February 2, 2025

Daily News Brief

* Israel kills 5 Palestinians in occupied West Bank Israel has killed five Palestinians in strikes in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. An Israeli air strike on an eastern neighbourhood of Jenin killed 16-year-old Ahmad al Sadi and critically wounded two other people. A second strike targeted a car, killing two people in the nearby town of Qabatiya, while a third killed two people in central Jenin. * Freed Palestinian prisoners report beatings, death threats before release Meanwhile, Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of the Gaza ceasefire and exchange deal said they were mistreated in the days leading to their freedom. During their reception in Ramallah, occupied West Bank, several prisoners said they faced death threats from the Israeli army, endured severe beatings, and were deprived of food and water. The deteriorating health condition of the released prisoners was evident, with some appearing unable to walk on their own. * Trump imposes tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China US President Donald Trump has ordered 25 percent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and 10 percent on goods from China to address a national emergency over fentanyl and illegal immigrants entering the US, The White House has said energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10 percent levy. The US accused Mexico of being the "world's leading traffickers" of fentanyl and other drugs. Regarding Canada, the White House highlighted growing fentanyl production and illegal border crossings. China was criticised for its alleged role in subsidising chemical companies in exporting fentanyl. * Canada hits back against US tariffs Canada and Mexico have announced retaliatory measures against tariffs imposed earlier on their goods by US President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would impose 25 percent tariffs on $106.5 billion of US goods in response to US tariffs. Trudeau warned the tariffs would hurt the United States, a long-time ally. He encouraged Canadians to buy Canadian products and vacation at home rather than in the US. * Turkish defence giants secure over $5.5 billion in exports for 2024 Türkiye’s defence industry has reached a major milestone in 2024, with companies such as Baykar and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) generating over 5.5 billion dollars in exports. Baykar, a global leader in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, contributed $1.8 billion to this figure, with international sales accounting for 90 percent of its revenue. The company celebrated the achievement in a statement stating that the cutting-edge technology has made them export leader in the defence and aerospace industry.