#News of the world [Advanced] - By Cate - 19/01/2026

A quick glance at what's happening on Mother Earth 🌍

No country will remain untouched 😎
No celebrity or politician will remain safe 😅
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Transcript

Hello, Cate here and welcome back to NEWS OF THE WORLD!

In World News…

Recent events have given new weight to Donald Trump’s repeated statements about Greenland, raising questions about why the US is so interested in this vast Arctic island — and why it’s causing tension with Europe.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, sparsely populated and largely covered in ice. But its importance goes far beyond its size or population. Strategically, it sits between North America and Europe, along a key maritime corridor linking the Arctic to the Atlantic. That makes it crucial for trade routes and military monitoring.

Greenland is also rich in natural resources, including rare earth minerals used in electric vehicles, renewable energy and defence technology. As Arctic ice melts due to climate change, access to these resources — and to new northern shipping routes — is becoming easier.

These changes have sparked competition between major powers, particularly the US, China and Russia. While Washington already has a military presence in Greenland through long-standing agreements, talk of taking control has alarmed Denmark, European allies and many Greenlanders, who see it as disrespectful.

At its core, the debate is about security, resources, and who gets to decide Greenland’s future.

Business News

When we think of business education in France, we imagine finance, policy or luxury management — not spy training. Yet on the outskirts of Paris, one elite university runs a diploma that quietly prepares intelligence agents and corporate security specialists side by side.

Created after the 2015 terrorist attacks, the course focuses on global threats: terrorism, cyber-espionage, organised crime and economic warfare. It’s not just aimed at future spies. Large French companies quickly saw its value, sending staff and recruiting graduates to protect their operations.

Businesses in defence, aerospace, energy and luxury are especially interested. Recent graduates have been hired by Orange, energy giant EDF and luxury powerhouse LVMH, owner of Louis Vuitton, Dior and Dom Pérignon. For these firms, the risks are no longer theoretical — cyber-attacks, industrial espionage and sabotage are daily concerns.

The course reflects a wider shift: intelligence skills are now a business asset. In a world of geopolitical tension, companies want people trained to spot threats early, assess risk and protect sensitive data. The line between national security and corporate security is becoming increasingly blurred.

Entertainment

Hollywood star George Clooney has quietly taken on a new role as a French citizen. Official documents show that Clooney, his wife Amal, and their twin children have all been granted French nationality.

The family already spends most of its time on a farm in rural France, far from red carpets and paparazzi. Clooney has said he wanted his children to grow up away from Hollywood’s intense fame culture, where celebrity status can shape childhoods before they even begin. In France, he believes, famous faces are treated with far more indifference.

That feeling is backed by law. France has some of Europe’s strongest privacy protections, making it illegal to publish photos of people in private settings, and even limiting how celebrities can be photographed in public. These rules make it far easier for well-known families to live normal lives.

For Clooney, the appeal seems simple: tractors instead of trailers, anonymity instead of attention. His move highlights why France continues to attract global stars seeking privacy, balance and a quieter kind of luxury life.

Sport

This might be the future of football — and it’s happening in China. On the outskirts of Beijing, engineers at start-up Booster Robotics are training humanoid robots to play football. These machines can dribble, pass, shoot and defend, all powered by artificial intelligence.

Robot football has become a serious testing ground for China’s booming humanoid robot industry. Events like RoboCup, the World Humanoid Robot Games, and robot half-marathons are now drawing crowds, sponsors and investors. For companies, sport is the perfect showcase: it tests balance, vision, teamwork and decision-making in real time.

The sector is attracting major attention. Chinese firms such as Unitree, Leju and X-humanoid are using sport to refine robots that could later work in factories or homes. Internationally, companies like Tesla and Boston Dynamics are also exploring humanoid robots for logistics and industrial tasks.

While robots still fall over and miss tackles, the goal is clear: use sport to build smarter machines — and turn that technology into big business.

Self-development

At the start of the year, we’re often told to think big: big goals, big plans, big transformations. But there’s a problem with annual plans — they’re just too far away from real life. Twelve months is a long time to stay motivated, especially when work deadlines, family life and unexpected curveballs get in the way.

That’s where quarterly planning comes in. Three months is short enough to stay focused, but long enough to create real change. Instead of saying, “This year I’ll get fitter,” a quarterly goal might be: “By the end of March, I’ll walk or train three times a week.” At work, rather than “grow the business this year,” you might focus on “launching one new product or improving one key process this quarter.”

To make those goals stick, time blocking is powerful. This means deciding in advance when you’ll work on something. For example, blocking Monday mornings for deep work, Wednesday evenings for exercise, or Sunday afternoons for planning meals or finances. You can even block regular holidays or days off to care for your wellbeing.

Time blocks protect your priorities from being swallowed by emails and distractions. They also reduce decision fatigue — you’re not constantly asking, “When will I do this?” You already know.

Quarterly plans plus time blocking turn big dreams into manageable actions — and progress into something you can actually see and feel.

Well, that’s all from NEWS OF THE WORLD for now. I hope you protect your time today, and I’ll talk to you soon! Take care!