Daily World Briefing, Jan. 14

South Korean court to deliver verdict in ex-president Yoon's trial on Feb. 19

A South Korean court will deliver a verdict in former President Yoon Suk-yeol's insurrection trial on Feb. 19, local media reported Wednesday.

The ruling follows the sentencing request by South Korea's special counsel on Tuesday, which sought the death penalty for Yoon on charges of ringleading an insurrection by declaring unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law in the absence of war or equivalent national emergencies.

The Seoul Central District Court merged three trials last month for eight suspects, including Yoon and seven senior military and police officials charged with performing critical duties in the insurrection.

Trump says "all meetings" with Iranian officials cancelled

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has cancelled "all meetings" with Iranian officials.

The announcement came one day after the president announced that any country doing business with Iran would pay a tariff rate of 25 percent on any business conducted with the United States.

Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers move to prevent attack on NATO allies amid Greenland concerns

A number of bipartisan U.S. lawmakers are introducing a bill aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from using the U.S. military to invade a NATO member or territory amid mounting concerns over Trump's remarks demanding Greenland's "ownership."

"This is about our fundamental shared goals and our fundamental security, not just in Europe, but in the United States itself," said Democratic House Representative Bill Keating in a statement.

The proposed bill, which does not name any specific countries, would prohibit federal funds from being used to support any unauthorized military action against a NATO ally or its territory, and clearly states that no U.S. official, including the president, may direct such an invasion, according to a Politico report.

World Bank raises 2026 global growth forecast to 2.6 pct

The World Bank on Tuesday revised 2026 global growth forecast upward to 2.6 percent, 0.2 percentage points higher than its projection in June.

In its January 2026 edition of the Global Economic Prospects report, the World Bank also warned the growth is still a slowdown from the 2.7 percent pace seen in 2025, with a widening gap in living standards internationally.

The 2020s are "on track to be the weakest decade for global growth since the 1960s," the report said.■