News from January 24, 2025 at 2 AM

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.

Since January 7, multiple wildfires have erupted in Los Angeles, California, USA, continuing to spread. On January 22, a new wildfire destroyed hundreds of acres of vegetation, prompting evacuation orders in northern mountain communities. The National Weather Service warned of critical fire conditions in Southern California. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered accelerated fire cleanup, while County Supervisor Kathryn Barger approved an emergency motion to address mudflow threats. On January 21, wildfires also broke out in San Diego County and Riverside, forcing thousands to evacuate. The fires exposed governance issues in California, with experts calling for a unified command system. The extreme drought has exacerbated the fires, resulting in at least 27 deaths and leaving many residents in dire straits.

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.

The Nepali government announced that it will significantly increase the climbing permit fees for the southern slope of Mount Everest starting September 1, 2025, marking the first adjustment in nearly a decade. The fee for spring climbing will rise from $11,000 to $15,000, for autumn from $5,500 to $7,500, and for winter and monsoon seasons from $2,750 to $3,750, representing a 36% increase. The permit validity will be shortened from 75 days to 55 days. The move aims to protect the Everest ecosystem, though specific plans have not been disclosed. Climbers have noted environmental changes on Everest, which experts believe may be linked to global warming.

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.