International
Death toll surpasses 22,000 despite dramatic rescues
(ALJAZEERA) — The earthquake death toll in Turkey and Syria has crossed 22,000.
Turkish President Erdogan said Friday death toll in Turkey had risen to 18,991.
The Syrian Civil Defence, or White Helmets, said that at least 2,037 people had died in opposition held areas. At least 1,340 have died in government-controlled areas of Syria, according to officials.
Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker, reporting from the Turkish city of Gaziantep, says it is difficult to capture the scale of the damage.
“Once you’re driving, and you’re passing towns and cities and villages, and you see pretty much everything destroyed along the way. It’s very difficult to comprehend,” Dekker said.
“And the other thing about this tragedy is that entire families have been lost,” she added.
“We were talking to a woman here. She said ‘I have four of my brothers, my mother, my cousins’ and all of her nieces and nephews … all gone in an instant when the building just completely pancaked upon itself.”
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said 14 trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed into northwestern Syria from Turkey.
“These convoys are carrying electric heaters, tents, blankets and other items to assist these people who have been displaced as a result of this catastrophic earthquake,” said spokesperson Paul Dillon, adding that the aid was bound for Idlib.
Opposition-held northwest Syria is home to nearly two million internally displaced refugees.
However, Turkish authorities’ response to the massive earthquakes in the country’s south is not as fast as the government wanted, President Tayyip Erdogan has said.
“So many buildings were damaged that unfortunately, we were not able to speed up our interventions as quickly as we had desired,” Erdogan said during a visit to the hard-hit southern city of Adiyaman.
The statement came a day after Erdogan conceded there had been “shortcomings” in the government’s handling of the disaster.
Erdogan added that some people were robbing markets and targeting businesses in the wake of the attack. He said a state of emergency declared in the hard hit areas would allow the government to quickly penalise those responsible.
The United States has announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is under indictment on federal drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges, formally asserting that the Venezuelan leader faces criminal prosecution in U.S. courts.
The announcement, made amid sharply escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas, confirms that Maduro is accused of conspiring to flood the United States with cocaine in coordination with armed groups and corrupt officials. U.S. prosecutors allege that Maduro played a central role in a criminal enterprise that used Venezuela as a key transit hub for narcotics destined for American cities.
The case remains pending in U.S. federal court, with American officials saying the indictment will stand until Maduro appears before a judge.
The BVI Airports Authority is advising the traveling public of current regional airspace restrictions resulting from a notice issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The notice affects U.S.-registered aircraft and U.S.-based carriers operating within the Caribbean region. As a result, flights to and from the Virgin Islands may be subject to delays, diversions, rescheduling, or cancellations, depending on individual airline routing and operational decisions.
The Authority emphasized that these restrictions are outside its control and are being managed directly by the affected airlines in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.
Passengers are strongly advised to:
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Contact their airline directly for the most current and accurate information regarding flight status; and
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Confirm flight details before traveling to the airport, as schedules may change with limited notice.
The BVI Airports Authority said it remains in close communication with airline partners and relevant aviation stakeholders and will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available.
The Authority thanked the public for its understanding and cooperation, noting that safety remains the top priority.
Former President Donald J. Trump claimed on Saturday, January 3, that U.S. forces had detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Venezuela’s first lady Cilia Flores Mr. Maduro and removed him from Venezuela during an overnight military operation.
In a statement posted in the early hours of Saturday, Jan. 3, Mr. Trump said American forces had carried out what he described as a decisive operation in and around Caracas, asserting that Mr. Maduro and Ms. Flores were taken into custody and flown out of the country. Mr. Trump did not specify which U.S. agencies were involved or where Mr. Maduro was being held.
There was no immediate confirmation from the White House, the Pentagon, or the State Department. As of early Saturday, U.S. officials declined to comment, and no formal announcement had been issued by the Biden administration or military leadership.
Reports of explosions in Caracas circulated on social media shortly before 2 a.m. local time. Journalists from CNN reported hearing multiple blasts and observing power outages in parts of the capital, though the cause and scope of the incidents remained unclear.
Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, said in a televised address that the government had not been able to confirm the whereabouts of Mr. Maduro or Ms. Flores. She accused the United States of what she called a “criminal military aggression” and said Venezuela had placed its armed forces on high alert. Her claims could not be independently verified.
In Washington, Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, said he had been briefed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told him that Mr. Maduro had been detained under longstanding U.S. criminal indictments. Senator Lee said the operation was intended to enforce an arrest warrant and ensure the safety of U.S. personnel involved.
Mr. Maduro has been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice since 2020 on charges including narcotrafficking, narco-terrorism, and conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. U.S. prosecutors have accused him of leading the so-called Cartel of the Suns, allegations Mr. Maduro has repeatedly denied, calling them politically motivated.
For years, the U.S. government has offered millions of dollars in rewards for information leading to Mr. Maduro’s arrest. Until now, the charges had not been enforced through direct military action.
Legal experts said any U.S. military operation on Venezuelan soil would raise immediate constitutional questions, particularly in the absence of congressional authorization. Senator Lee himself has previously expressed concern over presidential war powers and the lack of a formal authorization for the use of military force.
Across Latin America, governments have historically opposed foreign military intervention in the region, and diplomatic reaction was expected to be swift. As of Saturday morning, Venezuelan state media had not acknowledged any detention of Mr. Maduro, and his location remained unknown.
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