76: A devastating fire at Turkey’s Grand Kartal Hotel ski resort killed 76 people and injured scores of others on Tuesday. The blaze began at 3:30 a.m. on the restaurant floor of the 12-story building, quickly engulfing it and forcing desperate guests to jump from windows or attempt escapes using bed sheets.
17: President Donald Trump revoked John Bolton’s Secret Service protection hours after taking office on Monday, despite ongoing threats against Bolton from Iran. Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security advisor for 17 months and had previously lost protection after leaving the administration but had it restored by Biden, expressed disappointment but not surprise. The move comes amid documented Iranian assassination plots against Bolton and follows Trump’s revocation of Bolton’s security clearance.
95: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi JinpingcelebratedDonald Trump’s first official day in office by reaffirming their “no-limits” partnership on Tuesday in a joint televised meeting that lasted 95 minutes. Though Trump was not directly named, the timing suggests that the two world leaders may be pursuing a coordinated response to the new president, which has threatened to levy tariffs on China and end Russia’s war with Ukraine.
8: A historic polar vortex-related snowstorm is hitting the Gulf Coast, bringing record-breaking snow to Texas and Louisiana. The National Weather Service issued its first-ever blizzard warning for Lake Charles, Louisiana, while Lafayette, Louisiana, already has 8 inches. With the region ill-equipped for winter weather, travel disruptions and service outages are expected to last for days. Remarkably, New Orleans received more January snow than Anchorage, Alaska.
Xi Jinping will welcome Donald Trump with lots of pomp and circumstance. The summit, though, will be short on substance.
Israel used AI in Gaza in a way that felt "potentially uncomfortable for the US military tradition" says Bloomberg reporter Katrina Manson.
Ian Bremmer breaks down the complicated reality inside Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro’s removal from power. While the Trump administration sees the operation as a major foreign policy victory, Ian argues the harder challenge is only beginning; turning Venezuela into a stable economy and a representative democracy.
Even Eurovision cannot escape geopolitics, South Africa’s constitutional court opens door to Ramaphosa impeachment vote, Zelensky’s former right-hand man accused in corruption probe