China deployed warships in the South China Sea as the U.S. and the Philippines held joint naval exercises in the region. China claims sovereignty over much of the South China Sea, overlapping with claims by countries like the Philippines, a U.S. ally. Both the U.S. and China are expected to continue their military presence in the area.
Key Facts
China sent naval forces to patrol the South China Sea.
The U.S. Navy and the Philippines conducted joint maritime exercises.
China criticizes the Philippines for disturbing peace in the region by working with non-regional countries.
The South China Sea is a disputed area with overlapping claims from China and other nations, including the Philippines.
The U.S. and its allies often deploy forces in the South China Sea to support freedom of navigation.
During the exercises, the U.S. and the Philippines used several naval and air units, including ships and aircraft.
The joint exercises occurred in a disputed area known as Bajo de Masinloc to the Philippines and Huangyan Island to China.
Both China and the U.S. aim to uphold their interests and maintain a presence in the region.
Neil Young, a singer and political activist, is giving people in Greenland free access to his online music archives for a year. He hopes this will help reduce stress and threats related to President Trump's interest in Greenland. President Trump has mentioned wanting to discuss Greenland's status but says he won't use force.
Key Facts
Neil Young offers Greenlanders a year's free access to his music archives.
President Donald Trump expressed interest in Greenland due to national security concerns.
Trump has stated he seeks negotiations with Greenland and will not use force.
Young has criticized President Trump and has protested against his policies.
Access to Young's archives typically costs around $25, depending on the package.
Young's offer requires a Greenland registered mobile number for access verification.
In 2020, Young tried to stop Trump from using his music in campaign rallies.
Young has previously criticized Spotify for hosting content he disagrees with.
An online post imagined what the '80s-inspired TV show "Stranger Things" would have looked like with actual 1980s actors. This idea went viral, with thousands of fans sharing their thoughts and support.
Key Facts
A post on Threads showed which 1980s actors could have starred in "Stranger Things."
Millie Bobby Brown's character Eleven was paired with a young Winona Ryder.
Jim Hopper's role, played by David Harbour, was matched with Tom Selleck.
Steve Harrington, played by Joe Keery, was associated with Michael J. Fox.
Nancy Wheeler was linked to Heather Langenkamp from "A Nightmare on Elm Street."
Other suggested actors included Corey Haim, Sean Astin, and River Phoenix.
The fan-casting post gained over 41,000 likes and many positive comments.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum asked South Korea for more BTS concerts in Mexico after tickets quickly sold out. BTS plans to hold three shows in Mexico City during their world tour, but high demand led to concerns about ticket pricing and resale.
Key Facts
BTS will perform three shows in Mexico City as part of a 79-date world tour.
Tickets for the Mexico City shows sold out in less than 40 minutes.
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum asked South Korea for more BTS concerts in Mexico.
Resale platforms were investigated for high ticket prices, with tickets being sold for up to 92,100 pesos.
Ticketmaster sold tickets priced between 1,800 and 17,800 pesos.
Mexico's consumer watchdog sanctioned StubHub and Viagogo for unfair ticketing practices.
About a million young people competed for 150,000 available concert tickets.
BTS's comeback tour follows a hiatus for military service and individual music projects.
President Donald Trump expressed satisfaction with recent events in Syria after a Syrian army move against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which had been supported by the United States. President Trump spoke with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The situation has led to a shift in U.S. support away from the SDF, as Syria takes on more responsibility in the region.
Key Facts
President Trump praised developments in Syria after a Syrian army offensive against the SDF.
Trump talked with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who will meet with Russian President Putin.
The Syrian army's advances led to the SDF withdrawing from Raqqa and Deir Az Zor.
The U.S. had consistently backed the SDF but is now scaling down its support as Syria takes control.
There were differing opinions among the residents of the affected Syrian cities about the developments.
The Syrian government reiterated its commitment to national unity and preventing the return of terrorist groups.
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria stated the SDF's primary role against ISIS is now diminished.
Russian President Putin and Syrian President al-Sharaa are planning to discuss Middle East issues and bilateral relations in Moscow.
President Donald Trump has stated that the U.S. will stop supporting Iraq if Nouri al-Maliki becomes the Prime Minister again. Maliki, who previously served as Iraq's Prime Minister from 2006 to 2014, was backed by a group of Shia-led parties for the position. The U.S. is concerned about Maliki's connections to Iran and potential influence on Iraq.
Key Facts
President Trump threatened to end U.S. support to Iraq if Nouri al-Maliki is chosen as Prime Minister.
Maliki was Iraq's Prime Minister from 2006 to 2014, a period marked by violence and chaos.
Maliki has strong ties to Iran and was recently selected by Shia-led parties as their nominee.
Iraq's parliament delayed electing a president, which is a step needed to nominate the Prime Minister.
The U.S. is worried about Iran's influence in Iraq, as voiced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump's comments come amid historical U.S. interventions in other countries' elections.
Maliki's past tenure saw increasing sectarian violence and the rise of the Islamic State group.
Intrusive thoughts are unexpected, often unsettling ideas that many people experience occasionally. For some, these thoughts can lead to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental health condition characterized by persistent, unwanted thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Around 1-4% of people have OCD, and it often begins during adolescence or early adulthood.
Key Facts
Intrusive thoughts are unexpected ideas that can suddenly enter a person's mind.
Most people experience intrusive thoughts occasionally, and they can usually ignore them.
For some, intrusive thoughts become obsessions, leading to compulsive actions aimed at relieving anxiety.
Intrusive thoughts often contradict a person's values or identity, focusing on distressing topics like harm or illness.
OCD affects about 1-4% of the population and is now a prevalent mental health issue among young adults in England.
OCD typically starts in adolescence, but some people are diagnosed later in life.
There may be genetic and stress-related factors that increase the risk of developing OCD.
Effective management of OCD can involve professional help and daily techniques like labeling intrusive thoughts.
On January 28, fighting in Ukraine saw several Ukrainian regions attacked by Russian forces, leading to casualties and damage. Ukraine faces an ongoing energy crisis due to Russian strikes, while negotiations involving global leaders continue to seek solutions to the conflict. The EU is providing support with generators, and discussions involve significant geopolitical players like China and the U.S.
Key Facts
A Russian drone attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, killed four people and injured two more.
In Odesa, a Russian attack on a building resulted in three deaths and 25 injuries.
Russian forces claim to have seized two Ukrainian settlements, but Ukraine disputes this.
710,000 people in Kyiv, Ukraine, are without electricity due to the energy crisis.
The European Union is sending 447 generators to help Ukraine with power shortages.
President Trump reports progress in negotiations to end the war but provides no details.
Finland's prime minister suggests China could influence Russia to help end the conflict.
An ICE agent tried to enter Ecuador's consulate in Minneapolis without permission. Ecuador's Foreign Ministry stopped the agent and sent a protest to the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador.
Key Facts
An ICE agent attempted to forcibly enter Ecuador's consulate in Minneapolis.
Consular staff prevented the agent from entering and activated emergency procedures.
Ecuador's Foreign Ministry filed a protest with the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador.
Consulates and embassies are generally protected by international law, requiring permission for entry by outside agents.
Tensions in Minnesota are high due to recent incidents involving federal agents and local residents.
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE have not provided a comment regarding the incident.
President Trump is signaling efforts to tone down ICE activities in Minneapolis.
Abena Christine Jon'el, a Ghanaian-American model and writer, recently walked in a fashion show in Ghana to highlight the visibility of people with disabilities. She has faced challenges since childhood, including losing her leg to cancer, and has been active in advocating for the rights of disabled individuals both in the U.S. and Ghana. Her move to Ghana in 2021 connected her more deeply with her heritage and identity.
Key Facts
Abena Christine Jon'el is a 33-year-old model and writer with a prosthetic leg.
She participated in a fashion show in Ghana to raise awareness about people with disabilities.
Abena became disabled at the age of two due to cancer, leading to the amputation of her leg.
She grew up in Chicago, USA, and later became a writer and public speaker.
Abena felt a deep connection to Africa and decided to move to Ghana in 2021.
Her visit to historic sites in Ghana strengthened her sense of identity.
Abena advocates for the visibility and rights of disabled people in both the U.S. and Ghana.
South Korea's former first lady, Kim Keon Hee, is facing several legal charges, including bribery and stock manipulation. Kim is involved in various controversies, like receiving luxury gifts and allegedly falsifying her credentials. Her trial marks the first time in South Korea that a presidential spouse has been indicted while in detention.
Key Facts
Kim Keon Hee, married to former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, faces multiple legal charges.
Charges include bribery, stock manipulation, and political interference.
Prosecutors claim Kim earned over 800 million won from a stock scheme with Deutsch Motors.
She is accused of accepting expensive gifts from the Unification Church for business favors.
Kim allegedly received numerous free political opinion polls as bribes.
Her trial will be the first time a presidential spouse in South Korea is indicted while detained.
Before her husband’s presidency, Kim faced allegations of faking educational credentials.
Secret footage showed Kim receiving a luxury handbag, raising questions about illegal gifts.
President Donald Trump warned that the U.S. will stop supporting Iraq if Nouri al-Maliki becomes Iraq's prime minister again. Al-Maliki, who has ties to Iran, was nominated by a major Shia group in Iraq's parliament. The U.S. prefers not to see Iranian influence grow in Iraq.
Key Facts
President Trump said the U.S. would not support Iraq if Nouri al-Maliki is reinstated as prime minister.
Al-Maliki has connections to Iran, which is a long-time rival of the United States.
Al-Maliki was nominated by the Coordination Framework, Iraq's largest Shia parliamentary group.
Trump criticized al-Maliki's previous leadership, linking it to chaos and poverty in Iraq.
U.S. representatives stated that the choice of prime minister is Iraq's decision, but the U.S. will act in its own interest.
Trump has threatened sanctions on Iraq if its new government includes groups supported by Iran.
During his previous term as Iraq's prime minister, al-Maliki clashed with Sunni and Kurdish rivals.
Iraq's oil revenue is held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, giving the U.S. financial influence over Iraq.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico will continue to support Cuba, despite reports of stopping oil shipments. Mexico is a key oil supplier to Cuba, which is dealing with a U.S. trade embargo and an energy crisis. President Trump mentioned that Cuba may soon face failure as Venezuela stopped sending oil.
Key Facts
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico stated her country will keep supporting Cuba.
Reports say Mexico stopped an oil shipment to Cuba planned for January.
Mexico is an important supplier of oil to Cuba, helping it manage a U.S. trade embargo.
President Donald Trump indicated Venezuela is no longer sending oil to Cuba.
Venezuela was a major provider of discounted oil to Cuba before these changes.
In the past year, Mexico supplied Cuba with about 5,000 barrels of oil daily.
The Mexican government is reconsidering future oil shipments to Cuba due to U.S. concerns.
Sheinbaum emphasized that decisions about oil supplies are determined by Pemex or the government for humanitarian reasons.
The British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is visiting China for three days to meet with President Xi Jinping and discuss the UK's relationship with China. Accompanying him are about 60 business and cultural leaders. The visit aims to rebuild ties, despite tensions over human rights and security concerns.
Key Facts
This is the first visit to China by a British prime minister since 2018.
The prime minister will meet President Xi Jinping during the trip.
The group includes major British businesses like HSBC and cultural leaders.
UK aims to "reboot" its relationship with China, despite challenges.
Human rights concerns in China are noted, including treatment of Uyghurs.
There are worries about China's espionage activities in the UK.
Prime Minister argues for a consistent strategy with China for national interest.
President Trump is expected to visit China in April.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Nigerian oil minister, is on trial in London. She is accused of accepting bribes and living a luxurious lifestyle funded by payments from businessmen connected to the oil industry. Alison-Madueke denies the charges of bribery and conspiracy.
Key Facts
Diezani Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria's oil minister from 2010 to 2015.
She is accused of accepting bribes from individuals seeking oil contracts with Nigeria's state-owned petroleum company.
Prosecutors allege she spent over £2 million at Harrods, a luxury department store in London.
Alison-Madueke reportedly lived in expensive properties and used private jets and chauffeur-driven cars in the UK.
Her expenses, including household staff, were allegedly paid for by business owners with oil contracts in Nigeria.
She denies five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
The trial is taking place at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Rwanda is suing the UK for not paying money due under an asylum seeker agreement that was cancelled. Rwanda wants £50 million ($68.8 million) in compensation and has started legal proceedings in the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The deal originally involved sending people seeking asylum in the UK to Rwanda, but it faced legal challenges and was ultimately scrapped.
Key Facts
Rwanda is seeking £50 million in compensation from the UK.
Legal proceedings are taking place in the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
The original agreement involved sending asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda.
The UK Supreme Court declared the agreement illegal under international law in 2023.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer cancelled the deal in 2024.
Rwanda had received £240 million from the UK before the deal was abandoned.
Immigration has been a major political issue in the UK since 2020.
Many asylum seekers continue to cross the English Channel to the UK despite the deal.
A former French senator, Joel Guerriau, was found guilty of adding MDMA, a drug commonly known as ecstasy, to a drink for MP Sandrine Josso with the intent of sexual assault. Guerriau was given a four-year prison sentence, with 18 months to be served in prison, and ordered to pay damages. Guerriau denies intending to assault Josso and plans to appeal the verdict.
Key Facts
Joel Guerriau, a former senator in France, was convicted of drugging MP Sandrine Josso.
Guerriau spiked Josso's drink with MDMA at his Paris flat.
He was sentenced to four years in prison, with 18 months in custody, and fined €5,000 for emotional distress.
Guerriau claimed the drugging was accidental and is appealing the verdict.
Josso experienced severe effects after consuming the drink and was taken to a hospital.
Toxicology tests showed her blood contained three times the recreational dose of MDMA.
Guerriau has expressed regret and highlighted the dangers of drug misuse.
Josso continues as an MP and campaigns against drug-facilitated assaults.
The Up Helly Aa festival is a fire festival in Shetland, Scotland, celebrating Norse heritage. It takes place annually in January when participants parade through Lerwick in Viking costumes and burn a replica Viking ship. The event includes locals and enthusiasts from various countries.
Key Facts
Up Helly Aa is an annual celebration of Norse heritage in Shetland, Scotland.
The festival features a parade in Lerwick, the capital of Shetland.
Participants, called "guizers," wear Viking costumes and carry torches.
A replica Viking long ship is burned as the main event of the festival.
Lynden Nicolson, the Guizer Jarl, led the parade after an 18-year wait.
The festival includes both adult and junior groups in the celebrations.
Around 1,000 torches are used to burn the replica ship, Skyldulid.
The event attracts visitors from places like Singapore and Canada.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized a Russian drone attack on a passenger train in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, which killed at least four people. The attack occurred amid ongoing Russian strikes targeting Ukraine's energy and transport systems. Russia has not commented on the incident.
Key Facts
A Russian drone attack hit a passenger train in Ukraine's north-eastern Kharkiv region.
At least four people died, and four others are missing from the attack.
The train carried over 200 passengers and was heading from Chop to Barvinkove.
Ukraine's president called the attack "terrorism" and said there was no military reason for it.
The train line is used by civilians and Ukrainian soldiers.
In a separate event, a Russian drone strike targeted Odesa, killing three and injuring 25 people.
Russia has been increasing drone and missile attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure.
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine recently occurred but left key issues unresolved.
The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic clock representing how close humanity is to global catastrophe, is now set at 85 seconds to midnight. This marks the closest point to disaster in its 80-year history. The change was announced by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, emphasizing growing risks.
Key Facts
The Doomsday Clock is now set at 85 seconds to midnight.
This is the closest setting to 'midnight' the clock has ever been.
Last year's setting was at 89 seconds to midnight.
The clock was created in 1947, during the Cold War.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists updates the clock to reflect global threats.
Alexandra Bell, the president and CEO of the organization, highlighted the urgency of the situation.
