GLOBAL ROUNDUP: US Immigration Showdowns, Deadly Mediterranean Shipwreck, Mozambique Floods and Rising Political Tensions
Story: written by Joseph January 26,2026
Global events unfolded rapidly across continents as conflicts, climate disasters, migration crises and political power struggles dominated international headlines.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy disclosed that a US-backed security guarantees document for Ukraine is fully prepared and awaiting a venue and date for signing. Once executed, the agreement will be submitted to both the US Congress and Ukraine’s parliament for approval. His comments followed US-facilitated talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi, which yielded no major breakthrough but narrowed disagreements within Washington’s proposed 20-point peace plan. Further negotiations are expected next weekend.
In the United States, a federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s move to revoke humanitarian parole granted to more than 8,400 migrants from seven Latin American nations. The ruling preserves family reunification pathways introduced under former President Joe Biden, even as immigration enforcement intensifies under Trump’s renewed crackdown backed by long-term federal funding.
Extreme weather also battered the US, with a powerful winter storm leaving over one million homes without electricity from Texas to New England. Snow, ice and freezing rain forced mass flight cancellations, closed highways and were linked to at least three hypothermia-related deaths, with authorities warning of prolonged hazardous conditions.
In South Asia, Bangladesh criticised India for allowing exiled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to address the public from New Delhi. Dhaka described the move as provocative, citing Hasina’s conviction and death sentence in absentia over the 2024 crackdown that killed more than 1,400 people. The controversy comes ahead of Bangladesh’s upcoming elections, from which Hasina’s party has been barred.
Political tensions deepened in the US after two fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis intensified debate over immigration enforcement. Democrats have pledged to block funding for immigration agencies, while Republicans defended the operations. Congress now faces a January 30 deadline to prevent a government shutdown.
Tragedy struck the Mediterranean as a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Tunisia, leaving 50 people feared dead. Only one survivor was rescued after drifting at sea for nearly 24 hours before being picked up and taken to Malta.
In southern Africa, Mozambique is grappling with its worst flooding in decades. Torrential rains forced rivers to overflow, displacing tens of thousands and submerging entire communities. Aid agencies warn of escalating humanitarian needs as survivors recount devastation comparable to the catastrophic floods of the 1990s.
Uganda’s post-election crisis deepened as opposition leader Bobi Wine accused soldiers of raiding his home and assaulting his wife while he remains in hiding. President Yoweri Museveni has been declared winner of a seventh term, a result Wine disputes. Meanwhile, Museveni’s son and army chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has emerged as a powerful figure, raising concerns about succession and growing authoritarianism.
In West Africa, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara reshuffled his cabinet, appointing his brother and defence minister, Tene Birahima Ouattara, as vice prime minister. The move signals political continuity following Ouattara’s re-election and parliamentary victory.
