Portal:Current events/2018 January 2

January 2, 2018 (Tuesday)

Arts and culture

Weinstein effect
- Vice Media suspends two of its top executives as it investigates allegations made against them. (ABC News)

Business and economy

United States antitrust law
- Citing national security concerns, the U.S. government blocks Ant Financial's acquisition of MoneyGram. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

International relations

Palestine–United States relations, Israel–United States relations
- President Donald Trump tweets that the U.S. may withhold future payments to the Palestinian authority, over 350 million dollars per year, because they are "no longer willing to talk peace" with Israel, and that Israel "would have had to pay more" in return for his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (Haaretz) (Politico)
North Korea–South Korea relations
- South Korean President Moon Jae-in, responding to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's offer during his New Year’s Day address, proposes a meeting to discuss the Winter Olympics and North Korea's nuclear program next Tuesday at the border city of Panmunjom. (The New York Times) (BBC)
North Korea–United States relations
- U.S. President Donald Trump responds to Kim Jong-un's claim of having North Korea's nuclear missile launch button on his desk, boasting that the size of the nuclear missile launch button on his own desk is larger and more powerful than Kim's. (CNN) (BBC) (The New York Times)
Illegal immigration from Africa to Israel
- Israel announces plans to deport African migrants residing in the country illegally. Migrants will be given 90 days to leave the country or face imprisonment. (BBC)

Law and crime

Joshua Boyle, a Canadian man recently rescued from a Taliban linked group, is arrested on 15 charges, including assault, sexual assault, and unlawful confinement. (Global News)
Nine prisoners have escaped from a Berlin, prison over the last five days, with two escaping today. (BBC)

Politics and elections

United States Senate
- U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch announces that he will retire in January 2019. (Salt Lake Tribune)