putin the great

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) 

Russian forces capture the village of Velyka Novosilka(Mathrubhumi) 

At least 27 Nigerian soldiers, including the commanding officer of the 149th Battalion, are killed and dozens of others wounded in a suicide bombing carried out by an Islamic State fighter in the Malam-Fatori, Borno State, Nigeria. (Al Jazeera) 

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) 

March 23 Movement rebels begin their advance into the city of Goma(Al Jazeera) 

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urges Rwanda to end its support for rebels in DR Congo and withdraw Rwandan soldiers from Congolese territory. (Al Jazeera) 

Congolese foreign minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner called Rwanda’s military support for M23 rebels a “declaration of war.” (DW) 

DR Congo severed its diplomatic relations with Rwanda as Rwandan-backed rebels advance on the city of Goma, the capital of the DRC’s North Kivu province. (The Guardian) 

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

In tennis, Jannik Sinner defeats Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7(7)-6(4), 6-3, in the men’s singles final to win his second Australian Open title and his third Grand Slam overall. (The Guardian) 

Chelsea F.C. Women sign American defender Naomi Girma coming from San Diego Wave FC for a world-record fee of $1.1 million making her the most expensive women player and the first million-dollar transfer in women’s soccer history. (CBS Sports) 

In motor racing, the Porsche Penske Motorsport team wins the 63rd 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race with drivers Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, and Laurens Vanthoor. 

Pete Hegseth is confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Defense in a 51–50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. (NBC News) 

The U.S. State Department freezes nearly all foreign aid except military aid to Israel and Egypt, as well as emergency food programs. (Global News) 

Mexico denies a request from the United States to allow a military aircraft deporting migrants from the U.S. to land in Mexico. (Reuters) 

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

30 people are killed in a drone attack on the Saudi Hospital, one of the last functioning hospitals in El-Fasher, Sudan. (Al Arabiya) 

Eighty-four ELN combatants surrender to Colombian authorities as offensive operations resume in the Catatumbo region. Colombian authorities also rescue 20 child soldiers from ELN’s 33rd Front. (El Colombiano) 

A police officer was shot dead by a sniper from the National Liberation Army (ELN), in Río Iró, Chocó Department.(El Tiempo) 

Six peacekeepers, three from South Africa and three from Malawi, are killed as fighting intensifies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between government forces and M23 rebels. (24news) 

A Pakistani court sentences four people to death for blasphemy, allegedly because they posted sacrilegious material on social media about Islamic religious figures and the Quran. (Al Arabiya) 

In tennis, Madison Keys wins her first major title after defeating the two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, 6–3, 2–6, 7–5, to win the women’s singles title at the Australian Open. (CNN) 

Henry Patten and Harri Heliövaara defeat Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 6(16)-7(18), 7(7)-6(5), 6-3, in the men’s doubles final to win their first Australian Open title and their second joint Grand Slam title. (BBC News) 

The US Department of State ban consular posts from flying any flags other than that of the United States Flag as part of the Trump administration targeting several instances during the Biden administration when LGBTQ pride and Black Lives Matters flags were flown at embassies abroad. (The Guardian) 

US Federal law enforcement and ICE agents have arrested nearly 500 undocumented migrants with arrest warrants in sanctuary cities, including New York and New Jersey. The arrests include an alleged El Salvadorian MS-13 gang member, a Jamaican citizen who had been arrested for alleged sexual exploitation of a minor, and a Honduran citizen. (CTV News) 

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order to declassify files related to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. (Axios) 

Ukraine finalizes military reforms aimed at recruiting 18- to 25-year-olds to the armed forces, penalizing draft dodgers, and lowering the minimum compulsory military service age to 25 from 27. (The Kyiv Independent) 

The Ukrainian Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War announces that, with assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the bodies of 757 Ukrainian soldiers have been returned to Ukraine. (The Kyiv Independent) 

A Ukrainian drone strike targets an oil refinery in Ryazan Oblast, Russia, in one of the largest Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia of the conflict to date. The Russian military says it shot down at least 121 drones over 13 regions overnight. (BBC News) 

Over 60,000 people demonstrate across Slovakia in protest of Prime Minister Robert Fico‘s anti-Ukrainian, pro-Russian, and Eurosceptic policies. (AP) 

Mass protests and a general strike are held across Serbia, in an escalation of months of anti-government protests. (France24) 

A Russian drone strikes a ten-storey apartment building in FastivKyiv Oblast, killing at least three people. (Euronews) 

Hamas confirms that an Israeli airstrike last summer killed Rawhi Mushtaha, according to Israel “head of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip“, along with Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio in Hamas’s political bureau, and Sami Odeh, the head of Hamas’s “general security mechanism”. (Al Sharq AlAwsat) 

The Colombian National Army and National Police begin offensive operations across eleven municipios of the Catatumbo region(El Tiempo) 

At least thirteen Islamic State militants are allegedly killed in heavy fighting as Puntland forces claim they successfully took over the towns of Turmasaale and Janno-Jiifta in the Bari region, Puntland, Somalia. (The Somali Digest) (Idil News) 

I’m Still Here becomes the first Brazilian movie to be nominated for Best Picture(The Washington Post) (Reuters) 

The Canadian Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship department announces a limit of 437,000 study permits for 2025, a 10% reduction from 2024, as part of efforts to address pressures on housing, healthcare, and other public services caused by the country’s rapid population growth(Reuters) 

At least 140 dolphins are found stranded on the shores of Mareero Beach near Bosaso, Puntland, Somalia, with 60 confirmed dead and 30 returned to the sea. ( (Reuters) 

The Cabinet of Hun Manet approves a bill that strengthens penalties for Cambodian genocide denial, proposing prison terms of one to five years and fines of US$2,500 to $125,000. (AP) 

A wind gust provisionally measured at 183 km/h was recorded in Connemara in County Galway, which would surpass Ireland’s record wind gust of 182 km/h set in 1945. A mean wind speed of 135 km/h was also measured, which would surpass Ireland’s sustained wind record also set in 1945. (The Irish Times) 

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

U.S. district judge for Washington John C. Coughenour temporarily 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) 

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael form a coalition government with the backing of several independent TDs. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin is elected as Taoiseach, with Fine Gael leader Simon Harris as Tánaiste(Politico) 

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) 

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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