The 10 most important things in the world right now

Good morning! Here's what you need to know on Tuesday.

1. At least 275 people were killed after 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit northern Afghanistan and Pakistan on Monday afternoon.

2. Eating processed meat, such as hot dogs and ham, can cause cancer, according to a bombshell report from the World Health Organisation.

3. A US Navy destroyer sailed near artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea in order to challenge Chinese territorial claims.

4. Indonesia plans to join 12 other countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Vietnam, and the United States in the "Trans-Pacific Partnership," a deal to create world's largest free trade area.

5. Russia confirmed sending special forces troops to Syria over the past few weeks to support its mission backing the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

6. Parts of the Persian Gulf may be too hot for humans to live by 2100 as a result of climate change, according to a new study.

7. Washington is close to reaching a massive budget deal that would raise spending levels in equal amounts in defense and non-defense areas and "call for cuts in spending on Medicare and Social Security disability benefits," according to the New York Times.

8. One of India's most wanted gangsters, a man widely known as Chhota Rajan, has finally been captured after 20 years on the run.

9. Maldives' vice president has been arrested in connection with an attempt on President Abdulla Yameen's life last month, which involved an explosion on the boat that was carrying him.

10. Walmart applied to US regulators for permission to test drones for home delivery.

And finally ...

Venus, Jupiter, and Mars, will appear to pass extremely close to one another all of this week in a rare triple planetary conjunction, which won't happen again until January 2021.