News from February 17, 2025 at 2 AM

On February 15, a stabbing attack in the southern Austrian city of Villach left a 14-year-old boy dead and five others injured, including two seriously. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner labeled it an Islamist attack with connections to the Islamic State. The suspect, a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker, was reportedly radicalized online in a short period. Following the attack, a Syrian food deliverer, Alaaeddin Alhalabi, rammed his car into the attacker, subduing him. Local residents placed candles at the attack site, expressing fears for the future. Carinthia Governor Peter Kaiser called for the harshest consequences for this 'unbelievable atrocity,' while far-right leader Herbert Kickl demanded a rigorous clamp-down on asylum policies.

On February 14, 2025, Rwandan-backed M23 rebels advanced into the center of Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, facing little resistance from government troops. The rebels have been aiming to seize Bukavu since taking Goma in late January. On Saturday evening, the Congolese presidency stated that Bukavu remained under government and allied control, but by early Sunday, rebels had entered the city center, according to residents and local officials. M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma confirmed the militia's presence and posted a photo on social media. The rapid advance of the rebels has raised fears of a broader regional conflict. Bukavu residents reported seeing M23 troops in central districts without opposition. The United Nations warned that the humanitarian crisis in eastern provinces has worsened, leaving about 350,000 people displaced.

On the evening of February 15, a stampede occurred at New Delhi Railway Station in India, resulting in 18 deaths, including five children, and over 25 injuries. The crowd had gathered to travel to Uttar Pradesh for the Kumbh Mela festival when a sudden change in train platform led to chaos. Previously, on January 29, a stampede following the Kumbh Mela bathing ritual killed at least 40 people. The Indian government has launched an investigation.

On February 16, 2024, the first anniversary of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison, at least 1,500 Russians braved freezing temperatures and the risk of reprisals to pay their respects at his grave in Moscow. Navalny's mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, told AFP she is pushing for an investigation and hopes those responsible will be punished. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, living in exile, called on exiled Russians to protest on behalf of those unable to do so at home. The European Union and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concerns over Navalny's death. Russia has escalated its crackdown on dissent, with severe penalties for mentioning Navalny or his Anti-Corruption Foundation.

The Trump administration's efforts to reduce the federal workforce have reached the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with recently hired employees responsible for reviewing the safety of food ingredients, medical devices, and other products being fired. Probationary FDA employees received layoff notices on Saturday evening, though the exact number of positions eliminated was unclear, focusing on the agency's centers for food, medical devices, and tobacco products. On Friday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced plans to fire 5,200 probationary employees across its agencies, including the NIH, FDA, and CDC. Nearly 1,300 layoffs were expected at the CDC, but only about 700 had received notices by Sunday, with no impact on young doctors and researchers in the Epidemic Intelligence Service. The FDA, headquartered in Maryland, employs nearly 20,000 people. New Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who has criticized the FDA, included staffers reviewing new food additives in the layoffs. Former FDA officials warn that cutting recent hires could backfire, affecting technical updates. The FDA has faced staffing shortages, particularly in its inspection force, in recent years.

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on February 14 for bronchitis. On February 16, he followed the mass and his traditional Angelus prayer on television from the hospital. The Vatican stated that the pope is in stable condition, and doctors have prescribed absolute rest. Unable to attend the mass at St. Peter's Basilica, Francis sent a written address to artists and cultural figures, which was read by Cardinal Jose Tolentino de Mendonca. Massimo Angelelli, head of the health office for the Italian Bishops' Conference, emphasized the necessity for Francis to recover his strength for the busy schedule of the 2025 Jubilee Year.

On February 15, a car attack in Munich, Germany, resulted in the death of a 37-year-old mother and her two-year-old daughter, who succumbed to their injuries on Saturday. At least 37 people were injured in the attack, which was carried out by a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, Farhad N, who was arrested at the scene and confessed to the crime, with apparent religious motivation. The incident has brought security issues to the forefront ahead of Germany's federal elections. The suspect arrived in Germany in 2016 and was allowed to stay despite his asylum application being rejected. Police stated he had no criminal record and no evidence linked him to jihadist groups. US Vice-President JD Vance expressed condolences to the victims upon his arrival in Munich.

The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) have been announced, with 'Conclave' and 'The Brutalist' each winning four awards. Mikey Madison won Best Actress for 'Anora', and Adrien Brody took home Best Actor for 'The Brutalist'. Other winning films include 'Wicked', 'Emilia Pérez', and 'Dune: Part Two'. Warwick Davis received the BAFTA Fellowship.

South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron was found dead in her home in Seoul's Seongsu-dong district at the age of 24. Her body was discovered by a friend at around 16:55 (07:55 GMT) on Sunday. Police reported no signs of foul play and are investigating the cause of death. Kim began her career as a child actor and was considered one of South Korea's most promising young actresses. She gained prominence with her role in the 2009 film A Brand New Life, which led to her appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. She later starred in South Korea's highest grossing film of 2010, The Man from Nowhere, and the 2012 thriller The Neighbour, earning award recognition. Other notable roles include the 2014 film A Girl at My Door and the 2016 TV series Mirror of the Witch. Kim largely retreated from the public eye in 2022 following a drink driving incident, for which she was fined 20 million won (£11,000) in April 2023. Her last role was in Netflix's 2023 Korean drama Bloodhounds, with most of her scenes reportedly edited out due to the driving incident.

Muhsin Hendricks, South Africa's first openly gay imam, was shot dead near Cape Town at the age of 57. He ran a mosque that served as a safe haven for gay and marginalized Muslims. The attack occurred on Saturday morning when his vehicle was ambushed near Gqeberha. Two masked suspects fired multiple shots at the car. Julia Ehrt, executive director of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), called for a thorough investigation, fearing it might be a hate crime. Hendricks dedicated his life to helping people reconcile their faith and sexuality, and his death has triggered an outpouring of global tributes. Despite South Africa's constitution protecting against discrimination based on sexual orientation, the LGBTQ+ community still faces discrimination and violence.

According to reports from Bloomberg and Reuters, Musk announced on local time 15th via social platform X that his AI company xAI's chatbot Grok 3 will be launched at 8 PM Pacific Time on the 17th in the United States. Earlier this week, Musk stated that the development of Grok 3 was in its final stages and expected to be released within a week or two, highlighting its strong reasoning capabilities. In November 2023, Musk announced that xAI's AI model Grok can connect to social platform X in real-time.

The Australian Government announced a two-year ban on foreign investors purchasing existing homes starting in April, aimed at curbing rising house prices and addressing election pressures. The policy is expected to provide about 1,800 additional properties annually for local buyers. Sydney house prices have risen nearly 70% over the past decade, with a median price of around AUD 1.2 million. The ban aims to respond to public pressure and demonstrate the government's efforts to alleviate the housing crisis. Data from the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) shows that foreign buyers accounted for less than 1% of total residential property sales in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, indicating a limited impact of the ban.