France has rejected the EU–Mercosur trade agreement in its current form and has pushed to delay signing and votes, demanding stronger safeguards for French farmers, mirror/reciprocity clauses on production and tighter import controls. Paris has urged more robust safeguard mechanisms and alignment of environmental and sanitary standards before authorising the pact.

The Department of Justice's phased release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act (deadline Dec 19, 2025) has drawn bipartisan criticism for heavy redactions, missing or altered files, and alleged handling problems. Lawmakers, journalists and advocates have raised concerns about omitted names, recoverable blacked-out text, exposed images, and potential tampering; congressional and DOJ reviews and audits have followed.

Multiple major outlets report that President Xi Jinping has removed and is investigating several senior People’s Liberation Army leaders — including one or more vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission — in a high-profile anti-corruption and loyalty purge. Analysts view the actions as both a consolidation of Xi’s authority over the PLA and a risky shrinking of independent military counsel, with implications for China’s civil-military balance and regional security dynamics.

On January 30, 2026 the U.S. Department of Justice published the largest single release of records related to Jeffrey Epstein — more than 3 million pages, roughly 2,000 videos and about 180,000 images — as part of compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The release includes investigative records from multiple cases, extensive redactions to protect victims, and material that has prompted political and public scrutiny of named figures. Coverage emphasizes the scale of the release, DOJ statements about redactions and withheld privileged material, and differing reactions from outlets and public figures.

The European Commission has proposed the Digital Networks Act (DNA) to update and harmonise EU telecom and connectivity rules, aiming to accelerate fibre and 5G rollout, simplify cross‑border operations, and strengthen resilience and cybersecurity. The proposal (presented 21 January 2026) has drawn praise for ambition and criticism from telecom groups and several member states over scope, spectrum control, and potential regulatory effects.

Reports and expert commentary (Jan 2026) say the Taliban issued a new Criminal Procedure Regulation that: codifies class-based punishments, uses the term translated as “slave/ghulam” in ways critics say legalise servitude, delegates discretionary punishments to husbands/masters, and further curtails women’s rights. The regulation has prompted widespread alarm from rights groups and analysis arguing it violates international law; some analysts urge careful reading of the original Pashto text.

In January 2026 a wave of wildfires in Patagonia (Argentina) and earlier blazes in Chile prompted social-media rumours and state-broadcast misuses that falsely blamed Israelis or Israel for starting the fires. Reliable reporting and local authorities say the fires were driven by extreme weather and human activity; some fires show signs of deliberate ignition but investigators have found no verified link to Israel. The rumours have sparked antisemitic conspiracy theories and been debunked by multiple outlets.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez signed legislation that opens Venezuela’s oil industry to private and foreign participation, ending PDVSA’s exclusive control over production and sales, allowing independent arbitration and capping royalties at 30%. The move — passed quickly by the National Assembly and coinciding with the U.S. easing some oil sanctions — is intended to attract foreign investment to revive a long-depressed oil sector.

Suchir Balaji, a 26‑27-year‑old former OpenAI researcher who had raised legal and ethical concerns about OpenAI, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on 2024-11-26. San Francisco authorities and the medical examiner ruled the death a suicide; Balaji's family and some commentators have disputed that finding and called for further investigation. Media coverage includes reporting of allegations and an interview in which Tucker Carlson suggested Balaji had been murdered and pressed OpenAI CEO Sam Altman about the claim; Altman denied involvement and cited the official ruling.