Today's Headlines

Supporters of Donald Trump who attacked the U.S. Capitol four years ago will begin leaving prison on Tuesday, pardoned by the new president as part of a series of Inauguration Day executive orders signaling radical change for the country. Trump issued orders on Monday, including measures to curb immigration, roll back environmental regulations, and delay the enforcement of a ban on the short-video app TikTok. The pardon of 1,500 defendants sparked outrage from lawmakers endangered in the January 6, 2021, attack. In his inauguration speech, Trump criticized the Biden presidency and portrayed himself as chosen by God to save a faltering nation. However, he faces significant challenges in delivering on his promise of a 'Golden Age of America' amid a divided Congress, inevitable lawsuits, and resistant world leaders. Trump did not immediately raise tariffs but threatened 25% duties on Canada and Mexico by February 1. Global markets reacted with apprehension to Trump's trade and tariff plans, with U.S. markets closed on Monday and first reactions seen in Asian trading on Tuesday. Trump, the first president in over a century to regain the White House after losing it and the first felon to occupy the presidency, enjoys Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress. He launched a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, shutting down Biden's CBP One entry program and canceling existing appointments, leaving migrants stunned. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit challenging this decision. Trump also withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate deal and announced plans to leave the World Health Organization. He revoked Biden administration policies on artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, froze federal hiring, ordered government workers back to the office, and established a 'Department of Government Efficiency' advisory board led by billionaire Elon Musk to cut government spending. Trump vowed to eliminate federal diversity programs and require the government to recognize only birth-assigned genders, and announced intentions to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and regain control of the Panama Canal, causing concern among U.S. allies.

Only two days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Defense Forces raided the West Bank city of Jenin on October 21, killing at least nine Palestinians and injuring 35. Hamas and Islamic Jihad called for public resistance. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the operation as a 'large-scale and significant military action' aimed at combating the 'Iranian axis'. Since the Gaza conflict in October, the security situation in the West Bank has deteriorated, with hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests. Palestine is divided between Hamas-controlled Gaza and Fatah-governed West Bank. Hamas urged a general mobilization against Israeli forces, while Fatah has not publicly commented. Despite the ceasefire agreement taking effect, there are doubts about its implementation. President Donald Trump revoked sanctions on Israeli extremist settlers, a move welcomed by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

A fire at a popular ski resort hotel in north-west Turkey has killed 76 people. The blaze broke out at the 12-storey wooden-clad Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu at 03:27 local time (00:27 GMT) when 234 people were staying there, and took 12 hours to extinguish. An investigation is underway, with conflicting reports on the hotel's safety standards; nine people, including the hotel's owner, have been arrested. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed accountability for negligence. Flags are at half-mast nationwide as funerals begin. Rescue teams are searching for any remaining bodies. The cause of the fire is unknown, but initial reports suggest it started in the hotel's fourth-floor restaurant.

On March 30, 2023, in London, United Kingdom, Prince Harry settled his privacy lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper group, which admitted unlawful actions at its Sun tabloid for the first time, concluding the intense legal battle. Harry's lawyer, David Sherborne, stated that the group agreed to pay substantial damages, reportedly an eight-figure sum. Harry had accused the group of unlawfully obtaining his private information from 1996 to 2011. The trial, scheduled to start on Tuesday, was canceled after a last-minute settlement. NGN issued a full apology for the serious intrusion into Harry's and his late mother, Princess Diana's, private lives. NGN has previously paid hundreds of millions in settlements for phone-hacking and other unlawful information gathering but had always denied wrongdoing at The Sun.

On the first full day of peace in Gaza on Monday, rescue workers and civilians began to confront the massive destruction. Gaza's Civil Defence agency fears over 10,000 bodies remain buried under rubble. Spokesman Mahmoud Basal hopes to recover the dead within 100 days but faces delays due to equipment shortages. New images reveal total devastation from 15 months of Israeli offensive, especially in the north. The UN estimates 60% of Gaza's structures are damaged or destroyed. Despite celebrations at the ceasefire, Gazans remain in desperate conditions. The UN World Food Programme reports over two million Gazans are homeless and reliant on food aid. At least 630 lorries entered Gaza after the ceasefire, the highest since the war began. Sam Rose of Unrwa highlights the immense challenge of rebuilding Gaza. In Israel, families of three freed hostages spoke in Tel Aviv, expressing hope for all families. If the ceasefire holds, 30 more hostages will be released in exchange for about 1,800 Palestinians. Palestinian health authorities estimate over 46,900 killed and 110,700 wounded in Gaza, mostly women and children. The Gaza Civil Defence agency reports 48% of its personnel affected and significant damage to its resources. Despite the end of airstrikes, the grim work continues for Civil Defence workers. Many Gazans are returning to destroyed homes, facing dangerous conditions as the Israeli military withdraws. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the ceasefire at the UN Security Council but warned of worsening conditions in the West Bank.

In a span of five days, three provinces in Colombia experienced severe armed conflicts, resulting in at least 100 deaths and nearly 20,000 people displaced. The clashes were between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident militias of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) over territorial control. President Petro declared a state of emergency in some regions and deployed 5,000 soldiers. Although FARC signed a peace agreement with the government, some members remain unreconciled. ELN primarily engages in criminal activities along the Pacific coast and borders. Over 19,000 people have taken refuge in areas like Tibú, with thousands fleeing to the Venezuelan border.

According to a report by The Independent on January 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated at the World Economic Forum that at least 200,000 European troops are needed as peacekeepers for Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire with Russia. He noted that without strong security guarantees, Europe cannot stop Russian forces, as Russia's deployable troops are now ten times what they were at the beginning of 2022. Zelensky emphasized the military imbalance between Russia and Ukraine, with Russia capable of deploying 1.5 million troops compared to Ukraine's 800,000. He also predicted that Russia would demand Ukraine reduce its military to one-fifth of its current size, a demand Ukraine would never accept.

On January 20, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in Washington, DC, granting a full pardon to Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road. The notorious dark web marketplace was a global hub for illicit drug sales, which prosecutors said contributed to at least six deaths. Ulbricht had been serving a life sentence without parole since 2015 after being convicted on seven charges, including distributing narcotics and conspiring to commit computer hacking. Trump announced the pardon on Truth Social, citing his appreciation for Ulbricht's mother and the Libertarian Movement that strongly supported him. Silk Road, operational from 2011 to 2013, facilitated over $200 million in sales, primarily using bitcoin, making it one of the earliest large-scale applications of cryptocurrency. In recent years, Ulbricht has been seen as a visionary in the digital currency community, with 'Free Ross' campaigns gaining momentum. Trump's alignment with the crypto community during his 2024 presidential campaign opened a window for Ulbricht's pardon.

On Wednesday, a methane explosion in a coal mine in southern Poland injured 16 miners. The incident occurred at the Knurow-Szczyglowice mine, more than 850 meters deep, according to the ambulance service. Lukasz Pach, director of the Regional Emergency Medical Service in Katowice, stated that 14 people have been transported to hospitals, while one miner is still being brought to the surface and is expected to be taken to a hospital by helicopter. Aleksander Chowaniec, deputy head of the State Mining Authority, told state-run broadcaster TVP Info that 44 people were in the area when the gas ignited, with victims suffering burns. JSW shares fell 2.3% at 1132 GMT.