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Chinese rescue teams assisting quake-hit areas in Türkiye
By Shen Jun, Yang Yi, People’s Daily
A devastating earthquake that recently took place in southern Türkiye and near-border regions in Syria has killed and injured lots of people in the two countries and leveled buildings.
The Chinese government has launched an emergency humanitarian assistance mechanism at the earliest time possible to provide emergency aid to the two quake-hit countries.
As of Feb. 12 local time, the China Search and Rescue Team, which is under unified coordination and command of the Chinese government, had freed six survivors, including a 50-year-old man who was jointly saved by Chinese and Turkish rescuers on the afternoon of Feb. 12 after four hours of efforts.
So far, the team has sent 206 rescuers in 13 batches to quake-hit areas in Türkiye, who saved six survivors and found eight victims. Besides, rescuers from Hong Kong also extracted three survivors from rubble.
Eighty-two members of the team arrived in Türkiye on Feb. 8, local time, to join earthquake relief efforts in the country. On the afternoon of the same day, they reached Antakya, a harder-hit city in the southern province of Hatay, Türkiye.
They started working before dawn on Feb. 9 and extracted a pregnant woman from the debris at dusk in cooperation with their Turkish counterparts. Later, they freed two more females, even the “Golden 72 hours” for rescue had passed.
On Feb. 10, the China Search and Rescue Team saved another female survivor in the city, and two days later, an adult male was extracted from earthquake debris near the place where the fourth survivor was discovered.
At the same time, several civil Chinese rescue teams also joined the rescue efforts in Türkiye.
Eight earthquake relief experts from the Rescue Team of Ramunion in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province, arrived in Türkiye on Feb. 8 and rescued a man and a child on the same night.
A day later, the team extracted a family of five from a collapsed civil house in the town of Belen in Hatay province.
The Blue Sky Rescue Team, a Chinese civil relief squad, also has 127 members on rescue missions in the Turkish city of Malatya, which is near the epicenter. After dozens of hours, they saved a female from the rubble.
Besides, Chinese construction machinery manufacturer Zoomlion, Beijing Emergency Rescue Association, Green Boat Emergency Rescue and Shenzhen Rescue Volunteers Federation also sent rescuers to Türkiye. As of 9 a.m. on Feb. 10, 288 rescuers from 15 civil Chinese rescue teams had arrived in quake-hit areas in Türkiye.
China’s first batch of 40,000 blankets to Türkiye for earthquake relief departed Shanghai for Istanbul on Feb. 11, Beijing time. Other supplies, including 1,000 tents and medical equipment, will be arriving in the coming days.
The first batch of medical supplies donated by the Red Cross Society of China to Syria arrived in Damascus on Feb. 9.
By Fabian Apechihin
Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner, Georgina Rodriguez, has explained why they chose to have a private wedding at home instead of hosting an extravagant ceremony.
Ronaldo and Rodriguez recently announced their marriage in a joint Instagram post, revealing that the ceremony was a modest affair held in the living room of their mansion in Cascais, Portugal.
The decision surprised many, particularly those who expected the high-profile couple to celebrate their union with a lavish wedding.
In an interview with Vogue, Rodriguez explained that her views about marriage and weddings had changed over the years. She said that although she once dreamed of a fairy-tale wedding as a child, she eventually came to prefer a more intimate celebration with her family.
“As a little girl, I envisioned the grandest castle, the most magnificent carriage, the longest gown and a crown adorned with diamonds,” she said.
“Now, I find myself saying: no. I desire something intimate, shared with my partner and our children, in the comfort of our home. We have access to castles, houses, islands, horses, and cars every day.
“However, an intimate gathering is something more unique for us,” she added.
Rodriguez also explained that holding the ceremony in their living room carried special emotional significance because it is where the family spends much of its everyday life.
“We chose to hold the ceremony in our living room, the place where we share breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and where we experience our daily lives,” she said.
“In 30 years, I want our children to remember that something wonderful occurred at this table, the wedding vows of their parents,” Rodriguez added.
By Fabian Apechihin
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has linked illegal mining in Nigeria to organised crime, terrorism and insecurity across West Africa.
The UN agency disclosed this in a statement on Monday following a meeting between its delegation and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals.
The delegation was led by Tullio Santini, Chief of the Africa Section of the Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB) at UNODC.
Santini described the NSCDC Mining Marshals’ enforcement unit as critical to efforts to combat illegal mining and its associated criminal activities in Nigeria.
The meeting focused on the UNODC Crime-Terrorism Nexus Initiative, led by Robert Haslinger, a law enforcement expert from the Swedish Police.
According to UNODC, the initiative is designed to strengthen cooperation among governments and law enforcement agencies in dismantling the financial and operational links between organised criminal networks and terrorist groups.
Speaking on behalf of the NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, Commander John Onoja Attah described UNODC as an important partner in the fight against illegal mining in Nigeria.
Attah noted that previous training programmes supported by UNODC had significantly improved collaboration between the Mining Marshals and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
He said continued cooperation between relevant agencies would be crucial to addressing the security and financial challenges associated with illegal mining in the country.
By Fabian Apechihin
Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reflected on the transient nature of political relationships, noting that political associates can become distant despite having once worked closely together.
Kwankwaso made the remarks while recalling some of his former political associates.
“I told him that when I come here, I don’t see Bucknor. When I come here, I don’t see Ambode. I started counting the people,” he said.
According to him, his political experience has shown that relationships formed in politics can change over time, with former allies sometimes becoming strangers despite their previous collaborations.
However, Kwankwaso singled out former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, as one of the few political associates he still considers a friend.
He likened political relationships to friendships formed in school, noting that former classmates can maintain strong bonds despite taking different paths in their political careers.
“It’s not very peculiar to Kano, but I think the Kano experience is special out of the general lots,” Kwankwaso said.
Why I Married Cristiano Ronaldo in Our Living Room – Georgina Rodriguez
Illegal Mining in Nigeria Linked to Terrorism, Insecurity – UNODC
Kwankwaso Reflects on Fading Political Alliances
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