Earthquake Kills 8 Members of Same Family near Afghan Capital

Previous earthquake in Afghanistan (Archive-Reuters)
Previous earthquake in Afghanistan (Archive-Reuters)
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Earthquake Kills 8 Members of Same Family near Afghan Capital

Previous earthquake in Afghanistan (Archive-Reuters)
Previous earthquake in Afghanistan (Archive-Reuters)

An earthquake that struck Afghanistan overnight killed eight members of the same family in Kabul province, the health ministry said on Saturday.

The 5.8-magnitude quake struck at 8.42 pm (1612 GMT) on Friday at a depth of 186 kilometers (115 miles) at the epicenter in northeastern Badakhshan province, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Shaking was felt in multiple parts of the country, including the capital Kabul, according to AFP journalists.

"In the Gosfand Dara area of Kabul Province, eight members of a family died as a result of the earthquake," Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said in a message to media.

He added that a child aged around two years old was the only survivor from the household and the country's disaster management agency said the boy had been injured in the tremor.

Afghanistan is frequently jolted by earthquakes, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.

In August, a shallow magnitude 6 earthquake wiped out mountainside villages and killed more than 2,200 people in eastern Afghanistan, making it the deadliest tremor in the country's recent history.



Russia Says Downed 419 Ukrainian Drones

A woman walks past Russian security personnel standing guard in central Moscow, Russia June 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A woman walks past Russian security personnel standing guard in central Moscow, Russia June 29, 2026. (Reuters)
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Russia Says Downed 419 Ukrainian Drones

A woman walks past Russian security personnel standing guard in central Moscow, Russia June 29, 2026. (Reuters)
A woman walks past Russian security personnel standing guard in central Moscow, Russia June 29, 2026. (Reuters)

Russia shot down 419 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

Kyiv has stepped up its long-range drone strike campaign against Russia in recent months, particularly against energy infrastructure to target a vital source of the Kremlin's revenue to fund its war effort, now in its fifth year.

Air defense systems "intercepted and destroyed 419 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles" around the country, the defense ministry posted on the state-run Max platform.

It did not say if there were any deaths or injuries.

Moscow's Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said earlier that air defense forces had shot down 50 "enemy drones" overnight headed for the capital.

The swarm came days after Russia shot down 660 Ukrainian drones between Thursday and Friday, one of the highest figures since the start of the conflict.

A Ukrainian attack also caused a fire last week at a refinery in the southeast of Moscow.


Two Revolutionary Guards Killed in Attack by Unknown Gunmen in Western Iran

A handout photo made available by Sepahnews shows members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a military drill around the capital city of Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2026.  (EPA/Handout)
A handout photo made available by Sepahnews shows members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a military drill around the capital city of Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2026. (EPA/Handout)
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Two Revolutionary Guards Killed in Attack by Unknown Gunmen in Western Iran

A handout photo made available by Sepahnews shows members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a military drill around the capital city of Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2026.  (EPA/Handout)
A handout photo made available by Sepahnews shows members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) during a military drill around the capital city of Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2026. (EPA/Handout)

Two members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards were killed and two ‌others wounded ‌in what the ‌Guards ⁠described as a "terrorist" ⁠shooting in the western province of ⁠Kermanshah on ‌Monday ‌evening, state ‌media ‌reported on Tuesday.

The attackers opened fire outside ‌the Guards members' home and ⁠authorities ⁠were investigating to identify those responsible, state media reported.


Satellite Data: Over 58,000 Buildings Likely Damaged or Destroyed in Venezuela

Rescue workers search for survivors among the rubble following two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, 29 June 2026. EPA/Henry Chirinos
Rescue workers search for survivors among the rubble following two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, 29 June 2026. EPA/Henry Chirinos
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Satellite Data: Over 58,000 Buildings Likely Damaged or Destroyed in Venezuela

Rescue workers search for survivors among the rubble following two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, 29 June 2026. EPA/Henry Chirinos
Rescue workers search for survivors among the rubble following two earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 in Catia La Mar, La Guaira state, Venezuela, 29 June 2026. EPA/Henry Chirinos

The powerful twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela last week damaged or destroyed more than 58,000 buildings, according to a preliminary assessment of satellite data published by US space agency NASA.

Some 1,700 people were killed and thousands remain missing following the quakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 -- the strongest to hit the South American nation in more than a century.

"Approximately 58,870 buildings were likely damaged or destroyed across the affected region" based on satellite radar data gathered on June 25, the day after the earthquakes, according to researchers Corey Scher and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University.

The duo were citing data from the European Space Agency's high-resolution radar imagery satellite Sentinel-1, AFP reported.

"This is a preliminary, rapid assessment. It reflects abrupt surface change consistent with damage," the researchers wrote, adding that the figure should only be read as an indicator and was not verified on the ground.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez reported on Monday that 855 buildings have been damaged, including 189 "total collapses."

NASA said that its satellites were "providing critical support, capturing imagery and data to help teams on the ground assess impacts and guide response efforts."