AMERICA
Cyber Attacks, Legal Settlements, and Major News Highlights
1. Chinese Hackers Target US Treasury in Major Cyber Incident
Chinese state-sponsored hackers penetrated the United States Treasury and accessed unclassified documents via a compromised third-party software vendor. This particular incident though is part of a wider-ranging cyberespionage campaign dubbed “Salt Typhoon,” affecting telco companies within the United States. Treasury officials said there was no ongoing hacker access and that an investigation had been launched with the FBI and CISA. The compromised service is taken offline to avoid further intrusions.
2. Charges Filed in Liam Payne’s Death
An Argentinian judge has charged five people related to the death of ex-One Direction star Liam Payne. Two are accused of supplying the drug, while three are charged with homicide. Payne’s autopsy carried alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant before falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Investigators ruled it out as suicide and self-harm.
3. Tunisian Detainee Released from Guantanamo
The US determined Ridah bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a Tunisian, can be repatriated because he had never been charged with any crime, and he was held in Guantanamo Bay since it opened in 2002. This is the fourth detainee to be released within two weeks. It is yet another transfer that the Biden administration will be undertaking in downsizing the facility population. Al-Yazidi had been cleared for transfer a decade ago and returned to Tunisia after interagency and bilateral agreements. It had at present 26 detainees.
4. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Settle Divorce After 8 Years
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have ended up settling their divorce after about eight years of tussling over legal terms. The settlement includes custody of their six children and shared properties, although some disputes refer to their estate in France, Chateau Miraval. Jolie had filed for divorce in September 2016 due to “irreconcilable differences” and walls ran deep into differences regarding custody and property settlements. Although there are still court battles, the question of the marriage has been settled.
ASIA
Global Diplomacy, Health Crises, and Safety Concerns in Focus
1. Kim Jong Un Praises Putin, Strengthens Ties with Russia
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un endorsed the Russian president Vladimir Putin in his New Year message as the so-called “dearest friend,” wishing for diplomatic negotiations with Pyongyang for Russia’s success in Ukraine. The year started with the signing of a defense pact between the two nations and over 10,000 North Korean troops deployed to support Russia in the fight. Ukraine has even claimed that thousands of North Korean casualties were sustained in the fight, which speaks highly of the growing military collaboration of these two nations.
2. Hidden Practice of FGM in Pakistan’s Dawoodi Bohra Community
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still another hidden widespread issue that forms about 75-85% women among Dawoodi Bohra in Pakistan. Survivors speak up for life-long physical and emotional trauma, while critics cite an oppressive undertone to women’s sexuality. Presented as a cultural rite, it is silent as far as legal prohibition and public discourse in Pakistan is concerned. Activists call for engaging sensitively with the community to challenge and eradicate FGM.
3. Runway Design Under Scrutiny in Deadly South Korea Air Crash
In the case of an air crash, there was Jeju Air Flight 2216, which struck the concrete structure at the Muan Airport, killing 179 out of 181 passengers. Prior to attempting an emergency landing, the Boeing 737-800 had indicated a bird strike. The position of the embankment where a localiser antenna is housed is thus questioned by specialists, reasoning that such occurrences could be avoided through better design.
4. WHO Urges China for COVID-19 Origins Transparency
The WHO demanded China share information about the origins of COVID-19, declaring it a “moral and scientific imperative.” Beijing retorted that it had earlier furnished timely epidemic information as well as genetic sequences that could assist in the global response. This had come about at a time when the whole world was apparently ready to look back on the pandemic, precisely five years after its emergence in Wuhan.
MENA
Humanitarian Crises, Unemployment, and Geopolitical Struggles Intensify
1. Escalating Violence in Sudan Worsens Humanitarian Crisis
Khartoum saw very ferocious battles between the army and the RSF, killing thousands and attacking civilians with air strikes starvation and violence. Each side accuses the other of committing war crimes, including ethnic cleansing and violence against aid workers. It adds further to the extent of hunger and displacement. Humanitarian aid is critically limited, thus calling for urgent international intervention to protect civilians and develop relief efforts.
2. Guantanamo Detainee Repatriated to Tunisia
Now, leaving Guantanamo Bay after being detained without charges since 2002, this Tunisian detainee may soon walk into the liberated world outside Guantanamo. Ridah bin Saleh al-Yazidi is the fourth out of only two weeks which the Biden Administration has transferred. He was transferred after Tunisia agreed to accommodate him since 10 years back; his transfer for a decade was approved.
3. Saudi Unemployment Edges Up to 7.8% in Q3
Saudi citizens experienced rising unemployment rates from 7.1% in Q2 to 7.8% this third quarter of 2020, despite reforms made by the government to boost participation in the labor force. While the female participation in labor rose to 36.2%, the women unemployment rate was at 13.6%. Overall unemployment was pegged at 3.7%, which included expatriates under the Saudi system. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 concentrates mainly on the growth of the private sector and the creation of private sector jobs.
4. 12 Months of Devastation in Gaza
Israel’s war against Gaza has claimed at least 45,541 Palestinian lives and injured 108,338. It has been going on since October 7, 2023. More than 2 million Palestinians are facing catastrophic and desperate conditions, without enough food or medicine, without homes, and the health system lies in shatters. Now, they are living in overcrowded refugee camps, with the most tragic stories such as infants dying from the cold bringing to light the immense suffering in Gaza.
EUROPE
Europe’s Economic, Political, and Space Developments Shape 2025
1. Anti-Tourism Protests in Europe: What’s Next for 2025?
Antitorism protests have erupted around the European cities in 2024 like Barcelona, Venice, and Amsterdam condemning the local scene’s overtourism effects on housing, environment, and everyday life. Thus, for cities, the measures would include limiting short-term rentals and establishing bans on the development of any new hotels. The year 2025 will see not only more protests but also tougher and stricter regulations as residents will call for less tourism in order to save them from the crisis.
2. Romania Approves Economic Plan to Slash Deficit
Romania’s new government approved the economic plan targeting a budget deficit reduction from 8.5% to 7% of gross domestic product by 2025. The overall plan comprises tax increases and cuts in public sector wages and subsidies, following which protests erupted in Bucharest due to the pay cuts. Prime Minister Ciolacu stressed the fact that these plans have temporary application and are necessary for stability.
3. Scholz Slams Social Media Influence on German Election
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reportedly said that this election would be for the people to decide and not sometime with social media influence, such as Elon Musk, who endorsed the far-right AfD party in Germany. Scholz blasted Musk for just adding to his meddling, calling for togetherness amid the recent onslaughts and misleading information. He attributed the wrong rumors circling about a deadly Christmas market attack in Magdeburg.
4. Space Achievements of 2024: Ariane 6, Starship Tests, and Starliner Setbacks
SpaceX led the way with its 134 launches in 2024, including three tests of Starship. In July, Europe’s ESA launched the Ariane 6 rocket and reclaimed space autonomy. The Boeing Starliner had a failing streak resulting in astronauts being stranded on the ISS. Eyes now turn to late 2025 as it would be the launch time for the first ever orbital satellite on European soil, with ESA’s Space Rider test flight also taking off that year along with ongoing developments on the Starship.
