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 Switzerland holds national day of mourning for victims of deadly Alpine bar fire  Switzerland is observing a national day of mourning on Friday to honor the 40 people who died in a fire at an Alpine bar during New Year’s celebrations. A memorial service will be held as part of the commemoration. The blaze erupted shortly after midnight on Jan. 1 at the Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, injuring 116 others, many critically. Officials believe the fire started when sparkling candles on Champagne bottles came too close to the ceiling. Authorities are investigating whether the bar’s ceiling soundproofing complied with safety rules and whether the candles were permitted, noting that fire inspections had not been conducted since 2019. The intensity of the flames and resulting burns made identifying some victims difficult, requiring families to provide DNA samples. Many of those killed were in their teens or twenties. Swiss prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into...

 Iran sees new protests as hospitals raided and internet access cut At least 36 protesters have been killed in Iran, and more than 2,000 others have been detained as nationwide demonstrations entered their twelfth consecutive day, according to human rights monitors. Protests have erupted in over 100 cities and towns, with demonstrators demanding systemic change and greater freedoms in the largest wave of unrest since the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in 2022 and 2023, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Protesters have used slogans calling for the regime’s downfall and broader reforms to reclaim basic rights and dignity. The unrest intensified after exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged citizens to gather and chant slogans Thursday and Friday evenings, promising further calls to action based on the response. Authorities responded by cutting internet and telephone access across the country. What began as protests over soaring inflation in Tehran has gro...

Iran judiciary chief promises ‘decisive’ punishment for protesters  Iran’s top leadership signaled Friday that security forces would crack down on ongoing protests, directly challenging U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated pledges to support peaceful demonstrators. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced Trump as having “hands stained with the blood of Iranians” while supporters in Tehran shouted “Death to America!” Footage broadcast by state media labeled protesters as “terrorists,” setting the stage for a potentially violent response similar to past nationwide demonstrations. Khamenei accused demonstrators of destroying their own streets “to please the president of the United States” and urged him to focus on domestic issues instead. Meanwhile, Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, vowed that any punishment for protesters “will be decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency.” Despite a widespread internet and phone blackout, videos circulated online s...

 Trump advisers meet Putin envoy in Paris to discuss Ukraine strategy President Trump’s advisers, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met on Wednesday in Paris with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev to discuss the U.S. plan for peace in Ukraine. The meeting came after the U.S. and Ukraine had reportedly reached an agreement on nearly all aspects of Trump’s proposal, with the White House seeking a clear response from Russian President Vladimir Putin. So far, Putin has given no public indication that he is ready to agree to or seriously consider the plan. The Paris meeting followed two days of intensive negotiations in which Witkoff and Kushner met with senior Ukrainian and European officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of the U.K., France, and Germany. Talks centered on security guarantees for Ukraine and potential territorial concessions in the eastern Donbas region. Zelensky said Thursday that the U.S.-Ukraine security guarantees agreement is “essentially read...

 16 ships laden with petrol, diesel, aviation fuel arrive at Lagos ports  No fewer than 16 ships have arrived at Lekki, Tincan, and Apapa ports in Lagos, waiting to discharge petrol, diesel, and bulk gas.  The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) stated this in its publication ‘Shipping Position’ on Thursday in Lagos.  The document noted that 40 ships laden with petroleum products, food items, and other goods were expected to arrive at Apapa, Lekki, and Tin-Can Island Ports from January 8 to January 16.  NPA explained that the expected ships contained buck wheat, bulk diesel, petrol, crude oil, fresh fish, condensate, raw oil, bulk urea, bulk gas, and containers of different goods.

 NCAA threatens stiffer sanctions over flight delays, cancellations  The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued a stern warning to domestic airlines against persistent flight delays and cancellations, saying it will push for stiffer penalties against operators.  Spokesperson for the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, yesterday, said while the Federal Government has consistently supported airlines in the face of industry challenges, recent events have made it necessary to impose heavier ramifications where poor operational performance persists.  Achimugu, who spoke on X, formerly Twitter, said that while the majority of flight disruptions are not caused by the airlines, there is a need for airlines to improve communication during flight disruptions.