4.4 earthquake shakes Iran, no reports of damageJune 1, 2015 - 11:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran says a magnitude 4.4 earthquake has jolted a sparsely populated district some 110 kilometers northwest of Bushehr, home to the Islamic Republic's only operational nuclear power plant. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. According to the Associated Press, Iran's official IRNA news agency said the epicenter of the quake was the town of Emam Hassan and that it struck around 4:30 am Monday (0000 GMT, 8 pm EDT). The Bushehr nuclear power plant, which went online in 2011 with Russian help, is built to withstand earthquakes of magnitude 8. In 2013, a magnitude-6.1 temblor killed at least 37 people in an area of the same province where Monday's quake struck. Iran experiences frequent earthquakes. In 2003, a magnitude-6.6 earthquake killed some 26,000 and flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |