January 8, 2025 -- As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:
U.S.
- Jimmy Carter, Peacemaking President Amid Crises, Is Dead at 100 (New York Times)
- Trump Won't Rule Out Military Action in Greenland, Panama (Time)
- Honduras Threatens US Military Bases Over Trump's Mass Deportations
- US Congress certifies Trump election victory with Harris presiding (Reuters)
- Johnson Ekes Out a Win to Stay Speaker, But Dicey Proceedings Signal Trouble For Trump (Time)
- Treasury says China hacked documents in 'major' cyber incident
- US plans $8bn arms sale to Israel (BBC)
- Trump's Greenland and Panama Canal ambitions face Republican skepticism (The Hill)
WORLD
- Embattled Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau says he will resign after new party leader chosen (CNN)
- Finland detains Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea
- German government condemns New Year's Eve violence after hundreds of arrests
- Ceremonies mark full membership of Bulgaria and Romania in Europe's Schengen travel zone (AP)
- Canadian leaders say Trump’s talk about Canada becoming the 51st state isn’t funny anymore (AP)
For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.
U.S.
Jimmy Carter, Peacemaking President Amid Crises, Is Dead at 100 (New York Times)
Rising from Georgia farmland to the White House, he oversaw the historic Camp David peace accords, but his one-term presidency was waylaid by troubles at home and abroad... Tributes poured in from presidents, world leaders and many everyday people from around the world who admired not only Mr. Carter’s service during four years in the White House but his four decades of efforts since leaving office to fight disease, broker peace and provide for the poor.
Trump Won't Rule Out Military Action in Greenland, Panama (Time)
President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday declined to rule out using the U.S. military to acquire Greenland or the Panama Canal, ideas he has repeatedly floated since winning the election. “It might be that you’ll have to do something,” Trump said during an hourlong press conference at Mar-a-Lago when asked about whether he would vow to not use the military. “I can’t assure you—you’re talking about Panama and Greenland—no, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this: We need them for economic security.” He threatened to hit Denmark with tariffs “at a very high level” if the country refuses to give over Greenland to the U.S.
Honduras Threatens US Military Bases Over Trump's Mass Deportations
Honduras has threatened to shut down rent-free United States military bases in the country if President-elect Donald Trump carries out his mass deportation policy. President Xiomara Castro said officials would consider "a change in our policies of cooperation with the United States, especially in the military arena," in the face of "unnecessary reprisals against our migrants."
US Congress certifies Trump election victory with Harris presiding (Reuters)
The U.S. Congress formally certified Republican President-elect Donald Trump's election victory on Monday during a session presided over by Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the November contest. The quadrennial ritual, clearing the way for Trump's inauguration in two weeks, went like clockwork and stood in sharp contrast to four years ago when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in a failed bid to block the certification of then-President Trump's 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.
Johnson Ekes Out a Win to Stay Speaker, But Dicey Proceedings Signal Trouble For Trump (Time)
In the end, the threat of a far-right revolt turned out to be more real than expected, as Republican Mike Johnson initially came up short Friday on the first ballot of his bid to stay Speaker. Only after some backroom arm-twisting and plenty of public embarrassment did he prevail on a day that offered an early sign that Republicans will struggle to achieve a unified governing majority in the second Trump era.
Treasury says China hacked documents in 'major' cyber incident
NPR - Chinese hackers remotely accessed several U.S. Treasury Department workstations and unclassified documents after compromising a third-party software service provider, the agency said Monday…. / The revelation comes as U.S. officials are continuing to grapple with the fallout of a massive Chinese cyberespionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. A top White House official said Friday that the number of telecommunications companies confirmed to have been affected by the hack has now risen to nine.
US plans $8bn arms sale to Israel (BBC)
The weapons consignment, which needs approval from House and Senate committees, includes air-to-air missiles
Trump's Greenland and Panama Canal ambitions face Republican skepticism (The Hill)
Republican lawmakers are scratching their heads over President-elect Trump’s ambitions to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal, grand plans the incoming commander in chief put back on the table over the Christmas and New Year’s recess.
WORLD
Embattled Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau says he will resign after new party leader chosen (CNN)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday, saying he intends to step down from the top job and as the leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party once a new party leader is chosen...Canada’s parliament will be suspended until March 24 while a new Liberal Party leader is chosen, he also said.
Finland detains Russia-linked vessel over damaged undersea power cable in Baltic Sea
NPR - Finnish authorities detained a ship linked to neighboring Russia as they investigate whether it damaged a Baltic Sea power cable and several data cables, police said, in the latest incident involving disruption of key infrastructure in the region. / The Eagle S is …part of Russia's shadow fleet of fuel tankers…. / The Estlink-2 power cable, which brings electricity from Finland to Estonia across the Baltic Sea, went down on Wednesday. The incident follows damage to two data cables and the Nord Stream gas pipelines, both of which have been termed sabotage…. / [Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal] said repairs to the cable could take as long as seven months.
German government condemns New Year's Eve violence after hundreds of arrests
AP - The German government on Wednesday condemned a series of incidents on New Year’s Eve in which police officers and firefighters were attacked and injured, mostly with fireworks…. / In Berlin, 30 police officers and one firefighter were injured…leading to 400 arrests, city officials said. Hundreds of police officers from across the country were deployed to the capital to help prevent further violence. / Five people were killed and hundreds injured across the country after being hit accidentally by fireworks. / Explosions of very strong, illegal fireworks in Berlin also caused extensive damage in two Berlin neighborhoods and injured numerous people, some of them seriously. / Thirty-six apartments are currently uninhabitable, dpa reported.
Ceremonies mark full membership of Bulgaria and Romania in Europe's Schengen travel zone (AP)
Ceremonies were held just before midnight Tuesday to mark Bulgaria’s and Romania’s full membership in Europe’s Schengen area, the culmination of years of negotiations by the Eastern European countries to join the ID check-free travel zone. Identification checks at the land borders between Bulgaria and Romania and their neighboring European Union-member countries were officially ceased at midnight, providing travelers free access to the rest of the 27-member EU bloc.
Canadian leaders say Trump’s talk about Canada becoming the 51st state isn’t funny anymore (AP)
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s comments that Canada should become the 51st state are no longer a joke and are meant to undermine America’s closest ally, Canada’s finance minister said Wednesday.