News from January 30, 2025 at 2 PM

Hamas announced it will release Israeli national Arbel Yehoud, Israeli Defense Forces member Agam Berger, and 80-year-old Israeli Gadi Moses, all held hostage in Gaza, on January 30. In exchange, Israel will release 110 Palestinian prisoners, including 30 minors, 32 life-sentenced individuals, and 48 long-term inmates. Yehoud's release, initially scheduled for January 25, was delayed, prompting Israel to block Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza. However, after receiving assurances of Yehoud's release, Israel allowed Gazans to return north on January 27. On January 15, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that Egypt, Qatar, and the US brokered a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, effective January 19, with Hamas releasing 33 hostages in the first phase.

On January 29, 2025, the M23 rebel group clashed with government forces in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Allegedly backed by Rwanda, the rebels seized Goma. Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe called for a ceasefire in eastern Congo and urged the DRC to negotiate with the rebels, while denying Rwandan troop involvement. The UN, US, France, Britain, and Congo accuse Rwanda of supporting M23. The rebels are moving south, apparently to expand their control. Congo considers M23 a 'terrorist group' and refuses direct negotiations, calling on the UN to sanction Rwanda.

OpenAI has accused rivals, including those in China, of using its work to rapidly advance their own AI tools. This week, the emergence of DeepSeek, a Chinese app that can emulate ChatGPT's performance at a lower cost, has significantly undermined OpenAI and other US firms' AI leadership. Microsoft is investigating unauthorized use of OpenAI's data. White House 'AI and crypto czar' David Sacks suggested DeepSeek may have used OpenAI's models through knowledge distillation. OpenAI stated that Chinese and other companies are constantly trying to distill models of leading US AI firms. US officials are considering the national security implications of DeepSeek, with the US Navy banning its use due to security and ethical concerns. DeepSeek has reported large-scale cyber attacks, temporarily limiting registrations.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Syria's new authorities, has assumed the role of the country's president during the transitional period, announced by the Military Operations Command on its Telegram channel. Al-Sharaa will represent Syria at international forums and lead the formation of an interim legislative council. The new authorities dissolved the People's Assembly and related committees formed under the previous regime, annulled the 2012 constitution and laws under emergency conditions, and declared December 8 a national holiday. In late November 2025, the Syrian armed opposition launched a major offensive, entering Damascus on December 8, leading to President Bashar Assad's resignation and departure. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir was appointed as the head of the interim government, with the transitional period set to last until March 1, 2025.

On January 29, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump, during a ceremony at the White House to sign an immigration detention bill, announced plans to prepare Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. military base in Cuba, for migrant detention. Trump stated that Guantanamo has thousands of beds to detain 'the worst criminal illegal aliens' and vowed to sign an executive order instructing the Defense and Homeland Security departments to ready Guantanamo's 'migrant facility.' According to The New York Times, only four migrants were being held there as of February. The Global Detention Project, a research center, suggests that the Guantanamo Migrant Operations Center has a capacity of 130. Trump claimed Guantanamo has 30,000 beds, asserting that opening it would 'double our capacity immediately.' Since taking office last week, Trump has taken several actions to crack down on illegal border crossings and deport undocumented migrants en masse.

Salwan Momika, a 38-year-old Iraqi refugee and anti-Islam campaigner, was shot dead in a house in Sodertalje near Stockholm, Sweden, on the evening of January 29, just hours before he was scheduled to receive a court verdict on January 30 for burning the Quran. Five people were arrested in connection with the shooting, though it was not confirmed if the shooter was among them. Momika had publicly burned copies of the Quran during demonstrations in 2023. The Stockholm court had been set to sentence Momika and another man for 'offences of agitation against an ethnic or national group', but postponed the announcement. The Security Service stated that police are leading the investigation and closely monitoring the potential impact on Swedish security. Reports indicate Momika was live streaming on TikTok at the time of the shooting.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has halted its operations in the Gaza Strip due to an impending ban by Israel. The agency's chief, Philippe Lazzarini, stated that this move will undermine the ceasefire, recovery, and political transition in Gaza. Last week, Israel's mission to the United Nations notified that UNRWA must cease its activities in Jerusalem by January 30. On October 28, 2024, the Knesset, Israel's unicameral parliament, passed a law prohibiting UNRWA's activities in the country, supported by 92 lawmakers and opposed by ten. The legislation was drafted following reports of UNRWA employees' alleged involvement in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel has repeatedly claimed that many UNRWA employees are linked to the radical movement.

President Donald Trump's nominee for US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, faced questioning from senators at his first confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Kennedy, a former vaccine skeptic, was asked about his past comments on the Covid-19 vaccine and other immunizations. The hearing was interrupted by protesters, but he received applause for promising to make America healthy again. Kennedy insisted he was not anti-vaccine and supported stringent vaccine studies. He criticized processed foods in the US and vowed to scrutinize food additives. On abortion, Kennedy called every abortion a tragedy and supported state control over abortion rights. Senator Bernie Sanders questioned Kennedy's stance on anti-vaccine onesies. The hearing ended with mixed reviews from senators of different parties.

On the early morning of January 30, the Sumy Regional Military Administration reported that Russian forces conducted a drone strike on the city of Sumy. The attack targeted a high-rise apartment building, resulting in 4 deaths and 9 injuries. As of 8 a.m. that day, rescue operations were still ongoing. The Ukrainian State Emergency Service stated that it was organizing personnel for search and cleanup efforts at the attack site.

On January 28 local time, a Busan Airline plane's tail caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea. The aircraft was originally scheduled to fly to Hong Kong, China. After the fire broke out, all 169 passengers and 7 crew members were evacuated emergency. According to South Korea's YTN TV, some people on board sustained minor injuries. Local fire authorities have initiated firefighting operations, and the cause of the fire is under further investigation.

Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's nominee for FBI director, is set to face rigorous questioning from Democrats on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday regarding his qualifications and history of making false claims about the FBI. Led by Senator Dick Durbin, the Democratic minority is expected to grill Patel over his accusations that the FBI is infiltrated by a 'deep state' obstructing Trump's policies and his call to close the bureau's Washington headquarters. Democrats alone cannot block Patel's confirmation, as Trump previously secured confirmation for a controversial nominee, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a 51-50 vote. Patel has falsely claimed that the FBI used undercover agents to entrap rioters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, a claim debunked by a Justice Department inspector general report. In a September 2022 interview, he expressed agreement with the QAnon movement, a far-right fringe group. A spokesperson for Patel said his comments were taken out of context and denied QAnon support. Patel also claimed, without evidence, that Trump had declassified all retained classified records, a statement uncorroborated by others. A former aide to House Intelligence Committee Republican Chairman Devin Nunes, Patel led a congressional probe into the FBI's investigation of Trump's 2016 campaign ties to Russia. A Justice Department watchdog report found FBI errors in the surveillance warrant for former Trump adviser Carter Page but no political bias. Patel began his career as a public defender in Miami and later worked in counterterrorism at the Justice Department. He also briefly served in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Council, and as chief of staff to the Defense Secretary. However, Patel has exaggerated some of his experiences, such as claiming a key role in prosecuting Islamic militant Ahmed Abu Khatallah, when he only played a minor supporting role. He also claimed the Justice Department dismissed a major drug prosecution due to withheld exculpatory evidence, but records show his client pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 36 months in prison.

Google's maps division reclassified the U.S. as a 'sensitive country' on Monday, a designation typically reserved for states with strict governments and border disputes. This move followed President Donald Trump's announcement that his administration would change names on official maps and federal communications, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America' and Mount Denali as Mount McKinley. Google ordered the reclassification on Monday and announced it would update the name of the body of water between the Yucatan and Florida peninsulas in Google Maps according to the Trump administration's updates. The decision highlights the challenges tech companies face in the early days of a second Trump presidency. Since the start of the year, companies like Meta, TikTok, and Amazon have adjusted their products and policies to reflect Trump's political views and executive orders. Google's list of sensitive countries includes China, Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, with the U.S. and Mexico being new additions. Google Maps, with over 2 billion monthly users, is the world's top navigation app.

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized Christian Democrats (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz in a statement on Thursday for relying on far-right support to pass a motion in parliament. On Wednesday, a CDU motion was passed with backing from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), among others, breaking a long-standing political taboo in Germany. In a rare intervention in domestic politics, Merkel accused Merz of reneging on a November vow to seek majorities with mainstream parties instead of the AfD. The AfD, second in most polls behind Merz's conservative bloc and less than four weeks before a federal election, is under surveillance by German security services for suspected right-wing extremism. Merkel called on 'democratic parties' to collaborate to prevent violent attacks like those recently in Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg, where both suspects had previously sought asylum in Germany, bringing border and asylum policy into sharp focus in the election campaign.

On January 21, 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced at a White House press conference that SoftBank is in talks to invest up to $25 billion in OpenAI, which would make it the startup's top investor if the deal is finalized. In November last year, OpenAI allowed employees to sell about $1.5 billion worth of shares to SoftBank. SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle are partnering in a joint venture called Stargate, planning to invest billions in U.S. AI infrastructure. OpenAI, valued at $157 billion, is transitioning to a for-profit structure to compete in the generative AI market. Meanwhile, Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is gaining traction in the U.S., with its R1 model impressing Sam Altman.

On January 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in response to a journalist's question that any future negotiations with Ukraine would ensure Russian interests. Putin emphasized that Russia is not opposed to negotiating with any Ukrainian representatives, but the signing of documents must be treated seriously to ensure long-term security for both countries. He pointed out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unauthorized to sign documents on behalf of Ukraine, as his term extension was not approved by the Verkhovna Rada. Putin believes that if Ukraine does not revoke the decree prohibiting negotiations with Russia, any talks would be illegal. The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada could legally cancel this decree, but Russia has not seen any willingness from Ukraine to do so. Zelensky's term is set to end in May 2024, and due to the state of war, Ukraine did not hold the scheduled presidential election in March 2024.

According to the Financial Times, several EU member states have proposed including the restart of Russian pipeline gas supplies to Europe in a future agreement to settle the conflict in Ukraine. Three officials briefed on the talks said the idea has been supported by some German and Hungarian officials, with other capitals seeing it as a way to reduce European energy costs. Advocates argue that buying Russian gas would lower high energy prices in Europe, encourage Moscow to return to the negotiating table, and provide both sides with a reason to implement and maintain a ceasefire. However, the proposal has infuriated Brussels officials and diplomats from some eastern European countries, who have been working to reduce Russian energy imports over the past three years. Additionally, the idea has sparked a backlash among Ukraine’s closest allies in the EU. Currently, TurkStream remains the only active route for Russian gas supplies to Europe, with a capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters of gas, designed to supply Turkey and countries in Southern and Southeastern Europe.