Thursday 22nd January 2026. Ukraine power shortages. France Le Pen appeal. Switzerland Trump Greenland. Nigeria hostages rescued...

Good morning. This is send 7 wild news in 7 minutes. I'm Juliet Martin and today is Thursday the 22nd of January 2026. Starting in Europe today. In Ukraine nearly 60% of the residents in the capital keep are still without power according to President Vladimir Zelensky. Many residents have been living up to a few hours of electricity a day following increasing Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. After a tax on Tuesday around 4,000 buildings in Kiev were still without heat yesterday. Zelensky said. In France far-right leader Mahin Le Pen has denied wrongdoing during her appeal trial in Paris this week. She was barred from public office after being convicted of misusing European Union funds. She was found guilty of misappropriating more than 4 million euros. Her appeal will decide whether she can run for election in 2027. In Switzerland at the Davos World Economic Forum United States President Donald Trump has said that he won't use force to take over Greenland. We never asked for anything and we never got anything. We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won't do that. Okay. Now everyone's saying, "Oh, God." That's probably the biggest statement I made because people thought I would use force. I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland where we already had it as a trustee but respectfully returned it back to Denmark not long ago after we defeated the Germans, the Japanese, the Italians and others in World War II. We gave it back to them. After a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Ritter Trump said that the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland had been formed, he also said that tariffs on European countries scheduled for the 1st of February had been cancelled. Africa. In Nigeria, 62 hostages have been rescued and two militants have been killed according to the army. Military operations are being carried out across Kebu and Zamfara against armed groups, which have been associated with an increase in mass kidnappings in northwest Nigeria. In Sudan, drone strikes are increasing around al-Obeyed according to residents. Al-Obeyed is an important army controlled city which is protected by the army and allied forces. The Americas. Ecuador will impose a 30% tariff on Colombian imports from February, President Daniel De Boa has announced. He said this measure will remain in place until there is a real commitment to jointly tackle drug trafficking and illegal mining on the border, with the same seriousness and determination that Ecuador is currently demonstrating. Ecuador imports electrical power, medicines and pesticides from Colombia. Ecuador's interior ministry has reported that the number of murders in 2025 was 30% higher than the year before. 2025 saw 9,126 murders compared to 7,063 in 2024. The government has said that increasing violence is due to conflict between gangs. In Costa Rica, the ruling party is expected to win the presidential election on the 1st of February, according to polls. voter support for candidate Laura Fernandez of the Suffering People's Party is at 40%. Asia. In South Korea, former Prime Minister Han Duxu has been jailed for 23 years. He has been charged with crimes including insurrection relating to former President Yun Suk Yul's declaration of martial law. According to the Seoul Central District Court, Han was found guilty because he was instrumental in preparations for a cabinet meeting that helped make the declaration. He had denied all wrongdoing apart from perjury. In Japan, a man accused of assassinating former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was sentenced to life in prison yesterday. Tetsuya Yamagami was arrested in 2022 after firing a homemade gun during a campaign speech of Abe's and admitted to the assassination. And in Indonesia, the painted outline of a human hand found in a cave is the oldest example of rock art in the world, according to researchers. The hand stencil was found in a cave on Muna, a satellite island. It is at least 67,800 years old. It is thought that the people who made it later travelled to Australia. This could support the theory that people first reached Australia earlier than previously suggested. That's your world news in seven minutes. If you enjoy this podcast, please tell your friends about us. You can get in touch with us in a voice message at cens7.org or by sending an email to podcast@ cens7.org. I'm Juliet Martin. Tomorrow you will be with Stephen Devin-Chenzi. Have a great day!