Anadolu Agency’s Morning Briefing - Feb. 12, 2023

ANKARA (AA) - Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments around the world.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said the death toll rose to 24,617 with more than 80,000 wounded from devastating earthquakes in southern Türkiye.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the earthquakes were three times stronger than the 1999 Marmara earthquake in the northwest.

More people were rescued from the rubble of collapsed buildings as teams from around the world race against time to save lives in the aftermath of Monday's quakes.

Turkish security teams arrested at least 48 suspects for allegedly looting damaged buildings or prank-calling victims after the earthquakes shook the region.

The UN relief chief described the earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye and northwestern Syria as the "worst event” to hit the region in a century.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Turkish Embassy in Kyiv to offer condolences to those affected by the quakes.

Italy's prime minister hailed as a "message of hope” the rescue of a 2-year-old after being trapped under the rubble for 122 hours.

Six days since the earthquakes struck, Caucasian and Central Asian countries are lending support to Türkiye in rescue and relief efforts.

A Pakistani in the US donated $30 million to the families of those who lost their lives and were injured in the two quakes in southern Türkiye and Syria, according to the Pakistani prime minister.

The Türkiye-Armenia border reopened for the first time in 35 years to carry humanitarian aid to those affected by the twin earthquakes in Türkiye.

Lebanon dispatched another rescue mission to Türkiye to join search and relief efforts.

More than 700,000 people participated in a donation drive in Saudi Arabia that has collected more than 250 million riyals ($66.6 million) for quake victims in Türkiye and Syria.

Britain dispatched another rescue mission to Türkiye that will join search and relief efforts.

China dispatched the first batch of humanitarian aid to quake-ravaged areas.

Japan will send a medical team and relief supplies to southern Türkiye which has been devastated, according to media reports, citing separate statements.

Angelina Jolie appealed for donations to Türkiye and Syria

Thousands of Iranians took to the streets in Tehran and other cities to mark the 44th anniversary of Iran’s 1979 revolution.

A hacker group, Edalat e Ali (Justice of Ali), said it interrupted the online broadcast of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's speech to mark the 44th anniversary of the revolution.

An Italian member of the European Parliament (MEP), Andrea Cozzolino, was detained as part of an ongoing corruption investigation, said Italian news agency ANSA.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered a fighter jet to shoot down an unidentified object that was in Canadian air space.