News from February 6, 2025 at 2 AM

U.S. President Donald Trump announced at a White House press conference that the United States will take over the Gaza Strip and relocate approximately 2 million Palestinians to other Middle Eastern countries, a proposal rejected by Arab nations. Trump envisioned Gaza as the 'Riviera of the Middle East,' potentially bringing peace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu supported the idea but did not clarify the legal basis. Negotiations on the second phase of a Gaza ceasefire are ongoing between the U.S., Israel, and Arab countries. The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Trump's remarks, stating they violate international law.

A school shooting in Eskilstuna, central Sweden, has resulted in 11 deaths, including the gunman. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described it as the country's deadliest mass shooting in history. The gunman, a 35-year-old man, is suspected to have committed suicide. The affected school is a municipal adult education institution with a capacity of around 2,000 students. Preliminary police investigations suggest the gunman acted alone, with no apparent terrorist motives. The Swedish Parliament, Government, and Royal Family lowered flags to half-mast in mourning, and the King and Queen plan to visit the site. From 2010 to 2022, there have been 7 fatal violent incidents in Swedish schools, with 391 shooting incidents recorded in 2022 alone.

On February 3, 2025, intense fighting erupted in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as the M23 rebel group seized the city. Congo's communications minister, Patrick Muyaya, stated that over 2,000 bodies require burial. Despite a ceasefire declared by M23 starting on February 4, sporadic shootings and lootings were still reported. The United Nations reported at least 900 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries, with over 700,000 people displaced. The International Committee of the Red Cross is aiding in body disposal to prevent disease spread. UN officials called for the urgent reopening of Goma's airport for humanitarian flights. The DRC government and the international community have expressed concern over the conflict, accusing Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels.

Thousands of residents are fleeing the Greek island of Santorini due to a wave of seismic activity, with around 6,000 people leaving by ferry since Sunday. Authorities have closed schools and warned against large indoor gatherings, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged calm. More than 300 earthquakes have been recorded in the past 48 hours, including a magnitude 4.7 tremor northeast of the island early Tuesday. Despite no major damage reported, emergency measures are in place. Aegean Airlines added three emergency flights, expecting 2,500 to 2,700 passengers to fly to Athens on Monday and Tuesday. Local tour guide Kostas Sakavaras, who left with his family, plans to return once schools reopen.

Since the beginning of 2024, the United Arab Emirates has successfully facilitated the exchange of prisoners of war between Russia and Ukraine. The latest exchange involved 300 captives, including 150 Ukrainian and 150 Russian prisoners, bringing the total number exchanged through UAE mediation to 2,883. The UAE Foreign Ministry thanked the Russian and Ukrainian authorities for supporting the mediation efforts and expressed its commitment to continue seeking a peaceful solution. On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the release of 150 Russian servicemen, while the Ukrainian side handed over 150 prisoners of war. The UAE has mediated 12 such exchanges since the start of 2024.

Ahead of the Spring Festival, Chinese AI company DeepSeek released its open-source model DeepSeek-R1, achieving performance close to OpenAI's GPT-o1 at a lower cost. Within days, DeepSeek topped the free app charts in both China and the US, with tech giants announcing integration. President Trump called it a wake-up call for the US AI industry. Western media speculated on its implementation and highlighted its significance. China's Permanent Representative to the UN, Fu Cong, emphasized China's scientific prowess and called for US-China cooperation. Texas banned DeepSeek on government devices, sparking controversy. Multiple overseas tech giants announced integration with DeepSeek, with OpenAI CEO Altman praising its performance. DeepSeek's emergence is reshaping the AI landscape and driving industry progress.

According to Reuters, the EU will increase customs checks on goods directly shipped to the EU by e-commerce retailers like Temu and Shein to ensure fair competition and product safety. The directive, expected to be released on February 5, primarily targets these two Chinese e-commerce platforms. Temu is the cross-border e-commerce platform of Pinduoduo, while Shein is a fast-fashion retailer headquartered in Singapore. The EU accuses them of undercutting European competitors with ultra-low prices and benefiting from duty-free regulations for goods under 150 euros, giving them an unfair advantage. The EU will prioritize controlling online products with significant safety risks and calls on member states to participate. Last year, 91% of online goods under 150 euros entering the EU came from China, totaling $4.6 billion. The EU will also investigate Shein for potential violations of consumer protection regulations.

On February 5, a shooting incident occurred at the central Clemenceau metro station in Brussels, leading to the closure of several metro stations. The Belgian prosecutor's office stated that no injuries were reported. According to sources close to the investigation, the suspects fled into the metro tunnels after the shooting, and police are searching for two suspects. The incident is believed to be drug-related, sources said. Images on VRT's website showed two individuals entering the station and opening fire, but these images have not yet been verified by Reuters.

On January 31, 2025, former National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Chair Gwynne Wilcox filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. federal court, accusing President Donald Trump of unlawfully firing her last week. Wilcox's lawyers argue that her removal for a 'political purpose' violated the 90-year-old statute that established the NLRB. The lawsuit seeks an order reinstating her and declaring her firing illegal. On Trump's first day in office, he replaced Wilcox, and a week later, both she and NLRB's top lawyer, Jennifer Abruzzo, were fired via a 'late-night email.' This left the NLRB with only two members, below the three-member threshold required for operation, halting all regulatory activities. This situation could benefit companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX and Amazon, which have challenged the NLRB's structure. Wilcox's lawsuit also challenges the extent of Trump's power amid efforts to reshape the federal government.

On February 4, a politician from Italy's Veneto region, Andrea Zanoni, reported Donald Trump Jr to authorities for allegedly killing a protected species of duck while hunting in the Venice lagoon. Zanoni cited an online video from Field Ethos, which showed Trump Jr and others killing various ducks, including a rare Ruddy Shelduck, protected under the EU Birds Directive and Italian wildlife laws. Zanoni stated that killing the protected bird is a crime and has filed a query with regional authorities regarding potential sanctions. The video was filmed in the Pierimpie’ valley south of Venice, a special conservation area protected by European regulations. The regional council indicated it would respond to the query in due course.

Since 2022, the United States has transferred $35 billion to Ukraine through the Agency for International Development (USAID), which does not provide direct military support but indirectly aids Ukraine's fight against Russia by supporting its civilian healthcare system. USAID also played a key role in securing a $20 billion loan for Ukraine from frozen Russian sovereign assets. On February 3, the US administration suspended USAID's activities, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio appointed as temporary head, sparking protests from Democratic Party members. In fall 2024, G7 countries agreed on a $50 billion loan to Ukraine, with the US pledging $20 billion. Ukraine received its first $1 billion from frozen Russian assets in December, and the EU transferred €3 billion on January 10.