*) Major earthquakes kill hundreds across Turkiye, Syria

A powerful 7.7 earthquake has struck southern Türkiye early Monday, killing at least 912 people and injuring at least 5,385 across several provinces.

According to Türkiye’s disaster agency AFAD, the quake was centred in the Pazarcik district of Kahramanmaras Province and was followed by magnitude 6.6 and 6.5 quakes that struck Gaziantep province.

The quake was felt hard in Syria where at least 326 people were killed and 1,042 were injured in regime-controlled regions, according to regime media.

In rebel-held regions, 147 people were killed and more than 340 were injured, rescue workers said.

*) Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf’s passing leaves divided legacy

Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf has passed away at a hospital in Dubai on Sunday after a protracted illness, according to the country’s military and mission in the UAE.

Musharraf is remembered for overseeing rapid economic growth and attempting to usher in socially liberal values in the conservative country.

But his heavy-handed use of the military to quell dissent as well as his continued backing of the United States in its fight against Al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban ultimately led to his downfall.

Musharraf served as President from 2001 to 2008, when he resigned following a movement led by the ruling coalition government to impeach him.

*) Hong Kong’s largest national security trial gets underway

The trial of 16 Hong Kong activists charged under a national security law imposed by China has begun in a case that some observers say will be a test of the city's judicial independence.

The defendants are those who pleaded not guilty out of 47 arrested during a raid in January 2021.

The activists were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion for participating in an unofficial primary election organised by anti-Beijing activists in 2020.

*) Israeli approves new illegal Jewish settlement near Gaza

The Israeli government has approved the construction of a new settlement near the border with the besieged Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his ministry will officially start budgeting the planning of the settlement.

Construction and Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf said the new settlement will house nearly 500 families.

*) Italy sounds alarm on massive computer hacking attack

Thousands of computer servers around the world have been targeted by a ransomware hacking attack, Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) said.

The hacking attack on Sunday sought to exploit a software vulnerability, ACN director general Roberto Baldoni said, adding it was on a massive scale.

Italy's ANSA news agency, citing the ACN, reported that servers had been compromised in other European countries such as France and Finland as well as the United States and Canada.

Dozens of Italian organisations were likely to have been affected and many more had been warned to take action to avoid being locked out of their systems.