What is the story about?
All eyes were on Davos this week, where the most influential men and women gathered for the World Economic Forum annual meeting 2026. Ahead of the gathering, Europe was jittery as Donald Trump reiterated his plans to annex Greenland. However, when the US president delivered his 72-minute address, he appeared to have softened his stance. He said he would not use force and dropped the tariff threats on European countries backing Greenland. So what changed?
Trump also unveiled the ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos in the presence of, as Bloomberg puts it, his ”superfans” – Argentina’s Javier Milei, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto, Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, among others. Most European nations and India decided to stay away. During the signing ceremony for the committee, the US unveiled its plans for a “New Gaza”, with skyscrapers and whatnot.
Trump was not the only one who took centre stage at Davos; two other leaders stole the show: France’s Emmanuel Macron with his Rs 70,000 sunglasses and Canada’s Mark Carney, whose extraordinary speech received a standing ovation. The Canadian PM was well-received around the world, but it only irked Trump more.
In the US, immigration officers continue to assert control. In the latest shocker from Minnesota, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a five-year-old boy. After returning from preschool, Liam Conejo Ramos was held along with his father. He is the latest among the children caught in the US administration’s mass deportation campaign in the state.
We talk about all this and more in our weekly roundup of news from around the world.
1. Until a few days ago, Donald Trump seemed intent on acquiring Greenland by hook or by crook. From the use of military force to tariffs on European nations backing the Arctic island, the US president issued several threats. However, when he spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, his quest for control took a significant turn.
Is this another Taco (Trump Always Chickens Out) moment?
2. At Davos, Trump formally announced the first chapter of the “Board of Peace”. This body, which was originally conceived to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, has now expanded to resolve global conflicts. How will this board function? Could it sideline the United Nations?
3. A dozen countries have backed the “Board of Peace”. While India has not committed to it, Pakistan has eagerly said yes. However, Shehbaz Sharif is receiving backlash back home for his decision from political opponents and academics. One of the reasons $1 billion price tag for permanent membership. It’s no secret that the country is bankrupt.
Will the Pakistan PM now be forced to withdraw from this peace board?
4. If there is one leader who won at Davos, it was Mark Carney. The Canadian PM gave a wide-ranging speech that impressed one and all, save for Trump. The banker-turned-politician laid out a doctrine for a world shaken up by the US president’s foreign policies, warning, “compliance will not buy safety”. “The old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it,” he said. “Nostalgia is not a strategy.”
The address was a sharp contrast to other world leaders who flatter Trump or keep their heads down for fear of provoking him. Amid this, Carney is an exception. He is emerging as
the leader who is unafraid to take on Trump.
5. On January 20, Donald Trump completed one year since he returned to power. His second presidency has upended the world. However, there are a few that have benefited from it. Right on top of that list is the US president and his family. They have amassed wealth through crypto ventures, social media investments and real estate deals. This story explains how rich they have become.
6. In Donald Trump’s America, even children are not safe. As the immigration crackdown in Minnesota intensifies, minors have been targeted. The most recent case involves five-year-old
Liam Ramos. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the Minnesota boy on Tuesday, as he returned home from school and transported him and his father to a Texas detention centre.
7. It’s baby boom at the White House. After Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Katie Miller, who is married to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, the Vances announced that they are expecting their fourth child. Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, is set to be the first Second Lady in more than 150 years to give birth while in office. As they await the baby, here is what we know about the
three Vance children.
That’s all from us this week. If you like to dive deep into the news, you will find more such explainers here.
Trump also unveiled the ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos in the presence of, as Bloomberg puts it, his ”superfans” – Argentina’s Javier Milei, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto, Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, among others. Most European nations and India decided to stay away. During the signing ceremony for the committee, the US unveiled its plans for a “New Gaza”, with skyscrapers and whatnot.
Trump was not the only one who took centre stage at Davos; two other leaders stole the show: France’s Emmanuel Macron with his Rs 70,000 sunglasses and Canada’s Mark Carney, whose extraordinary speech received a standing ovation. The Canadian PM was well-received around the world, but it only irked Trump more.
In the US, immigration officers continue to assert control. In the latest shocker from Minnesota, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained a five-year-old boy. After returning from preschool, Liam Conejo Ramos was held along with his father. He is the latest among the children caught in the US administration’s mass deportation campaign in the state.
We talk about all this and more in our weekly roundup of news from around the world.
1. Until a few days ago, Donald Trump seemed intent on acquiring Greenland by hook or by crook. From the use of military force to tariffs on European nations backing the Arctic island, the US president issued several threats. However, when he spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, his quest for control took a significant turn.
People attend a protest against Donald Trump's demand that the Arctic island be ceded to the US, calling for it to be allowed to determine its own future, in front of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on January 17. Reuters
2. At Davos, Trump formally announced the first chapter of the “Board of Peace”. This body, which was originally conceived to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, has now expanded to resolve global conflicts. How will this board function? Could it sideline the United Nations?
3. A dozen countries have backed the “Board of Peace”. While India has not committed to it, Pakistan has eagerly said yes. However, Shehbaz Sharif is receiving backlash back home for his decision from political opponents and academics. One of the reasons $1 billion price tag for permanent membership. It’s no secret that the country is bankrupt.
Donald Trump walks after a charter announcement for his 'Board of Peace' initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, alongside the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF), in Davos, Switzerland, January 22. Reuters
4. If there is one leader who won at Davos, it was Mark Carney. The Canadian PM gave a wide-ranging speech that impressed one and all, save for Trump. The banker-turned-politician laid out a doctrine for a world shaken up by the US president’s foreign policies, warning, “compliance will not buy safety”. “The old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it,” he said. “Nostalgia is not a strategy.”
The address was a sharp contrast to other world leaders who flatter Trump or keep their heads down for fear of provoking him. Amid this, Carney is an exception. He is emerging as
5. On January 20, Donald Trump completed one year since he returned to power. His second presidency has upended the world. However, there are a few that have benefited from it. Right on top of that list is the US president and his family. They have amassed wealth through crypto ventures, social media investments and real estate deals. This story explains how rich they have become.
6. In Donald Trump’s America, even children are not safe. As the immigration crackdown in Minnesota intensifies, minors have been targeted. The most recent case involves five-year-old
A protester holds a sign referencing Liam Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old that school officials said was detained by federal agents, during a rally on the day of a general strike to protest Trump's deployment of thousands of immigration enforcement officers on the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota, on, January 23. Reuters
7. It’s baby boom at the White House. After Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Katie Miller, who is married to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, the Vances announced that they are expecting their fourth child. Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, is set to be the first Second Lady in more than 150 years to give birth while in office. As they await the baby, here is what we know about the
US Vice President JD Vance, his wife Usha Vance and their children, at the Vatican. File photo/Reuters
That’s all from us this week. If you like to dive deep into the news, you will find more such explainers here.
