• A woman walks among destroyed buildings in Hatay, Turkey. Getty Images
    A woman walks among destroyed buildings in Hatay, Turkey. Getty Images
  • A woman mourns a relative during the burial of one of the earthquake victims in Antakya, southeastern Turkey. AP Photo
    A woman mourns a relative during the burial of one of the earthquake victims in Antakya, southeastern Turkey. AP Photo
  • A family photo is seen amid the rubble in Hatay. Getty Images
    A family photo is seen amid the rubble in Hatay. Getty Images
  • Syrian refugees in Turkey return to their home country following the deadly earthquake. AFP
    Syrian refugees in Turkey return to their home country following the deadly earthquake. AFP
  • Members of NGOs Deathcare Embalming Team and Turkish Kurt-Ar inspect the bucket of an excavator as they search for bodies in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. AP Photo
    Members of NGOs Deathcare Embalming Team and Turkish Kurt-Ar inspect the bucket of an excavator as they search for bodies in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. AP Photo
  • Dust covers a family photo album found in Antakya. AP Photo
    Dust covers a family photo album found in Antakya. AP Photo
  • A man made homeless by the 7.8-magnitude quake carries mattresses distributed by an NGO at a makeshift camp in Afrin, in Syria's Aleppo province. AFP
    A man made homeless by the 7.8-magnitude quake carries mattresses distributed by an NGO at a makeshift camp in Afrin, in Syria's Aleppo province. AFP
  • A cracked road near the quake’s epicentre in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. AFP
    A cracked road near the quake’s epicentre in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. AFP
  • A rescuer stands near the site where Aleyna Olmez, 17, was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, about 10 days after the quake struck. AFP
    A rescuer stands near the site where Aleyna Olmez, 17, was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, about 10 days after the quake struck. AFP
  • A rescuer holds a cat after it was rescued from the ruins of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras. AFP
    A rescuer holds a cat after it was rescued from the ruins of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras. AFP
  • Quake survivors queue for food amid the rubble in Kahramanmaras. Reuters
    Quake survivors queue for food amid the rubble in Kahramanmaras. Reuters
  • Bedran, a local resident who lost his house in the earthquake, keeps warm in Antakya, Turkey. Reuters
    Bedran, a local resident who lost his house in the earthquake, keeps warm in Antakya, Turkey. Reuters
  • A girl carries a box of water bottles next to a damaged mosque in Antakya. Reuters
    A girl carries a box of water bottles next to a damaged mosque in Antakya. Reuters
  • A car lies crushed by parts of a badly damaged building in Samandag, Turkey. AP
    A car lies crushed by parts of a badly damaged building in Samandag, Turkey. AP
  • Residentes remove their belongings from their destroyed house in Samandag. AP
    Residentes remove their belongings from their destroyed house in Samandag. AP
  • Aleyna Olmez, 17, is rescued after being trapped for 10 days in Kahramanmaras. Getty
    Aleyna Olmez, 17, is rescued after being trapped for 10 days in Kahramanmaras. Getty
  • Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, left, with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Ankara. AFP
    Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, left, with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Ankara. AFP
  • A message scrawled on a car covered in dust from collapsed buildings in Antakya, Turkey. AP
    A message scrawled on a car covered in dust from collapsed buildings in Antakya, Turkey. AP
  • Destruction in Antakya. AP
    Destruction in Antakya. AP
  • A cracked road leads to a flooded area in Antakya. AP
    A cracked road leads to a flooded area in Antakya. AP
  • A man looks bewildered at the site of collapsed buildings in Hatay, Turkey. EPA
    A man looks bewildered at the site of collapsed buildings in Hatay, Turkey. EPA
  • Numbered stones near graves of earthquake victims at a cemetery in Adiyaman, Turkey. EPA
    Numbered stones near graves of earthquake victims at a cemetery in Adiyaman, Turkey. EPA
  • A makeshift camp set up amid the rubble in Antakya, south of Hatay. AFP
    A makeshift camp set up amid the rubble in Antakya, south of Hatay. AFP
  • A woman holds her baby inside a tent in a camp in Antakya, Hatay. AFP
    A woman holds her baby inside a tent in a camp in Antakya, Hatay. AFP
  • Greek and Turkish rescuers are at work to extract bodies of victims from the rubble in Antakya. AFP
    Greek and Turkish rescuers are at work to extract bodies of victims from the rubble in Antakya. AFP
  • Samar Hamouda, 44, recalls her experience of the earthquake destroying her home, at Tishreen Hospital in Latakia, Syria. Reuters
    Samar Hamouda, 44, recalls her experience of the earthquake destroying her home, at Tishreen Hospital in Latakia, Syria. Reuters
  • A damaged house in Jableh, Syria. Reuters
    A damaged house in Jableh, Syria. Reuters
  • Photos of missing children left in hope in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
    Photos of missing children left in hope in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
  • People collect copies of holy books from the rubble in Kahramanmaras. Reuters
    People collect copies of holy books from the rubble in Kahramanmaras. Reuters
  • Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras. Reuters
    Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras. Reuters
  • People carry a bodybag as residents wait for their relatives to be pulled out from the rubble in Hatay. AFP
    People carry a bodybag as residents wait for their relatives to be pulled out from the rubble in Hatay. AFP
  • Dust covers a family photo album found in the debris of a building in Antakya. AP
    Dust covers a family photo album found in the debris of a building in Antakya. AP
  • Portuguese rescue team members try to free the dog named Tarcin from the rubble in Antakya in Hatay. EPA
    Portuguese rescue team members try to free the dog named Tarcin from the rubble in Antakya in Hatay. EPA
  • An injured survivor at a makeshift hospital set up at Turkish Bayraktar warship anchored near Iskenderun city, southern Turkey. AP
    An injured survivor at a makeshift hospital set up at Turkish Bayraktar warship anchored near Iskenderun city, southern Turkey. AP
  • A makeshift hospital set up at Turkish Bayraktar warship anchored near Iskenderun city, southern Turkey. AP
    A makeshift hospital set up at Turkish Bayraktar warship anchored near Iskenderun city, southern Turkey. AP
  • Britain's King Charles III (C) meets with members of the Turkish diaspora community who have been collecting, packaging and organising the transportation of food, blankets and warm clothing for people who have recently been affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, during a visit to the West London Turkish Volunteers, in Hounslow, greater London. AFP
    Britain's King Charles III (C) meets with members of the Turkish diaspora community who have been collecting, packaging and organising the transportation of food, blankets and warm clothing for people who have recently been affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, during a visit to the West London Turkish Volunteers, in Hounslow, greater London. AFP
  • People stand by the fire next to the ruins of a collapsed building in Elbistan, Turkey. Reuters
    People stand by the fire next to the ruins of a collapsed building in Elbistan, Turkey. Reuters
  • Destroyed buildings in Syria's rebel-held village of Atarib, in the north-western Aleppo province. AFP
    Destroyed buildings in Syria's rebel-held village of Atarib, in the north-western Aleppo province. AFP
  • Rescuers carry Fatma, 15, who was pulled out from the rubble in Hatay, Turkey. Reuters
    Rescuers carry Fatma, 15, who was pulled out from the rubble in Hatay, Turkey. Reuters
  • A displaced woman receives food inside a stadium in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
    A displaced woman receives food inside a stadium in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
  • People lineup to receive aid supplies at a makeshift camp in Iskenderun city in southern Turkey. AP
    People lineup to receive aid supplies at a makeshift camp in Iskenderun city in southern Turkey. AP
  • Humanitarian aid provided by Saudi Arabia for survivors of the February 6 earthquake are unloaded at Aleppo Airport in northern Syria. AFP
    Humanitarian aid provided by Saudi Arabia for survivors of the February 6 earthquake are unloaded at Aleppo Airport in northern Syria. AFP
  • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the World Government Summit in Dubai via video link. Antonie Robertson/The National
    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the World Government Summit in Dubai via video link. Antonie Robertson/The National
  • A man walks between trains being using as shelters in Iskenderun, southern Turkey. AP Photo
    A man walks between trains being using as shelters in Iskenderun, southern Turkey. AP Photo
  • A woman and children inside a train being used as shelter after the earthquake, in Iskenderun. AP Photo
    A woman and children inside a train being used as shelter after the earthquake, in Iskenderun. AP Photo
  • Tents erected in a school yard for Syrians who have lost their homes after the deadly quake, in the rebel-held town of Harem in Syria. Reuters
    Tents erected in a school yard for Syrians who have lost their homes after the deadly quake, in the rebel-held town of Harem in Syria. Reuters
  • A woman walks by the destroyed Habib-i Neccar mosque in the historic southern city of Antakya in Hatay, Turkey. AFP
    A woman walks by the destroyed Habib-i Neccar mosque in the historic southern city of Antakya in Hatay, Turkey. AFP
  • Rescuers pull out a 12-year-old Syrian girl, Cudi, from the rubble in Hatay. AFP
    Rescuers pull out a 12-year-old Syrian girl, Cudi, from the rubble in Hatay. AFP
  • Amar, a Syrian refugee living in Turkey, looks on as search for survivors continues in Kahramanmaras. Reuters
    Amar, a Syrian refugee living in Turkey, looks on as search for survivors continues in Kahramanmaras. Reuters
  • Displaced people keep warm by a fire in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
    Displaced people keep warm by a fire in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
  • Earthquake survivors receive distributed meals in Golbasi, Turkey. AP
    Earthquake survivors receive distributed meals in Golbasi, Turkey. AP
  • A woman stands amid boxes of donated clothes in Golbasi, Turkey. AP
    A woman stands amid boxes of donated clothes in Golbasi, Turkey. AP
  • A man walks near a damaged building that leans on a neighbouring house in Golbasi, Turkey. AP
    A man walks near a damaged building that leans on a neighbouring house in Golbasi, Turkey. AP
  • UN emergency relief co-ordinator Martin Griffiths stands amid quake-damaged buildings in Aleppo, Syria. Reuters
    UN emergency relief co-ordinator Martin Griffiths stands amid quake-damaged buildings in Aleppo, Syria. Reuters
  • Delegates observe a moment of silence for the Turkey–Syria earthquake before the start of the World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
    Delegates observe a moment of silence for the Turkey–Syria earthquake before the start of the World Government Summit in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
  • People keep warm by a fire as the search for survivors continues a week after the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
    People keep warm by a fire as the search for survivors continues a week after the earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
  • A child receives food in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
    A child receives food in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
  • A dog is seen through a glass door in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
    A dog is seen through a glass door in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
  • Children walk in the street with food boxes in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
    Children walk in the street with food boxes in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
  • A minaret stands as the sun rises over the earthquake-hit city of Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters
    A minaret stands as the sun rises over the earthquake-hit city of Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Reuters

Blinken to visit Turkey to see US response to earthquake


Patrick deHahn
  • English
  • Arabic

Follow the latest on the earthquake in Turkey

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Turkey on Sunday to see the response to the deadliest catastrophe in the country's history.

Mr Blinken will be the highest-level US official to visit Turkey since the earthquake, which devastated parts of the country as well as Syria last week, claiming tens of thousands of lives.

The State Department said on Wednesday that Mr Blinken would visit Incirlik Air Base to “see first-hand US efforts to assist the Turkish authorities responding to the devastation caused by the February 6 earthquakes” before going to Ankara to meet his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.

More than 35,000 people have died in Turkey, along with several thousand more deaths reported in Syria.

Mr Blinken will stop in Germany for the Munich Security Conference before visiting Turkey, and he plans to travel to Greece afterwards.

It will be his first trip to Turkey after more than two years in office. President Joe Biden's administration has distanced itself from the Nato ally due to several policies adopted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in addition to his friendly relationship with Russia.

The US last week committed $85 million in immediate humanitarian aid for Turkey, along with ongoing USAID help.

Jeff Flake, the US ambassador to Turkey, has been active in ensuring American assistance to the country following the disaster.

“We are determined to do whatever we can over the next weeks, the coming months and however long it takes to help our Turkish friends,” he said on Tuesday.

Mr Blinken is also expected to thank Turkey for “its support for cross-border aid to affected areas of Syria”, the State Department said, an issue that has been reignited following the earthquake.

Earthquake rescue workers from around the world — in pictures

  • Deepak Talwar from the Indian search and rescue team. All photos: Getty Images
    Deepak Talwar from the Indian search and rescue team. All photos: Getty Images
  • Deeba Shahnaz from the Pakistani search and rescue team
    Deeba Shahnaz from the Pakistani search and rescue team
  • Muhammed Yakup Yusuf from the Malaysian team
    Muhammed Yakup Yusuf from the Malaysian team
  • Aditya Pratap Singh from the Indian team
    Aditya Pratap Singh from the Indian team
  • Muhammed Ahsan from the Pakistani team
    Muhammed Ahsan from the Pakistani team
  • Muhammed Azrif Rabe from the Malaysian team
    Muhammed Azrif Rabe from the Malaysian team
Walls

Louis Tomlinson

3 out of 5 stars

(Syco Music/Arista Records)

TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5

ICC T20 Team of 2021

Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi

Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

US PGA Championship in numbers

Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.

To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.

Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.

4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.

In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.

For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.

Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.

Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.

Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.

10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.

11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.

12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.

13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.

14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.

15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.

16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.

17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.

18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).

Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
%3Cp%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Abdullah%20Al%20Qahtani%20v%20Taha%20Bendaoud%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Ali%20Taleb%20v%20Nawras%20Abzakh%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Xavier%20Alaoui%20v%20Rachid%20El%20Hazoume%0D%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Islam%20Reda%20v%20Adam%20Meskini%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Tariq%20Ismail%20v%20Jalal%20Al%20Daaja%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Elias%20Boudegzdame%20v%20Hassan%20Mandour%0D%3Cbr%3EAmateur%20Female%20Atomweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Hattan%20Al%20Saif%20v%20Nada%20Faheem%0D%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Maraoune%20Bellagouit%20v%20Motaz%20Askar%0D%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Ahmed%20Tarek%20v%20Abdelrahman%20Alhyasat%0D%3Cbr%3EShowcase%20Featherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Mido%20Mohamed%20v%20Yazeed%20Hasanain%0D%3Cbr%3EShowcase%20Flyweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Malik%20Basahel%20v%20Harsh%20Pandya%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Polarised public

31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views

19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all

Source: YouGov

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Updated: February 15, 2023, 10:18 PM