Donald Trump backed off from his threats about taking over Greenland. During his speech at Davos he promised not to use force to take the Danish territory and later said he would not impose tariffs on European countries that had sent a few military personnel there. The prospect of new tariffs had raised fears of a huge trade retaliation from Europe. After a meeting with NATO’s secretary-general, the president said the framework of a deal had been formed, without giving any details. His insistence on owning Greenland has created the biggest rift in the transatlantic alliance since the 1956 Suez crisis.
Mr Trump announced plans for a Board of Peace that he will chair and invited countries to join. A few have accepted so far, including Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Vladimir Putin is considering the proposal. Permanent membership costs $1bn. The board will focus on “effective international peace-building”, a potential challenge to the UN. It will oversee the work of a founding executive, which will include Marco Rubio, America’s secretary of state, and Sir Tony Blair, a British former prime minister, and a Gaza board. It does not include a single Palestinian.
Israel’s army razed buildings at a compound in east Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank belonging to UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinians. Israel has accused it of collaborating with Hamas and banned it from operating in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. The agency said the demolition was a “violation of international law”.
An uneasy calm returned to Iran after the violent suppression of protests against the regime. HRANA, a Washington-based human-rights monitor, has verified more than 4,500 deaths and 26,000 arrests. The true numbers may be far higher. Iranians are still cut off from almost all internet services, and phone and text messages are still being disrupted.
America’s Justice Department served subpoenas on several officials in Minnesota over their alleged attempts to thwart federal officers from conducting immigration raids. The officials include Tim Walz, the state’s governor, and Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis. Mr Trump again threatened to use his powers under the Insurrection Act to send in troops to quell the protests.
Takaichi Sanae, Japan’s prime minister, called a snap election for February 8th. Ms Takaichi became prime minister last October after winning a leadership contest within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and is riding high in the opinion polls. Those polls also show voters are most worried about rising prices. Defence and security will also feature in the election. China is curbing rare-earth exports to Japan amid tensions over Taiwan.
The man who shot dead Abe Shinzo, a former Japanese prime minister and mentor to Ms Takaichi, was sentenced to life in prison. Abe was murdered in 2022.
In Afghanistan Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide-bombing of a Chinese-run restaurant in Kabul, which killed seven people. China advised its citizens in the country to take extra precautions and avoid high-risk areas.
Following the attack by Islamic terrorists on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, Australia’s parliament passed a bill to tighten gun laws, including stricter background checks on buyers and a buy-back scheme to take some of the country’s estimated 4.1m firearms out of circulation. Laws on hate crimes were also beefed up. Fifteen people were murdered in December’s attack.
Han Duck-soo, who was prime minister of South Korea during the brief declaration of martial law in December 2024, was sentenced to 23 years in prison for insurrection. Mr Han became acting president when Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached, and was soon impeached himself. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 15 years. They have called for the death penalty for Mr Yoon at his trial for insurrection.
The death toll from a fire at a shopping mall in Karachi rose to 50, with dozens of people still missing. It was the Pakistani city’s most deadliest blaze in 13 years.
China got the green light to build its controversial new mega-embassy in London. After years of delays, the British government gave its approval for the complex, which will be situated near the Tower of London. Opponents claim it will become a spying hub for China, close to London’s financial district. The government says it has assessed those risks and that national security will be protected. Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, wants to forge closer business ties with China, and is expected to visit the country soon.
At least 43 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided and derailed near Adamuz, in Spain’s Cordoba province. It was the first fatal incident on the country’s high-speed rail network, which was inaugurated in 1992 and is the most extensive in Europe.
The European Parliament voted to send the EU’s recently signed Mercosur trade deal with South America to the European Court of Justice for review. The vote was narrow and MEPs were criticised for caving in to opponents of the agreement, such as farmers. It will not stop the provisional application of the deal from coming into effect, but the parliament cannot now ratify it until the court has its say.
Donald Trump’s senior envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, held talks at Davos with their Russian counterparts on a proposed peace plan to end the Ukraine war. Both sides described the meeting as positive. Vladimir Putin prepared to hold a meeting with the envoys and Mr Trump was to meet Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia continued its bombardments, knocking out power and water to most of Kyiv, which is enduring its harshest winter in 20 years.
In Guatemala ten police officers were killed in a series of co-ordinated attacks by a drug gang. The trouble started when guards were taken hostage at three prisons. When security forces retook one of the prisons that held “El Lobo”, the gang’s leader, it retaliated by attacking police around Guatemala City. The president, Bernardo Arévalo, declared a 30-day “state of siege”.
Gang violence lay behind a sharp increase in murders committed in Ecuador last year, despite a crackdown on crime led by the president, Daniel Noboa. The government recorded 9,216 murders, up by 30% from 2024.
Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s 81-year-old president, was declared the winner of an election held amid an internet blackout and repression by security forces. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, his son and the head of the army, bragged on social media that his men had killed 22 opposition supporters and said he wished death on Bobi Wine, the runner-up. Mr Wine is in hiding.
Senegal won the African Cup of Nations, beating Morocco, the host, in a dramatic final marred by poor sportsmanship. The Senegalese goalkeeper’s towel was snatched by Moroccan ball boys amid wet conditions. He was also targeted with a laser. Even so, Morocco was given a prize for fair play.