USPS Suspends All Package Deliveries from China, Disrupting E-commerce

In a significant policy shift, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on February 5, 2025, that the United States will officially withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council and cease funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which assists Palestinian refugees. The decision follows longstanding criticisms from Israel, which has accused UNRWA of harboring Hamas militants implicated in the October 7 attacks in southern Israel, a claim the agency denies. During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the UN, stating it must "get its act together" and be fair to all nations. Previously, the U.S. exited the council in June 2018 over allegations of bias against Israel. The UNRWA, which was established in 1949, provides vital services including education and healthcare to approximately 5.5 million Palestinians. Trump's executive actions also call for a review of U.S. involvement in UNESCO and funding for the UN, where the U.S. is the largest financial contributor, supplying 22% of the budget, as reported by council spokesperson Pascal Sim.

In a recent statement, US President Donald Trump declared he has instructed advisers to "obliterate" Iran should he be assassinated by the Tehran regime. Speaking on February 5, 2025, Trump emphasized that any such action would result in "nothing left" of Iran and labeled it a "terrible thing for them to do" during the signing of an executive order aimed at intensifying economic pressure on Iran. This order directs the US Treasury to enforce strict sanctions, aiming to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero, in light of prior allegations that Iran attempted to plot against Trump. According to the US Justice Department, a foiled Iranian scheme last year involved orders to surveil and eliminate Trump. Trump's current policy follows his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and reflects his stance that Iran must not develop nuclear weapons. He accused President Biden of failing to rigorously enforce oil export sanctions during his presidency, which he claims allowed Iran to fund militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Trump conveyed a desire to negotiate better relations with Iran, but made it clear that he would not allow their pursuit of nuclear arms.

Salvage crews have successfully recovered the bodies of all 67 victims from a recent plane crash in Washington D.C., following a collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army helicopter on January 30, 2025. This marks the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. in two decades, officials reported on February 5. The passenger aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ-700, was en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Ronald Reagan National Airport when it tragically struck the military helicopter, which was on a routine training mission. All 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the plane, as well as three soldiers in the helicopter, perished, leaving no survivors. Authorities have confirmed that all but one of the bodies have been identified and expressed their condolences to the victims' families, citing this as a "significant step" towards closure. Recovery efforts continue, with crews also focused on retrieving wreckage from the Potomac River, including wings and fuselage segments. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to release a preliminary report within the next 30 days as the investigation proceeds.