From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm Larry London reporting.

Officials have lifted a tsunami warning issued earlier Sunday after a powerful earthquake struck southern Chile. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

A tsunami watch, however, does remain in place.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor had a magnitude of 7.6 and was centered on Chile's sparsely populated southern coast.

Residents in the region were urged to evacuate and go to higher ground.

It was the third earthquake this month of 7.7 magnitude or higher along the quake-prone Pacific Rim, sometimes referred to as the "ring of fire."

Thousands of Christians gathered in Bethlehem in the West Bank to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Robert Berger was there.

Not, sorry that was the wrong audio. For that we can assure you it was quite the celebration there in Bethlehem.

Some sad news to report out of Britain. The BBC is reporting that pop singer George Michael, who had numerous hits in the group WHAM! in the 1980s and later as a solo artist, has died at the age of 53.

Michael is said to have passed away peacefully at home. Police say there [was] were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the singer's death.

This is VOA.

An angry Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as we did just here, summoned U.S. ambassador Daniel Shapiro Sunday to talk about the U.S. abstention in the U.N. Security Council resolution opposing Jewish settlements.

Netanyahu told the Israeli cabinet on Sunday that the resolution was reckless and destructive.

Friday's resolution calls on Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. It says settlements there have no legal validity.

U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power explained why the U.S. abstained.

"Over decades, American administrations and Israeli governments have disagreed ...." And there is Benjamin Netanyahu. "... but we agreed that the Security Council was not the place to resolve this issue. We know that going there would make negotiations harder and drive peace further away. And as I told John Kerry on Thursday friends don't take friends to the Security Council."

Here is [U.N.] U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power: "We continue to believe that that solution is the only viable path to provide peace and security for the state of Israel, and freedom and dignity for the Palestinian people. And we continue to believe that the parties can still pursue this path, if both sides are honest about the choices, and have the courage to take steps that will be politically difficult."

Palestinians have ??? get Jewish settlements in areas they want as part of the future state illegal and major impediment to a final peace settlement.

Israel insists Jews have a biblical right to those lands seized in the 1967 war.

Israeli settlement expansion has created a chilly relationship between Netanyahu and President Obama.

Police in Australia say they have foiled a terror plot planned for the city of Melbourne [in] on Christmas Day. Five men are in custody. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

The suspects were arrested at properties in suburban Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria.

Police have said the alleged plot was inspired by the Islamic State militant group. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews described the conspiracy as an "act of evil" while investigators said they had seized "the makings of an improvised explosive device."

The arrests follow a long investigation by Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police and the security agencies.

Security will be increased at prominent locations around Melbourne, including the Boxing Day cricket test between Australia and Pakistan which will attract a crowd of around 100,000 people.

Phil Mercer, VOA news, Sydney.

I'm Larry London in Washington.

That's the latest world news from VOA.