Middle East & North Africa

TEHRAN, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran is capable to enrich uranium at "whatever level of purity," Ali Asghar Zarean, a special assistant to the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), was quoted as saying by state TV on Saturday.

"Right now, if the (Islamic) establishment deems necessary, the AEOI has the capability to enrich uranium at whatever percentage of purity", Zarean said.

Zarean noted that Iran is currently producing 10 kilograms of uranium each day at under-5-percent purity level.

DAMASCUS, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army seems determined to capture rebel-held areas in Idlib and Aleppo provinces in northern Syria, with two official statements released Saturday regarding such intention.

The Syrian army said in a statement on Saturday evening that it's determined to put an end to the "violations" of the rebels of the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and allied militant groups in Aleppo and Idlib.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Working against the clock in freezing temperatures, Turkish rescue teams pulled more survivors from collapsed buildings Sunday, days after a powerful magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit the country’s east.

Authorities said the death toll rose to at least 31 people.

Turkish television showed Ayse Yildiz, 35, and her 2-year-old daughter Yusra being dragged out of the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in the city of Elazig. They had been trapped for 28 hours after the earthquake struck on Friday night.

GAZA, Palestine, Jan 26 (NNN-WAFA) – Israeli warplanes on Saturday night, carried out several airstrikes on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, in response to the launch of balloons carrying explosives into southern Israel, security sources in Gaza said.

The sources said that, the warplanes struck posts belonging to Hamas movement’s armed wing, in southern and central Gaza Strip.

No injuries or damages were reported.

The Israeli army, said that, Israeli Air-Force planes targeted posts and positions that belong to the Hamas militants.

CAIRO, Jan 26 (NNN-MENA) – Egypt has allocated three billion Egyptian pounds (about 190 million U.S. dollars), to implement an emergency plan, for developing road networks and boosting infrastructure, Egyptian Finance Minister, Mohamed Maait, said.

The allocation came during the minister’s meeting with local development minister, Mahmoud Shaarawy, according to official Ahram Online news website.

Maait said, road surfacing will be made according to the highest technical and quality standards.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The death toll from a strong earthquake that rocked eastern Turkey climbed to 29 on Saturday night as rescue crews searched for people who remained trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings, officials said.

Speaking at a televised news conference, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said earlier in the day that 18 people were killed in Elazig province, where Friday night’s quake was centered, and four in neighboring Malatya. The national disaster agency later updated the total with seven more casualties.

GREEN VILLAGE MILITARY OUTPOST (AP) — U.S. troops at military outposts ín eastern Syria asked variations of the same question to their top commander Saturday: What is our future here? What are the goals we need to think about?

Gen. Frank McKenzie, the U.S Middle East commander, knows the future is not certain. But at least for today, he said, “this is an area where we made a commitment. I think we’re going to be here for a while.”

25 Jan 2019; MEMO: Turkey has quickly figured out how to use public resources to get more than half a million refugee children enrolled in schools, head of a Turkish charity working on refuge issues said Friday, reports Anadolu Agency.

On the UN’s International Education Day, Refugee Support Center (MUDEM) General Coordinator Safa Karatas underlined Turkey’s success in meeting the needs of thousands of refugee children.

25 Jan 2019; MEMO: Egyptian public squares are witnessing intensive security spread by the coup authorities, in conjunction with calls to celebrate the ninth commemoration of the Egyptian revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak’s regime.

Pelestine: The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced on Thursday evening that it would take measures to protect the legal rights of Palestinians if the US announces the ‘deal of the century’ without changes, Quds Press repor