free to buy bath-salts with bitcoin again! [i comp]

U.S. President Donald Trump pardons Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road. Ulbricht was serving a life sentence for charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering, hacking, and drug trafficking. (Axios) 

The International Criminal Court prosecutor requests arrest warrants against Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Taliban chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, accusing them of crimes against humanity. (Reuters) 

Chief Judge of the United States District Court in Washington State, U.S., John C. Coughenour blocks President Donald Trump’s executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional“. (Reuters) 

Four people are killed and five more injured in a stampede at a delivery of food and money amid Lunar New Year celebrations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (AP) 

A court in Liverpool, England, sentences the man who was found guilty of killing three children and injuring 10 others in a mass stabbing in Southport, Merseyside, to life imprisonment with a minimum of 52 years in prison. (DW) 

Thailand becomes the 38th country and the first in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. (Reuters) 

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace of the United States issues a report alleging that aerospace manufacturer Boeing, long associated with the Seattle, Washington area, has been relocating much of its engineering work to non-unionized sites both in the US and abroad. (Reuters) 

At least thirteen people are killed in a railway accident in JalgaonMaharashtra, India. The victims had initially fled from their train following an alleged fire alarm and were subsequently struck and killed by a passing train on the adjacent tracks. (BBC) 

Militants from an offshoot branch of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front open fire against a United Nations livelihood project in Sumisip, Basilan, Philippines, killing two soldiers and wounding 12 others. (AP) 

The Somali Airlines Operators Association, representing at least 20 airlines, suspends all flights beginning on January 22, 2025, in protest against increased government-imposed fees after disputes with the Ministry of Aviation and the Somali Civil Aviation Authority(Shabelle Media) 

The Hughes Fire ignites and spreads to over 5,000 acres in less than four hours, triggering mandatory evacuation orders in settlements around Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County, California, United States. (Los Angeles Times) (KTLA) 

The death toll of a historic winter storm event on the Gulf Coast of the United States rises to 9 people. 8 in (20 cm) of snowfall is measured at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Louisiana. The statewide snowfall record in Florida is broken as over 5.5 in (14 cm) falls in Molino(CNN) 

United States President Donald Trump re-designates the Yemeni Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization(The Hill) 

Daniel Ball, a rioter that took part in the riot at the United States Capitol, is arrested again despite being pardoned by Trump, making him the first rioter to get additional legal trouble after the pardon. (The Hill) 

Two students are killed, including the shooter, and two others are wounded in a school shooting at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. (CNN) 

The U.S. Congress passes the Laken Riley Act following a 263–156 vote in the House of Representatives, making it easier for immigration agents to detain and deport those without legal status who are charged with a variety of crimes ranging from theft to assault. It will head to President Donald Trump for his signature. (NPR) 

Kyle Clifford, the perpetrator of the Hunt family killings in Bushey, England in 2024, pleads guilty to three counts of murder. (BBC News) 

The End Thursday 

U.S. President Donald Trump pardons Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road. Ulbricht was serving a life sentence for charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering, hacking, and drug trafficking. (Axios) 

U.S. President Donald Trump unveils “the largest AI infrastructure project in history”, a joint venture between OpenAIOracle, and SoftBank, called Stargate. With funding of up to $500 billion in the next 4 years, the project aims to build data centers and computing infrastructure across the United States to power AI development and create over 100,000 jobs. (The Guardian) 

Kingdom Holding announces the resumption of construction on the 1,000 metres (3,300 ft)-tall Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, which is expected to be the world’s tallest building(Al Arabiya) 

The Houthis report that 25 crew members of the Japanese-operated roll-on/roll-off ship Galaxy Leader, including many foreign nationals, are released to Oman, with the Houthis citing support for the 2025 Israel–Hamas ceasefire as the reason for release. (BBC) 

Two people are killed and others are injured in a mass stabbing at a park in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, Germany. The perpetrator is arrested. (Express) 

1 person is killed and 2 others injured in a mass stabbing in Nagano, Japan (Mainichi) 

Trump officially creates the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk aimed at cutting spending of the U.S. government. DOGE is a temporary organization under the United States DOGE Service, not a federal executive department. Within minutes of the announcement, government employee unions, watchdog groups, and public interest organizations sued over this executive order. (Reuters) 

During celebrations of the inauguration, businessman Elon Musk appears to make two consecutive Nazi salutes to a crowd at the Capital One Arena. Musk denied any meaning behind the gesture. (The Guardian) 

United States President Donald Trump formally pardons around 1,500 defendants who had been criminally charged with involvement in the January 6 United States Capitol attack(NBC News) 

President Trump announces a pause in $300 billion of funding for green infrastructure previously allocated in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act(Financial Times) 

Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden issues pre-emptive pardons for his siblings, former Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and members of the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack prior to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Biden also commutes the sentence of Indigenous activist and convicted murderer Leonard Peltier(BBC News) (HuffPost) 

Two Americans held in Afghanistan are freed in exchange for a Taliban fighter serving a life sentence for drug trafficking in the United States. The deal is brokered by Qatar and finalized during the final hours of the outgoing Biden administration. (DW) 

Six people are killed in Homs Governorate as security forces conduct an operation against militias supporting ousted president Bashar al-Assad. (Al Arabiya) 

Israeli forces launch a large-scale raid in the Jenin refugee camp, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, killing at least ten people and injuring more than 35 others. (Al Jazeera) 

Four people are injured, one seriously, in a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel. (The Times of Israel) 

Nikon FG-20 – Zeiss Milvus Distagon 50mm f/1.4 Zf.2 – Potsdam 100 – McArdle Bridge Chelsea – January 4th, 2025

At least 76 people are killed and another 51 injured in a fire at the Grand Kartal hotel in Kartalkaya, Bolu Province, Turkey. (Reuters) 

The Office of the Inspector General of Colombia warns that about 46,000 schoolchildren have not been able to start the academic year due to the ongoing conflict in the region and asserted that about 35% of the affected displaced population are individuals under the age of 18. (El Espectador) 

Fourteen members of the 33rd Front of the FARC dissidents, including one minor, surrendered to personnel from the National Army of Colombia to avoid combat with the ELN(Blu Radio) 

M23 rebels seize the town of Minova in Kalehe Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo, cutting off a major supply route to the strategic city of Goma. (Reuters) 

Multiple brush fires spread by hurricane-force winds erupt in San Diego County, California, U.S., prompting evacuation orders. (USA Today) 

Much of Canada and the contiguous United States are impacted by a cold wave, killing one person near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Historic snowfall is expected in the US South, and historic blizzard and whiteout conditions are expected on the Gulf Coast. (CNN) 

One person is killed and another is injured in an explosion at the Port in Barcelona, Spain. (Reuters) 

Twenty Ethiopian migrants are killed when their boat capsizes off Yemen after departing from Djibouti, according to the International Organization for Migration(Al Arabiya) 

The End Wednesday 

Donald Trump is to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. as the 47th President of the United States. (AP) 

Outgoing U.S. president Joe Biden issues “unprecedented” pre-emptive pardons for former Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley and members of the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack before Trump takes office. (BBC News)

 An Iranian court sentences singer Amir Tataloo to death on appeal after Tataloo was convicted of insulting the prophet Muhammad(Al Arabiya) 

Ukrainian drones attack industrial facilities in Tatarstan, Russia, prompting the Federal Air Transport Agency to temporarily suspend flights from Kazan International Airport and Begishevo Airport. (ABC News) 

A court in Kolkata, India, sentences a 33-year-old police volunteer to life in prison for the August 2024 rape and murder of a medical trainee. (DW) 

China executes the perpetrators of the 2024 Zhuhai car attack and the 2024 Wuxi stabbing attack(Al Jazeera) 

Eight people are killed and seven more are injured in an arson attack at a nursing home in Barajevo, Belgrade, Serbia. (Reuters) 

Canon R100 – Olympus 100mm f/2.8

Israel announces that its troops have recovered the body of staff sergeant Oron Shaul, who was captured and killed by Hamas in 2014. (The Times of Israel) 

The Gaza ceasefire agreement formally goes into effect, with the first hostages and prisoners freed as part of the deal. (CNN) 

Three ministers of the Government of Israel belonging to the Otzma Yehudit party resign in protest of the approved Gaza ceasefire agreement. (The Times of Israel) 

The Women’s March holds a protest rebranded as the People’s March in Washington, D.C. against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration on Monday. Women’s March protests are also held in several cities in the United Kingdom. (Reuters) 

Social media platform TikTok temporarily suspends most of its services in the United States as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act goes into effect. TikTok restores these services, but its app remains unavailable in U.S. markets on the App Store and Google Play(People) (AP) 

Soldiers open fire against a group of illegal miners in Obuasi, Ghana, killing seven and wounding another. (AP) 

The National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC dissidents exchange heavy fire across the Catatumbo region [es], Colombia, killing at least 80 people and injuring hundreds of others, with an unknown number of people also reportedly being kidnapped, after the ELN accused the FARC dissidents of killing civilians in the area. Thousands of people have fled their homes due to the fighting. The Colombian Army says that it has rescued dozens of people, while the government calls on the ELN to cease their attacks immediately. (CBS News) 

Yoon Suk Yeol becomes the first sitting president of South Korea to be formally arrested, following his declaration of martial law in December. (Yonhap) 

bott

Following Yoon’s arrest, pro-Yoon protesters raid the Seoul Western District Court, resulting in 41 injuries and property damage. (Yonhap) 

Cal Fire reports that the Palisades Fire is more than 50% contained, while the Eaton Fire is more than 80% contained. (Forbes) 

Two judges are killed and a third judge and a bodyguard are injured in a mass shooting at the Supreme Court of Iran in Tehran, Iran. The perpetrator subsequently kills himself. (DW) 

More than 70 people are arrested at a pro-Palestine protest in London, England, United Kingdom for violating protest regulations. (BBC News) 

The End

theory induced blindness

TikTok warns that it could “go dark” on Sunday without assistance from outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and his administration. (Politico) 

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announces that his upcoming second inauguration will be held indoors at the United States Capitol rotunda due to cold temperatures forecasts. Trump also announces that the inaugural parade will be held indoors at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. (Reuters) 

The Women’s March holds a protest rebranded as the People’s March in Washington, D.C. against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration on Monday. Women’s March protests are also held in several cities in the United Kingdom. (Reuters) 

Two judges are killed and a third judge and a bodyguard are injured in a mass shooting at the Supreme Court of Iran in Tehran, Iran. The perpetrator subsequently kills himself. (DW) 

The Government of Israel approves the proposed Gaza ceasefire agreement, which had previously been approved by the Security Cabinet of Israel(CNN) 

A Palestinian man from Tulkarm in the West Bank illegally enters Israel and stabs and seriously injures a man in central Tel Aviv. An armed civilian subsequently shoots and kills the man. (The Times of Israel) 

Four people are killed and 14 others are injured in a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, according to the Governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Serhiy Lysak(Euronews) 

At least four people are killed in Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine. (Al Jazeera) 

At least 77 people are killed and several others are injured when a fuel tanker overturns on a highway in Suleja, Niger State, Nigeria, and later explodes when people gather to collect the spilled fuel.  (The Straight Times) 

Ten people are injured, including two in serious condition, when a chairlift falls at the Astún ski resort in Aragon, Spain. (BBC News) 

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Healthcare reports the country’s first case of mpox in a 22-year-old patient who had recently travelled abroad. (Reuters) 

More than 70 people are arrested at a pro-Palestine protest in London, England, United Kingdom for violating protest regulations. (BBC News) 

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions a cybersecurity company and hacker, both with ties to China‘s Ministry of State Security, for their alleged roles in hacking American telecommunications companies. (Reuters) 

The United States Supreme Court upholds a law that could ban TikTok in the United States on January 19 unless the social media platform is sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance(AP) 

Three people are killed and seven others are injured in clashes with security forces in Juba and Aweil, South Sudan, with three Sudanese-owned houses set on fire in Aweil. This comes after videos emerged allegedly showing Sudanese soldiers killing South Sudanese civilians in Wad Madani, Sudan. (BBC News) 

A judge in Bolivia orders the arrest of former Bolivian President Evo Morales on statutory rape charges. (The Guardian) 

Brazilian police raid a ranch in Ponta Grossa, South Region, Brazil, in an operation to dismantle a gang planning large-scale bank heists, killing six suspects and seizing weapons, including a .50-caliber machine gun and explosives. (AP) 

The End Saturday 

Three people are killed and seven others are injured in clashes with security forces in Juba and Aweil, South Sudan, with three Sudanese-owned houses set on fire in Aweil. This comes after videos emerged allegedly showing Sudanese soldiers killing South Sudanese civilians in Wad Madani, Sudan. (BBC News) 

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions a cybersecurity company and hacker, both with ties to China’s Ministry of State Security, for their alleged roles in hacking American telecommunications

Shortly after withdrawing from the January 2025 Grand Sumo tournament due to injuries, the 73rd yokozuna Terunofuji Haruo announces his retirement. If no other wrestler is promoted this tournament, his retirement leaves sumo without a yokozuna for the first time since 1993. Terunofuji also announced his intention to remain in the Japan Sumo Association as an oyakata(Kyodo News) (Nikkan Sports) 

2025 in spaceflight Blue Origin launches its New Glenn rocket for the first time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States. The rocket’s second stage, carrying a prototype Blue Ring spacecraft, successfully reaches a geocentric orbit, but its reusable first stage is lost during landing. (CNN) 

The twin satellites SDX01 and SDX02 of the SpaDeX mission, launched in December by the Indian Space Research Organisation, successfully conduct India‘s first spacecraft docking, with India becoming the fourth country to successfully dock a spacecraft after the United StatesRussia, and China(BBC News) 

Nintendo officially reveals the Nintendo Switch 2 video game console, the tenth-generation successor to the Nintendo Switch. (Nintendo) 

Twelve Naxalites are killed during a police raid in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, India. (Al Jazeera) 

The Iranian–Russian Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is signed by Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian president Vladimir Putin. The 20-year deal will see cooperation in multiple areas, including nuclear energy, counterterrorism, and environmental issues. (Middle East Eye) 

The Security Cabinet of Israel approves a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. (The Guardian) 

BP announces that it is laying-off 4,700 employees and a further 3,000 contractors across its global workforce as part of a cost-cutting drive. (AP) 

Colombian President Gustavo Petro suspends dialogue with the National Liberation Army following accusations of war crimes against the leftist guerrilla. (Reuters) 

SpaceX launches its seventh test flight of the Starship launch vehicle, with an improved second stage, at Starbase in Texas, United States. The first stage is successfully caught by the launch tower but the second stage breaks up shortly before engine shutdown. (CNBC) 

The Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams sign the hostage release and ceasefire deal in Doha, Qatar. (The Times of Israel) 

Israeli airstrikes kill at least 82 people across the Gaza Strip, including 30 in Gaza City, hours after the announcement of a ceasefire agreement. (Al Jazeera) 

The leader of the Houthis Abdul-Malik al-Houthi announces that the group will monitor the implementation of the Israel–Hamas ceasefire agreement and continue its attacks on vessels and on Israel if the ceasefire is breached. (Middle East Monitor) 

The Puntland Security Force claims to have captured a training facility used by ISIS militants, with over forty ISIS fighters killed following heavy fighting. (The Eastleigh Voice) 

Thousands of families are displaced as the military campaign intensifies, forcing locals to flee their homes in Bari region of Puntland, Somalia. (Idil News)  

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for “destabilizing Sudan and undermining the goal of a democratic transition” to a civilian-led government. (BBC News) 

The bodies of nine illegal miners trapped inside a gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, are recovered by police. (CTV News) 

Two deminers are killed in an explosion while attempting to remove a Cambodian Civil War-era anti-tank mine from a rice field in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia. (AP) 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Kyiv, Ukraine, to sign a 100-year agreement with Ukraine that will formalize British economic and military support for Ukraine. (Sky News) (BBC News) 

Taiwan carries out its first execution in five years on a man who was convicted of the 2013 murder of his former girlfriend and her mother. (Yahoo! News) 

Two women are killed and a third is injured in a mass stabbing at a school in Spišská Stará Ves, Slovakia. The perpetrator is arrested. (BBC News)

Two homeless people are killed and two others are injured in a mass stabbing attack in Miami, Florida, United States. A 30-year-old suspect is arrested. (NBC News) 

The Government of Cuba releases dissident and human rights activist José Daniel Ferrer from jail. (Reuters) 

The Parliament of Bulgaria approves a coalition government consisting of the GERB-SDSBSP – United Left, and There is Such a People parties, with GERB’s Rosen Zhelyazkov becoming Prime Minister. (Euronews) 

The government of French Prime Minister François Bayrou survives a no-confidence motion by the opposition New Popular Front electoral alliance. (Euronews) 

Two women are killed and a third is injured in a mass stabbing at a school in Spišská Stará Ves, Slovakia. The perpetrator is arrested. (BBC News)

The End

we’re going to the moon!

Thursday, January 16th, 2025 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration bans the usage of Red No. 3 artificial food coloring, due to research showing that the food coloring is carcinogenic(NBC News) 

SpaceX launches its seventh test flight of the Starship launch vehicle, with an improved second stage, at Starbase in Texas, United States. The first stage is successfully caught by the launch tower but the second stage breaks up shortly before engine shutdown. (CNBC) 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits Kyiv, Ukraine, to sign a 100-year agreement with Ukraine that will formalize British economic and military support for Ukraine. (Sky News)

The Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams sign the hostage release and ceasefire deal in Doha, Qatar. (The Times of Israel) 

Israeli airstrikes kill at least 82 people across the Gaza Strip, including 30 in Gaza City, hours after the announcement of a ceasefire agreement. (Al Jazeera) 

The leader of the Houthis Abdul-Malik al-Houthi announces that the group will monitor the implementation of the Israel–Hamas ceasefire agreement and continue its attacks on vessels and on Israel if the ceasefire is breached. (Middle East Monitor) 

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctions the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for “destabilizing Sudan and undermining the goal of a democratic transition” to a civilian-led government. (BBC News) 

Two deminers are killed in an explosion while attempting to remove a Cambodian Civil War-era anti-tank mine from a rice field in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia. (AP) 

Taiwan carries out its first execution in five years on a man who was convicted of the 2013 murder of his former girlfriend and her mother. (Yahoo! News) 

Two homeless people are killed and two others are injured in a mass stabbing attack in Miami, Florida, United States. A 30-year-old suspect is arrested. (NBC News) 

The Government of Cuba releases dissident and human rights activist José Daniel Ferrer from jail. (Reuters) 

The Parliament of Bulgaria approves a coalition government consisting of the GERB-SDSBSP – United Left, and There is Such a People parties, with GERB’s Rosen Zhelyazkov becoming Prime Minister. (Euronews) 

The government of French Prime Minister François Bayrou survives a no-confidence motion by the opposition New Popular Front electoral alliance. (Euronews) 

Two women are killed and a third is injured in a mass stabbing at a school in Spišská Stará Ves, Slovakia. The perpetrator is arrested. (BBC News)

Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 

The Israeli Air Force strikes a Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) vehicle convoy in Quneitra GovernorateSyria, killing two HTS personnel and the mayor of a local village. It is the first time that Israel has targeted HTS forces since the fall of the Assad regime. (Al Arabiya) 

Israel and Hamas reach a diplomatic agreement mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. to initiate a ceasefire and an end to military operations in the Gaza Strip, as well as to facilitate the exchange of hostages and prisoners, marking the first major cessation of hostilities since November 2023(CNN) 

Bootleg alcohol kills 23 people and leaves 43 others hospitalized over the last 48 hours in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish health officials say many of those in hospital are in intensive care. (CBS News) 

The German government authorises the Bundeswehr to shoot down suspicious drones seen near military sites or other critical infrastructure with Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stating that Russia is suspected of being behind the drone activity. (BBC News) 

Russia launches a major ballistic and cruise missile attack on regions across Ukraine, targeting energy production and compelling authorities to shut down the power grid. (AP) 

Yemen’s Houthi movement claims that it launched a missile attack targeting the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and accompanying warships of the United States Navy in the Red Sea. (Anadolu Agency) 

Seventy-eight bodies of workers are retrieved from a closed illegal gold mine in Stilfontein, North West Province, South Africa following a months-long siege by police. Over 200 survivors are arrested as they exit the mine. (Reuters) 

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin and his country of plotting terror attacks on airliners around the world. (The Independent) 

Anti-corruption officials and police attempt to breach the residence of impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol for a second time in order to execute an arrest warrant, while facing resistance from the Presidential Security Service, People Power Party lawmakers, and pro-Yoon protesters. Following a five-hour standoff, Yoon is arrested, becoming South Korea’s first sitting president to be arrested. (Yonhap)

Daniel Chapo is sworn in as President of Mozambique, succeeding Filipe Nyusi. The inauguration takes place amid ongoing political unrest in Mozambique, with opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane continuing to insist that the October 2024 election was rigged. (France 24) 

A general strike takes place in Georgia with hundreds of Georgian firms urging the government to release all political prisoners and hold new elections amid nationwide protests. Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Giorgi Gakharia is hospitalized after being assaulted, allegedly by members of the ruling Georgian Dream party. (BBC News) 

Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 

Nikon FG-20 – Zeiss Milvus Distagon 50mm f/1.4 – CineStill 50D

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, United States, carrying two moon landers belonging to private companies, the Blue Ghost M1 from the American Firefly Aerospace and the Hakuto-R Mission 2 from Japan’s ispace Inc.(BBC News) 

Israel and Hamas reach a diplomatic agreement to initiate a ceasefire and an end to military operations in Gaza, and to facilitate the exchange of hostages and prisoners, marking the first major cessation of hostilities since the 2023 Israel–Hamas ceasefire(CNN) 

Allied Democratic Forces militants kill ten people in an attack on a village in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AP) 

Seventy-eight bodies of workers are retrieved from a closed illegal gold mine in Stilfontein, North West Province, South Africa following a months-long siege by the police. Over 200 survivors are arrested as they exited the mine. (Reuters) 

Anti-corruption officials and police attempt to breach the residence of impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol for a second time to execute his arrest warrant, while facing resistance from the Presidential Security Service, People Power Party lawmakers, and pro-Yoon protesters. (Yonhap) 

Yoon Suk Yeol is arrested at his residence in central Seoul following a five-hour-long standoff, becoming South Korea’s first sitting president to be arrested. (Yonhap) 

Yemen’s Houthi forces fire a missile at Israel, triggering sirens in several areas, including Tel Aviv and some Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. According to the Israeli military, the missile was “likely intercepted” with no injuries reported. (Xinhua) 

Hamas officials say that they have accepted a draft agreement for a potential ceasefire as well as the release of hostages. Mediators in the United States and Qatar also state that this is the closest that both sides have been to a ceasefire agreement so far. (AP) 

Four Al-Qassam Brigades militants and two civilians are killed during an Israeli airstrike in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank. (Al Jazeera) 

At a summit in Helsinki, Finland, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announces the establishment of the Baltic Sentry military mission, which will strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure in the region, such as energy and communication cables, from “destabilizing acts”. (NATO News) 

Ukraine strikes targets in the Republic of Tatarstan and BryanskSaratov, and Tula oblasts, Russia, with more than 200 drones and five ATACMS ballistic missiles, hitting ammunition depots, industrial plants, and a refinery in what Ukraine says is its “most massive” and “deepest” attack inside Russia so far. (BBC News) 

North Korea launches multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan. (Reuters) 

The World Health Organization reports a suspected Marburg virus outbreak in Kagera, Tanzania, with nine cases and eight deaths. (Reuters) 

U.S. President Joe Biden announces that the United States will remove Cuba from its state sponsors of terrorism list as part of a prisoner release deal. (BBC News) 

A military unit assigned to guard the presidential residence of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol approves the entry of anti-corruption officials and police, which is contested by the Presidential Security Service. (Yonhap) 

The Constitutional Court of South Korea adjourns the opening session of Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial after Yoon failed to attend the session due to alleged safety concerns. (NBC News) 

Moldova detains former Kyrgyzstan presidential advisor Aidar Khalikov, who has accused Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov of corruption and election rigging. (OCCRP) 

British Treasury Economic Secretary Tulip Siddiq resigns amid an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh involving her family. (BBC News) 

The government of Venezuela lifts its ban on the social media and instant messaging app Telegram. (TechRadar) 

AccuWeather releases a preliminary estimate of the total physical and economic losses caused by the ongoing wildfires in Southern California of between $250–275 billion, a figure attributed to exceptionally high property values in and near Santa Monica, which would surpass their estimates of the costs of the entire 2020 United States wildfire season as well as Hurricane Helene in 2024. (NBC News) 

Russia accuses Ukraine of targeting the Russkaya compressor station in the Krasnodar Krai, which feeds gas for the TurkStream pipeline, in a failed drone attack two days ago. (S&P Global) 

Twenty-six Islamic State militants are allegedly killed, including a female combatant and two soldiers, and several others are injured when Puntland forces capture eight Islamic State bases during ongoing offensive military operations in Bari, Puntland, Somalia. (Idil News) (AFP) 

According to two Israeli officials, Hamas is expected to release 33 hostages during the first phase of an emerging ceasefire agreement being finalized by negotiators in Doha, Qatar. (CNN) 

The Israel Defense Forces strike several Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, alleging that the targets violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement. (The Times of Israel) 

The shelling of an area of Omdurman results in the death of at least 120 civilians, according to volunteer rescuers. (Al Arabiya News) 

A general strike by Belgian unions to protest against government plans for pension reform occurs, with the work stoppages severely disrupting public transport in Brussels as well as rail and air travel throughout the country. (Politico) 

Twelve people are killed and many others are missing in a landslide in HpakantKachin StateMyanmar(AP) 

Venezuelan attorney general Tarek Saab asks for an arrest warrant and a red notice from Interpol against opposition figure Leopoldo López, who is currently in exile. Venezuela accuses López of instigating the use of arms against the state and treason, among other charges. (Reuters) 

A judge in Peru dismisses charges of money laundering against Popular Force leader and former presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori(Reuters) 

Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo hold a nationwide National Rally for Peace in the Philippines to express their disapproval of impeachment efforts against Vice President Sara Duterte(Rappler) 

International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam becomes the prime minister-designate of Lebanon after winning an absolute majority of votes from parliament, while stepping down from the ICJ. (CNN) 

A top level Israeli security delegation arrives in Qatar for talks on a Gaza hostages and ceasefire deal. (Reuters) 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden discuss efforts to reach a deal to solve the hostage crisis as well as a ceasefire to end the war. (USA Today) 

At least eight Palestinians are killed in Israeli airstrikes on areas of the Gaza Strip. (Xinhua) 

The Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo says that over the days it has recaptured several towns that fell to M23 rebels and other armed groups in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.(AP) 

At least 40 people are killed during an attack by Boko Haram gunmen in Dumba, Borno State, Nigeria. (AP) 

At least 16 civilians are killed in an airstrike conducted by the Nigerian Air Force in Zamfara State, apparently after being mistaken for criminal gangs. (BBC News) 

California Governor Gavin Newsom states that the ongoing wildfires impacting Los Angeles County could become the worst natural disaster in American history “in terms of the scale and scope”, amid current estimated damages of more than US$135 billion. (The Independent) 

The death toll from the wildfires increases to 24. (BBC News) 

Officials say that the Kenneth Fire has been contained. (KCAL-TV) 

Ten people are killed and several others are injured after large floods engulf the city of Ipatinga in Minas Gerais, Brazil. (BBC) 

Three people are killed and two others are injured in an avalanche in Trasquera, Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Italy. (Rai News) 

HMPV seasonal outbreak in China The Bangladeshi IEDCR reports the country’s first case of HMPV in BhairabDhaka Division, Bangladesh. (New Age) 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock pledges 50 million in food, emergency shelters, and medical care to Syria following talks with the Syrian transitional government in RiyadhSaudi Arabia(DW) 

Foreign ministers and senior officers of Arab countries, the European Union, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States hold a series of diplomatic meetings focused on Syria in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Saudi Gazette) 

Croatians vote in the second round to elect the president between incumbent Zoran Milanović and former science and education minister Dragan Primorac(The Dubrovnik Times) 

Voters in Comoros elect the 33 members of the Assembly of the Union. (Reuters) 

Ilza Amado Vaz unexpectedly resigns as Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe three days after being appointed Prime Minister by President Carlos Vila Nova. The ruling Independent Democratic Action party then proposes Adelino Pereira to replace Vaz, but Vila Nova appoints Américo d’Oliveira dos Ramos(Xinhua 1)