Syrians vote on new constitution

叙利亚人投票表决新宪法.A woman casts her vote on a new constitution at a polling station in Damascus, Syria, on Sunday. 

叙利亚人投票表决新宪法.Under the constitution the president will end his two seven-year terms in 2014 at the latest and, with it, his family's 40-odd years of control over the country. Voting results will be announced on Monday.
Dozens of people lined up to vote in two polling stations visited by a Reuters journalist in Damascus.
"I've come to vote for President Bashar, God protect him and give him victory over his enemies," Reuters quoted Samah Turkmani, in his 50s, as saying.
Bassam Haddad, the director of one polling center, said: "From the beginning the voting has been much better than we expected. We can say 200 percent above expectations."
Another voter, Majed Elias, said: "This is a national duty, whether I agree or not, I have to come and vote ... I agree with the draft constitution, even if I object to some parts. Every Syrian must ride the wave of reform to achieve what he wants."
Anti-Assad activists have called for a boycott of a vote they see as meaningless. They said they would try to hold protests near polling stations in Damascus and suburbs where troops drove out insurgents last month.
Opposition leaders have refused to participate in the referendum, stressing that stopping violence is the top priority at present.
The unrest, which broke out in March, has killed thousands of people including many government troops.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on Sunday.
But Wu Sike, China's Middle East envoy, said on Thursday that China supports all efforts that are conducive to peacefully resolving the Syrian issue, he said.
"China will continue to keep in touch with all concerned parties in the United Nations, with the Arab League and with the Syrian government and all of the political parties," Wu said.
Earlier this month, China, along with Russia, vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a regime change in Syria.
The veto was not to protect Assad's regime, Wu said, but to prevent further violence.
Premier Wen Jiabao said this month that China does not support any side but aims to promote peace in the Middle East country.
China did not attend the "Friends of Syria" conference held in Tunis on Friday, when representatives of about 70 countries and regions agreed not to militarize the Syrian conflict but agreed on an Arab peacekeeping force to ensure stability during Syria's democratic transition.
Zhang Xiaodong, secretary-general of the China Association for Middle Eastern Studies, said the referendum might help ease the crisis and facilitate political reform.
"But the key is that the opposition have denied the legitimacy of the incumbent government and are unwilling to talk, let alone take part in reform," he said. "So the future of Syria, even after this vote, may be at a standstill."
Various parties in Syria have different interests and a consensus has not been reached even among the opposition.
"That adds to the difficulty of bringing everyone to the negotiating table," he said.
Peaceful political dialogue, initiated by China and Russia, is the way out for the Syrian crisis, as the "regime change" supported by the West may repeat the chaos brought by wars in Iraq and Libya, he said.
Another expert said the referendum seemed to be too late.
"This vote aims to limit the crisis but has missed the most opportune time," said Ye Hailin, a professor in international relations at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The result of the referendum will be tarnished as it has been boycotted by the opposition, he added.
He said some changes in the new constitution showed compromise from the government, but not enough. "There is no room for negotiations between the government and opposition so the next step by the Arab League will be quite important," he said.

Syria condemns the decision of the Friends of the Syrian meeting

叙利亚谴责叙利亚会议之友的决定.DAMASCUS - Syria rejected and condemned all decisions and comments by the Friends of Syria conference on Saturday, according to an official source which termed the meeting "the enemies of Syria."
"The conference came as a result of a failed plot targeting Syria and its people," said the unnamed source, whose remarks were carried by the state-run SANA news agency.
"Syria also totally rejects any calls to arm the oppositions, as we consider it a move of support to terrorists that would hurt the Syrian people and their hope for peace and stability," said the source.
The source also urged all opposition parties, which refused to participate in the gathering in Tunisia, to embark on a national dialogue as soon as possible.
At the conference in Tunis, representatives of some 70 countries and regions agreed not to militarize the Syrian conflict but concurred on an Arab peacekeeping force to ensure stability during Syria's democratic transition.
The meeting also agreed on tougher sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's government, including severance diplomatic ties.

Iranian nuclear scientist killed in blast

TEHRAN - The death toll in Wednesday's bomb attack targeting an Iranian nuclear site staff in northern Tehran has risen to two, the official IRNA news agency reported.

Local media reported earlier that Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, an Iranian national, was killed by a car bomb attack in Gol Nabi Street near the Ketabi square in northern Tehran on Wednesday morning.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported that an assailant on a motorcycle stuck a bomb on the side of Ahmadi-Roshan's car, killing the man immediately and injuring two other people in the car.

One of the wounded, who was the driver of the car, died in the hospital later Wednesday, according to IRNA.

Earlier media reports identified Ahmadi-Roshan as a university professor, and Fars and local Press TV said he was a "nuclear scientist."

IRNA later quoted an announcement by Tehran's Sharif University as saying that Ahmadi-Roshan was a staff member of Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment site.

The 32-year-old victim was the deputy chief of Natanz nuclear enrichment site's commercial section, said IRNA.

He graduated from Tehran's distinguished Sharif University in 2003, majoring in chemistry engineering, according to IRNA.

It was not immediately clear whether Ahmadi-Roshan was directly involved in Iran's nuclear program.

Several Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated in recent years.

Iran's First Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said Wednesday that Israeli agents were the perpetrators of Ahmadi-Roshan's assassination, IRNA reported.

The enemies should know that they will not be able to stop Iran's scientific progress by such terrorist acts, Rahimi was quoted as saying.

According to Fars, Iran's Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission will hold a meeting on Wednesday to study the incident.

US forces rescue 6 more Iranian sailors

The Iran-flagged boat Ya-Hussayn taken from the US Coast Guard Cutter Monomoy in the Arabian Gulf, January 10, 2012. 

WASHINGTON - US forces have rescued six more Iranian sailors in distress after freeing 13 Iranians from pirates earlier this week, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

The rescue took place several hours before dawn Tuesday morning. US Coast Guard cutter Monomoy rescued the six Iranians from the disabled cargo dhow Ya-Hussayn in the North Arabian Gulf, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Tuesday.

"This is consistent with meeting our obligations to rescue vessels in distress," said Little.

At about 3 am local time, Monomoy was hailed by flares and flashlights from the Ya-Hussayn, according to a US Naval Forces Central Command statement.

The dhow's master requested assistance, indicating the engine room was flooded and the vessel was not seaworthy. The Monomoy's small boat rescued two people from the vessel and four from a life raft tied off the dhow's stern, officials said.

Aboard the Monomoy, an emergency medical technician treated an injured crew member, and the others received water, blankets and halal meals, which are prepared according to Islamic law and stored aboard US Coast Guard ships for Muslim mariners in distress, according to the Pentagon.

A civilian interpreter aboard Monomoy made initial contact with the Iranian Rescue Coordination Center to report Ya-Hussayn's status and to coordinate the Iranian mariners' transfer from Monomoy to shore.

At 4:30 pm local time, the six mariners were transferred by rigid-hull inflatable boats from Monomoy to the Iranian coast guard vessel Naji 7. Through a translator, the Naji 7's captain sent his regards and thanked the Monomoy's captain and crew members for assisting and taking care of the Iranian sailors.

Monomoy is supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation in the US 5th Fleet area of responsibility, which includes the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the coast off East Africa as far south as Kenya, said the Pentagon.

A team from the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd, part of the USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, rescued a 13-member Iranian crew on January 5 from 15 suspected pirates who had been holding the crew hostage on the Iranian-flagged Al Molai for several weeks.

Syrian president vows not to step down amid unrest

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks at Damascus university January 10, 2012, in this handout photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA. 

DAMASCUS - Embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Tuesday he would neither step down nor give up responsibilities since he still has the support of his people.
Standing before a crowd of supporters in Damascus University, in dark suit and tie, Assad said the ten-month-old events that wracked Syria has "blooded the heart of every Syrian and imposed circumstances that pose a serious test for us in nationalism."
In his fourth speech since the eruption of unrest in Syria in mid March, Assad said it's no longer possible for some regional and international parties who want to destabilize Syria to fraud facts and events, adding that hundreds of world media have worked against Syria "to push us to a state of collapse but they failed."
He said Syria is facing an unprecedented battle, and that victory is imminent thanks to the Syrian people's steadfastness and patience.
Meanwhile, Assad said his country will not close door to any Arab solution respecting the Syrian sovereignty and the independence of the country's decision, adding he was the one to suggest the need for Arab monitors to find out the truth in Syria.
Commenting on Arab League's (AL) halting of Syria's membership, Assad said an AL without Syria is no longer an Arab organization. "The question is who would lose, the Arab League or Syria? The Arabism of the Arab League would remain suspended without Syria."
This Assad's first national speech since Damascus agreed to an AL plan. Syria signed an AL observer protocol on December 19, 2011 in the Egyptian capital of Cairo after the pan-Arab body threatened to take the issue to the UN Security Council.
As of Sunday, there are all together 165 observers monitoring the situation in Syria as part of an AL peace initiative to end the months-long turmoil there.
Besides, Assad said a committee entrusted with rewriting the Syrian constitution is at its final stages. He noted that the upcoming constitution will be focused on political, party pluralism and institutions.
Assad said there would be a referendum on the constitution at the beginning of March.
Meanwhile, Assad said Syria seeks to establish a broad government that included a mixture of politicians and technicians and represents all spectra of society.
"We are at the threshold of changes, a great part of them focus on the youth generation that has confronted this crisis," he said, however, he noted "restoring security is the ultimate priority for Syria at this stage."
Assad vowed to fight terrorism with iron fist and accused foreign conspiracy of trying to destabilize Syria. The Syrian government has blamed the country's turmoil on terrorists and foreign-backed armed gangs.
"Revenge doesn't build up a country, nor could it restore the blood that was shed ... Only tolerance can build up nations," he warned. The Syrian government said a total of 2,000 army and security personnel were killed during the months-long unrest, while the United Nations put the death toll at more than 5,000.
The president said he did not give any orders to security forces to fire on civilians during the government's handling of the protests against his rule.
Assad said the country's policies are to continue reforms and combat terrorism, adding that Syria's dignity is stronger than instigators' armies and wealth.
Besides, Assad, who has made only a few public appearances since the unrest, boasted the many advantages of his country, saying that the country's debt is very low and its ties with world countries haven't be ruptured.

Iran tests missiles in the Gulf exercise the power of

伊朗在海湾演习中测试导弹威力。An Iranian long-range shore-to-sea missile called Qader (Capable) is launched during the Velayat-90 war game on the Sea of Oman's shore near the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran Jan 2, 2012. 

伊朗在海湾演习中测试导弹威力。TEHERAN - Iran said on Monday it had successfully test-fired two long-range missiles, flexing its military muscle in the face of mounting Western pressure over its nuclear program.
The announcement came at the climax of 10 days of naval exercises in the Gulf, during which Teheran had warned it could shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of world oil is shipped, if sanctions were imposed on its crude exports.

Analysts say Iran's increasingly strident rhetoric, which has pushed oil prices higher, is aimed at sending a message to the West that it should think twice about the economic cost of putting further pressure on Teheran.

"We have successfully test-fired long-range shore-to-sea and surface-to-surface missiles, called Qader (Capable) and Nour (Light) today," Deputy Navy Commander Mahmoud Mousavi told state television.

Despite his use of the term 'long-range', the semi-official Fars news agency said the Qader's range was only 200 kilometers, and no figure was given for the Nour.

Iran is about 225 km at its nearest point from Bahrain, where the US Fifth Fleet is based, and about 1,000 km from Israel. Its longest-range missile, the Sajjil-2, has a range of up to 2,400 km.

Iran said on Monday it had no intention to close the Strait of Hormuz, but has carried out "mock" exercises on shutting it.

"No order has been given for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But we are prepared for various scenarios," state television quoted Navy Chief Habibollah Sayyari as saying.

The US Fifth Fleet said it would not allow shipping to be disrupted in the strategic waterway.

Israeli reaction

Israel played down the military impact of Iran's announcement, saying Teheran's forces were no match for the West's in the Gulf.

伊朗在海湾演习中测试导弹威力。An Iranian long-range shore-to-sea missile called Qader (Capable) is launched during Velayat-90 war game on Sea of Oman's shore near the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran Jan 2, 2012.

Moshe Yaalon, vice-prime minister and minister of strategic affairs, told Israel Radio the exercises reflected Iran's concern about sanctions to curb its nuclear ambitions, and its efforts to suggest its naval forces could match those of the West, led by the United States, in the Gulf.

On that point, Yaalon was dismissive. "Really, this couldn't even be called a fair fight between the two sides." He repeated Israel's call for tougher economic sanctions against Iran accompanied by "a credible military option as a last resort".

The European Union is considering following the United States in banning imports of Iranian crude oil. US President Barack Obama signed new sanctions against Iran into law on Saturday, stepping up the pressure with sanctions on financial institutions that deal with Iran's central bank.

If enforced strictly, the sanctions could make it nearly impossible for most refiners to buy crude from Iran, the world's fourth biggest producer.

The United Nations Security Council has already imposed four rounds of global sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities.

Iran has so far shown no willingness to change its nuclear course but Iranian media reported on Saturday that nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili would write to the EU foreign policy chief to say Teheran was ready for fresh talks on its nuclear program.

Iran's first nuclear fuel rods to produce

伊朗生产出首个核燃料棒。A military personnel carries ammunition on a naval ship during Velayat-90 war game on Sea of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran, Dec 31, 2011. 

伊朗生产出首个核燃料棒。HONOLULU / TEHERAN - Iran announced on Sunday that scientists there have produced the country's first nuclear fuel rod.

That came a day after US President Barack Obama signed into law a defense bill that imposes sanctions on financial institutions dealing with Iran's central bank.
It also came after Iran had said it has been compelled to manufacture fuel rods on its own since international sanctions have banned Teheran from buying them on foreign markets.

The European Union expects to reach a decision by the end of January on expanding sanctions against Iran, a EU spokesman said on Sunday.

The head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Mohammad Nahavandian, rejected the move as "unjustifiable", saying such sanctions would have reciprocal consequences.

"The Iranian nation and those involved in trade and economic activities will find other alternatives," said Nahavandian.

He said European countries should not miss the investment opportunity in an emerging market like Iran.

Both the European Union and the United States have said they are willing to hold talks with Iran on its controversial nuclear program, provided they are meaningful and without preconditions.

So far talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France - plus Germany have been stalled for a year.

Nuclear fuel rods contain pellets of enriched uranium that provide fuel for nuclear power plants.

Iran's atomic energy agency's website said the first domestically made rod has already been inserted into the core of Teheran's research nuclear reactor. It is unclear if the rod contained pellets or if it was inserted as part of a test and it was empty.

The West fears Iran's uranium enrichment program is meant to make atomic weapons - a charge Teheran denies.
The US sanctions target both private and government-controlled banks - including central banks - and will take effect after a two- to six-month warning period, a senior Obama administration official said.

Under the law, the president can move to exempt institutions in a country that has significantly reduced its dealings with Iran and in situations where a waiver is in the US national security interest or otherwise necessary for the stability of energy markets. To grant a waiver, he must tell Congress of his intention. The waiver would only be temporary but could be extended.

Sanctioned institutions would be frozen out of US financial markets. "Our intent is to implement this law in a timed and phased approach so that we avoid repercussions to the oil market and ensure that this damages Iran and not the rest of the world," the senior US official told Reuters.

Senior US officials said Washington was consulting its foreign partners to ensure the new sanctions can work without harming global energy markets.

In another development, Iran successfully test fired a medium-range, surface-to-air missile on Sunday during naval war games taking place near the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel at the entrance of the Persian Gulf, a spokesman for the maneuvers told the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

"This medium-range, surface-to-air missile is equipped with the latest technology to combat radar-evading targets and intelligent systems which try to disrupt missile navigation," Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi was quoted as saying.

He said it was the first time Iran had tested the missile, which was "domestically designed and built".

It was not immediately known whether the missile was fired from a ship or from land.

The missile's launch and the war games are meant to show Iran's military capabilities at a time when the United States and other Western nations are putting greater pressure on Teheran in response to its nuclear program.

The fact that they are taking place near the Strait of Hormuz has drawn attention to Iran's threats in recent days that it might close the strait if more sanctions arTwenty percent of the world's oil passes through the strait, making it the "most important chokepoint" in the world, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

The sanctions Obama signed on Saturday were contained in a mammoth $662-billion defense bill. They are likely to deepen acrimony between Washington and Teheran.

The sanctions require foreign firms to make a choice between doing business with Teheran's oil and financial sectors or central bank or the mighty US economy and financial sector.

The bill, which passed by wide majorities in Congress, did leave some leeway to Obama, giving him the power to grant 120-day waivers if he judges them to be in the national-security interests of the United States.

Earlier this month, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner wrote to Congress to express concern against an earlier, tougher measure, saying it could harm the campaign of the US and its partners to isolate Iran.

Geithner argued that foreign allies might resent the new US measures, making it less likely they would cooperate and more likely the sanctions would have the "opposite effect" of their intended purpose of isolating Iran.e imposed.

伊朗生产出首个核燃料棒。A new medium-range missile is fired from a naval ship during Velayat-90 war game on Sea of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran, Jan 1, 2012. 

The upcoming talks between Israel and Palestine

以色列和巴勒斯坦即将举行会谈。Palestinian and Israeli negotiators will meet this week after more than a year of deadlocked peacemaking and present their positions on core disputes to foreign mediators, a Palestinian official said on Sunday.

Palestinian delegate Saeb Erekat and Israel's Yitzhak Molcho will meet on Tuesday in Jordan, said Wasl Abu Yossef, a senior figure in the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

"Both sides will offer their positions on security and borders. This is not a resumption of negotiations," he told Reuters, adding that representatives of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations - the so-called peace Quartet - would also attend.

Israel did not immediately confirm the meeting would take place, but a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the government sought peace talks "without preconditions, any time and in any place".

Negotiations stalled in late 2010 after Israel refused to renew a partial freeze on Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank as demanded by the Palestinians, who want to found a state there as well as in East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has spurned Israel's demand he recognise it as a Jewish state. He  drew rebukes from the Netanyahu government by holding power-share talks with the rival Hamas Islamists who rule Gaza.

Although the United States warned that Iran has continued to naval exercises

虽然美国警告，但伊朗依然继续进行海军演习。A rocket fires from a military boat during Velayat-90 war game on Sea of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran December 30, 2011. 

虽然美国警告，但伊朗依然继续进行海军演习。TEHRAN - On the seventh day of Iran's major naval drills in its southern waters on Friday, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that it is not the Islamic Republic's intention to close the Strait of Hormuz, the local satellite Press TV reported Friday.

Although Iran could readily close the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's intention is not to close it, Sayyari said.

"Our intention is to bring stability and security to the region and we would like to show everyone that we can provide the security for the region without resorting to powers from outside," the Iranian commander was quoted as saying.

Sayyari said the presence of foreign navies in the region causes regional insecurity, emphasizing that Iran does not need the presence of non-regional powers, according to the report.

The US Department of Defense on Wednesday warned Iran against any attempt to block the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the world's most important oil passage.

"This is not just an important issue for security and stability in the region, but is an economic lifeline for countries in the Gulf, including Iran," Pentagon press secretary George Little said. "Interference with the transit or passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will not be tolerated."

Little's remarks came after Iran's top officials threatened to seal off the important oil passage. Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said Tuesday that Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz if the West imposes sanctions on its oil exports.

Sayyari echoed the vice president's remarks on Wednesday, saying that the country's naval forces could readily block the oil route if needed.

In a separate statement, the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet said Wednesday that "anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations. Any disruption will not be tolerated."

Last Saturday, the Iranian navy launched a 10-day exercise, dubbed Velayat 90, which covers a length of 2,000 km stretching from the east of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden.

On the seventh day of major naval drills in the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Friday, naval forces performed special heliborne operations, Press TV reported.

Deputy commander of Iran's Navy Rear Admiral Seyyed Mahmoud Mousavi said that Friday's exercises include attacks on predetermined targets at sea as well as tactical shootings at mock enemy targets, using different classes of speed boats.

Marine commandos also conducted free-fall parachute jumps from helicopters, said the report.

Also, the Iranian Navy's rocket-launching frigates and artillery units joined the country's wargames in the Sea of Oman and Persian Gulf on Friday, said the local semi-official Fars news agency.

On Friday, the rocket-launching frigates and speedboats and coastal defense artillery units of the Iranian Navy staged wide- scale fire on hypothetical enemy vessels, said Fars.

The Azarakhsh speedboats equipped with 107 mm rocket launchers and various coastal defense units quipped with various types of artillery units could destroy the enemy vessels which had penetrated the country's waters in the Sea of Oman off the Iranian coasts in the Southeast.

Mousavi said Friday that Iran's Navy will fire various home- made missiles during the naval drills in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Press TV reported.

Mousavi, was quoted as telling reporters Friday that the country's naval units will fire different long- and short-range land-to-sea, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles during the power phase of the exercises, starting Saturday.

Besides, Iran's submarines will also hit the pre-determined targets, using domestically-manufactured torpedoes, during the power phase of the drills.

Mousavi, also the spokesman for the drills, added that naval forces will also fire shoulder-launched missiles and hit mock targets of the enemy, said Press TV.

虽然美国警告，但伊朗依然继续进行海军演习。Iranian military personnel participate in the Velayat-90 war game in unknown location near the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran December 30, 2011.

Under the shadow of violence in Syria, Christians celebrate Christmas

在叙利亚的暴力阴影下，基督徒庆祝圣诞节。Photos of people killed at security sites on Friday in two car bomb attacks are seen on a Christmas tree in Damascus December 24, 2011. 

在叙利亚的暴力阴影下，基督徒庆祝圣诞节。DAMASCUS, Syria - On the Christmas Eve, Christians in Syria suffered from distress and some even canceled celebrations due to violence across the country and recent deadly explosions in the capital Damascus.

The Christian neighborhoods in Syria, which were usually decorated with colorful lights on the Christmas Eve in the past, on Saturday look as dim as other parts of the country that has been gripped by months of unrest. Markets which were usually crowded with people at this time look relatively empty this year.

Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim of Antioch and All the East on Saturday called for limiting the Christmas and New Year occasions.

Patriarchal Assistant at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Bishop Luca al-Khouri, told local media that Syrians are brothers and no one can divide them, adding that "we live together, Muslim and Christian clergymen, Christian and Muslim people, in this sage country... but they want to fragment this country, and God willing they won't be able to do that."

Al-Khouri said that on the Christmas Eve, "the enemies of Syria opted to gift Syria with victims rather than good wishes."

Syria has long said that it is subject to a foreign conspiracy and some unnamed countries have channeled funds and weapons to extremists and armed thugs in Syria to undermine its stability and security.

In the most deadly events in the country since the unrest started in March, two suicide bombers attacked two security compounds in Damascus on Friday, killing at least 44 people and wounding 166 others. The Syrian government said the two blasts bore the hallmark of al-Qaida.

Syria's Christians, who take up about 10 percent in the country 's Sunni-majority population, have showed support to the embattled President Bashar al-Assad.

The Syrian capital of Damascus, a car bomb killed 44 people, injured more than 100

叙利亚首都大马士革，汽车炸弹44人死亡，100多人受伤。A damaged car is seen where a car bomb blew up at security sites in Damascus December 23, 2011, in this handout photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA.

叙利亚首都大马士革，汽车炸弹44人死亡，100多人受伤。DAMASCUS - The death toll of the twin attacks on intelligence centers in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Friday has risen to 44, while 166 others were injured, most of them civilians, Syria's interior ministry said Friday.
"The attacks reflect a new escalation of terrorist acts in Syria," the ministry said in a statement, adding "the style of the attacks refers to al-Qaida."
The ministry appealed to the Syrian people to report any suspicious act "to cut the hand of terrorism."
Earlier on Friday, two suicide bombs rocked two security centers in central Damascus, the worst violence since protests against President Bashar al-Assad erupted in mid-March. The bombing came only a day after the Arab League (AL) observers arrived in the capital to monitor the situation on the ground.
The blasts struck the headquarters of the security department building and the Region Security Branch, leaving rubble and twisted debris covering the road that is lined with burned cars.
Syria's state TV said security forces have arrested a suspect, adding that terrorists carried out the two blasts at sites with heavy traffic and near an orphanage.
Imams and preachers condemned the attacks and stressed in a statement carried by state-run SANA news agency that Islam has nothing to do with any terrorist attack that targets the security of the homeland, citizens, unity and stability of the country.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said he is "gravely concerned with the escalating violence in Syria," and stressed that "all violence is unacceptable and must stop immediately."
In the statement, the secretary-general urged "a credible, inclusive and legitimate Syria-led process of comprehensive political change that will address the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people."
Besides, Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour also strongly condemned the acts, saying the heinous crime is the newest in a series of crimes against the Syrian people and the national army, which are aimed at undermining Syria and threatening the unity of the Syrian people.
"We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyears and express our deep grief and condemnation of this heinous crime ... We also wish the injured a speedy recovery and hope that security and stability would be restored to Syria," he said.

叙利亚首都大马士革，汽车炸弹44人死亡，100多人受伤。People gather around the entrance of a damaged building after a car bomb blew up at security sites in Damascus December 23, 2011, in this handout photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA.

Cairo, the right to compete against in the blocks

开罗，权利竞争在街口对抗。A general view of Egyptian protesters at Tahrir Square in Cairo December 23, 2011.

开罗，权利竞争在街口对抗。CAIRO - Thousands of Egyptians gathered on Friday in Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square, demanding an early transfer of power and protesting the way military police recently treated female protesters.
The rally in the square, the epicenter of the January 25- February11 protests which toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak, called for regaining the honor of women and went on in a peaceful way.
Friday prayers imam Hisham Attiya at the square urged to form an independent body to investigate the recent clashes and bring those accountable to justice. The imam also called for a speedy transfer of power from the ruling supreme military council to a civilian assembly.
At least 17 people have been killed in the clashes which started on December 16 outside the cabinet premises. During the clashes, the scene that soldiers dragged a woman by the hair, beat her and stripped her half-naked on the street, was recorded and aroused strong criticism.
In Abbasiya Square in Cairo, thousands of people gathered to show their support to the military council and Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri. Smaller protests were also seen in Alexandria. The protests remained peaceful by Friday evening.
On Thursday, Ganzouri told reporters that restoring stability and security in Egyptian streets is his top concern. He urged for dialogue of all sides for the sake of the country's future as it faced huge economic problems due to the continuous turmoil.
Ganzouri's new cabinet took office earlier this month and has been working hard to meet the demands of the people. Some youths opposed his appointment and demanded his resignation.
Protests are common since the military took power in February. More than 100 have been killed in various protests and clashes over the past 11 months.  Protesters are increasingly pressing the military to transfer power immediately.
The landmark parliamentary polls started on November 28 and have finished two stages. It is expected to be finished on January 11. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has ordered the first meeting of the new People's Assembly on January 23.
The presidential elections will be held before June 30. The parliament was dissolved and constitution suspended shortly after Mubarak's fall.

Last nine years, the United States gradually withdraw troops from Iraq

US Air Force airman wait to board the last Air Force flight out of Ali Air Base near Nasiriyah, en route to Kuwait Dec 17, 2011.

最近9年，美国逐渐从伊拉克撤军。BAGHDAD - The last convoy of US soldiers pulled out of Iraq on Sunday, ending their withdrawal after nearly nine years of war and military intervention that cost almost 4,500 American and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives.
The war launched in March 2003 with missiles striking Baghdad to oust Saddam Hussein is leaving behind a fragile democracy still facing insurgents, sectarian tensions and a struggle to define its place in the Arab region.
The final column of around 100 mostly US military MRAP armoured vehicles carrying 500 US troops trundled across the southern Iraq desert through the night along an empty highway to the Kuwaiti border.
"It's good to see this thing coming to a close. I was here when it started," Staff Sgt. Christian Schultz said just before leaving Contingency Operating Base Adder, 300 km (185 miles) south of Baghdad, for the border. "I saw a lot of good changes, a lot of progress, and a lot of bad things too."  
For President Barack Obama, the military pullout is the fulfilment of an election promise to bring troops home from a conflict inherited from his predecessor that tainted America's standing worldwide.
For Iraqis, it brings a sense of sovereignty but fuels worries their country may slide once again into the kind of sectarian violence that killed thousands of people at its peak in 2006-2007.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government still struggles with a delicate power-sharing arrangement between Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni parties, leaving Iraq vulnerable to meddling by Sunni Arab nations and Shi'ite Iran.
The intensity of violence and suicide bombings has subsided for now. But a stubborn Sunni Islamist insurgency and rival Shi'ite militias remain a threat, carrying out almost daily attacks.
Iraq says its forces can contain the violence but they lack capabilities in areas such as air defence and intelligence gathering. A deal for several thousand US troops to stay on as trainers fell apart over the sensitive issue of legal immunity.
For many Iraqis security remains a worry - but no more than jobs and getting access to power in a country whose national grid provides only a few hours of electricity a day.
"We don't think about America... We think about electricity, jobs, our oil, our daily problems," said Abbas Jaber, a government employee in Baghdad. "They left chaos."

Going Home
After Obama announced in October that troops would come home by the end of the year as scheduled, the number of US military bases was whittled down quickly as hundreds of troops and trucks carrying equipment headed south to the Kuwaiti border.

US Air Force airmen walk to board the last Air Force flight out of Ali Air Base near Nasiriyah, en route to Kuwait Dec 17, 2011. 

US forces, which had ended combat missions in 2010, paid $100,000 a month to tribal sheikhs to secure different parts of highways leading south to reduce the risk of roadside bombings and attacks.
At the height of the war, more than 170,000 US troops were in Iraq at more than 500 bases. By Saturday, there were fewer  than 3,000 troops, and one base.
At COB Adder, as dusk fell before the departure of the last convoy, one group of soldiers slapped barbecue sauce on slabs of ribs brought in from Kuwait and laid them on grills alongside hotdogs and sausages.
The last troops flicked on the lights studding their MRAP vehicles and stacked flak jackets and helmets in neat piles, ready for the final departure for Kuwait and then home.
"A good chunk of me is happy to leave. I spent 31 months in this country," said Sgt. Steven Schirmer, 25, after three tours of Iraq since 2007. "It almost seems I can have a life now, though I know I am probably going to Afghanistan in 2013. Once these wars end I wonder what I will end up doing."

Captain Chris Prange of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division reads a book in the back of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAP) while waiting at a staging area in Camp Adder to be part of the last US military convoy to leave the country near Nasiriyah, Iraq on Dec 17, 2011. 

US Air Force Senior Airman Janna Less (C), 23, smiles as she sits on the last Air Force flight out of Ali Air Base near Nasiriyah, en route to Kuwait Dec 17, 2011. 

A US Army soldier carries his gear through a door as he prepares to fly out of Sather Air Base in Baghdad Dec 15, 2011.

Some of the protests, Egypt's new government faces a severe test

Army soldiers stand guard after clashes with protesters as smoke is seen in the background at Tahrir Square in Cairo December 17, 2011.

一些民众的抗议，埃及的新政府面临着严峻的考验。CAIRO - The Egyptian new government faces a tough test after taking office only 10 days ago, as fresh clashes between protesters and security forces in Cairo continued on Saturday.
Late Saturday, the health ministry said 10 had been killed and 432 others injured in the clashes since Friday.
Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri expressed at a press conference on Saturday the cabinet's deep sorrow over the incidents and condemned the acts of setting a research building ablaze by protesters on Saturday morning.
The building was established in 1798. Its library has many valuable books and irreplaceable documents.
The armed forces managed to extinguish the fire and secure the neighboring building of the People's Assembly (lower house of parliament).
"The protesters lacked any sense of responsibility regarding the preservation of historical and civilization heritage," Ganzouri added.
The government will closely follow the perpetrators of violations against the homeland and the people, he added.
Ganzouri denied security forces had opened fire against protesters.  "Those who are in Tahrir Square are not the youth of the revolution," he said.
In a statement, the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) also expressed deep sorrow and resentment over the recent events in downtown Cairo that caused casualties and damage in private and public buildings.
"All the necessary procedures to urgently stop the violence among the protesters and security elements have been taken," it said. The SCAF has ordered the establishment of a concrete barrier to secure public buildings.
The statement said compensation should be immediately paid for the families of the dead, and that the SCAF hospitals are well prepared to receive the injured.
The concerned investigation bodies will take the necessary procedures to determine the reasons behind the clashes and announce the results, the statement added.
The public prosecution ordered 16 people to be held in custody over the incidents, official new agency MENA reported. They faced charges of resisting authorities, setting fire to government buildings and damaging public and private properties.
The SCAF urged all classes and political movements to put the interests of Egypt first to pass this period of the nation's history and achieve the objectives of "January 25 protests."
Military police holding batons dispersed protesters camping in Tahrir Square on Saturday. Their tents were pulled down and burnt. Clashes continued in certain areas.
The protesters asked the newly appointed prime minister to resign and the SCAF to hand over power immediately to a civilian administration with full powers.
The 30-member advisory council, recently formed by the military council to provide advice in state affairs, demanded an immediate end to the violence, investigation into the violence and compensation for the casualties.
Several members of the advisory council have reportedly resigned over the incident.
Amr Moussa, a potential presidential candidate and former chief of the Arab League, suspended his participation in the advisory council until the demands to handle the crisis are met.
The latest clashes became a serious test for the new government to lead the country through the critical period. The ruling military council gave Ganzouri all presidential powers except for the affairs related to justice and national defense.
Ganzouri pledged to restore security and revive the shattered economy to meet the demands of the people. Ganzouri's predecessor, Essam Sharaf, resigned on November 20 under pressure from violent protests which left at least 42 dead.
"Some people do not want the security improvement over the past days to continue," Ganzouri said, adding that Egypt is going through a hard time which needs the unity of all political and youth groups.
The clashes occurred just after the second stage vote for the People's Assembly was held in nine provinces on Wednesday and Thursday. The landmark polls started its first stage vote on November 28.

People's lives more difficult in Syria

人们在叙利亚的生活越来越难。DAMASCUS - There have been repetitive placatory statements made by senior Syrian officials over the past couple of weeks that the cooking gas crisis would end within few days in the country.
However, the crisis is still unsolvable and has even sent signals that the consequences of the European and American sanctions have started to rebound on the ordinary Syrians not the Syrian President and his inner circle as they have primarily meant to.
Syrians, who had endured several economic slumps in the past, have started to get used to social and economic boom in the country that has begun to take shape throughout the last ten years with the gradual transformation of the Syrian economy from its socialist system to that of an open market.
The looming economic crisis would be the biggest challenge for most Syrians after an era of affluence where consumer and luxurious goods were abundant.
A decade ago, it was not strange to see the Syrians line up and carry buckets of different colors in front of a gas distribution center. But such a scene had almost become non-existent over the past few years.
This unpleasant scene has returned to the country recently and Syrians have started feeling the heat of the EU and US sanctions imposed on the country allegedly for the government's bloody crackdown on protesters who took to streets more than eight months ago demanding reforms and later on calling for the toppling of the Syrian regime.
Syrians complain, especially in Damascus suburbs, of the shortage in diesel, which is indispensable for heating in winter, and the cooking gas.
While standing in the long line to have his buckets refilled with diesel, Hamad Marouf, 46, of Sehnaya area, just outside Damascus, told Xinhua that waiting in line to get diesel has become one of his worst nightmares.
Abu Ali, 65, with big mustache, was standing with seven buckets by his side. He told Xinhua that he has seven houses and that he needs bucket to each house.
At another area in the capital Damascus, a young teenager was sarcastic when Xinhua reporters asked him to lead them to the gas distribution center. "You came late ... if you want a gas cylinder you need to come at 6 am to get a turn because people line up from 6 am to 5 pm to get one," he said.
Some Syrian officials insist that the shortage in the cooking gas was to be blamed on some greedy distributors of gas cylinders, who hide them to raise prices and capitalize on the crisis.
Last week, Syrian Oil Minister Sufian Allaw stressed that the gas crisis in Syria would end within four days, blaming the recent shortage in gas cylinders that is essential for cooking on threats by armed groups to attack freight trains that transfer gas from the northwestern coastal town of Banias to the gas filling station in the Damascus suburb of Adra.
Allaw, speaking in an interview broadcasted by the Syrian TV, confirmed that two freight trains carrying gas arrived in Adra over the past two days to meet gas needs in Damascus, its suburbs and Quneitra, some 67 km south of Damascus.
He said the Banias train ensures 80 percent of gas needs in Damascus.
The minister pointed out that threats of assaulting trains have led to the suspension of train trips from the north to Damascus since two weeks ago, triggering off a decline in the daily output from 65,000 to 40,000 gas cylinders.
Allaw said the ministry has raised the ceiling of daily production to its maximum level to reach between 63000 and 65000 gas cylinders.
On Tuesday, the cabinet convened to discuss the shortage in diesel and to seek "radical solutions" to the crisis, according to Syria's official news agency. A number of solutions were recommended but none has been put into force so far.
Few months ago, the government has, in response to pressing popular demands, lowered the diesel prices from 25 Syrian pounds per litter to 15 pounds, pushing up the consumption of this item and triggering off its smuggling to neighboring countries.
In September, the EU imposed an embargo on crude oil imports from Syria and banned EU firms from new investment in its oil industry.
Syria produces about 350,000 barrels of oil per day as well as 13.5 cubic meters of natural gas. Its daily consumption is much higher than this figure and it used to meet the shortage via importing gas from Egypt.
Syrian economy minister Mohamad Nedal Alchaar told the press recently that the country was going through "the worst crisis in the recent history of Syria."
It's still likely that the crisis would further aggravate when fellow Arab countries fulfill their threats and impose sanctions on Syria for its alleged failure to implement a recent plan recommended by the Arab League to end the eight-month-old crisis in the country.

Libya ready to make up for Chinese enterprises

利比亚准备弥补中国企业。BEIJING - A spokesman of Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Libya was ready to compensate Chinese companies, raising the possibility that Chinese businesses that suffered losses during the country's unrest may receive some payment.
"We've noticed that the representatives from the Libyan transitional government, now the new government, have stated that the Libyan side is ready to compensate Chinese companies for their losses in Libya," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said.
"We appreciate such positive remarks from the Libyan side and will continue to encourage Chinese enterprises to actively engage in the post-war reconstruction in Libya."
Liu also said that China welcomes the formation of  Libya's new government that was unveiled on Tuesday by the National Transitional Council.
"The establishment of Libya's interim government marks an  important step forward in Libya's political transition process," he said.

2 people were killed and 670 injured in the conflict in Egypt.

2人死亡670人受伤，在埃及的冲突中.Egyptian riot police clash with protesters at Tahrir Square in Cairo November 19, 2011.

2人死亡670人受伤，在埃及的冲突中.CAIRO - Clashes between Egyptian riot police and protesters have killed two people and injured more than 670 in the capital city and the country's second largest city Alexandria.
One protester was shot dead and at least 676 people were injured Saturday in clashes with police in Tahrir Square, downtown area of the Egyptian capital of Cairo, Health Ministry spokesman Mohamed El-Sheribini said.
Another demonstrator was killed and one injured early Sunday in protests in front of the security headquarters in northern port city Alexandria, MENA said Sunday, quoting Salama Abdel Moneim, a doctor and health ministry official in the northern port city.
Military police clashed with protesters in downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square Saturday, one day after a protest here demanding an early transfer of power to civilian rule. The police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, who set up a tent camp in the square to commemorate the hundreds of protesters killed in the 18-day unrest that ousted former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February. Eighteen protesters have been reportedly arrested.
The Tahrir Square had been the central stage of the 18-day protests that led to the overthrow of Mubarak's 31-year-old rule.
Demonstrators threw stones at police and set police vehicles ablaze. Protests also swept Egypt's other major cities such as Aswan in the south, Alexandria in the north and Suez in the northeast.
The clashes came just several days before the country's first scheduled parliamentary elections on November 28.
Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf called on the protesters to leave the square after the violence. However, more people marched into the square Saturday evening, blocking the roads near the square and halting traffic.
Earlier on Saturday, the security forces cleared the square, where a small group of protesters had stayed overnight and attempted to hold a sit-in Saturday morning.
Thousands of protesters were still at the square as of Saturday night.
Assistant Interior Minster Sami Sedhom blamed the violence on some parties wishing to create chaos and instability in the country to delay the coming elections, MENA said.
"The revolution has nothing to do with sabotage or burning security vehicles," he said.
On Saturday, the Egyptian government, in a statement broadcast on state TV, called on the protesters to let reason prevail, saying that what has happened was dangerous and had a direct impact on how the country and the revolution would fare.
It urged everyone to "return to reason and responsibility."
Egypt saw protests and violence recently as it prepared to start the legislative polls on November 28. On Friday, tens of thousands of protesters rallied at Tahrir Square to protest a constitutional principles charter and military rule.
On Thursday, 29 people were injured as about 100 Copts clashed with residents during their march toward downtown Cairo to commemorate the October 9 clashes, which left at least 25 dead.
The Interior Ministry has launched a crackdown campaign against outlaws in order to secure the elections.
Controversy over the constitutional principles was one reason behind the latest protests, as the opposition parties did not agree with the power granted to the military in its budget.
In line with the constitutional principles, the military and its budget would not be under civilian supervision.
Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Selmi said Saturday that a dialogue would be held in the coming few days with other political powers to reach an agreement on the amended document before submitting it to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for ratification, MENA reported.
He added that a 100-member assembly to draft the new constitution would be elected by lawmakers.
According to the transition arrangements, the country's parliamentary elections will last until March 2012. A new constitution will be drafted and a referendum will be held over it. Afterwards, the country's new president will be elected.
But some political groups have called for an early transfer of power to a civilian government. The military had promised in February to return the country to civilian rule within six months.

2人死亡670人受伤，在埃及的冲突中.A protester waves an Egyptian flag near a police vehicle set on fire during clashes between protesters and security forces at Tahrir Square in Cairo November 19, 2011.

Earthquake in Turkey, killing three people died and dozens were trapped.

土耳其地震，造成3人死亡，数十人被困.An injured man gets help after an earthquake in Van, eastern Turkey, Nov 9, 2011. 

土耳其地震，造成3人死亡，数十人被困.ANKARA, Turkey - An earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Wednesday night, killing at least three people and leaving dozens trapped in the rubble of toppled buildings damaged in the previous temblor, which had killed 600 people.
About two-dozen buildings collapsed in the provincial capital of Van following a 5.7-magnitude quake, though most of them were empty or had been declared unfit because they were weakened by the earlier quake, according to media reports.
In a grim replay of scenes from last month's quake in the same region, men climbed onto piles of debris and frantically clawed at twisted steel and crumbled concrete in an attempt to find survivors.
Voices could be heard calling for help from under the debris, and at least 13 people were pulled alive from the rubble in early rescue efforts, according to Turkish media.
Rescue workers used the glare of high-powered lights to work through the night. There were several aftershocks.
A small fire broke out at a hospital but all patients were safely evacuated.
One of the buildings that collapsed was the Bayram Hotel, Van's oldest and best-known hotel. It was built in the 1970s and renovated last year. Some of the guests were journalists who were covering the aftermath of the 7.2-magnitude quake on Oct. 23, which left thousands homeless and led a number of countries to send tents, blankets and other supplies to assist Turkey in the aid effort.
Ozgur Gunes, a cameraman for Turkey's Cihan news agency, told Haber Turk television that some trapped journalists had sent text messages to colleagues asking to be rescued.
He had left the hotel before the quake, but rushed back to collect his camera after it struck, only to find that the building toppled.
"There was dust everywhere and the hotel was flattened," he said. He told Sky Turk television that the building had some small cracks before the quake, but that he and other guests were told that there was no structural damage.
State-run TRT television said at least three bodies were recovered and, citing a hotel worker, reported that 35-40 people were believed to be trapped in the rubble of the Bayram Hotel.
Mustafa Bilici, a ruling party lawmaker, said one person died after throwing himself out of a building in panic.
Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said the quake toppled a hotel, a school and a number of mudbrick homes. He said rescue teams are being sent to the region from the capital, Ankara, and other areas. Workers have been clearing debris from the previous disaster for more than a week.
Schools in the region are closed until Dec 5.
The Turkish Red Crescent immediately dispatched 15,000 tents and some 300 rescue workers, TRT said. There was no damage in the town of Edremit, the quake's epicenter.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake measured 5.7 and that its epicenter was 16 kilometers (9 miles) south of Van. It struck at 9:23 pm (1923 GMT, 2:23 pm EST).
About 1,400 aftershocks have rocked the region since the massive earthquake on Oct 23, which killed 600 and left thousands homeless. Many residents had been living in tents, despite the cold, too afraid to return to their homes. At least 2,000 buildings were destroyed in the stronger temblor and authorities declared another 3,700 buildings unfit for living.

土耳其地震，造成3人死亡，数十人被困.Rescue workers search for survivors at a collapsed building in Van, eastern Turkey, Nov 9, 2011. 

Palestine became a member of the United Nations cultural agency

巴勒斯坦变成了联合国文化机构的成员.PARIS - Palestine on Monday was admitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a full member in a vote at the 193-member UN branch's general conference in Paris.
Palestinian National Authority has gained 107 votes for its membership bid in UNESCO with 14 countries against, UNESCO announced after the vote. Another 52 countries abstained, the organization said.
The voting made UNESCO to be the first UN agency accepting the Palestinian National Authority as a full member since Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas applied for formal UN membership at the UN General Assembly on Sep. 23. The UN Security Council has decided to discuss the matter in November.
Earlier in October, UNESCO's Executive Board recommended accepting the Palestinian Authority as a full member state and agreed to vote on the issue during its 26th General Conference, which opened in Paris on October 25 and will last till November 10.
France is among the majority that voted for Palestine's membership, but Israel as well as the United States clearly opposed the Palestinian bid both in the United Nations and in the UN cultural branch.
The US delegates have threatened to withdraw its share of funds financing the UNESCO if the Palestinian admission is accepted. Israeli envoy made the same remarks ahead of the voting but was said to be resigned to the result.
UNESCO depends on the United States for 22 percent of its annual budget, about 70 million US dollars a year, according to a previous report by the New York Times. Israel's contribution accounts around 3 percent of the organization's annual budget, according to other reports.

Huge earthquake hits southeast Turkey

大地震袭击土耳其东南部.Survivors react after seeing the damage caused by an earthquake in the eastern Turkish city of Van on Sunday. The magnitude-7.2 earthquake may have killed up to 1,000 people as it triggered the collapse of dozens of buildings across the region, media reported the Kandilli Observatory as saying.

大地震袭击土耳其东南部.Turkey's prime minister says the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in eastern Turkey has killed at least 138 people.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Sunday's earthquake has killed at least 93 people in the city of Van and 45 people in the nearby town of Ercis.
Rescuers search rubble for trapped people after buildings collapse
VAN, Turkey - Up to a 1,000 people are feared dead after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit southeast Turkey on Sunday, triggering the collapse of dozens of buildings across the region, the Kandilli Observatory said.
Emergency workers battled to rescue people trapped in buildings in the city of Van and surrounding districts on the banks of Lake Van, near Turkey's border with Iran.
Some 10 buildings collapsed in Van city and about 25-30 buildings were brought to the ground in the nearby district of Ercis, Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay said.
"We estimate around 1,000 buildings are damaged and our estimate is for hundreds of lives lost. It could be 500 or 1,000," Kandilli Observatory general manager Mustafa Erdik told a news conference.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan was traveling to Van and the cabinet was expected to discuss the quake at a meeting called for Monday morning.
"A lot of buildings collapsed, many people were killed, but we don't know the number. We are waiting for emergency help, it's very urgent," Zulfukar Arapoglu, the mayor of Ercis, told news broadcaster NTV.

大地震袭击土耳其东南部.People rescue two women trapped under debris in Van, eastern Turkey, on Sunday. 

大地震袭击土耳其东南部.Cihan news agency said 30 people had been killed in Ercis district.
"We need tents urgently and rescue teams. We don't have any ambulances, and we only have one hospital. We have many killed and injured," he said.
Turkey's Red Crescent said one of its local teams was helping to rescue people from a student residence in Ercis.
It said it was sending tents, blankets and food to the region.
More than 20 aftershocks shook the area, further unsettling residents who ran out on the streets when the initial strong quake struck.
Television pictures showed rooms shaking and furniture falling to the ground as people ran from one building.
Dozens of emergency workers and locals crawled over a multistory building in Van as they searched for any people trapped in side.
Elsewhere, vehicles lay crushed by falling masonry in the street while dazed-looking people wandered past.
Some 50 injured people had been taken to hospital in Van, state-run Anatolian news agency reported, but it did not give details on how serious their injuries were.

大地震袭击土耳其东南部.The Kandilli Observatory, which initially cited a 6.6-magnitude quake, said the earthquake was 5 km deep. It struck at 10:41 am GMT (6:41 pm Beijing time) and was 5 km deep. The US Geological Survey earlier reported that the magnitude was 7.6.
Turkish media said phone lines and electricity had been cut off. The quake's epicenter was in the village of Tabanli, 20 km north of Van city, Kandilli said.
In Hakkari, about 100 km south of Van, a building could be felt swaying for about 10 seconds during the quake but there was no immediate sign of casualties or damage in the town, about two and a half hours drive through the mountains from Van.
Israel offered aid immediately after the earthquake.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said Israel was willing to provide "anything from food, medicine, medical staff and equipment and search-and-rescue teams". He said Israel was awaiting Ankara's reply.
Relations between Israel and Turkey have been frayed since Israeli commandoes killed nine Turks during a raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip in 2010.
Major geological fault lines cross Turkey and small earthquakes are a near daily occurrence. Two large quakes in 1999 killed more than 20,000 people in northwest Turkey.
Two people were killed and 79 injured in May when an earthquake shook Simav.

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