World News Roundup: Nigerian rights panel, underfunded and overmatched, begins probe of powerful military; Three drown, many feared missing in migrant shipwreck off Greece and more

Sunak created a new energy security and net zero department, to be led by minister Grant Shapps, and three other departments, with one focusing on science and innovation, a personal passion for Sunak. In Turkey's worst-hit province, residents cry for help amid weak quake response "They're making noises but nobody is coming," Deniz cried out, holding his hands to his head as he railed against the lack of efforts to rescue those trapped under rubble after a powerful earthquake killed thousands in Turkey and Syria.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Nigerian rights panel, underfunded and overmatched, begins probe of powerful military

A special panel named by Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission launched an investigation Tuesday into recent Reuters reports on rights abuses by the country’s army. Those familiar with the commission’s past work say it faces stiff challenges. The state-funded NHRC does its best to press officials to act in the interest of citizens whose rights have been violated, eight sources with knowledge of the commission said. But they said the NHRC, whose inquiry was supported by the government amid an international outcry, is hobbled by a lack of authority to compel military leaders and other officials to prosecute or punish anyone.

Three drown, many feared missing in migrant shipwreck off Greece

Three people drowned and more than a dozen were believed to be missing in the second migrant shipwreck off Greece this week, authorities said on Tuesday. The coast guard said 19 people were rescued in an operation that began in the early hours of Tuesday after an inflatable rubber boat was spotted on rocks along the coast of the island of Lesbos, near Turkey.

Rescuers in race against time as Turkey-Syria quake death toll passes 5,000

Rescuers struggled to dig people out of the rubble of collapsed buildings on Tuesday in a "race against time" as the death toll from an earthquake across a wide area of Turkey and Syria passed 5,000. The magnitude 7.8 quake - the deadliest in Turkey since 1999 - hit early on Monday and was followed by a second hours later.

Ukraine reports record Russian deaths as Moscow presses offensive in east

Ukraine said on Tuesday the last 24 hours were the deadliest of the war so far for Russian troops, as Moscow hurls tens of thousands of freshly mobilised soldiers and mercenaries into relentless winter assaults in the east. The Ukrainian military increased its running tally of Russian military dead by 1,030 overnight to 133,190, and described the increase as the highest of the war so far. It also said its troops destroyed 25 Russian tanks in the last two days.

Third wave of pension protests keeps pressure on Macron

Public transport, schools and refinery supplies were disrupted on Tuesday in France as trade unions led a third wave of nationwide strikes against President Emmanuel Macron's plans to make the French work longer before retirement. Tuesday's multi-sector walkouts and street protests come a day after pension reform legislation began its bumpy passage through parliament, and are a test of Macron's ability to enact change without a working majority in the National Assembly.

U.S. seeks Chinese balloon remnants, says approach to China will stay calm

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday imposed a temporary security zone in waters off South Carolina during the military's search for debris from a suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down by a U.S. fighter jet, and the White House said it would keep a calm approach to relations with Beijing. President Joe Biden told reporters it was always his view that the balloon needed to be shot down and brushed off a question about whether the incident would weaken U.S-China relations.

Officer in charge of Brasilia security on Jan. 8 arrested

Brazil's federal police on Tuesday arrested the military police officer who led security operations in Brasilia on Jan. 8, when supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro stormed government buildings, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Colonel Jorge Eduardo Naime was targeted by the fifth phase of an operation launched last month aimed at identifying people who participated in, funded or fostered the riots, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Britain's Sunak shuffles cabinet to bolster pledges on economy

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reshuffled his cabinet on Tuesday, breaking up two departments to better suit his pledges to spur the economy and turn around his party's fortunes before an election expected next year. Sunak created a new energy security and net zero department, to be led by minister Grant Shapps, and three other departments, with one focusing on science and innovation, a personal passion for Sunak.

In Turkey's worst-hit province, residents cry for help amid weak quake response

"They're making noises but nobody is coming," Deniz cried out, holding his hands to his head as he railed against the lack of efforts to rescue those trapped under rubble after a powerful earthquake killed thousands in Turkey and Syria. Desperate screams for help could be heard from those trapped in collapsed buildings in the Mediterranean coastal province of Hatay where people tried to keep warm around bonfires in cold rainy weather.

Printers of Nigeria election regalia lose out as ad campaigns pivot online

A loud whir filled the back of a print shop in Nigeria's capital Abuja as machines churn out grinning faces of presidential election frontrunners on posters, flyers and food packaging. Workers poured cassava flour into blue and green bags sporting the governing All Progressives Congress party's acronym and stashed them next to a pile of red and green opposition rice packets. The advertising campaign season is in full throttle.