Category: World

KARACHI, PAKISTAN — A weekend of horror in Pakistan’s financial capital has culminated in what officials are calling a “national tragedy.” As of Monday, January 19, 2026, the death toll from the catastrophic fire at the Gul Plaza shopping mall has risen to 26, with local authorities warning the final count could surge as high […]

Thank you, Madame Deputy Speaker. Can I begin by expressing my condolences to all those affected by the terrible train crash near Córdoba last night. Thank you to the Spanish emergency services who responded overnight and throughout today. I am sure the House will join me in thinking of the people of Spain at this […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On this Monday, January 19, 2026, the United States pauses to observe the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday. Across the nation and globally, the occasion is being marked not as a “day off,” but as a “day on,” guided by the national theme of “Undaunted […]

BRUSSELS — Ireland’s Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris, has made an emphatic call for “dialogue” and “cool heads” as Europe grapples with a burgeoning trade war with the United States.2 Speaking from the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting in Brussels on Monday, January 19, 2026, Harris warned that the destabilizing effects […]

In an extraordinary escalation of his bid to claim Greenland, US President Donald Trump has threatened eight European countries – Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Great Britain, France and Germany and the Netherlands – with a 10% tariff on all goods coming into the United States from February 1 until he is able to buy the […]

ROME — The global fashion world is in mourning following the death of Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian couturier whose vision defined 20th-century glamour. The designer, known mononymously as Valentino, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 19, 2026, at his residence in Rome. He was 93 years old. In a poignant statement released via Instagram, […]

A tragic accident on the high-speed train line between Andalusia and Madrid has exposed the urgent need to upgrade Spain’s railway system. At 19:45 on Sunday January 18, a modern Iryo high-speed train collided with a Renfe train at the switch (turnout) leading into Adamuz station in Córdoba province, Andalusia. The Iryo 6189 service, travelling […]

The African economic and geopolitical landscape shifted significantly in early 2026, marked by record-breaking capital market activity in East Africa and a historic moment of national reconciliation in the West. From the surging bond markets of Nairobi to a poignant presidential apology in Sierra Leone, the week has been defined by a mix of rapid […]

DUBLIN — Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has hailed a landmark year for the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), with new data revealing a 12% surge in participation. On Monday, January 19, 2026, the Department released provisional figures showing that approximately 245,731 unique children benefited from childcare subsidies in 2025, up from roughly […]

I will make three points today. First, we note the landmark conviction of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman for war crimes and crimes against humanity.  This first conviction from a Security Council referral, and the first addressing Darfur crimes in 2003-2004, sends a clear message that perpetrators of international crimes will be held accountable, no matter […]