International News
Powerful 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits China, Dozens Killed
A powerful earthquake struck China’s remote Tibet region on Tuesday, leaving at least 53 people dead and 62 injured, state media reported.
The quake, which hit Dingri County near the Nepal border, also caused significant damage, with over 1,000 buildings affected and many completely destroyed.
The tremor, measured at 6.8 magnitude by the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC) and 7.1 by the US Geological Survey, occurred at 9:05 a.m. local time (0105 GMT).
READ MORE: JUST IN: Lagos Assembly Approves N3.37trn 2025 Budget, Passes LG Bill
It is the strongest earthquake recorded within a 200-kilometer radius in the past five years, according to CENC.
Videos aired by China’s state broadcaster CCTV showed homes reduced to rubble and streets filled with debris.
Surveillance footage from a local store captured the moment of impact, with shelves violently shaking and items like toys crashing to the floor.
In the town of Lhatse, visuals verified by AFP revealed rubble scattered outside shops and eateries.
Rescue workers are seen navigating through the devastation, distributing thick blankets to residents struggling with subzero temperatures.
The China Meteorological Administration warned that temperatures in Dingri could drop to minus 18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit) by nightfall.
“Dingri County and its surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicenter have collapsed,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for “full-scale search and rescue efforts, minimizing casualties to the greatest extent possible, properly resettling affected residents, and ensuring their safety and warmth through the winter.”
Disaster relief, including tents, quilts, and other essential supplies, has been dispatched to the affected areas.
Local authorities are continuing efforts to assess the full impact of the quake, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The earthquake’s tremors extended into neighboring Nepal and parts of India.
Residents of Kathmandu and areas near Everest in Nepal’s high mountains reported strong shaking.
“It shook quite strongly here, everyone is awake,” said Jagat Prasad Bhusal, a government official in Nepal’s Namche region. However, no casualties or damage were reported in Nepal, according to Nepali Home Ministry spokesman Rishi Ram Tiwari.
Some tremors were also felt in India’s Bihar state, though no injuries were reported.
The Himalayan region, situated on a major tectonic fault line where the Indian and Eurasian plates collide, is highly prone to earthquakes.
This latest quake follows other recent seismic disasters, including a 7.8-magnitude quake in Nepal in 2015 that killed nearly 9,000 people and injured more than 22,000.
In China, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake along the China-Kyrgyzstan border in January 2024 killed three people, while a December 2023 quake in Gansu Province claimed 148 lives and displaced thousands.
The extreme weather conditions in Tibet are complicating rescue and relief efforts.
Temperatures in the affected region are already below freezing, and survivors face further hardships as authorities work to restore order and safety.
Xinhua reported that “local authorities are reaching out to various townships in the county to assess the impact of the quake.”
International News
DOJ Confirms Federal Criminal Investigation After Agents Raid Ilhan Omar’s Home
Federal agents raided the Washington, D.C., home of Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar early Monday morning as part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed.
Homeland Security Investigations agents arrived at the Minnesota congresswoman’s residence at about 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time, according to a report by Fox News.
SEE MORE: Trump Sparks Outrage With Shock Proposal to Rename New Mexico
The report said both the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the DOJ are involved in the investigation.
A DOJ spokesperson confirmed the operation, stating: “Today in the Washington, D.C. area, Homeland Security Investigations executed a judicially authorized search warrant secured by the Department of Justice.”
The spokesperson added: “This enforcement action is part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”
Details later……….
International News
Bangkok Underwater: Nearly 4,900 Evacuated as Floods Hit Thailand Capital
Heavy rains have triggered severe flooding across parts of Bangkok, Thailand, forcing nearly 4,900 residents to evacuate to shelters as floodwaters swept through roads and residential areas.
The flooding has disrupted movement across parts of the Thai capital, with motorists and pedestrians forced to navigate submerged roads and seek alternative routes.
SEE ALSO: NAFDAC Warns Nigerians As Fake Cowbell Milk Floods Market
According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, about 52,000 households have been affected by the flooding, prompting authorities to declare a flood disaster and intensify emergency response efforts.
Emergency teams have been deployed to assist affected communities and move residents from vulnerable areas to safer locations as water levels rise.
Bangkok is accustomed to seasonal heavy rainfall, but intense downpours can overwhelm drainage systems, particularly in low-lying areas, resulting in widespread flooding and disruption.
Authorities are continuing to monitor affected locations while coordinating evacuations and other emergency measures.
For thousands of residents, the immediate priority remains securing safe shelter and protecting homes and livelihoods as authorities work to manage the situation and restore normal activities once the floodwaters recede.
International News
‘They Are Dying’ — Trump Explains Why He Rejected Iran’s Hormuz Proposal
US President Donald Trump has explained his decision to reject Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying Tehran was seeking an agreement because it was losing revenue.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Iran wanted to immediately reopen the strategically important waterway but argued that the proposal was not acceptable to his administration.
“They want to make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal, too, but that deal would not be acceptable,” Trump said.
SEE ALSO: How the Strait of Hormuz Attack Could Trigger a Fresh Global Oil Shock
According to the US president, Iran’s push to reopen the strait was driven by the economic pressure it was facing.
“What they want to do is immediately open the Hormuz Strait. Do you know why? Because they are dying,” Trump said.
“You know why they’re dying? Because they have no money coming in, because they get their money from the Hormuz Strait.”
Trump also claimed that the US had established an unprecedented naval blockade against Iran, describing it as “a wall of steel.”
“So they outsmarted themselves. We put up the greatest blockade ever in military history. It’s a wall of steel,” he said.
“And guess what? They don’t have any money now because they wanted to close the strait.”
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy shipping route, and disruption to traffic through the waterway has significant implications for international oil markets and countries that depend on energy imports.
Trump’s remarks came amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran over the reopening of the strategic waterway and negotiations involving Iran.





