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Israeli FM Thanks Turkey for Foiling Attacks on Israelis

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid shake hands after statements, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid shake hands after statements, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP)
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Israeli FM Thanks Turkey for Foiling Attacks on Israelis

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid shake hands after statements, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid shake hands after statements, in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, June 23, 2022. (AP)

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday thanked Turkish authorities for their cooperation in allegedly foiling attacks against Israeli citizens in Turkey, and warned Israel would not "sit idly by' in the face of threats to its citizens from Iran.

Lapid made the comments after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, as the two countries press ahead with efforts to repair ties that have been strained over Turkey’s strong support for the Palestinians.

Earlier this month, Israel issued a warning for its citizens to avoid travel to Turkey and urging Israelis in Turkey to leave immediately. The warning said Israeli citizens could be targets of Iranian attacks.

Turkish media reports said authorities had detained five Iranians suspected of planning attacks on Israelis in Istanbul.

"In recent weeks, the lives of Israeli citizens have been saved thanks to security and diplomatic cooperation between Israel and (Turkey)," Lapid said. "We are full of appreciation for the Turkish government for this professional and coordinated activity."

Lapid continued: "For its part, Israel won’t sit idly by when there are attempts to harm its citizens in Israel and around the world. Our immediate goal is to bring about calm that will enable us to change the travel warning to (Turkey)."

The travel warning angered Turkey, whose economy depends on tourism to a large extent. Ankara responded by issuing a statement that said Turkey was a safe country.

Standing next to Lapid, Cavusoglu said Turkey "cannot permit these kinds of incidents taking place in our country."

"We have delivered the necessary messages," he said, without elaborating.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said that a joint operation with Turkey succeeded in thwarting several attacks and resulted in the arrest of several suspected operatives on Turkish soil in recent days.

Hurriyet newspaper reported on Thursday that Turkish authorities detained five Iranian nationals on Wednesday suspected of involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate Israeli citizens in Istanbul. Police seized two pistols and two silencers in searches conducted in houses and hotels where the suspects were staying, according to the report.

Lapid’s visit comes amid political turmoil in Israel, where Bennett’s fragile, year-old government decided this week to dissolve parliament, triggering new elections which are set to take place in the fall. Under the agreement that forged Bennett’s coalition government, Lapid is expected in the coming days to become caretaker prime minister until a new government is cobbled together after the elections.

The developments deepen a political crisis in Israel, which has held four elections since 2019, each largely a referendum over former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rule. Netanyahu hopes to return to power in the upcoming vote, but polls show that as in previous rounds it will unlikely produce a clear winner.

Turkey, beset by economic troubles, has been trying to end its international isolation by normalizing ties with several countries in the Middle East, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Turkey and Israel were once close allies, but relations grew tense under Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is a vocal critic of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians. Turkey’s embrace of the Hamas movement, has angered Israel.

The countries withdrew their ambassadors in 2010 after Israeli forces stormed a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power there in 2007.

Nine Turkish activists were killed. Israel apologized to Turkey for the deaths under a US-brokered agreement, but reconciliation efforts stalled.

Turkey recalled its ambassador in 2018 after the United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, prompting Israel to respond in kind. The two countries have not reappointed their ambassadors.

The two ministers said Thursday that they had agreed to hold discussions on re-appointing ambassadors.

The latest rapprochement has been led by Israel’s mostly ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, who has held several telephone calls with Erdogan and visited Turkey in March, becoming the first Israeli leader to do so in 14 years. Cavusoglu visited Israel last month. It was first official visit to Israel by a Turkish official in 15 years.

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World

6.5-magnitude Quake Shakes Mexico City

People wait outside their homes and buildings after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico, January 2, 2026. REUTERS/Henry Romero
People wait outside their homes and buildings after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico, January 2, 2026. REUTERS/Henry Romero
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6.5-magnitude Quake Shakes Mexico City

People wait outside their homes and buildings after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico, January 2, 2026. REUTERS/Henry Romero
People wait outside their homes and buildings after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico, January 2, 2026. REUTERS/Henry Romero

A 6.5-magnitude earthquake shook Mexico City and southwestern Guerrero state on Friday, sending people rushing into the streets but causing no serious damage, according to preliminary reports.

President Claudia Sheinbaum was forced to evacuate the presidential palace during her regular morning press conference, along with the journalists in attendance, when the earthquake alert sounded.

The Seismological Service said that the earthquake's epicenter was situated 14 kilometers (nine miles) southwest of San Marcos, in the southern state of Guerrero, about 400 kilometers from Mexico City.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck around 8:00 am east of Acapulco, a major port and beach resort.

Sheinbaum said there were no immediate reports of major damage in either Mexico City or Guerrero.

Mexico, which is situated between five tectonic plates, is one of the world's most seismically active countries.

Karen Gomez, a 47-year-old office worker living on the 13th floor of an apartment building in Mexico City, told AFP she was roused from her sleep by a street siren.

"I woke up in terror. My cellphone alert said it was a powerful earthquake."

Norma Ortega, a 57-year-old kindergarten director, living in a 10th-floor apartment, said she could feel her building shake.

"I got a terrible fright."

The center of Mexico City is built on the muddy subsoil of what was once the bed of a lake, making it particularly vulnerable to earthquakes.

Those most strongly felt usually originate off Guerrero state on the Pacific coast.

On September 19, 1985, an 8.1-magnitude earthquake devastated a vast swathe of Mexico City, leaving nearly 13,000 dead, mostly in the city, according to official figures.

In 2017, also on September 19, a 7.1-magnitude quake killed 369 people, also mostly in Mexico City.

Early warning systems, including smartphone apps, have been developed to warn Mexico City residents of strong quakes and urge them to reach safety.

The city has also installed loudspeakers on lampposts to broadcast the alerts.

World

Zelenskyy Names Ukraine's Head of Military Intelligence as his New Chief of Staff

Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, attends the press conference 'Ukraine, Year 2025' in Kyiv, Ukraine, 23 February 2025 (reissued 02 January 2026), amid the Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO
Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, attends the press conference 'Ukraine, Year 2025' in Kyiv, Ukraine, 23 February 2025 (reissued 02 January 2026), amid the Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO
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Zelenskyy Names Ukraine's Head of Military Intelligence as his New Chief of Staff

Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, attends the press conference 'Ukraine, Year 2025' in Kyiv, Ukraine, 23 February 2025 (reissued 02 January 2026), amid the Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO
Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, attends the press conference 'Ukraine, Year 2025' in Kyiv, Ukraine, 23 February 2025 (reissued 02 January 2026), amid the Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday appointed the head of Ukraine's military intelligence as his new chief of staff, a move that comes as the US leads a diplomatic push to end Russia's nearly 4-year-old invasion.

In announcing the appointment of Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs to focus on security issues, developing its defense and security forces, and peace talks -- areas that are overseen by the office of the president, The Associated Press reported.

Zelenskyy had dismissed his previous chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, after anti-corruption officials began investigating alleged graft in the energy sector.

Budanov, 39, is one of the country’s most recognizable and popular wartime figures. He has led Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known by its acronym GUR, since 2020.

A career military intelligence officer, he rose through the defense establishment after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. He also took part in special operations and intelligence missions linked to the fighting with Moscow-backed separatist forces in eastern Ukraine before the full-scale invasion of February 2022. He reportedly was wounded during one such operation.

Since the full-scale invasion. Budanov has become a prominent face of Kyiv’s intelligence effort, regularly appearing in interviews and briefings that mix strategic signaling with psychological pressure on Moscow. He has frequently warned of Russia’s long-term intentions toward Ukraine and the region, while portraying the war as an existential struggle for the country's statehood.

Under Budanov, the GUR expanded its operational footprint, coordinating intelligence, sabotage and special operations aimed at degrading Russian military capabilities far beyond the front lines. Ukrainian officials have credited military intelligence with operations targeting Russian command structures, logistics hubs, energy infrastructure and naval assets, including strikes deep inside Russian territory and occupied areas.

His appointment to lead the office of the president marks an unusual shift, placing a serving intelligence chief at the center of Ukraine’s political and diplomatic coordination. Zelenskyy has framed the move as part of a broader effort to sharpen the focus on security, defense development and diplomacy.
“Kyrylo has specialized experience in these areas and sufficient strength to achieve results,” Zelenskyy said.

Budanov said on Telegram his new position is "both an honor and a responsibility — at a historic time for Ukraine — to focus on the critically important issues of the state’s strategic security.”

Russian authorities said Friday the death toll from what they called a Ukrainian drone strike on a cafe and hotel in a Russian-occupied village in Ukraine’s Kherson region rose to 27. Kyiv strongly denied attacking civilian targets.

Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman of Russia's main criminal investigation agency, the Investigative Committee, said those killed in the village of Khorly, where at least 100 civilians were celebrating New Year's Eve, included two minors, while 31 people were hospitalized.

A spokesman for Ukraine’s General Staff, Dmytro Lykhovii, denied attacking civilians. He told Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne on Thursday that Ukrainian forces “adhere to the norms of international humanitarian law” and "carry out strikes exclusively against Russian military targets, facilities of the Russian fuel and energy sector, and other lawful targets.”

He noted that Russia has repeatedly used disinformation and false statements to disrupt the ongoing peace negotiations.

The Associated Press could not independently verify claims made about the attack.

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said Wednesday that he, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner had a “productive call” with the national security advisers of Britain, France, Germany and Ukraine “to discuss advancing the next steps in the European peace process.”

The US efforts has faced a new obstacle earlier this week, when Moscow said it would toughen its negotiating stand after what it said was a long-range drone attack against a residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in northwestern Russia early Monday.

Kyiv has denied attacking Putin’s residence, saying the Russian claim was a ruse to derail the negotiations.

In his New Year’s address, Zelenskyy said a peace deal was “90% ready” but warned that the remaining 10% — believed to include key sticking points such as territory — would “determine the fate of peace, the fate of Ukraine and Europe, how people will live.”

New overnight attacks Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia struck a residential area of Kharkiv with two missiles Friday, Zelenskyy wrote on his Telegram page, adding that Moscow's forces "continue the killings, despite all the efforts of the world, and above all the United States, in the diplomatic process.”

At least 15 people in the eastern city were injured, according to regional administration head Oleh Syniehubov.

Earlier Friday, Russia conducted what local authorities called “one of the most massive” drone attacks at Zaporizhzhia. At least nine drones struck the city, damaging dozens of residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure but causing no casualties, according to Ivan Fedorov, head of the regional administration.

Overall, Russia fired 116 long-range drones at Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s air force, with 86 intercepted and 27 striking their targets.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 64 Ukrainian drones overnight in multiple Russian regions.

The Russian city of Belgorod was hit by a Ukrainian missile, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov. Two women were hospitalized after the strike, which shattered windows and damaged an unspecified commercial facility and a number of cars in the region that borders Ukraine, he said.

World

A Building Under Construction Collapses in Nairobi, Leaving an Unknown Number of People Trapped

Members of The Disaster Response Battalion (DRB) of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) gather at the site of a 16-storey building under construction that collapsed, as search and rescue operations begin with possible casualties still unconfirmed, in the South C neighborhood of Nairobi, on January 2, 2026. (AFP)
Members of The Disaster Response Battalion (DRB) of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) gather at the site of a 16-storey building under construction that collapsed, as search and rescue operations begin with possible casualties still unconfirmed, in the South C neighborhood of Nairobi, on January 2, 2026. (AFP)
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A Building Under Construction Collapses in Nairobi, Leaving an Unknown Number of People Trapped

Members of The Disaster Response Battalion (DRB) of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) gather at the site of a 16-storey building under construction that collapsed, as search and rescue operations begin with possible casualties still unconfirmed, in the South C neighborhood of Nairobi, on January 2, 2026. (AFP)
Members of The Disaster Response Battalion (DRB) of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) gather at the site of a 16-storey building under construction that collapsed, as search and rescue operations begin with possible casualties still unconfirmed, in the South C neighborhood of Nairobi, on January 2, 2026. (AFP)

A multi-story building under construction in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, collapsed Friday, leaving an unknown number of people trapped.

Rescue workers are digging through the rubble. The building was in an area of Nairobi known as South C, according to the Kenya Red Cross, and local media say it was a 16-story structure.

“A multi-agency response team is on site managing the situation,” the Kenya Red Cross said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from authorities on the likely cause of the collapse or the number of victims. The toll is not expected to be high, The Associated Press said.

Building collapses are common in Nairobi, where housing is in high demand and unscrupulous developers often bypass regulations or simply violate building codes.

After eight buildings collapsed and killed 15 people in Kenya in 2015, the presidency ordered an audit of buildings across the country to see if they were up to code. The National Construction Authority found that 58% of the buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation.