) – Two of the four suspects believed to be behind thousands of robberies and telephone fraud cases across Japan are deported from the Philippines, after local charges against them were dismissed. Officials escort Kiyoto Imamura and Toshiya Fujita, who are both handcuffed, into a Japan Airlines jet at Manila airport.
Copenhagen (AFP) – 65 creative light installations are displayed throughout Denmark’s capital city, as the Copenhagen Lights Festival kicked off last weekend. The 3 week event is considered one of the biggest light festivals in Europe. “In the middle of these dark months, having a festival that celebrates city life and being together… is so important for a city like Copenhagen” says Camilla Van Deurs, city architect.
London (AFP) – With his exhibition “The Power of Touch” open at the Quantus gallery in London, visually impaired artist Clarke Reynolds wants to break down barriers with colourful braille artwork that is accessible for everyone: the sighted, unsighted and visually impaired.
Diyarbakir (Turkey) (AFP) – At least 2,300 people in Turkey and Syria have died after the most powerful earthquake to strike the two countries in nearly a century left buildings collapsed and sparked frantic rescues. The 7.8-magnitude early morning quake, followed by dozens of aftershocks, wiped out entire sections of major Turkish cities in a region filled with millions who have fled Syria’s civil war and other conflicts.
