Trump praises his late brother Robert for not being jealous of him

Associated Press
Japan's leader says he's preparing for tough negotiations with Trump on maintaining US presence
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, struggling to stabilize his minority government, said Friday he will seek to maintain regional security and prepare for tough negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump to win his commitment to maintain a strong American presence in the Asia-Pacific. Ishiba has been seeking to meet with Trump since his election victory in November and is arranging a trip to Washington in the coming weeks. With a minority government following a significant election loss in October due to voter anger over his party’s financial scandals, Ishiba is struggling to stay in power at least until the next major elections this summer.
AFP
Stay or go? The dilemma of Turkey's Syrian refugees
More than 50,000 Syrian refugees have left Turkey to return home since Bashar al-Assad's ouster."Now he's gone, many are willing to return but the Syria they left is not the same place," he told AFP. "Nobody can predict what the new Syrian government will be like, how they will enforce their authority, what Israel will do nor how the clashes (with Kurdish fighters) near the Turkish border will develop," he said.
AFP
Catalonia eyes reversal of business exodus after big bank returns
Spanish business circles believe banking giant Sabadell's decision to return its headquarters to Catalonia will entice back the thousands of firms that fled after the region's botched 2017 independence bid.Some observers believe Sabadell's return is motivated more by its attempts to stave off a hostile takeover bid by larger Spanish rival BBVA. The move was "political" because Catalan authorities could increase their support for Sabadell and "complicate" the takeover bid, according to analysis f
Associated Press
Ford recalls more than 270,000 Broncos and Mavericks due to loss of power problem
Ford Motor Co. is recalling 272,827 Broncos and Mavericks due to a power problem that can cause vehicles to stop unexpectedly or fail to start. Information from the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration says the problem is related to a 12 volt battery made by Camel Battery of China that has “internal manufacturing defects,” including weld failures that can cause open circuits. It said there were no reports of accidents, fires or injuries caused by the problem.
AFP
Hong Kong revives border village in alternative tourism push
Tourists in Hong Kong are flocking to the 300-year-old village of Kuk Po, whose decaying mansions and reed fields offer a respite from the city's famously frenetic pace.But Hong Kong's government is encouraging visitors to go off the beaten path and has loosened entry restrictions to the city's northernmost neighbourhood of Sha Tau Kok -- making it easier to visit Kuk Po via speedboat.
TODAY
Amy Schumer says she received Cushing syndrome diagnosis thanks to online comments
Amy Schumer was diagnosed with Cushing syndrome, a hormonal disorder caused by high levels of cortisol in the body — thanks to comments from people on the internet who noticed her "puffier face," she recently shared.
Reuters
Southeast Asian cities among world's most polluted, ranking shows
Southeast Asian cities were among five most polluted in the world on Friday according to air-monitoring organisation IQAir, with Ho Chi Minh City ranked second-most polluted, followed by Phnom Penh and Bangkok fourth and fifth, respectively. Air pollution is caused by a combination of crop-related burning, industrial pollution and heavy traffic. In a bid to curb pollution, the government is allowing free public transportation for a week, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said.
AFP
Tajikistan launches crackdown on 'witchcraft' and fortune-telling
In a block of flats in Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe, a turbaned woman cautiously opened the door of her apartment a chink, letting out a waft of incense. It could be a set-up," she says, as she closes the door again and locks it.
NBC News
Trump suggests Ukraine shouldn't have fought back against Russia
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump suggested in an interview that aired Thursday night that Ukraine should not have fought when Russia invaded it.
Associated Press
Killed for fighting corruption, a Congolese man made a martyr is inspiring a new generation
When Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi was asked in 2007 to allow spoiled rice from Rwanda to be transported across the border to the eastern Congo city of Goma, he knew the risks of resisting corruption, especially as a government worker. It didn't take long before he was kidnapped; days later, his body was found by colleagues at the Office Congolais de Contrôle, the agency that monitors the quality of products. Nearly two decades after his death, he is being celebrated in the central African country and beyond following Pope Francis’ recent approval of his beatification.
AFP
Deadly teen knife crisis UK's 'new normal'
Recruited at the age of eight by a drugs gang, Rhys was part of Britain's violent knife crime "crisis" until his best friend was fatally stabbed and died in his arms.Another was shot twice," Rhys, who is now 28, told AFP. The turning point for Rhys, who now works to educate children about the dangers of knives, drugs and gangs, came a decade ago when his best friend, then 17, staggered to his house after being knifed in the street.
CNN
Trump 2.0 is going well for China so far. But can the honeymoon last?
Trump’s second term in office is getting off to a good start for China.
AFP
Bangkok air pollution forces 352 schools to close
Air pollution in the Thai capital forced the closure of more than 350 schools on Friday, city authorities said, the highest number in five years.The reading makes the Thai capital the world's seventh-most polluted major city currently.
Politico
Judge to weigh genetic evidence and search warrants in University of Idaho quadruple murder case
Attorneys for defendant Bryan Kohberger contend most of the evidence in the case hinges on an unconstitutional genetic investigation process.
Associated Press
Afghan women’s group hails court's move to arrest Taliban leaders for persecution of women
An Afghan women’s group on Friday hailed a decision by the International Criminal Court to arrest Taliban leaders for their persecution of women. The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced Thursday he had requested arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials, including the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Since they took back control of the country in 2021, the Taliban have barred women from jobs, most public spaces and education beyond sixth grade.
Reuters
Philippines to 'respond favourably' if ICC seeks Interpol arrest warrants over drugs crackdown
The Philippines will respond favourably if Interpol is asked by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants related to its probe into the former president's bloody "war on drugs", a top official said on Friday. Thousands of people were killed in ex-President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drugs crackdown launched in 2016, many in mysterious circumstances, prompting the ICC to launch an investigation into possible crimes against humanity. "If the ICC makes a move, and courses the move through the Interpol, and the Interpol makes the request to us for the arrest of delivery of the custody of a person subject to ICC jurisdiction, we will respond favourably or positively to the Interpol request," said Lucas P. Bersamin, the executive secretary of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Reuters
Major Chinese port hit by congestion ahead of holiday, Trump tariff threat
Exporters this week jostled to load and ship cargo from Shenzhen's Yantian Port, one of the world's largest container ports, before an eight-day Lunar New Year holiday and ahead of a potential wave of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. Yantian, which handles one-third of Guangdong's international trade and one-quarter of China's exports to the United States, already increased the daily quota on containers by 15% to 15,000 units during Jan. 20-28, the port said in a statement on Wednesday. It took Li Guoliang, a truck driver, two hours on Thursday evening to transport a loaded container to a container yard at the port - quadrupling the time he spends on normal days.
USA TODAY
New Jersey mayor says ICE detained veteran, US citizens in immigration raid
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka confirmed in a statement that the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided a business establishment in the city.
Associated Press
Freedom is bittersweet for Palestinians released from Israeli jails
When Dania Hanatsheh was released from an Israeli jail this week and dropped off by bus into a sea of jubilant Palestinians in Ramallah, it was an uncomfortable déjà vu. After nearly five months of detention, it was the second time the 22-year-old woman had been freed as part of a deal between Israel and Hamas to pause the war in Gaza. Hanatsheh’s elation at being free again is tinged with sadness about the devastation in Gaza, she said, as well as uncertainty about whether she could be detained in the future — a common feeling in her community.
CNN
Fire-ravaged Southern California grapples with new infernos this week as much-needed rain could unleash more deadly hazards
Exhausted firefighters battling deadly infernos for weeks are now grappling with more wildfires torching Southern California – including one that’s threatening 14,000 structures.

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