*) Erdogan: We will never allow our citizens to remain unsheltered

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has visited southeastern Türkiye to inspect the areas devastated by the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that hit the country earlier this week.

The visit takes place the day after President Erdogan declared a three-month-long state of emergency in the 10 provinces affected by the quake.

The Turkish president has tasked all of the ministers in his cabinet and Vice President Fuat Oktay to handle the situation and to establish coordination in the area.

*) North Korea displays ICBMs at parade in demonstration of nuclear capability

North Korea has displayed intercontinental ballistic missiles and other weapons during a nighttime military parade, calling them a demonstration of the country's "greatest" nuclear attack capability, the North's state media reported.

The parade, attended by leader Kim Jong Un, took place in celebrations for the 75th founding anniversary of North Korea's army, the state news agency KCNA said.

Earlier, satellite imagery from the US-based firm Maxar Technologies showed military vehicles and crowds in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square.

*) Turkish stock exchange temporarily halts trading in wake of deadly quakes

Turkish stock exchange Borsa Istanbul has announced that it suspended trading in the wake of two massive earthquakes which hit the country.

Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index lost more than 19 percent from last week's close due to the selloffs triggered by the earthquakes.

BIST 100 index was suspended at 4,186.01 points after it opened at 4,482.11 points.


*) Biden says US 'not looking for conflict' with China

President Joe Biden has said the United States is "not looking for conflict" with China despite tensions over the shooting down of what US officials say was a Chinese spy balloon.

Biden's comments apparently sought to defuse tensions over the dramatic incident in which a huge Chinese balloon traversed much of the United States before being shot down by a US Air Force jet just off the east coast.

Asked if the incident had caused major damage to the relationship with Beijing, Biden said "no."

*) One in three schoolchildren does not have access to drinking water: UN

The United Nations warned that one in three children worldwide does not have access to clean drinking water while at school, affecting their health and ability to learn.

"Globally, almost one in three schools has no drinking water from an improved source," the UN cultural agency UNESCO said in a new report published.

Clean drinking water and handwashing facilities are key to protecting children against the likes of Covid-19, parasites, respiratory illnesses and diarrhoea, said school health and nutrition expert Emilie Sidaner, who oversaw the report.