The edition of
Friday 31 January 2025
17 stories, section by section, the most important first.
International
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre escape after security guards shoot down one of two drones hovering over Villa Somalia in Mogadishu, Somalia. The drones are believed to be used by ISIL and Al-Shabaab. This comes after previous Somali Civil Aviation Authority warnings.
The Sudanese Armed Forces announce that they have nearly captured all of Bahri, Khartoum State, Sudan.
Russian forces launch ballistic missiles at the centre of Odesa and its port, severely damaging numerous civilian buildings, including the historic Bristol Hotel. At least two people are reportedly injured.
An improvised explosive device left by cartel members detonates in San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, killing two villagers and injuring a third.
Two people are killed and ten others are injured during Israeli airstrikes in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon.
The Congolese military launches a counterattack against M23 rebels in South Kivu province with the assistance of the Burundian military.
Philippine President Bongbong Marcos states that he is careful of possible surveillance of the country's air and naval bases as well as the movement of vessels supplying Philippine garrisons in the South China Sea following a series of arrests of suspected Chinese spies in the Philippines.
Politics
An agreement is reached among five Belgian political parties to form a new coalition government to be headed by future prime minister Bart De Wever.
The Hellenic Parliament fails to elect the new President of Greece in the second round, calling for a third round of voting on February 6.
Business
Following boycotts in Croatia on January 24, and in conjunction with a follow-up boycott in the country, residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia start a boycott of retail stores in response to rising prices.
Multinational telecoms company BT Group announces that it will layoff 55,000 employees across its global workforce citing a significant drop in revenue in 2024 and "challenges in international markets".
The Law
Venezuela frees six American hostages after U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions Richard Grenell meets with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Philippine National Bureau of Investigation agents arrest 100 people in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines, for allegedly running an online scam operation as offshore gaming operators are banned in the country.
Myanmar's ruling military junta extends the country's state of emergency for another six months.
Environment
A Learjet 55 air ambulance crashes in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, after departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, killing all six people onboard and damaging multiple homes and businesses. One person on the ground is also killed and 19 more injured.
Five people are killed and two more injured in Aghjabadi, Azerbaijan, after a child accidentally detonates a discovered hand grenade in their house.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reports that the Palisades and Eaton fires are contained.
Stories adapted from Wikipedia’s Current events portal for 31 January 2025, by Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.