Australia: Coalition splits for second time since election after Nationals quit shadow cabinet<\/a><\/span> Brunei: Stronger ties formed to combat cross-border cybercrime<\/a><\/span> Cambodia: Cambodia deports over 200 South Korean and Myanmar nationals linked to technology-based scams<\/a><\/span> China: 1 soldier, 200 drones: China showcases rapid launch and agility in swarm warfare tactics<\/a><\/span> China: How a purge of China\u2019s military leadership could impact the army and the future of Taiwan<\/a><\/span> Indonesia: Indonesia assumes UN Human Rights Council presidency amid domestic criticism<\/a><\/span> Japan: Prudential Life reports 500 customers bilked in funds scandal<\/a><\/span> Japan: Alarm halts Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant restart<\/a><\/span> Myanmar: Beyond Beijing\u2019s reach, a new resistance alliance takes shape in Myanmar<\/a><\/span> North Korea: What to make of reports that Russia tried to ship a nuke reactor to North Korea<\/a><\/span> South Korea: S. Korean PM arrives in Washington for talks with US officials, potentially including Vance<\/a><\/span> Taiwan: Under pressure from opposition, special budget weapons list unveiled<\/a><\/span> Taiwan: US House approves US$1.15billion for Taiwan defense<\/a><\/span> Thailand: Solar storm hits Thailand GPS accuracy at risk<\/a><\/span> Thailand: Nipah virus: High fatality rate 50-70%, no cure, human-to-human transmission<\/a><\/span> Vietnam: 14th Congress: Mr. To Lam was re-elected to the Central Committee<\/a><\/span> Albania: Clashes erupt during anti-government protest in Tirana<\/a><\/span> Europe\/USA: Trump rules out using military force to acquire Greenland in Davos speech<\/a><\/span> Europe\/USA: \u2018Peace\u2019 or \u2018Piece\u2019? Musk mocks Donald Trump\u2019s new Board of Peace in Davos<\/a><\/span> France: France seizes suspected Russian \u2018shadow fleet\u2019 tanker<\/a><\/span> Germany: Germany arrests suspected Hamas member over alleged attack plot<\/a><\/span> Germany: Germany expels accused Russian spy handler, Moscow vows response<\/a><\/span> Liechtenstein\/Estonia: Liechtenstein partners with Estonia to train Ukrainian medical staff and teachers<\/a><\/span> Portugal: Unique plant species found in Portugal<\/a><\/span> Romania: Romania to Deploy Low-Cost Counter-Drone System Proven in Ukraine<\/a><\/span> Slovakia: Slovakia and USA sign nuclear energy agreement<\/a><\/span> Spain: Tragic chapter on trains sends rail superpower Spain into crisis<\/a><\/span> Sweden: Failed Afghan asylum seekers need to go back home, Sweden\u2019s migration minister urges<\/a><\/span> Afghanistan: Heavy snow and rainfall kill 61, injure 110 over 3 days in Afghanistan, authorities say<\/a><\/span> Iran: Iran rejects UN rights resolution condemning protest killings<\/a><\/span> Iran: Iran offers first government-issued death toll from protest crackdown, one far lower than activists<\/a><\/span> Iran: Trump says \u2018armada\u2019 of US warships is heading towards Iran<\/a><\/span> Iran: Iran unveils mural warning of retaliation if US conducts a military strike<\/a><\/span> Iraq: Baghdad says it will prosecute Islamic State militants being moved from Syria to Iraq<\/a><\/span> Palestine: Israeli settlers forcibly displacing largest Palestinian Bedouin village<\/a><\/span> Palestine: Trump\u2019s \u2018Board of Peace\u2019 sees Hamas disarmed and glitzy Gaza towers<\/a><\/span> Syria: Anxiety, anger, and hope in Syria\u2019s Damascus after SDF ceasefire<\/a><\/span> Botswana: Probes Russian Recruiting Schemes<\/a><\/span> Ethiopia: Rights Groups Want Ethiopian Mine Suspended Over Pollution<\/a><\/span> Ghana: Poverty Rate Falls, But ‘Disparities Persist’ – Report<\/a><\/span> Liberia: Liberian Court Investigates Foundation of Weah’s Wife<\/a><\/span> Mali: Could Mali Fall to Terrorists?<\/a><\/span> Mali: In Mali, Mercenaries Have New Name, Same Tactics<\/a><\/span> Mozambique: Entire Villages in Mozambique Submerged by Flooding<\/a><\/span> Nigeria: Is Epicenter for Chinese Cyber Scams<\/a><\/span> Nigeria: Nigerian Police Admit Mass Abduction of Worshippers in Kaduna<\/a><\/span> Sudan: Drone Attacks Rock Central Sudan as War Rages On<\/a><\/span> Uganda: Concerns Grow In Uganda Over Health of Jailed Politician Besigye<\/a><\/span> Afghanistan: Trump claim on NATO role in Afghanistan draws UK condemnation<\/a><\/span> Afghanistan: UN Warns Afghanistan\u2019s Education Ban Puts 2.2 Million Girls at Risk<\/a><\/span> India: What lies ahead for BJP\u2019s newest and also youngest president Nitin Nabin?<\/a><\/span> Kazakhstan: A Week in Kazakhstan: \u201cClosing\u201d the Political Structure<\/a><\/span> Tajikistan: Central Asia to create a single electricity market<\/a><\/span> Brazil: President Silva releases Statement along with Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain Condemning U.S. Military Action in Venezuela<\/a><\/span> Cuba: Havana Mourns the Loss of the Alleged 32 Cuban Fighters Who Lost their Lives in the U.S. Attack On Venezuela<\/a><\/span> Guatemala: President Arevalo mandates 30-day National Emergency as Riot Police Look to Take Back Control from Gang-controlled Prisons<\/a><\/span> Mexico: Closed Highway and Protests against U.S. Imperialism in Latin America<\/a><\/span> Mexico: President Sheinbaum Quells Concerns as U.S military planes Both Fly Over and Land in Mexican Territory<\/a><\/span> Puerto Rico: Donald Trump Pardons former Puerto Rican governor, Wanda Vasquez Garced<\/a><\/span> The SHU World Review is produced by the Student Research Assistants of the\u00a0DiploLab<\/a><\/span>\u00a0at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University. Some summaries may be copied from article text. Back issues are available in\u00a0Seton Hall\u2019s repository.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" East Asia & the Pacific Australia: Coalition splits for second time since election after Nationals quit shadow cabinet ABC (Australia)\u00a0 Nationals Leader David Littleproud says his party’s alliance with the Liberal Party has ended, with no Nationals willing to serve in a shadow cabinet under Sussan Ley. The relationship unraveled this week after the Nationals agreed to vote against hate laws supported by the Liberal Party. Brunei: Stronger ties formed to combat cross-border cybercrime Borneo… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5878,"featured_media":133,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[53,5],"tags":[31,13,6,143,45,102,54,8,100,146,112,144,73,14,140,72,71,80,120,148,9,32,66,145,129,36,98,58,113,11,62,75,40,17,147,59,85,25,88,121,60,93,61,68,136,116],"class_list":["post-124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-53","category-issues","tag-afghanistan","tag-albania","tag-australia","tag-botswana","tag-brazil","tag-brunei","tag-cambodia","tag-china","tag-cuba","tag-estonia","tag-ethiopia","tag-europe","tag-france","tag-germany","tag-ghana","tag-guatemala","tag-india","tag-indonesia","tag-iran","tag-iraq","tag-japan","tag-kazakhstan","tag-liberia","tag-liechtenstein","tag-mali","tag-mexico","tag-mozambique","tag-myanmar","tag-nigeria","tag-north-korea","tag-palestine","tag-portugal","tag-puerto-rico","tag-romania","tag-slovakia","tag-south-korea","tag-spain","tag-sudan","tag-sweden","tag-syria","tag-taiwan","tag-tajikistan","tag-thailand","tag-uganda","tag-united-states","tag-vietnam"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5878"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":135,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions\/135"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/diplolab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nABC (Australia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nNationals Leader David Littleproud says his party’s alliance with the Liberal Party has ended, with no Nationals willing to serve in a shadow cabinet under Sussan Ley. The relationship unraveled this week after the Nationals agreed to vote against hate laws supported by the Liberal Party.<\/p>\n
\nBorneo Bulletin (Brunei)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) held a meeting at the Officers’ Mess, Gadong Police Headquarters with a delegation from the INTERPOL Cybercrime Directorate as part of its efforts to strengthen strategic cooperation in addressing cross-border cybercrime threats. The discussions focused on the evolving cyber threat landscape, the importance of information sharing, and the need for coordinated efforts at national, regional, and international levels.<\/p>\n
\nKhmer Times (Cambodia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAs part of measures to crack down on transnational crime and combat technology-based fraud, today the government decided to deport 209 foreign nationals, including 73 South Koreans and 136 Myanmar nationals, so their respective governments can\u00a0proceed\u00a0with further legal procedures.<\/p>\n
\nSouth China Morning Post (Hong Kong)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe People\u2019s Liberation Army has released fresh details of its tests of AI-enabled drone swarm warfare, saying a single soldier can control a swarm of more than 200 drones.<\/p>\n
\nAP News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nOver the weekend, China announced that it had conducted a purge of its Central Military Commission, investigating\u00a0General\u00a0Zhang\u00a0Youxia\u00a0and General Liu\u00a0Zhenli, leaving only President Xi Jinping and Zhang\u00a0Shengmin\u00a0on the Commission.\u00a0Few details have been provided about the\u00a0purge\u2019s\u00a0motivation other than reinforcing the nation\u2019s commitment to punishing corruption. While still developing, experts do not see this move as critically reducing the PLA’s\u00a0combat readiness.<\/p>\n
\nThe Jakarta Post (Indonesia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nIndonesia\u2019s assumption of the presidency of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is unlikely to significantly boost its influence over global human rights issues, analysts say, even as the government hails the role as a diplomatic achievement despite mounting criticism of Jakarta\u2019s own human rights record.<\/p>\n
\nThe Asahi Shimbun (Japan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAbout 100 employees of Prudential Life Insurance Co. obtained money through fraudulent means or\u00a0failed to\u00a0repay funds they had borrowed from\u00a0roughly 500\u00a0customers, according to the company\u2019s internal investigation. The total amount these employees received from these customers is estimated at about 3.14 billion yen ($20 million). Kan\u00a0Mabara, the company\u2019s president and CEO, will step down on Feb. 1 to take responsibility for the scandal.<\/p>\n
\nThe Asahi Shimbun (Japan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nTokyo Electric Power Co. on Jan. 22 suspended the restart of the No. 6 reactor at its\u00a0Kashiwazaki-Kariwa\u00a0nuclear plant, the largest in the world, just hours after going back online, after an alarm sounded during the withdrawal of control rods.<\/p>\n
\nMyanmar Now (Myanmar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Spring Revolution Alliance brings together\u00a019 armed\u00a0groups betting that distance from the Chinese border will allow for renewed strength to fight.<\/p>\n
\nNK News (South Korea)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe sinking of a cargo ship linked to the Russian military off Spain\u2019s southeastern coast made a literal splash in Dec. 2024, but Spanish media triggered even bigger waves when it recently claimed that the vessel was carrying nuclear reactor parts bound for North Korea.<\/p>\n
\nThe Korea Herald (South Korea)\u00a0<\/em>
\nSouth Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok\u00a0kicked off his visit to the United States on Thursday for talks with Washington officials,\u00a0possibly including\u00a0Vice President JD Vance, as Seoul\u00a0seeks\u00a0to address a range of trade issues, including\u00a0anticipated\u00a0US semiconductor tariffs.<\/p>\n
\nFocus Taiwan (Taiwan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Taiwan government released a specific list of weapons systems the country intends to\u00a0purchase\u00a0through a special defense budget in response to those who refuse to approve of the plan due to a lack of transparency.<\/p>\n
\nTaipei Times (Taiwan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe US House of Representatives officially passed the Consolidated Appropriation Act, which\u00a0allocates\u00a0approximately\u00a0$1 billion\u00a0towards the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative (TSCI) in connection\u00a0to\u00a0the Taiwan Relations Act.<\/p>\n
\nBangkok Post (Thailand)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA few days after abnormal solar activity, Thailand was\u00a0impacted\u00a0by a geomagnetic storm disrupting satellites by emitting plasma and magnetic fields towards Earth. This storm is harmless to the population and electric infrastructure but raises concerns about global electrical connectivity.<\/p>\n
\nThe Nation (Thailand)<\/em>
\nThailand has lifted its guard on people traveling to Thailand from India as the Nipah virus grows more prominent, classified as a \u201cdangerous communicable disease under the Ministry of Public Health\u2019s regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nBBC News (United Kingdom\/Vietnam)\u00a0<\/em>
\nMr. To Lam was re-elected as a member of the 14th Central Committee, suggesting his continued leadership of Vietnam\u2019s Communist Party this coming term.<\/p>\nEurope & Eurasia<\/h3>\n
\nEuronews (France)\u00a0<\/em>
\nViolent clashes erupted on Saturday evening in the Albanian capital Tirana between police and protesters. The demonstrators accused Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama of corruption and demanded that he resign.<\/p>\n
\nABC News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPresident Donald Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, amid heightened tensions with Europe, notably ruled out using military force to\u00a0acquire\u00a0Greenland. This comes after weeks of threats to\u00a0acquire\u00a0Greenland under claims of national security and the shifting dynamic in the Arctic.<\/p>\n
\nEuronews (France)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAt the World Economic Forum in Davos, Elon Musk mocked US President Donald Trump’s newly founded Board of Peace with a play on words, calling the US President’s controversial project into question. “I heard about the formation of the peace summit,\u00a0and\u00a0I was like, is that p-i-e-c-e? You know, a little piece of Greenland, a little piece of Venezuela,” he said, laughing during his address to the forum.<\/p>\n
\nBBC (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe French navy, with the\u00a0assistance\u00a0of the UK, boarded and seizes a vessel, The Grinch, that was subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag.<\/p>\n
\nBBC (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nGerman police have arrested a Lebanese national on suspicion of being a member of Hamas and planning attacks in Europe. The man, named as “Mohammad S”, was stopped at Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport after arriving from Beirut on Friday evening.<\/p>\n
\nThe Moscow Times (Netherlands)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA\u00a0German-Ukrainian\u00a0businesswoman\u00a0accused of using her contacts with defense ministry employees to gather information about military aid for Ukraine, drone test sites and the arms industry, was expelled on espionage\u00a0charges.\u00a0The\u00a0Russian embassy in Germany made a statement that Berlin\u2019s \u201cunfriendly actions would not go unanswered.<\/p>\n
\nESTDEV (Estonia)\u00a0<\/em>
\nLiechtenstein and Estonia will work together on two projects in the education and health sectors in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr region as part of reconstruction efforts in the country. Liechtenstein will provide \u20ac268,000 to fund training\u00a0programmes\u00a0for two Estonian-led initiatives at Berdychiv City Hospital and Zhytomyr’s education center EDUHUB.<\/p>\n
\nThe Portugal News (Portugal)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA new plant species that only exists on the cliffs of\u00a0Gargalo\u00a0do Tejo was\u00a0discover\u00a0by a researcher at the University of Coimbra. The Linaria\u00a0almadensis\u00a0is a plant with yellowish-white upper petals, an orange-yellow palate and a spur often tinged with violet.<\/p>\n
\nThe Defense Post (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Romanian Armed Forces is set to induct the Merops anti-drone system into service after it proved effective against Russia\u2019s Shahed drones.<\/p>\n
\nWorld Nuclear News (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nSlovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright have signed an Intergovernmental Agreement to advance the European country’s nuclear power\u00a0programme, including deploying a new 1,200 MWe unit.<\/p>\n
\nBBC (United Kingdom)\u00a0<\/em>
\nIn just a few tragic days since two high-speed trains collided in this southern region of Spain, with the loss of 45 lives, it has felt that Spain’s much-vaunted rail system has been thrown into a sudden, deep crisis.<\/p>\n
\nAP News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nSweden\u2019s migration minister on Thursday urged the European Union to\u00a0come up with\u00a0a common procedure to issue ID and travel documents to Afghan nationals whose asylum applications have either been rejected or who have committed crimes in their host countries.<\/p>\nNear East<\/h3>\n
\nAP\u00a0News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nHeavy snow and rainfall over the past three days have killed more than 60 people and injured over 100 across Afghanistan, the country\u2019s disaster management authority said Saturday, as authorities in the impoverished country struggled to open roads and gain access to cut-off villages.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Iranian state has rejected a resolution by the United Nations\u2019 Human Rights Council that strongly condemned the \u201cviolent crackdown on peaceful protests\u201d by security forces that left\u00a0thousands\u00a0dead.\u00a0After a detailed meeting and discussions in Geneva on Friday, 25 members of the council, including France, Japan and South Korea, voted in favor of the censure resolution.<\/p>\n
\nAP\u00a0News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nIran offered its first government-issued death toll Wednesday following a crackdown on nationwide protests, giving a far lower figure than activists abroad as the country\u2019s theocracy tries to reassert control after unrest recalling the chaos surrounding its 1979 Islamic Revolution.\u00a0State\u00a0media says\u00a03,117 people were killed. It added that 2,427 of the dead in the demonstrations that began Dec. 28 were civilians and security forces. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the death toll early Thursday was at least 4,902, with many more feared dead.<\/p>\n
\nAl\u00a0Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPresident Donald Trump has said a \u2018big force\u2019 of US warships is heading towards Iran, days after he appeared to back away from threats of military action against Iran over a reported crackdown on anti-government protests.<\/p>\n
\nAP\u00a0News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nIranian authorities unveiled a new mural on a giant billboard in a central Tehran square on Sunday with a direct warning to the United States to not\u00a0attempt\u00a0a military strike on the country, as U.S. warships head to the region.\u00a0The image shows a bird\u2019s-eye view of an aircraft carrier with damaged and exploding fighter planes on its flight deck. The deck is strewn with bodies and streaked with blood that trails into the water behind the ship to form a pattern reminiscent of the stripes of the American flag. A slogan is emblazoned across one corner: \u201cIf you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAP\u00a0News (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nBaghdad will prosecute and try militants from the Islamic State group who are being transferred from prisons and detention camps in neighboring Syria to Iraq under a U.S.-brokered deal, Iraq said Sunday.\u00a0The announcement\u00a0came\u00a0after a meeting of top security and political officials who discussed the ongoing transfer of some 9,000 IS detainees who have been held in Syria since the militant group\u2019s collapse there in 2019.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera\u00a0(Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nIsraeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank has emptied\u00a0nearly three-quarters\u00a0of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Ras Ein al-Auja, forcing hundreds to flee. Residents who\u00a0remain\u00a0say they are being deliberately pushed out of their homes, with nowhere else to go.\u00a0Resident\u00a0report\u00a0that such violence has been going on for years but has grown significantly worse.<\/p>\n
\nAl\u00a0Jazeera\u00a0(Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nBacked by a sizeable group of world leaders,\u00a0Donald Trump officially launched his \u201cBoard of Peace,\u201d offering a vision of Gaza that sees Hamas disarmed and real estate developments based on \u201cfree market economy principles.\u201d\u00a0Trump\u2019s proposals do not address Israeli occupation,\u00a0nor are they believed to have been made in\u00a0consultation with\u00a0Palestinian community leaders. Some experts are calling it an imperialist effort made in collaboration with Israel.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera\u00a0(Qatar)
\nA\u00a0ceasefire between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was announced on the night of January 18.\u00a0Fighting resumed the next morning as the government\u2019s lightning push\u202fforced\u202fSDF leader Mazloum Abdi to accept less\u00a0favourable\u00a0terms: a withdrawal from Raqqa and Deir Az Zor, in northeastern Syria, further east towards Hasakah,\u202fa new ceasefire, and a four-day ultimatum for the SDF to fully integrate into state structures.<\/p>\nSub-Saharan Africa<\/h3>\n
\nADF Magazine (Germany)\u00a0<\/em>
\nBotswana has recently fallen victim to a Russian scheme that recruits citizens in African countries to fight for Russia amidst its war against Ukraine. Following reports that two Batswana male youth, ages 19 and 20, were recruited under false pretenses to fight on the front lines of the ongoing conflict, the Ministry of International Relations has launched an investigation, and Batswana authorities are working diplomatically to\u00a0locate\u00a0and return the men.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nFollow reports that residents living near the Lega\u00a0Dembi\u00a0gold mine in Ethiopia have experienced years of serious health concerns due to pollution in the area. Human Rights Watch (HRW) wants this mine, the country\u2019s largest gold mine,\u00a0suspended\u00a0and its operations independently assessed. These health concerns range from birth defects to miscarriages, with multiple studies\u00a0identifying\u00a0toxic chemicals, like cardio, mercury, and lead, in high concentrations.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA senior government Statistician, Alhassan Iddrisu, addressed the gaps in poverty levels in the Ashanti and Northern regions of Ghana. Although a new report on multidimensional poverty rates in the country, which covers health, education, and employment, shows a decrease, these gaps\u00a0still persist.\u00a0He provided recommendations that focused on improving sanitation and living conditions as well as education.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Liberian government’s Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) has requested an investigation into the former First Lady Clar Marie Leah\u2019s foundation. The Clar Hope Foundation faces allegations that illicit funds were used to finance the facility. Although the Former First Lady has denied these allegations, a court has ordered the\u00a0foundation\u2019s\u00a0records, an act that may increase political tension in the country.<\/p>\n
\nADF Magazine (Germany)\u00a0<\/em>
\nCounterterrorism experts relay that the terrorist group,\u00a0Jama\u2019at\u00a0Nusrat al-Islam\u00a0wal-Muslimin (JNIM), is attempting to blockade the capital Bamako and warn that in the event they take the city, Mali could become a failed state and a hub for terrorists in the region and the continent at large.<\/p>\n
\nADF Magazine (Germany)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe mercenaries under Russa\u2019s Africa Corps, which replaced the former Wagner Group, continue to use the same tactics of brutality and violence against civilians in Mali. After Wagner mercenary fighters were invited by the ruling junta to combat terrorism, they have brought violence through killing and rape since 2022. Although leaving in 2025, many became part of the Africa Corps, which now runs counterterrorism and continues to wreak havoc on civilians without impunity.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nA severe flood is hitting southern and central Mozambique, with accommodation centers becoming more overcrowded. This has led to displayed communities in Mozambique facing shortages of shelter and essential household items. The risk of waterborne diseases increases in these communities, which lack access to safe water and hygiene services due to infrastructure damage that disrupts aid delivery.<\/p>\n
\nADF Magazine (Germany)\u00a0<\/em>
\nNigeria\u2019s economic difficulties and its reputation as a hub for fraud hinder efforts to combat cybercrime, which is exploited by Chinese nationals. In late 2024, raids resulted in the arrest of 148 Chinese nationals among\u00a0nearly 800\u00a0individuals,\u00a0establishing\u00a0Nigeria as the focal point of Africa\u2019s Chinese-led cybercrime activities. However, Nigeria is tackling the threat of cybercrime seriously, deporting 60 Chinese nationals among 100 individuals in August following cyber terrorism and internet fraud convictions.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nClaims that worshippers in Nigeria’s Kaduna State were kidnapped by\u00a0gunmen\u00a0across the churches were denied as false by the Kaduna Police commissioner\u00a0as a means to\u00a0cause chaos in the state. However, in a recent statement, following intelligence sources, the police have retracted the denial of the incidents with a confirmation hearing of the mass abduction.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica\u00a0(United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAs the paramilitary rapid support forces (RSF) shift their military focus towards the Kordofan region in Central Sudan, the use of drones has increased. Challenging the army-controlled capital of North Kordofan state, al-Obeid city, the RSF has\u00a0utilized\u00a0drone strikes, killing more than 100 civilians in the region in only the first half of December 2025.<\/p>\n
\nallAfrica (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nFollowing Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye’s arrest in late 2024, he has been detained without trial for over a year on treason-related charges. His wife, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie\u00a0Byanyima, as well as his party, the People\u2019s Front for Freedom,\u00a0have\u00a0become concerned about his health. Prison authorities claim\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0undergoing routine checks, but his party and wife say differently and worry that the prolonged detention has led to medical\u00a0emergencies, and\u00a0are concerned he lacks access to proper medical attention.<\/p>\nSouth & Central Asia<\/h3>\n
\nAl Jazeera\u00a0(Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPresident Donald Trump faces criticism after claiming that international forces through NATO were \u201c\u2018a little off the front lines\u2019 during the war in Afghanistan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe\u00a0Khaama\u00a0Press\u00a0(Afghanistan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nOn\u00a0January 24th\u00a0the United Nations sent a warning to Afghanistan on World Education Day, emphasizing that the 2.2 million adolescent girls in the country have a fundamental human right to receiving an education.<\/p>\n
\nThe Hindu\u00a0(India)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently elected their youngest president every Nitin Nabin to take over one of the largest conservative political parties in India.<\/p>\n
\nVlast Kazakhstan\u00a0(Kazakhstan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nPresident Tokayev explains the new governmental and political reforms of Kazakhstan\u2019s government, emphasizing the new responsibilities of the\u00a0vice-presidential\u00a0role in response to his resignation from presidency.<\/p>\n
\nOzodi\u00a0(Tajikistan)\u00a0<\/em>
\nThe World Bank approves a multi-country program connecting electricity across central Asia. The plan is to be implemented over the span of 10 years and is projected to \u201cincrease electricity trade, expand transmission capacity and build infrastructure to integrate renewable energy sources\u201d.<\/p>\nWestern Hemisphere<\/h3>\n
\nGovernment of Brazil (Brazil)\u00a0<\/em>
\nOn January 4th, Brazil came together with other nations to release a\u00a0joint-statement\u00a0in light of\u00a0the gravity of events that occurred with the ousting by U.S. raid forces of former president Nicolas Maduro. Sharing their adherence to the U.N.\u2019s Charter and further asking that further action in the country of Venezuela must be done in respect to international law, domestic norms, and the will of the people of Venezuela to determine their own future that should not be left in the hands of a foreign power.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)\u00a0<\/em>
\nOn January 5th, two-days of mourning were declared in remembrance of the 32 Cuban military troops who died amid the attack carried out by the United States to abduct and detain Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and his wife. Havana further\u00a0stated\u00a0funeral proceedings would be arranged for the families of those who had passed with\u00a0quoted \u201cfierce,\u201d resistance to direct combat or vigilance during the airstrikes.<\/p>\n
\nReuters (United Kingdom)<\/em>
\nAs of January 17th, President Arevalo has issued a national emergency\u00a0in light of\u00a0three prisons being taken over by gang members and their leaders, leading to more than 46 people being held hostage. There have been no reported deaths or injuries amongst the hostages\u00a0yet\u00a0but the gangs are still firm with their demands for greater privileges.<\/p>\n
\nTruthout (United States)\u00a0<\/em>
\nAs of January 3rd, the 10th, the 21st, and so on, anti-imperialist movements have erupted across the country, condemning the U.S. attacks on Venezuela. Students, street-vendors, solidarity groups, revolutionary groups, farmers, workers, and indigenous groups in the capital as well as in\u00a0La Puebla\u00a0have created a solidified front on January 12th. More than\u00a010,000 people\u00a0on the 21st had shut down a major highway and marched along it for 3.7 miles.<\/p>\n
\nNPR (United States)<\/em>
\nOn January 19th, U.S.\u00a0aircraft\u00a0flew in the vicinity of Mexico, and President Sheinbaum was quick to demand written confirmation from the U.S. that there would be no U.S. military flights over Mexican territory. She was given precise coordinates as to where the U.S.\u00a0aircraft\u00a0were heading and further reassured Mexican authorities,\u00a0stating\u00a0the FAA advisory had no implications for Mexico. Days later, U.S.\u00a0aircraft\u00a0landed 39 miles away from the capital, and agitated senators, asking why they were here without their permission, but Sheinbaum further reassured them that it was a logistical operation that did not require their approval. The planes took off with public servants and returned to the U.S. for training.<\/p>\n
\nAl Jazeera (Qatar)<\/em>
\nOn January 16th, as part of Donald Trump\u2019s policy to hold right-wing allies non-accountable, he has pardoned Mrs.\u00a0Vasquez\u00a0who had back in\u00a02025\u00a0accepted a plea deal upon her conviction for a bribery scheme tied to her 2020 campaign. The action has since made opposition leaders angry as it undermines the territory\u2019s anti-corruption and public trust laws, condemning the action as a part of Washington\u2019s moves to undermine the island\u2019s autonomy if not abuse their status as not holding full voting rights in Congress.<\/p>\n
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