January 28, 2025

Daily News Brief

*) Over 300K displaced Palestinians return to North Gaza Over 300,000 displaced Palestinians journeyed back to northern Gaza under a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, according to media office in the enclave. The truce, effective since January 19, ended 470 days of Israeli genocidal war on Gaza that claimed over 47,300 lives, with countless more wounded and missing. The International Criminal Court issued war crimes warrants for Israeli leadership, while the nation faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice. *) Congolese troops surrender, civilians flee as M23 rebels seize key city Chaos grips eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as M23 rebels seize key city of Goma, forcing hundreds, including UN staff, to flee to Rwanda. Dozens of DRC troops reportedly surrendered at the border. Inmates staged a fiery escape at Goma’s prison, with 10 killed and 4,400 fleeing. Gunfire echoed, businesses shuttered and Rwanda faces fresh accusations of aiding the rebels while President Paul Kagame denies the claims. DRC's government calls for calm and unity as tensions escalate across borders and airspace remains a flashpoint. *)UN chief calls for sustained US foreign aid after Trump's cut The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised concerns over US President Donald Trump’s pause on foreign aid, emphasising its critical role for vulnerable communities worldwide. Calling for additional exemptions, Guterres stressed the need to sustain humanitarian efforts. The move stems from a 90-day review of US aid alignment with foreign policy, impacting allies like Ukraine and Jordan. The US provides more foreign aid globally than any other country, budgeting about $60 billion in 2023, or about 1 percent of the US budget. *) India and China agree to resume direct flights India and China are gearing up to restore direct flights, nearly five years after the pandemic and border clashes froze ties. The breakthrough announced during a senior Indian diplomat's visit to Beijing signals warming relations between the two populous neighbours. Both nations pledged to rebuild trust, tackle trade issues, and resume a revered Hindu pilgrimage. Talks are set to finalise flight arrangements soon. *) DeepSeek launch wipes out $1 trillion in US tech stocks Global tech shares took a $1 trillion hit after China's AI app DeepSeek outpaced US rival ChatGPT in downloads. Nvidia led losses, shedding $600 billion in market value—the largest in US history—while Nasdaq fell 3.1 percent. US President Trump called DeepSeek's rise a "wake-up call" for American firms. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index saw its steepest drop since 2020. Meanwhile, DeepSeek faced a cyberattack, further fueling volatility as investors sought safe havens in bonds and currencies.