While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 21, 2026
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French President Emmanuel Macron attending the 56th annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan 20.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Europe’s leaders stand firm in Davos
European leaders, rattled by Donald Trump’s latest global gambit, are looking to present a united front in Davos - as chief executive officers warned against an emotional response to the US president’s ambition to take over Greenland.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the European Union should not bend to “the law of the strongest”, adding that it was “crazy” that the bloc was having to contemplate using its “anti-coercion instrument” against the US.
“We do believe that we need more growth, we need more stability in this world, but we do prefer respect to bullies,” Mr Macron told the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, the day before Mr Trump’s arrival in Switzerland.
Without referring directly to Mr Trump, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen highlighted a need to respond to seismic shifts in the world and said the speed and scale of change had driven a consensus in Europe on independence.
Girl, 6 is sole survivor of family in Spain train crash
PHOTO: AFP
A six-year-old girl was found walking alone along the tracks on the night of Jan 18 after her parents, brother and cousin all died in the high-speed crash between two trains in southern Spain.
She had been on a family outing to see the Lion King musical in Madrid.
The girl, who has not been officially named, suffered only a minor head wound.
600,000 fled Kyiv this month after Russia energy strikes
PHOTO: AFP
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko told AFP on Jan 20 that more than half a million people have evacuated from Ukraine’s capital since he urged residents to temporarily relocate after Russian strikes earlier this month on vital energy facilities.
Air raid sirens rang out over Kyiv during an interview in which he said that around 600,000 people had heeded his call on Jan 9 to leave after a barrage of Russian drones and missiles cut power, water and heating to swathes of the city as temperatures plunged to minus 20 deg C.
“Not everyone has a chance to leave the city, but right now the population is reduced,” Mr Klitschko told AFP, specifying that 600,000 people had moved from the capital of some 3.6 million people.
Belarus’ Lukashenko joins Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed an agreement on Jan 20 to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, the latest step in a rapprochement with Washington after years of international isolation.
A presidential Telegram channel published video of Mr Lukashenko signing the document, and quoted him as saying he hoped to contribute towards peace in Ukraine.
Mr Lukashenko, in power since 1994, was long shunned by the West because of his poor human rights record and backing for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
City stunned 3-1 by Bodo/Glimt in Champions League
PHOTO: AFP
Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt pulled off a stunning upset in the Champions League on Jan 20, beating Manchester City 3-1 at home to secure their first-ever win in the competition and keep their slim hopes of making the knockout stage alive.
Kasper Hogh’s quick-fire double and Jens Petter Hauge’s stunning solo effort put Bodo in control and while City fought back with a Rayan Cherki goal, Rodri’s second-half sending off for two quick bookings left them with a mountain to climb.
Bodo coach Kjetil Knutsen had a simple game plan focused on counter-attacking at every opportunity against the English giants, who won the Champions League in 2023. It proved devastatingly effective as they made the most of their opportunities, eventually cantering to victory with a squad worth a fraction of what their visitors cost.
