Friday,  January 31st, 2025 

Apollo-type asteroid 2024 YR4 triggers global planetary defence procedures for the first time and rises to the top of the Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale after recent observations confirmed it has a 1-in-77 (1.3%) chance of impacting Earth on 22 December 2032. Follow up observations in 2028 will provide a more refined estimation of the likelihood of impact in 2032. (The Guardian) 

Encouraged by similar boycotts in Croatia on January 24, and in conjunction with a follow-up boycott in the country, residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia embark on a boycott of retail stores in response to skyrocketing prices. (Intellinews) 

President Bongbong Marcos issues a statement that he is deeply disturbed by possible surveillance of the country’s air and naval bases as well as movement of vessels supplying Philippine garrisons in the South China Sea following a series of arrests of suspected Chinese spies in the Philippines. (CNA) 

The Hellenic Parliament fails to elect the new President of Greece in the second round. A third round is called for 6 February. (Greek City Times) 

The United States Federal Drug Administration approves Vertex Pharmaceuticals‘ new Journavx drug, a non-opioid analgesic used to treat acute pain and potentially eliminate the risks of opioid addiction and overdose. (AP) (FDA) 

The Nicaraguan National Assembly votes unanimously to pass several constitutional reforms that grants the government influence over the media, extend the presidential term to 6 years, and makes President Daniel Ortega‘s wife Rosario Murillo co-President. (Al Jazeera) 

Following weeks of unsuccessful negotiations, the Centre Party withdraws from the Norwegian government over disagreements over the implementation of three directives in the European Union’s fourth energy package, with the Labour Party continuing as a single party minority government. (NRK) 

Thousands of people gather in Berlin, Germany, to protest against Chancellor-candidate Friedrich Merz and the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union parties after they collaborated with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on a non-binding motion to restrict immigration. Members of the Bundestag debate on motions to ban the AfD, alleging that its beliefs and legal practices are unconstitutional. (DW) 

Uganda confirms an outbreak of Ebola, with the first death, a nurse at Mulago National Specialised Hospital in Kampala, being confirmed yesterday. (Reuters) 

Thursday, January 30th, 2025 

The French Armed Forces returns their last military base in Chad to the Chad National Army, bringing an end to French military presence in the country. (AP) 

After establishing a new administration in Goma, Congo River Alliance leader Corneille Nangaa confirms his forces now plan on overthrowing president Félix Tshisekedi. He also says services in the city will return to normal soon as the United Nations warns of a humanitarian crisis. (BBC News) 

The End Friday 

Former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey is sentenced to 11 years in prison, following his conviction on bribery and corruption charges. (BBC) 

The District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department says no survivors are expected after the midair collision between an American Airlines airliner and a military helicopter last night over Washington, D.C., United States, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001. (CNN) 

A PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ-700 operating as American Eagle Flight 5342 collides with a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., United States, killing at least 28 people between both aircraft and causing a shutdown of flights in and out of the airport.  (NBC NEWS) 

A crowd crush occurs at a Hindu festival in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, with at least 30 people dead. (BBC) 

Google confirms that it will rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Google Maps for US users in line with the official position of the Trump administration. (The Guardian) 

Following the meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, China and India agree to resume direct air travel between the two countries after a five-year hiatus. (CNA) 

Hamas free eight hostages: three Israelis and five Thai nationals. (The Times of Israel) 

Israel says it’s holding up the release of Palestinian prisoners until safety of future releases can be guaranteed in protest of the chaotic scenes at the handover of several hostages in Khan Younis earlier today. (The Times of Israel) 

Israel announces it will cease all contact with the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, after a ban on the organization’s work on Israeli territory goes into effect on January 30. (DW) 

Hamas confirms that Israel killed Mohammed Deif along with Marwan Issa, Raed Thabet, Rafa Salama, Ayman Nofal and Ghazi Abu Tamaa. (Al Arabiya) 

A shootout between the Pakistan Army and Pakistani Taliban in North Waziristan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, leaves two soldiers and six militants dead. (AP) 

Islam critic and quran burner Salwan Momika is assassinated at his apartment in Södertälje, Sweden. (BBC News) 

M23 forces advance into South Kivu, capturing several towns and villages, including Kalungu in Kalehe Territory. (MSN) 

Rwandan-backed M23 rebels say they will march on the DRC capital Kinshasa and install a new government as Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi calls for a mobilization of young males to reclaim lost territory. Congolese Defence Minister Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita says there will be no peace talks with the rebels. (AP) 

SSC Khaatumo has claimed victory over Somaliland forces after heavy fighting erupted and undisclosed casualties early Thursday in the Shangeed area, located between Qoorlugud and Buuhoodle of Cayn region. Somalia. (Hiiraan Online) 

Wednesday, January 29th, 2025 

A global selloff of technology stocks (Monday) on Nasdaq, prompted by the release of the DeepSuck-R1 model, leads to record losses in the market capitalizations of AI and computer hardware companies. (Reuters) 

Boom Technology‘s XB-1 trijet supersonic demonstrator becomes the first privately-funded jet-powered plane to break the sound barrier at Mojave Air and Space Port. (Reuters) 

A United States Air Force F-35 pilot ejects during a crash at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska United States. The aircraft is destroyed. (CBS News) 

President Trump announces plans to transform the United States detention facility in Cuba’s Guantánamo Bay into a holding center for undocumented immigrants, capable of hosting 30,000. (Al Jazeera) 

Ahmed al-Sharaa is declared the president of Syria during the transition period, a month after Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebel forces. (Reuters) 

Mongolian sumōtori Hōshōryū Tomokatsu becomes the 74th yokozuna. (NHK) 

Russian forces have captured the city of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, after a year of intense fighting for control of the front line city. (The Moscow Times) 

U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff visits the Gaza Strip and meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to assure that the ceasefire remains intact. (NPR) 

Israel announces it will cease all contact with the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, after a ban on the organization’s work on Israeli territory goes into effect on January 30. (DW) 

Around 280 Romanian mercenaries fighting alongside the Congolese military in North Kivu surrender to the M23, according to the Rwandan military. They are now being transported to Kigali after being handed over to Rwandan authorities. (BBC News) 

In an emergency address to the nation, Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi calls for calm and says “a vigorous and coordinated response against these terrorists and their sponsors is underway” by the armed forces, and also cancels participation in a regional summit with Rwandan president Paul Kagame. (Foreign Policy) (Le Monde) 

M23 rebels solidify control of Goma and are confirmed to be holding captured Congolese troops and allied Wazalendo militiamen at the Stade de l’Unité. They also begin advancing on Bukavu, capital of the South Kivu Province, according to senior Congolese officials and a Rwandan diplomat.  (Reuters) 

Five people (four from Norway and one from Switzerland) are killed in two separate avalanches while off-piste skiing in the French Alps. (BBC) 

Puntland deports around a thousand undocumented  Ethiopians  from  Bosaso, Galkayo, Qardho and the state’s capital, Garoowe, as part of an ongoing crackdown on foreigners without legal status, following the discovery of foreign fighters acting as Islamic State recruiters in the Cal Miskaad mountains of the Bari Region.  (Horseed Media) 

A Beechcraft 1900D carrying employees of an oil company crashes in Unity, South Sudan, killing 20 of the 21 people onboard, including one Indian and two Chinese nationals. (CNN) (Reuters) 

A Venezuelan Ministry of Interior, Justice and Peace Cessna Citation II aircraft crashes shortly after takeoff from Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base in Caracas, Venezuela, killing all three people on board. (Caraota Digital) 

U.S. President Donald Trump signs the Laken Riley Act into law, the first legislation of Trump’s second term. (NBC News) 

Police in Stuttgart, Germany, arrest 59 French fans of the Paris Saint-Germain football club for hooliganism before a match against German club VfB Stuttgart. (DW) 

The United States Office of Management and Budget rescinds a memo from Monday that would have paused federal financial assistance programs implicated by select executive orders of President Donald Trump, following a temporary block of the order on Tuesday by a federal judge. Following the recission, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt states that the Trump administration will continue to pursue a freeze of federal funds. (BBC) 

Wednesday, January 29th, 2025 

Boom Technology‘s XB-1 trijet supersonic demonstrator becomes the first privately-funded jet-powered plane to break the sound barrier at Mojave Air and Space Port. (Reuters) 

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announces that the Doomsday Clock has been moved up to 89 seconds before midnight. (Reuters) 

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves approves the construction of a third runway at Greater London’s Heathrow Airport after decades of delays. (Sky News) 

A plane carrying employees of an oil company crashes in Unity, South Sudan, killing at least 20 people. One person survives the crash. (Reuters) 

Seven people are injured when an Air Busan Airbus A321-200 aircraft catches fire before taking off from Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea. All 169 people on board are evacuated from the aircraft. (Korea Herald) 

Tuesday,  January 28th, 2025 

The United States Senate votes to confirm Scott Bessent as U.S. Treasury Secretary, making him the highest rank LGBTQ official to run the U.S. Treasury. (Time) 

United States federal judge Loren AliKhan temporarily blocks President Donald Trump’s executive order to pause funding for federal assistance in the country. (DW) 

President Trump signs an executive order eliminating “gender radicalism in the military”, targeting transgender troops in the military, and another executive order that mandates a process to develop an American Iron Dome. (France 24) 

Following the heist of multiple Dacian artifacts last Saturday at the Drents Museum in Assen, the Netherlands, Romanian Minister of Culture Lucian Romașcanu fires the director of the National History Museum of Romania in Bucharest. (NOS) 

Puntland authorities ban illegal foreign entries and direct telecom firms to deactivate SIM cards linked to undocumented individuals and Islamic State operatives, aiming to disrupt the group’s financial networks amidst ongoing anti-IS offensives by Puntland forces. (VOA) 

Puntland’s highest military court sentences two influencers to prison terms in abstentia for promoting Islamic State propaganda and spreading disinformation intended at discrediting Puntland forces’ ongoing operations. (Hiiraan Online) 

At least four civilians are killed in an airstrike by an unknown combat drone in the Sihan area of Qandala district in Puntland’s Bari region. (Garowe Online) 

M23 rebels take full control of Goma International Airport, according to senior diplomatic and Congolese security officials. (Reuters) 

Four more South African peacekeepers are killed after M23 forces launch a mortar attack on their position at Goma Airport, bringing the total number of foreign peacekeepers killed in recent clashes to 17. (Anadolu Ajansi) 

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe says Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi “will have to accept talks with M23 to end the situation once and for all”. (The Hill) 

Mass rioting takes place in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, amid public outrage over the loss of Goma to Rwandan-backed rebels. Multiple embassies are stormed and attacked by anti-government protesters, including the embassies of France, Rwanda and Uganda. Widespread looting is also reported in the capital. (Reuters) 

Verdi, Germany’s second-largest trade union, calls for a one-day labor strike for workers at logistics and courier company DHL, which also manages Deutsche Post. (DW) 

The Senate of Pakistan passes a bill to criminalize the spread of disinformation in Pakistan, with the possibility of up to 3 years imprisonment and fines of up to Rs. 2 million (US$7,121). (DW) 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces that a new general election in the Canadian province of Ontario will be held on February 27, 2025. (Reuters) 

Three people, including the perpetrator, are killed and two police officers are injured in a mass shooting at a Martin’s Supermarket in Elkhart, Indiana, United States. (AP News) 

M23 rebels take full control of Goma International Airport, according to senior diplomatic and Congolese security officials. (Reuters) 

Two Pakistan Army soldiers and five insurgents are killed in a shootout in Killa Abdullah District, Balochistan, Pakistan. (AP) 

Serbian prime minister Miloš Vučević resigns following protests prompted by the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse. (BBC) 

Monday,  January 27th, 2025 

A joint INTERPOL and AFRIPOL operation of eight East African nations leads to the arrest of 37 suspects and the seizure of small and heavy weapons in Kenya, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and Tanzania. (INTERPOL) 

The Kyoto District Court finalizes the death sentence for Shinji Aoba, the perpetrator of the arson attack on a Kyoto Animation studio in 2019, after he withdrew his appeal to the court’s ruling. (The Japan Times) 

M23 rebels claim to have captured the city of Goma in North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The government says its troops still hold the Goma International Airport and other key locations, and that Rwandan army soldiers are present in Goma. Congolese and Rwandan forces exchange fire along the border. (Al Jazeera) (BBC)

Following the meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, China and India agree to resume direct air travel between the two countries after a five-year hiatus. (CNA). 

Local authorities of Teorama, Norte de Santander, Colombia, find the bodies of thirteen FARC combatants. (El Espectador) 

United States Office of Management and Budget acting director Matthew Vaeth orders federal government agencies to temporarily pause all federal financial assistance programs, with the exception of Medicare and Social Security, that could be implicated by select executive orders from President Donald Trump. (Politico) 

Sunday, January 26th, 2025 

Saudi Arabia announces that it will invest 600 billion USD in the United States economy. (Al Arabiya) 

The Syrian newspaper Enab Baladi announces it will return to Syria after a decade in exile following the Syrian civil war. (The New Arab) 

A heist at the Drents Museum in Assen, Netherlands, results in the loss of valuable Dacian gold and silver artifacts, including the Helmet of Coțofenești. (Dutch News) 

Spirit Airlines announces a ban on passengers who wear “lewd” clothing or have “offensive” tattoos. (The Hill) 

Newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces the release of American citizen Anastasia Nufer from a prison in Belarus. (Rferl.org) 

A vote is held in Belarus for president, with President Alexander Lukashenko expected to extend his rule, in an election that the Belarusian opposition, the United States, and the European Parliament have called a sham election. (Al Jazeera) 

Israeli forces open fire on a crowd of displaced Palestinians waiting at the Netzarim Corridor, killing two people and wounding seven others, including a child. Israeli authorities allege that the shooting was due to the delayed release of Israeli hostage Arbel Yahud. (Anadolu Ajansi) 

Israeli soldiers open fire against the Lebanese Army and civilians in two villages in southern Lebanon, killing 22 people and wounding at least 124 more. (Al Jazeera)

Israel reneges on part of its ceasefire deal and blocks Palestinians from returning to North Gaza through the Netzarim Corridor. Israel said that Hamas breach the deal first when it didn’t releases civilians first including Arbel Yehud as part of the deal. (BBC News) 

Hamas frees four Israeli hostages, including Naama Levy, in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, including 121 people serving life sentences after being convicted of carrying out deadly attacks against Israelis, as part of the ceasefire deal. (AP) 

President of Colombia Gustavo Petro blocks two US military aircraft carrying deported Colombians as part of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown from landing in his country. (The Guardian) 

United States president Donald Trump enacts a 25% tariff on all goods traded to the US from Colombia, which will be raised to 50% in one week. (CNN) 

The dispute was settled following Trump’s actions, when President Petro agreed to accept repatriated deportees, and even offered his presidential plane to fly them from the U.S. to Columbia.(Fox News) 

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is formally indicted on insurrection charges over his declaration of martial law in December 2024. (The Washington Post) 

The End