Trump to unveil Mideast peace plan as his defense wraps

Noticeably absent from Trump's defense was the revelatory disclosures from former national security advisor, John Bolton. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( As US President Donald Trump's lawyers wrap up their defense in the Senate impeachment trial, the president is preparing to unveil a long-awaited Middle East peace plan. But is it just a political distraction? Britain has decided to allow Chinese telecom giant Huawei a limited role in building the UK's 5G network — a move likely to face criticism from the US, which says the company has spied for the Chinese government. And when homework piles up, some students are turning to “academic writers” across the world. The global contract cheating industry is worth more than $1 billion — and many of those school assignments end up in Kenya. --------------------------------------------------------------- In the news today Trump’s defense wraps up in impeachment trial [US President Donald Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow departs from the impeachment trial in Washington, DC, Jan. 27, 2020.]( Credit: Joshua Roberts/Reuters Lawyers for US President Donald Trump will wrap up their defense today in the Senate impeachment trial. They spent time yesterday criticizing former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. But, [noticeably absent]( during the presentation was reference to the [revelatory disclosures]( from former national security advisor John Bolton. According to a leaked copy of Bolton's book manuscript, Trump told Bolton he wanted to freeze $391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kyiv helped the US with investigations into Trump's political opponents. The disclosure from Bolton's book contradicts the argument Trump’s lawyers have been making. Trump defense counsel Alan Dershowitz dismissed the importance of the claims: “Nothing in the Bolton revelations, even if true, would rise to the level of an abuse of power or an impeachable offense.” Still, it is possible it will compel some Republicans to join Democrats in asking for witnesses — a vote likely to be held Friday. Next up in the impeachment trial, senators are expected to begin submitting their questions to Chief Justice John Roberts. Timeline: [Impeachment trial in the Senate]( Watch live The World will be [streaming the impeachment proceedings live here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Do you have a smart speaker? The Number in the News: 29 — The Oxford English Dictionary has added [29 new Nigerian English words]( to the dictionary in an effort to “give a flavour of English-speaking which is rooted in a Nigerian experience.” In today’s episode of [The Number in the News](, host Bianca Hillier defines some of the new words and shares the context behind these additions. If you want to hear a new episode every morning, add The Number in the News to your smart speaker’s flash briefing. You’ll hear one number you won’t forget and why it’s the news today. [Click here]( to add The Number in the News to your Amazon or Google smart speaker. Britain to allow Huawei to build 5G Chinese telecommunications company Huawei [will be allowed]( to build 5G networks in the United Kingdom — with some restrictions. The US suspects Huawei of spying for China and had been pressuring Britain and other European allies to avoid including the tech giant in their 5G systems. The UK will temper Huawei's involvement, including bans from areas near nuclear and military sites. It's market share will be [capped at 35%](. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to face some backlash for the decision as the UK heads into post-Brexit negotiations. Trump to unveil Middle East plan The Trump administration will reveal a [long-awaited Middle East peace plan]( today that is expected to outline conditional autonomy for Palestinians in parts of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, but also redraw the border to incorporate Jewish settlements into Israel. While Trump has lauded this plan in meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz, Palestinian leaders have [rejected the plan](. There is little Palestinian trust in the administration, particularly after Trump moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem and [cut aid]( to the Palestinian territories. But there is also political undercurrent to today's unveiling. With Trump on trial in the Senate and Netanyahu [indicted on corruption charges](, is the release of this plan [just a distraction](? Listen: [Palestinians outraged by Trump's impending Middle East peace plan]( Doing Western students' homework is big business in Kenya In recent years, [contract cheating has become a lucrative](, albeit informal, business in Kenya, which has become one of the largest sources of academic writers in the industry. Service providers don’t like to call it “cheating” though — they prefer the terms “academic writing” and “online tutoring.” But while the global contract cheating industry is worth more than $1 billion, academic writers in Kenya typically see a small share of it. Ukraine anti-corruption activist: US lobbyists are ‘eager to take dirty money’ Ukrainian anti-corruption activists have long looked to the US as a model for building robust democratic institutions, but in the face of a partisan impeachment trial that highlights connections between money and power, some — like Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Center — [are feeling let down](. “Those who are telling the truth and those who are protecting, actually, the national interests of the United States from Russian disinformation and from the corrupt kleptocrats, from oligarchs, they are under attack in their homeland. And this is what makes me angry,” Kaleniuk said. Also: [Ukraine is 'sending a very clear message to corrupt elites']( --------------------------------------------------------------- Morning Meme [What happens when]( one man's $345 Rolex, is another man's $700,000 Rolex? It's a dream for enthusiasts of Antiques Roadshow, produced by our parent station here at WGBH. --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it on The World - [How the US is letting anti-corruption activists in Ukraine down]( - [Impeachment recap]( - [Coronavirus update]( - [The Art of Resistance]( - [Jewish life in Poland]( - [Supreme Court rules on ‘public charge’]( - [Kobe Bryant remembered around the world]( - [Palestinians outraged by Trump's impending Middle East peace plan]( - [Former diplomat Nicholas Burns talks Ukraine and Middle East peace plan]( - [Impeachment trial]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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