Category: Middle East

7.8 Magnitude Quake Knocks Down Buildings in Central Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey—A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook southeast Turkey early Monday and was followed by another strong temblor. It was felt in several provinces in the region and knocked down a number of buildings, reports said. The U.S. Geological Survey said quake was centered about 33 kilometers (20 miles) from Gaziantep, a major city and provincial…


Powerful 7.8 Quake Knocks Down Buildings, Kills At Least 31 in Southern Turkey, Syria

A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey and Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and sending panicked residents pouring outside in a cold winter night. At least 31 were killed, and the toll was expected to rise. Rescue workers and residents using flashlights were searching through piles of tangled metal and concrete rubble in one…


Powerful Quake Kills at Least 195 People in Turkey, Syria

ANKARA, Turkey—A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey and Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and sending panicked residents pouring outside in a cold winter night. At least 195 people were killed in both countries, hundreds were injured and the toll was expected to rise. Rescue workers and residents frantically searched for survivors under the…


Powerful Quake Kills at Least 560 People in Turkey, Syria

ANKARA, Turkey—A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and killing at least 568 people. With hundreds injured, the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched the rubble in cities and towns across the area. Rescue workers and residents frantically searched for survivors under the rubble…


Powerful Quake Rocks Turkey and Syria, Killing More Than 600

ANKARA, Turkey—A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 600 people. Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area. On…


Powerful Quake Rocks Turkey and Syria, Kills More Than 1,300

AZMARIN, Syria—A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeastern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1,300 people. Hundreds were still believed to be trapped under rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched mounds of wreckage in cities and towns across the area. On both…


Iraqi Currency Crash Halts After Meeting With US Official

BAGHDAD—Iraq’s currency ended its nosedive after a meeting between the Iraqi Central Bank head and a top U.S. Treasury official. Under Secretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian E. Nelson said in a statement Saturday that he had met with Central Bank of Iraq Governor Ali al-Allaq in Istanbul the day before…


Iran Blames Israel for Isfahan Drone Strike, Claims ‘Legitimate Right’ to Respond

Tehran has officially blamed Israel for a drone strike last week that damaged a military facility in the Iranian city of Isfahan. “Preliminary investigations suggest that the Israeli regime was responsible for this attempted act of aggression,” Saeed Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, said on Feb. 2. In a statement delivered to the…


Pakistani Troops Kill 2 Terrorists in Raid Near Afghan Border

ISLAMABAD—Pakistani troops on Friday raided a terrorist hideout in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban terrorist group, in the country’s northwest and near the border with Afghanistan, the military said. The raid triggered a shootout that killed two terrorists. The shootout in North Waziristan, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, came days after a suicide bomber attacked a…


Democrats Introduce Resolution ‘Recognizing Israel as America’s Legitimate’ Ally

A group of 32 House Democrats signed on to a new resolution on Feb. 2 that recognizes Israel as America’s “legitimate and democratic ally” while also condemning anti-Semitism. The bill, H.Res.92, was introduced by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who is Jewish, shortly after Holocaust Remembrance Day. The resolution states that Jewish Americans have “contributed in unique and positive ways to…