Emelyn Torres and Maria Cristina Fernández, the sister and grandmother of Edilson Torres, a Venezuelan police officer who died in prison after being detained on accusations of treason, embrace during his wake in Guanare, Venezuela, 12 January 2026. (Keystone/AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

‘Everyday is a rollercoaster’: Venezuelan aid groups gripped by uncertainty. Three weeks after US forces carried out strikes around Caracas and seized president Nicolás Maduro from his fortified compound, Venezuelan aid organisations warn that people’s basic needs are growing more acute. Political and economic uncertainties have driven up prices sharply, making even the most essential items unaffordable for countless families.

🏔️DAVOS BEGINS. The World Economic Forum’s annual elite power gathering in the alpine ski resort kicks off tomorrow – the first since founder Klaus Schwab’s ousting and a test of whether the Geneva-based outfit still matters.

Trump makes a splash. US president Donald Trump has confirmed he’ll be there – his first Davos appearance since 2019 – and all signs point to a headline-grabbing return.

He’ll be flanked by Washington’s largest delegation ever, including Russia negotiator Steve Witkoff, son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and secretary of state Marco Rubio.

They will operate from the historic English Church, repurposed for US meetings and events for the week. According to the Financial Times, companies including Microsoft and McKinsey are paying up to $1 million each to bankroll the venue.

VIP list. Other high-level RSVPs include Chinese vice premier He Lifeng, Canada’s PM Mark Carney, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Nato chief Mark Rutte.

UN chief António Guterres is due to speak on Wednesday, after private meetings in Switzerland with his senior envoys. Geneva heavyweights Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will also be on site.

Ukraine front and centre. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend. He and several other European leaders will meet Trump on Wednesday, seeking Trump’s backing for US security guarantees designed to deter another Russian attack after any ceasefire.

The talks come as Ukraine faces renewed attacks on its power grid, disrupting heating and electricity in sub-zero winter conditions.

Aid dry spell. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid is lagging badly. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said its regional Ukraine appeal is just 13 per cent funded.

Unicef’s representative in Ukraine, Munir Mammadzade, told Geneva reporters on Friday that agencies were being forced into “tough choices” as funding tightens and earmarking increases.

Post-war Gaza. US-backed plans for the war-torn enclave seem to be also moving forward. Trump last week signed off on a technocratic governing committee and an international peace board, whose members are expected to be unveiled – and meet for the first time – on Davos sidelines.

War deals, oil deals. But peace won’t be the only item on the agenda. Washington’s invasion of Venezuela – and its grip on its oil – provides an opportune backdrop for the conference, famous for its backroom dealings. Oil chiefs from Exxon Mobil, Shell and TotalEnergies are among those attending, according to Reuters.

🇮🇷 RIGHTS COUNCIL CALLED TO STEP IN. A group of European states is rallying support for a special session at the Human Rights Council on Iran, where a sweeping crackdown on anti-government demonstrations has reportedly left thousands dead and many more injured.

The call was echoed by over 40 rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, the International Service for Human Rights and the World Organization Against Torture.

A formal request may come this week if they obtain support from two thirds of the council's 47 members.

🍝DINE AND DASH. Thursday marks one year since the US announced its exit from the WHO. But it still owes $260 million in contributions for 2024 and 2025 that the rules say it must pay first. The matter is set to be addressed at the WHO’s executive meeting next month.

🧫PABS ON THE BALANCE. Negotiators will continue this week to try to hash out a pathogen sharing mechanism as the last sticking point of the pandemic treaty. After 14 African countries signed deals swapping pathogen data for US aid, Health Policy Watch reports, the outcome remains uncertain.

– Michelle Langrand

🗓️20 January | Conversation with Lionel Shriver, author of Mania. Our own Kasmira Jefford will moderate a discussion with award-winning American novelist and journalist Lionel Shriver, best known for her novel We Need to Talk About Kevin.

In her latest work, Mania, she offers a bleak but funny vision of a society where intellectual merit has become heresy.

📌29 January | Horizon Forum: Faced with global economic turmoil, what strategies should Switzerland adopt? The United States, Europe, the wider world or isolation: must we choose? What are the challenges for the financial centre and the pharmaceutical industry? Should the state be an arbiter or an economic player?

Join Le Temps at the IMD business school in Lausanne for a morning of engaging roundtable discussions featuring the following speakers:

• Magdalena Martullo-Blocher, entrepreneur and member of the Swiss National Council
• Grégoire Bordier, president, Association of Swiss Private Banks
• Gilbert Ghostine, president, Sandoz
• Thierry Mauvernay, president and managing director, Debiopharm
• Patrick Hertzog, co-founder and head of user experience, Nexthink

Take advantage of the reduced rate for Geneva Solutions readers of CHF 300 instead of CHF 390 with the following discount code: GS-FH-26 (discount to be applied to the standard rate)

Sign up on Le Temps’ website to obtain one of the 10 tickets available at this price.