USA - Fed Chair Powell says he’s under criminal investigation, won’t bow to Trump intimidation. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is under federal criminal investigation related to the $2.5 billion renovation of the central bank’s headquarters and his congressional testimony about that, Powell said. Powell said the probe was the result of the Fed “setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of” President Donald Trump. Senator Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, and Banking Committee member, said he would oppose any nominee by Trump to replace Powell, and any Fed board nominee, “until this legal matter is fully resolved.” Powell said the probe is the result of long-standing frustration by President Donald Trump over the Fed’s refusal to cut interest rates as quickly and as much as the President has demanded.

USA - Google is emailing 13-year-olds instructing them on how to remove parental controls without consent from their parents. Google’s policy permits children to “graduate” from parental controls as soon as they turn 13, eliminating any safe search filters parents have applied to block access to inappropriate content and preventing parents from supervising their kids’ internet activity. Child safety advocates are sounding the alarm after screenshots of the email went viral online, accusing the company of “predatory” practices and “grooming” kids. “When your child turns 13 (or the applicable age in your country), they have the option to graduate to an unsupervised Google Account,” the site’s frequently asked questions page explains. “Before a child turns 13, parents will get an email letting them know that their child will be eligible to take charge of their account on their birthday, after which you will no longer be able to manage their account."

GREENLAND - British troops could be part of ‘Arctic Sentry’ operation to deter Trump’s threats to Danish territory. Germany is planning to set up a joint Nato operation in the Arctic in an effort to dissuade Donald Trump from annexing Greenland. The “Arctic Sentry” mission to monitor threats in the region could be modelled on Nato’s “Baltic Sentry” operation, which started last year to counter hostile activity and protect infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, sources told Bloomberg. Mr Trump has threatened – using military force if necessary – to take control of the mineral-rich autonomous territory of Denmark, a Nato member. The US president’s warnings, particularly in the wake of the US attack on Venezuela, have sparked concerns among European leaders and inside Nato. On Sunday, Lars Klingbeil, Germany’s vice-chancellor, urged the US to respect international law and Greenland’s sovereignty.

IRAN - The collapsing economy was the spark but the streets of Iran have filled with protesters because they are infuriated with government corruption and repression as well as incompetence. Despite the great personal risk involved, demonstrations have become a recurring feature of the 47-year-old Islamic regime, as has the cycle of violent subjugation, imprisonment, torture and use of the death penalty against those deemed “an enemy of God”. The difference this time is the greater fragility of the regime after Israeli and US strikes last summer which wrecked Iran’s nuclear programme, took out some key figures and exposed military weaknesses. Iran is also running out of friends with the fall of its regional ally in Syria and Israel gutting its proxy forces in Gaza and Lebanon.

VENEZUELA - The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has asked Pope Leo “to intercede for all Venezuelans who remain kidnapped and disappeared”. The Pope met Machado on Monday, offering support to the woman who has been ruled out as Venezuela’s next leader by President Trump. Leo and Machado, wearing a rosary, were pictured smiling during the private audience at the Vatican, which came as she tours Europe after receiving the Nobel peace prize in October. A devout Catholic, Machado has long combined her faith with politics, appearing at rallies with rosaries before she was forced into hiding by Nicolás Maduro, the former Venezuelan president who was captured by US forces on January 3 and flown to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

VENEZUELA - This account from a Venezuelan security guard loyal to Nicolás Maduro is absolutely chilling — and it explains a lot about why the tone across Latin America suddenly changed.

VENEZUELA - While critics debate the legality of US President Donald Trump's overnight extraction of Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela, they're missing the forest for the trees. The operation represents far more than the removal of a narco-terrorist dictator – it marks a devastating strategic defeat for Russia, Iran, and China, all of which invested heavily in the Maduro regime as their critical foothold for undermining American influence in the Western Hemisphere. For over a decade, these three authoritarian powers leveraged Venezuela as their gateway to Latin America, transforming what should have been a prosperous democracy into a launching pad for anti-American operations. Moscow's collapse, Beijing's shock, and Tehran's fury at Maduro's capture reveal just how catastrophic this loss truly is. Critics will continue debating the legality and wisdom of the Maduro extraction. But the strategic reality is clear: In a single night, the United States dismantled a decade-long effort by Russia, Iran, and China to undermine American influence in Latin America.

UK - Labour's 'obsessive' drive towards Net Zero could cost Britons a staggering £4.5 trillion over the next 25 years, official estimates suggest. Critics said the extraordinary mounting costs for measures such as wind farms, solar panels, green heating systems and upgrades to roads and railways are significantly higher than previous forecasts and could 'bankrupt' the economy. The figures, quietly published last month by the National Energy System Operator (NESO) – a Government quango responsible for Britain's energy systems – includes an estimated £585 billion to be forked out by ordinary households to pay for the move away from energy–guzzling boilers towards eco–friendly heat pumps.

UK - Data shows Gen Z believe in a higher power more than any other generation - and Christian influencers have told Sky News what they think the change is down to. "I remember when I was in school I would tell people I believed in God and they would be like 'you're a loser'. Now I couldn't be prouder, it's becoming more normal." "There's so much bad in the world, there's so much negativity that you see online," she says. "The stuff we fill our brain with - it doesn't have any substance and I do think that people are yearning for purpose and fulfilment". A recent YouGov study found that Gen Z believe in a higher power more than any other generation, with data showing there has been a rise in the religiosity and church attendance among young people. (Generation Z refers to people born between 1996 and 2010.)

USA - The North America halal food market, encompassing the United States and Canada, was valued at USD 100.11 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 226 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.47% from 2025 to 2033. The halal process requires healthy, live animals. A Muslim slaughterer recites “Bismillah Allahu Akbar” while cutting the throat, windpipe, and blood vessels with a sharp knife for complete blood drainage. Most certifiers prohibit pre-stunning to maintain animal consciousness. Meat then undergoes processing, packaging, and distribution under halal protocols, preventing cross-contamination with non-halal products.