News from January 19, 2025 at 2 PM

Israel and Hamas, with mediation from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, agreed to a 42-day ceasefire starting January 19, expressing their desire to end hostilities. This marks the second ceasefire since November 2023, which lasted only six days. The ceasefire is set to begin at 06:30 GMT on Sunday. Hamas has delayed submitting a list of hostages due to technical reasons, with 33 of the 98 remaining Israeli hostages expected to be freed, while Israel will release nearly 2,000 jailed Palestinians in the first phase. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel will not proceed without the hostage list and reserves the right to resume fighting if the deal collapses. Israeli forces have begun withdrawing from Rafah city center to the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border. Israel conducted several attacks last night on various locations in Gaza and is expected to ease its blockade, allowing 600 trucks with humanitarian supplies to enter.

The Palestinian radical movement Hamas has confirmed that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has come into effect, stating that it will continue to adhere to the terms of the agreement. In a statement released on its Telegram channel, Hamas claimed that the ceasefire has forced Israel to halt aggression despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to continue military actions. Starting January 19, Palestinian prisoners will begin to be released, and Israel will soon provide Hamas with a list of 90 women and minors convicted in Israel. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced on January 15 that Israel and Hamas reached a deal to release hostages held in the Gaza Strip and implement a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave through mediation efforts by Doha, Washington, and Cairo. During the first 42-day phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Hamas will free 33 hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails and detention centers.

TikTok stated it will suspend US services on January 19 unless the Biden administration guarantees that companies like Apple and Google will not face legal repercussions for continuing to offer TikTok downloads. The US Supreme Court upheld the 'sell or ban' order against TikTok, leaving the enforcement decision to incoming President Trump. TikTok emphasized that over 170 million US users rely on technical support, and without government assurances, it will be forced to shut down. Lawyer Fisher urged the White House and DOJ to clarify that Apple and Google can continue offering TikTok. Trump said he needs time to review the situation and previously indicated he did not want the ban to take effect. TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi thanked Trump for his support and highlighted the platform's value. US lawmakers from both parties generally welcomed the Supreme Court ruling, viewing TikTok as a national security threat.

Due to a ban imposed by President Joe Biden's administration, TikTok will cease operations in the United States on January 19. The platform, which has an audience of about 170 million users in the US, announced this week that it would halt services as no assurances were received from authorities regarding continued operation without penalties. Users are expected to be disconnected this Sunday, and the mobile app will be removed from Apple and Google online stores. Under US legislation, the Department of Justice has the authority to fine TikTok and its partners up to $5,000 per user. However, the ban and fines do not apply to users, allowing Americans to maintain access to the app through VPN services, according to CNN.

Impeached and suspended South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol personally attended a detention necessity review at the Seoul Western District Court on January 18, a first for a sitting president. The court is expected to rule late that night or early the next morning. If the detention warrant is approved, Yoon could be held for up to 20 days, becoming the first sitting president to be detained. The South Korean legal community believes the court is likely to approve the warrant due to sufficient evidence of Yoon's involvement in insurrection, with his subordinates already detained and indicted. Yoon previously resisted arrest, raising concerns of potential flight or evidence destruction. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office detained Yoon on January 15; he refused to attend questioning and applied for the warrant on the 17th. Yoon initially planned to skip the review but later decided to face the charges in person. Supporters gathered around the court, prompting a large police deployment. The review lasted nearly five hours, with Yoon arguing the legitimacy of the martial law and questioning the Prosecutors' Office's jurisdiction, awaiting the court's decision.

The Director of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency in Nigeria confirmed that a tanker explosion occurred in the Diko area of Niger State on the morning of January 18, resulting in 77 deaths and 25 injuries. The incident was triggered when a tanker carrying gasoline fell and nearby residents scrambled for fuel, causing the explosion. Governor Mohammed Bago visited the scene and ordered a ban on heavy trucks passing through the accident site. Authorities are currently investigating the exact cause of the explosion.

On January 18, at least 60 people were killed and many others injured in Niger State, northern Nigeria, when a petrol tanker truck overturned and the spilled fuel exploded. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) reported that most of the victims were impoverished local residents who rushed to scoop up the leaked petrol despite efforts to stop them. Suddenly, the tanker burst into flames, engulfing another tanker. So far, 60 corpses have been recovered from the scene. Mr Kumar Tsukwam, FRSC sector commander for Niger State, stated that firefighters managed to extinguish the fire. Such accidents are common in Nigeria, Africa's largest oil producer, which is grappling with its worst cost of living crisis in a generation, with petrol prices soaring over 400% since President Bola Tinubu scrapped a decades-old subsidy in May 2023. Mr Bologi Ibrahim, spokesperson to the Niger State governor, urged residents to prioritize their safety in accidents involving petrol tanker trucks.

On July 27, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump appeared at the Bitcoin 2024 event in Nashville, Tennessee. Following this, a meme coin linked to him was launched on the Solana blockchain, causing Solana's SOL token price to surge by 12% to $247.76, with an intraday peak of nearly 23%. Ether fell by more than 6%. The meme coin, named 'Official Trump' (TRUMP), boasts a market cap exceeding $5 billion, making it the largest meme coin on the Solana network. This development precedes Trump's inauguration on Monday, which is widely expected to usher in a new era of innovation and productivity in the crypto industry, coinciding with the end of Gary Gensler's term as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Solana, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, gained 85% in 2024 and is now just 6% off its all-time high.

On January 17, President-elect Donald Trump and his family began selling a cryptocurrency token named $Trump, featuring an image from the July assassination attempt. This new venture, criticized by ethics experts as a blatant attempt to profit from his upcoming presidency, was disclosed just days before his second inauguration. It signifies the Trump family's reduced hesitation to breach traditional ethical boundaries in their second term. Trump announced the launch on his social media platform, alongside announcements of key federal appointments. Organized by CIC Digital, an affiliate of the Trump Organisation, the venture brings the family directly into the cryptocurrency market. The website reveals that CIC Digital and its affiliates own 80% of the token supply, to be released over three years, earning 'trading revenue' as they are sold. Ethics lawyers condemned the move as an unprecedented profiteering effort by an incoming president.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Russia demonstrates the two countries' refusal to tolerate external pressure and their capability to ensure regional security. Moscow and Tehran do not want external forces to determine their roles and are capable of pursuing independent policies, jointly developing regional security and economy. On January 17, Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran signed the treaty after talks in the Kremlin, covering all spheres of bilateral cooperation and opening new prospects in areas such as defense, counter-terrorism, energy, finance, and more.

On January 17th, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Russia and held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, culminating in the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. The treaty aims to enhance bilateral strategic trust, consolidate influence in Middle Eastern affairs, and counter Western sanctions. It will promote cooperation in security, economy, and cultural fields, including military exercises and the construction of a natural gas pipeline. Although not a military alliance, it will help both countries jointly address Western pressures.

Brazil's government announced on Friday that Nigeria has been accepted as a partner country in the BRICS bloc. Brazil, which will hold the bloc's presidency in 2025, stated that Nigeria has been actively 'strengthening cooperation in the Global South and reforming global governance', aligning with Brazil's priorities. As the world's sixth most populous country and the largest in Africa, as well as one of the continent's largest economies, Nigeria shares converging interests with other BRICS members, according to Brazil's Foreign Ministry (Itamaraty). Nigeria joins the BRICS, which already includes eight other nations primarily from Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Asia.

On January 7, Donald Trump claimed that Greenland must accede to the United States, threatening to impose high trade fees on Denmark if it did not relinquish the island. Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is protected under a 1951 treaty between Washington and Copenhagen. Trump previously proposed buying the island during his first term, but the Danish authorities rejected the idea. Currently, Greenlandic politicians are engaged in a heated debate over Trump's proposal, with some seeing it as a path to independence ahead of the Greenland Parliament elections in April 2025.

Due to dangerously cold weather forecasted in Washington next week, President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed that his inaugural address on January 20 will be held indoors. The address and other speeches will take place inside the US Capitol's rotunda instead of outdoors. The inaugural parade and all three inaugural balls will also be held at Washington's Capital One Arena downtown. The last president to be sworn in indoors was Ronald Reagan in 1985, also due to cold weather. Trump stated on social media that he does not want people to be hurt in the freezing temperatures. Temperatures in Washington on inauguration day are expected to hit a low of -11C, feeling much colder with wind chill. Original plans to distribute 220,000 tickets will need to be adjusted. Other inaugural events will proceed as planned.

On January 6, 2025, in Washington, D.C., President-elect Donald Trump announced that his inauguration ceremony would be moved indoors due to extreme cold weather. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that he did not want people to be hurt or injured by the severe cold, and thus ordered the Inauguration Address, prayers, and other speeches to be held in the United States Capitol Rotunda. The last indoor inauguration took place in 1985 when President Ronald Reagan was sworn in for a second term in the Rotunda due to bitter cold temperatures. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, responsible for the inaugural events at the Capitol complex, said it would honor Trump's request. Trump also mentioned that Capital One Arena would be open for a live viewing of the inauguration and would host the scheduled presidential parade. Some Trump supporters expressed disappointment at the announcement.