Trump vows to conquer Mars
And other stories from the stranger side of life
Donald Trump has pledged to “plant our beautiful American flag very soon on the surface of Mars” if he is re-elected to the White House, said the Daily Mail. In his 2024 presidential announcement speech, the former reality TV host said “we will expand the frontiers of human knowledge and will extend the horizons of human achievement”. Back in 2019, the then-president surprised many when he claimed on Twitter that the Moon is part of Mars.
Astronomer told her meteor video is too intimate
An astronomer from Oxfordshire said she has been locked out of her Twitter account since August 2022, when a video of a meteor which she shared was flagged by the platform’s automated moderation tools. Mary McIntyre was told that her six-second animated clip featured intimate content. “It’s just crazy... I don’t really want it on my record that I’ve been sharing pornographic material when I haven’t,” she told the BBC.
‘Wagatha Christie’ hits the West End
Rebekah Vardy’s notorious failed libel case against Colleen Rooney has become the subject of a West End play. Vardy v Rooney, featuring the court battle over claims that Vardy leaked gossip to the tabloids, “made you gasp, made you laugh from disbelief, and once it started you couldn’t take your eyes off it”, said The Times, thanks to its “beautifully judged mixture of fact and fancy”. The Daily Mail said it was “gripping and funny in parts, and sad at times”.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How to rekindle a reading habitThe Week Recommends Fall in love with reading again, or start a brand new relationship with it
-
Political cartoons for January 8Cartoons Thursday’s political cartoons include a well-done steak, a silenced protester, and more
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
Venezuela ‘turning over’ oil to US, Trump saysSpeed Read This comes less than a week after Trump captured the country’s president
-
Trump’s Greenland threats overshadow Ukraine talksSpeed Read The Danish prime minister said Trump’s threats should be taken seriously
-
Delcy Rodríguez: Maduro’s second in command now running VenezuelaIn the Spotlight Rodríguez has held positions of power throughout the country
-
What will happen in 2026? Predictions and eventsIn Depth The new year could bring peace in Ukraine or war in Venezuela, as Donald Trump prepares to host a highly politicised World Cup and Nasa returns to the Moon
-
Shots fired in the US-EU war over digital censorshipIN THE SPOTLIGHT The Trump administration risks opening a dangerous new front in the battle of real-world consequences for online action
-
Hong Kong court convicts democracy advocate LaiSpeed Read Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was convicted in a landmark national security trial
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout