Global News Update – January 19

1.Explosion in a restaurant in Afghan capital kills at least 7 and injures a dozen more 2.Civilian casualties in Ukraine were 27 per cent higher from January to October 2025, compared to the same period last year, according to the latest UN human rights report on the situation in the eastern European country. 3.Advances by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan could trigger another exodus across the country's borders, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, told Reuters. 4.At Least 17 Killed After Al Shabaab Launches Deadly Attack on a Somali Military Base 5.US launches widespread airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria after deadly Palmyra attack.The US says its military has carried out a "massive strike" against the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria, in response to a deadly attack on American forces in the country. 6.The Israeli military has launched a “large-scale” operation in Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank, deploying hundreds of soldiers and heavy machinery in a move that has paralysed the city’s southern districts. 7.High-speed train derails in Spain, collides with another train, Of the 178 people injured, the provisional number of deaths in hospital had reached 79 by the following 28 July. 8.At least 21 dead, dozens missing in massive Pakistan mall fire. 9.Factory explosion in China kills four, injures 84 10.Nearly 1,200 Brick Kilns in Nepal Resume Operations. The seasonal firing of nearly 1,200 brick kilns across Nepal has further exacerbated already deteriorating air quality. 11.A strong geomagnetic storm could soon interact with Earth's atmosphere, bringing the potential for northern lights displays to be seen much further south in the continental U.S., according to space weather experts. 12.Indonesia’s Semeru volcano has erupted, unleashing fast-moving pyroclastic flows as the country’s volcanology agency increased the alert level of Java island’s tallest mountain to the highest.The volcano has spewed ash clouds as tall as 5.6km (3.48 miles) into the sky, authorities say. 13.US Wine Exports Plunge 31.4%, Losing $300 Million Amid Trade Turmoil,American winemakers face steepest global decline as tariffs and market disruptions hit key destinations like Canada and China 14.I.M.F. Raises Forecast for Global Growth as Tariff Drag Fades,The 3.3 percent rate for 2026 would match last year’s pace. Booming investment in artificial intelligence is buttressing global output. 15.Indian Railways track renewal: The Ministry of Railways has set a target to renew tracks spanning 7,900 track km in FY 2026–27. According to the national transporter, sustained investment and focused execution over the last few years have led to significant progress in strengthening track infrastructure and safety standards. 17.The European Union has approved the "AI Gigafactory" project to advance strategic computing and technological autonomy, including safeguards in procurement and access rules to prevent large corporations from monopolizing computing resources. 18.The UN World Food Program (WFP) has reported that an estimated 318 million people worldwide now face crisis levels of hunger or worse, with hundreds of thousands already experiencing famine-like conditions, UN agencies warn. 19.Japan’s PM Takaichi will dissolve parliament, call snap election,The vote will decide all 465 seats in parliament’s lower house and mark Takaichi’s first electoral test since becoming nation’s first female leader. 20.Student-led protests expand nationwide in Serbia,Thousands rally in Serbia as university students protest corruption 21.Israel holds emergency cabinet talks on Gaza ceasefire.Security cabinet approves hostage-ceasefire deal;,full cabinet meets to review, vote on it,First hostages to be freed Sunday afternoon. 22.Trade between China and Central Asia increased to a record of more than $100 billion in 2025, despite challenges to global economic growth, the Chinese government said on Monday. 23.US-EU tensions rise over tariffs,A stunned Europe says Trump’s pressure over Greenland is ‘wrong’ and ‘unacceptable’.It’s not often that Europe speaks with one voice – or responds with such urgency. 24.Denmark consults NATO allies over Greenland issue, Denmark floats NATO mission on island.Denmark's defense minister said he and Greenland's defense minister raised the possibility of a NATO surveillance mission in Greenland in a meeting with the NATO chief Mark Rutte.