BBC News Briefing

21 January, 2026

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top.

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. Economics editor Faisal Islam looks at the reception he might get from fellow world leaders. BBC Verify has obtained hundreds of leaked photos of those killed in Iran's crackdown on protesters. And finally, watch San Francisco honour its beloved albino alligator.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Trump delayed by Air Force One issue

View of the AlpenGold Hotel where US President Donald Trump will be staying as he attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. The building is at the foot of a snow and tree-covered mountain.

Trump is taking a team of advisers and members of his administration to the World Economic Forum in Davos. Credit: Reuters

President Trump's trip to Davos was delayed after Air Force One was forced to turn around due to a "minor electrical issue". His speech is scheduled for 13:30 GMT (8:30 ET) and is expected to discuss Greenland, among other issues. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested leaders listen to Trump's argument. "I think they're going to be persuaded," he said. But, Faisal Islam notes: "There are signs that much of the rest of the world is now on alert, and ready to push back." European commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned Europe is "fully prepared to act if necessary".

Follow live updates

Domestic backlash: Washington correspondent Daniel Bush on whether the US Congress could stop Trump from taking over Greenland.

Carney's speech: Canada's prime minister has said "the old order is not coming back" as he set out his vision of global politics at Davos.

US trade: The European Parliament is planning to suspend approval of a deal agreed in July, sources told the BBC.

WORLD HEADLINES

Firefighters are seen on a train track next to the derailed carriage of a commuter train near Barcelona

Driver killed in second deadly rail crash in Spain

A commuter train has derailed and crashed near Barcelona two days after a deadly collision in southern Spain.

What happened >

In an orange prison-style uniform, Cambodian businessman Kuong Li stands facing the camera in front of a height-measurement chart

Cambodia arrests alleged scam mastermind

Authorities have arrested a prominent businessman featured in a 2023 BBC Eye investigation into alleged online scams.

What to know >

Two people walking on a beach, with the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in the background.

Japan restarts world's largest nuclear plant

The reactor at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, northwest of Tokyo, was restarted nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster.

More details >

A close-up of Elon Musk's face against a beige background. He has short brown hair and brown eyes.

Spat between Musk and Ryanair's O'Leary deepens

The two outspoken CEOs have been trading insults after O'Leary rejected the idea of using Musk's Starlink technology.

What they've said >

Timothy Busfield is pictured in court, wearing an orange prison suit and a white tshirt. He has white curly hair and a short beard and blue eyes.

Busfield to be released from jail in sex abuse case‌

The actor and director is accused of sexually abusing two boys on the set of a TV series. He has denied the allegations.

Read more >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Prince Harry: The Duke of Sussex is scheduled to give evidence in the trial against the Daily Mail publisher. Follow live updates.

Mikhail Ackrim: The mother of a 37-year-old found dead with a stab wound in a Home Office flat is still seeking answers about her son's death.

Brand Beckham: Brooklyn Peltz Beckham's bombshell statement threatens to derail both his parents' public reputation and their private life.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

The faces of those killed in Iran's brutal crackdown

A collage of a protester on the streets of Tehran, Iran in black and white but it is clear there is a fire burning behind them. On the right-hand side of the image leaked photos are presented in a gridded face wall showing some of the 392 faces sent to BBC Verify. The photos of dead victims show close up images of their blurred faces in the colour blue.

The images are one of the only ways families have been able to identify their dead loved ones. Credit: Getty Images

Hundreds of close-up images of victims taken from inside Tehran's Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre were leaked to BBC Verify. The pictures, which are too graphic to show without blurring, reveal the bloodied, swollen and bruised faces of at least 326 victims - including 18 women. The photos provide a snapshot of the thousands believed to have been killed at the hands of the Iranian state.

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