All news: Sunday 19 January 2025

2025 Catatumbo attacks

The National Liberation Army (ELN) and FARC dissidents exchange heavy fire across the Catatumbo region, Colombia, killing at least 80 people and injuring hundreds of others, with an unknown number of people also reportedly being kidnapped, after the ELN accused the FARC dissidents of killing civilians in the area. Thousands of people have fled their homes due to the fighting. The Colombian Army says that it has rescued dozens of people, while the government calls on the ELN to cease their attacks immediately.

Gaza war hostage crisis

The Gaza ceasefire agreement formally goes into effect, with the first hostages and prisoners freed as part of the deal.

Gaza war

Israel announces that its troops have recovered the body of staff sergeant Oron Shaul, who was captured and killed by Hamas in 2014.

The Washington Post reports that there is an "emerging consensus" among U.S. and European intelligence officials that maritime accidents, rather than Russian sabotage, was the cause of damage to Baltic seabed energy and communications lines.

January 2025 Southern California wildfires

Cal Fire reports that the Palisades Fire is more than 50% contained, while the Eaton Fire is more than 80% contained.

A bus crashed into a concrete centre barrier in Eastern Cape, killing five and injuring six.

Four people are killed after a house caught fire from a short circuit in Ghaziabad, India.

Three people are killed and four are missing after a boat carrying 17 people capsized near Golaghat, India.

Gaza war

Three ministers of the Government of Israel belonging to the Otzma Yehudit party resign in protest of the approved Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol

Yoon Suk Yeol becomes the first sitting president of South Korea to be formally arrested, following his declaration of martial law in December.

Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol

Following Yoon's arrest, pro-Yoon protesters raid the Seoul Western District Court, resulting in 41 injuries and property damage.

Capital punishment in Iran

An Iranian court sentences singer Amir Tataloo to death on appeal after Tataloo was convicted of insulting the prophet Muhammad.

Restrictions on TikTok in the United States

Social media platform TikTok temporarily suspends most of its services in the United States as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act goes into effect. TikTok restores these services, but its app remains unavailable in U.S. markets on the App Store and Google Play.