World Briefing: January 27, 2025

Under threats from President Trump that included steep tariffs, President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has relented and will allow U.S. military planes to fly deportees into the country, after turning two transports back in response to what he called inhumane treatment. The two leaders had engaged in a war of words on Sunday after Colombia’s move to block Mr. Trump’s use of military aircraft in deporting thousands of unauthorized immigrants. But on Sunday night, the White House released a statement in which it said that because Mr. Petro had agreed to all of its terms, the tariffs and sanctions Mr. Trump had threatened would be “held in reserve.” Other penalties, such as visa sanctions, will remain in effect until the first planeload of deportees has arrived in Colombia, the statement said. “Today’s events make clear to the world that America is respected again,” it added. Colombia’s foreign ministry released a statement soon afterward that said “we have overcome the impasse with the United States government.” It said the government would accept all deportation flights and “guarantee dignified conditions” for those Colombians on board. - NYT

Donald Trump’s spat with Colombia is a reminder of how his hardline approach will cause massive global disruption. The US president has already browbeaten Canada and Mexico over border issues, sought to force Denmark to sell Greenland, and threatened to take back the Panama Canal. Four years of such tactics could harm US global relationships and harden attitudes to Americans among foreign populations. The Colombia dispute quickly got the attention of China, which is seeking to increase its influence in Washington’s backyard — underscoring the potential downside for the United States if Trump chooses incessant confrontation that alienates key regional nations - CNN

Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenko has secured his seventh term in office in a presidential election that European Union leaders have denounced as a “sham.” With all votes counted, the Central Election Commission of Belarus announced that according to preliminary results, Lukashenko received 86.8 percent of the vote in the January 26 election. His closest competitor, Sergei Syrankov, received 3.2 percent. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said there were no gross violations at polling stations. Employees of ministry and its military personnel “implemented measures to ensure public safety during the election,” the ministry said on Telegram. Lukashenko, a Russian ally who has been in power for three decades, told the media after casting his vote earlier on January 26 that Belarus has “a tough democracy.” But the opposition, rights groups, and the West disagree - RFE/RL

Israel on Monday began allowing Palestinians to return to the heavily destroyed north of the Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks of the war, after a deal was reached for Hamas to release six hostages this week, including Arbel Yehud, the civilian at the centre of a row. Hamas has called the return of Gazans to the north of the devastated territory a victory against “plans” for the forced displacement of the Palestinians. “The return of the displaced is a victory for our people, and signals the failure and defeat of the plans for occupation and displacement,” the militant group said as thousands of Gazans streamed northward after Israel stopped blocking their passage. - France 24

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has formally notified U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of Israel’s demand for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to cease its operations in Jerusalem and evacuate its premises by January 30, 2025. The directive follows recent legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset, terminating Israel’s agreements with UNRWA and citing national security concerns. In a letter addressed to Guterres, Danon outlined the rationale behind the decision, emphasizing “the acute national security risks posed by the widespread infiltration of UNRWA’s ranks by Hamas and other terrorist organizations.” He also accused the agency of failing to address Israel’s long-standing concerns and of compromising its “fundamental obligation to impartiality and neutrality beyond repair.” - FOX News

Fighting with M23 rebels in eastern Congo has left at least 13 peacekeepers and foreign soldiers dead, United Nations and army officials said. M23 has made significant territorial gains in recent weeks, encircling the eastern city of Goma, which has around 2 million people and is a regional hub for security and humanitarian efforts. The U.N. Security Council moved up an emergency meeting on the escalating violence to Sunday morning (10 am EST). Congo requested the meeting, which had originally been scheduled for Monday. On Saturday, Congo’s army said it fended off an M23 offensive towards Goma with the help of its allied forces, including U.N. troops and soldiers from the Southern African Development Community Mission, also known as SAMIDRC. “The Rwandan-backed M23 is clearly exploiting the presidential transition in the U.S. to advance on Goma — putting thousands more civilians at risk,” Kate Hixon, advocacy director for Africa at Amnesty International US, told the Associated Press.

Three more Canadian cabinet ministers have announced they’re endorsing Mark Carney for federal Liberal leader as more of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet coalesces around the former Bank of Canada governor. Carney has steadily racked up endorsements from Trudeau’s cabinet, outpacing his top rival in the race, former finance minister and deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland. Saturday’s announcements mean 16 ministers are backing Carney’s campaign, while Freeland, who’s of Ukrainian origin, has five - CBC News

Independent Syrian newspaper Enab Baladi announced its return to the country on Friday following decade of exile due to the country’s civil war. A statement from the editorial board said that the paper, founded in the Damascus suburb of Daraya in December 2011, has set up a new headquarters in the capital city. “After years of managing the organization from abroad due to security conditions that forced out team to leave in 2014, we return today to Damascus, carrying the message of free journalism to the homeland,” the statement read. Being initially founded in late 2011, the paper issued its first print edition on 29 January 2012, and continued distributing papers even as the town became besieged by the regime. Daraya’s besiegement lasted four years following its takeover by opposition fighters in 2012 till 2016, when a deal was cut to relocate armed factions and the town’s civilians. - The New Arab

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić during a public speech at a rally in Belgrade, said that during his presidency, Serbia will not impose sanctions against Russia. “It is up to us to look at the geopolitical situation in order to preserve the independence and autonomy of Serbia. They want to take us back to 2000, when we were conquered and enslaved, when someone else made decisions on behalf of Serbia. They want to tell us that we cannot be an independent country, they want to determine for us against whom we should impose sanctions. And you know that as long as I am the president of Serbia, I will not impose sanctions against Russia or against our other friends.” he said. Vučić also announced the establishment of the “movement for the people and the state”, which he said would gather around itself the ruling parties and their supporters.

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