By Gustavo de Arístegui,
January 29, 2026
I. BRIEF INTRODUCTION [1][2][3]
Europe is once again at the center of the chessboard, not so much for what it does as for what others project onto it: Trump, Xi, Putin, and Zelensky use “Europe” as a screen on which to resolve their own geopolitical neuroses, while the continent attempts to rebuild its strategic autonomy amidst wars, technological revolution, and economic fatigue. Meanwhile, the Trump administration escalates its confrontation with Iran to the brink of using force, Latin America oscillates between fragile hope in Venezuela and coordinated efforts against organized crime in Panama, Japan holds elections defined by inflation and the discontent of a middle class accustomed to deflation, and Tesla’s shift toward artificial intelligence symbolizes the new phase of global geoeconomic competition.[2][3][4][5][6][1]
II. MOST IMPORTANT NEWS OF THE LAST 24 HOURS
1. Europe as a global scapegoat
Facts
Leaders as disparate as Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky have intensified in recent weeks a discourse of contempt for Europe—including the United Kingdom—portraying it as a soft, slow, moralistic actor, incapable of defending itself and of making timely decisions. This wave of “Europe-bashing” is largely a response to internal political battles in Washington, Beijing, Moscow, and Kyiv, rather than a dispassionate assessment of the continent’s economic, regulatory, and strategic weight. Critical diagnosis underscores real vulnerabilities—military dependence on the United States, low growth, political fragmentation, and a gap between regulatory ambition and hard power—but the narrative of a terminal or irrelevant Europe is clearly overacted.[4][7][8][9][1]
Implications
For Trump, rhetorically punishing “freeloading” Europeans in defense and trade allows him to justify a transactional doctrine, tariffs, and a rethinking of alliances to his national-populist base. For Xi, highlighting European division and hypocrisy is a cheap way to exert pressure on trade, investment, and industrial standards, while simultaneously attempting to fracture transatlantic coordination without completely breaking with Brussels. Putin exploits the image of a decadent Europe, remotely controlled by Washington, to legitimize his aggression against Ukraine and reinforce the narrative of Western siege in the eyes of his public; Zelensky, for his part, resorts to public rebukes of the slowness and ambiguity of some European capitals in trying to accelerate critical decisions on arms, financing, and sanctions.[10][11][1][4]
Perspectives and scenarios
In the short term, verbal disparagement of Europe is likely to increase as electoral milestones and difficult decisions on Ukraine, Iran, and China approach, because it is politically profitable to blame Brussels, Berlin, or Paris for one’s own internal dilemmas. In the medium term, the key will be whether Europe uses this cycle of rhetorical humiliations as leverage to accelerate its rearmament, defense integration, and rapid decision-making capacity, or whether it retreats into moral superiority while others redraw the map of power. The Atlanticist and pro-European editorial line demands precisely the opposite of caricature: less complacency, more strategic autonomy, more investment in defense, and an unapologetic defense of liberal democracy against autocrats of any stripe.[12][1]
2. Is the United States about to attack Iran?
Facts
Donald Trump has publicly announced that a massive US naval force is heading toward Iran, asserting that it is prepared to use “violence, if necessary,” and warning Tehran that it will not have “NUCLEAR WEAPONS.” The president has linked this deployment to the possibility of a new operation against Iranian nuclear facilities, recalling the June attack in which the United States claimed to have destroyed much of the regime’s nuclear infrastructure. The White House insists that its objective is to force Iran to negotiate a “fair” and “equitable” nuclear agreement, but the rhetoric and naval movements raise the risk of miscalculation in a region saturated with pro-Iranian militias, critical energy routes, and simmering tensions.[13][14][15][2]
Implications
From a perspective critical of Tehran’s jihadist-terrorist regime—a systematic exporter of terrorism via Hezbollah, Iraqi militias, the Houthis, and Hamas—Trump’s maximum pressure policy has a deterrent logic: it serves as a reminder that the use of proxies will not come without consequences for the Iranian leadership. However, the precedent of “Midnight Hammer,” the June bombing of nuclear facilities, and the display of naval muscle increase the risk of inadvertent escalation if a drone, missile, or regional militia crosses poorly defined red lines. European allies, despite their weariness with Iranian adventurism, face the dilemma of supporting their US ally against a destabilizing regime or insisting on a diplomatic path that Tehran has used far too often to buy time for nuclear power.[15][16][2][13]
Perspectives and scenarios
In the very short term, the most likely scenario is a combination of show of force and negotiating pressure, with cyberattacks, covert operations, and calibrated sanctions preceding an open attack. A limited strike against military or nuclear infrastructure cannot be ruled out if Iran crosses clear thresholds—new enrichment to military levels, a massive militia attack against US or allied interests—which could trigger asymmetric retaliation in the Gulf, Iraq, Syria, or the Red Sea. The consistent editorial position is to maintain a firm stance against a terrorist regime that must never obtain nuclear weapons, while simultaneously demanding a clear exit strategy and close coordination with Europe, Israel, and Arab partners to avoid an open regional war that would only benefit extremists.[16][2][15]
3. Venezuela: The real road to democracy or simply a change of Chavista elites?
Facts
Following the US operation that resulted in the kidnapping and transfer to New York of Chavista dictator Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez has assumed power in Caracas, presenting herself as the architect of a supposedly “irreversible” transition to democracy. A closer analysis indicates that, for now, what is progressing is an agenda of economic reforms—partial reopening to foreign capital, gradual normalization of the oil industry, and rapprochement with Washington—while the regime’s repressive structure remains intact. Key figures such as Defense Minister Vladimiro Padrino López retain control of the armed forces, have publicly renewed their loyalty to Rodríguez, and are positioned as the ultimate arbiters of any political change, in a context of suspected internal rivalries, military cartels, and potential “palace coups.”[6][11][17][18][19]
Implications
From the perspective of an editorial line diametrically opposed to the Chavista narco-dictatorship, Maduro’s capture represented a historic blow against a state mafia, but it does not guarantee a democratic transition as long as the military and intelligence pillars remain in the hands of the same actors. Washington has opted for a graduated strategy—modulated sanctions, oil incentives, close monitoring—trusting that Delcy Rodríguez can steer an economic liberalization compatible with some political opening, an approach that risks consolidating a “Madurismo without Maduro.” The mixed signs—lower hyperinflation and somewhat more popular consumption, but little progress in electoral guarantees—fuel the suspicion that this is a whitewashing operation for a regime that remains infiltrated by drug trafficking, connections to Iranian terrorism, and global corruption networks.[18][19][6]
Perspectives and scenarios
The coming months will be decisive: without clear timetables for free elections, the release of political prisoners, and guarantees for the opposition, the thesis of a democratic transition will lose all credibility. One plausible scenario is the coexistence of selective economic improvements—which reduce social pressure—with a reconfigured authoritarianism, propped up by rival military factions that prefer a pact of impunity to a violent collapse. The consistent editorial position is to decisively support any real progress toward free elections, but without lowering our guard or legitimizing a “Chavismo 2.0” that maintains the impunity of the cartels and the tutelage of Havana, Moscow, and Tehran over a key country on the Western energy and security chessboard.[11][17][19][20][6]
4. Rubio before the Senate: strength, limits and ambiguities of Trump’s policy towards Venezuela
Facts
Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to defend the January 3 operation that culminated in Maduro’s capture and to explain the Trump Administration’s strategy toward post-Maduro Venezuela. Rubio stressed that there is no “U.S. war or occupation” in the country, touted the operation as a strategic success against a “hub of activity of nearly all of America’s adversaries,” and emphasized that Washington is “prepared to use force” if other methods of pressure fail. The appearance followed a close Senate vote that blocked a resolution intended to limit Trump’s military powers in Venezuela, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, reflecting unease in some parts of Congress over the executive branch’s increasing involvement in military decisions.[21][22][23]
Implications
Rubio, who knows the region well and had been a harsh voice against Chavismo for years, has become the diplomatic face of a strategy that combines a hardline military approach with a “no regime change” narrative that convinces few on Capitol Hill. For Latin America, the precedent of capturing a head of state in his bedroom and transferring him to the United States opens an uncomfortable debate about sovereignty, international law, and the effectiveness of deterrence against narco-regimes, in a context where many citizens support any measure that helps to topple dictatorships, while a large part of the elite fears a replicable pattern. The clash between an executive branch willing to act preemptively and a legislature that asserts its constitutional prerogative over the use of force foreshadows further institutional tensions in Washington if the administration attempts to export the “Venezuela model” to other crisis scenarios.[19][22][23][21]
Perspectives and scenarios
In the short term, the Rubio-Trump approach appears to be consolidated: combined economic, diplomatic, and—when deemed necessary—military pressure, without occupying troops, but with targeted operations against criminal leaders and mafia-like power structures. In the medium term, the success or failure of the Venezuelan experiment will be decisive: if it translates into stabilization, some social improvement, and credible steps toward democracy, it will reinforce the idea that the surgical use of force against narco-dictatorships can be a legitimate tool; if, on the contrary, it leads to chaos, reprisals, or a simple authoritarian reconversion, internal and external rejection of this type of intervention will increase. From a liberal center-right perspective, the desirable combination is firmness without neocolonial temptations: neither leniency toward state mafias, nor adventures that replicate the mistakes of Iraq or Afghanistan.[6][19][21]
5. Panama: Latin American summit against organized crime
Facts
A regional summit is being held in Panama—structured around an economic and political forum—where several Latin American leaders are advocating for a common strategy against transnational organized crime and the “mafias” that transcend borders, economies, and political systems. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called for a “pact for freedom” and a regional justice mechanism against drug trafficking networks, while the host, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, is presenting the Panama Canal and the country’s position as a geopolitical and logistical lever of continental reach. Furthermore, a financing agenda of up to $100 billion by 2031 has been proposed, focused on infrastructure, economic integration, and institutional strengthening.[5][24]
Implications
The rhetoric of regional unity contrasts sharply with the fragmented reality of Latin America, where liberal democracies, hybrid regimes, and outright dictatorships like those in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela coexist. The debate on drugs and security is permeated by widely differing perspectives: from those who want a thorough review of the “war on drugs” to those who demand greater cooperation with the United States in interdiction, intelligence gathering, and targeted operations against cartels, drug-running boats, and mafia structures. For this editorial position—firmly opposed to drug trafficking and dictatorships—the challenge lies in articulating an agenda that combines socioeconomic reforms, strengthening the rule of law, and robust cooperation with Washington and Europe, while preventing the “anti-mafia” discourse from being hijacked by authoritarian leaders to justify increased control without greater freedom.[24][5][19]
Perspectives and scenarios
In the short term, the summit is unlikely to produce a new regional security architecture, but it can serve to strengthen networks of judicial cooperation, exchange of financial data, and joint operations against specific networks. In the medium term, if Washington maintains its priority of combating drug trafficking and Europe awakens to the connection between cocaine, fentanyl, and internal security, Latin America can find in the fight against organized crime a strong bargaining chip with advanced democracies, in exchange for internal reforms and transparency. The worst-case scenario would be that anti-mafia rhetoric coexists with the continuity of covert narco-states, where defense ministers, military leadership, and dominant parties transform the state into a flag-waving criminal enterprise.[17][25][5][19]
6. Japan: Inflation enters the campaign
Facts
Japan is heading into snap general elections on February 8, called by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in an unusual context: inflation, not chronic deflation, has become the central concern of the middle class. A Financial Times analysis describes the contest as the “discount election,” in which the key voters are “bargain-buying” families who, after decades of stagnant wages, are forced to cut back on spending amid rising prices and taxes. The discontent of these households, who feel that growth is not reaching them and that the cost of living is soaring, is redefining the Japanese political agenda, traditionally dominated by debates on security, demographic aging, and technocratic management.[3][26][27]
Implications
For a country that has been a benchmark for stability and deflation, the emergence of inflation as a central issue alters the coordinates of economic policy, reopens the debate on wages, tax reform, and social spending, and gives opposition forces room to accuse the government of mismanaging the exit from the deflationary cycle. From a geopolitical perspective, a public opinion more sensitive to the cost of living may become less tolerant of increases in defense spending or costly sanctions against Russia and other actors, just as Tokyo is strengthening its role in the Indo-Pacific against China. However, the core of the Japanese consensus—alliance with the United States, vigilance against Chinese expansionism, and support for Ukraine—appears solid, so the debate will likely take place more in the arena of internal redistribution than in that of strategic orientation.[27][28][3]
Perspectives and scenarios
If the government manages to articulate a narrative of “responsible inflation,” combining wage increases, support for families, and fiscal discipline, it can turn this crisis into an opportunity to modernize an exhausted model and reconnect with a strained middle class. If, on the other hand, the measures are perceived as technocratic and belated, it will open the door to fiscal populism that promises immediate relief at the expense of medium-term sustainability. For a Spain that observes Japan through the lens of its own middle-class crisis, the Japanese model offers lessons on how to manage an inflationary shift without sacrificing institutional stability or its transatlantic anchor.[3][27]
7. Tesla cuts back its vehicle range and focuses on AI
Facts
Tesla has announced it will discontinue its Model S and Model X and allocate $2 billion to xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, in a strategic shift that moves the company’s focus away from automobiles and toward AI and robotics. The move comes as Tesla reports its first-ever decline in annual revenue, pressured by competition from cheaper electric vehicles and the end of some tax incentives in the United States. Although quarterly results have slightly exceeded expectations, margins are under pressure, and investors are increasingly looking to the promise of autonomous driving and humanoid robots as drivers of future growth.[1][4][12]
Implications
Tesla’s shift confirms that the battle for industrial leadership in the 21st century will not be fought solely on car production volumes, but rather on who controls the AI systems that manage fleets, data, and associated services. In geopolitical terms, the strengthening of an American champion of AI and mobility has implications for Europe—with an automotive industry still searching for its narrative in the software revolution—and for China, which is aggressively competing with its own electric vehicle manufacturers. The decision to move away from flagship models toward more scalable platforms can be interpreted as an acknowledgment that automotive luxury is no longer enough; value is shifting to algorithms, chips, and ecosystem control.[7][29][12][1]
Perspectives and scenarios
If Tesla succeeds in translating its investment in xAI into tangible advances in autonomous driving and robotics, it will consolidate a dominant position at the intersection of automobiles, data, and services, reinforcing the United States’ technological primacy over China and lagging Europe. If, on the other hand, the promise of AI is slow to materialize and competition in mid-range electric vehicles erodes its market share, the company could become a symbol of a tech bubble, with implications for confidence in the digital economy. For Europe, the message is clear: there is no time to lose if it does not want to be reduced to being a market, but not an actor, in the new geoeconomy of artificial intelligence.[7][12][1]
8. Starmer in Beijing: British rapprochement with China amid tensions with Washington
Facts
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has begun a four-day visit to China, the first by a British head of government in almost eight years, with the stated aim of “repairing” relations and taking advantage of the economic opportunities in the world’s second-largest market. Starmer is accompanied by a delegation of more than 50 business leaders and is scheduled to meet with Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and Speaker of Parliament Zhao Leji, as well as travel to Shanghai for meetings with the private sector. The trip comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions with the United States, following Trump’s threats to impose 100% tariffs on Canada for its trade rapprochement with China and general warnings to allies that strengthen ties with Beijing.[30][31][32][33][34]
Implications
Starmer’s move reflects the temptation among some European capitals to rebalance their bets between an increasingly unpredictable American partner and an increasingly assertive, yet indispensable, Chinese partner in trade, investment, and the energy transition. The Atlanticist editorial line compels us to read this “pivot to China” with caution: the pursuit of economic opportunities cannot ignore political espionage, repression in Hong Kong, military pressure in the South China Sea, and Beijing’s strategic proximity to Moscow. In any case, Starmer’s trip sends a message to Brussels: if Europe wants to speak with one voice against China, it cannot allow each capital to turn its relationship with Beijing into a private competition for short-term contracts.[32][34][35][36]
Perspectives and scenarios
If Starmer achieves visible agreements—in trade, green investments, or technological cooperation—without compromising on human rights or security, he can present himself as the architect of a “managed risk” relationship with China, compatible with the Atlantic alliance. If, on the other hand, the trip is perceived as an uncritical rapprochement with Beijing amidst Chinese pressure on Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, it will reinforce the argument that some European allies underestimate the strategic dimension of the Chinese challenge. For Spain and the rest of the EU, the visit is a reminder that strategic autonomy does not consist of distancing itself from the United States to get closer to China, but rather in strengthening Europe’s capacity to negotiate with both from a position of strength and principle.[31][34][35][36][32]
9. Venezuela in the mainstream media: contradictory signs of openness and authoritarian continuity
Facts
A recent analysis underscores that, following Maduro’s fall, Venezuela is experiencing more of an “economic takeover” than a democratic transition: the economy shows signs of improvement thanks to the partial reopening to oil and US capital, but the authoritarian structures remain intact. The figure of Delcy Rodríguez, with close ties to Cuban intelligence and a history of repression, arouses suspicion among those who fear a cosmetic continuation of Chavismo; at the same time, sectors of the population are perceiving, for the first time in years, improved access to basic goods. Meanwhile, analyses from research centers point out that real power remains shared among Rodríguez, Padrino López, and Diosdado Cabello, a triangle in which latent rivalries could lead to either a resurgence of authoritarianism or internal conflicts.[11][17][18][19]
Implications
The combination of economic relief and persistent repression is a familiar formula in the region: social peace is bought with basic consumption, while any profound political reform is blocked. For Europe and the United States, the risk is becoming unwitting partners in “authoritarian stabilization” in exchange for oil and migration control, betraying their rhetoric of support for liberal democracy in a country martyred by two decades of Chavismo. The editorial line demands consistency: the end of Maduro cannot be the end of demanding accountability for human rights violations, links to drug trafficking, and support for international terrorist networks connected to Iran.[18][19][6]
Perspectives and scenarios
In the short term, relative economic improvement may defuse mass mobilizations and provide oxygen to a reconfigured regime; in the medium term, the absence of genuine political reforms will cause the conflict to reappear in the form of protests, internal fractures, or new waves of migration. Whether the Venezuelan experiment leads to a supervised transition or the consolidation of a narco-state with a renewed face will depend on how the United States and the European Union manage the conditions of their energy cooperation with Caracas. The only way forward compatible with the defense of liberal democracy is to rigorously condition any easing of sanctions on verifiable progress in freedoms, elections, and the dismantling of criminal networks.[17][19][6][18]
10. Europe, Ukraine and the story of fatigue
Facts
The same analysis that describes “Europe-bashing” notes that, despite its hesitations and delays, Europe has been a decisive actor in sustaining Ukraine, channeling substantial financial, humanitarian, and military aid at the cost of internal expenses in energy, inflation, and trade disruption. European intelligence services—especially British ones—remain key partners for Washington in information warfare, while European Union diplomacy maintains influence in multilateral organizations and strategic regions. At the same time, internal political fragmentation—ranging from the pro-Russian far right to the radical pacifist left—fuels a perception of “fatigue” and opens the door to narratives of “realistic” capitulation to Moscow.[4][10][1]
Implications
The narrative of a “weak, moralistic, and saturated” Europe is of interest to both Putin and those within the EU who would like to justify a selfish retreat, sacrificing Ukraine on the altar of economic comfort. To confuse the understandable fatigue of societies with strategic abandonment would be a historic error: what is at stake in Ukraine is not only the integrity of a country, but the validity of the fundamental principle that borders cannot be changed by force. Our Atlanticist Europeanism demands that we clearly state that lasting peace is not built by rewarding Russian aggression, but by strengthening European deterrence and defensive capabilities, precisely to avoid temptations of future military adventures.[12][1][4]
Perspectives and scenarios
In the short term, the continuation of European support for Kyiv will depend on the ability of political elites to explain to their citizens that the cost of not supporting Ukraine would be far greater in terms of security, prestige, and the stability of the international order. In the medium term, the real test will be whether Europe transforms this war into a catalyst for completing its defense union, reducing strategic dependencies, and consolidating a less reactive and more proactive foreign policy. If it fails, the EU risks becoming a normative power without hard power, resigned to being a stage set in history, rather than a protagonist in it.[1][7][12]
III. MEDIA RACK [2][1]
– The Economist: delves into the wave of rhetorical attacks against Europe, the internal debate in Washington on the use of force against Iran and the ambivalent signs of the supposed Venezuelan transition.[2][6][1]
– Financial Times: highlights Tesla’s shift towards AI against a backdrop of falling revenues, and underlines the central role of “bargain hunters” in Japanese elections marked by inflation.[3][4][1]
– Reuters: Offers detailed coverage of Starmer’s trip to China, Britain’s pivot to Beijing and Marco Rubio’s Senate testimony on Venezuela, with a focus on tensions within the US political system itself.[21][31][32]
– Wall Street Journal: describes a Venezuela where economic hope coexists with deep skepticism about real democratic progress after Maduro’s departure.[19]
– Other major media outlets (BBC, CNN, Fox, NYT, etc.) orbit around these same axes: the growing tension with Iran, the rebalancing of alliances against China, the strain of the war in Ukraine on Europe and the Venezuelan laboratory of “controlled transition”.[16][2]
IV. RISK TRAFFIC LIGHT [15][2]
– Red
– US-Iran military escalation: high risk of direct clash if a naval incident, militia attack or miscalculation coincides with the presence of the US “navy” in the region.[15][2]
– Authoritarian drift in post-Maduro Venezuela: real danger of the consolidation of a “Madurismo without Maduro” supported by economic gains and excessive tolerance from external partners.[6][19]
– Amber
– European fatigue with Ukraine: risk of gradual erosion of material and political support, exploited by Moscow and by internal extremist forces.[4][1]
– Selective “pivot” of European allies towards China (United Kingdom, Canada): possibility of fissures on the Atlantic front and of strategic concessions to Beijing in exchange for short-term economic benefits.[34][32]
– Green (vigilante)
– Summit in Panama against organized crime: an opportunity to strengthen regional and Atlantic cooperation against mafia networks, provided that it translates into concrete mechanisms and does not remain mere rhetoric.[5][24]
– Tesla’s adjustment and the European automotive industry: a window for Europe to redefine its industrial strategy around AI and the energy transition, if it overcomes the protectionist and bureaucratic temptation.[7][1]
V. EDITORIAL COMMENTARY [1][2]
The sequence of events in the last few hours reveals an uncomfortable thread: while autocrats and populists turn Europe into their favorite verbal sparring partner, the old normative power faces the challenge of deciding whether it wants to remain a subject of history or simply absorb the blows. Trump, Xi, Putin, Rodríguez, and company know that Europe is too important to ignore, but too self-contained to fear; that is why they use it as a therapeutic scapegoat, as a screen onto which to project their own insecurities, contradictions, and failures.[8][1]
Faced with an Iran teetering on the brink of nuclear annihilation, the response cannot be pacifist resignation or bellicose adventurism, but rather coordinated firmness that makes it clear that no theocratic regime exporting terrorism can aspire to international respectability. Trump is right to refuse to normalize a system that fuels Hezbollah, Hamas, or Iraqi militias, but this forcefulness must be accompanied by strategic foresight: there are no easy wars, least of all in a Middle East saturated with gunpowder, memories of failed invasions, and overlapping red lines.[2][15]
In Latin America, the Venezuelan experiment tests the credibility of those of us who defend liberal democracy and the rule of law: it is not enough to decapitate a narco-dictatorship if the mafia-like structure that sustained it remains standing. The Panama summit offers an opportunity for the region to seriously discuss organized crime, justice, and cooperation with the United States and Europe, but it will be useless if it is not acknowledged that the main enemy of Latin American freedom is not the supposed foreign “interference,” but rather the elites who have transformed the state into a criminal enterprise.[5][19]
Japan, with its “choice of the discount,” and Tesla, with its accommodation to the new religion of AI, remind us that the battle for freedom and prosperity is also fought on the ground of everyday economics: in the capacity of democracies to protect their middle classes without succumbing to fiscal populism, and in their ability to compete technologically without falling into self-destructive protectionism. That is, ultimately, the true dilemma of our time: either liberal democracies regain confidence in themselves—in their Atlantic alliance, in their well-managed welfare state, in their culture of fundamental rights—or they will cede ground to those who offer security without freedom, identity without pluralism, and order without law. Europe can no longer be the world’s rhetorical punching bag; it must, at last, behave as what it still is: a central power in the international system that has a moral and strategic obligation to live up to its own values.[27][12][1]
Sources
[1] Tesla trims car line-up in pivot to AI as annual revenue falls… https://www.ft.com/content/78d53ce6-a731-496c-8d8b-e53bc35f49a8
[2] Is America about to attack Iran? https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/01/28/is-america-about-to-attack-iran
[3] Japan’s Sanae Takaichi calls snap election for February 8… https://www.ft.com/content/5d6de78f-10a0-4883-8437-c05b9562ab37
[4] Technology https://www.ft.com/technology
[5] Latin American Leaders Meet in Panama to Rethink the… https://newsroompanama.com/2026/01/28/latin-american-leaders-meet-in-panama-to-rethink-the-regions-role-in-the-world/
[6] How to tell if Venezuela is heading for democracy https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/01/27/how-to-tell-if-venezuela-is-heading-for-democracy
[7] Financial Times: Home https://www.ft.com
[8] 01/28/2026: OICA’s 5 major news items summarized https://oica.net/01-28-2026-oicas-5-major-news-items-summarized/
[9] Jean-Michel Glachant (@JMGlachant) / Posts / X https://x.com/JMGlachant
[10] Latin America and the Caribbean Overview: January 2026 https://acleddata.com/update/latin-america-and-caribbean-overview-january-2026
[11] What Just Happened in Venezuela? And What Comes Next? https://www.csis.org/analysis/what-just-happened-venezuela-and-what-comes-next
[12] Tesla revenue beats estimates despite weaker vehicle … https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-revenue-beats-estimates-despite-weaker-vehicle-deliveries-2026-01-28/
[13] Trump threatens Iran with ‘massive Armada,’ ‘able to rapidly… https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/28/trump-iran-threats-massive-armada-00751756
[14] Trump says ‘massive armada’ headed to Iran, urges Tehran… https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/trump-says-massive-armada-headed-to-iran-urges-tehran-to-make-deal/3813300
[15] Tehran 28 January 2026 https://www.crisisgroup.org/content/tehran-28-january-2026
[16] Trump Says ‘Massive Armada’ Heading to Iran, Compares… https://time.com/7358425/trump-iran-massive-armada-nuclear-deal/
[17] After Maduro, Venezuela power vacuum exposes brutal… https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/maduro-venezuela-power-vacuum-exposes-170947378.html
[18] Venezuela’s Intelligence Chief Remains a Danger Despite … https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/01/14/venezuelas-intelligence-chief-remains-a-danger-despite-maduro-ouster/
[19] Venezuelans Suddenly Have Hope for the Economy. Less… https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/venezuelans-suddenly-have-hope-for-the-economy-less-so-for-democracy-b39ea3e7
[20] A new poll by The Economist shows many Venezuelans… https://www.facebook.com/PeanutGalleryMedia/posts/a-new-poll-by-the-economist-shows-many-venezuelans-are-increasingly-optimistic-a/122181587114392503/
[21] Rubio cites Venezuela progress, says US not planning … https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rubio-face-former-us-senate-colleagues-venezuela-policy-2026-01-28/
[22] Rubio says Maduro abduction ‘strategic’ necessity… https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/28/rubio-testifies-before-us-senate-on-abduction-of-venezuelas-maduro
[23] Marco Rubio defends Trump Venezuela policy in heated … https://www.dw.com/en/marco-rubio-defends-trumps-venezuela-policy-in-heated-hearing/a-75699857
[24] Panama’s Latin America And Caribbean Economic Forum … https://www.riotimesonline.com/panamas-latin-america-and-caribbean-economic-forum-turned/
[25] 2nd Bilateral Consultations with the EU takes place in Brussels https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/panama-2nd-bilateral-consultations-eu-takes-place-brussels_en
[26] why ‘dirt cheap’ shoppers became the key voters https://www.facebook.com/financialtimes/posts/japans-discount-election-why-dirt-cheap-shoppers-became-the-key-voters/1294205096086198/
[27] News in-depth https://www.ft.com/news-in-depth
[28] Harry Dempsey https://www.ft.com/harry-dempsey
[29] UK vehicle output hits lowest since 1950s as companies… https://www.ft.com/content/584c178c-8092-4bac-ac0b-49d94925d277
[30] Britain’s Starmer meets China’s Xi in bid to reset strained ties https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-starmer-meet-chinas-xi-bid-reset-strained-ties-2026-01-29/
[31] UK’s Starmer arrives in China, encourages firms to seize … https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-starmer-heads-china-western-alliances-face-strain-2026-01-28/
[32] UK’s Starmer heads to China to repair ties as he navigates… https://www.reuters.com/world/china/uks-starmer-heads-china-repair-ties-he-navigates-tensions-with-us-2026-01-28/
[33] UK’s Starmer heads to China to repair ties as he navigates… https://www.reuters.com/world/china/uks-starmer-heads-china-repair-ties-he-navigates-tensions-with-us-2026-01-27/
[34] ‘Pivot to China’ gathers pace as Starmer lands in Beijing https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/year-into-trump-presidency-pivot-china-gathers-pace-2026-01-28/
[35] UK’s Starmer meets Xi to mend ‘ice age’ ties, push… https://asia.nikkei.com/politics/international-relations/uk-s-starmer-meets-xi-to-mend-ice-age-ties-push-business-deals
[36] China to seek deeper cooperation with UK, Chinese… https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-seek-deeper-cooperation-with-uk-chinese-ministries-say-2026-01-27/
[37] Tesla trims car line-up in pivot to AI as annual revenue falls… https://www.linkedin.com/posts/financial-times_tesla-trims-car-line-up-in-pivot-to-ai-as-activity-7422388739596869632-4W6J
[38] Britain’s Starmer arrives in China as Western alliances face … https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/idRW071028012026RP1/
[39] Rubio testifies to Senate Foreign Relations committee … https://www.facebook.com/Reuters/videos/live-rubio-testifies-to-senate-foreign-relations-committee-on-venezuela/1891909004764562/
[40] why ‘dirt cheap’ shoppers became the key voters https://x.com/FT/status/2016359213539176766
[41] Trump warns Iran ‘time is running out’ for nuclear deal as… https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly5pd459gko
[42] Trump warns Iran ‘armada’ is heading its way and to agree… https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/28/trump-iran-armada-nuclear-program-deal.html
[43] How to tell if Venezuela is heading for democracy https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-economist_how-to-tell-if-venezuela-is-heading-for-democracy-activity-7422013078503895040-IzX_
[44] UPDATE: US President Trump warns Iran with armada… https://www.intellinews.com/update-us-president-trump-warns-iran-with-armada-deployment-iran-says-open-to-dialogue-422720/