Syria

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the border region of Turkey and Syria on Monday, just two weeks after the area was devastated by a larger quake that killed more than 47,000 people. A camera mounted in a car has captured the exact moment the fresh earthquake struck Turkey. Watch the viral video.

The ECDC said that "the damaged utility infrastructure, including water and electricity, causing limited access to clean water, inadequate sanitation and hygiene facilities, improper refrigeration and cooking systems may increase the occurrence and transmission of food-and waterborne illnesses".

Queen Elizabeth, the longest ruling monarch in British history, passed away on September 8. She will be laid to rest at Westminster Abbey on September 19 and the funeral will be attended by major leaders from all around the world. However, six countries have not been invited.

Damascus was last attacked on January 2, when the Syrian army reported that Israel's military fired missiles toward the international airport of Syria's capital, putting it out of service and killing two soldiers and wounding two others.

Syrian rebels and civilians seized Bashar al-Assad's presidential palace in Damascus, marking the end of the al-Assad family's 54-year rule. Assad and his family were granted asylum in Moscow after fleeing the capital.

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, and Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, both expressed their condolences and said that their respective firms will contribute to the relief and recovery efforts for those impacted by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

On February 7, the Turkish Parliament imposed the state of emergency for three months, after a request by President Tayyip Erdogan. The government also offered salary support and imposed a layoff ban in 2020 in an attempt to mitigate the economic blow from COVID-19.

Terming the earthquakes as "the worst natural disaster" in the region in a century, the WHO's Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge emphasised the importance of all parties cooperating on aid delivery.

Archaeologists at Johns Hopkins University have unearthed clay cylinders, each no longer than a finger, inscribed with the earliest known alphabetic text.