ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) – Afghanistan’s interim government has decided to convert the bases of the US-led foreign forces across the country into special economic zones. The decision was taken during a meeting of the country’s Economic Commission with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, the deputy premier for economic affairs, in th...
ATHENS (AA) – Eighteen migrants — young men of Afghan nationality, with the exception of one boy — were found dead in a truck near the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Friday, local media reported. The victims apparently suffocated in the truck, reported state-run news agency BTA. It added that 34 survivors, also Afghans, were found [&he...
Istanbul, Turkiye (AFP): The death toll from the earthquake that has devastated parts of Turkiye and Syria has exceeded 41,000 as the United Nations appealed for $1 billion to address a growing humanitarian crisis. Eleven days after the quake — now one of the 10 deadliest in the past 100 years — Turkish rescuers pulled […]
Banda Aceh, Indonesia (AFP): At least 69 Rohingya refugees, many of them women and children, landed on Indonesia’s west coast Thursday in a wooden boat, an official with the United Nations refugee agency said. The vessel came ashore at a beach in Indonesia’s westernmost province of Aceh, according to UNHCR official Oktina Hafanti, ...
Damascus, Syria (AFP): Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has thanked his “Arab brothers” for aid supplied following last week’s deadly earthquake, that saw countries in the region break with years of diplomatic silence. The 7.8-magnitude quake hit Turkiye and Syria on February 6, leaving a combined death toll of nearly 40,000 ...
ISTANBUL (AA) – The UAE has dispatched 60 planes loaded with medical and food supplies so far to help those affected by earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. The relief was part of The Gallant Knight 2 Operation launched since the devastating earthquakes jolted both countries on February 6. According to the agency: “The United Arab […]
ANKARA (AA) – The number of people killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye last week has reached 36,187, the country’s disaster agency said on Thursday in the latest figures from the natural disaster. The Feb. 6 magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 mi...
BRUSSELS (AA) – EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on Wednesday that the new EU sanctions package against Russia will contain trade bans and sanctions on Iranian entities cooperating with the Russian military. Von der Leyen spoke at the debate marking the first anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine at the European Parliament’s...
Beijing, China — AFP Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has met his counterpart Xi Jinping at the start of a three-day visit to China aimed at boosting trade and economic ties. Raisi brought a large delegation to Beijing, including his central bank chief and ministers for oil and mining, and is expected to sign a number […]
ANKARA (AA) – At least 31,643 people were killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on February 6, the country’s disaster agency has said. Magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Ga...
