Death Toll Turkey, Syria Quake In Tens of Thousands Amid Unrest

The death toll of last Monday’s massive earthquakes in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria approached at least 35,000 with tens of thousands unaccounted for, but rescue work was hampered by unrest in Turkey’s southern region, officials and relief groups said.

Iran officially blames Israel for drone attack on defense site, vows to retaliate

Iran has, for the first time, officially blamed Israel for a drone strike on a key defense facility in the city of Isfahan, filing a complaint with the United Nations Security Council about the “terrorist attack” launched by the Jewish state and saying it reserves its “legitimate and inherent right” to retaliate.

Biden Admin Announces $50 Million in New UNRWA Funding

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday announced $50 million in new funding for a UN agency that is dedicated solely to the descendants of Palestinian refugees and which has been widely denounced for propagating antisemitism, eliciting rebuke from a top Senate Republican.

Ukraine Facing New Year “Terror”

Ukraine faced “terror on New Year’s Eve” as Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles at targets in Ukraine on Saturday, killing at least one person in the capital Kyiv and injuring more, authorities said.

Alleged Lockerbie Bomb Maker In US Custody

A former Libyan intelligence officer accused of preparing the bomb that brought down Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing 270 people, is in U.S. custody after a spectacular operation.

Fire, Shootings At Iran Prison Kills Four

A fire at one of Iran’s most notorious prisons where Christians and political activists are among inmates has killed at least four people and injured 61 others, Iranian authorities acknowledged Sunday.

Russia Furious Over UN Condemning Ukrainian Annexation

Russia has expressed anger that the United Nations general assembly condemned its annexation of Ukrainian territories and warned that admitting Ukraine into the NATO military alliance would lead to World War III. The statements came as Ukraine’s state emergency service said it is actively searching for people trapped under rubble after another Russian strike in the country’s south, while Turkey sought an opening for peace talks.

Russia’s Upper House Votes To Annex Ukraine Regions

The upper house of the Russian parliament voted Tuesday to approve the incorporation of four Ukrainian regions into Russia. Tuesday’s vote came after Ukrainian troops retook more territory in the areas annexed by Russia.

Chinese Christians seek refuge in Thailand after asylum denial from South Korea

A congregation of Christians escaping government persecution in China are applying for refugee status in Thailand after being denied asylum in South Korea, DW reports. In its efforts to impose “Sinicization” on the country, China’s ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been engaged in a formidable crackdown on independent evangelical churches that will not register with the state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic movement.

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