January 6, 2025 (Monday)

3.3 minutes to read

Armed conflicts and attacks

Three Israelis are killed and eight others are injured in a mass shooting attack by Palestinian gunmen firing at a bus and two vehicles on Highway 55 in Al-Funduq in the West Bank.

(BBC News)

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A Russian drone attacks a civilian passenger bus in Kherson, Ukraine, reportedly killing at least one person and injuring at least nine others.

(Reuters)

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The death toll in the vehicle-ramming attack at the Magdeburg Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, on December 20, increases to six after a 52-year-old woman dies from injuries sustained in the attack.

(BBC News)

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The South Korean military reports that North Korea has fired what appears to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, in what would be the country's first missile launch in two months. The launch comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Seoul, South Korea, for talks with South Korean leaders.

(BBC News)

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French President Emmanuel Macron states that France was right to intervene militarily in the African Sahel against Islamist militants, and states that he is still waiting for the Sahel states to "thank" France while also denying that the French military was forced out of the region.

(Reuters)

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A bomb blast attributed to Maoist rebels in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, India, kills eight police officers and a driver traveling in a police vehicle.

(Reuters)

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Two people are killed and two others are injured in an IED attack at a school near Abuja, Nigeria, with police identifying three men as suspects in bringing the device to the site.

(Reuters)

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Business and economy

According to Slovakia, a planned meeting between Slovak, Ukrainian, and European Commission officials over gas supplies scheduled for Tuesday has been cancelled due to Ukraine's refusal to participate in the meeting.

(Reuters)

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The Brazilian government announces that Indonesia has joined the BRICS trade bloc as a full member.

(Reuters)

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Davivienda, of Colombia, and Scotiabank, of Canada, announced a merger where Davivienda absorbs Scotiabank operations in Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama, and, in turn, Scotiabank acquires 20% of the stakes in Davivienda.

(Scotiabank)

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Disasters and accidents

Several miners are trapped in a coal mine in Dima Hasao, Assam, India, with rescue efforts underway involving the State Disaster Response Force, the National Disaster Response Force, and the Indian Army. Local authorities state that flooding may have caused the incident.

(Reuters)

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Health and environment

The United States reports its first death from H5N1 bird flu after a man died in the hospital in Louisiana.

(Reuters)

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International relations

The Venezuelan government suspends diplomatic relations with Paraguay, after Paraguayan President Santiago Peña recognized Edmundo González as president-elect of Venezuela.

(Reuters)

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The International Committee of the Red Cross announces plans to expand its operations in Syria beyond an initial US$100 million program, citing urgent needs in the health, water, and power sectors.

(Reuters)

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Law and crime

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello says that 125 foreign citizens have been arrested on suspicion of serving as United States mercenaries in order to cause a coup in Venezuela.

(The Times of Israel)

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Germany reports a significant increase in far-right crime, primarily from increasing online expression offenses and hate speech, as well as an increase in Israel–Hamas war-related resentment.

(Reuters)

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The Court of Appeal of Malaysia orders a lower court to reconsider former Prime Minister Najib Razak's claim of a royal order granting him home detention, which he alleges was issued alongside his reduced prison sentence for his involvement in the 1MDB corruption scandal. The ruling follows the disclosure of a letter confirming the existence of such an order, which the government asserts they have not received.

(Reuters)

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Politics and elections

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party and also announces that he will resign as Prime Minister once a new Liberal Party leader is chosen.

(BBC News)

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Pope Francis appoints Sister Simona Brambilla as Prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, becoming the Vatican's first female prefect of the Roman Curia.

(Vatican News)

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More than 50 Haredi Jews join the Israel Defense Forces for the first time since the start of the Israel–Hamas war, forming the Haredi Hasmonean Brigade, after repeated protests against the conscription of yeshiva students.

(The Economic Times), (The Jewish Chronicle)

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The King of Denmark officially changes the Danish coat of arms to feature Greenland and the Faroe Islands more prominently, following suggestions from United States president-elect Donald Trump about the nation purchasing Greenland.

(The Guardian)

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Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen gives a mandate to form the new post-election government to the Freedom Party's leader Herbert Kickl after the Austrian People's Party failed to form a government. However, Kickl is still expected to rule within a coalition of the two parties.

(DW)

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The President of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova, dismisses the Government of Prime Minister Patrice Trovoada.

(Africa News)

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