David Letterman to Return to Canada After 48-Year Break (Exclusive)

The former ‘Late Night’ and ‘Late Show’ host will interview Zach Galifianakis in his Just For Laughs festival debut after doing a routine on the CBC variety show ‘90 Minutes Live’ in February 1978.

By Etan Vlessing

January 19, 2026 8:00am

David Letterman is returning to perform in Canada for the first time in nearly a half century. The former Late Night and Late Show With David Letterman host is set to make his Just For Laughs festival premiere in Vancouver on Feb. 18 with an interview of guest star Zach Galifianakis.  

Why Turkey and Arab States prefer the survival of Iran’s Islamic Republic?

EUROPEAN INTEREST

By George Meneshian

January 16, 2026

In the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s warnings of possible military intervention in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar – America’s closest regional allies – have firmly opposed such an option. Beyond rejecting military action, these three regional powers appear to be tacitly counting on the survival of the Islamic Republic. But why?

Trump’s letter to Norway should be the last straw

Opinion by Anne Applebaum 

Let me begin by quoting, in full, a letter that the president of the United States of America sent yesterday to the prime minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre. The text was forwarded by the White House National Security Council to ambassadors in Washington, and was clearly intended to be widely shared. Here it is:

Researchers Just Found Something That Could Shake the AI Industry to Its Core

Could this be the smoking gun?

By Victor Tangermann

Published Jan 16, 2026 

Total Recall

For years now, AI companies, including Google, Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI, have insisted that their large language models aren’t technically storing copyrighted works in their memory and instead “learn” from their training data like a human mind.

Trump Administration Orders USDA Employees to Investigate Foreign Researchers They Work With

The new directive asks workers to check the backgrounds of foreign nationals collaborating with the department’s scientists for evidence of “subversive or criminal activity.” Their names are being sent to national security experts at the agency.

by Lisa Song and Sharon Lerner
January 16, 2026

The Trump administration is directing employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate foreign scientists who collaborate with the agency on research papers for evidence of “subversive or criminal activity.”

At least 21 dead in high-speed train accident in Adamuz (Córdoba, Spain)

Eva Saiz, Javier Martín-Arroyo, Juana Viúdez

The derailment of an Iryo train caused a collision with an Alvia, and several carriages were thrown off the tracks. One of the deceased is the driver of the second train, and there are 24 seriously injured.

Seville / Madrid - JAN 18 2026 

UPDATED: JAN 18 2026 - 20:29 GMT-6

The derailment of two high-speed trains in Adamuz (Córdoba) on Sunday afternoon has caused at least 21 fatalities and 24 seriously injured who have already been transferred to hospitals, according to sources from the Civil Guard and Andalucía's 112 emergency service. 

Louvre raises ticket prices for non-Europeans, hitting Canadian visitors

By Alessia Simona Maratta & Touria Izri 

Global News
January 16, 2026 
A trip to the world’s most-visited museum is about to cost Canadians significantly more.

Η κατάπαυση του πυρός μεταξύ Συρίας-SDF εγείρει κρίσιμα ερωτήματα για τους κρατούμενους του ISIS και το μέλλον των Κούρδων

Του Γιάννη Δαμέλλου
Με ρεπορτάζ από το BBC News
18 Ιανουαρίου 2026

ΜΕΣΗ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΗ

Μια πανεθνική κατάπαυση του πυρός που ανακοινώθηκε από τη Δαμασκό και τις υπό κουρδική ηγεσία Συριακές Δημοκρατικές Δυνάμεις (ΣΔΔ) έβαλε τέλος σε σχεδόν δύο εβδομάδες μαχών και σηματοδότησε μία από τις πιο σημαντικές μετατοπίσεις στην μεταπολεμική ισορροπία δυνάμεων της Συρίας εδώ και χρόνια. Ωστόσο, ενώ η συμφωνία υπόσχεται μια «ενωμένη Συρία», εγείρει επίσης επείγοντα ερωτήματα σχετικά με την τύχη χιλιάδων κρατουμένων του Ισλαμικού Κράτους (ΙΚ) και τις μακροπρόθεσμες πολιτικές φιλοδοξίες των Κούρδων της Συρίας. Επιπλέον, η εκεχειρία έχει σημαντικές επιπτώσεις που εκτείνονται πέρα από τα σύνορα της Συρίας.

Trump Insiders Reveal Secret Plot for Bigger Takeover Target

THE GREAT WHITE NORTH

The president has his eyes on a new sovereign-state prize.

Laura Esposito 

Breaking News Reporter

Updated Jan. 18 2026 1:02PM EST Published Jan. 18 2026 12:05PM EST 

The next stop on Donald Trump’s world tour—or takeover—may be America’s northern neighbor.

The president, 79, has turned his attention toward Canada, fixating on what he sees as vulnerabilities along its northern border that could be exploited by U.S. adversaries Russia or China, two U.S. officials, a senior administration official, and three former senior U.S. officials told NBC News.

Syria–SDF Ceasefire Raises High-Stakes Questions Over ISIS Detainees and Kurdish Future

By Yiannis Damellos
With reporting from BBC News and additional analysis

January 18, 2026

MIDDLE EAST

A nationwide ceasefire announced by Damascus and the Kurdish‑led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has ended nearly two weeks of fighting and marked one of the most consequential shifts in Syria’s post‑war power balance in years. But while the agreement promises a “unified Syria,” it also raises urgent questions about the fate of thousands of Islamic State (IS) detainees and the long‑term political ambitions of Syria’s Kurds. Furthermore, the ceasefire has important implications that extend beyond Syria's borders.

Trump has tariffs. Europe has a ‘trade bazooka.’ This Greenland standoff could get ugly, fast

People attend a protest against President 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 Nuuk, Greenland, January 17, 2026. Marko Djurica/Reuters

Analysis By Auzinea Bacon

18/01/2026

President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threats over Greenland and Europe’s potential countermeasures could result in significantly higher import prices that could weaken both economies.

How the ancient Romans managed their wealth (it wasn't just by hiding hoards)

NEWS

By Konstantine Panegyres 

How did Romans invest their wealth in ancient times?

"All I want is an income of 20,000 sesterces from secure investments", proclaims a character in a poem by Juvenal (first to second century A.D.), the Roman poet. Today, 20,000 sesterces would be equivalent to about [Australian] $300,000 in interest from investments. Anyone would be very happy with this much passive annual income. 

Το πειρατικό πλοίο των Rolling Stones προσάραξε: «Πιθανότατα δεν θα τους ξαναδούμε live σε συναυλίες»

Μετά την ακύρωση της περιοδείας του 2026 λόγω της αρθρίτιδας του Κιθ Ρίτσαρντς, αναδύονται νέοι τρόποι για να απολαύσει κανείς το συγκρότημα — αν και κάποιοι από αυτούς μπορεί να είναι δύσκολο να χωνέψουν οι θαυμαστές τους

Carlos Marcos

Μαδρίτη - 16 ΙΑΝ 2026 - 22:00 CST

Η επίμονη μακροζωία των Rolling Stones φαινόταν ακατάλυτη. Ακόμη και το παλιό ρητό που παρακινούσε τον κόσμο να ξοδέψει χρήματα για ένα εισιτήριο — «Πρέπει να τους δεις, γιατί μπορεί να μην κάνουν άλλες συναυλίες» — είχε παραμεριστεί. Έφτασε ένα σημείο που όλοι ήξεραν ότι δεν ήταν η τελευταία τους εμφάνιση· ότι η μηχανή του μεγαλύτερου ροκ εν ρολ συγκροτήματος στην ιστορία θα συνέχιζε να λειτουργεί αδιάκοπα.

The Rolling Stones’ pirate ship runs aground: ‘We probably won’t get to see them perform live again’

After the 2026 tour was canceled due to Keith Richards’ arthritis, new ways to enjoy the band are emerging — though some may be hard for fans to stomach

Carlos Marcos

Madrid - JAN 16, 2026 - 22:00 CST

The Rolling Stones’ tenacious longevity seemed unbreakable. Even the old adage that used to spur people to spend money on a ticket — “You have to go see them, because they might not do any more concerts” — had been banished. There came a point when everyone knew it wasn’t their last show; that the machine of the greatest rock and roll band in history would keep chugging along.

Syrian army seizes country's largest oil field from Kurdish forces

Reuters

6 hours ago

Henri Astier

Syrian troops fighting Kurdish forces in north-eastern Syria have seized the country's largest oilfield

The Omar facility and nearby gas fields are under army control after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) pulled back, officials and monitors say. Earlier the army captured the strategic Tabqa dam on the Euphrates river.

EU readies €93bn tariffs in retaliation for Trump’s Greenland threat

Europe could also threaten to restrict US companies’ market access in run-up to crunch talks at Davos

Henry Foy in Brussels and Mercedes Ruehl in Zurich - Published 41 MINUTES AGO

Read the original here: https://www.ft.com/content/b2872a49-3d43-4a55-a483-de7b19e8e436

EU capitals are considering hitting the US with €93bn worth of tariffs or restricting American companies from the bloc’s market in response to Donald Trump’s threats to Nato allies opposed to his campaign to takeover Greenland. The move marks the most serious crisis in transatlantic relations for decades.

Trump Wants Nations to Pay $1 Billion to Stay on Peace Board

Bloomberg
By Alberto Nardelli and Alex Wickham

January 17, 2026

The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent spot on his new Board of Peace to contribute at least $1 billion.

According to a draft charter for the proposed group seen by Bloomberg, President Donald Trump would serve as its inaugural chairman and would decide on who is invited to be a member. Decisions would be taken by a majority, with each member state present getting one vote, but all would be subject to the chairman’s approval.

Bipartisan Senate NATO Observer Group Statement on Threat of Tariffs on Allies

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Senate NATO Observer Group, issued the following statement regarding the recent threat of tariffs on the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway: