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At least 59 people were killed in two countries after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, collapsing buildings and sending residents running into the streets, CNN reported.

The 7.8-magnitude quake struck 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nurdagi, Gaziantep province at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. Nurdagi is located along the Turkey-Syria border and the quake was felt in several countries across the region, including Syria and Lebanon.

At least 17 people were killed in Turkey, according to local officials, while in neighboring Syria, at least 42 people died and around 200 more were injured, Syrian state run news agency SANA reported, citing a health ministry official.

In Syria, the deaths were reported in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, SANA said. Dozens of people are trapped under rubble, according to the “White Helmets” group, officially known as Syria Civil Defense, according to CNN.

The quake struck while residents were likely asleep and unprepared for the impact. Video shared on social media show dozens of collapsed buildings, while frightened residents huddled on the darkened streets amid the chaos. Rescue workers can be seen conducting search-and-rescue operations by flashlight.

Monday’s quake is believed to be the strongest to hit Turkey since 1939, when an earthquake of the same magnitude killed 30,000 people, according to the USGS. Earthquakes of this magnitude are rare, with fewer than five occurring each year on average, anywhere in the world. Seven quakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater have struck Turkey in the past 25 years – but Monday’s is the most powerful.

Karl Lang, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech University’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, told CNN the area hit by the quake Monday is prone to seismic activity. “It’s a very large fault zone, but this is a larger earthquake than they’ve experienced any time in recent memory,” Lang said

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 1. 54 points to close at 2,096.08 points on Sunday. Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1. 89 points to close at 400. 26 points. A total of 5,206,370 unit shares of 258 companies were traded for Rs 1. 93 billion. Meanwhile, Adarsha Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 02 trillion.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party, the fourth largest party in the Parliament, has decided to leave the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government. The party entered the Parliament from the November 20 elections. The Rastriya Swatantra Party joined the government along with the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister on January 26. The Supreme Court stripped party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane of all posts on January 27 saying that he didn’t have valid Nepali citizenship. Two days after he reacquired the Nepali citizenship, Lamichhane demanded that he be appointed as the Home Minister again. But, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed his reluctance to appoint him as the Home Minister. A Central Committee meeting of the party held on Sunday decided to leave the government. The meeting, however, decided not to withdraw the support extended to the government. With the decision, Labor Minister Prasad Aryal, Education Minister Shishir Khanal and State Minister for Health Toshima Karki will tender their resignation from the government.

Urmila Aryal filed her nomination for the post of Vice-Chairperson of the National Assembly from the ruling alliance on Sunday. CPN (Maoist Center) candidate Aryal filed her candidacy by reaching Lhotse Hall of the New Baneshwor-based Parliament building. A Standing Committee meeting of the CPN (Maoist Center) held on Saturday had decided to make Aryal the candidate of the National Assembly Vice-Chairperson. The Nepali Congress, however, had decided to not field its candidate for the election to the post of National Assembly Vice-Chairperson. Ganesh Prasad Timilsina of the CPN-UML is the Chairman of the National Assembly. There is a provision in the National Assembly that the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson should be from different parties. There are 58 lawmakers in the National Assembly. The election for the post of National Assembly Chairperson has been scheduled for Monday.

Pakistan’s former President General Pervez Musharraf has died in Dubai after a prolonged illness at Dubai American Hospital, according to a statement from the Pakistani military. He was 79 years old, CNN reported.

In a statement sent to CNN, senior military officials expressed their “heartfelt condolences” on the “sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf.”

“May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family,” the statement read.

The former leader, who had been living in self-imposed exile in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, seized power from former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a military coup in 1999 and appointed himself president in 2001, while remaining head of the army. He continued to lead Pakistan as president until 2008, according to CNN.

His term was punctuated by two failed assassination attempts in 2003. In November 2007, he declared a state of emergency, suspended Pakistan’s constitution, replaced the chief judge and blacked out independent TV outlets.

Musharraf said he did so to stabilize the country and to fight rising Islamist extremism. The action drew sharp criticism from the United States and democracy advocates. Pakistanis openly called for his removal.

Under pressure from the West, Musharraf later lifted the state of emergency and called elections, held in February 2008, in which his party fared badly.

He stepped down in August 2008 after the governing coalition began taking steps to impeach him.

Musharraf then went into exile but returned to Pakistan in 2013 with the aim of running in the country’s national elections. Instead, his plans unraveled as he became entangled in a web of court cases relating to his time in power.

In 2019, he was sentenced to death in absentia for high treason. The ruling was later overturned, CNN reported.

Musharraf had been living in Dubai since March 2016, when Pakistan’s Supreme Court lifted a travel ban, allowing him to leave the country to seek medical treatment there.

He was married to Sehba Musharraf and had a son and a daughter.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 2, 000 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow bullion is being traded at Rs 104, 100 per tola today. The yellow metal was traded at Rs 106, 100 per tola on Friday. Meanwhile, the tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 103, 600 per tola. Similarly, the price of silver is fixed at Rs 1, 320 per tola today, the Association said.  

Himalaya Shumsher Rana, the first governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, passed away on Sunday. He was 95. The great-grandson of Rana Prime Minister Dev Shumsher breathed his last during the course of treatment at the Thapathali-based Norvic Hospital. Born on January 8, 1928, he joined the Ministry of Finance in 1951. He served as the finance secretary for five years. He was offered the job of the governor at Nepal Rastra Bank by the then King Mahendra. Also Read: Himalaya Shumsher Rana: Economist par excellence Rana served as the governor for four years and eight months. He was conferred with the title of The Order of Japan (The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star) in recognition of his contribution.  

Nepal’s first road tunnel project is barely halfway through, thanks to multiple delays, as the latest progress report of the project suggests. The overall physical progress of the Nagadhunga Tunnel Project has reached 47.9 percent, with 1,782 meters dug thus far out of the total stretch of 2,888 meters—851 meters from the east (Kathmandu) and 931 meters from the west. Financial progress of the project has barely touched the halfway mark (49.59 percent). Construction of the evacuation tunnel (2,557 meters) is moving on slowly, with a total stretch of 2,046 meters dug so far—1098 meters from the east and 947 meters from the west. The project is expected to help unclog part of an artery—the Naubise-Nagdhunga section of the Prithvi Highway, where congestion is rife. The tunnel road project comprising a main tunnel from Basnetchhap to Sisne Khola and a 2.6 km approach road from Basnetchhap to Thankot will have two 3.5-meter lanes and a 2.5-meter shoulder. It has not been smooth sailing for the tunnel project, with various factors impeding its progress. Since Jan 16, construction work has been affected for want of sand and gravel as the government shut down crusher plants operating illegally. With the government allowing the plants to resume their operation, the project is preparing to resume construction work, including excavation. Madhav Adhikari, deputy project director of the project, says preparations are afoot to resume tunnel-digging. The then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had laid the project’s foundation stone in October 2019, but actual construction work began in December 2020. As per the project development contract, Hazama-Ando Corporation, the Japanese company tasked with tunnel construction, had to complete the structure within 42 months of starting the work. The construction work suffered due to the Covid-19 pandemic as well. The deadline was extended by an additional 86 days on account of these factors. The latest progress report of the project indicates that the construction work is unlikely to be completed even within the extended deadline. In 2016, the Japanese government had agreed to provide a soft loan of Rs 15.28 billion for the project. Of the total project cost of Rs 22.14 billion, the Nepal government is investing Rs 5.85 billion while Japan will be investing for the shortfall. The Japanese government had signed its official development assistance loan worth Rs 15.28 billion with Nepal for the Nagdhunga Tunnel Construction Project on December 23, 2016, fixing a 40-year repayment period and a 10-year grace period with 0.01 percent annual interest.