MONEY

This year is likely to be one of the most pivotal in Myanmar’s modern history.

The country is embroiled in a civil war, ignited by the military’s 2021 coup against an elected government.

Fighting has escalated and the military regime, which calls itself the State Administration Council (SAC), has suffered mounting defeats. It has responded to the loss of control over border regions and swaths of territory to opposition forces with indiscriminate air attacks and atrocities against civilians.

The military’s most formidable opposition – a coalition of ethnic armed groups – now controls most of Rakhine state in the country’s east and from the border with China to the city of Mandalay in the north.

Another major opposition force is the National Unity Government (NUG) – described as Myanmar’s shadow government – in exile, which oversees a loose collection of anti-regime groups known as the People’s Defence Force (PDF).

The NUG faces challenges in gaining diplomatic recognition on the international front and its fighters are struggling to capture urban areas on the home front.

Al Jazeera spoke with NUG Acting President Duwa Lashi La about the movement’s military and political strategy in 2025 and the war’s likely end game.

Al Jazeera: Please describe the NUG’s strategy for 2025.

Duwa Lashi La: In 2025, we would like to accelerate the wave of our revolution. Although it began with very little resources, the revolution has become stronger. In 2022, we formed armed forces. In 2023, we could launch military operations. In 2025, we are seeking the end game. The people of Myanmar have suffered too much for all these years. We have to bear all these atrocities, while the world just watches on.

In 2025, we are aiming for the complete elimination of evil [regime leader] Min Aung Hlaing from our soil.

Armed revolution is a vital focus, but it’s not the only one. It’s politically important to have inclusive participation of all the armed forces. It’s also very important to have strong diplomatic cooperation with the international community and to gain more support from them.

Another important factor is good communication with the public, and good governing in our controlled areas. We’re aiming to improve in all these areas in the new year. To achieve that, we have a strategic plan.

Al Jazeera: What do you think will happen in 2025?

Duwa Lashi La: We aim to reach a tipping point in 2025, a similar situation to Syria when al-Assad fled the country.

We have to strike a final blow against the SAC.

Parts of the international community, such as the ICC [International Criminal Court], are also attempting to prosecute Min Aung Hlaing. We completely support this. It would be great if the international community could arrest him. We’ll also continue our effort to prosecute him within our country from every way possible.

However, international intervention is essential in this transitional period.

With simultaneous and collaborative attempts between the international community and resistance forces against the SAC, we believe the SAC would be destroyed at once.

It’s very important to cut off the financial flow to the SAC to achieve this goal. The military is backed by strong resources that they have acquired from decades of controlling the country. We need to stop this.

The international community should also stop purchasing from Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise, a huge financial source for the military. Additionally, the international community should stop providing jet fuel and selling weapons to the military.

I strongly urge the international community to stop communicating with the SAC, associating with them and recognizing them.

Al Jazeera: Does the NUG consider itself a leader of the nationwide revolution?

Duwa Lashi La: The NUG is at the frontline of the revolution, as the people of Myanmar elected us to lead it.

The international community needs to recognize this mandate.

Although certain ethnic resistance organizations (EROs) don’t exactly recognize the NUG as a central government, we are performing as one. We are also in consultation with various ethnic armed groups. Some EROs see the NUG as a common, central body that they support. So, our duty is to fulfil this role. That is why we cannot lose this revolution.

Al Jazeera: Recently you called for the return of NUG ministers to Myanmar – the public welcomed this call. Have any returned yet?

Duwa Lashi La: Our policy is that the revolution should not become stuck. There must be progressive changes within our movement. This is the time for NUG ministers to live with the people on the ground, share the struggle together, and feel the good and the bad of what people experience.

That is why I have urged ministers to return to the country. As this is an important issue, we have been discussing it within the ministerial committee, exclusively comprising all ministers, for about two months now. Certain plans have been laid down by the committee regarding this issue. Some ministers in the committee pledged to come to the frontline.

Al Jazeera: When will the NUG reshuffle its ministers? And who do you have in mind to take over what roles?

Duwa Lashi La: This is classified information. However, we have been as transparent as possible about this. The NUCC [a policy advisory body, the National Unity Consultative Council] has also already announced the NUG’s reformation.

We completely agree with the reforms. We don’t intend to occupy these roles permanently. It is also important for strengthening the NUG. We are always ready to welcome more skilful and capable individuals who would like to contribute to the revolution.

We have plans to reshuffle ministers to strengthen and speed up the revolution. But, as to when and what reshuffling, I won’t disclose at present. We have agreed on doing that in early 2025. There will be some changes in early 2025.

Al Jazeera: What are the NUG’s conditions for peace talks with the military?

Duwa Lashi La: The NUG is always open for dialogue. We never close the door on peace talks. The problem is that the SAC never wants to engage in political dialogue with us.

But we have one condition, as is outlined in our joint statement with the K3C [an ethnic armed group coalition]. If the SAC agrees to at least three of our six requirements, such as accepting civilian rule, and declaring to the world they will never interfere in the country’s politics, then we can move forward with the peace talks.

It’s important that the world’s superpowers, neighbouring countries and ASEAN countries [the Association of Southeast Asian Nations] must be included in witnessing and ensuring the military’s departure from politics. If they cannot agree on these grounds, it will be difficult for us to have peace talks with the SAC.

Al Jazeera: How are you trying to convince ethnic resistance organisations to back you, and why are some EROs reluctant?

Duwa Lashi La: We need to look back to history to understand that. Myanmar has often had situations where many ethnicities participated together in revolution. For example, when we rebelled against Japanese rule, it was the Kachin who started the revolution, and then the Chin also participated.

The Burmese and Buddhist groups sided with the Japanese, as they were also Buddhists. I don’t mean to discriminate against any communities here; I am just explaining the situation based on the facts.

We are seen as a Western-influenced group. But this revolution is completely different because everyone is involved in this struggle, as they should be. There are some levels of mistrust among the ethnic armed groups. For example, the KNU [Karen National Union] was alone in rebelling against military dictatorship.

Similarly, the Shan also started to rebel against the central government in 1959 and established an independent chain of command – the Kachin in 1961 and, later, the Chin. Everyone has been independently fighting against military dictatorship.

To systemize everyone under one chain of command, each having their own central body, has been the biggest challenge for the NUG. We need to work as a joint chain of command, where all chiefs of staff will have a joint commanding system.

As for now, we are working under a coordination system for joint military cooperation, and, as we have seen, it’s going successfully. But in the future federal military, we will have to establish one chain of command with the help of experts and concerned parties.

Al Jazeera: In June 2023, the NUG approved the replacement of the 1982 Citizenship Law that denies equal access to full citizenship rights for Rohingya and others in the country. Has the NUG officially repealed this law?

Duwa Lashi La: This has been under our consideration since 2021, just after the coup. We released a statement on the amendment of the unjust 1982 law. But when and how to do it depends on the legal requirements and the country’s situation.

When the situation improves, as we often say during the transitional period, when we are able to include the opinion of the grassroots level, when we get the people’s mandate, the concerned government will definitely amend that law.

It is not something we can rush. If we amend a law without deliberate consultation, it would be a weak law that would need to be amended again and again. We would not have the public’s trust in such weak laws. We must take time to create a law that the people have full faith and strong belief in.

Al Jazeera: How will you address increased Chinese backing for the military regime?

Duwa Lashi La: We are always attempting to make China understand the realities in Myanmar. Not only China – we would like our neighbouring countries, such as India and Bangladesh, to realize the real situation.

I cannot understand why they would support this brutal, heartless military that destroys its own country. China is our neighbouring country. We cannot choose our neighbour. We can’t say that we don’t like to be their neighbour and move Myanmar to an island. That’s impossible. Whether we like it or not, we always need communication with China.

But it’s important for our neighbours to know what the people of Myanmar want. One thing is clear: Myanmar must be in accordance with the will of the Myanmar people, as noted in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2669. The people of Myanmar do not want a military dictatorship. Period.

To persuade them, we are communicating with China in every diplomatic way possible, through any channel possible. As we are neighbours, we ensure security and better collaboration in economics and their investments, as it’s a very economic-orientated country. We have informed them that any bilateral agreement between a democratic government of Myanmar and China would be ensured.

Al Jazeera: The military has been committing atrocities with its indiscriminate air strikes. What is the NUG’s counter to these air strikes?

Duwa Lashi La: We have always expressed our desperate need for antiaircraft weapons to counter military air strikes through various media channels. Ordinary weapons have been unable to take down the regime’s highly modernized Russian-made jet fighters.

We really need effective weapons, like antiaircraft missiles. But there are many limitations to obtaining such military weapons.

It’s possible if there’s a will – take Ukraine, for example. We are confident to take the whole military down within six months if we are provided with such weapons.

If we could ever get support like Ukraine, this struggle would end immediately.

At least 6,000 innocent people have lost their lives so far. Hundreds of thousands of civilian homes, religious buildings and schools have been destroyed, and these atrocities are mainly because of the air strikes.

Once again, I seriously urge the international community to consider the Myanmar situation and support the people’s revolution.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The soldier, Matthew Livelsberger, was found dead in the wreckage of the New Year’s Day explosion outside a Trump hotel.

Authorities in the United States investigating the explosion of a Cybertruck in front of a Trump-brand hotel in Las Vegas have released new details about the motivation behind the blast.

On Friday, investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicated that the soldier behind the explosion appeared to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

“Although this incident is more public and more sensational than usual, it ultimately appears to be a tragic case of suicide involving a heavily decorated combat veteran who was struggling with PTSD and other issues,” Spencer Evans, the FBI special agent in charge, explained at a news conference.

The FBI added there was no evidence the soldier, 37-year-old Matthew Livelsberger, bore animus against President-elect Donald Trump, despite the explosion’s conspicuous location and details.

Cybertrucks are manufactured by Tesla, the electric vehicle company founded by Trump supporter Elon Musk.

A coroner’s report indicates Livelsberger died of suicide shortly before the explosion. His body was found in the charred remains of the Cybertruck, and a handgun was discovered by his feet.

The explosion spurred widespread speculation on New Year’s Day, as the US grappled with a suspected “terrorism attack” in the city of New Orleans that killed 14 victims.

Seven people received minor injuries when the rented Cybertruck blew up in the valet circle just outside the glass doors of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on the same day.

One person, later identified as Livelsberger, was also found dead at the scene. The car had been packed with fireworks and fuel canisters.

Friday’s news conference coincided with the release of excerpts of a note Livelsberger left behind, explaining his motivation for the blast.

In the note, Livelsperger – a Green Beret in the army who served in Afghanistan and other locations – described feeling the need to “cleanse my mind” of the “burden of the lives I took”.

“This was not a terrorist attack, it was a wakeup call,” Livelsperger wrote. “Americans only pay attention to spectacles and violence. What better way to get my point across than a stunt with fireworks and explosives.”

Originally from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Livelsperger had served in the military in various roles since 2006, and he had received five Bronze Stars for his achievements.

He was on an approved leave of duty when he took his life.

The suspect in the New Orleans attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was likewise a military veteran. He intentionally rammed a rented Ford pick-up truck into a New Year’s holiday crowd on Bourbon Street, before dying in a shootout with police.

No connection has been found between the two incidents, though investigators have said they are exploring every possible lead.

On Friday, a former girlfriend of Livelsperger, nurse Alicia Arritt, told The Washington Post that the Green Beret suffered from deep guilt over his experiences in combat.

She suspects his symptoms, which included a foggy memory, could have resulted from a head injury or bodily trauma.

“He wanted to get more help,” Arritt told the Post in her interview. “I think it was even harder for him, being on active duty – the shame and the stigma.”

A neighbour, Cindy Helwig, told The Associated Press she remembered Livelsperger had recently come to her for a tool to fix his SUV.

“He was a normal guy,” she said.

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Greenville, South Carolina , Jan. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ARCpoint Inc. (TSXV: ARC) (the “Company” or “ARCpoint”) reports that it has now completed the sale of its 68% share ownership interest in Achieve Behavioral Health Greenville LLC, (“Achieve”) as originally announced December 30, 2024. In exchange for its ownership interest in Achieve, the Company received cash of US$360,000, plus the settlement of US$120,000 in amounts owing between ARCpoint and the buyers of the Achieve interest, for total consideration of US$480,000.

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The Transaction was a Non-Arm’s Length Transaction in accordance with the policies of the TSXV. The Transaction also constituted a “related party transaction” within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the directors of the Company determined that the Transaction was exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 in reliance on the exemptions set forth in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(b) of MI 61-101.

About ARCpoint Inc.

ARCpoint is an innovative US-based health care company that leverages technology along with brick-and-mortar locations to give businesses and individual consumers access to convenient, cost-effective healthcare information and solutions with transparent, up-front pricing, so that they can be proactive and preventative with their health and well-being.

For more information, please contact:

ARCpoint Inc.
Jason Tong, Chief Financial Officer
Phone : (604) 889-7827
E-mail : [email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Press release.

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Crowds have returned to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, as the city recovers after a deadly New Year’s Day attack that left 14 victims dead and 35 more injured.

On Friday, visitors paid their respects at a pavement memorial on Bourbon Street, close to where a suspect drove his rented pick-up truck into a late-night crowd of revellers.

Officials said the driver, 42-year-old United States military veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, was inspired by the armed group ISIL (ISIS). Jabbar was fatally shot in a firefight with police after crashing his truck.

A law enforcement bulletin published on Friday warned that federal agencies “are concerned about possible copycat or retaliatory attacks” in the aftermath of the car-ramming, which is being treated as an act of terrorism.

Several victims of the attack have since been identified in US media. They include Kareem Badawi, a freshman from the University of Alabama; Nikyra Dedeaux, an aspiring nurse; Reggie Hunter, a father of two; and Nicole Perez, a single mom to a four-year-old son.

By early Thursday morning, authorities had cleared the crime scene and removed the victims’ bodies. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said street cleaning started at 2am that same day and ended six hours later.

Bourbon Street reopened for business that afternoon. One of the main pedestrian thoroughfares in the historic French Quarter, Bourbon Street is renowned for its music, open-air drinking and vibrant atmosphere.

Street performers, tourists and traditional “second-line” brass bands had returned to the street by Friday, in an effort to resume normalcy.

Trombone player and lifelong New Orleans resident Jonas Green said it was important for his band to perform after the violence.

“I know with this music, it heals. It transforms the feelings that we’re going through into something better,” Green said. “Got to keep on going.”

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry also called for the city to show its resiliency in the wake of the bloodshed and heartbreak.

“We care about each one of the lives that were lost in this city,” Landry said on Thursday. “But it would be a tragedy if we let their losses be snuffed out because of fear. This city will be back, will be open to family and friends and loved ones who want some time to relax from the pressures of life.”

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BROOKFIELD, NEWS, Jan. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brookfield Infrastructure Partners will hold its fourth quarter 2024 conference call and webcast on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. (ET).

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Results will be released that morning before 7:00 a.m. (ET) and will be available on our website at https://bip.brookfield.com.

Participants can join by conference call or webcast.

Conference Call

• Please pre-register at: BIP2024Q4ConferenceCall
• Upon registering, you will be emailed a dial-in number and unique PIN. This process will bypass the operator and avoid the queue.

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Webcast

About Brookfield Infrastructure

Brookfield Infrastructure is a leading global infrastructure company that owns and operates high-quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, midstream and data sectors across the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe. We are focused on assets that have contracted and regulated revenues that generate predictable and stable cash flows. Investors can access its portfolio either through Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE: BIP; TSX: BIP.UN), a Bermuda-based limited partnership, or Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BIPC), a Canadian corporation. Further information is available at https://bip.brookfield.com.

Brookfield Infrastructure is the flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Asset Management, a global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion of assets under management. For more information, go to https://brookfield.com.

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French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock have visited Syria’s capital, Damascus, to push for a peaceful political transition. Barrot and Baerbock are the first EU ministers to meet Syria’s new leaders and visit the notorious Sednaya prison since President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster.

The number of migrants and asylum seekers traversing the Darien Gap — the treacherous strip of jungle connecting South and North America — has fallen by nearly 41 percent in the last year.

On Thursday, Panama’s right-wing President Jose Raul Mulino announced the decline, touting it as a success for the country’s efforts to limit irregular migration.

“We have achieved a 41 percent reduction in the flow of migrants crossing the Darien jungle,” Raul Mulino told Panama’s Congress in a speech.

“We work every day to ensure that illegal migration does not reach [Panama City] or the rest of the country.”

Panama faced pressure to crack down on irregular migration in recent years, as the number of migrants and asylum seekers travelling north hit record highs.

In fiscal year 2023, the United States reported 2.48 million “encounters” with migrants and asylum seekers at its southern border with Mexico.

That was a new high-water mark for the US, and it led to a political backlash, with immigration featuring prominently in the country’s general elections in 2024.

For instance, President-elect Donald Trump — the victor in the 2024 presidential race — has pledged to pursue a “mass deportation” campaign upon taking office on January 20.

Likewise, in Panama, 2023 broke records for migrants and asylum seekers navigating the Darien Gap.

An estimated 520,085 people passed through the perilous jungle, known for its steep terrain, swift rivers and criminal networks.

But in 2024, Panama’s immigration authorities saw a steep drop in the number of people risking their lives in the jungle. Some 302,203 crossed the Darien Gap last year.

The US has similarly seen falling numbers at its southern border. In the fiscal year 2024, US Customs and Border Protection documented 2.14 million irregular “encounters” with migrants and asylum seekers, down 14 percent.

November alone saw the lowest monthly total of irregular border crossings in the four years of US President Joe Biden’s term.

But the US has attempted to clamp down on irregular migration in recent months. Last year, Biden implemented stiff measures limiting asylum access to those who cross the US-Mexico border outside official channels.

Penalties included a five-year ban from the US and possible criminal prosecution.

Biden also threatened to suspend asylum petitions altogether if the average daily number of irregular border crossings reached 2,500 per day.

Critics warned these measures could violate international and US humanitarian law, by limiting the ability of asylum seekers to urgently flee persecution.

But supporters of the new policies argued they were necessary to rein in irregular migration.

The US has also pushed its allies in South and Central America to limit irregular migration northwards.

Panama and the US, for instance, signed an agreement in July to “close the passage of illegal migrants” through the Darien Gap, with the US offering to fund deportation flights and other logistics.

Approximately 1,548 migrants and asylum seekers have since been repatriated on US-backed deportation flights from Panama.

The US also established “Safe Mobility Offices” in countries like Costa Rica, Guatemala and Colombia in an effort to dissuade would-be migrants and asylum seekers from making the dangerous trek to the border.

Mulino revealed in December that at least 55 migrants and asylum seekers had died while navigating the Darien Gap in 2024, and an estimated 180 children were abandoned.

Given the inhospitable nature of the terrain, some bodies are never reported or found.

Critics point out that efforts to stamp out irregular migration often overlook the fundamental issues that spur migrants and asylum seekers to make life-threatening trips in the first place.

This past year, for instance, an estimated 69 percent of the migrants and asylum seekers documented in the Darien Gap were from Venezuela.

There, human rights experts warn of government abuses, particularly in the wake of a contested presidential race that saw 2,000 arrested and 23 killed in post-election protests.

Venezuela has also suffered from economic turmoil that has put access to basic supplies like food and medicine out of reach for many residents. Some 7.7 million people have fled the country.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot says defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is not distracted by rumours of a move to Real Madrid.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is fully committed to Liverpool, his manager Arne Slot has said amid rumoured interest in the England right-back, including from European champions Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold’s contract with the Reds expires at the end of the season, so he is now free to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club, outside of England, if he wishes.

Madrid reportedly wants to sign him and the Spanish club was reportedly rebuffed when it made an initial inquiry about the 26-year-old in late December.

Slot was asked about the defender’s situation in a news conference before Liverpool’s match against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, and he said he had had a conversation with Alexander-Arnold but would not divulge any details.

Asked if Alexander-Arnold would be staying at Liverpool beyond January, Slot only said: “I can tell you he is playing on Sunday, and hopefully he brings the same performances he brought in the past half-year.

“Everybody saw how great a first half of the season he had, how much he is here, how much he wants to win here. I see him on the training ground every day … he is fully committed to us.”

Slot added that he is sure Madrid’s pursuit of Alexander-Arnold is not affecting the defender. “If it would destabilise players at Liverpool that other people talk about them, then we would really have a problem,” Slot said. “Because if you play for one of the biggest clubs in the world, everybody always, for 12 months long, will talk about you, sometimes in relation to other clubs.

“That happens so, so, so many times for our players, so if that destabilises them then we really would have had a problem, not only now but the past six months.”

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk also are out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season, with the former saying a new deal is “far away”.

At least 35 Palestinians have been killed in multiple Israeli attacks on Gaza, as high-level negotiators prepare to resume stalled ceasefire talks.

Israeli forces killed at least 19 people in the central Gaza Strip on Friday, medical sources told Al Jazeera.

Reporting from Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum said Friday was shaping up to be “another bloody day”, following a 24-hour period in which at least 71 Palestinians were killed in 34 Israeli air attacks, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.

Abu Azzoum said gunfire in Deir el-Balah suggested a “potential military advance by Israeli ground forces” in response to a Hamas attack on an Israeli tank in the area.

Israeli fighter jets destroyed buildings in the centre of the Strip, killing journalist Omar al-Diraoui in his home in az-Zawayda – the second journalist to be killed in 24 hours.

On Thursday, it was confirmed that photographer Hassan al-Qishaoui had been killed in an Israeli attack.

Following the deaths, Gaza’s Government Media Office revised its toll of journalists killed in the enclave since the beginning of the nearly 15-month war to 202.

Meanwhile, Israel pressed on with a renewed military offensive in the north of Gaza, with Abu Azzoum reporting that Israeli forces have ordered the immediate evacuation of the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya.

Israelis also woke up to an attack early on Friday morning, with the army intercepting a missile reportedly fired from Yemen, which had set off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and central Israel.

Ceasefire talks to resume

As the attacks continued, ceasefire negotiations were expected to resume on Friday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had authorised a delegation from the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the military to continue negotiations in Qatar.

Sami al-Arian, director of the Centre for Islam and Global Affairs at Istanbul Zaim University, said Hamas could be willing to walk back one of its key demands – the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza.

“There has been a lot of pressure from the mediators – particularly the Qataris and Egyptians – to be flexible on these terms,” he told Al Jazeera.

“They have assured the resistance, Hamas and other groups, that eventually Israel will withdraw,” he said.

But Ori Goldberg, a Tel Aviv-based political analyst, told Al Jazeera he does not see any grounds for optimism that a ceasefire will be agreed on at the talks, amid a lack of significant international pressure being applied on either side.

“To the best of my knowledge, Hamas is interested in a deal but not excessively, because its recruitment rates are rising the longer Israel continues its genocide in Gaza,” he said.

“Certainly, the Israeli public is interested in a deal. [But] the Israeli government? Not so much – the war serves its interests,” he said.

Key mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have been attempting to secure a lasting deal in indirect talks for months.

The toll from the first three days of 2025 takes the number of deaths in Gaza to nearly 46,000 since Israel began its war on the enclave on October 7, 2023, following Hamas-led attacks.

The war has caused widespread destruction and displaced some 90 percent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, many of them multiple times.

Hamas-led forces killed some 1,200 people in Israel in attacks on October 7, 2023 and took about 250 captives.

About 100 captives are still in Gaza, although at least a third of them are believed to be dead.

Elon Musk has called for the release of jailed UK far-right activist and anti-Islam campaigner ‘Tommy Robinson’. Musk has also advocated for a new UK election, as he increases his support for European far-right and anti-immigration leaders.

Ukraine says its air defences shot down 60 out of 93 Russian drones as Moscow escalates its aerial attacks.

One person has been killed and four others were injured when Russian drones targeted the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, military and civilian officials said, as Russia launched barrages across the country.

The Ukrainian Air Force said its air defences shot down 60 out of 93 Russian drones launched at Ukraine since the early hours of Friday.

Moscow’s forces have escalated aerial attacks across Ukraine in recent days, including a New Year’s Day drone attack targeting central Kyiv that killed two people.

In the latest barrage, a truck driver was killed by drone debris, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, acting governor for the Kyiv region.

He said the debris also damaged several houses, injuring four people, including a 16-year-old boy.

The Ukrainian Air Force said that 26 other drones were “lost”, in reference to Ukraine’s use of electronic warfare to redirect Russian drones.

In all, Russian drones targeted nine regions across the country including Kyiv, officials said.

Residential houses and commercial buildings were also damaged in the Donetsk region in the east and the Chernihiv region in the north, the military added.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian military said it had carried out a high-precision strike on a Russian command post in Maryino, in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukrainian forces still hold territory after a major incursion in August.

The Russian military said air defence units had downed four Ukrainian missiles in the region, and the regional governor said the attacks damaged a high-rise apartment block and other buildings in an adjacent village.

French military troops who have been in Ivory Coast for decades will soon be leaving, Ivorian officials have said, signalling more diplomatic setbacks for France amid local resentment that has caused one-time allies in West and Central Africa to sever ties with Paris.

President Alassane Ouattara’s announcement on Tuesday puts Ivory Coast on a growing list of African countries cutting military ties with the once greatly influential former colonial power, as some former French allies also turn to Russian mercenaries for help fighting a swarm of armed groups in the region.

Within days of each other in November, Chad and Senegal expelled French troops, joining several Sahel countries that had earlier done the same, starting in 2021.

The wave of pushback has forced France to devise a new military strategy for the continent that officials say will be in line with the “needs” of partner countries. Temporary deployments, rather than permanent military presence, and more focus on training local forces, are some features of the new policy.

Here’s what to know about why Ivory Coast has joined the list and how France’s influence in the region is waning:

Why is Ivory Coast expelling French troops?

In his 2024 end-of-year address to the country on December 31, President Ouattara said the Ivorian government had decided to expel French troops because the Ivorian army is “now effective”. The president did not give any other reasons.

“We can be proud of our army, whose modernisation is now effective. It is within this context that we have decided on the concerted and organised withdrawal of French forces,” Ouattara said.

The 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIMA), a French army base located in Port-Bouet in the economic capital, Abidjan, will be “handed over” to the Ivorian military starting from January 2025, he added. French soldiers have been helping the Ivorian army in the fight against armed groups operating in the Sahel and expanding into countries along the Gulf of Guinea, including Ivory Coast and Ghana. France also operated as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission during the country’s long civil war from 2002 to 2011.

Ouattara’s announcement on Tuesday was unexpected. The president is seen by many as one of the African leaders most close to France. In a country in which anger against France is growing, that perception has bred deep resentment of the government. In August, French President Emmanuel Macron feted Ouattara in a private dinner at the Elysee.

Analysts say Ouattara’s decision to cut military ties could also be political, as Ivorians gear up for general elections slated for October. Ouattara, who has been in power since 2010, has not yet said whether he will seek a fourth term in the polls. His decision to run for president in 2020 following the sudden death of his successor and prime minister, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, provoked widespread outrage in opposition camps.

Why is France facing general pushback in Francophone Africa?

France has faced unprecedented, bitter criticism from citizens in its former colonies in West and Central Africa in recent years. From Mali to Ivory Coast, thousands of people have taken to the streets in mass protests, demanding that their governments cut ties with Paris for good.

Some of the resentment dates back to historical controversies linked to colonialism. The French direct rule during colonisation was perceived to have weakened traditional institutions, culture, and leadership while forcing European officials and customs on locals. French officials ruling the colonies were perceived as particularly harsh, both in their administration and attempts to increase France’s economic footholds.

After countries won their independence in the 1960s, Paris built a strong web of connections with African leaders and elites, termed “Francafrique” to protect France’s vast economic interests and to keep French troops on the ground. More than 200 French companies operate on the continent, including oil and gas giant Total, and Orano, which mines uranium to power France’s nuclear power plants. French troops too have operated across the region, providing training and assisting local militaries.

However, in the last five years, military-led governments in the Sahel region have pushed back at the perceived weakness of the French army. Despite the presence of thousands of French soldiers, armed group activity continued to turn the area into a hotspot of violence as groups like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) wage war on security forces and officials across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Increasingly, armed groups have made incursions into the coastal Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Benin.

Which countries have expelled French troops and why?

By January 2025, six African countries – Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Senegal, and Ivory Coast – had cut military ties with France.

Mali: In August 2020, a group of soldiers from the Malian Armed Forces mutinied and seized power from the civilian government in Bamako, citing its inability to stop increasing levels of violence. After France denounced the coup, the military government played up populist narratives and blamed France for interfering in the country’s decision-making. Hundreds took to the streets, praising the military and calling for France to leave. The coup kicked off a series of takeovers in Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea and Gabon.

In June 2021, Macron announced French forces would leave the Sahel in a phased-out manner. By December 2023, the exit was complete. Mali has since strengthened ties with Russia, and Russian mercenaries are currently operating in the region. Conflict has continued – more than 5,000 people died across the Sahel in the first half of 2024, and millions remain displaced, according to conflict tracker, ACLED.

Burkina Faso: The current military government seized power in January 2022 on the back of resentment against a civilian government seen as powerless against armed groups, and the French government believed to be backing it. In February 2023, the military government ordered French troops to leave Burkinabe soil within a month. Some 300 Russian troops were thought to have arrived in the country in January 2024.

Niger: As civilian governments fell in neighbouring countries, the military there too staged a coup in July 2023, overthrowing and detaining President Mohamed Bazoum. Many Nigeriens marched in favour of the military and called for French troops stationed in Niamey to leave. In December 2023, the military government expelled French soldiers.

Senegal: In November 2024, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said that France “should” shut down its military bases from 2025 because French military presence was not in line with Senegal’s sovereignty. The declaration came as Senegal marked 80 years after a colonial-era massacre that saw French troops kill tens of West African soldiers angry at their treatment after fighting for Paris in World War II. There are 350 French troops stationed in the country.

Chad: Officials, also in November, announced that Chad was ending a military pact with France in place since the 1960s. The country was a key link in France’s military presence in Africa and its last foothold in the wider Sahel region. Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah called France “an essential partner” but said it “must now also consider that Chad has grown up, matured and is a sovereign state that is very jealous of its sovereignty”. There are 1,000 French troops stationed in the country.

Does France still have any military presence in Africa?

Yes, France maintains a large military base in Djibouti, eastern Africa. The country, also a former colony of France, hosts close to 1,500 French troops and is one of France’s largest overseas military contingents.

In West and Central Africa, France continues to retain a small presence in Gabon where it has about 300 troops. Gabon’s army seized power in a coup in August 2023, ending five years of the Bongo family’s rule.

However, unlike other military-led countries in the region, Paris has maintained ties with Gabon’s military government, likely because of the resentment the ruling family drew, some analysts say.

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The euro declined 0.9% against the US dollar, reaching mid-1.02, its lowest level since 21 November 2022 on Thursday.

The common currency extended weakness against its counterpart at the start of the new year due to concerns about the Eurozone’s economic outlook, political instability, and a monetary policy discrepancy between the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Federal Reserve (Fed).

The EUR/USD pair has fallen sharply from the 2024 peak of above 1.12 in September, marking a 9% decline over three months.

The US dollar’s strength, bolstered by Donald Trump’s presidential victory, has exacerbated the euro’s weakness since November. 

Parity in sight

Analysts expect the euro-dollar pair to reach parity in 2025, a level last seen in 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale military operation in Ukraine. 

Adding to the Eurozone’s woes, Ukraine stopped Russian gas transit to Europe following the expiration of a five-year contract on Wednesday.

This development has forced many European countries to rely on costlier heating alternatives during a harsh winter.

Natural gas futures surged to a two-year high of more than $4 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) earlier this week, before retreating to $3.66 MMBtu during Friday’s Asian session.

Weak economic data further underscores the challenges. S&P Global’s final December manufacturing PMI for France and Germany showed continued contraction in the sector.

France reported its sharpest decline in manufacturing activity since May 2020, while Germany’s manufacturing output hit a three-month low.

In December, France’s central bank revised its economic growth forecast for 2025 down to 0.9%, from the previously projection of 1.2%.

Both France and Germany are grappling with political instability, as ruling party coalitions collapse amid surging far-right power. 

Globally, the Eurozone faces mounting risks under Trump’s presidency. The US president-elect has pledged to impose higher tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico.

While no explicit announcements have been made, European automakers are particularly vulnerable to potential tariff hikes. 

The dominance of the Dollar

The US dollar has been soaring amid a hawkish shift in the Fed’s monetary policy and Trump’s presidency. The dollar index surged to above 109 on Thursday, the highest since November 2022. 

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The Fed initiated the easing cycle with a jumbo 50 basis point rate cut in September. However, the bank shifted to a much more hawkish stance following resilient jobs data and improvement in other economic data.

In December, the Fed cut the interest rate by 25 basis points as expected. However, the bank signalled a much more hawkish stance on its easing cycle in 2025.

The Fed’s dot plot, a chart that projects the future path of interest rates, indicated a half-percentage point rate cut in 2025, compared to a full percentage cut projected in September. 

In contrast, the ECB is likely to accelerate its rate-cutting cycle in 2025. The ECB reduced its policy rate by a full percentage point in 2024, and analysts expect another percentage-point cut next year as the Eurozone continues to face economic and political headwinds.

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These include persistent political instability, a slowing Chinese economy, and the implications of Trump’s presidency, all of which contribute to a bleak economic outlook for the region.