The military governments of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have announced the launch of a new common passport, which will come into effect on January 29.

This marks the date the three countries formally exit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a decision they made after severing ties with the regional bloc last year.

The three nations, which have experienced military coups between 2020 and 2023, formed the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) as a political and security alliance.

This move comes after they criticized ECOWAS for being overly influenced by France and failing to adequately support their fight against jihadist insurgencies.

The AES passports will replace the ECOWAS travel documents, although current ECOWAS passports will remain valid until their expiration dates.

However, citizens of the three countries can exchange their old ECOWAS passports for the new AES ones.

The three countries also announced plans to collaborate on creating a 5,000-member unit to combat growing jihadist violence in the region.

Since taking power, the juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have shifted their alliances, distancing themselves from France and seeking closer ties with Russia and other new partners.

A U.S federal judge on Thursday issued a temporary injunction halting President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order aimed at limiting birthright citizenship.

The ruling, which blocks the enforcement of the order for 14 days, follows legal challenges filed by 22 states, two cities, and multiple civil rights organizations.

Senior U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, who was appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, strongly criticized the executive order, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional.”

During the hearing in Washington state, he emphasized the clarity of the case, saying, “I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one.”

The order, signed by Trump shortly after his inauguration for a second term, sought to redefine birthright citizenship, arguing that individuals in the U.S. illegally or on a visa should not be considered “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and therefore not entitled to citizenship by birth.

Birthright citizenship has long been a cornerstone of U.S. law, enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, which guarantees that anyone born on U.S. soil automatically becomes a citizen. The ruling represents a significant setback for Trump’s immigration policies and comes amid ongoing debates over the interpretation of the 14th Amendment.

In his first major speech since returning to the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to global business leaders, urging them to manufacture their products in the United States or face steep tariffs.

Speaking remotely at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Trump reiterated his administration’s commitment to reshaping U.S. trade policies, which include potential tariffs on key trading partners such as Canada, Mexico, and China, starting February 1.

Trump, who was inaugurated earlier this week, emphasized that businesses that set up operations in the U.S. would benefit from some of the lowest tax rates in the world.

However, he made it clear that those who choose not to relocate their manufacturing to America would be subject to tariffs.

“Come make your product in America and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on earth,” Trump stated, adding, “But if you don’t make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then very simply you will have to pay a tariff.”

In addition to his remarks on trade, Trump suggested that lower oil prices could end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, calling on Saudi Arabia and OPEC to reduce oil prices.

“If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately,” he claimed.

Trump also expressed optimism about his future relationship with China, but emphasized that fairness in trade was his primary goal.

His administration’s previous tariff war with China remains a key element of his economic policy.

In a wide-ranging speech, Trump also signaled plans to pressure the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, stating, “I’ll demand that interest rates drop immediately.”

He added that he expected interest rates to decrease globally as well.

Trump also made controversial statements regarding gender, declaring that the U.S. would adopt an official policy recognizing only two genders, male and female.

He also criticized the participation of men in women’s sports and stated that gender surgeries should be rare.

Since taking office, Trump has prioritized a significant overhaul of U.S. trade policies, with a focus on imposing tariffs and taxes on foreign countries to benefit American citizens.

He has signed an executive order directing government agencies to investigate trade deficits and unfair practices, setting the stage for more tariffs in the future.

In response to President Donald Trump’s threat of mass deportations, the Mexican military swiftly began setting up emergency shelters near the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday.

The Mexican government revealed plans to open nine shelters for Mexican citizens and three additional shelters for foreign nationals who are deported.

The initiative, known as “Mexico Embraces You,” aims to provide temporary assistance to those affected by the upcoming deportations.

In Matamoros, a city in Tamaulipas state across from Brownsville, Texas, Navy personnel erected large olive-green tents in a sports field, with one shelter expected to accommodate up to 3,000 people, according to local authorities.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that the country would provide humanitarian aid to deported migrants before arranging for their repatriation.

Trump, who returned to office earlier this week, declared a national emergency at the southern border and promised to deport “millions and millions” of migrants.

His administration has also reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which forces individuals seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico until their claims are processed.

The U.S. government has also suspended an asylum program for those fleeing authoritarian regimes in Latin America, leaving thousands stranded on the Mexican side of the border.

Additionally, the U.S. has increased military presence at the border with Trump’s recent order of 1,500 additional troops.

Mexico is also preparing a new mobile app that will allow migrants to send alerts if they face imminent detention in the U.S, particularly concerning the large number of undocumented Mexican nationals.

The African Union expressed strong concern on Wednesday over President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO), urging the U.S. administration to reconsider its stance.

The announcement came just hours after Trump took office on Monday, when he signed an executive order initiating the U.S. withdrawal from the Geneva-based health agency, a move that could significantly impact global health funding.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairman of the African Union Commission, voiced his dismay in a statement, emphasizing that the U.S pullout is especially concerning at a time when Africa is grappling with numerous health crises, including recent outbreaks of mpox and Marburg viruses.

Faki underscored the vital role the WHO plays in ensuring global public health security, stating, “Now more than ever, the world depends on WHO to carry out its mandate to ensure global public health security as a shared common good.”

The U.S. is the largest financial contributor to the WHO, and its withdrawal could leave the organization struggling with funding challenges.

Faki also highlighted Washington’s early support for the Africa CDC, a key partner of the WHO in tackling health emergencies across the continent, and expressed hope that the U.S. would reconsider its decision.

Trump has been a vocal critic of the WHO, particularly regarding its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and had previously announced plans to withdraw during his first term.

However, the decision was reversed by President Joe Biden.

Tom Frieden, former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director, responded to the move on social media, warning that the U.S withdrawal would weaken America’s influence, heighten the risk of future pandemics, and jeopardize global safety.

The decision comes amid growing concerns about the potential for a bird flu outbreak, which has already infected dozens and caused its first U.S. human fatality earlier this month.

Meanwhile, WHO member states continue negotiations on a global pandemic treaty, a process now set to move forward without the U.S.

Donald Trump has ramped up pressure on Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to reach a peace deal with Ukraine, threatening to impose harsher sanctions on Russia if Moscow does not agree to end the ongoing war.

Trump’s warning came in a post on Truth Social as he seeks a swift resolution to the conflict, which he had pledged to resolve before beginning his second term.

“If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to impose high taxes, tariffs, and sanctions on anything Russia exports to the United States and other countries involved,” Trump stated.

He emphasized that while he was not trying to harm Russia, he urged Putin to settle the war, warning that Russia’s economy, already struggling, would only worsen without a resolution.

Trump further asserted, “Let’s end this war, which would never have started if I were President. We can do it the easy way or the hard way and the easy way is always better. It’s time to make a deal.”

The United States has already imposed severe sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, significantly slowing trade between the two nations.

The Biden administration imposed additional sanctions earlier this month targeting Russia’s energy sector.

However, Trump, known for his business acumen and his book The Art of the Deal, indicated that his administration would find ways to tighten the pressure on Russia.

Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce showed that imports from Russia dropped from $4.3 billion in 2023 to $2.9 billion between January and November 2024.

Trump’s comments mark his strongest stance against Putin since returning to office this week.

In contrast to previous remarks where he hinted at potentially pressuring Ukraine into negotiations, this time he directly called for Putin to act.

On Tuesday, Trump mentioned that additional sanctions were “likely” if Russia did not engage in peace talks.

Despite his tough words on sanctions, Trump did not clarify whether he would continue sending military aid to Ukraine, which has been a major policy of the Biden administration.

He also expressed plans to meet with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin soon to discuss the war.

Trump had previously promised during his inauguration to end the war within 24 hours of taking office.

His administration had hoped to leverage sanctions or other measures to push Ukraine into making territorial concessions to Russia, but such a breakthrough has yet to materialize.

In a rare critical statement about Putin on Monday, Trump said the Russian president was “destroying Russia by not making a deal,” adding that Zelensky had told him he wanted peace.

Putin, meanwhile, congratulated Trump on his second-term inauguration and expressed openness to dialogue with the new administration, hoping for a lasting peace agreement.

Trump has long been a supporter of Putin, admiring his leadership style, which has found resonance among some American conservatives.

Despite investigations into possible collusion between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia, which resulted in convictions of six campaign associates, Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing, labeling the investigation as the “Russia hoax.”