Washington, Jan 24: US President Donald Trump has told reporters that Russia “should want to make a deal” with Ukraine to end the “horrible war” and emphasised he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately.

“So, I think Russia should want to make a deal. Maybe they want to make a deal. I think from what I hear, Putin would like to see me. We’ll meet as soon as we can. I’d meet immediately. Every day we don’t meet soldiers who are being killed in the battlefield,” Trump said during an Oval Office signing ceremony.

Trump described the conflict as one of the deadliest conflicts since World War II, emphasising that millions of lives have been lost on battlefields and farmlands, and that millions of soldiers are being killed.

While virtually addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF), Trump said, “Our efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine are now hopefully underway. It’s so important to get that done, millions of soldiers are being killed. Nobody has seen anything like it since World War II. They are laying dead all over the fields, farmlands… It’s time to end it.”

He added, “I really would like to be able to meet with President Putin soon and get that war ended. That’s not from the standpoint of economy or anything else. It is from the standpoint of millions of lives that are being wasted. Beautiful, young people are being shot on the battlefield. I have seen pictures of what has taken place and it is a carnage. We really have to stop that war, that war is horrible.”

When asked whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is open to negotiating, Trump responded: “He’s lost a lot of soldiers, and so has Russia,” before adding, “But Russia has lost more.”

Earlier this week, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would impose high tariffs and further sanctions on Russia if Putin fails to end the war in Ukraine.

President Trump on Thursday said peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine are “hopefully” underway while speaking virtually at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“Our efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine are now hopefully underway,” the US President said while speaking virtually at the forum in Davos on Thursday.

“It’s so important to get that done,” the President added.

“That is an absolute killing field. Millions of soldiers are being killed.”

And as the Russia-Ukraine war enters into its fourth year, Western officials assess Russia’s incremental gains along the frontline add as many as 1,500 deaths and injuries a day, and the toll nears 700,000 casualties for the war, according to the UK Defence M<inistry. And US officials estimated about a year ago that some 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and nearly twice that number wounded.

Trump’s remarks came even though he vowed to end the war on the first day of his administration.

Trump missed that deadline, though the media previously reported that the US President is trying to set up a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential in-person meeting.

He repeated his desire to meet the Russian President while speaking on Thursday: “I really would like to be able to meet with President Putin soon to get that war ended.”

Trump however was critical of Putin while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, saying the Russian leader is “not doing so well.” Those remarks are a departure from the typically complimentary rhetoric Trump has for the Russian strongman.

He added that he believes Ukraine “is ready to make a deal”.

The US President said he would seek the assistance of Chinese President Xi Jinping to secure peace in Ukraine.

California, Jan 23: A fast-moving brush fire erupted in Los Angeles County, expanding to 8,096 acres (32.76 square km) with zero containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

The blaze dubbed Hughes Fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday in the area of Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake, about 80 km northwest of downtown Los Angeles, the Cal Fire reported, noting it quickly grew to the size in less than 6 hours and had crossed the county line to the neighbouring Venture County.

Fueled by heavy and dry plants and pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds, the latest wildfire in Southern California spread rapidly, the local media said, adding approximately 19,000 residents are under mandatory evacuation orders.

Students from middle and elementary schools in the Castaic community were evacuated on Wednesday afternoon, and the Castaic Sports Complex was also under a mandatory evacuation order, which was used by firefighters as a command post.

The Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic evacuated 476 inmates to the nearby North County Correction Facility.

Los Angeles County has been inundated with deadly blazes this month. The Palisades and Eaton fires, the largest ones in the most populous county of the United States, have killed 28 people, sparked numerous mandatory evacuations, and destroyed thousands of structures.

The National Weather Service Los Angeles warned Wednesday afternoon that high winds were expected to continue in Southern California throughout the afternoon and overnight, further inhibiting firefighting efforts against the wildfires raging in the region.

“Winds will be elevated enough to cause explosive fire behaviour,” meteorologist Ariel Cohen said. “This is a very volatile situation, and everyone needs to be prepared.”

A total of 11 people were killed in the Palisades Fire while 17 died in the Eaton Fire amid mass devastation in both communities that has left many residents scrambling to find new homes.

They are now 68 per cent and 91 per cent contained, respectively, after more than two weeks of expansive firefighting efforts.

Robert Jensen of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department urged everyone in the affected area of the new fire to evacuate immediately.

“We’ve seen the devastation caused by people failing to follow those orders in the Palisades and Eaton fires. I don’t want to see that here in our community as well. If you’ve been issued an evacuation order, please get out,” he said.

Police were seen driving through the neighbourhood, telling people to leave as the fire spread.

Footage showed helicopters and planes dropping water and retardant on the fire.

The fleet included two Super Scoopers, large amphibious planes that can carry hundreds of gallons (litres) of water.

Fire crews from Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest were also working on the ground to fight the blaze.

The exact cause of the fire is unclear, but it started during red flag conditions when strong winds and low humidity make it easier for fires to spread quickly.

Aden, Jan 22: A total of 20 Ethiopian migrants, including nine women and 11 men, were killed when their boat capsized off the southern Yemeni coast over the weekend, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported.

The vessel, carrying 35 Ethiopian migrants along with a Yemeni captain and his assistant, reportedly departed from the Hammarta area in Djibouti and capsized on Saturday night “amid strong seasonal winds” near Al-Hajjajah in Dubab District, Taiz Governorate, the IOM said in a statement, adding that the survivors have successfully reached the shore.

“This tragedy is a grim reminder of the treacherous conditions migrants endure in their search for safety and a better life,” the statement quoted IOM’s Chief of Mission in Yemen Abdusattor Esoev as saying.

“The international community must strengthen its resolve to address the root causes of irregular migration and prioritise the protection and dignity of migrants,” Esoev said.

Yemen’s coastal waters are among the world’s most dangerous. According to IOM statistics, more than 60,000 migrant arrivals in Yemen were documented in 2024 alone.

Since 2014, 3,435 deaths and disappearances have been recorded along the Eastern Route, including 1,416 lives lost to drowning.

On Tuesday, a Yemeni government official, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, confirmed that “the incident occurred days ago” and said that dozens of people had died, without providing specific casualty figures.

In another significant development, the IOM commended the Ethiopian Statistical Service (ESS) and 13 government institutions involved in migration data-generating for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and data-sharing protocol on 15 January.

The Ethiopian Statistical Service, the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor and Skills, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, the Ethiopian Diaspora Service, the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission, the Ethiopian National ID Program, the Immigration and Citizenship Service, and the Refugees and Returnees Service were among the key institutions that formalised this agreement with the ESS.