France&#8217;s National Assembly on Monday backed legislation to ban children under 15 years old from social media on Monday, amid growing concerns about online bullying and mental health risks.
The bill proposes banning under-15s from social networks and &#8220;social networking functionalities&#8221; embedded within broader platforms, and reflects rising public angst over the impact of social media on minors.
Lawmakers voted 116 to 23 in favor of the bill. It now passes to the Senate before a final vote in the lower house.
President Emmanuel Macron has pointed to social media as one factor to blame for violence among young people. He is urging France to follow Australia, whose world-first ban for under-16s on social media platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube came into force in December.
Macron wants the ban in place in time for the start of the next academic year in September.
&#8220;With this law, we are setting a clear boundary in society and saying social media is not harmless,&#8221; centrist lawmaker Laure Miller told the chamber as she presented the bill.
&#8220;Our children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves to one another more,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;This is a battle for free minds.&#8221;
Australia&#8217;s social media ban is being studied in countries including Britain, Denmark, Spain and Greece.
The European Parliament has called for the European Union to set minimum ages for children to access social media, although it is up to member states to impose age limits.
There is broad political and public support in France for curbing minors&#8217; access to social media.
Far-right lawmaker Thierry Perez said the bill responded to a &#8220;health emergency.&#8221;
&#8220;Social media has allowed everyone to express themselves, but at what cost to our children?” Perez said.
The French ban would require platforms to block access to young teenagers through age‑verification mechanisms compliant with European Union law.
Enforcing such bans can be difficult. Australia&#8217;s government acknowledged the rollout of its ban would be bumpy after children claiming to be under 16 flooded the country&#8217;s social media feeds with messages gloating about their continued ability to access networks.
The French legislation also extends an existing ban on smartphones in junior and middle schools to cover high schools.
A Harris Interactive survey in 2024 showed 73% of the public supported a ban on social media access for under-15s.
Teenagers on the streets of Paris were split in their views. Some said they acknowledged the dangers associated with social media. Others felt a ban was excessive.
(Reporting by Leigh Thomas and Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Richard Lough, Alex Richardson and Diane Craft)

Social Media And Messaging Apps

France’s National Assembly Approves Ban On Social Media For Those Under 15 Years Old

Australia

Big Tech

Emmanuel Macron

France

Social Media

World

On Saturday morning, President Donald Trump threatened Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney with a steep 100% tariff if he follows through on a recent deal with communist China.
&#8220;If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a &#8216;Drop Off Port&#8217; for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken,&#8221; the president wrote on Truth Social.
Notably, Trump mockingly referred to the PM as &#8220;Governor Carney,&#8221; as the president has repeatedly said in the past that he&#8217;d like to turn Canada into the 51st state of the U.S. &#8212; a proposition Carney very much did not like.
&#8220;China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.&#8221;
On Friday, Carney announced a new Canada-China trade deal that partially rolls back tariffs on both sides. Under the agreement, Canada will allow a limited number of Chinese electric vehicles to enter the country at reduced tariffs, while China will significantly cut or pause tariffs on major Canadian agricultural exports like canola, seafood, and peas.
Carney called the deal “historic and productive.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s threat for a 100% tariff follows drama at the World Economic Forum. Carney criticized the U.S. for its ambition to purchase Greenland, sparking a tough response from Trump.
“I watched your prime minister yesterday,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/11622445/donald-trump-mark-carney-davos-speech/">said</a> on Wednesday. &#8220;He wasn’t so grateful, but they should be grateful to us. Canada lives because of the United States.&#8221;
“Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,&#8221; he continued.
“All we want from Denmark for national and international security and to keep our very energetic and dangerous potential enemies at bay is this land on which we’re going to build the greatest golden dome ever built,” said Trump.
“We’re building a golden dome that’s going to, just by its very nature, going to be defending Canada. Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way,&#8221; the president added. &#8220;They should be grateful also, but they’re not.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-uninvites-canada-from-his-gaza-board-of-peace-after-davos-drama">Trump Uninvites Canada From His Gaza ‘Board Of Peace’ After Davos Drama</a>

Donald Trump

Trump Threatens Canada With Massive Tariff After PM Carney Makes Deal With China

Canada

Communist China

Global Politics

Tariffs

Chinese tech giant ByteDance has reached a deal over ownership of TikTok for the social media platform to stay active in the United States.
TikTok <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/announcement-from-the-new-tiktok-usds-joint-venture-llc?lang=en">announced</a> the deal on Thursday evening after a six-year campaign to ban the app under Chinese ownership from the United States. Congress passed legislation over a year ago that could have spelled the end of TikTok in the United States, but President Donald Trump postponed the ban from going into effect beyond the bill’s stated grace period to reach a deal.
Since 2019, a conglomeration of people and entities have sought legal action against TikTok, while a bipartisan group of lawmakers has sought an outright ban over concerns that the platform was being used by China to steal from and spy on Americans.
The effort to ban TikTok was resisted by social media influencers who have used the platform to further their careers, as well as Trump, who prioritized negotiating with ByteDance to sell off the platform to allow it to continue to operate in the United States.
Under the terms of the deal, a new U.S. version of the app will be created, which will be 80% owned by international investors.
TikTok’s Thursday statement listed the new group of international owners. The largest owners outside of ByteDance itself are the software giant Oracle, the Emirati investment firm MGX, and U.S.-based investment firm Silver Lake. ByteDance will retain 19.9% ownership of the U.S. version of the platform while the other big three will each have 15%.
“Completing the full consortium of investors are: Dell Family Office, the investment firm of Michael Dell, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies; Vastmere Strategic Investments, LLC, an affiliate of Susquehanna International Group, LLP; Alpha Wave Partners; Revolution; Merritt Way, LLC controlled and managed by partners of Dragoneer; Via Nova, an affiliate of General Atlantic; Virgo LI, Inc., investment arm of a foundation established by Yuri and Julia Milner in support of science; and NJJ Capital, the family office of Xavier Niel, a French entrepreneur and pioneer in telecommunications,” the statement from TikTok explained.
Oracle will become the manager of all U.S. user data on the platform.
“TikTok USDS Joint Venture&#8217;s mandate is to secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm through comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity measures. It will safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem through robust trust and safety policies and content moderation while ensuring continuous accountability through transparency reporting and third-party certifications,” the announcement stated.

TikTok

TikTok Strikes Deal To Stay Active In U.S., Ending Years-Long Battle Over Chinese Ownership

China

United States

U.S. envoys met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for over three hours to discuss a potential deal aimed at ending the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
Trump confidants Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with newly-appointed Board of Peace senior advisor Josh Greunbaum, met with Putin at midnight Thursday as the World Economic Forum in Davos comes to a close.
A video clip shared by the Kremlin on Telegram showed Putin, joined by his foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, and special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, shaking hands with the envoys prior to the meeting.
The group discussed the 20-point peace plan to end the Russian invasion, which has been held up due to key disagreements on Russian demands for land in Eastern Ukraine, much of which Ukraine has successfully defended at this point in the war.
The outcome of the meeting was unclear in the immediate aftermath of the talks, which were held shortly after President Trump said a deal was &#8220;reasonably close&#8221; and Witkoff <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-meets-us-envoys-late-night-talks-ukraine-2026-01-22/">said</a> a deal hinged on one last issue, according to Reuters.
Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hours earlier at Davos, describing the conversation as &#8220;good&#8221; to reporters aboard Air Force One.
&#8220;We&#8217;re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months, and he [Zelensky] came, and he said he wants to make a deal because I wasn&#8217;t necessarily sure. I think he should want to make a deal,” Trump said. “President Putin would like to make a deal. I think that President Zelensky would like to make a deal.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his meeting with President Zelensky in Davos: &#8220;We&#8217;re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months and he came and he said he wants to make a deal because I wasn&#8217;t necessarily sure. I think he should want to make a deal.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/89LxjlmJTs">pic.twitter.com/89LxjlmJTs</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014494433190817922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Zelensky blasted European leaders during his Davos speech on Thursday for what he called their inaction against Putin.
&#8220;Europe loves to discuss the future, but avoids taking action today,&#8221; Zelensky <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-22/putin-starts-kremlin-talks-with-us-envoys-witkoff-and-kushner">said</a>. &#8220;Where is the line of leaders who are ready to act?&#8221;

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-US-DIPLOMACY

Trump Pushes Ukraine Peace Deal As Kushner, Witkoff Hold Talks With Putin

Davos

Jared Kushner

Russia

Steve Witkoff

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that his administration is closely watching Iran for signs that it&#8217;s killing protesters, and has sent a &#8220;big flotilla&#8221; toward the region &#8220;just in case.&#8221;
The president said that he hopes the U.S. fleet is unnecessary. Trump talked about U.S. troop movements regarding Iran while on board Air Force One, with his orders suggesting that tensions between Washington and Tehran are still high amid Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests.
“We’re watching Iran. You know, we have a lot of ships going that direction just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we&#8217;ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters.
The president said that he stopped Tehran from following through on hundreds of public executions.
“I said, ‘If you hang those people, you&#8217;re gonna be hit harder than you&#8217;ve ever been hit. It&#8217;ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts.’ And an hour before this horrible thing (the executions) was going to take place, they canceled it,” the president said. “But we have an armada. We have a massive fleet heading in that direction. And maybe we won&#8217;t have to use it. We&#8217;ll see.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We&#8217;re watching Iran. We have a lot of ships going that direction just in case&#8230; We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won&#8217;t have to use it. We&#8217;ll see.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/eL0sRyJb6u">pic.twitter.com/eL0sRyJb6u</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2014496443311018323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2026</a></blockquote>
Trump threatened Iran with another attack if the regime used deadly force, as anti-government protests have swept the Middle Eastern country in recent weeks. Tehran has maintained an internet blackout over the entire country for two weeks, as reports suggest that the regime has killed thousands.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency <a href="https://www.en-hrana.org/day-twenty-six-of-the-protests-government-commits-violence-denies-responsibility-and-continues-mass-arrests/">says</a> it has confirmed the deaths of over 5,000 people since mass protests erupted in Iran in late December. The human rights group says it is investigating nearly 10,000 more deaths. It says nearly 27,000 people have been arrested by the regime since the protests started.
Trump and Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have traded strong words while Washington and Tehran negotiate and threaten each other over the fate of Iranian protesters and a potential U.S. strike.
“Anything ever happens [to me], we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up,” Trump <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5697870-trump-iran-assassination-threats/">said</a> on Tuesday in response to the Iranian regime’s threats on his life.
Tehran hit back on Wednesday. An Iranian military spokesman, Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/21/g-s1-106639/iran-warns-trump-khamenei">said</a>: “Trump knows that if any hand of aggression is extended toward our leader, we not only cut that hand but also we will set fire to their world.”
Trump ordered strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities last year, which the United States military carried out in cooperation with Israel, effectively ending the 12-Day War that took a significant toll on Iran’s top military leadership and nuclear research.

Trump Says ‘Massive Fleet’ Headed Toward Iran: ‘We’re Watching Them Very Closely’

Iran

Argentinian President Javier Milei, speaking at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos, invoked the Bible to inspire his audience to return to the values that made the West great.
“I am here before you to state categorically that Machiavelli has been dead for years,” Milei began. “Our thinking has been distorted by a false dilemma in the design of public policy, one that claims we must choose between political efficiency and respect for the ethical and moral values of the West.”
“As Professor Jesús Huerta de Soto explains in his work on dynamic efficiency, from this perspective, efficiency is not compatible with multiple schemes of equity or justice; rather, it arises exclusively from one: respect for private property and the entrepreneurial function,” he stated. “Therefore, the opposition between efficiency and justice is false and mistaken. What is just cannot be inefficient, and what is efficient cannot be unjust. From the standpoint of dynamic analysis, justice and efficiency are two sides of the same coin.”
Referring to the economist Murray Rothbard, who established the connection between the dynamic conception of economic efficiency and ethics, Milei declared, “Only the ethical principles underlying Western culture can serve as a criterion of efficiency when making public policy decisions. Put bluntly, when designing public policy, it is ethically and morally inadmissible to sacrifice justice on the altar of efficiency. This commitment to values stands above economic efficiency and far above political utilitarianism. When ethical and moral values are abandoned, policies become not only unjust, but also lead to collapse — not only economic collapse, but social collapse as well, to the point of threatening Western civilization itself.”
“We must never forget Thomas Sowell’s words about socialism: it sounds wonderful, but the catch is that it always ends badly — horribly badly,” he warned. “Beyond the repeated disasters of socialism in the twentieth century, we see today the aberrant damage caused in Venezuela — not only an 80% collapse in GDP, but worse still, the establishment of a bloody narco-dictatorship whose terrorist tentacles spread throughout the American continent.”
“Today more than ever, faced with the ethical and moral degradation of the West resulting from the embrace of a new socialist agenda, it is necessary to reclaim and assert the ideas of liberty. However, unlike past approaches based on utilitarianism, the defense of free-enterprise capitalism must today be grounded in its ethical and moral virtue,” he asserted. “If we want to emerge from our dark present, we must return to Greek philosophy, embrace Roman law, and restore Judeo-Christian values — the foundations that can save the West.”
“Many human conflicts arise from a failed relationship between natural law and positive law,” he continued. “Natural law governs human beings because it aligns with their nature and is therefore universally just. It is common to all humanity, intrinsic, immutable, and unchangeable. Positive law, by contrast, is written by humans for their convenience. When positive law aligns with natural law, there is justice; otherwise, it may be legal, but not legitimate. Private property ensures maximal productive effort. Protecting physical integrity rather than value ensures continual productive improvement. Any deviation reduces productive effort.”
“Regulation kills increasing returns and thus kills growth,” he stated. “This logic applies equally to artificial intelligence, which is the 21st-century equivalent of Adam Smith’s pin factory. States should stop harassing those building a better world. Dystopian fears are nonsense. Market size and real resources limit expansion. Human capital remains vital.&#8221;
“Public policy must be guided by ethics, not utilitarianism, which always leads to injustice, populism, and poverty. Machiavelli is dead. It is time to bury him,” he said. “Free markets make us better people. They allow us to prosper, defend property, preserve peace, achieve social harmony, and strengthen the virtues essential to a prosperous society.”
Then he turned to the Bible:
<blockquote>I will close with a reflection from this week’s Torah portion. The parasha Bo describes the moment when Moses confronts Pharaoh, the symbol of the oppressive power of the state, to warn him that if he did not free the Hebrew people, the last three plagues would fall upon Egypt. When the Pharaoh refused, the plague of locusts arrived, which signifies famine. Then came the plague of darkness, which means the loss of clarity for decision-making. Finally, the plague of death of the first-born, which reveals the fate of a society that denies freedom. The analogy with what is happening today in the West is extremely clear.
The West turned its back on liberty, embraced socialism in its most hypocritical form — wokeism — and put itself in danger.
But 2026 brings good news. The world is awakening. America is experiencing a rebirth of liberty and will once again be the beacon that reignites the West.
We have a better future — if we return to the roots of the West: the ideas of liberty.
May God bless the West. 
May the forces of heaven be with us. 
Long live liberty.
</blockquote>

SWITZERLAND-POLITICS-ECONOMY-DIPLOMACY

Milei Quotes The Bible At Davos: Liberty, Faith, And The Moral Case For Capitalism

Argentina

Bible

Javier Milei

World Economic Forum

Last week, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a joint statement asserting their exclusive authority over the Christian flock in the Holy Land. The letter condemned &#8220;Christian Zionism&#8221; as a damaging ideology that harms Christian unity and serves political agendas. This prompted a sharp rebuttal from U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and an extensive deconstruction from evangelical circles.
The original statement claimed that the historic Apostolic Churches are the sole representatives of the Christian faith in the region. It accused &#8220;local individuals&#8221; of advancing ideologies that mislead the public and interfere with the internal life of the church. The Patriarchs expressed concern that these individuals—likely referring to a massive delegation of 1,000 U.S. pastors that visited in December 2025—were being welcomed at official levels by the Israeli government, which they viewed as a threat to the indigenous Christian presence.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee responded by rejecting the notion of &#8220;exclusivity&#8221; in representing the Christian faith. His response focused on several key points.
Huckabee argued that no single sect should claim a monopoly on the Christian viewpoint, noting that the evangelical tradition is a &#8220;global and growing&#8221; force. He asserted that the foundation of Christianity is Judaism. He argued that if God could break His covenant with the Jewish people, Christians would have no assurance that He would keep His covenant with them. &#8220;The thought that God is even capable of breaking a covenant is anathema to those of us who embrace Holy Scripture as the authority of the church. If God can or would break His covenant with the Jews, then what hope would Christians have that He would keep His covenant with us?&#8221; he stated.
Huckabee redefined the term, stating that a Zionist is simply someone who believes the Jewish people have a right to live in their ancestral homeland. He expressed confusion as to why anyone claiming the &#8220;moniker &#8216;Christian'&#8221; would not also be a Zionist. He urged the Patriarchs to focus on shared truths—such as the sanctity of life and marriage—rather than jurisdictional disputes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In response to the statement of non-evangelical churches in Israel, I issued the following. I hope you will read prayerfully.
I love my brothers and sisters in Christ from traditional, liturgical churches and respect their views, but I do not feel any sect of the Christian… <a href="https://t.co/jqohEWk0xJ">pic.twitter.com/jqohEWk0xJ</a>
&mdash; Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovMikeHuckabee/status/2013697566295101916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A viral social media post by an Evangelical Christian further deconstructed the Patriarchs’ letter, arguing it was an &#8220;institutional-political statement&#8221; rather than a theological one. The critique followed several lines of reasoning.
The post noted a &#8220;critical omission&#8221;: the Patriarchs’ letter cited only one verse (Romans 12:5) regarding unity, but failed to address the numerous scriptures regarding God’s covenant with Israel. The critique highlighted that the letter ignored Romans 11:29, which states God’s calling is &#8220;irrevocable,&#8221; and Jeremiah 31:35-37, which ties Israel’s existence to the permanence of the sun and stars.
The deconstruction argued that the decline of the Christian population in the Holy Land is not caused by Christian Zionism. It provided statistics to shift the focus: In Bethlehem, the Christian population was 86% in 1950, but dropped to approximately 12% by 2026.
The post cited economic collapse, Islamist intimidation, and property disputes under Palestinian Authority control—factors unrelated to Evangelical theology—as the primary causes of emigration.
The post argued the letter was a response to &#8220;anxiety over loss of control.&#8221; By bypassing traditional hierarchies to meet with Israeli officials, external Christian groups threatened the Patriarchs&#8217; &#8220;monopoly on the Christian voice.&#8221; The critique labeled the Patriarchs’ claim of &#8220;exclusive representation&#8221; as a &#8220;category error,&#8221; asserting that theological beliefs do not require ecclesiastical permission.
The critique slammed the letter for being strategically vague. By not naming the &#8220;local individuals&#8221; or specific &#8220;activities,&#8221; the Patriarchs created an &#8220;ambient guilt&#8221; that allowed them to signal disapproval without having to engage in a documented theological debate.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/k9dJ8q9HYB">https://t.co/k9dJ8q9HYB</a>
&mdash; Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefiyantlyFree/status/2013140558416318846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While the Patriarchs appealed to historic institutional authority, Huckabee and the Evangelical response appealed to the literal interpretation of Biblical covenants, suggesting that the &#8220;unity&#8221; requested by the Jerusalem leaders was actually a demand for institutional submission.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Holds Nomination Hearing For Mike Huckabee To Be Ambassador To Israel

‘I Hope You Read Prayerfully’: Huckabee Slams Critics Of Christian Zionism

Evangelical Christianity

Israel

Mike Huckabee

Religion

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre responded after President Donald Trump said he was ready to abandon &#8220;peace&#8221; as the primary goal of his efforts to obtain control of Greenland.
Gahr Støre <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/norwegian-leader-says-he-received-trump-message-that-reportedly-ties-greenland-to-nobel-peace-prize">confirmed</a> on Monday that he had spoken with Trump via text about the president&#8217;s plan to implement new tariffs as leverage to force Denmark into a deal over Greenland — and that he had initially suggested a phone call to &#8220;de-escalate&#8221; tensions.
&#8220;I can confirm that this is a text message that I received yesterday afternoon from President Trump. It came in response to a short text message from me to President Trump sent earlier on the same day, on behalf of myself and the President of Finland Alexander Stubb,&#8221; Gahr Støre explained.
&#8220;In our message to Trump, we conveyed our opposition to his announced tariff increases against Norway, Finland, and select other countries. We pointed to the need to de-escalate and proposed a telephone conversation between Trump, Stubb, and myself on the same day,&#8221; Gahr Støre said, adding, &#8220;The response from Trump came shortly after the message was sent. It was his decision to share his message with other NATO leaders.&#8221;
Gahr Støre went on to say that he&#8217;d addressed Trump&#8217;s efforts to link the actions of the Nobel Committee and the actions of the Norwegian government, explaining that the committee was entirely independent and was not influenced by the government in any way. He also offered his full-throated defense of Denmark with regard to Trump&#8217;s attempts to gain control of Greenland.
&#8220;Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We also support that NATO in a responsible way is taking steps to strengthen security and stability in the Arctic. As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly explained, including to president Trump, what is well known, the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian Government.&#8221;
President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nobel-snub-fuels-trumps-shift-away-from-purely-peaceful-approach-to-greenland">sparked outrage</a> when he wrote to Gahr Støre, saying in part, &#8220;Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.&#8221;

Prime Minister Keir Starmer Hosts Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre For UK Visit

Norway Responds As Trump Pivots Away From ‘Peace’ In Greenland Discussion

Norway Responds As Trump Pivots Away From 'Peace' In Greenland Discussion

Denmark

Greenland

Nobel Peace Prize

Norway

The United States is on the verge of reigniting last year’s trade war with Europe after President Donald Trump threatened eight European countries with tariff hikes over Denmark’s refusal to sell Greenland.
A trade deal Trump secured in July of last year with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is unlikely to move forward after Trump on Saturday <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115911344443637897">threatened</a> 25% tariffs against eight EU countries, as well as the United Kingdom and Norway.
The European People’s Party is the most influential bloc in the European parliament, <a href="https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/seats-political-group-country/2024-2029/">holding</a> 188 of 720 seats. Party President Manfred Weber said in a statement that the parliament cannot move forward with the trade deal the EU agreed to last year because of threats from the United States.
“The EPP is in favour of the EU–U.S. trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage. The 0% tariffs on U.S. products must be put on hold,” <a href="https://x.com/ManfredWeber/status/2012607273370087621">said</a> Weber.
The deal by Trump and von der Leyen last year would eliminate tariffs on goods from the United States to the EU, and cap U.S. tariffs on European products at 15%. Because of Trump’s trade threats over Greenland, officials in the bloc want to freeze the trade agreement and potentially pull other economic levers against the United States as well.
French President Emmanuel Macron intends to ask the EU to use the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, known as the trade “bazooka,” against the United States. The instrument would allow the bloc to take significantly more steps against the United States, such as placing limits on intellectual property protections and restricting investment.
“He will be in contact all day with his European counterparts and will ask, in the name of France, the activation of the Anti-Coercion Instrument,” Macron&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-to-urge-eu-to-use-trade-bazooka-in-response-to-trumps-tariffs/">told</a> Politico Europe on Sunday.
In response to the escalating trade threats coming from Europe, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Sunday <a href="https://x.com/JacquiHeinrich/status/2012952767518650432">defended</a> Trump’s approach.
“I think right now with respect to Greenland, the president has a strong view that it&#8217;s a national security matter for the U.S. to have more control over Greenland, and I&#8217;m confident that in the end, he&#8217;s going to negotiate a deal that&#8217;s great for us and great for our partners,” said Hassett.

Ursula von der Leyen, Donald Trump

Europe Ramps Up Trade Fight After Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Greenland

European Union

The foundation that awards the Nobel Peace Prize has clarified that a Nobel, once awarded, cannot be “passed on.”
The Nobel Foundation made a statement on the non-transferability of its awards after Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gifted her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump last week. The clarifications suggest that the foundation is concerned with being connected to the President of the United States despite numerous world leaders <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pax-trumpana-trumps-resume-for-winning-the-nobel-peace-prize">nominating</a> Trump himself to receive a peace prize.
“One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration,” the foundation said in a <a href="https://x.com/nobelprize/status/2012826296875667648">statement</a> on Sunday.
“The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations. It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who ‘have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,’ and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize. A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed,” it said.
The statement followed a release the foundation published on Friday explaining the symbolism behind the award and how, no matter what happens to the physical prize itself, the original recipient of the prize is always considered a Nobel laureate.
“Regardless of what may happen to the medal, the diploma, or the prize money, it is and remains the original laureate who is recorded in history as the recipient of the prize,” the <a href="https://www.nobelpeaceprize.org/press/press-releases/the-nobel-prize-and-the-laureate-are-inseparable">release</a> states. “Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
“A laureate cannot share the prize with others, nor transfer it once it has been announced. A Nobel Peace Prize can also never be revoked. The decision is final and applies for all time,” it continues.
The Nobel Foundation&#8217;s repeated clarifications on the Nobel symbolism come after Trump received the Nobel Prize from Machado, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-ends-up-with-nobel-after-all-as-venezuelas-machado-gifts-prize-at-white-house">gave</a> Trump her prize after the United States used military force to raid Venezuela and arrest and extradite former dictator Nicolás Maduro. Maduro is imprisoned in New York on charges related to drug trafficking.
“I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told reporters after meeting with Trump at the White House, “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”

Nobel Foundation Panics After Machado Gifts Trump Her Award, Says Prize Cannot Be ‘Passed On’

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Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that acquiring Greenland is “essential” to U.S. national security and that an impending “fight for the Arctic” is real.
During an appearance Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” host Kristen Welker asked Bessent if President Trump was simply using Greenland as a negotiating tactic or if he is truly intent on “annexing” the territory.
“President Trump strongly believes that we cannot outsource our security because … let me tell you what will happen. And it might not be next year, might not be in five years, but down the road, this fight for the Arctic is real,” Bessent began.
The secretary noted that if there were an attack on Greenland, the U.S. would be dragged in anyway due to “NATO guarantees.”
“Make it part of the United States, and there will not be a conflict,” he said. “Because the United States right now, we are the hottest country in the world; we are the strongest country in the world. Europeans project weakness; U.S. projects strength.”
After Welker noted that Denmark says “Greenland is not for sale,” Bessent responded that “for over a century, American presidents have wanted to acquire Greenland, and what we can see is that Greenland is essential to the U.S. national security.”
“We&#8217;re building the Golden Dome, the missile system. President Trump is looking — is being strategic. He&#8217;s looking beyond this year. He&#8217;s looking beyond next year to what could happen for a battle in the Arctic,” Bessent added. “We are not going to outsource our national security. We are not going to outsource our hemispheric security to other countries.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 JUST IN: Sec. Scott Bessent says the weak Europeans MUST hand over Greenland to President Trump
&#8220;The fight for the arctic IS REAL! [Make] it part of the US, and there won&#8217;t be conflict!&#8221;
&#8220;Europe projects WEAKNESS. The US projects STRENGTH!&#8221; 🔥🔥🔥<a href="https://t.co/ObLneRRJTI">pic.twitter.com/ObLneRRJTI</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2012896637950034217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The secretary then reminded Welker that during Trump’s first term, he warned Europe against building the second Nord Stream pipeline and continuing to rely on Russian oil, and “guess what is funding Russia&#8217;s efforts against Ukraine? European purchases of Russian oil.&#8221;
President trump has been continuing to ratchet up the pressure on Europe in his pursuit of Greenland.
On Saturday, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-raises-pressure-for-greenland-purchase-hits-8-nations-with-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed to implement 10% tariffs</a> on eight European nations until Denmark allows a sale, which Trump said is vital for the sake of “world peace.”
In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump said, starting February 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland will be charged a 10% tariff “on any and all goods sent to the United States of America.”
The tariff, he said, will spike to 25% by June 1, and will remain in place until “a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”
Amanda Prestigiacomo contributed to this piece.

President Trump Signs Executive Order In The Oval Office

Bessent Says ‘Fight For The Arctic Is Real,’ Greenland ‘Essential’ To National Security

Europe

Scott Bessent

Trump Administration

At least 5,000 people have been killed in protests in Iran, including about 500 security personnel, an Iranian official in the region said on Sunday, citing verified figures and accusing &#8220;terrorists and armed rioters&#8221; of killing &#8220;innocent Iranians.&#8221;
Nationwide protests erupted on December 28 over economic hardship and swelled over two weeks into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule &#8211; resulting in the deadliest unrest since Iran&#8217;s 1979 Islamic revolution.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if protesters continued to be killed on the streets or were executed. In a social media post on Friday, he thanked Tehran&#8217;s leaders, saying they had called off scheduled executions of 800 people.
A day later, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a public speech branded Trump a &#8220;criminal&#8221; for the casualties he inflicted on Iran by supporting protesters.
&#8220;We will not drag the country into war, but we will not let domestic or international criminals go unpunished,&#8221; Khamenei said, acknowledging &#8220;several thousand deaths&#8221; that he blamed on &#8220;terrorists and rioters&#8221; linked to the U.S. and Israel.
Iran&#8217;s judiciary indicated that executions may go ahead.
&#8220;A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments,&#8221; Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir told a press conference on Sunday.
Mohareb, an Islamic legal term meaning to wage war against God, is punishable by death under Iranian law.
Trump said in an interview with Politico on Saturday: &#8220;it&#8217;s time to look for new leadership in Iran.&#8221;
U.S.-based rights group HRANA said on Saturday the death toll had reached 3,308, with another 4,382 cases under review. It said it had confirmed more than 24,000 arrests.
The Iranian official said the verified death toll was unlikely to &#8220;increase sharply,&#8221; adding &#8220;Israel and armed groups abroad&#8221; had supported and equipped those taking to the streets.
The clerical establishment regularly blames unrest on foreign enemies, including the U.S. and Israel, an arch foe of the Islamic Republic which launched military strikes in June.
The violent crackdown appears to have broadly quelled protests, according to residents and state media.
One resident in Tehran said he had witnessed riot police directly shooting at a group of protesters, who were mostly young men and women. Videos circulating on social media, some of which have been verified by Reuters, have shown security forces violently cracking down on demonstrations across the country.
The Iranian official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, also said some of the heaviest clashes and highest number of deaths were in the Iranian Kurdish areas in the country&#8217;s northwest.
Kurdish separatists have been active there and flare-ups have been among the most violent in past periods of unrest.
Three sources told Reuters on January 14 that armed Kurdish separatist groups sought to cross the border into Iran from Iraq in a sign of foreign entities potentially seeking to take advantage of instability.
&#8220;I am against this regime and have taken part in protests, but I witnessed some armed individuals disguised as protesters shooting at civilians. They were not ordinary protesters, they carried guns and knives,&#8221; an Iranian in a northwestern town told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The Norway-based Iranian Kurdish rights group Hengaw has said some of the heaviest clashes during protests that erupted in late December were in Kurdish areas in the northwest.
Getting information out of Iran has been complicated by internet blackouts, which were partly lifted for a few hours early on Saturday. But internet monitoring group NetBlocks said the blackout seemed to have later been reimposed.
Faizan Ali, a 40-year-old medical doctor from Lahore, said he had to cut short his trip to Iran to visit his Iranian wife in the central city of Isfahan as &#8220;there was no internet or communication with my family in Pakistan.&#8221;
&#8220;I saw a violent mob burning buildings, banks and cars. I also witnessed an individual stab a passer-by,&#8221; he told Reuters upon his arrival back in Lahore.
(Additional reporting by Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore,Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Philippa Fletcher and Alexander Smith)

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At Least 5,000 Dead In Iran Unrest, Official Says, As Judiciary Hints At Executions

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