ANKARA -- The death toll in Monday's devastating earthquakes climbed to 4,544, with 26,721 injured, Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on Tuesday.
A total of 60,211 people have taken part in search and rescue operations, the disaster agency said. (Türkiye-Quakes-Casualties)
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TRIPOLI -- The Libyan Illegal Immigration Control Department on Tuesday said that Libya plans to reopen all of the closed border crossings.
The announcement was made after Mohamed al-Khoja, the head of the department, paid a visit to the southwestern border city of Ghadames and met with local security officials. (Libya-Border Crossings-Reopening)
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TEHRAN -- Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday issued an order for implementing the law on Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The directive was issued in a letter signed by Raisi to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, according to the website of the Iranian president's office. (Iran-SCO Membership-President Order)
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DAMASCUS -- The U.S. sanctions are blocking the humanitarian work in Syria, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, a day after the deadly earthquake hit the country and stretched its already limited resources.
In a statement, the ministry said that the Syrians, while dealing with the earthquake catastrophe, are digging among rubbles with their own hands or using the simplest tools as the equipment for removing the rubbles is banned by the U.S. (Syria-Lifting Sanctions-Earthquake Rescue)
