Power Shifts: Gaza's Stalemate, Trump’s Pardons, and Biden’s Final Acts

Good Morning,

Hamas remains in control of Gaza despite 15 months of war with Israel, President Donald Trump pardoned 1,500 Capitol rioters following his swearing into office, and Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons for three of his siblings, two of their spouses, and several other figures, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley in his last hours as president.

Top Stories

• After 15 months of war, Hamas still rules over what remains of Gaza (AP)

• After taking office, Trump pardons 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants (RT)

• South African humanitarian in pro-Israeli crosshairs over Palestine support (AJ)

• Biden pardons his family in final minutes in office (CNBC)

• Taliban say 2 Americans held in Afghanistan were freed in a prisoner exchange (AP)

• Withdrawal From Climate Pact Is Part of Flurry of Day 1 Orders (NYT)

• Germany’s Economy Contracts for Second Straight Year as Tariff Threat Looms (WSJ)

• CNN found guilty for defaming US navy veteran evacuating Afghans for a fee (AJ)

• Trump announces US withdrawal from World Health Organization (CNN)

• Trump launches sweeping border crackdown, mass deportation push (RT)

• Russian attack kills at least 3 in Kyiv as Ukrainian drone strikes set Russian fuel stores alight (AP)

• EU New Car Registrations Rose in 2024 (WSJ)

• EU plans ban on 'forever chemicals' in consumer products (RT)

• Colombia’s president will declare an emergency over deadly ELN attacks in the northeast (AP)

United States and Canada

• A$AP Rocky trial set to begin on charges he fired a gun at a former friend (AP)

• Civil rights, immigrant advocates sue over Trump birthright citizenship order (RT)

• Border Patrol Agent Is Killed in Vermont Shooting (NYT)

• North Carolina Democratic state lawmaker resigns after terminal cancer diagnosis (AP)

• Trump Signs Two Orders to Dismantle Equity Policies (NYT)

• Biden commutes sentence of Leonard Peltier, Indigenous activist convicted in 1975 killings of 2 FBI agents (CNN)

• No tariffs on day one, but Trump promises to ‘drill, baby, drill’ (AJ)

• Biden pardons Fauci, Milley and the Jan. 6 panel. It’s a guard against potential ‘revenge’ by Trump (AP)

• Trump pauses US foreign development aid for 90 days pending review (RT)

Africa

• DRC: Amnesty International condemns use of explosive weapons (AN)

• Gang leader 'Tiger' evades South African police after 78 mine deaths (RT)

• Rights group accuses Congo’s army and a rebel group of possible war crimes (AP)

• Death toll in Nigeria gas tanker explosion rises to 98 (AN)

• Zimbabwe anticipates lithium prices to justify $270 mln project with China (RT)

• Tanzania confirms case of Marburg virus disease (AN)

• South Sudan says 16 Sudanese nationals killed in last week's unrest (RT)

Middle East

• Longest-serving Palestinian inmate among prisoners to be deported under swap (RT)

• Mother of missing journalist Austin Tice says Trump team offered help in search (AP)

• UN says 915 aid trucks entered Gaza on Monday (RT)

• Palestinian child killed by Israeli sniper despite ceasefire (AJ)

• Hamas Official Says Group Is Ready for ‘Dialogue With America’ (NYT)

• EU considers 'staged approach' to suspending Syria sanctions (RT)

• Yemen's Houthis to target only Israel-linked vessels following Gaza deal (RT)

Indo-Pacific

• Australian state commits more police to investigate antisemitic crime (AP)

• South Korea's Yoon attends impeachment trial over bid to impose martial law (RT)

• Landslide kills 16 in Indonesia's Central Java, official says (RT)

• China executes two men for committing deadly ‘revenge on society crimes’ (AJ)

• The Chinese president’s envoy meets with Vance and Musk on the eve of Trump’s inauguration (AP)

• Malaysia seeks gag order on talk of jailed ex-PM Najib's bid to reveal royal document (RT)

• China says it brokered a ceasefire between Myanmar army and an ethnic rebel group (AP)

Europe

• Chancellor hopeful says Germany should focus on existing NATO spending target (RT)

• Sequel to Prince Harry’s feud with British tabloids begins in high-stakes trial (AP)

• U.K. Teen Pleads Guilty to Murder of 3 Girls in Dance Class Stabbing Attack (NYT)

• Oxfam says billionaires’ wealth soared in 2024, with 4 ‘minted’ every week (AJ)

• Wake up and spend more on defense, Macron tells Europe as Trump takes office (AP)

• Putin congratulates Trump before inauguration, says open to talks on Ukraine, nuclear arms (RT)

• Trump's presidency will set off a new right-wing surge in Europe, PM Orban says (RT)

Latin America

• Trump revokes Biden removal of Cuba from US state sponsors of terrorism list (RT)

• Trump seeks to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations (AP)

• Ataque a bala contra Gordo 40 y Danny 40: Policía vigila clínica donde están gravemente heridos (SM)

• Trump says will likely stop buying oil from Venezuela (RT)

• Crisis interna: Oficialista revela que el bloque arcista se fragmenta de a poco en Diputados (ANF)

• Un gobernador y un intendente, entre los argentinos invitados a la asunción de Trump: “Es un privilegio estar acá” (CA)

• Edmundo González rumbo a la toma de posesión de Donald Trump: «¡Venezuela presente!» (LN)