News from February 1, 2025 at 2 AM

The US National Transportation Safety Board plans to issue a preliminary report on the plane crash in Washington, D.C. within 30 days. An American Airlines passenger jet collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The flight from Wichita, Kansas, carried 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter had at least three service members. Both aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, with 28 bodies recovered so far and no survivors. Reports indicate that members of the US junior figure skating team and Russian citizens, including 1994 world champions Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were among the passengers. US President Donald Trump confirmed the deaths of Russian citizens and stated that the US has contacted Russia regarding the transfer of their remains.

Hamas has announced it will release three hostages on Saturday under the ceasefire agreement with Israel: Israelis Ofer Kalderon, 53, and Yarden Bibas, 34, and American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65. Bibas' wife and two children were also kidnapped by Hamas and their fate remains unknown. In exchange, Israel will release a batch of Palestinian prisoners. This marks the fourth such exchange since the ceasefire took effect on January 19. Hamas took 251 hostages during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people. The upcoming release will bring the total number of hostages freed under the ceasefire to 18.

US President Donald Trump will impose tariffs of 25% on Mexico and Canada, and 10% on China starting Saturday. Trump stated on Friday that Canadian oil would face a reduced tariff of 10% effective February 18. He also plans to impose tariffs on the European Union in the future. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the tariffs on Canada and Mexico are in response to the illegal fentanyl issue. Trump's move aims to address undocumented migration and trade deficits. Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang called for a 'win-win' solution to trade tensions at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Canada and Mexico have vowed to retaliate with their own measures, while experts warn that the new tariffs could spark a major trade war and increase prices in the US.

The US Department of Commerce is investigating whether Chinese AI firm DeepSeek uses regulated US chips. Two US congressmen urge the Trump administration to consider restricting Nvidia's AI chip exports. DeepSeek recently launched a low-cost AI assistant, DeepSeek-R1, drawing US government scrutiny. Sources say the Commerce Department has traced organized chip resale to China in several countries. Nvidia emphasizes compliance with US regulations. Trump is expected to meet Nvidia's CEO to discuss tightening H20 chip export restrictions. DeepSeek claims legally purchasing Nvidia H800 chips. Multiple countries' regulators are investigating DeepSeek over data leakage and privacy concerns.

On January 31, 2025, the German parliament voted against an opposition draft law aimed at tightening immigration policy. Christian Democratic Party (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz spoke to the media following the vote. In Hamburg, activists protested against Merz's migration plans on the same day. Merz, previously favored to become Germany's next chancellor, suffered a setback three weeks before the national election when 12 of his own party members refused to support his migration bill, causing it to fail in parliament. Merz had controversially indicated his willingness to pass the law with support from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), causing dismay within his party. The Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens argued that the bill would not prevent attacks and violated European law. It remains unclear whether this defeat will impact the standings of the parties, with the SPD and Greens significantly behind the conservatives in the polls.

On January 30, 2025, Syria's newly appointed President Ahmed al-Sharaa delivered his first speech in Damascus, announcing the formation of an inclusive transitional government to represent diverse communities, build institutions, and run the country until free and fair elections can be held. Appointed on Wednesday by armed factions that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa addressed the nation. The armed group leading the offensive, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has established an interim government, welcoming numerous Western and Arab diplomatic delegations aimed at stabilizing Syria after 13 years of civil war. Sharaa stated he would form a small legislative body to fill the parliamentary void and announce a committee to prepare for a national dialogue conference discussing the nation's future political program, followed by a 'constitutional declaration,' hinting at drafting a new constitution. He previously mentioned that drafting a new constitution and holding elections could take up to four years.

On Tuesday, a sinkhole measuring about 10 meters wide and 5 meters deep appeared in Yashio city, Saitama prefecture, Japan, swallowing a truck. The 74-year-old driver remains trapped, with rescue efforts hampered by road collapses. Local media reported the driver last responded to rescuers on Tuesday afternoon. The sinkhole, caused by a ruptured underground sewage pipe, led to a second sinkhole on Thursday, further collapsing the road and forming a 20-meter-wide crater. Authorities have evacuated 200 households and urged residents to reduce water usage. Aging sewage infrastructure in Japanese cities has led to an increase in such incidents.

As Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance towards the city of Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, they are likely to encounter thousands of Burundian troops, escalating the risk of a full-blown regional war. Burundi has had soldiers in eastern Congo since 2021, initially to hunt down Burundian rebels but recently supporting Congo's army against M23. Bukavu, about 200 km south of Goma, which M23 seized this week, could see heightened ethnic tensions and direct confrontations between national armies, analysts told Reuters. Despite Rwanda's denial of UN accusations of troop deployment in Congo, it vows to defend itself and accuses Congo's military of allying with Hutu-led militias. Burundian troops, who suffered heavy losses in a battle in Nungu, North Kivu, have retreated to South Kivu to block M23 and Rwandan forces. UN and Rwandan sources provided similar figures for Rwandan troops in Congo, while a Burundian official confirmed a comparable number of Burundian soldiers.

Several top FBI executives promoted by former Director Christopher Wray were told to resign or retire on Thursday, or face demotion or reassignment. The purge involves about half a dozen 'executive assistant directors' overseeing criminal, national security, and cyber investigations, who are career civil servants and cannot be fired without cause. A current FBI official described the move as 'hugely disruptive,' while a former official noted widespread anger as the affected employees are not considered political figures. The FBI declined to comment on the personnel moves. Wray resigned at the end of the Biden administration. These moves come amid a wave of terminations in the first 10 days of the Trump administration, including 18 inspectors general. Trump defended the firings, citing poor performance. The Trump administration also fired career attorneys at the Justice Department involved in prosecuting him, raising concerns about retribution. Trump has nominated Kash Patel to lead the FBI, who pledged no retaliatory actions at a Senate confirmation hearing.

On January 31, Norwegian police announced the detention of the Norwegian vessel Silver Dania, with an all-Russian crew, at Latvia's request, on suspicion of damaging an optic cable in the Baltic Sea. The ship was en route from St. Petersburg to Murmansk. Police have boarded the ship for searches and interrogations. The shipowner, Tormod Fossmark, claimed innocence. On January 26, Latvia's State Radio and Television Center reported damage to the undersea cable. On January 27, Sweden stopped another vessel, the Bulgarian-owned Vezhen, but its company denied intentional damage.

Political parties in Belgium agreed on Friday to form a broad government coalition, ending nearly eight months of complex talks following the election victory of the Flemish nationalist party N-VA. N-VA leader Bart De Wever, 54, is expected to become prime minister and lead a five-party coalition, including Christian democrats and socialists from the Dutch-speaking north, as well as liberal and centrist parties from the French-speaking south. The far-right Vlaams Belang party was excluded from the government talks, despite being the second-largest party after making significant gains in the June 2024 election. In Belgium, where federal governments are always coalition-based, parties have consistently refused to include Vlaams Belang due to its anti-immigrant and anti-EU stance, and its goal to split the country. Coalition talks dragged on for months as parties struggled to agree on budget cuts, tax hikes, and pension reforms insisted upon by De Wever to improve the finances of the euro zone's sixth-largest economy.

U.S. President Donald Trump launched military deportation flights last week as part of his national emergency declaration on immigration. Data from U.S. and Guatemalan officials indicates that the flight to Guatemala on Monday likely cost at least $4,675 per migrant, significantly more than commercial options. The flight, carrying 64 people, took about 10.5 hours. Trump vowed to continue using military aircraft for deportations, warning countries that refuse will face economic consequences. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam on January 29 that he seeks 'strong protections', including from 'malign influence', for the U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia. In October, Britain agreed to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining control of the military base on a 99-year lease. However, newly-elected Ramgoolam has questioned the deal, which is yet to be ratified. Starmer emphasized the need for a deal to secure the base's operations. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to the deal and looked forward to further discussions. Britain is awaiting the new U.S. administration's review of the agreement. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that the deal poses a threat to U.S. security.

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.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to make his first foreign trip from February 1-6 to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. Ahead of the visit, US State Department's Special Envoy for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, emphasized that the Panama Canal is a strategic asset that must not be under China's control. Rubio will discuss the canal situation with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, who has stated he has no intention of discussing the canal's ownership, affirming it belongs to Panama. The tour aims to enhance cooperation in combating illegal migration, crime, and drug smuggling, as well as countering China's influence.