DAMASCUS: The WHO chief said Sunday that Syria’s President Bashar Assad had voiced openness to more border crossings for aid to be brought to quake victims in the country’s rebel-held northwest.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met with the Syrian president in Damascus on Sunday afternoon to discuss the response to the devastating earthquake which has killed more than 33,000 people across Syria and Turkiye.

CAIRO: Customs authorities at Cairo International Airport recently foiled smuggling attempts involving items such as ammunition, bladed weapons, drones fitted with cameras, gold jewelry, and drugs.

One passenger of Egyptian origin arriving on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul was caught carrying 2,400 4.5-millimeter air-pressure bullets and two electronic devices, prohibited under Egyptian law without special permits.

ANKARA: Baris Yapar managed to escape his building when the first massive earthquake struck southeast Turkiye in the early hours of Monday. His grandparents were living just a short distance away, but when he reached their building, he found only rubble.

“We waited the whole night. We made several calls, but no one came to help,” Yapar told Arab News near his home in the Samandag district of Hatay province.

“After 40 hours, we rented the necessary equipment to open some parts of the wreckage ourselves.”

AL-MUKALLA: The number of Yemenis killed in Monday’s earthquake in Turkey has risen to seven after rescuers recovered the remains of five Yemenis on Friday amid escalating frustration over the sluggish delivery of humanitarian aid.

ANTAKYA, Turkiye: His bloodied face is instantly visible as he runs down the alley of the old bazaar in the historic city of Antakya, pursued by a shopkeeper with an iron bar, accusing him of looting in the wake of Turkiye’s huge earthquake.
Monday’s 7.8-magnitude tremor hit Turkiye and Syria, killing nearly 26,000 people and destroying thousands of homes and businesses.
Looters have exploited the tragedy in Turkiye, smashing windows with hammers, and taking whatever they can find, including expensive mobile phones.