ADIYAMAN: A 17-year-old high school student has captured Turkish hearts after he filmed a farewell message to his loved ones as he was trapped under the rubble of his home during last week’s earthquake.
Taha Erdem and his family were fast asleep when a 7.8 magnitude quake hit their hometown of Adiyaman on Feb. 6. Taha was abruptly woken by violent tremors shaking the four-story apartment building in a blue-collar neighborhood of the central Anatolian city.

LONDON: Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday reaffirmed his support for a stable, secure, and sovereign Iraq and the US’ commitment to cooperate with Baghdad under the strategic framework agreement between the two countries.

His comments came during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.

Murat Guzel scatters bird feed on the roof as the sun sets over the Antakya restaurant at which he used to work before the earthquake that destroyed the southern Turkish city.
Birds, mostly pigeons, some motley and scruffy, others pristine and plump, scrabble for the feed as Guzel, 40, calls to them.
“We take care of our birds the way we take care of our children — and will continue to look after them,” he says.

TUNIS: Tunisian President Kais Saied ordered the expulsion Saturday of Europe’s top trade union official for “blatant interference” in the country’s affairs, the latest escalation in a quickening showdown with labor activists.
“On the orders of President Kais Saied, Tunisian authorities ordered the departure of Esther Lynch,” head of the European Trade Union Confederation, the presidency said in a statement.

ISTANBUL: The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed tens of thousands across Turkiye’s southeast has reignited fears of an even more catastrophic death toll if a long-feared one hits Istanbul.
Seismologists warn that a massive earthquake is likely to strike Turkiye’s biggest city — officially home to 16 million people but estimated to hold up to 20 million — by 2030.
The city lies on the northern edge of one of Turkiye’s main fault lines and is densely packed.