EARTHQUAKE KILLS MORE THAN 100 IN NORTHWEST CHINA

A major earthquake rocked a mountainous area of northwestern China just before midnight on Monday, bringing buildings crashing down on people as they slept.

At least 116 people were confirmed dead and 300 injured on Tuesday morning after the 6.2-magnitude quake, according to state media reports.

The death toll is expected to rise as a frantic rescue effort continued Tuesday in freezing temperatures in the remote Jishishan county, near the border between Gansu and Qinghai provinces.

Chinese state media posted video of firefighters digging through debris in search of survivors, warning that the bitter cold and high-altitude terrain were making it difficult to find people.

The quake has reportedly caused significant damage, including collapsed buildings and houses, prompting people to run to the street for safety, reported Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

The number of people missing in the quake’s aftermath was not immediately known.

Around 2,200 rescue personnel from various local departments as well as professional emergency rescue teams were dispatched, while military and police were also engaged in rescue work, reported the Chinese news agency.

PRIORITIZING SAFETY OF GAZANS: AUSTIN AFFIRMS UNWAVERING US SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL

During his meeting with top Israeli leaders on Monday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin conveyed that safeguarding civilians is a "strategic imperative" in the ongoing ground and air campaign in Gaza. Austin, on his second visit to Israel since the October 7 attacks led by Hamas, engaged in detailed discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and other officials regarding the transition to the next phase of the conflict.

Addressing reporters after extensive meetings in Tel Aviv, Austin affirmed the "unshakable" US support for Israel and endorsed its efforts to dismantle Hamas's military capabilities.

However, he reiterated a recurring message, stating that Israel's security could be compromised if its actions turn more Palestinians in favor of Hamas. Standing alongside Gallant, Austin declared, "Israel has every right to defend itself," emphasizing that protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral duty and a strategic necessity. Austin's remarks followed Prime Minister Netanyahu's commitment to "fight to the end" in Gaza.

VATICAN APPROVES BLESSINGS FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES, WITH CAVEATS

The Vatican on Monday approved blessings for same-sex couples but insisted they must not be established as a Catholic rite nor given in contexts related to civil unions or weddings.

In a document approved by Pope Francis, the Vatican backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex”.

“One should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing,” it said.

But the Church still insists marriage is only between a man and a woman, for the purpose of having children.

“This blessing should never be imparted in concurrence with the ceremonies of a civil union, and not even in connection with them,” the document stressed.

The head of the Vatican’s faith department, which wrote the document, was quoted in an introduction as saying it was “a broadening and enrichment” of the Vatican’s stance on blessings, “based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis,” who wants a Church open to all.

PENTAGON CHIEF ON ISRAEL VISIT WARNS HEZBOLLAH

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin on Monday urged Iran-backed movement Hezbollah to avoid provoking a “wider conflict” amid near-daily skirmishes along the Israel-Lebanon border since Israel’s war with Hamas.

“We call upon Hezbollah to make sure that they don’t do things that would provoke a wider conflict,” Mr. Austin said at a press conference with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. “We’ve been clear that we don’t want to see this conflict widen into a larger war or a regional war,” Austin said.

Asked if Israel was planning for a ground operation in the north, Gallant said “diplomacy is the preferred way” but stressed “we are preparing ourselves (for) any situation that is needed.”

HAMAS POSTS VIDEO SHOWING HOSTAGES PLEADING FOR RELEASE

Hamas on Monday posted a one-minute video via its Telegram account showing three elderly Israeli hostages pleading for their release. “We are the generation who built the foundation for the creation of Israel. We are the ones who started the IDF military. We don’t understand why we have been abandoned here,” a man identified as Haiem Bery, 79, says. “You have to release us from here. It does not matter the cost. Don’t let us grow old here.”

FRANCE: WILL ACT AGAINST ‘RADICAL’ ISRAELI SETTLERS IN WEST BANK

France will impose measures on Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, its foreign minister said on Monday, a day after meeting Palestinian farmers in Ramallah, who had been targeted in recent weeks. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed in the violence this year, including in attacks by settlers. “We will not accept these acts. We’ve asked Israeli authorities to put an end to this and it will take national measures against certain radical Israeli settlers,” Catherine Colonna said in Beirut. The EU is studying the prospect of sanctions against violent Jewish settlers.

SISI SWEEPS TO THIRD TERM AS EGYPT PREZ WITH 89.6% OF VOTES

Cairo : Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has swept to a third, six-year term as Egypt’s president, winning 89.6% of votes in an election in which he faced no serious challengers, the National Election Authority announced on Monday. The election took place as Egypt struggles with a slow-burning economic crisis and tries to manage the risk of spillover from the war in Gaza, which borders Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

Some voters said the eruption of conflict in Gaza had encouraged them to vote for Sisi, who has long presented himself as a bulwark of stability in a volatile region. Voting in Egypt was held over three days on December 10-12, with the state and tightly controlled domestic media pushing hard to boost turnout, which the election authority said had reached 66.8% — above the 41% recorded at the last presidential election in 2018. The election featured three other candidates, none of them high profile. The most prominent potential challenger halted his run in October, saying officials and thugs had targeted his supporters.

Sisi, a former general, has overseen a sweeping crackdown on dissent across the political spectrum since leading the 2013 overthrow of Egypt’s first democratically elected leader, Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Sisi was elected to the presidency in 2014, and re-elected in 2018, both times with 97% of the vote. The constitution was amended in 2019, extending the presidential term to six years from four, and allowing Sisi to stand for a third term.

RED SEA ATTACKS FORCE SHIPS TO REROUTE, HITTING SUPPLY

Dubai : Yemen's Houthi militants have targeted ships in the Red Sea, prompting the U.S. to build a coalition to address the threat. Attacks have led freight companies to reroute ships around Africa, avoiding the Suez Canal. Norway, Italy, and Denmark have offered support, while major companies, including MSC, are diverting vessels. The disruption impacts around 15% of global shipping traffic that transits the Suez Canal. Oil tanker group Frontline and BP are avoiding the Red Sea, causing concerns about broader implications for energy shipments. The Houthi attacks are also influencing companies' connections with Israel, with Evergreen Marine stopping Israeli cargo acceptance.

IRAN PETROL STATIONS HIT BY CYBERATTACK, SAYS OIL MINISTER

Dubai : Iran’s oil minister Javad Owji on Monday confirmed that a nationwide disruption to petrol stations was caused by a cyberattack. A hacking group that Iran accuses of having links to Israel claimed it carried out the attack which disrupted services at petrol stations across the country on Monday, Iranian state TV and Israeli local media reported.

Owji had earlier told Iranian state TV that services had been disrupted at about 70% of Iran’s petrol stations and that outside interference was a possible cause. He later said 1,650 petrol stations were operational. The ministry supervises 3,800 petrol stations.

IN A FIRST FOR PAK, JAILED IMRAN USES AI VOICE CLONE TO CAMPAIGN FOR FEB 8 POLLS

Islamabad : AI allowed jailed ex-PM Imran Khan to campaign for Pakistan's Feb 8 polls. His party, PTI, used an AI voice clone to deliver a four-minute message on social media, highlighting a "virtual rally." Imran's voice was created using AI firm ElevenLabs' tool, which generated a "voice clone" from existing speech samples. PTI claims Imran provided a shorthand script through lawyers, later dubbed into audio. The virtual rally garnered over 4.5 million views despite internet disruptions, and Imran's audio was preceded and followed by genuine video clips from his past speeches, according to PTI.

VOLCANO ERUPTS IN SOUTHWEST ICELAND

REYKJAVIK: A volcanic eruption occurred in southwest Iceland, north of Grindavik, following an earthquake swarm. The eruption, visible on webcams, featured large jets of orange lava and billowing red smoke. The Iceland Meteorological Office confirmed the eruption, with a Coast Guard helicopter dispatched to assess its location and size. The region had experienced heightened seismic activity, leading to the evacuation of Grindavik residents in November after officials detected magma movement. The eruption came after weeks of monitoring potential volcanic activity in the area.