Portal:Current events/2017 January 25

Current events of January 25, 2017 (2017-01-25) (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Somali Civil War
  • 28 people are killed in a coordinated attack on the Dayah Hotel in central Mogadishu. The terrorist group Al-Shabaab claims responsibility. (Yahoo) (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks 20,000 for the first time ever. (CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

• Over 800 homes are destroyed or flooded in Tahiti, French Polynesia, following severe storms over the weekend, with at least 4,000 people affected. (Radio New Zealand)

Human rights

• Domestic violence
  • The Russian Duma backs a law decriminalizing a first instance of domestic violence that does "not seriously injure" the person, making it an administrative offense. The bill also includes violence against children. (CNN)
• Women's rights
  • Belgium supports a plan by Dutch minister Lilianne Ploumen to launch a fund compensating worldwide for the United States' newly-reinstated Mexico City policy. (De Standaard) (Reuters)

Law and crime

• The German government decides it will abolish the crime of lèse-majesté, almost one year after the Böhmermann affair. (AFP by Digital Journal)

Politics and elections

• The Vatican City State announces that Pope Francis will name a Pontifical Delegate to head the Sovereign Military Order of Malta after Prince and Grand Master Matthew Festing's unexpected forced resignation in a spat over condoms. (Reuters)
• Presidency of Donald Trump
  • United States President Donald Trump announces that he intends to seek an investigation into possible voter fraud from last year's election. (Reuters) (FOX News)
  • United States President Donald Trump signs executive order to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. (Telegraph)(CNN)(New York Times)

Sports

• The International Olympic Committee says that sprinter Nesta Carter took the banned substance methylhexaneamine while competing in the 2008 Olympic 4 × 100 metres relay. As a result, the Jamaican team is disqualified and Usain Bolt loses his ninth Olympic gold medal. (ESPN)
• With a victory in the second stage of the Vuelta a San Juan, Tom Boonen becomes the first professional road cyclist to win a race on a bike equipped with disc brakes. (RoadCyclingUK)
• In sumo wrestling, Kisenosato Yutaka becomes the 72^nd yokozuna. He is the first Japanese national to effect the promotion to the highest rank in 19 years. (Time)