New Delhi, Jan 8: At least 126 people were killed, 188 were injured and over 1000 houses collapsed after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Nepal-Tibet border region, according to media reports.

The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) confirmed that the earthquake occurred at 6:35 a.m. (IST) on Tuesday morning, with its epicentre at latitude 28.86°N and longitude 87.51°E, at a depth of 10 km. The location was identified as Xizang (Tibet Autonomous Region), near Nepal’s border.

News agency reported that the fatalities were concentrated in the city of Xizang, with many injuries and structural damage also recorded.

In Tonglai Village, Changsuo Township of Dingri in Xigaze (Shigatse), several houses have reportedly collapsed.

The earthquake also sent tremors across northern India, affecting areas such as Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, and Delhi-NCR, causing panic as residents rushed out of their homes. Fortunately, no casualties or property damage have been reported in India so far.

Two aftershocks followed the initial quake — a 4.7-magnitude tremor was recorded at 7:02 a.m. (IST), with its epicentre at latitude 28.60°N and longitude 87.68°E, at a depth of 10 km and another 4.9-magnitude quake struck at 7:07 a.m. (IST), with its epicentre at latitude 28.68°N and longitude 87.54°E, at a depth of 30 km.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) pinpointed the earthquake’s location 93 km northeast of Lobuche, near the Nepal-Tibet border. Lobuche lies near the Khumbu Glacier, approximately 150 km east of Kathmandu and 8.5 km southwest of Everest Base Camp.

Nepal, situated in a highly seismically active zone where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge, is no stranger to earthquakes. This tectonic activity, which forms the Himalayan region, often results in seismic events of varying magnitudes.

Authorities in Nepal and affected Indian regions remain vigilant, closely monitoring the situation. The earthquake has renewed concerns in an area historically vulnerable to devastating seismic activity.

New Delhi, Jan 6: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Monday met US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan in New Delhi to discuss a wide range of strategic, regional, and bilateral issues.

The meeting took place as Sullivan, the outgoing US NSA, embarked on a two-day visit to India, concluding one of the last high-profile engagements of the Biden administration before the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States on January 20.

Sullivan’s visit is aimed at reviewing the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), a significant partnership framework to expand strategic ties between the two nations.

His itinerary includes meetings with NSA Ajit Doval and a visit to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, where he will interact with young Indian entrepreneurs and deliver a speech on the bilateral innovation alliance under iCET.

In his discussions with Doval, Sullivan is expected to delve into the implementation of iCET initiatives. These include cooperation in areas such as space, defence, strategic technology, and shared security priorities in the Indo-Pacific region.

Both NSAs have previously stressed the transformative potential of iCET in strengthening the India-US partnership. During a roundtable in June 2024, NSA Doval had underscored the importance of staying at the forefront of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and biotechnology, to protect shared value systems.

“iCET has achieved more than what we could imagine,” Doval remarked, highlighting progress in the defence innovation roadmap and the burgeoning semiconductor industry.

Sullivan had echoed similar sentiments, identifying innovation, production, and deployment as the three pillars of the technology partnership and emphasising the importance of government support for private sector initiatives.

The visit follows EAM Jaishankar’s recent six-day trip to the US, during which he met several senior officials of the Biden administration, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan. The meetings reviewed the progress of the India-US partnership over the past four years.

“Good to meet US NSA Jake Sullivan in Washington DC this morning. A wide-ranging discussion on the progress of the India-US strategic partnership. Also exchanged views on current regional and global developments,” Jaishankar posted on X after their meeting.

The iCET, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden in May 2022, has been lauded as a defining element of the India-US strategic relationship, driving advancements in critical sectors such as defence, semiconductors, and Artificial Intelligence.

As Sullivan wraps up his visit, the discussions are expected to set the stage for continued collaboration under the Trump administration, with both nations poised to deepen their strategic and technological ties.

Gaza, Jan 3: A Hamas delegation has visited Egypt’s capital Cairo to address challenges surrounding a Gaza ceasefire agreement, Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha said.

Taha told Media that the delegation’s visit to Cairo was part of ongoing discussions with mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye, regarding the situation in Gaza.

The visit aimed to address obstacles and conditions “recently imposed” by Israel, Taha said, adding that Hamas is open to any efforts that serve the benefit of Palestinian people and is committed to stopping “the (Israeli) aggression and killings.”

Taha expressed hope that an agreement could be reached if Israel reverses its recent conditions.

Earlier this week, the Israeli state-owned Kan TV reported that Hamas had proposed a one-week ceasefire without a prisoner exchange. Israel rejected the proposal and demanded Hamas provide the list of hostages for release before a ceasefire.

A Hamas source revealed that the Hamas delegation’s meetings in Cairo with Egyptian officials had resulted in a proposal to postpone certain contentious points hindering a ceasefire deal.

The source, speaking anonymously, told Media that the agreements reached with the Egyptian side, including the proposal, would be presented to Israel in a final effort to secure a deal before January 20.

Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in a statement that an Israeli delegation will travel to Qatar’s Doha to continue Gaza ceasefire negotiations.

Also on Thursday, during a meeting with British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty underscored “Egypt’s efforts to reach an agreement for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” according to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel have gained momentum in recent weeks to end a nearly 15-month war in Gaza. However, both sides have accused each other of creating obstacles and backtracking on agreements, delaying a ceasefire and the release of hostages.