- Dozens killed as fire engulfs Turkish ski hotel – 21.01.2025
A fire at the 12-story Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu, Türkiye, claimed at least 76 lives and injured 51 during a busy holiday period, with some victims jumping from windows to escape. The blaze, which reportedly started in the restaurant on the fourth floor, took 12 hours to extinguish, and nine individuals, including the hotel owner, have been arrested as investigations continue. Survivors and experts have raised concerns about inadequate fire safety measures, including the lack of an automatic sprinkler system. A day of national mourning has been declared, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promising accountability for any negligence.
- Pakistan’s political deadlock deepens as PTI withdraws from negotiations – 24.01.2025
Pakistan’s political crisis deepened as Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party withdrew from government-led talks aimed at reducing tensions, citing unmet demands for judicial commissions to investigate violent events during protests in 2023 and 2024. PTI’s acting chairman, Gohar Ali Khan, announced the decision following Khan’s directive from prison, criticizing the government for delays despite prior assurances. Government representatives expressed regret over PTI’s abrupt exit, emphasizing that consultations were ongoing. Analysts highlighted PTI’s impatience and missed opportunity to hold the government accountable, raising concerns about renewed street protests and their potential disruption, especially as Pakistan prepares to host the Champions Trophy cricket tournament in February—its first major cricket event since co-hosting the Cricket World Cup in 1996.
- Trump urged not to put massive tariffs on UK – 24.01.2025
UK Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds stated that the UK should be exempt from the tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump, highlighting that the US has no trade deficit with the UK. Trump has defended tariffs as a means to grow the US economy and protect jobs, but Reynolds argued that the lack of a trade deficit provides a strong case for exemption. Meanwhile, the UK is exploring aligning with EU food and agriculture standards to ease access to European markets, though this has sparked political debate. Efforts to improve UK-EU trade relations continue amid criticism from both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
- University students lead a strike in Serbia as populist president plans a rally to counter protests – 24.01.2025
On Friday, a student-led strike in Serbia closed numerous businesses and sparked large protests across the country, including in Belgrade, in response to a deadly canopy collapse at a train station in Novi Sad that killed 15 people in November. The strike, commemorating the victims, saw traffic blockades in various cities and towns, followed by noisy protests calling for accountability, with many blaming the accident on poor reconstruction work and corruption. The protests, some of the largest since President Aleksandar Vucic took office, have criticized his administration’s handling of democratic freedoms and the investigation into the incident. While Vucic plans to hold a rally to counter the protests and create a political movement modeled after Vladimir Putin’s style, his government has accused the students of foreign interference. Despite no incidents during the blockades, the protests have escalated, with previous attacks on demonstrators, and ongoing strikes at universities, schools, and state institutions. Protests also occurred in cities like Nis and Jagodina. The canopy collapse has led to charges against 13 individuals, including government officials, but doubts remain over the independence of the investigation, particularly after the release of the former construction minister.
- US freezes almost all foreign aid – 25.01.2025
The U.S. State Department has frozen nearly all foreign assistance following an executive order by President Donald Trump halting such aid for 90 days, with only emergency food aid and military funding for Israel and Egypt exempted. A directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed an immediate stop to ongoing and new assistance programs, including critical health, education, and humanitarian efforts worldwide. Experts warn this sweeping move undermines global stability, disrupts lifesaving programs, and damages U.S. leadership, while lawmakers argue it contradicts bipartisan-supported initiatives essential to American and global interests.
- Trump wants Jordan and Egypt to accept more Palestinian refugees and floats plan to ‘clean out’ Gaza – 26.01.2025
President Donald Trump, aboard Air Force One, expressed a desire for Arab nations like Jordan and Egypt to increase their intake of Palestinian refugees from Gaza, suggesting the relocation of up to 1.5 million people to “clean out” the war-torn area, which he described as heavily demolished and in need of a fresh start. Trump highlighted calls with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and plans to speak with Egypt’s President el-Sissi, while also announcing the resumption of 2,000-pound bomb deliveries to Israel, a ban originally imposed by President Joe Biden to mitigate civilian casualties during Israel’s conflict with Hamas. Trump emphasized collaboration with Arab nations for potential resettlement and reconstruction, while ongoing ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, involving hostage exchanges and negotiations for lasting peace, remain fragile amid threats of resumed hostilities.
- Tens of thousands of Greeks seek justice for victims of Tempe train crash – 26.01.2025
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside Greece’s parliament in Athens and in other cities to demand justice for the 57 victims of the country’s deadliest railway disaster near Tempe on February 28, 2023, where a freight train collided with a passenger train. The demonstration followed reports suggesting some victims may have survived the crash but died in a subsequent fire of unclear origin. Protesters, holding banners with messages such as “We won’t forget,” criticized the lack of accountability, as no one has been punished two years after the incident. Families of the victims accused authorities of negligence and evidence suppression, while experts raised questions about the fire’s cause, dismissing initial assumptions and focusing on the freight train’s cargo. Clashes between police and protesters occurred after the largely peaceful rally, highlighting public frustration with the government’s handling of the tragedy and its aftermath.
- Israel kills at least 22 in south Lebanon on day army was due to withdraw – 26.01.2025
At least 22 people have been killed and 124 wounded in southern Lebanon by Israeli forces on the day they were supposed to withdraw under a ceasefire agreement, according to Lebanese health officials. The killings, which include a Lebanese soldier, violate the ceasefire deal reached in November, which set a deadline for Israeli forces to leave by 02:00 GMT on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu blamed Hezbollah for the delay, claiming the group had not sufficiently pulled back from the border, a claim denied by Lebanon. Under the ceasefire, the Lebanese army was expected to deploy with UN peacekeepers in the south as Israeli forces withdrew over 60 days. However, Israeli officials argue that the Lebanese army has not ensured Hezbollah’s disarmament and the dismantling of its military infrastructure. The ceasefire agreement’s terms have not been met, leading to frustration among displaced citizens, with Lebanon’s Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, calling for international intervention to compel Israel to withdraw from occupied territories. The United Nations also stated that conditions for the safe return of Lebanese citizens are not yet in place.
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g375x0zpwo
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/24/pakistans-political-deadlock-deepens-as-pti-withdraws-from-negotiations
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8k2jknn8zo
- https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/university-students-lead-strike-serbia-populist-president-plans-118059554
- https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/24/politics/us-freezes-foreign-aid/index.html
- https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-israel-bomb-gaza-hamas-war-023b36984c6116c128b5e47f117bba2a
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/26/tens-of-thousands-of-greeks-seek-justice-for-victims-of-tempe-train-crash
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/26/israel-kills-3-wounds-dozens-in-south-lebanon-in-breach-of-ceasefire-deal
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