VATICAN - A group of 90 Catholic clergymen, scholars and authors have published a joint letter to "all Cardinals and Bishops of the Catholic Church," urging them to oppose a Vatican document approved by Pope Francis that allows priests to bless same-sex unions for the first time. In the letter, the Catholic conservatives say that Fiducia Supplicans, a Vatican doctrine released on December 18 and signed by the Pope, would lead to the blessing of "objectively sinful" relationships. They add that the cardinals and bishops should "forbid immediately the application of this document in your diocese" and "ask directly the Pope to urgently withdraw this unfortunate document, which is in contradiction with both Scripture and the universal and uninterrupted Tradition of the Church."

GERMANY - German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, injecting some humor at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, stated that Germany is not the “sick man” of Europe but rather “a tired man,” following the recent years of crisis, in need of a “good cup of coffee.” However, the economic indicators point to something more than fatigue. Although Germany could be described as merely being in a mild recession – the GDP readings, after all, can hardly be called awful – in reality the economy finds itself in the uneasy place of having no clear prospects for an imminent recovery.

CHINA - The United States worries that China will use its power in global supply chains as an additional weapon to advance its political and military might, a report released Wednesday showed. The "Annual Threat Assessment" issued by the Director of National Intelligence said China is already using its supply chain dominance to force foreign companies and countries to transfer technologies and intellectual property to it.

USA - The US used last year’s largest-ever joint drills with Australia to create new stockpiles of equipment in the country, in preparation for a potential conflict with China over Taiwan, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing sources. According to US officials interviewed by the agency, the war materiel was stashed during the Talisman Sabre exercises last July and August. The drills, which were held in and around Australia, involved more than 34,000 troops from 13 nations and focused on boosting combat readiness and logistical capabilities. The equipment from the exercises included 330 vehicles and trailers and 130 containers stored in the southeastern part of Australia, Reuters reported. It added that in the event of a conflict, this would be enough to supply about three logistics companies with a combined strength of 500 or more soldiers. Alternatively, the equipment could be used during future drills or to deal with a potential natural disaster.

USA - Washington has bombed Iranian-backed militias following a drone strike that killed three American soldiers. US forces have begun a new bombing campaign in the Middle East to punish Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups in response to a series of drone and missile attacks on American military bases in the region. Washington’s latest airstrikes began around midnight Baghdad time on Saturday and hit more than 85 targets in Syria and Iraq, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. The operation involved “numerous aircraft,” including long-range bombers flown from the US, which dropped over 125 precision munitions on their targets. Those targets included command and control centers, intelligence sites, weapons caches, and supply-chain facilities of Iranian-backed militias, as well as “their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against US and coalition forces,” CENTCOM said.

USA - Scientists have warned residents in Idaho to prepare for a potential 7.0 earthquake capable of destroying buildings and killing people. Dr David Pearson, an Idaho State University geologist, warns that people should be prepared for the worst following the recent earthquake swarm in Southeast Idaho on Saturday. Idahostatejournal.com reports: “There is most likely not going to be a larger earthquake but there is the possibility of a larger one,” Pearson said. “I don’t want to say everything is fine here because there’s the possibility it won’t be.”

USA - Prague is about 57 miles (92 kilometers) east of Oklahoma City, where residents reported feeling the shaking. A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook an area near Oklahoma City late Friday night, the US Geological Survey reported. The earthquake hit at 11:24 pm and was centered 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) northwest of Prague, Oklahoma, the agency said. Shawnee, Stillwater and Tecumseh residents also felt the earthquake, NBC affiliate KFOR-TV reported. The earthquake was shallow — just 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) deep, according to the USGS — and temblors that hit close to the surface can make the shaking more intense.

USA - A dangerous, intense storm will move into Southern California this weekend, bringing the potential for widespread flooding, mudslides and debris flows. Officials are urging caution during the most treacherous periods of the storm Sunday and Monday. The National Weather Service says flooding from the atmospheric river could be “life-threatening.”

USA - In “The Wizard of Oz”, at one point Dorothy tells her dog that she has “a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”. She had been dropped in a strange new world that was crazier than anything she had ever imagined. Needless to say, many of us feel the exact same way. We’re not in the America that we grew up in anymore. Instead, we now live in a country that appears to be a cross between a really bad science fiction movie and a freak show. Sadly, the pace of change has now reached an exponential rate, and things will get even more insane during the years that are ahead of us. The following are 8 signs that demonstrate how truly bizarre our society is becoming…

EUROPE - Europe erupts in widespread farmer protests as revolt against 'Green' policies intensifies. Farmers in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Romania, and other countries across Europe are protesting radical leftist governments by obstructing major transport networks with tractors. This widespread populist movement is sweeping Europe at a time when over-regulation, taxes, and the climate change agenda threaten the livelihoods of not just farmers but working-class people and comes several months before the European election cycle kicks off in June.

USA - The US has approved plans for a series of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria and Iraq, officials have told the BBC's US partner CBS News. The strikes would take place over a number of days, officials say, and weather conditions will likely dictate when they are launched. It comes after a drone attack killed three US soldiers in Jordan, near the Syrian border, on Sunday. The US has blamed an Iranian-backed militia group for the attack. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq - which is believed to contain multiple militias that have been armed, funded and trained by Iran's Revolutionary Guards force - has said it was responsible for the strike. Iran has denied any role in the attack which injured 41 other US troops at the military base.

USA - US officials told NBC News that the US is planning to launch a weeks-long bombing campaign in the Middle East in retaliation for the drone attack in northeast Jordan that killed three American soldiers. The officials said that the targets are expected to include Iranian targets outside of Iran, and the campaign will involve strikes and cyber operations. Other reports have said the US is considering targeting Iranians in Iraq and Syria or the Iranian navy. While the potential targets are not inside Iran, direct attacks on the Iranian military could provoke a full-blown war between the US and Iran. The US is considering taking this course of action even though the Pentagon admitted it has no evidence Iran was directly involved in the drone attack in Jordan. Iran has vowed to respond to any US attacks on Iranians in the region. “The Islamic Republic would decisively respond to any attack on the county, its interests and nationals under any pretexts,” said Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the UN.

MARS - News that the Mars helicopter Ingenuity had broken a blade and could no longer fly was a sad day for fans of the pioneering chopper. It also added an extra 1.8 kilograms to the growing pile of junk left on the Red Planet by humans. Since Russia’s Mars 2 lander touched down at 5.22pm on May 19, 1971, humans have been littering our planetary neighbour – although all in the name of science. Now, there’s more than seven tonnes of debris scattered across Mars, from parachutes and heat shields deployed during fiery landings, to drill bits, chunks of tyre and, of course, the tip of Ingenuity’s wing.

SOUTH KOREA - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol told attendees at a major defense council meeting on Wednesday that the “irrational” communist regime North Korea would likely execute “many provocations aimed at interfering in our elections,” scheduled for April. Yoon declared the recent actions of communist dictator Kim Jong-un – including a barrage of cruise missile launches, the launch of an alleged spy satellite, and the debut of an alleged underwater nuclear device – “anti-national and anti-unification, and provocations and threats that run counter to history,” according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

GAZA - Hamas militants have returned to northern Gaza, where they are mobilising against Israeli forces and rebuilding a system of governance, aid officials, Gaza residents, analysts and Israeli officials say. Elsewhere in Gaza, Hamas administrators and police maintain firm control of the south, where much of the population is concentrated, though civil order is breaking down in central regions. The apparent resurgence of Hamas in areas seized and cleared by Israeli troops during the nearly four-month offensive underlines the difficulties Benjamin Netanyahu faces in meeting his pledge to “crush” the militant group. Eyal Hulata, who until January 2023 was the head of Israel’s national security council, said: “We are hearing more, unfortunately, of the recovery of [an] insurgency in both central and northern Gaza… We’re hearing more and more that Hamas are doing policing in northern Gaza and governing trade, and that is a very bad outcome. You can’t say if they have come back or never went away, but either way they are there now,” said an IDF officer, whose unit recently fought Hamas militants in Shaati camp, the scene of fierce combat in November. The Israeli offensive in Gaza could go on for months at its current intensity and hostilities may continue for years, military officials, analysts and some politicians in Israel believe.