A US federal judge in Seattle has temporarily blocked an executive order by Donald Trump to restrict the place of birth principle for citizenship in the US. Trump's order, which he signed on his first day in office, aimed to deny citizenship to children born in the US if neither mother nor father are US citizens or permanent residents. The judge declared the order “manifestly unconstitutional” and suspended it for 14 days while a longer-term decision is deliberated. Several states and civil rights groups have filed suit against the order, arguing that it violates the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to all persons born in the US.
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) has raised interest rates to 0.5% - the highest level in 17 years - and revised its inflation forecasts upwards. This signals confidence in stable inflation of around 2%, supported by rising wages. It is the first rate hike since July 2024 and is expected to lead Japan further out of decades of deflation and stagnant growth. The yen rose by 0.5% after the decision and the BOJ hinted at further possible rate hikes if economic conditions warrant. Inflation is estimated at 2.4% for 2025.
Firefighters have been able to contain the spread of the Hughes Fire north of Los Angeles, which has burned some 10,176 acres since Wednesday. Containment rose to 24% while 31,000 people were evacuated. Concurrently, the Eaton and Palisades fires have been burning in the greater Los Angeles area for 17 days, claiming 28 lives and destroying nearly 16,000 structures. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a 2.5 billion dollar aid package, while rain and snow over the weekend could bring relief, but also risks such as landslides. President Trump criticized California's water management, which Newsom dismissed as misinformation.
Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh's interim leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, criticized economic growth under ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as “wrong” and accused the world of inaction on her alleged corruption. Hasina, who has ruled since 2009, is under investigation for human rights violations and corruption. Yunus emphasized the importance of inclusive growth and promised elections by 2026, while deploring strained relations with India.
The US is planning a $500 billion private investment in AI data centers, led by OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle and others, to expand AI leadership over China and create 100,000 jobs. Oracle has hired startup Crusoe to build the first data center in Abilene, Texas, focused on Nvidia chip-based AI infrastructure. Smaller “neocloud” companies such as Crusoe, CoreWeave and Lambda are establishing themselves as faster alternatives to tech giants such as Microsoft and Google, which are also developing their own AI chips. Prefabricated components and fast construction methods enable these companies to scale up quickly. CoreWeave is also planning an IPO worth 35 billion dollars this year.
US President Donald Trump stated that his phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping was friendly and that he believes he can reach a trade agreement with China. The talks revolved around topics such as TikTok, trade and Taiwan. Trump also spoke about possible punitive tariffs on Chinese imports, but has not yet followed up with any concrete measures. Despite the tensions, Trump emphasized that he would prefer to avoid tariffs, but sees them as “tremendous power” vis-à-vis China. Relations between the US and China remain strained due to economic and diplomatic conflicts, including trade disputes and technological rivalry.
Syria is training a new police force with a focus on Islamic teachings in order to create stability after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Recruits receive brief training in Islamic law and ethics, which raises concerns among minorities and secular groups. The authorities emphasize that this is to promote morality and not to discriminate, but international observers warn of new tensions. The challenges are great: many police stations have been destroyed and the security situation remains critical. Recruitment is underway, but the approach could make acceptance of the new government more difficult.
The suspected knife attacker in Aschaffenburg, a 28-year-old Afghan, was admitted to a psychiatric hospital after a fatal attack. He is charged with two counts of murder and other offenses. Investigations are to clarify his culpability, as he may have been mentally ill. A boy and a man were killed in the crime and three other people were injured. The suspect was known to have committed several violent crimes in the past and had been under supervision since December 2024. The police are investigating whether he deliberately attacked the children.
Donald Trump gives Putin a 100-day ultimatum and if he does not agree to his Ukraine deal, he will “nuke” Russia.
Pamela Hemphill, who was convicted for her participation in the riots on January 6, has rejected the pardon granted by President Trump. She was serving a 60-day sentence and said the pardon was an insult to the police and the rule of law. Hemphill sees Trump's decision to pardon nearly 1,600 people as an attempt to rewrite history. The measure was also criticized by Republican politicians such as Senator Thom Tillis, who expressed security concerns. Among those pardoned is Jacob Chansley, known as “QAnon Shaman,” who celebrated his release with a war cry.
Trump: threatens European companies in Davos. Globalization is usually celebrated at the World Economic Summit - Donald Trump sets a different tone. He calls on European companies to produce in the USA and threatens them with tariffs. (NTV)
Ex-real estate investor: Signa founder Benko arrested in Austria. Ex-real estate investor René Benko has been arrested in Innsbruck. His Signa Holding had filed for insolvency at the end of 2023. He is also under investigation in Italy, Germany and Liechtenstein. (RT)
OpenAI: Offline for several hours yesterday. Early yesterday morning, ChatGPT went down - and with it the API on which thousands of companies worldwide have built their architecture. (TC.)
- MrBeast & TikTok: YouTuber negotiating with several investor groups about a takeover of its US business
- DAX: Stable with a slight upward trend (HB)
- Electricity: Almost 50% of Europe's electricity now comes from renewable sources (NTV)
- Packaging tax: May be introduced throughout Germany after pilot project in Tübingen (SZ)
- Adidas: Plans to rebuild headquarters - and save jobs (NTV)
- Aldi vs. Lidl: Lidl may sell Dubai chocolate, Aldi may not (TGS)
- India: Former winning stocks lose massively in the ongoing sell-off (BBG)
- China: Unveils plans to encourage insurers to invest in equities (RT)
- Australia: IPO market off to slow start in challenging 2025 (BBG)
- CATL IPO in Hong Kong: Bankers compete for mega-deal with just 0.01% fees (FT)
- ByteDance: TikTok Group becomes a serious OpenAI competitor in AI reasoning (RT)
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