Reuters World News Summary

Kim presided over the meeting of the central military commission of the ruling Workers' Party on Monday where officials discussed "major military and political tasks" for this year and the "long-term issues concerning the orientation for army building," KCNA news agency said. U.S. VP Harris to map out next steps to aid Ukraine at Munich meeting U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to discuss Washington's future support for Ukraine when she travels to a major European security conference in Germany next week, as Russia's invasion nears the one-year mark.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Maduro negotiator says Venezuela government, opposition making progress on $3.2 billion humanitarian fund

Venezuela's governing and opposition parties are making progress toward the creation of a $3.2 billion U.N.-administrated fund that would aim to use the country's frozen assets for humanitarian purposes, the top lawmaker from the country's ruling party said on Monday. During Mexico-based talks in November, representatives for the government of President Nicholas Maduro and the U.S.-backed opposition party agreed to create the fund to support healthcare, food and education efforts needed to overcome Venezuela's long-running social and political crisis."If (the fund) happens, and I think we are advancing on some steps in that direction, we can pass to another stage of the conversations," the government's lead negotiator and National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez told television station Globovision.

North Korea calls for strengthened war readiness posture, expanded drills

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to expand military drills and beef up the country's war readiness posture, state media reported on Tuesday, as Pyongyang prepares to mark a military anniversary. Kim presided over the meeting of the central military commission of the ruling Workers' Party on Monday where officials discussed "major military and political tasks" for this year and the "long-term issues concerning the orientation for army building," KCNA news agency said.

U.S. VP Harris to map out next steps to aid Ukraine at Munich meeting

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to discuss Washington's future support for Ukraine when she travels to a major European security conference in Germany next week, as Russia's invasion nears the one-year mark. Harris will travel to Munich, Germany, from Feb. 16 to 18 to attend the Munich Security Conference as Ukraine, still waiting on promised longer-range Western missiles and battle tanks, readies itself for a new Russian offensive that could begin next week.

At least 8 dead in southern Peru landslide, more missing

A landslide triggered by strong rains in Peru killed at least eight people in the country's southern Arequipa region, national emergency services said on Monday. Officials said another five people are missing after the landslide struck near the town of Secocha, located in Camana province, following last week's heavy rainfall in the area.

In Turkey, night fills with screams and crying as earthquake rescues go on

The screams of people still trapped in the rubble filled the night early on Tuesday and relatives wept for their loved ones as the death toll in Turkey and in neighbouring northwest Syria rose to more than 3,700. The magnitude 7.8 quake rippled through both countries early on Monday, toppling entire apartment blocks, wrecking hospitals, and leaving thousands more people injured or homeless.

Major earthquake kills 3,700 in Turkey and Syria, weather hits survivors

A huge earthquake killed more than 3,700 people across a swathe of Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, with freezing winter weather adding to the plight of the thousands left injured or homeless and hampering efforts to find survivors. The magnitude 7.8 quake brought down whole apartment blocks in Turkish cities and piled more devastation on millions of Syrians displaced by years of war.

Biden says U.S.-China relations not weakened by balloon incident

President Joe Biden said on Monday that relations between Washington and Beijing were not weakened by the United States' downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the weekend. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Biden said it was always his view that the balloon needed to be shot down "as soon as it was appropriate."

Zelenskiy vows changes will bolster Ukraine amid defence minister uncertainty

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said personnel changes on the border and front line will bolster Ukraine's military efforts amid uncertainty over the future of his defence minister, just as Russia advances for the first time in six months in the east. In his Monday evening address, Zelenskiy said he wanted to combine military and managerial experience in local and central government but did not directly address confusion about whether his defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, would be replaced.

U.S. seeks Chinese balloon remnants, says approach to China will stay calm

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday imposed a temporary security zone in waters off South Carolina during the military's search for debris from a suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down by a U.S. fighter jet, and the White House said it would keep a calm approach to relations with Beijing. President Joe Biden told reporters it was always his view that the balloon needed to be shot down and brushed off a question about whether the incident would weaken U.S-China relations.

Illegal miners in Yanomami reservation seek Brazil government help to leave

Illegal gold miners blamed for causing a humanitarian crisis on Brazil's largest indigenous reservation are asking authorities to help them leave, one of their leaders and a Brazilian senator said on Monday. Aware of an imminent military enforcement operation to evict them, Jailson Mesquita, head of the Garimpo é Legal movement (Wildcat Mining Is Legal) called on the government to airlift miners from Yanomami territory or lift a no-fly zone to allow them to fly out on small planes from clandestine airstrips inside the reservation where mining is banned under Brazil's Constitution.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)