Istanbul: An earthquake with a 5.3 magnitude shook Elazig province in eastern Turkey on Sunday. Turkey's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu tweeted there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake struck at 09:37 am (0637 GMT), Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate said. It was felt in several neighbouring provinces. Turkey is crisscrossed by major fault lines and earthquakes are frequent.

In January, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Elazig, killing 41 people in that province and neighbouring Malatya. Another deadly quake struck western port city of Izmir in October, killing 116 people.

Turkey's worst quake in decades came in 1999, when a pair of strong earthquakes struck northwest Turkey, killing around 18,000 people. 

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New York: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday described the US- and Israel-led strikes on Iran as a “catastrophic escalation.”

Condemning the military action in a post on X, he wrote, “Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war.”

Stating that Americans do not want war, he further wrote, “Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change. They want relief from the affordability crisis. They want peace.”

Addressing safety concerns in New York City amid the escalation, the mayor said steps were being taken to protect residents. “I am focused on making sure that every New Yorker is safe. I have been in contact with our Police Commissioner and emergency management officials. We are taking proactive steps, including increasing coordination across agencies and enhancing patrols of sensitive locations out of an abundance of caution,” he said. 

Mamdani also addressed Iranian New Yorkers, assuring them of protection. “Additionally, I want to speak directly to Iranian New Yorkers: you are part of the fabric of this city — you are our neighbors, small business owners, students, artists, workers, and community leaders. You will be safe here,” he added.