10 Things Global News - 20th January 2026
Succinct, unbiased news from around the world
Trump Ties Greenland Push to Nobel Peace Prize Snub
Moscow Cheers Greenland Rift as NATO Unity Strains
Trump Threatens 200% Tariff to Pressure Macron
IMF Warns Tariffs And AI Shock Could Hit Growth
Taiwan Envoy Warns Canada Against Relying on China
Syria Ceasefire Frays as IS Prisoners Escape Custody
Japan PM Calls Snap Election to Seek Mandate
Tariff Threats Revive Sell America Market Fears
Europe Weighs Using US Debt Holdings Over Greenland
China Births Hit Record Low as Population Shrinks
Donald Trump told Norway’s prime minister that his pursuit of United States control over Greenland followed his failure to win last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, saying he no longer felt obliged to think “purely of peace”. In the message, later confirmed by Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump said the world was not secure without “complete and total control” of the territory and questioned Denmark’s right to claim it, arguing it could not protect Greenland from Russia or China. Støre said the message responded to a joint text from Norway and Finland opposing proposed United States tariffs.
European allies moved to defend Denmark as tensions widened. Eight NATO members said tariff threats would undermine transatlantic relations, while Trump said he would impose levies of up to 25 percent on their goods until a deal to buy Greenland was reached and refused to rule out military action. Denmark said the island was already covered by NATO’s collective security arrangements.
Sources: The Independent, NPR
Russian officials and pro-Kremlin outlets are reacting with open satisfaction as Donald Trump’s drive to acquire Greenland deepens tensions between the United States and Europe. The Kremlin said Trump would go down in history if he took control of Greenland, while Kirill Dmitriev hailed the “collapse of the transatlantic union”. Moskovsky Komsomolets said it was a pleasure to watch Europe being “at a total loss”.
Russian media and commentators portray the dispute as a strain on NATO and a source of economic and diplomatic pain for the European Union and Britain. Yet Moscow is also treading a delicate line. Russia has bridled at being cast as a threat to Greenland, with the foreign ministry calling it unacceptable for the West to keep accusing Russia and China. Ukraine remains a higher priority for Moscow than Greenland.
Sources: BBC, Reuters
Donald Trump said he would impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagnes after Emmanuel Macron declined an invitation to join Trump’s proposed Board of Peace. Asked about Macron’s refusal, Trump said “nobody wants him” and claimed the French president would be out of office soon. A source close to Macron said France intends to decline the invitation at this stage.
The Board of Peace was originally proposed in connection with Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, but invitations sent to world leaders outline a broader role aimed at ending conflicts globally.
A draft charter says countries seeking longer-term membership would need to contribute $1 billion, and would give Trump authority over membership decisions as inaugural chairman. Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had also been invited. Diplomats and critics said the plan could harm the work of the United Nations.
Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters
The IMF warned that trade tensions and a reversal in the artificial intelligence boom are key risks to global growth, even as it described the world economy as “steady” and projected growth of 3.3% this year before easing to 3.2% in 2027. It said trade tensions could flare up and prolong uncertainty, while overly optimistic expectations for AI could trigger an abrupt market correction with effects on wealth, consumption and investment.
The warning came as Donald Trump threatened at the weekend to impose tariffs on eight European countries opposed to his proposed takeover of Greenland. The fund said a “spiral of escalation” between the US and Europe would have a “material impact” and could prompt a repricing in financial markets, where record highs have been supported by cash flowing into the US technology sector. The IMF said central bank independence was “paramount” for stability and growth.
Sources: BBC, The Guardian
Taiwan’s top representative in Ottawa said China is not a trustworthy partner for Canada as Prime Minister Mark Carney moves to rebuild trade ties with Beijing. Harry Ho-jen Tseng spoke after Carney and Xi Jinping agreed last week to lower trade barriers and reset relations.
The deal would allow Canada to open its market to a small number of Chinese electric vehicles at a low tariff rate, while China would cut import taxes on canola. The move follows high US tariffs that have pushed Canada to diversify its export markets.
Tseng said an economic remedy for Canada cannot be found in China and argued a free trade deal is “unachievable” because China is not a market economy. He said the contraction or expansion of China’s market is a political calculation and that state-owned enterprises can stop buying at any time. He also urged Canada to sign a drafted trade cooperation framework agreement with Taiwan.
Sources: Bloomberg, Firstpost
A day after a deal between Syria’s government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the agreement appeared to be falling apart as clashes flared around prisons holding Islamic State detainees. The SDF called on “all of our youth” to “join the ranks of the resistance” after fighting in northeast Syria.
The Syrian army said detainees at Shaddadi Prison were able to flee amid chaos and imposed a curfew, while accusing the SDF of facilitating the breakout. The SDF said it lost control of the prison after an attack by government fighters.
The government has tightened its grip across northern and eastern territory after SDF withdrawals from Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, with Reuters journalists seeing government forces deployed in Raqqa and at oil and gas facilities in Deir al-Zor. Syria’s presidency said interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa spoke with Donald Trump, with both affirming Kurdish rights within Syria and agreeing to continue cooperation against IS.
Sources: Associated Press, Reuters
Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said she will dissolve the lower house of parliament on 23 January and hold a snap election on 8 February, only about three months after taking office. She said voters should decide whether she is “fit” to continue and whether Sanae Takaichi should be prime minister.
Takaichi is seeking to revive the fortunes of the Liberal Democratic Party, which is a minority in both houses after recent defeats and a falling out with its former coalition partner, Komeito. The LDP has since governed through an alliance with the Japan Innovation Party.
The election comes as Japan faces challenges including China’s recent economic reprisals linked to Takaichi’s support for Taiwan and uncertainty from the United States under President Trump. Opposition figures warned an election could delay budget approval, while Takaichi called inflation an “urgent matter” and pledged to ease pressure on families.
Sources: Reuters, The Guardian
The dollar slid on Monday after Donald Trump threatened European allies with tariffs over his campaign to take control of Greenland, as trade turmoil reawakened investor concerns about exposure to US assets. The euro and pound both rose against the US currency, while stock markets fell on both sides of the Atlantic.
Fund managers said the move reflected anxiety that the escalation could encourage global investors to sell or hedge US assets. The Swiss franc rose against the dollar, and some fund managers said they have been dialling back dollar exposure because of US actions in recent weeks.
Investors are also debating whether Europe would retaliate by selling US assets, though most see it as unlikely given market risks. Some analysts said there were signs of European investors scaling back exposure, while others said markets expect Trump might step back or strike a deal at Davos this week.
Sources: Bloomberg, FT
Investors are debating whether Europe’s vast US asset holdings could become leverage as tensions rise over Greenland’s sovereignty. European Union investors hold over $10 trillion of US assets, with more in the UK and Norway, and the region owns $2.84tn in US Treasuries. The threat to the US Treasuries has long been speculated as a weapon in the hands of the Chinese due to their large holdings but it seems Europe may also have such an option.
The idea is that reduced buying or sales could push up borrowing costs, but strategists say it is easier said than done. Much of the exposure sits with private funds outside government control, and selling would likely hurt investors too. Analysts describe “weaponization of capital” as a tail risk.
The US Treasury secretary has said the administration wants to lower longer-term Treasury yields, even as large budget deficits require increased bond issuance. Trump has called for the 2027 defence budget to be increased to $1.5tn, and one estimate said that would add $5.8tn to US debt over the coming decade when interest is included.
Sources: FT, Bloomberg
China’s birthrate plunged to a record low in 2025, as deaths again outnumbered births and the population fell for a fourth straight year. Official data released on Monday put births at 7.92 million, down from 9.54 million in 2024, while deaths rose to 11.31 million.
The National Bureau of Statistics said the total population fell by 3.39 million to 1.4049 billion in 2025, marking the steepest annual decline on record apart from the 1959-1961 famine. Births per 1,000 people fell to 5.63, the lowest level since records began in 1949.
Beijing has sought to address the decline by measures such as accelerated family-support policies and childcare subsidies, including a national scheme offering up to 10,800 yuan per year for each child under three. Analysts said structural reforms are vital as weak fertility intentions and delayed marriage and childbirth continue to deepen population ageing.
Sources: New York Times, South China Morning Post
On this day …..
On this day in 1981 only minutes after Ronald Reagan took the oath of office, Iran released 52 American diplomats and citizens held for 444 days following the seizure of the US embassy in Tehran.
The timing reflected months of indirect negotiations mediated by Algeria and the collapse of diplomatic relations after Iran’s 1979 revolution.
The crisis had paralysed the Carter presidency, hardened US attitudes towards the new Islamic Republic, and reshaped American policy in the Middle East.
Although the agreement resolved the immediate standoff, it entrenched a pattern of mistrust that continues to define relations between Washington and Tehran more than four decades later.