Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Media Wire

Death toll from quake in Turkey and Syria tops 4,000

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared seven days of national mourning, and Syria has appealed to the United Nations for help following devastating earthquakes that killed more than 4,000 people and toppled buildings across southeast Turkey and northern Syria.

Live Update: Russia’s “Special Operation” in Ukraine; Day 349

Russia, wary of NATO’s eastward expansion, began a military campaign in Ukraine on February 24 after the Western-leaning Kiev government turned a deaf ear to Moscow’s calls for its neighbor to maintain its neutrality. In the middle of the mayhem, Moscow and Kiev are trying to hammer out a peaceful solution to the conflict. Follow the latest about the Russia-Ukraine conflict here:

Covid in Iran: 7 dead, 125 infections

The Iranian Health Ministry figures on Monday showed that 125 people had tested positive for the Coronavirus over the past 24 hours. The deadly disease has also killed 7 patients during the period.

Russia rejects WSJ report on joint production of drones with Iran

Moscow has its own programs for the production of drones, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, commenting on reports about the plans of Iran and Russia to jointly produce UAVs.

Turkey’s lira slips to new record low, stocks tumble following fatal quake

Turkey’s lira hit a fresh record low and its stock markets tumbled in the wake of the major earthquake, adding to pre-existing pressures from a strong dollar, geopolitical risks and surprise inflation.

Syria says US repeating flimsy Iraq War pretexts against Damascus

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has lashed out at the United States over its hostile policies against the war-torn country. He stated that Washington and its European allies are reusing the same flimsy pretexts they used for the 2003 invasion of Iraq against his country.

Hundreds killed as devastating earthquake shakes Turkey, Syria

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake has knocked down multiple buildings in southeast Turkey and northern Syria. Hundreds of people were killed and hundreds more injured in both Turkey and Syria.

Live Update: Russia’s “Special Operation” in Ukraine; Day 348

Russia, wary of NATO’s eastward expansion, began a military campaign in Ukraine on February 24 after the Western-leaning Kiev government turned a deaf ear to Moscow’s calls for its neighbor to maintain its neutrality. In the middle of the mayhem, Moscow and Kiev are trying to hammer out a peaceful solution to the conflict. Follow the latest about the Russia-Ukraine conflict here:

Cancer-stricken children in Yemen at risk of dying due to Saudi war, siege: Report

The Saudi war on Yemen as well as the crippling siege of the impoverished Arab country could result in the deaths of thousands of children suffering from cancer, according to a report.

Iran Covid: 1 death, 93 new cases

Iran’s Health Ministry on Sunday announced that one person had died due to Coronavirus pandemic over the past 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia warns anti-Russian sanctions could result in energy shortages

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman has warned Western sanctions against Moscow could result in a shortage of energy supplies in future.

US weighs sanctions on Chinese companies over “Iran surveillance buildup”: Report

The US is considering new sanctions on Chinese surveillance companies over sales to Iran's security forces, the Wall Street Journal has reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Ex-Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf dies at 79

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf died on Sunday following a prolonged illness at a hospital in Dubai after years in self-imposed exile.

Tens of thousands of Israelis rally for fifth week against Netanyahu’s govt.

For the fifth straight week, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in 20 Israeli cities including Tel Aviv, chanting slogans against Israel's extreme-right cabinet and its menacing agenda.

Live Update: Russia’s “Special Operation” in Ukraine; Day 347

Russia, wary of NATO’s eastward expansion, began a military campaign in Ukraine on February 24 after the Western-leaning Kiev government turned a deaf ear to Moscow’s calls for its neighbor to maintain its neutrality. In the middle of the mayhem, Moscow and Kiev are trying to hammer out a peaceful solution to the conflict. Follow the latest about the Russia-Ukraine conflict here:

US, E3 say IAEA report shows Iran inconsistent with nuclear commitments

The US and its European allies have accused Iran of engaging in nuclear activity that is "inconsistent" with its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Iran says the IAES report is based on an incorrect assessment.

US offers help with Iran and normalisation if Israeli govt. reigned in: Report

Senior officials in US President Joe Biden's administration have offered the Israeli government a package deal to cooperate with the US if they wanted to move ahead with issues such as Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Israeli soldiers kill unarmed Palestinian in West Bank

Israeli forces have shot dead an unarmed Palestinian man in the West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry has confirmed. The shooting incident brought the number of Palestinian fatalities from the Israeli violence this year to 36.

Russia says top Iranian security official to visit Moscow within days

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani will visit Russia next week for consultations on Afghanistan, Russian special presidential envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov has said.

Live Update: Russia’s “Special Operation” in Ukraine; Day 346

Russia, wary of NATO’s eastward expansion, began a military campaign in Ukraine on February 24 after the Western-leaning Kiev government turned a deaf ear to Moscow’s calls for its neighbor to maintain its neutrality. In the middle of the mayhem, Moscow and Kiev are trying to hammer out a peaceful solution to the conflict. Follow the latest about the Russia-Ukraine conflict here:

Coronavirus kills 2 patients in Iran over 24 hours

The death toll from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 144,754 with two more killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Friday.

Israeli settler population tops half a million in West Bank

The population of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank has surpassed half a million as Israel's far-right cabinet is poised to build more settler units, according to the latest figures.

Israel OKs hundreds of new settler units in al-Quds

Israeli authorities have approved plans for the construction of more than a thousand new settler units in al-Quds in flagrant defiance of the international outcry against Tel Aviv’s illegal settlement expansion and land grab policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“Azerbaijan not responding to proposal to probe embassy attack”

Nour News, an Iranian media outlet affiliated with the country's Supreme National Security Council, says the Republic of Azerbaijan has not responded to a proposal from the Islamic Republic of Iran to participate in a probe into the recent attack on the Azeri embassy in Tehran.

Turkey summons envoys of 9 western countries over security alerts

Ankara summoned ambassadors of nine Western countries including the United States on Thursday, slamming their decisions to temporarily shut diplomatic missions and issue security alerts following Quran-burning incidents in Europe.

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