International
Nearly 85,000 buildings were destroyed by earthquakes in Turkey

18 février |
Türkiye authorities indicated that more than 84,000 buildings were destroyed or severely structurally damaged by the earthquakes that hit the south of the country and northern Syria on February 6.
The Minister of Environment and Urban Planning of Türkiye, Murat Kurum, stated that 84,726 buildings were affected by the earthquakes that occurred in the country.
He also announced that the government will start planning for the construction of housing for all the people who lost their homes due to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
According to Turkish media, the official stated that they have examined around 684,000 buildings, of which more than 84,700 are totally collapsed, in critical condition or in need of immediate demolition.
The Urban Planning head noted that more than 7,300 personnel have been deployed to examine the situation, and that in Adana province alone there are 148 buildings in this state.
Murat Kurum urged the population to stay away from severely damaged houses and buildings due to the danger of collapse because of the desire to recover their belongings.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said this week that construction work will begin on 30,000 houses in early March.
During a meeting with representatives of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the Turkish president said that the goal is to complete the construction of safe housing and buildings by the end of 2023 in the areas affected by the earthquake.
On the other hand, the Turkish authorities reported that the search for survivors, which is still ongoing twelve days after the powerful earthquake, has not yet ended.
Turkey’s Interior Minister, Süleyman Soylu, raised on Friday the death toll from the earthquakes registered in the country at the beginning of February to 39,672.
“To date, we have lost 39,672 people as a result of the earthquakes,” the official stated, while more than 108,000 were injured.
In addition, the minister indicated that rescue teams and rescuers have carried out 20,000 search and rescue operations in the rubble of buildings destroyed after the quakes.
International
Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.
The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.
The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).
“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.
Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”
International
Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.
Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.
A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”
According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.
International
Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.
Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.
“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.
“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.
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