DAILY NEWS Stream – January 28, 2025

Russian transport ships dock in Syria, preparing for withdrawal of military forces from Tartus base following termination of lease agreement by Syria’s new government (Thanh Niên)

Gaza: Hamas frees four female Israeli soldiers in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners in second prisoner exchange as ceasefire holds (AP)

United States President Trump threatens Putin with taxes, tariffs, and sanctions if Russia does not make peace with Ukraine, telling him, “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way,” and adding, “the easy way is always better” (Firstpost)

President Trump praised by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] chief Jens Stoltenberg for threatening to impose tariffs on Russia if Putin refuses to make peace with Ukraine (Nghệ An TV)

Analysis: President Trump to DEFEAT Russia, Putin cornered, as the President wields enormous power and leverage and is more experienced compared to eight years ago, says retired US Army Lieutenant General Ben Hodges (War & Politics 24)

Retired UK Air Vice-Marshal Sean Bell says Putin is reconsidering his “failed” Ukraine strategy ahead of President Trump’s proposed ceasefire, says (Times Radio)

Analysis: Russia’s countdown to collapse begins, as Putin’s ambitions have drained Russia’s economy, infrastructure, and population, pushing the country to the edge of ruin (The Military Show)

Analysis: Ukraine war has crippled Russia forever, with its economy crumbling, military shattered, and global influence fading (The Military Show)

UK veteran and security expert Simon Woodiwiss says the Kremlin would end Putin if he allows peacekeeper troops from NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] to deploy to Ukraine as part of a peace agreement, as it would contradict his excuse for invading that he’s repeated since the start - to keep NATO out of Ukraine. Mr. Woodiwiss explains, “If he suddenly allows 200,000 people from NATO member countries to waltz in as part of a peacekeeping force... someone [in Russia], even more hawkish than him, will obviously have something to say about that” (Times Radio)

Putin has “no veto power” to prevent other countries from joining NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization], says NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, emphasizing Ukraine’s full NATO membership is the best guarantee for lasting peace (Tuổi Trẻ)

Russia ready to negotiate with United States on nuclear disarmament, says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (VTV.vn)

Saudi Arabia pledges to support Lebanon in historic visit by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the first visit to Beirut by a high-ranking Saudi diplomat in 15 years (HTV - Đài Hà Nội)

United States President Trump promises a “revolution of common sense” in remote address to the World Economic Forum in Davos [Switzerland], pledging to reverse Biden’s “disastrous” policies and act with “unprecedented speed” to fix America and the world’s economic, social, and geopolitical problems (HTV - Đài Hà Nội)

President Trump’s newly announced policies ignite economic boom, with global stock markets surging after He pledged to cut corporate taxes during Davos forum (Tuổi Trẻ)

President Trump reveals that “one very big power” the United States has over China is tariffs, promising to leverage them as China relies heavily on US trade to build its military and other key projects (Fox News)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urges United States to “find a path of reconciliation” between the two global powers in phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who in turn emphasized President Trump’s commitment to putting “American people first” and supporting US allies in the Indo-Pacific region (VnExpress)

Vietnamese leaders General Secretary Tô Lâm, President Lương Cường, and Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính send letters congratulating United States President Donald Trump on His inauguration (Tạp chí VietTimes)

Analysis: Unprecedented opportunity for Vietnam to benefit from President Trump’s sweeping tariffs policy as the global economy reshuffles and more investors could be attracted to Vietnam’s rapidly growing economy, built by four decades of forward-looking reforms (VẤN ĐỀ HÔM NAY)

US Senate approves John Ratcliffe to be President Trump’s CIA [Central Intelligence Agency] Director. The former Texas state Congressman pledges to modernize the agency with AI [artificial intelligence] and other state-of-the-art technologies to effectively counter threats from Russia and China (AP)

US Representative Andy Ogles proposes amending the Constitution to allow President Trump to serve a third term, as He has proven Himself to be the “only figure in modern history” capable of reversing America’s decline but needs enough time to Make America Great Again (VnExpress)

US tech company Meta says it has been removing posts promoting abortion pills on Instagram and Facebook, since they violate the social media platforms’ ban on selling drugs without certification (Thanh Niên)

Ireland appoints new Taoiseach [Prime Minister] Micheál Martin, who returns to the position after serving from 2020 to 2022. He emphasizes the importance of Ireland’s relationships with Europe, the United Kingdom, and especially the United States, noting the two nations’ “kinship” (CNN)

Bomb threats disrupt more than 240 schools across Hungary, forcing urgent evacuations as authorities launch protective operations nationwide (Thanh Niên)

“Once-in-a-generation” Storm Éowyn causes devastation across the UK and Ireland, bringing record-breaking winds up to 114 miles/hour [183 kilometers/hour], flooding, and power outages. Scotland’s west coast, including Troon and Glasgow, faced severe disruptions, with thousands without power, flights canceled, schools closed, and millions urged to stay home, while one man tragically died during the storm’s impact (BBC; The Scottish Sun; Sky News; STV; WION; 5 News; Channel 4 News)

Taiwan: Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes southern city of Tainan; no immediate reports of damage (Focus Taiwan)

United States is “suffocating”: Wildfires near Los Angeles have not yet subsided, while San Diego County is engulfed in flames again (Báo VietNamNet)

Severe air pollution in Bangkok [Thailand] forces schools to close, and residents are advised to work from home, while unregistered trucks are banned from low-emission areas (VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY)

Thailand scatters dry ice in atmosphere to combat air pollution – a desperate effort to disperse the PM2.5 [fine particle] dust harming the health of Bangkok’s citizens (VnExpress)

China scrambles to repair five hydropower dams that were cracked following violent earthquake in Tibet on January 8, 2025, which prompted evacuation of 1,500 people from six villages downstream to higher ground (Thế Giới Tiêu Điểm)

THE BIG ONE: Scientists warn the Philippines may experience a major 7.2 magnitude earthquake in 2025, as the West Valley Fault is “overdue” for a major disaster that would likely devastate the densely populated capital Manila (Kaalam PH; ABS-CBN; UN News)

Reassuring quote of the day: “God meets daily needs daily, not weekly or annually. He will give you what you need when it is needed.” – Max Lucado