The Dispatch

Turkey investigates building contractors as quake toll rises

ISTANBUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Turkey will widen an investigation into building contractors suspected of violating safety standards following its devastating earthquake, the interior minister said, as the country stepped…

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Bulgaria could adopt the euro from 2025 if ready -EU’s Dombrovskis

SOFIA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Bulgaria could join the euro zone from January 2025 if it meets all entry criteria, the European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said on Thursday. Bulgaria…

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Albania seizes 22,500 tonnes of oil suspected of coming from Russia

TIRANA, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Albania has seized an oil tanker carrying 22,500 tonnes of oil suspected of coming from Russia and arrested the crew for breaching a Western embargo,…

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Erdogan leaning towards holding Turkish elections in June

By Orhan Coskun ANKARA, Feb 22 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan's government is inclined to hold Turkey's elections as scheduled in June, having cooled on the idea of postponing due…

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Turkey bans layoffs, offers salary support in earthquake zone

ANKARA, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Turkey launched a temporary wage support scheme and banned layoffs in 10 cities on Wednesday to protect workers and businesses from the financial impact of…

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WATCH: Death toll rises after fresh earthquake hits Turkey-Syria border

Six people were killed in an earthquake which struck the border region of Turkey and Syria, CNN Turk reported on Tuesday, two weeks after a larger quake killed more than…

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EU expansion crucial for peace in Bosnia, says last President of Yugoslavia

Bosnia and Herzegovina gained European Union candidacy status last December, nearly two decades after the country stated its desire to join the bloc, but the question of eventual EU membership…

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Panic as Turkey, Syria rocked again by 6.3M earthquake

ANTAKYA, Turkey Feb 20 (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southern Turkey near the Syrian border late on Monday, setting off panic and further damaging buildings two weeks after the country's worst earthquake in…

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Blinken, in Turkey, urges speedy Nordics accession to NATO

Turkey has blocked Swedish, Finnish NATO bids Blinken says Sweden and Finland have taken needed steps Cavusoglu says Sweden needs to take more action By Humeyra Pamuk and Huseyin Hayatsever…

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Blinken says U.S. will back quake-hit Turkey “for as long as it takes”

ANKARA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Washington will support Turkey "for as long as it takes" after earthquakes rocked the country…

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Turkey clears away rubble from earthquake, rescue efforts wind down

Rescue work winds down in Turkey Pregnant women need help Turkey death toll rises By Henriette Chacar and Ali Kucukgocmen ANTAKYA, Turkey, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Turkey stepped up work…

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Blinken to talk aid, Nordic NATO bid in visit to quake-hit Turkey

MUNICH, Feb 19 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will arrive on Sunday in Turkey for an official visit and discuss how Washington can further assist Ankara as…

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Survivors dug out of rubble in Turkey, but many families pray to find a body to mourn

Survivors dug out of rubble 12 days after quake Many families just want a funeral and grave to mourn Death toll more than 46,000 Some 26 million people need aid,…

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Six charged after 18 migrants found dead in truck in Bulgaria

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgarian prosecutors have charged 6 people with human trafficking after 18 Afghan migrants were found dead inside a truck dumped on an dirt road near the capital…

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Earthquake death toll passes 45,000; many still missing in flattened apartments

ANTAKYA/KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey, Feb 18 (Reuters) - More than 45,000 people have been killed in the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, and the toll is expected to soar with some 264,000 apartments…

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Kosovo celebrates independence with eye to reaching deal with Serbia

PRISTINA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - National flags waved in Pristina's streets on Friday as Kosovo celebrated 15 years of independence with an eye to reaching a normalisation deal with Serbia,…

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Serbia arrests three after nationalist calls for riots over Kosovo plan

BELGRADE, (Reuters) - Serbian police arrested three people in Belgrade after ultra-nationalist and pro-Russian activists threatened "more than" riots if Serbia accepts a Western-backed plan aimed at normalising relations with…

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UPDATED: Two more people rescued in Turkey 11 days after earthquake

Two people reported rescued overnight Death toll in Turkey and Syria surpasses 43,000 Syrian government, rebels clash in quake-hit northwest-report U.N. launches $1 billion appeal for Turkey By Suhaib Salem…

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Turkish firms pledge investments in Egypt as relations thaw

CAIRO, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Turkish companies have committed to $500 million in new investments in Egypt after a visiting business delegation met the prime minister for the first time…

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Turkey earthquakes to cost insurers $2.4 billion – KCC

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Catastrophe modeling firm Karen Clark & Company (KCC) said on Thursday it expects insured losses of $2.4 billion from the devastating dual Kahramanmaras earthquakes that hit…

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UPDATED: Central Croatia rattled by powerful earthquake

Central Croatia was rattled by a powerful earthquake. Though the quake caused some panic there have been no reports so far of damage. The Seismological Service of the Republic of…

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UPDATED: Teenager rescued from rubble in Turkey 10 days after quake

Death toll in Turkey and Syria surpasses 42,000 Authorities have yet to announce numbers still missing Concerns for rebel-held northwest Syria By Suhaib Salem and Ali Kucukgocmen KAHRAMANMARAS/ANTAKYA, Turkey, Feb…

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Serb nationalists pledge riots if Belgrade tries to improve ties with Kosovo

BELGRADE, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds of hardline Serb nationalists and pro-Russia activists rallied in downtown Belgrade, threatening riots if Serbia accepts a Western-backed plan aimed at mending ties with…

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A woman rescued from ruins in Turkey 222 hours after powerful quake as rescue work winds down

77-year-old pulled alive from rubble after 212 hours Rescue phase 'coming to a close', says U.N. in Syria Syria's Assad agrees to more border crossings for aid Post traumatic stress…

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Turkey finds more survivors as anger grows a week after earthquake

Rescuers in Turkey pulled several children alive from collapsed buildings a week after the country's worst earthquake in modern history, but hopes of many more survivors were fading and criticism…

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Earthquake could cost Turkey up to $84 bln – business group

Turkey's worst earthquake in almost a century has left a trail of destruction that could cost Ankara up to $84.1 billion, a business group said, while a government official put…

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Stand-off with minority Serbs holds back Kosovo 15 years after independence

When in December Serbia put forces on highest combat alert in response to increasing violence in Kosovo between police and minority Serb protesters, a shareholder in Pristina's newest shopping mall…

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Woman pulled alive from rubble in Turkey a week after earthquake

Rescuers pulled a woman alive from the rubble of a collapsed building in Turkey on Monday, broadcaster CNN Turk reported, a week after a major earthquake struck Turkey and Syria…

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Death toll in Turkey, Syria quake tops 33,000 as Turkey starts legal action

Rescuers pulled more survivors from the rubble on Sunday six days after one of the worst earthquakes to hit Turkey and Syria, as Turkish authorities sought to maintain order across the…

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Survivors ever fewer in earthquake rubble of Turkey and Syria

ANTAKYA, Turkey/JANDARIS, Syria, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Rescuers pulled a survivor from earthquake rubble on Sunday, six days after one of the worst natural disasters to hit parts of Syria and Turkey,…

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Albania’s opposition calls for PM Rama’s resignation

Thousands of supporters of Albania's center-right opposition gathered in front of the government building in Tirana today to call for the resignation of Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is…

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EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Kahramanmaras, Turkey

A photo taken with a drone shows emergency services working among the rubble of collapsed buildings in the aftermath of a poweful earthquake in Kahramanmaras, southeastern Turkey. Two major earthquakes…

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UN aid chief says earthquake is region’s ‘worst event in 100 years’

Feb 11 (Reuters) - UN aid chief Martin Griffiths described on Saturday the devastating earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northwestern Syria as the "worst event in 100 years in…

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Sanctions on Russia are main obstacle to Serbia’s EU bid – PM Brnabic

BELGRADE, (Reuters) - Serbia's refusal to impose sanctions on its ally Russia remains the main obstacle to a speedier European Union accession bid, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said, describing the…

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U.S., UK sanction eight Bulgarians over alleged corruption

WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) - The United States and Britain on sanctioned eight Bulgarians for alleged corruption, including the country’s wealthiest man and a former minister who allegedly profited illegally from deals…

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UPDATED: Two women survive for days in earthquake rubble as death toll tops 24,150

Death toll 20,665 in Turkey, more than 3,500 in Syria Hundreds of thousands homeless in the middle of winter First U.N. aid convoy enters northwest Syria from Turkey Children pulled…

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Newborn, toddlers survive days in rubble, bringing joy amid earthquake tragedy

ANTAKYA, Turkey, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Crouched under concrete slabs and whispering "inshallah" (God willing), rescuers carefully reached into the rubble, then passed down the line their prize - a…

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Adoption of euro exacerbated Croatian inflation, central bank says

ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Croatia's introduction of the euro on Jan. 1 has exacerbated its already high inflation rate but the impact is broadly in line with the experiences…

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UPDATED: After 104 hours buried by Turkey earthquake, woman brought out alive

Death toll is over 17,000 in Turkey, more than 3,000 in Syria Hundreds of thousands homeless in the middle of winter First U.N. aid convoy enters northwest Syria from Turkey…

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Hungary and Croatia seek to expand Adriatic oil pipeline

BUDAPEST, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Hungary plans to cooperate with Croatia to increase the capacity of the Adriatic pipeline that brings non-Russian crude to Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief…

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Taiwan president to donate a month’s salary for Turkey relief efforts

TAIPEI, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President William Lai will each donate a month's salary for Turkish earthquake relief efforts, the presidential office said on…

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UPDATED: Earthquake death toll rises over 14,000 in Turkey; Hopes fade for finding more Turkey-Syria quake survivors

ANKARA, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The death toll in Turkey from this week's powerful earthquakes has risen to 14,014, with more than 63,000 injured, President Tayyip Erdogan told reporters on…

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UPDATED: Erdogan visits earthquake-hit south as anger grows over rescue effort

Anger in Turkey and Syria over government response Combined death toll tops 11,000 International aid gathers pace By Mehmet Caliskan, Huseyin Hayatsever and Ece Toksabay KAHRAMANMARAS/ANTAKYA, Turkey, Feb 8 (Reuters)…

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Why was the Turkey-Syria earthquake so powerful?

By Gloria Dickie (Reuters) - The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday is likely to be one of the deadliest this decade, seismologists said, with a…

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Opinion: Turkey-Syria earthquake: how diplomacy can bring warring countries together to save lives

by Ilan Kelman - Professor of Disasters and Health, UCL, via The Conversation The death toll of the massive earthquakes that have rocked the Turkey-Syria border region has now exceeded 5,000…

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Turkey declares emergency as Turkey-Syria quake death toll passes 5,200

ANTAKYA, Turkey, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in 10 provinces devastated by two earthquakes that killed more than 5,200 people and left a…

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Turkish port of Iskenderun damaged, ships diverting -Maersk

The southern Turkish port of Iskenderun has suffered severe structural damage due to an earthquake with all operations halted until further notice, container shipping firm AP Moller Maersk said on…

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Erdogan declares state of emergency for Turkey quake zone

President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday declared as a disaster zone the 10 provinces affected by the devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey, imposing a state of emergency in the region for…

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Kosovo increases police patrolling after recent tensions

Kosovo police have stepped up patrols by Rapid Response Units following ethnic tensions last December when local Serbs blocked roads to protest Pristina rule. The area is inhabited by some…

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WATCH: Death toll from earthquake in Turkey nears 3,000, rescuers search for survivors

Rescue teams worked early on Tuesday to release people trapped in the rubble of buildings in southern Turkey as the death toll in the country from a devastating earthquake a…

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Bad weather hampers efforts to find survivors after huge Turkey quake

A huge earthquake killed more than 2,700 people across a swathe of Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, with freezing winter weather adding to the plight of the thousands left…

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Huge earthquake kills 2,600 in Turkey and Syria, bad weather worsens plight

By Mert Ozkan and Kinda Makieh KAHRAMANMARAS, Turkey/DAMASCUS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A huge earthquake killed more than 2,600 people across a swathe of Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, with freezing…

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Kosovo says ‘yes’ to EU’s peace deal with Serbia, with caveats – PM

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti said on Monday he accepted a proposed European Union plan aimed at normalising relations with Serbia despite concerns over Western demands to…

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Turkey quake: international support and offers of aid

Feb 6 (Reuters) - Dozens of governments and international organisations have responded with offers of support after an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria. Turkish President…

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UPDATED: Turkish disaster agency says no tsunami threat in Eastern Mediterranean

Turkish disaster agency says there is currently no tsunami threat to Eastern Mediterranean after multiple earthquakes jolt country. A second earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck southeastern Turkey's Kahramanmaras region on…

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UPDATED: Death toll from Turkey, Syria quake set to jump, WHO says

Quake strikes central Turkey, northwest Syria Death toll at more than 900 in Turkey, about 550 in Syria - officials Rescuers hunt for untold numbers trapped in rubble GENEVA, Feb…

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UPDATED: Turkish military sets up special air corridor to earthquake zone, Death toll in Turkey from rises above 1,000

ISTANBUL, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The death toll in a powerful earthquake in southern Turkey on Monday has risen to 1,014, with some 2,824 buildings destroyed, the head of the…

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