👋 Hej!*
Welcome to Wednesday, where Ukraine targets Russian energy sites in a massive drone attack overnight, Serbia’s Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigns after months of anti-corruption protests and Lunar New Year celebrations kick off around the globe. Meanwhile, Haiko Tobias Prengel asks the big question in Germany’s Die Zeit: Is life better or worse when you own a car?
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🗞️ FRONT PAGE
“Vucevic resigned!” headlines Serbian tabloid Alo! after the country’s prime minister, Milos Vucevic, stepped down on Tuesday. The resignation came after weeks of mass protests which followed the collapse of a concrete canopy at a train station which killed 15 people. Students have been a major force in the protests, which have been focused on combating corruption and demanding accountability from the populist Vucevic and his government.
🌎 7 THINGS TO KNOW RIGHT NOW
• Netanyahu invited to meet Trump at White House next week. The Israeli prime minister is expected to meet the U.S. president on Feb. 4, his office said, adding that Netanyahu would be the first foreign leader to be invited to the White House under Trump’s second term. The meeting comes as an initial six-week ceasefire is being observed in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that two Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank overnight and into Wednesday. Read more about the war in Gaza in this Al-Manassa analysis, translated from Arabic by Worldcrunch.
• Ukrainian drone attack targets Russian energy infrastructure. Russian officials and media outlets reported on Wednesday that the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant, one of the largest power plants in the country, was targeted during a massive Ukrainian drone attack overnight, alongside other oil and energy sites. This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow would be willing to hold peace talks with Ukraine, although he ruled out speaking directly with President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him “illegitimate” as his presidential term expired during martial law. Zelensky responded that Putin was “afraid of negotiations” and was doing “everything possible to prolong the war.” For more, check this analysis translated from Russian by Worldcrunch: How A Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire Could Play Out Under Trump.
• Trump’s freeze on federal grants and loans blocked by federal judge. U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan temporarily blocked a push from President Donald Trump to pause hundreds of billions of dollars in federal aid, only minutes before the funding freeze was scheduled to take effect. This comes after several advocacy groups argued the measure would devastate programs ranging from health care to road construction. Meanwhile, the Trump administration said it has offered buyout packages to 2 million civilian full-time federal workers, in a major move designed to shrink and reform the U.S. government.
• DR Congo, Rwanda leaders in crisis talks as M23 rebels tighten grip over Goma. Democratic Republic Congo President Felix Tshisekedi is scheduled to meet Rwandan leader Paul Kagame for an emergency summit Wednesday, as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels appeared to have consolidated control over the city of nearly 2 million in just two days. The armed group took control of Goma’s airport on Tuesday, following days of intense clashes that killed more than 100 people. Check this piece from French analyst Pierre Haski: What's Reigniting War In Congo? Rare Minerals And Rwandan Genocide Ghosts.
• Stampede at India’s Kumbh Mela festival kills at least 12. A stampede at the world’s largest religious gathering in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh state has killed at least 12 people with many more injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and government officials have offered their condolences for the victims although there has been no confirmation on the number of casualties yet. Millions of people are expected to participate in a sacred day of ritual bathing on Wednesday at the six-week festival. Read more in this reportage from The Wire: Holy Pollution! Will The Ganges Survive World's Largest Hindu Festival?
• Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso formally leave ECOWAS. The junta-led West African nations have formally withdrawn from the regional political and economic bloc on Wednesday, following a yearlong process. This marks the first time since the 15-nation ECOWAS was founded back in 1975 that members have withdrawn in such a manner. Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso created their own security partnership, the Alliance of Sahel States, in September 2024.
• News Quiz! A Londoner visited 42 establishments in 24 hours, setting a new Guinness World Record. What kind of venues were they?
A. Pubs
B. Museums
C. Churches
D. Fish & chips shops
[Answer below]
#️⃣ BY THE NUMBERS
85%
A public opinion poll commissioned by Danish daily Berlingske showed that an estimated 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be part of the U.S. The poll comes less than a month after U.S. President Donald Trump said Denmark should give over control of the island, and refused to rule out the use of economic sanctions or military force to take it. The Danish defense minister announced earlier this week that the country would be investing $2.05 billion in boosting military capabilities in the arctic region, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
📹 ON THIS DAY VIDEO — 4 HISTORY-MAKING EVENTS, IN 57 SECONDS
➡️ Watch the video: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
🇸🇾 Supporters of the Assad regime rallied around the slogan “Assad forever.” But we have now seen what happens the day after "forever.” Egyptian writer Ezzat el-Kamhawi considers what that means for Syria and the region.
— AL-MANASSA
⚖️ Since 2021, Poland has been facing a humanitarian and migration crisis along its border with Belarus. In the meantime, volunteers have provided aid to migrants stuck between the two borders. Now, some may be prosecuted for their efforts.
— GAZETA WYBORCZA
🚗 Having your own car means unlimited freedom. Right? A study shows that yes, it can increase life satisfaction. But freedom is a myth, and dependency on your vehicle will reduce overall happiness.
— DIE ZEIT
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📣 VERBATIM
“I cannot be blackmailed.”
— Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saying “I cannot be blackmailed. I will not let myself be intimidated” in response to being put under judicial investigation on Tuesday, in connection with the Italian government’s freeing of Libyan General Osama Elmasry Njeem. The International Criminal Court demanded an explanation for the release of Njeem, detained for alleged crimes against humanity that include murder, torture, and rape. Italy said he was repatriated for “reasons of state security.”
✍️ Newsletter by Anne-Sophie Goninet & Jake Shropshire
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Quiz Answer: B. Ben Melham, 42, set a Guinness World Record by visiting 42 museums across London in 24 hours, traveling on his kick scooter. His journey included stops at the British Museum, Science Museum, and Natural History Museum, surpassing the previous record of 33 museums in Delhi. Melham aims to promote museum engagement and plans to set a new record for the most museums visited in a year.