Bolu (Turkey) (AFP) – A huge fire at a ski resort has killed at least 66 people in northwestern Turkey, where authorities have arrested four people, including the owner of the stricken hotel. The blaze began at around 3:30am local time, ripping through the wooden-clad building, in which 238 guests were staying, according to Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Tijuana (Mexico) (AFP) – Migrants at the US-Mexico border feel the brunt of President Donald Trump’s immediate crackdown, with the Biden administration’s CBP One app dropping offline and asylum appointments canceled just minutes after his return to office. “It’s one of the saddest days of my life,” says Francisco Tordecilla, one of many who has made the dangerous journey through Central America.
Washington (AFP) – “I have a warm spot for TikTok that I didn’t have originally,” says US President Donald Trump, after giving the Chinese-owned app a 75-day grace period from a law that would ban it on national security grounds. The executive order came on the first day of Trump’s second term in office and ran in seeming contrast to his first term, during which he himself tried to ban TikTok.
Beijing (AFP) – China says it is “concerned” by the US withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, which was ordered by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office. “Climate change is a common challenge faced by all of humanity,” says foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun.
Tibú (Colombia) (AFP) – “It’s a little cramped,” says gravedigger Ricardo Pabon, who has been working hard in the wake of an outburst of violence in three Colombian departments. At least 100 people were killed as rival militias clashed over five days, leaving cemeteries and morgues full to capacity. Officials say almost 20,000 people were displaced by the fighting, which has triggered a state of emergency and the deployment of thousands of troops.
Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump vowed a new “golden age” as he took the oath for a historic second US presidential term Monday, painting a picture of an America in decline that only his hardline policies can restore to glory.
Chiayi City (Taiwan) (AFP) – CCTV footage shows the moment a 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan. Dozens of people were injured in the incident, with firefighters rescuing people in Tainan who were trapped in a collapsed house.
Tijuana (Mexico) (AFP) – Dozens of migrants wait in Tijuana for information regarding their migration appointments as US President Donald Trump ends the use of a border app called CBP One, which has allowed people to legally enter the United States to work. Trump vowed to deport “millions and millions” of undocumented migrants as he was sworn in after running an election campaign that focused on illegal immigration. IMAGES
Bangkok (AFP) – Cutting into stacks of cotton in a Bangkok warehouse, Thai authorities unveil 1.65 tonnes of crystal meth, the kingdom’s largest-ever seizure of the drug. Thailand sits by the “Golden Triangle”, where its border meets Laos and Myanmar, a major route for the transport of illicit drugs.
Ramat Gan (Israel) (AFP) – Three hostages freed by Hamas reunite with their families in Israel as a ceasefire between the Israeli army and the militant group begins. The initial 42-day truce — which follows more than 15 months of war — will see the release of 33 hostages held in Gaza, in return for around 1,900 Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel. Ninety Palestinians were freed as part of the first hostage-prisoner swap of the truce’s first phase.
Beitunia (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Crowds greet the first Palestinian prisoners released as part of the hostage-prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas, as the first phase of a ceasefire begins. Brokered by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, the initial 42-day truce will see 33 Israeli hostages returned in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians, and will allow the entrance of much-needed humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza.
Matamoros (Mexico) (AFP) – Images of the Mexico-US border in Matamoros ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration for a second term as US President. The Republican vowed to unleash a blitz of executive orders undoing outgoing President Joe Biden’s legacy, and to launch immediate deportations of undocumented migrants. IMAGES
