Libya exhumes 18 bodies from mass grave in Sirte

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Libyan authorities on Sunday exhumed 18 bodies from a mass grave in the western city of Sirte.

In a statement, the General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing Persons said the mass grave was discovered last week in Al-Sab'a neighborhood in Sirte.

The corpses were sent to the city’s Ibn Sina Hospital for medical tests.

Discoveries of mass graves are common in war-torn Libya, where the authorities regularly announce the discovery of mass graves either in the areas that were under the control of the Daesh\ISIS terror group or the militias affiliated with Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Türkiye to enter “year of energy” with mega projects

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Türkiye has major energy projects in the pipeline planned to commence in 2023, ranging from a natural gas supply project to the country's first nuclear power plant.

The projects will support the country's aim to reduce foreign dependency on energy.

The country currently has 7 international natural gas pipelines, 4 liquified natural gas (LNG) power plants, 2 of which are floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), and 2 underground natural gas storage facilities.

Third regasification project ready for operation

Türkiye's first FSRU facility in Izmir has a daily capacity of 20 million cubic meters of gas to feed the grid.

The second facility, Ertugrul Gazi FSRU, has a capacity of 170,000 cubic meters and an annual regasification capacity of 2.5 billion cubic meters. The maximum daily gasification capacity of the ship is 28 million cubic meters.

Türkiye is on track to open its third FSRU in Saros in January.

Gas storage plays an increasing role in energy security with the expansion of facilities.

The Salt Lake Underground Natural Gas Facility, located in the Central Anatolian province of Aksaray, is currently storing 1.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year. Plans are afoot to expand capacity to 5.4 billion cubic meters within the next year.

Preparations underway for national gas to hit market

Türkiye is planning to start natural gas flow from its Sakarya Gas Field in March.

Sakarya Gas Field reserve, which has the capacity to meet the natural gas needs of households for 33 years, was confirmed by international independent audit institutions.

With the discovery of a new reserve of 58 billion cubic meters in the Caycuma-1 well located in the Black Sea, the total gas reserves of the country increased from 540 billion cubic meters to 710 billion cubic meters.

Gas was first discovered in the field in August 2020. With an initial reserve of 320 billion cubic meters, the discovery was the largest in the country's history.

First nuclear plant to start power generation

Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant on the Mediterranean coast will be the first plant to generate electricity from nuclear in the country.

Designed to have an installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts with a total of 4 reactors, the plant will start generating electricity in 2023.

The country has plans for at least two other large-scale nuclear power plants, one on the Black Sea coast and a third plant in the Thrace region.

Country struck oil in the southeast

The country is entering the new year with the discovery of 150 million barrels of oil reserves in Gabar Mountain in the southeastern city of Sirnak.

With a reserve of 150 million barrels, the field is among the 10 largest oil fields discovered on land in 2022 in the world.

Oil consumption in Türkiye is approximately 950,000 barrels per day, while production is around 65,000 barrels. With the discovery, the country is planning to produce 100,000 barrels of crude oil daily in 2023.

Renewable energy to increase

Türkiye's first and the world's largest wave power plant will be established in Ordu in the Black Sea region. The project is planned to have an installed capacity of 77 megawatts.

Construction of the power plant will begin in the spring and the facility is expected to be commissioned within a year after the start of construction.

At least 1,000 megawatts of wind and solar energy capacity for each is expected to be added to the country's renewable portfolio in 2023.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Several dead, injured in blast outside military airport in Kabul: Report

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An explosion outside the military airport in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul left several people dead and injured, local media reported on Sunday.

Abdul Nafay Takoor, the spokesman for the Interior Ministry of the interim government, said that several people were dead and injured in the explosion, without giving the exact figures, according to Tolo News.

"The incident took place at 8:00 in the morning. There were casualties among civilians. There were some injuries. However, officials showed up and intervened," Mohammad Fahim, a witness, was quoted as saying.

It was the first explosion in Afghanistan in 2023.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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10 people killed in Uganda stampede during New Year celebrations

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At least 10 people were killed in a stampede in Uganda when they struggled to enter an entertainment center for the New Year’s Eve celebrations, police said on Sunday.

Police deputy spokesman Luke Oweyesigyire confirmed the death toll from Saturday night’s incident, saying they are investigating whether there was neglect at the Freedom City Mall event in the outskirts of the capital Kampala.

He said the incident occurred at midnight when the event's master of ceremony at a music show encouraged attendees to go outside and watch the fireworks display.

“After the display ended, a stampede ensued, resulting in the instant deaths of five people and injuries to several others,” Oweyesigyire said.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene and transported the injured to hospital, where another four were confirmed dead. The tenth person died in a couple of hours later.

The bodies were transferred to the Kampala city mortuary.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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Death toll from floods in Philippines rises to 49

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The number of people killed in floods triggered by heavy rains in the Philippines has risen to 49, according to media reports.

According to CNN Philippines, a statement by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that 49 people died in the floods, 16 people were injured, and search and rescue efforts for 22 missing people were ongoing.

The statement said that the majority of the casualties happened in Northern Mindanao.

It said that nearly 554,000 people were affected by the floods, more than 51,400 people were displaced, and over 10,100 people are in evacuation facilities.

The Philippines, which is hit by an average of 20 typhoons and storms every year, is one of the countries that suffer the most from natural disasters.

Source: Anadolu Agency

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