AUSTRIA - Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has tasked Herbert Kickl, the leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), the country's most popular political force, with holding coalition talks to form a government. The development comes after weeks of negotiations between the centrist Austrian People’s Party (OVP) and the Social Democratic Party (SPO) collapsed. Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who leads the OVP, has admitted the failure and announced his resignation, citing the need for an “orderly transition.” Van der Bellen stated that he had directed Kickl to initiate discussions with the OVP. He also appeared to express concerns that the country might face the possibility of having a hardline right-wing leader for the first time since World War II. “I didn’t take this decision lightly. I will continue to make sure that the principles and rules of our constitution are respected and upheld,” Van der Bellen stated.

TURKEY - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that his country will intervene if necessary to avoid any division of Syria and will be “uncompromising” in its determination. The comments from Erdogan are seen as a veiled warning to the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as well as to the US, which backs the group against Islamic State forces. “We cannot accept under any pretext that Syria be divided and if we notice the slightest risk we will take the necessary measures,” the Turkish leader said in remarks following the first cabinet meeting of 2025. He added that Ankara has “more than enough power, capacity, and talent to do this.”

USA - Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has continued to spar online with the top British leadership, suggesting Washington should become involved and “liberate” the Brits from their supposedly “tyrannical government.” The billionaire conducted a poll on the idea on Monday on his social media platform X, asking users whether “America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.” The proposal got a positive reception, with nearly 59% of respondents backing it. More than 1.4 million people voted on the issue in less than 12 hours.

INDIA - Covid precautions have been reinstated in a part of India amid rising alarm over the so-called "mystery illness": HMPV, which exhibits symptoms similar to those of COVID-19. The Chinese government is in the midst of managing a surge in cases, while authorities in the Indian state of Karnataka are taking precautionary measures. The local government has issued guidance encouraging individuals to shun public settings if experiencing symptoms related to Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) and has recommended mask-wearing in crowded locales after identifying three cases of the respiratory ailment.

CANADA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation as leader of the ruling Liberal Party amid growing turmoil in his government over his economic policies. At a press conference in Ottawa on Monday, Trudeau said he will remain prime minister in a caretaker capacity until a new leader is chosen. “I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its new leader,” he said. Trudeau has said Canada's parliament will be suspended until March 24 while a new leader is selected. It comes after Donald Trump threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on all Canadian goods if the government did not curb what the US President-elect called a flow of migrants and drugs in the United States.

UK - Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s tenure in office ends Monday, after an investigation found that he failed to tell police about serial abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it. Welby, the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, will lay down his bishop’s crozier – a ceremonial long staff – in a symbolic act which marks the end of his ministry. Most of his official functions will be delegated to the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell. Welby’s initial refusal to step aside kindled anger about a lack of accountability at the highest reaches of the church. The resignation comes against the backdrop of widespread historical sexual abuse in the Church of England.

IRAN - An Iranian diplomat sent an ominous warning that Tehran is ready for any possible escalations in the wake of future Israeli airstrikes on the country. The announcement will further add to concerns about an impending war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's comments to a Chinese state-run media organization come amid fear surrounding Iran moving into using nuclear weapons in the wake of Donald Trump's inauguration. "We are fully prepared for the possibility of further Israeli attacks," China’s state-run CCTV translated Araghchi saying. "I hope Israel will refrain from taking such reckless action, as it could lead to a large-scale war," he warned. He also promised that 2025 would be "an important year regarding Iran's nuclear issue." Chinese counterpart Wang Yi ...told Araghchi that China "firmly supports the Iranian side in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests."

TIBET - At least 95 people have been killed after a strong earthquake struck Tibet, just 75km north of Mount Everest, Chinese state media has reported. Scores of people are believed to be trapped in rubble, while more than 1,000 homes have been damaged and 130 people were injured. The epicentre of the 7.1-magnitude quake was also close to one of Tibet’s holiest cities, Shigatse.

USA - Hundreds of thousands left without power and flights canceled as state of emergency declared in several states. Millions of Americans were hit by a major winter storm on Monday that brought heavy snow, ice, strong winds and freezing temperatures as it moved east out of the center of the country and into the mid-Atlantic region, having killed at least four people the day before. A state of emergency was declared in several states, including Kansas, Missouri, Maryland, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas and Washington DC, as well as parts of New Jersey, with officials urging people to stay home and off the roads, as the deadly storm roared in.

SUDAN - War erupted in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and the neighbouring city of Omdurman on April 15, 2023, triggered by a power sharing dispute between two erstwhile allies, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known better as “Hemedti”, whose paramilitary Rapid Support Forces originated in the infamous Janjaweed of a previous era.

AUSTRIA - The party, which has Nazi roots, could find itself in government after the collapse of centrist negotiations. Austria’s radical, hard-right nationalists will begin talks on Monday on forming a new coalition government with the alpine country’s conservatives, the Austrian president has announced. Alexander Van der Bellen, 80, a former Green Party member elected as an independent Austrian president in 2016, has opened the door to talks with the Freedom Party (FPO) after the resignation of Karl Nehammer, 52, the chancellor, this weekend.

GERMANY - Political figures in Germany are not happy with Musk for getting involved in the country's politics. Elon Musk has caused outrage in Germany by publicly backing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The Tesla billionaire called the AfD the country’s “last vestige of hope” and invited its leader Alice Weidel to a live chat on X ahead of the general election in February. His comments have sparked backlash, with critics accusing him of interfering in German politics.

UK - As Scotland’s temperature plummets to -11C, cold weather — aka the silent killer — will be dispatching many older people to an early grave. Winter deaths have already been running at a 30-year high among seniors, according to Age Scotland, even though the numbers dipped last year. Now, with the loss of the winter fuel payment (WFP) for all but the very poorest, combined with a raging flu epidemic and a failing NHS, those numbers will inevitably increase as the mercury falls. The Scottish NHS, for its part, says pensioners should keep their thermostats at 21°C, which is out of the question for most since it would lead to bills of £250 per month. The average annual price cap of £1,700 is academic to old people struggling on a monthly basis. Energy prices were supposed to have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels by now, but of course, they haven’t. Bills today are still 41 per cent higher than before the energy crisis...

UK - Children in the Islamic community should be taught to identify themselves primarily as Muslim rather than British, the frontrunner to lead the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said. Wajid Akhter, who is standing to be general secretary of the MCB, warned in an article that teaching children to identify primarily with their nationality or ethnicity could make them shallow, whereas choosing their faith as their primary identity provided a solid foundation to approach life. He also called being a Muslim an “act of revolutionary defiance… at odds with the prevailing culture” and condemned new year celebrations as “pagan”, “mixed-gender” and “the first step on a slippery slope”, according to analysis of his speeches and writings by think tank Policy Exchange.

GERMANY - German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has announced a reassessment of the protection status for Syrian refugees, citing improved conditions in the country following the overthrow of Bashar Assad. In an interview for the Funke media group on Sunday, Faeser suggested that some Syrians who have sought refuge in Germany may have to return to their country. The recommendations come almost a month after the fall of Assad, who left the country after militant groups led by Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadists launched a surprise offensive against government forces. The attack resulted in the collapse of the Syrian military in a matter of days and the downfall of the government.