Anadolu Agency’s Morning Briefing - Feb. 9, 2023

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

At least 12,391 people were killed and 62,914 others injured in 10 provinces of Türkiye due to two strong earthquakes that jolted the southern part of the country, according to authorities.

Türkiye has taken action with all its institutions and resources since Monday's deadly earthquakes in its southern provinces, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

A large quantity of cocaine worth more than NZ$500 million (around $316 million) was seized in the Pacific Ocean and was likely destined for Australia, New Zealand police said.

Forty-eight hours after powerful earthquakes hit southern Türkiye, rescue teams pulled a 2-month-old baby alive from the rubble in Kahramanmaras province.

French magazine Charlie Hebdo drew criticism from Parisians with a cartoon it published mocking Türkiye after the country was hit by two deadly earthquakes Monday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria a "grade three emergency" with a "critical 48-hour window" to save people who are trapped.

Cambodia announced $100,000 in humanitarian aid for Türkiye following Monday’s deadly earthquakes.

Turkish stock exchange Borsa Istanbul announced that it has suspended trading due to two massive earthquakes which hit the country on Monday.

The United Nations humanitarian partners in Somalia and its government sought $2.6 billion to assist millions of people in the drought-hit Horn of Africa country.

Flag carrier Turkish Airlines is planning to evacuate 30,000 people from southern Türkiye after the region was hit by powerful earthquakes, an official announced.

France's National Assembly held a minute of silence for the victims of the deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, the French Embassy in Türkiye said.

Arab communities in Türkiye have launched campaigns to provide help to thousands of people affected by the two violent earthquakes that struck the country on Monday.

Responding to US President Joe Biden’s competition remarks, China said Beijing would not avoid or fear competition, according to state-run media.

All major roads around Türkiye have been reopened to traffic, authorities said Wednesday, as earthquake relief efforts continue in the country’s southern parts.

A Moroccan court has slapped 15 Sudanese migrants with jail terms for attempting to scale an iron border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Melilla last year, according to a local rights group.

The Palestinian death toll in the two violent earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria has risen to 66, according to officials.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited the Turkish Embassy in Baku, where he offered his condolences to Turkish Ambassador Cahit Bagci over the loss of life due to Monday's earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye.

Egypt's Al-Azhar, the highest seat of Sunni Islamic learning, called for global efforts to provide relief for earthquake victims in Türkiye and Syria.

The US condemned Malawi over the suspension of the East African nation's anti-corruption watchdog agency.

India has so far dispatched four flights carrying relief material, rescue personnel and medical teams to Türkiye to help the victims of Monday's massive earthquakes that killed thousands of people, officials said.

Germany reiterated that the main objective is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as talks over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal remain stalled.

EU heads of state and government will meet on Thursday to discuss migration, economic affairs and the bloc’s support for Ukraine.

The World Health Organization said it will send expert teams and special flights with medical supplies to Türkiye and Syria following devastating earthquakes that struck the region earlier this week.

The potential supply of British fighter jets to Ukraine would lead to military and political consequences for the European continent and the world, the Russian Embassy in the UK said.

The recent earthquakes that jolted southeastern Türkiye were very large and powerful, according to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

China is ramping up its spying activities in Europe, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned as tensions worsen between Washington and Beijing over a suspected surveillance balloon.

The US military transported two civilian urban search and rescue teams and moved a US carrier in the Mediterranean Sea toward Türkiye, the Pentagon said.