World News in Brief: January 17

Countries in the Middle East have welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday, urging for full implementation of the deal to stop casualties.
Bulgarian National Assembly on Thursday approved a coalition government led by GERB-UDF's nominee Rosen Zhelyazkov, more than two months after the parliamentary elections. The new government, which replaced the caretaker cabinet led by Dimitar Glavchev, was backed by 125 legislators in the 240-member parliament.
Bulgarian National Assembly on Thursday approved a coalition government led by GERB-UDF's nominee Rosen Zhelyazkov, more than two months after the parliamentary elections. The new government, which replaced the caretaker cabinet led by Dimitar Glavchev, was backed by 125 legislators in the 240-member parliament.

* A Republic of Korean court on Thursday rejected arrested President Yoon Suk-yeol's request for release, according to multiple media outlets. The Seoul Central District Court reviewed the legality of Yoon's arrest at the request of his defense counsel, refusing to accept it as there was "no reason" to call for the legality review.

* The French lawmakers on Thursday voted against a no-confidence vote against French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou. According to the results announced by Yael Braun-Pivet, speaker of the French National Assembly, only 131 deputies voted in favor of the no-confidence vote, far below the 289 votes requested.

* Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor Mark Carney announced Thursday he is seeking the leadership of Canada's Liberal Party. Carney formally launched his bid in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta.

* Romania's presidential elections will take place on May 4, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced on Thursday. Partial local elections will be held on the same day for positions including the leadership of a county council, a county capital city, three towns, and 13 communes, Ciolacu said during a government meeting.

* Russia is obliged to ensure the security of its ally Belarus within the framework of the Russian-Belarusian Union and will not leave Belarus in the lurch if it is subjected to aggression, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and visiting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday signed a 100-year partnership agreement between their countries, the presidential press service reported.

* The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) condemned the recent military provocations by the United States and its allies, and clarified its stance of exercising the right to self-defense in response, state media said Friday, citing a press statement by the country's Foreign Ministry.

* The Canadian federal government will unveil proposed retaliatory tariffs on an initial round of U.S. imports Monday if incoming U.S. president Donald Trump uses his inauguration to proceed with threatened levies on Canada, local daily The Globe and Mail reported Thursday.

* Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday described the situation surrounding Greenland as "serious" following a phone conversation with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday.

* Romina Khurshid Alam, coordinator to the Pakistani prime minister on climate change and environmental coordination, on Thursday called for robust climate strategies and better access to international funds to enhance preparedness for climate-related natural disasters.

* Last-minute disputes between Israel and Hamas over the final details of the newly announced Gaza ceasefire deal have been resolved, an Israeli official confirmed to Xinhua on Thursday. The last-minute differences focused on the names of the Palestinian prisoners to be released, the official said.

* Israel's military said it struck about 50 sites across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, a day after it agreed to a ceasefire deal with Hamas.

* Hamas on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to a ceasefire agreement with Israel, hours after Israeli officials accused the Palestinian militant group of attempting to alter the deal's terms at the last moment.

* Yemen's Houthi group's leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, said on Thursday that his group would continue launching attacks against Israel if strikes continue on Gaza.

* Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed readiness to engage in nuclear negotiations with the United States, provided discussions are conducted "on equal terms," the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

* Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, on Thursday exchanged views on a ceasefire agreement reached between Hamas and Israel to end the 15-months-long conflict in Gaza.

* The UN Security Council on Thursday called for all parties in Lebanon to "demonstrate renewed unity," and urged the new authorities to swiftly form a government.

* Asian economies are expected to lead global growth in 2025 despite challenges, according to a report released by the London-based think tank Asia House on Thursday. The report details how digital acceleration, increasing consumer spending, and a focus on green initiatives are driving the region's progress.

* Indonesia officially set the global minimum tax rate at 15 percent on Thursday, effective from the 2025 tax year, in an effort to foster a healthier and more competitive investment climate.

* Azerbaijan's economy grew 4.1 percent in 2024, the State Statistical Committee reported Thursday. The gross domestic product (GDP) reached 126.3 billion manats (about 74.3 billion USD), while the GDP per capita stood at 12,382.5 manats (about 7,284 dollars), said the committee.

* Uzbekistan exported plums worth 26.4 mln USD over 11 months last year, local media reported on Thursday, citing the country's statistics agency.

* Italy's consumer price index rose by an average of 1 percent in 2024, despite higher year-on-year increases toward the end of the year, the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) reported Thursday.

* Singapore's non-oil domestic exports (NODX) grew by 9.0 percent year-on-year in December 2024, up from a 3.4 percent increase in November, according to data released by the government agency Enterprise Singapore on Friday.

* Chile received more than 5 million tourists in 2024, up over 40 percent from 2023, authorities said Wednesday.

* SpaceX launched the seventh test flight of its giant Starship rocket on Thursday, but lost communication with its spacecraft shortly after launch. Starship took off from the company's Starbase facility near Brownsville in the U.S. state of Texas at about 4:37 p.m. Central Time.

* Bangladesh reported on Thursday its first fatality from the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) when a woman died with multiple health complications.

* The fierce wildfires across the Los Angeles area in Southern California of the United States have killed at least 27 people and destroyed more than 12,300 structures in more than a week, local authorities confirmed Thursday. Firefighters continued to make progress on Thursday against two major wildfires in Los Angeles as winds died down in the area.

* Indonesia on Wednesday raised the volcanic alert status of Mount Ibu, located in the country's eastern province of North Maluku, to the highest level following its increasing volcanic activity. Standing at 1,325 meters high, the volcano has reportedly erupted continuously for several days.

Xinhua