WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders are preparing a stopgap bill to keep the federal government running into March and avoid a partial shutdown next week.

The temporary measure will run to March 1 for some federal agencies whose approved funds are set to run out Friday and extend the remainder of government operations to March 8. That’s according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

AGAM, Indonesia, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Indonesia's Marapi volcano erupted on Sunday, with ash rising 1,300 metres (4,300 feet) from the peak six weeks month after a fatal eruption, according to the country's geological agency.

The volcano in West Sumatra province erupted at least twice by 0337 GMT on Sunday, the agency said, urging the evacuation of people within 4.5 km (2.8 miles) of the centre of the eruption, with the possibility of lava flows in rivers and valleys.

Jan 14 (Reuters) - A volcano erupted in southwest Iceland on Sunday, with molten lava flows reaching the outskirts of a small fishing town by midafternoon, setting some houses alight, although the town was evacuated earlier and no people were in danger, authorities said.

Fountains of molten rock and smoke spewed from fissures in the ground across a wide area stretching to the town of Grindavik, where at least one house had caught fire, live video published by daily Morgunbladid showed.

LONDON, January 14. /TASS/: London is ready to support the United States in repeated airstrikes on the positions of Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthi) rebels, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said.

"We have sent an unambiguous message: what the Houthis are doing is wrong, and we are determined to put a stop to it. We will work with allies. We wil always defend the freedom of navigation. And, crucially, we will be prepared to back words with actions," Cameron wrote in an article published in The Sunday Telegraph.

TEL AVIV (AP) — The families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip kicked off a 24-hour rally in Tel Aviv Saturday night, calling on the government to bring their loved ones home after 100 days spent in Hamas captivity.

Thousands of people poured into “Hostages Ssquare” in Tel Aviv — a central plaza opposite Israel’s Defense Ministry that has served as a gathering point for the campaigners.

Hamas and other Gaza militants captured some 250 people during its deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, while killing some 1,200 other people, most of them civilians.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (NNN-Bernama) — The 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkiye and Malaysia this year holds more significance than merely a numerical milestone.

Turkish Ambassador to Malaysia Emir Salim Yuksel, emphasised that it stands as a solid reaffirmation of both countries’ dedication to expanding cooperation in various areas.

BEIJING, Jan 14 (Reuters) - The Chinese embassy in Japan said on Sunday that it "resolutely opposed" Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa's statement congratulating Taiwan's new president-elect Lai Ching-te.

In a statement published on the Japanese foreign ministry's website on Saturday, after the results of the Taiwan presidential election were announced, Kamikawa congratulated Lai on his victory, calling the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing "an extremely crucial partner and an important friend."

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 14 (Reuters) - China needs to be involved in talks to end the war with Russia, Ukraine's top representative said after a high-level diplomatic meeting ahead of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.

Ukraine's presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Sunday it was important that Russian ally China was at the table when Kyiv convenes further meetings on its peace formula.

MOSCOW, January 14. /TASS/: The development of Russia’s Far East has advanced, the most difficult initial stage has been passed, now it is necessary to increase the pace, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"At the first stage it was quite difficult to implement a lot of things that had been frozen for decades. In my opinion, the work has continued, we have advanced, the most difficult stage is over, now we just need to increase the pace," he said, answering reporters’ questions.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Thousands of members of India’s main opposition Congress party and its supporters began a 2-month cross-country march Sunday in a bid to regain some of the popularity it has lost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party ahead of a crucial national vote this year.

COLOMBO, Jan 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – The Sri Lankan navy apprehended 12 Indian fishermen, and seized three trawlers last night, while they were poaching in the country’s territorial waters, the navy said in a statement, today.

The arrests were made in the seas off the Kovilan Point Lighthouse, in the northern city of Jaffna, during the navy’s special operation, to chase away Indian poaching trawlers from Sri Lankan waters, the navy said.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile into the sea on Sunday, South Korea’s military said, two months after the North claimed to have tested engines for a new harder-to-detect missile capable of striking distant U.S. targets in the region.

The launch was the North’s first this year. Experts say North Korea could ramp up its provocative missile tests as a way to influence the results of South Korea’s parliamentary elections in April and the U.S. presidential election in November.