GEN: A global hub for environment governance and the host region of the Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands, Geneva is key place to protect wetlands and reverse the trend of global loss of wetlands (LINK) 8 January 2026


Turkish man jailed for 11 years in U.K. for supplying people-smuggling gangs with thousands of Channel small boats (LINK) 7 January 2026


Flight of the bullions: Why did Maduro move gold to Switzerland? (LINK) 7 January 2026

— Euronews: Caracas shipped 127 tonnes of central-bank gold to Swiss refineries over a period of five years, seeking cash and collateral as the Venezuelan debt crisis deepened. Switzerland hosts some of the world's biggest refineries. These include Valcambi, PAMP, and Argor-Heraeus, largely clustered in the canton of Ticino. Swiss public broadcaster SRF said Maduro's government shipped gold abroad as an "act of desperation" to avert state bankruptcy, selling part of the bullion and using some as collateral for loans and the refinancing of its debt.


Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz drops reelection bid: a conservative influencer's viral video alleging fraud by day care centres that receive government aid further fanned the controversy, leading the administration to announce a freeze of child care funding to the state (LINK) 5 January 2026

— In a statement announcing his decision, Walz defended his administration's actions, saying they "made systemic changes to the way we do business" in response to "an organized group of criminals [that] have sought to take advantage of our state's generosity."