Flagship

Trump hits back at Colombia

US President Donald Trump said he will impose tariffs and sanctions on Colombia after Bogotá turned away two flights carrying deported migrants. Left-wing Colombian President Gustavo Petro specifically took issue with Washington’s use of military planes for the flights, calling it degrading. The measures, which include 25% “emergency” tariffs and a travel ban targeting Colombian officials, could mark Trump’s first use of economic retaliation on a foreign government to push his immigration agenda since taking office. Trump may be trying to make an example of Bogotá, and dissuade other Latin American countries from defying him, Reuters reported. “It sends a powerful message to the world, that not even old political allies are safe if they do not cooperate,” Bloomberg wrote.

Trump pressures Jordan, Egypt on Gaza

US President Donald Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in more Palestinians from Gaza, adding that he wanted to “clean out” the enclave. Trump’s remarks — made just a week into a fragile ceasefire — echoed past resettlement proposals from hardline, ultranationalist Israeli politicians that have been repeatedly rejected by both Palestinians and Arab nations. The comments are “part of a much broader move” than they seem, according to Israeli media: The country’s finance minister quickly doubled down on Trump’s statement, saying he would start developing a plan. Separately on Sunday, Israel blocked Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, after accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire deal.

South Korean president indicted

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted on insurrection allegations, the first time a sitting president has faced criminal charges in the country. Yoon has been under investigation and detained over his botched December attempt to impose martial law, plunging the country into political chaos; he has been suspended from office while a court mulls whether to remove him permanently. Throughout the crisis, Yoon has been outspoken in his opposition to the probe, and his approval rating — which was at rock bottom — has somewhat rebounded since his arrest, not unlike another world leader: Yoon “has the example of Trump, who has been very vocal throughout his legal travails,” one expert told The Korea Herald.

China may have hit peak oil demand

China may have hit its peak oil demand sooner than expected, analysts told Nikkei Asia. Crude imports shrank by almost 2% last year compared to 2023, the first annual decline in decades (excluding the pandemic years). The International Energy Agency had previously forecast demand would top out around 2030, but analysts said that the falling oil demand may go beyond China’s current economic slowdown. They pointed to the rapid rise of electric vehicles and reduced oil refining capacity. Beijing is looking to bolster domestic renewable energy — and reduce its reliance on oil imports — “as an energy security strategy,” a Tokyo-based expert said.

China FM tells Rubio: ‘Act accordingly’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio talked with his Chinese counterpart for the first time, an early sign of high-level diplomatic dialogue between the new administration and Beijing. Rubio told Foreign Minister Wang Yi that the US “does not support” Taiwan independence — a stance that could help ease tensions — while also stressing the new administration’s “America First” foreign policy, and expressing concern over Beijing’s behavior toward Taipei. Wang, meanwhile, told Rubio to “act accordingly,” using a Chinese phrase that may be more “typically used by a teacher or a boss warning a student or employee to behave,” The Associated Press noted. The vague language could convey an expectation, one researcher said — or deliver a veiled warning.

Direct India-China flights on the table

India’s foreign secretary traveled to Beijing Sunday, where airline industry insiders hope officials will discuss resuming direct flights between the world’s two most populous nations. No passenger jet has flown between India and China since early 2020, when ties frayed amid border clashes and the pandemic. But as officials look to repair relations, the air travel industry in both countries is watching closely to see whether the visit might lead to more visa approvals and direct travel, The Indian Express reported. Meanwhile, India — which espouses a foreign policy of “strategic autonomy” — is also bolstering ties with other regional players: Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto was in New Delhi this weekend for talks that could result in a major defense deal.

Big Tech earnings to test stock rally

A slew of Big Tech earnings reports in the next two weeks will test the stock market rally that marked US President Donald Trump’s first week in office. Microsoft, Meta, and Tesla will report Wednesday, quickly followed by Apple, Alphabet, and Amazon. Collectively, the companies are expected to report a slowdown in profits relative to past quarters, Bloomberg reported, which could put pressure on valuations. Investors this week are also closely watching the US Federal Reserve, which is expected to leave interest rates unchanged at its meeting on Wednesday. Chair Jerome Powell, though, could provide some clues as to the Fed’s path under Trump: The president last week said he would “demand” interest rates fall along with oil prices.

Quantum’s potential to change the world

Quantum computing has as much power to change the world as does the buzzier technology artificial intelligence, three Google researchers argued in Foreign Affairs. Over the last decade, world governments have invested tens of billions in quantum computing, and the tech has been improving “largely out of public view.” As with AI, China and the US are leading the innovation race, driven by the belief that quantum’s code-breaking capabilities present a national security issue. But quantum computing could be broadly transformative: It could “spur innovation, scientific discovery, economic growth, and opportunity,” rivaling AI. The US needs to commit more resources to avoid falling behind China, and to “accelerate human progress and build a better future,” they argued.

Moon rocks could yield oxygen

Scientists are testing ways to extract oxygen from Moon rocks ahead of planned NASA missions later this decade. If astronauts are ever to settle or work long-term on the Moon, they will need oxygen for breathing and for rocket fuel, but carrying oxygen from Earth is expensive and dangerous. Lunar dust, though, is full of metal oxides: Splitting those oxides into metals and oxygen is well understood on Earth, but doing so on the Moon is not, so scientists are testing procedures in subzero temperatures and vacuum conditions at a Texas NASA facility, the BBC reported. The team can’t simulate lunar gravity, however, so final tests will have to wait until at least 2028, once NASA’s planned human Moon missions begin.

A year of celebration for Turner

Galleries in the UK, US, and China will host celebratory exhibitions and other activities this year in honor of British landscapist J.M.W. Turner’s 250th birthday. Turner is among the UK’s most celebrated artists: The country’s most prestigious art prize is named for him, and his likeness is on the £20 note. To commemorate the anniversary, eight British cities, several US locations, and Shanghai will hold exhibitions, and an international conference will take place at the Tate Britain gallery in the UK, Artnet reported. Turner’s most famous works, like The Fighting Temeraire, depicting a famous warship’s journey to the scrapyard, gave rise to the later Impressionist movement with its expressive, soft-edged style.

Jan. 27:

• US Senate votes on whether to confirm Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary nominee, Scott Bessent.
• European Union foreign ministers meet in Brussels to discuss Syria sanctions.
• Children’s YouTube star Ms. Rachel debuts new series on Netflix.

Japanese artist Mika Ninagawa has transformed a Kyoto art museum into a “vibrant dreamworld,” in a new exhibition of her and her collaborators’ work. Ninagawa Mika with EiM: Lights of the beyond, Shadows of this world combines photography, film, light, and other artwork, guiding the viewer through ten interconnected spaces designed to inspire a sense of the surreal in nature: One area is blanketed in the red and black hues of thousands of artificial spider lilies, a flower that is associated with death in Japan, the artist said. “Each element of the exhibition… is imbued with a sense of searching — inviting us into a world where the lines blur,” The Japan Times wrote.

Google has found a cheaper way to run AI models, Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis told Semafor’s Reed Albergotti. That efficiency could give the company a long-term edge in Big Tech’s high-stakes innovation race.