News from January 21, 2025 at 2 PM

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.

A fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Turkish ski resort of Bolu has resulted in 10 deaths and 32 injuries. The blaze broke out at 03:27 local time in the restaurant area on the fourth floor and quickly spread to upper levels, with 234 people staying in the hotel at the time. At least two victims died after jumping from windows. Bolu Governor Abdulaziz Aydin noted that the distance from the hotel in Kartalkaya to Bolu's center, combined with freezing conditions, delayed fire engines by over an hour. Rescue efforts continued into the morning, involving 267 emergency personnel. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, with prosecutors appointed by Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc to probe the incident.

On January 21, South Korean detained President Yoon Seok-yeol denied charges related to the emergency decree during the third hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court. The debate lasted approximately 1 hour and 43 minutes, with only the National Assembly and Yoon Seok-yeol present. Yoon stated that he did not instruct the removal of National Assembly members when declaring the emergency decree on December 3 last year. After the hearing, Yoon went to a military hospital in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, for a routine health check and is currently in good health. The Korean High Public Officials Corruption Investigation Unit said it would attempt to forcibly summon Yoon again if he returns to the detention center, following an unsuccessful attempt on January 20 due to Yoon and his legal team's refusal.

On January 21, Israeli security forces launched an operation in the volatile West Bank city of Jenin, resulting in the death of at least one Palestinian. The military stated that soldiers, police, and intelligence services had initiated a counter-terrorism action in the city, offering no further details. Prior to the Israeli action, Palestinian security forces had been conducting a weeks-long operation to reassert control in the city and the adjacent refugee camp, a major hub for armed militant groups. Palestinian health services reported that at least one Palestinian was killed and four were wounded as the Israeli raid began. This move, which comes just days after the start of a ceasefire in Gaza, underscores the threat of further violence in the West Bank. On the evening of January 20, groups of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians, smashing cars and burning property, coinciding with newly installed US President Donald Trump's announcement of lifting sanctions on violent settlers.

President Donald Trump's order suspending US refugee programs has led to the cancellation of flights for 1,660 Afghans cleared to resettle in the US, including family members of active duty US military personnel and those at risk of Taliban retribution. The decision also leaves thousands of other approved Afghan refugees in limbo without assigned flights from Afghanistan or Pakistan. Trump's 2024 election campaign promised strict immigration controls, leaving the fate of US refugee programs uncertain. The White House and State Department did not immediately comment. Afghans and advocates are panicking, says Shawn VanDiver of the #AfghanEvac coalition, urging reconsideration. Nearly 200,000 Afghans have been brought to the US since the Taliban seized Kabul in August 2021.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's reversal of sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Smotrich, in a message to Trump, described the move as an expression of Trump's deep connection to the Jewish people and their historical right to the land. Trump's decision reverses a major policy action by the Biden administration that froze the U.S. assets of these settlers and barred Americans from dealing with them. Smotrich stated that these sanctions were a severe act of foreign interference in Israel's internal affairs, undermining democratic principles and bilateral relations. He looked forward to continued cooperation to strengthen Israel's national security, expand settlements across the Land of Israel, and enhance Israel's global position. The Biden administration had repeatedly urged Israel to hold extremists accountable, believing their actions hindered prospects for a two-state solution. Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians seek as the core of an independent state, and has built Jewish settlements there, deemed illegal by most countries, a claim Israel disputes citing historical and Biblical ties.

Houthi spokesman Nasreddin Amer stated that as long as the Gaza ceasefire remains in effect, the Houthis will suspend attacks on Israeli ships. Effective January 19, 2025, the Houthis have halted attacks on ships bound for Israeli ports but warned that restrictions will be reimposed if Israel aggresses against Yemen. The Houthis will continue targeting ships owned by Israel or Israeli companies. Since mid-November 2023, dozens of civilian ships have been attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In response, the US and UK have conducted multiple strikes on Houthi targets, while Israel has also launched attacks on Houthi-controlled areas, resulting in casualties.

The scandal involving Fuji Television's alleged arrangement of 'sexual entertainment' continues to escalate, with over 20 companies, including Toyota and Kao, withdrawing their advertisements from the station. In December last year, Weekly Bunshun reported that former SMAP member Masahiro Nakai, who has since disbanded, sexually assaulted a woman with the involvement of a Fuji TV employee. The incident occurred in June 2023, and Nakai paid 90 million yen in settlement. In January 2025, Nakai publicly apologized, but Fuji TV denied any employee involvement. This month, Weekly Bunshun revealed new victims, and Fuji TV President Koji Minami held a press conference to deny the allegations, but his response drew widespread criticism. Companies like Nissan and Kao have withdrawn their ads, citing their human rights policies and corporate principles.