World News Roundup: North Korea vows military strike if any provocation, fires artillery rounds; Congo's election commission cancels 82 candidates in disputed December polling and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

North Korea vows military strike if any provocation, fires artillery rounds

North Korea will launch a military strike immediately in response to any provocation, Kim Yo Jong, the sister and key ally of leader Kim Jong Un, said on Sunday, as it fired artillery shells near its border with the South for the third day in a row. The remarks come after South Korea's military said the North had fired more than 60 artillery rounds on Saturday near their disputed maritime border, following a similar volley of more than 200 the previous day.

Congo's election commission cancels 82 candidates in disputed December polling

Congo's election commission said it has cancelled votes cast for 82 of the 101,000 legislative candidates in the disputed December general election over alleged fraud and other issues, amid fresh opposition calls for a re-run of the vote. Those disqualified include contenders for national, provincial and municipal assemblies, the results of which are yet to be published amid the fallout from the Dec. 20 poll that threatens to further destabilise the Democratic Republic of Congo, a top producer of cobalt and Africa's second-largest country.

Blinken: M. East nations need to use influence to prevent 'endless cycle of violence'

Middle Eastern nations need to use their influence over regional actors to ensure the Gaza conflict is contained and prevent "an endless cycle of violence," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday. Blinken spoke late in the day after meeting the leaders of Turkey and Greece at the start of a week-long trip aimed at calming tensions that have spiked since Israel's war with Hamas began in October.

Blinken presses Arab states to discuss the future of Gaza

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to press Israel's Arab neighbors on Sunday to take a future role in running Gaza as he tries to quell regional tensions amid Israel's offensive against Palestinian Hamas militants in the strip. Blinken's visit comes after a drone strike in Beirut killed a senior Hamas leader, Israel exchanged fire with Iran-backed militia Hezbollah across its northern border with Lebanon, and Washington tries to rally allies to deter attacks on Red Sea shipping by Houthi militants who control most of Yemen.

Italian foreign minister calls for formation of EU army

The European Union should form its own combined army that could play a role in peacekeeping and preventing conflict, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said. In an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa, Tajani said that closer European cooperation on defence was a priority for the Forza Italia party that he leads.

Six Palestinians, Israeli police officer killed in West Bank clashes- officials

Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said on Sunday, and an Israeli police officer was killed, Israeli officials said. Israel said its aircraft fired on Palestinian militants who had attacked troops in the city of Jenin. The Palestinian ministry said the strike targeted people who had gathered at the site. Eyewitnesses said the attack happened as Israeli forces were withdrawing.

On Orthodox Christmas Putin vows to back soldiers who 'defend' Russia

President Vladimir Putin vowed on the eve of Orthodox Christmas to back soldiers who "with arms in hands" defend Russia's interests, ordering his government greater support of those who fight and calling on his people to be merciful and just. "Many of our men, our courageous, heroic guys, Russian warriors, even now, on this holiday, defend the interests of our country with arms in hand," Putin said at a late Saturday meeting with families of Russian soldiers who have died in Ukraine.

Western diplomats seek to prevent Gaza spillover after three months of war

Top U.S and European diplomats sought ways on Sunday to keep the Gaza war from spreading further in the volatile Middle East, but three months after the start of the conflict, more bloodshed underlined the difficulties they face. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, were on separate trips to the region to try to quell spillover from the war into Lebanon, the West Bank and Red Sea shipping lanes, where Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have vowed to keep up attacks until Israel halts its campaign in the Palestinian enclave.

Bangladesh turnout low in election set to keep PM Hasina in power

Bangladeshis largely stayed away from the polls in a general election on Sunday set to give Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina a fourth straight term, after a vote boycotted by the main opposition party and marred by violence. Rights groups have warned of virtual one-party rule by Hasina's Awami League in the South Asian country of 170 million people after the boycott by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and some smaller allies.

Japan premier vows "ceaseless" aid as snow hampers quake relief

Japan's prime minister vowed to provide "ceaseless" support to areas devastated by the New Year's Day earthquake as snow and sleet hampered rescue and relief efforts and local media reported that the disaster had now claimed at least 126 lives. The adverse weather on the Noto peninsula continued to vex survivors at the epicenter of the magnitude 7.6 quake that left more than 30,000 homeless and cut power to tens of thousands of residences and businesses.

(With inputs from agencies.)