A tragic fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in the Turkish ski resort of Bolu has claimed the lives of 10 people and left 32 others injured, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed.

The fire erupted at approximately 03:27 local time (00:27 GMT) during a busy holiday season when 234 people were staying at the 12-story hotel. Initial reports suggest the blaze started in the restaurant area on the fourth floor and spread to the upper levels.

Some guests resorted to desperate measures, with at least two victims reportedly jumping from windows to escape the flames. Footage circulating in Turkey showed makeshift ropes made of linens dangling from windows, used by guests attempting to flee.

Ski instructor Necmi Kepcetutan described the chaos: “People were shouting at the windows, ‘Save us,’ because there was intense smoke inside. We pulled 20-25 people out.”

The response was hindered by the hotel’s remote location in Kartalkaya, about 170km (105 miles) from Ankara, and freezing weather conditions, which delayed fire engines by over an hour. Bolu governor Abdulaziz Aydin reported that rescue operations continued into the morning, with 267 emergency personnel deployed to manage the crisis.

By mid-morning, parts of the hotel were still inaccessible due to the extensive damage. Neighboring hotels were evacuated as a precaution.

The cause of the fire remains unclear. Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that prosecutors have been assigned to investigate the blaze, with authorities scrutinizing whether any guests were trapped in their rooms as the fire spread.

The Bolu mountains, a favored destination for skiers from Istanbul and Ankara, were bustling at the start of Turkey’s two-week school holidays. The Grand Kartal Hotel was reportedly operating at high capacity when the disaster occurred.

On the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump pledged a flurry of executive actions to set his administration’s agenda in motion immediately after taking office. Speaking to a packed “Victory Rally” in Washington, D.C., Trump vowed to move with “historic speed and strength” to reverse policies from the previous administration and implement his own vision for the nation.

A Sweeping Agenda

Trump announced plans to sign over 200 executive actions on his first day, including:

• Mass Deportations: Initiating large-scale operations targeting undocumented immigrants.
• Environmental Rollbacks: Slashing regulations to boost industrial growth.
• AI Advancements: Expanding federal artificial intelligence programs.
• Iron Dome Defense: Directing the military to develop a missile defense system akin to Israel’s Iron Dome.
• DEI Elimination: Removing diversity, equity, and inclusion policies from the military.
• Transgender Sports Restrictions: Prohibiting transgender women from competing in female sports categories.
• Education Reform: Returning control of education to state governments.
• Government Efficiency: Establishing a Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

He also pledged to release records related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Trump emphasized his intention to swiftly dismantle executive orders from the Biden administration, framing his actions as a course correction for the country. “Every radical and foolish executive order of the Biden administration will be repealed within hours of when I take the oath of office,” he declared.

While executive orders allow presidents to bypass Congress on certain issues, the sheer volume and breadth of Trump’s planned actions are expected to face significant legal scrutiny. Many could be challenged in court, potentially delaying their implementation.

Trump’s rally speech drew cheers from supporters eager to see immediate changes. “You’re going to have a lot of fun watching television tomorrow,” he promised the crowd, signaling a dramatic and controversial start to his presidency.

In a shocking incident, two senior Iranian judges, Ali Razini and Mohammad Moghiseh, were shot dead on Saturday morning at the country’s supreme court in Tehran. The apparent assassination occurred when an armed individual entered the court, opened fire, and later took their own life while fleeing the scene. A bodyguard was also injured during the attack.

Both Razini and Moghiseh were prominent judicial figures in Iran:

• A senior figure in the judiciary, Razini survived an earlier assassination attempt in 1998.
• Formerly a judge at the Tehran Revolutionary Court, Moghiseh was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2019 for overseeing what were described as “countless unfair trials” and by Canada in 2023 for involvement in “gross and systematic human rights violations.”

While the motive remains unclear, both judges were reportedly involved in the persecution of opponents to the Islamic regime during the 1980s and 1990s.

• The judiciary’s news outlet, Mizan, described the attack as a planned assassination.
• Initial findings indicate the attacker had no known connection to cases handled by the supreme court. Authorities have launched an investigation to uncover potential accomplices.

The deaths of Razini and Moghiseh highlight the intense and often dangerous environment surrounding Iran’s judiciary, particularly for figures associated with controversial rulings and policies.