International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, thousands of volunteer software developers have been using a crucial Twitter tool to comb the platform for calls for help — including from people trapped in collapsed buildings — and connect people with rescue organizations. They could soon lose access unless they pay Twitter
New Zealand declared a national state of emergency Tuesday as severe tropical storm Gabrielle swept away roads, inundated homes and left tens of thousands of residents without power. High winds and heavy rain lashed the country’s North Island overnight in what officials called an “unprecedented weather event”. “It’s been a big night for New Zealanders. A lot of families are displaced, a
The United Nations decried Sunday the failure to ship desperately needed aid to war-torn regions of Syria, while warning the death toll of more than 33,000 from the earthquake that also struck Turkey is set to rise far higher. A UN convoy with supplies for northwest Syria arrived via Turkey, but the agency’s relief chief
Rescuers pulled a seven-month-old baby and a teenage girl from the rubble on Sunday, nearly a week after an earthquake devastated Turkey and Syria and killed more than 28,000 people. Tens of thousands of rescue workers are scouring flattened neighbourhoods despite freezing weather that has deepened the misery of millions now in desperate need of
Turkish police have detained 12 people over collapsed buildings in the southeastern provinces of Gaziantep and Sanliurfa, local media reported on Saturday, following the huge quake that hit Turkey. Those taken into custody included contractors, DHA news agency said. At least 6,000 buildings collapsed after a 7.8-magnitude tremor hit the region, killing more than 25,000
The Thai urban search and rescue (USR) team started work today (Saturday) in a quake-hit Turkish town, after arriving from Bangkok last night. The 42-man team and two sniffer dogs set up camp, next to a team from Romania, and attended a meeting at the international coordination centre last night. The team from the Department
Rescuers pulled children from the rubble of the Turkey-Syria earthquake on Saturday as the death toll approached 24,000 and a winter freeze compounded the suffering of millions of people, many in desperate need of aid. At least 870,000 people urgently needed food in the two countries after the quake, which has made up to 5.3 million
From his reforms to his foreign relations, criticism of Pope Francis has intensified since the death of his predecessor Benedict XVI, revealing a climate of “civil war” at a time when the Catholic Church is engaged in a global conversation about its future. Benedict, a conservative German theologian who was pope for eight years before
Cold, hunger and despair gripped hundreds of thousands of people left homeless after the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria three days ago as the death toll passed 20,000 on Thursday. The rescue of a 2-year-old boy after 79 hours trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building in Hatay, Turkey, and several other people
The first team of 42 Thai rescue workers, from the Department of Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, will leave Bangkok for Turkey tonight (Thursday) to help in rescue and relief operations, following the devastating earthquake, according to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The Thai Government has also donated five million baht in relief aid to Turkey
The King and Queen of Thailand sent letters of condolence today (Thursday), addressed to the presidents of Turkey and Syria, following the loss of life in the devastating earthquake which struck the two countries on Monday. In the letter to the president of Turkey, Their Majesties the King and Queen said that they were very
Temperatures in the quake-stricken Turkish city of Gaziantep plunged to minus five degrees Celsius early Thursday but thousands of families spent the night in cars and makeshift tents — too scared or banned from returning to their homes. Parents walked the streets of the city — close to the epicentre of Monday’s earthquake that has
