DAILY NEWS Stream – January 09, 2025

Syria’s Foreign Minister al-Shibani leads delegation to Qatar, meeting Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed as part of regional diplomatic outreach after Assad’s fall (Reuters)

Syria: Damascus airport resumes international flights, with Qatar Airways planning routes after 13-year pause (Al Jazeera)

Global charity the Red Cross [ICRC] plans major expansion in Syria beyond its initial US$100 million program to address critical health, water and power infrastructure needs (Reuters)

Poland drafts evacuation plans in event of natural disasters and military threats, prompted by Ukraine war and flood risks, with at least 0.3% of annual GDP [gross domestic product] required to be spent on upgrading evacuation readiness (AP)

Canada’s manufacturing activity reaches 22-month high in December as US clients stockpile inventory ahead of US President Trump’s planned 25% tariffs (Reuters)

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visits President Trump at Mar-a-Lago [Florida, US] ahead of His inauguration, aiming to strengthen US-Italy ties and open “diplomatic bridge” between the US and EU (Reuters)

President Donald Trump’s victory officially certified by defeated rival Kamala Harris, who as outgoing vice president presided over the Congressional recognition process (Sky News)

Leading economists including former US Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke say President Trump’s planned tariffs and tax cuts will not cause significant inflation in the US (Reuters)

Ouagadougou [Burkina Faso]: Over 2.5 million displaced people face denial of their existence by military junta, as government claims improved security while hiding humanitarian crisis (AP)

President Trump names conservative analyst Tammy Bruce as State Department spokesperson, citing her strong support for MAGA [Make America Great Again] movement (baha.com)

President Trump nominates Estonia-born lawyer Roman Pipko as US ambassador to Estonia, bringing legal expertise in European affairs and sanctions enforcement (Politico)

President Trump urges Congress Republicans to pass His agenda in a single, massive bill, combining tax cuts, border security and energy policies, all funded by import tariffs (Reuters)

US: President Trump appoints former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus as deputy Middle East envoy, despite her past criticism of His policies, with the President hoping she will help “bring calm and prosperity to a very troubled region. I expect great results, and soon!” (The Times of Israel)

US tech billionaire Elon Musk withdraws support from UK Reform party leader Nigel Farage, saying he “doesn’t have what it takes” and should quit after Farage publicly disagreed that jailed political activist Tommy Robinson, who exposed the UK rape gang scandals, should be freed (Reuters)

Former US President Jimmy Carter’s six-day state funeral, which began in his hometown of Plains [Georgia], culminates in official funeral service at Washington DC on January 9, 2025, followed by a return to Plains for private final ceremony and burial (France 24)

2025 welcomes rare twin elephants at Kenya’s Shimba Hills National Reserve, marking third such birth in three years (Africa News)

China: 48 million government workers receive first nationwide pay raise since 2015, injecting up to US$20 billion to boost slowing economy (Reuters)

Ghana grants citizenship to 524 diaspora members, mainly Black Americans whose ancestors were taken to the New World in the 17th century, as they find cultural connection and safety in their ancestral homeland (AP)

Hong Kong TV company Television Broadcasts Limited partners with Asian American producers to create bilingual [Asian-English] shows, opening new opportunities for Asian talent globally (AP)

Indonesia launches US$28 billion free meals program through 2029 to feed 90 million children and pregnant women, addressing widespread malnutrition (AP)

Le Havre [France]: Police seize over 2 metric tons of cocaine worth an estimated €130 million, arresting two men as European authorities intensify port security (Reuters)

Montenegro tightens gun laws after mass shooting by a drunk man kills 12 and wounds four in Cetinje, as protesters demand resignations over delayed police response (Reuters)

Myanmar frees more than 6,000 prisoners on its Independence Day, including 180 foreigners, and reduces some sentences (AP)

South Korea: Fishing vessel hits rock and capsizes off southwestern island, leaving three dead among 22 people aboard (Reuters)

UK becomes first European nation to join a major Indo-Pacific trading bloc, becoming 12th member of the CPTPP [Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership] accessing market of 500 million people that is worth 15% of global GDP [gross domestic product] (Inquirer.net)

Darke County [Ohio, US] found bird flu in more than 931,000 chickens, while officials claim human risk remains low (cleveland.com)

First human bird flu death in US reported in Louisiana as person over 65 with pre-existing conditions dies after exposure to infected backyard birds (OPB)

World Health Organization [WHO] warns of 11 diseases threatening pandemics in 2025, including mysterious Disease X that killed 31 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Daily Record)

Nigeria: Lagos Country Club launches “Swim Against Malaria” campaign to raise awareness on prevention and treatment, as malaria kills 400,000 Nigerians yearly (Punch)

US top doctor Surgeon General Vivek Murthy calls for cancer warnings on alcohol, similar to cigarette labels, linking the drinks to seven types of cancer, with alcohol directly causing 100,000 new cases yearly in the US (BBC)

Study shows smokers are up to 11 times more likely to quit if their romantic partner also quits, suggesting similar benefits when going vegan with a partner (Effective Altruism Forum)

University of Bristol [UK] develops smartwatch app that detects smoking motions and sends supportive messages urging users to quit (The Telegraph)

6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes El Salvador, reports European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (Reuters)

Crimea [Ukraine]: Oil spill from damaged Russian tankers reaches Sevastopol, spilling 2,400 metric tons of heavy fuel and sparking another ecological disaster weeks after initial Black Sea spill (France 24)

Russia declares emergency in occupied Crimea [Ukraine] and clears 86,000 metric tons of contaminated sand after oil spill kills dolphins, porpoises, and birds along the Black Sea (Reuters)

UK and Germany face severe disruption as heavy snow forces airport closures and causes transport chaos (AP)

US: Massive winter storm threatens 30 Midwest and eastern states with record snow and cold, prompting five states to declare emergencies as temperatures plummet (BBC)

Yobe [Nigeria]: Five northern districts face worst drought and desertification in the state, forcing displacement of farmers and causing crop failures amid rising temperatures (Daily Trust)

“Moving to the mountaintops”: Rising seas displace 40,000 people in Papua New Guinea over past decade (The Guardian)

AI [artificial intelligence]’s massive energy demands are fueling the climate crisis, consuming 9% of Texas [US] electricity, and requiring enormous amounts of water to keep data centers cooled down, threatening communities’ drinking supplies (Good Men Project)

Amsterdam [Netherlands]: Greenpeace environmental activists protest at Schiphol Airport against KLM airline’s short-haul flights, demanding cancellation of routes to Brussels, Paris, and London in favor of eco-friendlier train travel (Aviaci Online)

Analysis: Methane, a potent greenhouse gas that traps 84 times more heat than CO2 [carbon dioxide] over 20 years, urgently demands attention. Monitoring leaks, capping abandoned oil wells, and reducing reliance on methane polluting industries are critical to mitigating its climate impact and ensuring a sustainable future (The Hill)

Canadian insurance claims from extreme weather reach record US$5.6 billion in 2024, up from US$489 million a decade ago, as climate impacts accelerate (The Globe and Mail)

Global methane levels in the atmosphere rising faster than ever, reaching 61 million metric tons yearly, with human activities causing two-thirds of emissions, according to Global Methane Budget 2024 (Cosmos Magazine)

Scientists at Antarctic emergency summit warn catastrophic sea level rise is possible within our lifetime as ice sheets melt faster than expected (Pearls and Irritations)

South Korea’s apple farmers head to north of country as climate crisis heats up, making traditional growing regions too warm for cultivation (Korea JoongAng Daily)

UK report urges at least 20% reduction in meat and dairy consumption by 2050 to reach national climate goals, with shift to plant-based foods offering significant emissions reductions (Vegan For The Animals)

World Meteorological Organization [WMO] warns record heat of 2024 likely to continue in 2025, accelerating climate change impacts (VOA)

Controversy over US startup Equatic’s new machine that traps CO2 [carbon dioxide] in ocean water, as environmentalists highlight risks of harming marine life and disturbing delicate ocean chemistry (BBC)

Christchurch [New Zealand]: Animal Justice Party condemns US$20,000 plan to euthanize 1,000 Canada geese in January, calling it a cruel waste of taxpayers’ money and urging humane alternatives (Scoop)

Brazil to soon start issuing free pet ID## [identification] cards with collar QR ##[quick response] scan codes to address abandonment and track animal welfare (Agência Brasil)

California [US] protects wildlife by banning second-generation anticoagulant rat poisons statewide starting January 2025, with limited exceptions (Animal Legal Defense Fund)

Durham [North Carolina, US] Mayor Leonardo Williams launches citywide vegan challenge for Veganuary [Vegan January], promoting environmental benefits through plant-based diets (CBS17)

Indian actress ##Adah Sharma (vegan) recognized as PETA [People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals] India’s 2024 Person of the Year for promoting animal rights, donating a mechanical elephant to a Kerala temple, and campaigning against leather (Telangana Today)

US passes Working Dog Health and Welfare Act, ensuring 5,500 federal agency working dogs receive proper medical care, housing and exercise (American Humane)

Reflective quote of the day: “Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.” – Henri Nouwen