China sends emergency items to Syria, asks Chinese rescue teams to stand down

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Blue Sky Rescue (BSR) personnel prepare to depart from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Feb. 8, 2023, for quake-hit Turkiye to help search and rescue efforts. (EPA/XINHUA)
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Blue Sky Rescue (BSR) personnel prepare to depart from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, on Feb. 8, 2023, for quake-hit Turkiye to help search and rescue efforts. (EPA/XINHUA)
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China's search and rescue team gather in front of a collapsed building in Hatay, Turkiye, on Feb. 9, 2023. as the search for earthquake survivors continued. (REUTERS)
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Updated 13 February 2023
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China sends emergency items to Syria, asks Chinese rescue teams to stand down

  • Says rescue teams need to cancel or suspend their trips to not increase the burden on hard-hit areas, and avoid risks due to inclement weather
  • Israel on Monday pulled out its rescue and relief contingent on Sunday, citing security concerns

BEIJING: China sent the second batch of supplies to earthquake-hit areas of Syria and has asked Chinese rescue teams that have not left for disaster zones in Turkiye and Syria to cancel trips in order to ease the burden on rescue operations.
The China Association for Disaster Prevention called on Saturday for Chinese rescue teams to cancel or suspend their trips to not increase the burden on hard-hit areas, and avoid risks due to inclement weather.
Cotton tents, family kits, jackets and other daily necessities, as well as medical supplies, were being provided to Syria by the Red Cross Society of China, CCTV reported on Monday.
China has already committed financial aid to Turkiye and Syria, and has sent a number of rescue teams from several parts of the country, including 82 members dispatched by the Chinese government, as the death toll tops 33,000.
China’s 53 tons of tents to aid Turkiye have arrived in Istanbul, CCTV said on late Sunday. China has said more emergency aid is planned in the near future.
Shipped on large cargo planes, according to video from CCTV, the tents will help aid in relief operations as rescues continue.
The first batch of supplies from China’s government, 40,000 blankets, arrived in Istanbul on Saturday, according to CCTV. The country is planning to send more medical equipment, including electrocardiogram machines, ultrasound diagnostic instrument, and medical vehicles and hospital beds, CCTV said. 

 

 

 

Says rescue teams need to cancel or suspend their trips to not increase the burden on hard-hit areas, and avoid risks due to inclement weather

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Uganda to shut down Internet ahead of Thursday election: communication authority

Updated 13 January 2026
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Uganda to shut down Internet ahead of Thursday election: communication authority

  • There was no statement from the government on the shutdown
  • The officials said the authorities did not want to “own” the decision

KAMPALA: Uganda ordered an Internet blackout on Tuesday, two days ahead of elections in which President Yoweri Museveni is seeking to extend his 40-year rule.
“This measure is necessary to mitigate the rapid spread of online misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks, as well as preventing of incitement to violence that could affect public confidence and national security during the election period,” the Uganda Communications Commission said in a letter to Internet providers, verified by government officials to AFP.
There was no statement from the government on the shutdown. The officials said the authorities did not want to “own” the decision.
Uganda shut down the Internet during the last election in 2021 — a vote that was marred by widespread allegations of rigging and state violence against the opposition, led by singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, who is running again for the presidency.
The government repeatedly promised that the Internet would not be shut down during the election, stating in a post on X on January 5 that “claims suggesting otherwise are false, misleading, and intended to cause unnecessary fear and tension among the public.”
The suspension was due to take effect at 6:00 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) and remain in force “until a restoration notice is issued,” the UCC said.
Essential state services were to be exempted from the ban, it added.