ISTANBUL -- The number of injuries from Wednesday's 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Istanbul has risen to 236, according to Health Minister Kemal Memisoglu.
The injuries were mostly caused by panic and individuals jumping from heights during the quake, according to the minister. All injured are receiving treatment in hospitals, and no fatalities have been reported. (Türkiye-Earthquake-Injuries)
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RAMALLAH -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday called for an international peace conference to be held under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), the United States, Russia, China, the European Union, Japan, South Africa and Brazil, aiming to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region.
During a speech in a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council meeting hold in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Abbas stressed that the proposed conference must be based on UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, the International Court of Justice, the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, and the signed agreements between the PLO and Israel. (Gaza Strip-Hamas-Israel)
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AMMAN -- Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen Farrayeh on Wednesday announced a ban on all activities of the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that "necessary measures" will be taken against any individual or entity found to be related to the group.
In a press briefing on the state-run Al Mamlaka TV, the minister stressed that any of the group's activities, regardless of their nature, would be considered a violation of the law and subject to legal accountability. (Jordan-Muslim Brotherhood-Ban)
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SANAA/JERUSALEM -- Yemen's Houthis on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the "missile and drone attacks" on "vital targets" in Israel's cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, which reportedly triggered sirens across northwestern Israel earlier in the day.
It is the first time the Houthis have targeted Haifa, in far northwestern Israel. (Yemen-Israel-Attacks) ■
