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February 5, 2025
US will 'take over' Gaza: Trump "President Donald Trump announced the US will ""take over"" and oversee the Palestinian territory Gaza, during the meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump claimed global support for American control, pledging reconstruction, economic growth and security. He did not rule out deploying troops. Netanyahu called the plan ""history-changing."" Trump previously suggested throwing Palestinians outside Gaza permanently. He said he would visit the region in the future." Second phase of Gaza ceasefire talks resume in Doha "Negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire have kicked off in Doha, with Hamas accusing Israel of stalling humanitarian aid. ""Shelter and humanitarian aid are urgent priorities that cannot be subject to Israeli delays,"" said Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif al-Qanoua. Meanwhile, Israel has dispatched a team for talks, signalling potential progress ahead of PM Netanyahu’s high-stakes meeting with President Trump. The ceasefire, in place since January 19, has halted months of Israeli genocidal war in Gaza, with both sides exchanging captives under the agreement. " Sweden reels from rare school shooting tragedy "Sweden is in mourning after a rare school shooting left around 10 people dead, including the suspected gunman, at an education centre in Orebro. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called it ""a painful day for the whole country."" Authorities are still searching the school for more victims, while investigations into attempted murder, arson and weapons offences are underway. Witnesses describe chaos and fear as students flee. No police officers were injured." US suspends incoming packages from China, Hong Kong "President Donald Trump's new trade measures with China take effect. US Postal Service has paused international parcels from China and Hong Kong. Trump imposed a fresh 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports and closed the ""de minimis"" rule, which let duty-free shipments under $800 flood the US. Fast-fashion giants Shein and Temu —major players in this trade— may feel the pinch. USPS said the change will not impact the flow of letters. Meanwhile, China also imposed additional tariffs on US products and banned several companies." Russia revives Soviet-era Intervision as alternative to Eurovision "Russia is bringing back Intervision, the Soviet alternative to Eurovision, as a showcase for “traditional values.” Ordered by President Vladimir Putin, the contest will be held in Moscow, featuring China, Cuba, Brazil, and other allies. Unlike Eurovision—banned from Russia since 2022—Intervision will exclude political themes and LGBTQ+ representation. Putin positions it as a stand against Western ""decadence,"" reinforcing his vision of Russia as a guardian of moral traditions."
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February 4, 2025
Gaza ceasefire uncertain, says Trump "The United States President Donald Trump warns there are ""no guarantees"" the Gaza ceasefire will hold, despite his envoy confirming it’s intact—for now. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump painted a grim picture, saying ""I've seen people brutalised. No, I have no guarantees that the peace is going to hold,"" he said. Meanwhile, Trump prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—his first official meeting with a foreign leader since taking office. The International Criminal Court issued a war crimes arrest warrant for Netanyahu last year, stating that he bears ""criminal responsibility"" for crimes committed during Israel's genocidal war in Gaza." Arab nations push back against Trump's Palestinian displacement project "Top diplomats from Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, along with a senior Palestinian official, sent a joint letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, firmly rejecting any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. First reported by Axios, the letter underlined that Gaza’s reconstruction must involve its people, ensuring they remain in their homeland with international support. The envoys' letter came after US President Donald Trump offered to cleanse Gaza and relocate Palestinians to other nations from the Israel-besieged enclave." Russia says it's too soon to discuss Zelenskyy's peace proposal "Kremlin has said it’s too soon to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposed four-way peace talks with the US, Russia and the EU. Zelenskyy warned it would be “very dangerous” for Washington and Moscow to negotiate without Kiev. The Ukrainian president's remarks follow the news about US-Russia discussions, though Moscow denies direct talks with the Trump administration. The Kremlin contests Zelenskyy’s negotiation authority, citing his expired term under martial law." M23 rebels declare ceasefire in DRC but hold control of Goma "Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have declared a unilateral ceasefire in eastern Congo, citing humanitarian concerns—yet they remain firmly in control of Goma, a mineral-rich city of two million. The ceasefire follows deadly clashes that left at least 900 dead. The DRC government has yet to respond, while Rwanda continues to deny backing the rebels. Meanwhile, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame agreed to meet to calm the tensions." Trump halts tariffs after Mexico, Canada agree on border deals "US President Donald Trump has paused the imposition of tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month, following the US neighbours struck last-minute deals to tighten border measures against the flow of migrants and the drug fentanyl. Mexico will deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to strengthen its northern border against drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl. Separately, Canada is enhancing its $1.3 billion border plan, with new technology, personnel and a dedicated fentanyl czar. Both leaders emphasised close cooperation, with Canada also committing to combat organised crime and drug trafficking in partnership with the US."
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February 3, 2025
Israel strikes West Bank camp, turning it into Gaza: official "Israeli forces are unleashing air strikes residential blocks in Jenin’s refugee camp, reflecting the destruction seen in Gaza, a Palestinian official has said. Jenin Governor Kamal Abu al Rub warns of an effort to render the camp unlivable, demolishing homes and infrastructure. ""The war has shifted from Gaza to the West Bank,"" he said, likening it to genocide. He said that it is the first such bombing since 2002, when Israeli assault left parts of the camp in ruins." Hamas calls the Hague Group key to end Israeli occupation "Hamas has praised the formation of The Hague Group, a coalition of nine countries aimed at addressing Israel’s violations of international law. The group, which includes South Africa, Malaysia and others, seeks to end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and support Palestinian self-determination. Hamas called the initiative a crucial step to isolate Israel internationally and to end the ""racist and fascist occupation."" " Mexico, Canada to counter US tariffs fight "Mexico and Canada are standing firm against new US tariffs. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has vowed retaliatory measures under ""Plan B."" She warned that American consumers would bear the cost. Meanwhile, Canada is gearing up for a legal battle, preparing a World Trade Organization claim and a $20 billion counter-tariff list targeting US goods." Germany sees massive protests over CDU's far-right collaboration "At least 160,000 people took to the streets of Berlin to protest the Christian Democratic Union or CDU, Germany's largest party, moving closer to the far right. Demonstrators accused party leader Friedrich Merz of striking a ""pact with the devil"" by seeking support from the far-right Alternative for Germany party or AfD. The rally preceded Germany's February 23 snap federal election, sparking widespread nationwide outrage." OpenAI launches ChatGPT's latest agent 'deep research' "OpenAI has unveiled a new AI tool capable of conducting complex internet research called ""deep research"". Powered by a specialised version of the upcoming o3 model, deep research can analyse and synthesise information from various online sources, including text, images and PDFs, to generate comprehensive reports."
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February 2, 2025
* Israel kills 5 Palestinians in occupied West Bank Israel has killed five Palestinians in strikes in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. An Israeli air strike on an eastern neighbourhood of Jenin killed 16-year-old Ahmad al Sadi and critically wounded two other people. A second strike targeted a car, killing two people in the nearby town of Qabatiya, while a third killed two people in central Jenin. * Freed Palestinian prisoners report beatings, death threats before release Meanwhile, Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of the Gaza ceasefire and exchange deal said they were mistreated in the days leading to their freedom. During their reception in Ramallah, occupied West Bank, several prisoners said they faced death threats from the Israeli army, endured severe beatings, and were deprived of food and water. The deteriorating health condition of the released prisoners was evident, with some appearing unable to walk on their own. * Trump imposes tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China US President Donald Trump has ordered 25 percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10 percent on goods from China to address a national emergency over fentanyl and illegal immigrants entering the US, The White House has said energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10 percent levy. The US accused Mexico of being the "world's leading traffickers" of fentanyl and other drugs. Regarding Canada, the White House highlighted growing fentanyl production and illegal border crossings. China was criticised for its alleged role in subsidising chemical companies in exporting fentanyl. * Canada hits back against US tariffs Canada and Mexico have announced retaliatory measures against tariffs imposed earlier on their goods by US President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would impose 25 percent tariffs on $106.5 billion of US goods in response to US tariffs. Trudeau warned the tariffs would hurt the United States, a long-time ally. He encouraged Canadians to buy Canadian products and vacation at home rather than in the US. * Turkish defence giants secure over $5.5 billion in exports for 2024 Türkiye’s defence industry has reached a major milestone in 2024, with companies such as Baykar and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) generating over 5.5 billion dollars in exports. Baykar, a global leader in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, contributed $1.8 billion to this figure, with international sales accounting for 90 percent of its revenue. The company celebrated the achievement in a statement stating that the cutting-edge technology has made them export leader in the defence and aerospace industry.
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February 1, 2025
* Israel to release 183 Palestinians in fourth prisoner exchange Israel is set to release 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday as part of the ongoing Gaza ceasefire deal, more than doubling the previously reported figure. Palestinian Prisoners' Club spokeswoman Amani Sarahneh confirmed the updated number on Friday, revising an earlier announcement of 90 prisoners to be freed. Meanwhile, Hamas has named three Israeli hostages who will be released * Syrian authorities nab Assad's cousin Najib over crimes against civilians Syrian security forces have arrested Atef Najib, a cousin of ousted Bashar al Assad and former political security chief in Daraa, over crimes against civilians, including children. The arrest was confirmed by Lt. Col. Mustafa Knefati, director of the Public Security Directorate in Latakia, northwest Syria. Najib is accused of being among the first to commit human rights violations at the start of the 2011 uprising and is also blamed for the arrest and torture of children in Daraa. * Intense fighting in DRC's Goma kills 700 people in five days: UN At least 700 people have been killed since Sunday in intense fighting in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN spokesman confirmed. M23 rebel group, allegedly backed by Rwanda, has seized Goma, the largest city in eastern DRC, and is advancing south as volunteers and the struggling Congolese army attempt to push them back. M23 fighters, who took Goma earlier this week, have vowed to march to the capital, Kinshasa, raising fears of further escalation. * Venezuela frees US prisoners as Maduro calls for 'new start' with America Venezuela has freed six Americans after talks between President Nicolas Maduro and a Trump administration official, during which Maduro sought a "new beginning" with Washington. US President Donald Trump and envoy Richard Grenell announced the release on Friday on social media. Grenell’s visit surprised many Venezuelans, who had expected Trump to continue his "maximum pressure" campaign against Maduro from his first term. * Israeli spyware targeted scores of WhatsApp users: Meta A WhatsApp official said Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted scores of users, including journalists and civil society members. On Friday, WhatsApp sent Paragon a cease-and-desist letter following the hack. Paragon declined to comment.
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