The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they unfold.
North Korea’s Kim says new missile will deter ‘rivals’
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says a new hypersonic missile system tested this week will help deter the country’s Pacific rivals, state media reports, as Washington’s top diplomat visits the region.
The test comes two weeks before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has previously tried to woo North Korea, and coincided with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the South.
“The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state,” Kim, who oversaw the launch, says in comments carried by KCNA.
KCNA cites the use of a “new compound of carbon fiber” in the missile’s engine, which experts warn could allow Pyongyang to hit further targets with technology only the United States, Russia and China currently have access to.
The launch also used a “new comprehensive and effective method” for its flight and guidance control system, KCNA says.
Earthquake in China’s Tibet region kills 9 — state media
A powerful earthquake in China’s remote Tibet region has killed at least nine people and collapsed “many buildings,” state media reports, with tremors also felt in neighboring Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.
The quake struck Dingri county with a magnitude of 6.8 near the border with Nepal at 9:05 a.m. (0105 GMT), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The US Geological Survey reported the quake as magnitude 7.1.
“Dingri county and its surrounding areas experienced very strong tremors, and many buildings near the epicentre have collapsed,” state broadcaster CCTV says.
“The reporter learned that nine people have been confirmed dead so far,” it says, adding that as of 10 a.m., “multiple aftershocks” have been recorded, the largest measuring 4.4 in magnitude.
Xinhua news agency says that “local authorities are reaching out to various townships in the county to assess the impact of the quake.”
Settlers rampage through Palestinian villages after terror shooting
Settlers rampaged through several Palestinian villages throughout the West Bank after a deadly shooting attack that killed three Israelis on Monday morning, the Yesh Din rights groups reports.
Targeted Palestinian towns included al-Funduq — where the suspects in the shooting attack were from — Hajja, Turmusaya and Immatain, Yesh Din says.
Footage from several of those towns shows cars doused by settlers going up in flames.
“Once again, the army is doing nothing to prevent settler violence. This time, too, the writing was on the wall, and notices calling for riots in the villages were distributed publicly among settlers. This is what the Wild West looks like,” says Yesh Din.
????BREAKING: Israeli settler terrorists have announced and launched a pogrom in the West Bank, starting with the village of Hajja in Qalqilya, setting Palestinian homes and vehicles on fire. pic.twitter.com/PZdRPVCVkk
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) January 6, 2025
Indeed, rights groups had publicized the messages posted on far-right Israeli social media groups calling on members to join in on rampages later today aimed at “erasing al-Funduq.” While the rights groups had called on authorities to take preventative actions, it does not appear that any were taken.
أضرموا النار بجرافة ومنشأة.. مستوطنون إسرائيليون يعتدون على ممتلكات مزارعين فلسطينيين في قرية إماتين شرق قلقيلية وبلدة ترمسعيا شمال رام الله بالضفة الغربية المحتلة. pic.twitter.com/DgMtazSBVi
— TRT عربي (@TRTArabi) January 6, 2025