Filet magazine

A massive fire swept through the Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana, on January 2, 2025, destroying hundreds of stalls and upending the livelihoods of thousands of traders. The market, one of the largest secondhand clothing hubs in the world, was engulfed in flames during the early morning hours, leaving behind widespread devastation but no reported injuries or fatalities. The Ghana National Fire Service announced on Friday that the blaze had been fully extinguished and that investigations were underway to determine its cause. Videos shared by the fire service on social media showed large sections of the market consumed by roaring flames, as firefighters worked to bring the situation under control. Secondhand shoe dealer Kwabena Charles, one of the affected traders, recounted the harrowing ...

In a historic visit, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to Syria to meet with the country’s transitional leaders, signaling a new phase in relations between Syria and the European Union. This marks the first such visit by EU officials since the regime of Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December. The ministers met with Syria’s de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, in the capital Damascus. Sharaa’s group, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led the rebellion that brought an end to Assad’s authoritarian rule. In recent years, HTS has distanced itself from its past ties to al-Qaeda, attempting to rebrand itself as a political entity capable of governing post-war Syria. Baerbock, speaking before the meeti...

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that his country may retaliate against Ukraine following Kyiv’s decision to halt the transit of Russian gas through its territory. The move has escalated tensions between the two neighbors and added a new dimension to the already fraught relationship between Ukraine and some European Union member states. In a video message posted on Facebook on Thursday, Fico accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of “sabotage” after Ukraine followed through on its New Year’s Day promise to stop Russian gas flows to Europe. The decision marked the expiration of a key transit deal with Moscow, which Zelensky described as “one of Moscow’s greatest defeats.” Fico, however, criticized the move’s repercussions for Slovakia and Europe, calling it a “drasti...

A quiet New Year in the small town of Cetinje, Montenegro, was shattered when a gunman went on a deadly rampage, killing 12 people, including two children, before succumbing to self-inflicted injuries early Thursday. The tragedy, one of the worst mass killings in Montenegro’s history, has left the Balkan nation in shock and mourning. The attacker, identified by police as 45-year-old Aleksandar Aco Martinovic, began his spree on Wednesday afternoon following a brawl at a local restaurant. According to authorities, Martinovic killed four people at the restaurant before moving to three other locations, where he shot and killed eight more, including two children. Police said the victims were closely connected to the gunman. “All the victims were his godfathers, friends… the motive is still unk...

Ecuador has been shaken by a tragic case involving the disappearance and deaths of four children, leading to the detention of 16 air force members accused of involvement. The charred remains of the children, aged 11 to 15, were found weeks after they were reportedly forced into a military patrol car. The case has sparked national outrage and protests, tarnishing the image of the armed forces amidst an ongoing crackdown on violent criminal groups under President Daniel Noboa. The children—Saúl Arboleda, Steven Medina, and brothers Josué and Ismael Arroyo—were last seen on December 8 in Guayas province after playing soccer. Video evidence released by Ecuador’s National Assembly showed the children being coerced into a military vehicle. The defense ministry initially claimed the children had ...

The US Treasury Department has revealed that hackers, allegedly backed by the Chinese government, infiltrated its workstations in what officials are calling a “major cybersecurity incident.” The breach, which the department disclosed to lawmakers on Monday, involved the use of a stolen security key to access certain Treasury systems and unclassified documents. According to a letter reviewed by CNN, the Treasury was notified of the intrusion on December 8 by BeyondTrust, a third-party software service provider. The hackers reportedly exploited the stolen key to override security measures and remotely access several departmental workstations. Aditi Hardikar, the Treasury’s assistant secretary for management, attributed the breach to a Chinese state-sponsored Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) ...

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has suspended the operations of Al Jazeera in the occupied West Bank, accusing the Qatari-based news network of disseminating “inciting materials” and “misleading reports” that interfere in internal Palestinian affairs. The move, announced on Wednesday by Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, has drawn widespread criticism and raised concerns about press freedom in the region. According to Wafa, the decision involves a temporary suspension of all Al Jazeera staff and affiliated channels until the network’s “legal status is rectified.” The PA alleges that Al Jazeera violated Palestinian laws and regulations, although it did not specify how. In response, Al Jazeera condemned the suspension as an attempt to stifle critical journalism, calling it “in line w...