Author: News Desk

While headlines scream of ship bombings and oil tanker threats in the Red Sea, the reality paints a more nuanced picture. Houthi attacks, primarily aimed at garnering regional support, have had minimal impact on the overall power balance. However, the disruption to global trade, particularly for China and India, has spurred these Asian giants to push for de-escalation. Limited damage: Despite media hype, actual damage to ships and tankers from the attacks remains small. Both sides operate within agreed-upon “rules of engagement,” preventing a full-blown conflict. However, the impact on global trade, especially for countries heavily reliant on the Red…

United States: Former US President Donald Trump solidified his path to a third consecutive Republican presidential nomination after defeating Nikki Haley in the GOP primary in New Hampshire. Following months of intense campaigning in the state, Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, finished second in the Republican primary. Trump won by a double-digit margin over Haley, earning his second clear-cut triumph following the Iowa caucuses one week prior. In Iowa’s caucuses last week, the former president prevailed handily. A few days later, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis abruptly withdrew from the Republican race, leaving Haley as Trump’s sole opponent.…

United States: A UN expert has issued a warning, claiming that peaceful protestors are the targets of “toxic discourse” and that environmental activists are facing a “severe crackdown” in the UK. During a recent visit to the UK, Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders, reported learning of “extremely worrying information” regarding “an increasingly severe crackdown.” In a statement on Tuesday, he warned that “regressive laws” were being used to punish environmental and climate activists severely, “including in relation to the exercise of the right to peaceful protest.” “The right to protest is a basic human right. It…

London: The House of Lords, part of the UK Parliament, advised the Conservative government against ratifying a Rwanda migration agreement. This advisory vote, while largely symbolic, indicates growing opposition to the controversial proposal to send certain asylum seekers to Rwanda. The Lords voted 214 to 171 on Monday to postpone the treaty, central to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s strategy to address legal obstacles to the deportation plan imposed by the UK Supreme Court. The Lords, comprising appointed members, supported a motion demanding evidence of Rwanda’s safety before ratification. Former diplomat John Kerr, a member of the Lords, stated the Rwanda policy…

Cameroon: The world’s first malaria vaccine was rolled out in Cameroon, reportedly marking a “transformative chapter in Africa’s public health history.” Children in the West African nation will receive 662,000 doses of the RTS,S vaccine. The first to receive vaccinations following the medication’s successful trials in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi in 2019 and 2021. It follows successful trial programmes in Kenya, Ghana, and Malawi, where Unicef reports that the vaccine reduced malaria deaths in children of qualifying age by 13 percent. In Africa, where 95 percent of malaria-related deaths occur, the majority of which affect children under five, this signifies…

United Kingdom: The Houthi militant group, which is aligned with Iran, is still attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. As a result, the United States and the United Kingdom have launched a new round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Since November, the Houthis, who hold sway over a large portion of Yemen, have attacked dozens of ships in the main waterway, disrupting international maritime trade and igniting fears about the effects on the world economy. Targeting a Houthi underground storage facility as well as missile and surveillance capabilities, the US and UK announced on Monday that they…

Germany: Thousands of Germans demonstrated against the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the country’s towns and cities. Protests against the AfD took place on Sunday in Leipzig, Dresden, and other traditional AfD voting strongholds in eastern Germany, in addition to Berlin, Munich, and Cologne. According to national polls, the AfD is trailing the main centre-right opposition bloc but ahead of the government parties. However, demonstrations against the far-right party gained momentum after an investigative news website reported on January 10th that a meeting of right-wing extremists in Germany regarding immigration policies had discussed mass deportations of foreign nationals.…

Israel: Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, has turned down a proposal by Hamas to stop the war, free the prisoners, withdraw Israeli forces, and acknowledge the armed group’s rule over Gaza. Mr. Netanyahu claimed that Israel’s soldiers had “fallen in vain” and that accepting Hamas’ demands would mean leaving the armed group “intact.” Netanyahu is facing increasing domestic pressure to free the prisoners. “I reject outright the terms of surrender of the monsters of Hamas. If we accept this, we won’t be able to guarantee the safety of our citizens. We will not be able to bring evacuees home…

Bristol: The Met Office has issued amber wind warnings for most of the UK, signaling a serious threat from Storm Isha expected tonight. This rare alert highlights the potential “danger to life” in certain areas. Storm Isha, the ninth since September, could bring winds up to 80mph, leading to power cuts, road and bridge closures, and disruptions in rail and bus services. Two amber warnings, effective from Sunday 6pm to Monday morning, cover central, eastern, and western England, along with all of Wales, sparing only London and parts of the South East. The Met Office warns of significant power cuts,…

Ukraine: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Russian troops have installed mines at a nuclear station in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Oblast, an area under occupation. This action, directly contradicting IAEA safety standards, has raised global concerns, particularly from IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. In response to the escalating situation, the United States has advised Kyiv to adopt a ‘more conservative approach’ towards the Russian invasion, instead of initiating new ground offensives to reclaim territory. A Western official involved in Ukraine policy suggested that both sides are unlikely to make significant operational breakthroughs in 2024. They recommended an…