News from January 27, 2025 at 2 AM

On January 19, 2025, Qatar announced an agreement to release an Israeli civilian hostage and allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, easing the first major crisis of the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Hamas will hand over the hostage Arbel Yehoud and two others. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed the hostage release on Thursday and Palestinians' northward movement on Monday. Israel had delayed allowing Palestinians to return due to Yehoud's non-release, which Hamas accused Israel of violating. Hamas also submitted a list of required information about hostages to be released in the ceasefire's first phase. Thousands of Palestinians gathered to move north, with Israeli forces firing on the crowd, killing two and injuring nine. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested temporarily resettling Gaza's population, rejected by Egypt, Jordan, and Palestinians. Hamas official Bassem Naim stated Palestinians would not accept such a proposal. The ceasefire aims to end the 15-month war, release hostages, and exchange Palestinian prisoners, with around 90 hostages still in Gaza, many believed to be dead.

The Central Election Commission of Belarus announced preliminary results early on the 27th, showing that incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won 86.82% of the vote in the presidential election held on the 26th, securing his re-election. The election results reflect Lukashenko's high level of support within Belarus. The election process attracted international attention, and the announcement of the results triggered various reactions.

On January 26, US President Donald Trump announced sweeping retaliatory measures against Colombia, including tariffs and sanctions, after the country refused to accept two US military aircraft carrying deported migrants. Colombian President Gustavo Petro initially threatened to impose 50% tariffs on US goods but later revised it to 25%. Trump's measures include imposing 25% tariffs on Colombian goods (to rise to 50% in a week), a travel ban and visa revocations for Colombian officials, and financial sanctions. Petro condemned the US for treating migrants as criminals and offered to welcome deported migrants on civilian planes. The US is Colombia's largest trading partner, with $33.8 billion in two-way trade in 2023.

Tens of thousands of people are fleeing towns in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as rebel forces approach the city of Goma. Explosions and gunshots were heard in Goma on Sunday evening. A rebel spokesman stated they would seize control of Goma at 03:00 local time. Earlier, DR Congo's foreign minister accused Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels, which Rwanda denies, claiming a defensive stance. The M23 rebels, who have controlled vast mineral-rich areas since 2021, urged Congolese troops in Goma to surrender to avoid bloodshed. Over 400,000 people have been displaced in North and South Kivu provinces since the start of 2025. UN Secretary General António Guterres called for Rwanda to withdraw and for the M23 to halt their advance. This follows the death of 13 peacekeepers in clashes with rebels. The UK and France have called for an end to attacks on peacekeepers and for Rwanda to withdraw its troops.

New CIA Director John Ratcliffe has long favored the lab leak hypothesis regarding the origins of Covid-19. The CIA previously stated it lacked sufficient information to determine whether the pandemic emerged naturally from a wet market in Wuhan, China, or from an accidental lab leak. However, a new assessment this week indicates analysts now favor the lab leak theory, based on available reporting, though natural origins remain plausible. Ratcliffe believes the virus likely originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Officials assert the new assessment was not influenced by the new director and had been in development. In the final weeks of the Biden administration, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan ordered a classified review of the pandemic's origin. Former Director William Burns told analysts to take a stance on the origins, without favoring either theory. The analysis relies on existing evidence, including a closer examination of conditions in high-security labs in Wuhan. Both theories have logical support, but no decisive intelligence has been found.

US President Donald Trump has recently stated that he believes the US will gain control of Greenland. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump claimed that the island's 57,000 residents 'want to be with us'. This follows Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's insistence in a phone call that Greenland is not for sale. Trump first floated the idea of purchasing the island in 2019, citing its importance for international security. Both Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede and Frederiksen have stated that the island is not for sale, though they are open to closer cooperation with the US on defense and mining. Trump's comments have caused a stir in Danish politics, leading to hastily organized high-level meetings in Copenhagen this month.

Since Trump's election, North Korea had not sent any special messages to the United States. On January 26, North Korea publicly tested strategic cruise missiles and issued a statement condemning the U.S. through its Foreign Ministry. Kim Jong-un expressed satisfaction with the test results, stating that North Korea's means to deter war are increasingly sophisticated. The missiles tested are likely an improved version of the 'Pukguksong-3-31' type, with the launch site located inland. Trump had previously stated his intention to re-engage with Kim Jong-un, but North Korea responded with missile tests, drawing international attention. The North Korean Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, criticizing the U.S. without naming Trump. Experts believe that North Korea's choice to test cruise missiles is a strategic move aimed at demonstrating military capability while leaving room for dialogue.

On January 25, US tech billionaire Elon Musk delivered a video address to a campaign rally of Germany's anti-immigration far-right AfD party in Halle, Germany. Musk told thousands of AfD supporters that their party was 'the best hope for the future of Germany.' His actions have raised concerns from some mainstream leaders, accusing him of interfering in European politics through comments on his social platform X about politicians in countries including Germany and Britain. This week, Musk also faced criticism for making a public hand gesture seen by some as resembling a Nazi salute. In his address, he described the German people as 'an ancient nation' and urged supporters to 'fight, fight, fight' for their country's future. The AfD advocates for 'more self-determination for Germany and for the countries in Europe and less from Brussels,' referring to European Union authorities. Musk is a close associate of US President Donald Trump, who has appointed him to head a new department of 'government efficiency' in his administration. Like Trump, the AfD opposes immigration, denies climate change, rails against gender politics, and has declared war on a political establishment and mainstream media it condemns as censorious. Ahead of Germany's February 23 elections, the AfD is polling at around 20%, a new record for a party that has already shattered a decades-old taboo against the far right in post-war Germany.

Pete Hegseth, 44, a former Fox News personality and decorated veteran, was confirmed as the US Secretary of Defense by the Senate on Friday. Hegseth plans to strengthen the American defense industry and deterrence capabilities, aiming to rebuild the military by matching threats to capabilities. This includes reviving the defense industrial base, reforming the acquisition process, passing a financial audit, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies. He emphasized reestablishing deterrence by defending the homeland and working with allies to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by Communist China. Vice President JD Vance cast the decisive vote to break a tie during the confirmation process.

On January 26, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that Israel had ordered it to vacate its premises and cease all operations in occupied East Jerusalem by January 30. In October, Israeli lawmakers passed a law banning UNRWA from the country and prohibiting Israeli authorities from having contact with the agency, with exceptions possible. The international community, including the UN, generally considers East Jerusalem to be occupied territory, but the Israeli government views all of Jerusalem as part of the country. UNRWA stated that the order to cease operations contradicts Israel's international obligations as a UN member state. In East Jerusalem, over 1,100 students and 70,000 patients rely on UNRWA for education and primary healthcare. Israeli lawmakers who drafted the law banning UNRWA cited the alleged involvement of some agency staff in the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit the United Kingdom in mid-February to hold talks with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, as reported by The Guardian on January 26. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office (FCDO) is planning to host Mr. Wang, according to sources briefed on the plans. The visit aims to conduct the first Britain-China strategic dialogue since 2018. Earlier in January, British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves visited China to revive high-level economic and financial talks that have been frozen since 2019. The Labour government, which took power in Britain in July, has made improving ties with China a key foreign policy goal, following a period under successive Conservative governments when relations hit their lowest point in decades.

The British Museum partially closed to visitors after a former employee allegedly shut down parts of its IT network. The contractor, dismissed last week, trespassed into the museum and disabled several systems before being arrested by police. This led to the closure of some galleries and temporary exhibitions on Friday, with limited capacity this weekend, prioritizing members and ticket holders. The museum, which saw 5,820,860 visitors in 2023 and was named the top UK visitor attraction, is working to restore full operations. Temporary exhibitions, including Silk Roads and Picasso: Printmaker, remain closed over the weekend, with ticket holders notified and refunds offered.

The Yemeni movement Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, is considering banning US ships from passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and resuming full-scale military operations in Yemen in retaliation for the US designation of the group as a foreign terrorist organization. US President Donald Trump signed an order on Wednesday to initiate this designation. On Thursday, the Houthis stated that this decision targets the entire Yemeni population and is revenge for Yemen's support of the Palestinians. The movement is also contemplating barring ships from any country that follows the US in listing them as a terrorist organization. Possible measures include countering any US military escalation in response to the ship ban and ending the truce in Yemen to resume hostilities on all fronts.