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The death toll from the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria has crossed 1,300, the Adani fallout continues in India, and the U.S. military is searching for remnants of the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon it shot down.

by Kate Turton

World News

Rescuers carry out a person from a collapsed building after an earthquake in Turkey. Ihlas News Agency (IHA) via REUTERS

More than 1300 people were killed and thousands injured when a major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck central Turkey and northwest Syria, collapsing buildings and triggering searches for survivors in the rubble. The quake, which hit in the early darkness of a winter morning, was also felt in Cyprus and Lebanon.
Ukraine is set to replace Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov with the chief of its military spy agency, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, in a reshuffle at the forefront of Ukraine's war campaign. Reznikov would be replaced by Kyrylo Budanov, head of the GUR military intelligence agency, said David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker and chief of Servant of the People parliamentary bloc.
Health workers in Britain began their largest strike, as tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance workers walk out in an escalating pay dispute, putting further strain on the state-run National Health Service. Nurses and ambulance workers have been striking separately on and off since late last year but today's walkout involving both, largely in England, is the biggest in the 75-year history of the NHS.
Israeli forces killed armed fighters during a raid on a refugee camp near the occupied West Bank city of Jericho aimed at capturing suspected Hamas militants, the Israeli military said in a statement. Five people were killed, governor of Jericho Jihad Abu al-Assal said, in the raid in Aqbat Jabr refugee camp in southern Jericho and eight were arrested, according to a statement published by official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
A senior leader of Taiwan's main opposition party will visit China this week and meet its top Taiwan policy-maker amid continued military and political tensions between the two sides. China has during the past three years ramped up pressure on Taiwan to accept Chinese sovereignty, including staging regular military drills near the democratically governed island. Taiwan's government rejects China's territorial claims.
Pope Francis has said some in the conservative wing of the Roman Catholic Church had exploited the death of the former pope, Benedict, in an unethical way for their own gains. Speaking to reporters aboard the plane returning from a trip to Africa, Francis also rejected claims by some conservative that Benedict, who died on Aug. 31, was embittered by some of current pope's decisions.

U.S. News

A jet flies by a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it floats off the coast in South Carolina. REUTERS/Randall Hill

The U.S. military said it was searching for remnants of the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon it shot down, while Beijing urged Washington not to escalate the issue or take further action. The drama over the balloon, which Beijing reiterated was a civilian airship that accidentally strayed into U.S. airspace, has further strained tense relations, prompting Washington to cancel Secretary of State Antony Blinken's planned visit to Beijing.
A leading conservation research group NatureServe, which analyses data from its network of over 1,000 scientists across the U.S. and Canada, found that 40% of animals and 34% of plants in the U.S. are at risk of extinction, while 41% of ecosystems are facing collapse. Everything from crayfish and cacti to freshwater mussels and iconic American species such as the Venus flytrap are in danger of disappearing.
Americans for Prosperity, a political advocacy group backed by Charles Koch is preparing to get involved in the 2024 election, saying it wanted to back a candidate who could "lead the country forward". The group, which has promoted lower taxes, less regulation and free trade, reiterated its presence in key states.
The Justice Department will participate in a review of the Memphis Police Department after the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man fatally beaten by officers in the Tennessee city last month, according to city officials. The review was disclosed in a bulletin by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.
A federal law prohibiting marijuana users from possessing firearms is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Oklahoma has concluded. District Judge Patrick Wyrick, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump, dismissed an indictment against a man charged in August with violating that ban, saying it infringed his right to bear arms under the Constitution's Second Amendment.

Business & Markets

Activists try to break a police barricade during a protest in New Delhi. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

The crisis engulfing the Adani group intensified as dozens of members India's opposition party were detained by police during protests, and parliament was suspended again. Adani shares continued their freefall, with the conglomerate's cumulative market value loss topping $110 billion. The crisis was triggered by short-seller Hindenburg Research's report that accused the Adani group of stock manipulation and unsustainable debt.
Global shares tumbled on Monday, after a run of upbeat economic data suggested interest rates will have to rise further and stay higher for longer, while a stronger dollar and political turbulence hit risk-linked assets. Last week's blockbuster U.S. jobs report sent investors scurrying to load up on dollars to the detriment of emerging market assets and lower-yielding currencies like the yen.
Nissan and Renault unveiled details of their redesigned alliance, with the Japanese car maker committing to buy a stake of up to 15% in Renault's electric vehicles unit Ampere. The agreement, which also includes the previously announced reduction of Renault's stake in Nissan, aims to make the alliance freer and more balanced for the next 15 years, Renault's CEO Luca de Meo said.
U.S. investor Sixth Street is among the firms preparing a bid for a part of the media and commercial rights to Germany's football league, the Financial Times reported. The sale of a minority stake in the Bundesliga rights, which could be valued at up to 18 billion euros ($19.43 billion), comes as the German soccer league tries to close the financial gap with rivals.
Russia was willing to meet India's oil needs at 'market price', the CEO of top Russian oil major told Reuters. In December, the Group of Seven, the European Union and Australia enforced a price cap on crude oil, aiming to reduce Moscow's ability to finance its war in Ukraine and preserve stability on the global oil market. Russia has replaced Iraq as the largest supplier of oil to India.

And Finally

Beyonce accepts the award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for "Renaissance" during the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

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