10 Things Global News - 16th January 2026
Succinct, unbiased news from around the world
US Warns Iran All Options Are on the Table at UN
Trump Announces Gaza Board of Peace as Phase Two Begins
US Seizes Sixth Tanker as Venezuela Plans Oil Reforms
Machado Gives Trump Nobel Medal but Wins No Backing
Europe Sends Troops to Greenland as US Presses Claim
Poll Shows Limited Support For Taking Greenland
Kremlin Backs Trump Claim On Ukraine Talks
US and Taiwan Cut Tariffs in $500bn Chip Investment Deal
Canada and China Launch New Strategic Partnership in Beijing
Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Bites
The United States renewed threats against Iran at an emergency UN Security Council meeting as protests against Iran’s theocracy appeared to be smothered after a week of heavy repression. US ambassador Mike Waltz said President Donald Trump was “a man of action” and that “all options are on the table to stop the slaughter”. Activists said at least 2,677 people had been killed. A state-ordered internet and communications blackout remained in place.
Trump signalled possible de-escalation, saying he had been told the killing was easing. A diplomat said senior officials from Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar had warned Trump that US military action would destabilise the region and shake the global economy.
Iran’s deputy ambassador accused Washington of steering unrest to violence and said any aggression would meet a “decisive, proportionate” response. Russia defended Iran and urged the US to stop intervening.
Sources: Associated Press, Reuters
US President Donald Trump announced the formation of a Gaza “board of peace” as phase two of a US-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory begins. He said members would be announced shortly. The board is expected to oversee a 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee managing post-war Gaza and to be chaired by Trump. The plan also calls for an international stabilisation force to help secure Gaza and train vetted Palestinian police units.
The US-backed Gaza peace plan first came into force on October 10, enabling the return of all hostages held by Hamas and an end to the fighting. Its second phase is now underway but unresolved issues remain. Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli forces have killed 451 people since the ceasefire took effect. Palestinians seek full Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, while Hamas has refused to publicly commit to full disarmament, a demand Israel calls non-negotiable.
Sources: Le Monde, Times of India
US forces seized an oil tanker in the Caribbean linked to Venezuela, the sixth vessel detained as Washington moves to take control of the country’s oil resources. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Coast Guard boarded the tanker Veronica early Thursday after it passed through Venezuelan waters in defiance of President Donald Trump’s quarantine of sanctioned ships. Marines and sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford took part alongside a coastguard tactical team. The US military said the ship was seized without incident.
The operation came as Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, told parliament that legislation governing the oil sector would be reformed, including the hydrocarbons law and the country’s anti-blockade statute. She said the changes would direct money to new fields, sites without infrastructure, workers and public services.
Oil exports are Venezuela’s main source of revenue. Since the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro nearly two weeks ago, Trump has said the United States now controls Venezuela’s oil sector.
Sources: Al Jazeera, New York Times
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump during a White House meeting on Thursday, calling it recognition of his commitment to Venezuela’s freedom. Trump thanked her on social media, calling it a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect”. The Nobel Peace Center reiterated that the medals cannot be shared or transferred, saying a medal can change owners but the title of laureate cannot.
Machado hoped the gesture would bring clearer US backing for Venezuela’s political transition after US forces seized President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 and charged him in a drug-trafficking case. But Trump has declined to endorse her as Venezuela’s new leader and has instead worked with acting president Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump viewed Machado as a brave voice but that his opinion had not changed that she lacks the support to lead.
Sources: CNN, BBC
Several European countries sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland on Thursday as Denmark said it was planning a larger and more permanent NATO presence to secure the island. The deployments followed talks in the United States between officials from the US, Denmark and Greenland that failed to break the impasse. Trump repeated his assertion that Denmark could not be relied upon to protect Greenland and said the island was vital to US security.
Denmark’s defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said the aim was to plan for a larger presence throughout 2026. Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands said they were sending staff to prepare for larger drills.
The White House said the meeting had been productive and that European troops would not affect Trump’s goal of acquiring Greenland. Greenland Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the island did not want to be run by, or become part of, the United States.
Sources: DW, Reuters
A new poll released Thursday found 75% oppose the United States attempting to take control of Greenland, and 25% support it. The poll was conducted 9 to 12 January among 1,209 adults by web and phone, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
The polling follows talks at the White House on Wednesday with Danish officials, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that failed to reach an agreement. Denmark’s foreign minister said the two sides still had a fundamental disagreement over the idea.
The White House said the president was not elected to preserve the status quo and argued NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the United States. The poll also found most had little appetite for broader expansionism, with 55% saying he has already gone too far in using the US military to achieve his goals.
Sources: CNN, Politico
The Kremlin said it agreed with President Donald Trump that Ukraine is holding up a potential peace deal to end the war. Trump told Reuters that President Vladimir Putin was ready to make a deal, but that “Ukraine is less ready”, naming President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the obstacle.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remained open to talks and that its position was well known to American negotiators. Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, and wants Kyiv to withdraw troops from parts of the Donetsk region that Moscow has claimed.
Ukraine has rejected the idea of gifting territory and wants the fighting halted along the current front lines. Putin said Moscow demanded security guarantees and that security must be “truly universal” and “equal and indivisible”. Peskov said no date had been agreed for Steve Witkoff to visit Moscow for further talks.
Sources: Associated Press, Reuters
The United States and Taiwan agreed to a trade pact lowering tariffs on Taiwanese goods to 15 percent from 20 percent and securing large new semiconductor investments in the US. Under the terms announced Thursday, Taiwanese technology companies will provide $500 billion in financing for American operations, split between $250 billion in direct investment and $250 billion in credit guarantees for the semiconductor supply chain.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the package includes a previous $100 billion commitment by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which plans to build at least four additional chip plants on top of six already planned. The US will assist Taiwanese firms with land, utilities, infrastructure, tax incentives and visas.
The framework also caps some sector-specific tariffs at 15 percent and allows companies building US facilities to import limited volumes of chips tariff-free during construction.
Sources: Bloomberg, New York Times
Canada and China said they are forging a new strategic partnership during talks in Beijing between Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Xi Jinping, the first visit by a Canadian leader since 2017. Carney told Xi the relationship could deliver “historic” gains by focusing on agriculture, agri-food, energy and finance, and called for engagement and cooperation to form the foundation of ties adapted to “new global realities”.
The visit follows months of diplomatic efforts to repair relations after years of disputes and comes as both countries face US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Canada has sought to diversify trade links away from the United States, while China has signalled interest in closer cooperation with a Group of Seven nation.
Xi said China-Canada relations had reached a turning point and welcomed efforts to restore cooperation. Officials from both sides said talks on lowering tariffs and boosting bilateral trade are continuing, though no agreement has yet been reached.
Sources: Reuters, The Guardian
Australia’s under-16 social media ban has forced platforms to collectively deactivate about 4.7 million Australian teen accounts in its first month, according to the eSafety Commissioner. The law took effect on December 10 and applies to services including YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and X. The regulator said the measure has had a swift and sweeping impact.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “Today, we can announce that this is working,” calling it “world leading legislation”. Companies can be fined up to A$49.5 million for failing to take “reasonable steps” to remove underage users, while children and parents are not liable.
Regulators abroad are watching closely, with France, Malaysia and Indonesia saying they will introduce similar laws. The eSafety Commissioner said some underage accounts remain active and it is too early to declare full compliance, while teenagers say they can get around the ban by lying about their age.
Sources: Reuters, New York Times
On this day ….
On this day in 1979, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi left Iran amid mass demonstrations and fracturing support from the armed forces, sparking the collapse of the Pahlavi monarchy and paving the way for Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to establish the Islamic Republic.
That shift fundamentally altered Iran’s political system and regional policy.
Decades later, Iran stands on a knife edge: nationwide anti-government protests that began in late 2025 have spread across all provinces, met by harsh crackdowns, internet blackouts and lethal force from security units, posing the most serious challenge to the clerical regime in years and reflecting deep discontent with the post-1979 order.