Latest news with #OrlaGuerin
Metro
23-04-2025
- Metro
Travel advice for Turkey after powerful earthquake rocks Istanbul
Istanbul has been rocked by a series of earthquakes, something scientists have been warning about for years. But if you have holidays booked, is it still safe to travel? Buildings shook and people fled onto the streets of Turkey's biggest city after three consecutive earthquakes – as strong as 6.2 magnitude – hit before 1pm local time today. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Today's earthquakes hit the western outskirts of Istanbul, a suburban area that is far from the city centre but popular with tourists in the spring and summer. The most powerful 6.2 magnitude quake hit the coast of the Silivri district around 12.49pm local time (10.49pm BST). Its epicentre was 40km south of Istanbul, around 10km beneath the Sea of Maramara, but it was close enough to send shockwaves through the city that is home to a fifth of Turkey's population. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Live TV captured the moment CNN Türk anchor Meltem Bozbeyoglu realised what was happening. The BBC's senior international correspondent Orla Guerin, who lives in Istanbul, said she has never felt an earthquake so powerful in six years of living in the city. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality said there were no 'serious cases' in the earthquake in a statement made on its social media accounts. Kemal Cebi, the mayor of the Kucukcekmece district in western Istanbul, told local broadcaster NTV that there were 'no negative developments yet' but he reported that there were traffic jams and that many buildings were already at risk due to the density of the area. Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines and in some parts of the country, earthquakes are frequent. Scientists have been warning that a major quake could hit Istanbul for years. Anxiety around earthquakes has run high in Turkey since 2023, when a series of massive shocks killed more than 55,000 people in southeastern parts of the country and neighbouring Syria. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 6 February 2023, and a second powerful tremor that came hours later, destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and south-eastern Turkish provinces, leaving more than 53,000 people dead. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of Syria. While Istanbul was not impacted by that earthquake, the devastation heightened fears of a similar quake with experts citing the city's proximity to fault lines. In a bid to prevent damage from any future quake, both the national government and local administrations started urban reconstruction projects to fortify buildings at risk and started campaigns of demolishing buildings at risk of collapse. The UK Foreign Office has not updated its travel advisory since the earthquakes this morning. As it stands, the FCDO advises against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism. It also warns of unrest linked to demonstrations and protests that have taken place across the country in recent weeks. Last month, hundreds of thousands took to the streets to protest the arrest of Istanbul's mayor. Like with any country, the Foreign Office advises British nationals to stay vigilant when abroad. A Foreign Office spokeswoman told Metro it is 'monitoring' the ongoing situation in Turkey and keeps its travel advice under 'constant review'. If an earthquake strikes, the FCDO says you should drop to the ground, cover your head and hold on to something stationary. More Trending If you are inside a building, you are advised to stay where you are. Avoid sheltering under door frames. If you are near the ocean, the advice will always be to move to higher ground. As aftershocks can occur, the FCDO recommends following local advice regarding evacuation or sheltering in place after an initial earthquake. The FCDO will set up a specific crisis response to help British nationals who might be affected. This can include a dedicated hotline or online registration where you can apply for assistance. MORE: 'Flying without the riff raff' — Travellers react to new 'glamourous' UK airline MORE: I bought the 'secret' rail ticket that's the cheapest in the UK — and it was just 10p MORE: 7 freebies 2025 London Marathon runners can claim this weekend, from Lush to TfL
Wales Online
23-04-2025
- Wales Online
Turkey hit by three earthquakes as people 'run into the street' in Istanbul
Turkey hit by three earthquakes as people 'run into the street' in Istanbul Three earthquakes have been registered by officials at Turkey's emergency management agency A powerful earthquake has struck Istanbul and other areas of Turkey (Image: Getty ) Powerful earthquakes have rocked Turkey. A quake with the magnitude of more than 6 has hit Istanbul with tourist areas affected. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) says the earthquake was felt at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles). According to Michigan Tech University, an earthquake at magnitude 6 may cause a lot of damage in very populated areas. BBC reporter Orla Guerin said: "Buildings in Istanbul have been shaken by what feels like an earthquake. People are out in the streets in my neighbourhood on the European side of the city. "I ran from my own building. I felt it very clearly in my flat. No further info yet." The BBC reports Turkey officials as saying there were three quakes. The first struck the coast of the Silivri district of Istanbul at 12:13 local time (10:13am UK time). That was reportedly 3.9 magnitude. Article continues below The second was of 6.2 magnitude in the same area. That broke out at 12.49 local time - 10.49am UK time. The third hit Istanbul in Buyukcekmece district. It measured 4.4 magnitude and occurred at 12.51 local time (10.51am UK time). The Silivri district is popular with tourists for swimming. Popular beaches there include Silivri beach and Selimpasa beach. There are also historical sites such as Silivri castle. The area also includes Danamandira Nature Park. Turkey was struck by devastating quakes in February 2023 that killed more than 53,000 people in Turkey and 6,000 in Syria. Tens of thousands were left injured and millions were displaced. Those earthquakes were measured at 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. Turkey's emergency management agency says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 has shaken Istanbul. There are no immediate reports of any damage or injuries. Article continues below The quake's epicentre was some 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in several neighbouring regions, reports said. Turkey is crossed by two major fault lines. Earthquakes there are frequent. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6 2023 – and a second powerful tremor that came hours later – destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings in 11 southern and southeastern Turkish provinces, leaving more than 53,000 people dead.
Telegraph
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Royal Television Society to give Gaza award despite BBC controversy
The Royal Television Society (RTS) has U-turned on its decision to scrap the presentation of an award for Gaza journalists, after pressure from leading BBC presenters. The RTS had planned to dedicate a special trophy to 'journalists in Gaza' at its 2025 Television Journalism Awards ceremony on March 5 Earlier this month, however, it said it would not present the prize amid controversy over a BBC documentary, and the ceremony went ahead without the award. The BBC was forced to pull its programme Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone from iPlayer and open an investigation, after it emerged the teenage narrator was the son of a deputy agriculture minister in Gaza's Hamas government. It was also revealed that the boy's family were paid for his appearance in the programme. RTS executives had feared that presenting the prize would create further controversy, overshadowing the work carried out by other journalists in Gaza. The decision prompted a backlash from radio and television industry figures. Jonathan Dimbleby, Orla Guerin and Sangita Myska were among 400 signing a letter calling for the award to be handed out. On Friday, the RTS U-turned and announced that a special award to recognise the work of journalists in Gaza would be made in the near future, saying that discussions were taking place on the best way of doing this. A statement said: 'A decision was taken not to present the special award at the RTS Journalism Awards. At that time, it was felt strongly that there was potential at the ceremony on the night for the recent controversy around some Gaza coverage to overshadow the award. 'Following the decision to pause the presentation of the award, the RTS met this week as part of the society's previously announced review process. 'The society remains committed to recognising the work of journalists in Gaza and will be making the special award. It is discussing how this will take place.' The signatories of the original complaint letter welcomed the U-turn, but accused the RTS of attempting to 'reframe this shameful debacle' and demanded the prize be given on March 25, at the RTS Programme Awards. The UK Screen Industry group said: 'This mishandling has damaged not just the RTS's reputation but that of the British media as a whole, with widespread national and international coverage and condemnation of these events. 'Today's reversal is just the first step. The RTS must now undertake a full organisational review in consultation with the industry it claims to represent.' It is understood that the campaign group Artists for Palestine – which backs the complete isolation of Israel, including a cultural boycott – helped organise the original letter of protest. This was signed by Matt Frei, the Channel 4 News presenter; and BBC correspondent Fergal Keane. Others in the industry criticised the letter, saying BBC reporters and presenters in particular should not be seen to back particular campaign groups. Sarah Deech, a former BBC journalist, posted on social media: 'BBC Editorial Guidelines are clear: 'No off-air commitments… should undermine their on-air role or lead the public to question their integrity.' 'BBC journalists (and I was one for a long time) just don't cosy up to campaign groups – full stop. It goes against all the principles of editorial impartiality drummed into us. Especially if it's connected to the subject you report on.'
