A good story can transport us to other worlds – or transform this one

Books

Thursday, 29 January 2026

In Trip to the Moon, John Yorke reveals how strong narratives are key to success, from literature to politics

Basia Cummings Deputy Editor

When Donald Trump stood up in Davos last month and delivered his speech to the rich and powerful, he was relying on a story he had been telling since his run for the US presidency in 2016. Characteristically meandering and brash in his delivery, he claimed that the US had been the great rescuer of the world after the Second World War, and had ever since been taken advantage of by ungrateful allies.

Prosecutors can't seek death penalty against Luigi Mangione, judge rules

Judge also ruled prosecutors can use evidence collected from his backpack
The Associated Press · Posted: Jan 30, 2026 8:05 AM PST

Federal prosecutors can't seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a judge ruled Friday, foiling the Trump administration's bid to see him executed for what it called a "premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America."

“Project Thor", Saskatchewan's alumina deposit discovery is a ‘potential gamechanger’

Canada

Ashley Beherns
January 30, 2026

Brand new opportunities could be coming to Saskatchewan after an alumina deposit holding an estimated 6.8 billion tonnes was discovered by Canadian Energy Metals corp. (CEM) near Tisdale.The company calls it one of the largest known deposits on Earth, dubbing it “Project Thor.”

Scientists Found 7,000-Year-Old Mummies in the Desert That Don’t Share DNA With Modern Humans

These ancient people lived in the Sahara when it was a much more welcoming environment.

By Elizabeth Rayne

Published: Jan 30, 2026 11:09 AM EST

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

• Two 7,000-year-old mummies from the Takarkori rock shelter in the Sahara belong to a group with previously unknown ancestry.
• DNA analysis of the mummies, which are the remains of female herders from a time when the Sahara was more humid, known as the Green Sahara, did not reveal the expected Sub-Saharan genetic ancestry.
• The Takarkori individuals are most closely related to other North African peoples who diverged from Sub-Saharan populations long before.
• While the Sahara is now a vast expanse of sand where the fight for survival can be brutal, there was a time (however difficult that is to believe) when it was actually green and flourishing.

New documents reveal the breadth of Jeffrey Epstein’s orbit

Friday’s document release shows the late convicted sex offender’s vast influence network.
By Kyle Cheney
01/30/2026

The Justice Department’s Friday release of its investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein is packed with details about his ties to the most powerful figures in politics, tech, and global affairs.

The Farcical Case Against Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for Protest Reporting

The Justice Department is weaponizing a law intended to protect those seeking abortions to punish reporters covering anti-ICE activism.

David Bralow

January 30 2026, 8:27 p.m.

The FACE Act was written with a very specific purpose: to protect those seeking abortions without restricting First Amendment-protected speech. Passed in 1994 under President Bill Clinton, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act arose after a horrific string of attacks on reproductive care facilities and providers across the United States.

If You Tax Them, Will They Leave?

Economy
A California wealth-tax proposal makes a high-stakes bet on billionaire psychology
By Rogé Karma
January 28, 2026

To hear some Silicon Valley insiders tell it, California is on the verge of economic suicide. This November, Californians will likely vote on a ballot initiative that would levy a one-off tax on the wealth of about 200 of the state’s richest residents. Garry Tan, the CEO of the start-up incubator Y Combinator, posted on X that the measure would “kill and eat the golden goose of technology startups in California.” Investors and tech executives are threatening to leave the state. Governor Gavin Newsom, who has been angling for a centrist presidential pivot, has vowed to “do what I have to do” to stop the initiative.

Senate reaches deal ahead of shutdown deadline to fund government, continue ICE talks, source says

By Kaia Hubbard, Caitlin Yilek
Updated on: January 30, 2026 / 12:21 AM EST / CBS News

Washington — The Senate agreed Thursday to move forward with a government funding package while negotiations continue over reforms to immigration enforcement in the wake of last weekend's fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis, a Senate Democratic source told CBS News — though the deal hit a snag as at least one Republican senator pushed back.

US Armada, EU Sanctions Ratchet Up Pressure on Iranian Regime

By John Ainger

Bloomberg

January 29, 2026, at 6:04 AM PST

The government in Tehran is being squeezed by the arrival of a US armada in the Middle East and a new set of EU sanctions.

To paraphrase German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Iranian regime’s days may be numbered. Donald Trump’s “beautiful armada” — led by the USS Abraham Lincoln — has arrived in Middle Eastern waters, and the US president warned that the threat of military strikes is a real possibility unless Iran comes to the table to forge a nuclear deal.

China Executes 11 Convicted of Internet Fraud and Criminal Activity Abroad

efsyn.gr

ASIA/PACIFIC 29.01.26
Among those executed were "key members" involved in telecommunications fraud.

Chinese authorities on Thursday executed 11 individuals linked to criminal gangs in Myanmar, including "key members" of rings involved in telecommunications fraud.

Federal agents involved in fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis placed on leave

28 January 2026
US & Canada
Summary

• Two federal agents involved in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis have been placed on leave, law enforcement officials tell the BBC
• Pretti, a US citizen, was shot and killed on Saturday in an incident which has sparked ongoing protests
• Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump warns Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is "playing with fire" after Frey said "Minneapolis does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws"
• Responding to Trump's post on social media, Frey says "The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws"
• Trump's comments come after Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar was attacked at an event she was hosting on Tuesday, when an audience member used a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at her
• Omar, a Democrat who has frequently clashed with the Trump administration over its immigration policies, was not hurt and continued to speak

European leader spoke of shock at Trump’s state of mind after Mar-a-Lago meeting

The Slovak PM, a Trump ally, told leaders at last week’s EU summit he was concerned about the way the U.S. president spoke to him, European diplomats said.

Exclusive

January 28, 2026 4:38 am CET

By Nicholas Vinocur and Zoya Sheftalovich

BRUSSELS ― Slovakia’s prime minister told EU leaders at a summit last week that a meeting with Donald Trump left him shocked by the U.S. president’s state of mind, five European diplomats briefed on the conversation said.

Man arrested after charging Rep. Ilhan Omar, spraying her with liquid during town hall: Police

The congresswoman continued her remarks after the incident.
By John Parkinson
January 27, 2026, 11:00 PM

During a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday, a man charged the podium where Rep. Ilhan Omar was giving remarks, appeared to squirt a liquid at her and was then tackled to the ground by a security guard after a brief struggle.

‘Very low bar’: analysts say Starmer faces slim pickings in China

Lisa O’Carroll Tue 27 Jan 2026

Experts say business with China is always a double-edged sword let alone when its overheated economy can offer only marginal gains

Is Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ an effort to curtail Europe’s middle powers?

Most European countries have declined or demurred on their invitations to join the US president’s initiative to rebuild Gaza.

Mourners react next to a body during the funeral of Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza, January 24, 2026 [Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters]

ByJohn T Psaropoulos - Published On 28 Jan 2026

Canadian PM Carney unveils multibillion-dollar push to lower food costs

Al Jazeera
Carney has been under pressure from the opposition to lower prices of food and other essentials for lower-income people.
AL Jazeera Staff
Published On 26 Jan 2026

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a multibillion-dollar package as part of a series of measures aimed at lowering the costs of food and other essentials for low-income families.

Minneapolis Calling: When CEOs Fall Short of People's Expectations Due to Fear of Failing Trump

The Greek Courier

Source: CNN

For far too long, corporate silence reigned supreme over the streets of Minneapolis, where voices rose in passionate demand for the abolishment of ICE. The tragic death of yet another innocent citizen at the hands of this agency pierced the veil of complacency. It took the harrowing reality of Alex Pretti’s murder and a dramatic turn from the Trump administration for CEOs to finally find their voices. Yet their response was tepid and driven by fear rather than genuine conviction.

Geologists reveal the world’s largest iron deposit worth $6 trillion that could reshape the global economy

January 20, 2026 by Futura Team  

A colossal iron ore deposit buried deep beneath Western Australia has stunned scientists — with far-reaching consequences for global markets, industrial balance, and our understanding of Earth’s geology itself.

In one of the most significant geological discoveries in decades, researchers have identified a deposit in the remote Hamersley region that could rewrite both mining economics and Earth’s ancient history. Already renowned for its mineral wealth, Hamersley is now home to what experts describe as the largest iron ore formation ever found — an estimated 55 billion metric tons of ore with iron content exceeding 60%.