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Europe
Germany
26.01.2025 At an AfD rally in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Musk said, "Germans should be proud to be Germans" and "children are not responsible for the sins of their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents," adding that it is necessary to "overcome" the focus on past sins. He added: “It's good to be proud of German culture and values. We don't want to lose it in the name of multiculturalism, which blurs everything. We want to have unique cultures in the world. We don't want everything to look the same everywhere. When visiting different countries, you experience different cultures. This is unique and good.” “Germany and countries in Europe need more determination and self-determination, and less Brussels,” he wrote on X, a reference to the words of AfD leader Weidel, the party’s hopeful for the position of German chancellor. Right after Musk's yesterday speech, she mentioned the slogan of US President Trump: "Make America Great Again.” "People, did you hear that? Americans are making their country great again and we are making our country great again," she told supporters. "Make Germany great again!" In German election polls, the AfD is in second place behind the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU). (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
Africa
Democratic Republic of Congo
Sunday 26 January 2025 At least 13 soldiers serving with peacekeeping forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been killed in clashes with M23 rebels, mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis. The rebel group M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in the mineral-rich region. It has made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, encircling the strategic city of Goma. The DRC has accused neighbouring Rwanda of fuelling the M23 rebellion. Decades of conflicts in the eastern DRC between rival armed groups over land and resources, and attacks on civilians, have killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than seven million. (Source: Sky News - Headquarters London, United Kingdom)
Sudan
26/01/2025 A bombing by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on the maternity ward of the Saudi Hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur, has killed at least 70 people and injured dozens, wiping out the city’s only fully operational health facility. (Source: Radio Dabanga - its editorial Headquarters based in exile in The Netherlands)
Asia
Lebanon
(Sunday), 26 January, 2025 The Lebanese health ministry said the Israeli army opened fire today on residents of southern Lebanon trying to return to their villages, killing 15 people and wounding dozens. (Source: The New Arab - based in London, United Kingdom, owned by a Qatari company / MENA - headquarters Kairo; news agency run by the Egyptian government)
Syria
(Sunday), January 26, 2025 Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) stopped publicly announcing its military operations early this month. Reports emerged of the execution of at least 13 Alawites, including officers and at least another 50 captured in Fahel, an HTS area of operations west of the city of Homs on Friday, another area of HTS operations. On the same day, ten armed HTS personnel were killed in an ambush by Alawite gunmen near the coastal city of Jabla. Alawite officers took power in a 1963 coup and members of the sect continued dominating the country until last month. Hundreds of HTS fighters poured into the Alawite heartland on the Mediterranean coast today in an attempt to bring the area under its control. Sweep and search operations are under way and focusing on the foothills of the Alawite Mountains in Latakia, Jableh, and farms in the adjacent governorate of Tartous. Syria has sizeable Kurdish and Alawite minorities, as well as established Druze, Christian, and Ismaili communities. (Source: The National - United Arab Emirates)
North America
United States
Sunday, January 26, 2025 In a Sunday night statement, White House press secretary Leavitt said the Colombian government “has agreed to all of President Trump’s terms, including the unrestricted acceptance of all illegal aliens from Colombia returned from the United States, including on U.S. military aircraft, without limitation or delay.” She said Mr. Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs on all incoming Colombian goods, which would’ve been raised to 50% after a week, would be “held in reserve, and not signed, unless Colombia fails to honor this agreement.” “President Trump will continue to fiercely protect our nation’s sovereignty, and he expects all other nations of the world to fully cooperate in accepting the deportation of their citizens illegally present in the United States,” she said. The visa sanctions and enhanced customs inspections Mr. Trump said would be placed on Colombian officials, allies and goods would stay in place “until the first planeload of Colombian deportees is successfully returned.” Early in the morning today Colombian President Petro started this war with Mr. Trump by not accepting the flights, saying “the U.S. cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals.” Mr. Petro attacked Mr. Trump and the United States today in multiple X posts after Mr. Trump threatened sanctions, visa restrictions and other retaliatory measures due to Mr. Petro’s refusal to accept two planes carrying deported migrants into the country. These planes to Colombia are just one part of Mr. Trump’s promise of mass deportations. Planes carrying deportees have also been sent to Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. Mr. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post today that the rejection of the two flights “has jeopardized the National Security and Public Safety” of the U.S. “These measures are just the beginning,” he said. “We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States.” After Mr. Trump’s Truth Social post, Mr. Petro said he ordered his “foreign trade minister to raise import tariffs from the U.S. by 25%.” Secretary of State Rubio said later today that he was ordering a suspension of visa issuances at the U.S. Embassy Bogota consular sections. He also authorized travel sanctions “on individuals and their families, who were responsible for the interference of U.S. repatriation flight operations.” (Source: The Washington Times – U.S.)
January 26, 2025 U.S. President Trump said today that he was ordering tariffs, visa restrictions and other retaliatory measures to be taken against Colombia after its government rejected two U.S. military flights carrying migrants. Colombia accepted 475 deportation flights from the United States from 2020 to 2024, fifth behind Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, according to Witness at the Border, an advocacy group that tracks flight data. It accepted 124 deportation flights in 2024. Last year, Colombia and other countries began accepting U.S.-funded deportation flights from Panama. Colombians emerged in recent years as a major presence on the U.S. border with Mexico, aided in part by a visa regime that allows them to easily fly to Mexico and avoid trekking though the treacherous Darien Gap. They ranked fourth with 127,604 arrests for illegal crossings during a 12-month period through September, behind Mexicans, Guatemalans and Venezuelans. Mexico hasn’t imposed visa restrictions on Colombians, as they have on Venezuelans, Ecuadoreans and Peruvians. In announcing what he called “urgent and decisive retaliatory measures,” Trump explained that he ordered “25% tariffs on all goods coming into the United States,” which would be raised to 50% in one week. He said he also ordered “A Travel Ban and immediate Visa Revocations” on Colombian government officials, allies and supporters. “All Party Members, Family Members, and Supporters of the Colombian Government,” Trump wrote will be subject to “Visa Sanctions.” He did not say to which party he was referring to or provide any additional details on the visa and travel restrictions. Trump added that all Colombians will face enhanced customs inspections. Colombia is led by the government of Petro, a former leftist guerrilla. (Source: AP - U.S.)
Jan 26, 2025 The fourth confirmed member of Trump's cabinet. During Senate voting yesterday, Noem's nomination as the US Secretary of Homeland Security was approved with a majority of 59 to 34. (Source: Hindustan Times - India)
January 26, 2025 Trump has built his political career around being unapologetically pro-Israel. President Trump said he would like to see Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from the Gaza Strip, potentially moving out enough of the population to “just clean out” the war-torn area to create a virtual clean slate. "Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there.” “So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change.” Trump also said he has ended his predecessor’s hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. “Because they bought them.” (Source: Time - U.S.)
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