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Damaged caravans and vehicles remain stuck amid rubble, in the aftermath of a landslide at a campsite triggered by heavy rains, in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand,…
US President Donald Trump for the first time ruled out using force to take Greenland as he addressed world leaders in Davos yesterday, but demanded “immediate negotiations” to acquire the island from Denmark.Trump’s quest to take control of Greenland from a Nato ally has deeply shaken the global order and the markets, and it dominated his first address to the World Economic Forum in six years. In a speech lasting more than an hour in the Swiss ski resort, Trump slammed “ungrateful” Denmark for refusing to give up Greenland, and said the US alone could guarantee the security of the “giant piece of ice”.But Trump appeared to take the threat of military action off the table, in a dramatic turnaround from his previous threats that the US could use force to take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island. “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable – but I won’t do that,” Trump said.“I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the US is asking for is a place called Greenland.” Wall Street stocks opened higher yesterday after Trump’s comments.Denmark said it was a “positive” sign that Trump had said he wanted to avoid military force – but stressed that the US president had not backed away from his push to acquire Greenland. “What is quite clear after this speech is that the president’s ambition remains intact,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.Greenland’s government meanwhile unveiled a new brochure yesterday offering advice to the population in the event of a “crisis” in the territory, saying it was an “insurance policy”. Trump repeatedly pushed his claims to Greenland – which he mistakenly called Iceland several times – during lengthy remarks on the deepest crisis in transatlantic relations for decades.He said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the US” and added that Washington would “remember” if Denmark said no. Trump says Greenland is under threat from Russia and China.The US president also lambasted Europe on a number of fronts from security to tariffs and the economy, saying it was “not heading in the right direction”.Trump flew into Davos by helicopter, stepping onto a red carpet laid in the snow – but he flew into a growing international storm over Greenland. He arrived some two hours behind schedule, after an electrical issue earlier forced Air Force One to turn back to Washington and the president to switch planes.Europe and Canada had earlier closed ranks against what they view as a threat to the US-led global order from Trump’s territorial ambitions. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney won a standing ovation at Davos on Tuesday when he warned of a “rupture” to the US-led system. French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said Europe would not be bullied.But Trump, who was due to meet a number of leaders in Davos, renewed his attacks on the two leaders, mocking Macron in particular for wearing sunglasses at Davos, which the French president said was because of an eye condition.Trump also repeatedly expressed doubts on Nato during his speech, saying Washington was treated “so unfairly” and questioning whether the alliance would defend the US if asked. Source link
Canadian beef will be exported to China following the relaxation of an import ban that had been in place since 2021, the agriculture minister said, though analysts cautioned it will likely be in small amounts. The reopening of what could be a vital market for Canadian beef follows the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who reached an agreement with China’s leadership to lower tariffs and do more business on a number of agricultural commodities, including canola. “We know that there’s a large company that’s shipping its first load of beef to China next week,” said Canadian Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald. Earlier on social media he said “China has lifted market access for Canadian beef.” China’s customs agency did not comment. The move is not expected to have an immediate major impact on Canadian beef exports or prices because North America has a shortage of domestic beef and prices are historically high. – Source link
Members of the UN Security Council strongly condemned an attack at a restaurant in the Afghan capital of Kabul which left several people dead or injured. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed in a statement that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to peace and security in Afghanistan, as well as in the world. Underlined the need to “hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice,” the Council urged “all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.” “The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed,” it added, reaffirming the need to combat “threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts,” according to the UN Charter and international law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law. Source link
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said he and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner planned to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin today, and that he would meet with the Ukrainians later. “We plan to discuss peace, and Ukraine and Russia,” Witkoff told reporters one day after meeting with his Russian counterpart in Davos. “I’m hopeful… we need a peace. ” Asked if he would meet with Ukrainian officials later, he said “we are” but gave no other details. The TASS state news agency said, citing the Kremlin, said that Witkoff and Putin would meet in Moscow. Source link
Australia has enacted new laws for a national gun buyback, tighter background checks for gun licences and a crackdown on hate crimes in response to the country’s worst mass shooting in decades last month.Two bills for stricter gun control and anti-hate measures passed the House of Representatives and Senate late yesterday during a special sitting of parliament. The gun control laws passed with the support of the Greens party despite opposition from the opposition conservative Liberal-National coalition.The anti-hate laws passed with support from the Liberal party. Introducing the gun reforms, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said individuals with “hate in their hearts and guns in their hands” carried out the December 14 attack at the famed Bondi Beach that killed 15 people. “The tragic events at Bondi demand a comprehensive response from government,” Burke said. “As a government we must do everything we can to counter both the motivation and the method.” The father and son gunmen allegedly behind the attack on used powerful firearms that were legally obtained, despite the son being previously examined by Australia’s spy agency. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recalled parliament early from its summer break for this week’s special two-day session to toughen curbs after a shooting that shocked the nation and prompted calls for more action on gun control.The proposed gun control measures enable the largest national buyback scheme since a similar campaign after a 1996 massacre in Tasmania’s Port Arthur, in which a lone gunman killed 35 people. They also toughen firearm import laws as well as background checks for firearm licences issued by Australian states, making use of information from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.Australia had a record 4.1mn firearms last year, the government said on Sunday, with more than 1.1mn of those in New South Wales, its most populous state and the site of the Bondi attack. “The sheer number of firearms currently circulating within the Australian community is unsustainable,” Burke said. The bill passed without the support of the opposition coalition, with a vote of 96-45 in the lower house, and 38-26 in the senate. “This bill reveals the contempt the government has for the million gun owners of Australia,” said shadow attorney-general Andrew Wallace of the Liberals. “The prime minister has failed to recognise that guns are tools of trade for so many Australians.” A second bill steps up penalties for hate crimes, such as jail terms up to 12 years when a religious official or preacher is involved, and allows bans on groups deemed to spread hate. The bill, which also provides new powers to cancel or refuse visas for those who spread hate, passed the lower house by a 116-7 margin and the senate 38-22. It won support from Liberal party lawmakers after ruling Labor struck a deal to include changes such as a requirement the government consult the opposition leader on the listing and delisting of extremist organisations.The Liberals’ coalition partners abstained from the vote and the Greens opposed it, arguing it would have a “chilling effect” on political debate and protest. “This bill targets those that support violence, in particular violence targeted at a person because of their immutable attributes,” said attorney-general Michelle Rowland. Such conduct is not only criminal but sows the seed of extremism leading to terrorism, she added. Police say the alleged Bondi gunmen were inspired by the Islamic State group. The measures were originally planned for a single bill, but backlash from both the coalition and the Greens forced the government to split the package and drop provisions for an offence of racial vilification. In its own reforms, New South Wales limits individuals to possession of four guns, and beefs up the power of police to curb protests during designated terrorist attacks. Source link
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in London.During the meeting, the leaders discussed the situation in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian territories, reaffirming their strong and continued support for the two-state solution. A statement issued by the British Prime Minister’s Office said that Starmer and Subianto welcomed the strong progress on the Strategic Partnership between the UK and Indonesia. They also noted that the 4 billion pound Maritime Partnership Programme agreed between the two countries in November underlinedآ this progress, supporting thousands of jobs in both nations while also boosting regional and food security. Source link
United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) revealed in a report that three-quarters of the worldâ€s population lives in countries classified as water-insecure or critically water-insecure, and about 4 billion experience severe water scarcity for at least one month a year.Lead author Kaveh Madani characterized the current crisis as a ‘global water bankruptcy.’ He attributed this state to a decades of water overuse, and the depletion of natural reservoirs, including wetlands and glaciers, which has left billions of people vulnerable.Madani stressed that recognition of the water bankruptcy is crucial to finally make the difficult choices that will protect people, economies, and ecosystems, noting that “human–water systems are already in a post-crisis state of failure,” due to aquifers, glaciers, soils, wetlands, and river ecosystems, alongside the impact of pollution.Findings from the report indicate that more than 170 million hectares of irrigated agricultural land are under “high” or “very high” water stress, with land degradation, groundwater depletion, and climate change resulting in economic disasters costing around US$307 billion per year.The crisis affects around 3 billion people and more than half of the worldâ€s food production are located in areas where total water storage is already declining or unstable, and salinization has led to the degradation of over 100 million hectares of agricultural land, according to Madani.The report concludes that current approaches to solving water issues are no longer adequate for the scale of the problem. It emphasizes that the priority must shift away from attempting to return to old baselines and toward the establishment of a “new water agenda” aimed at reducing further damage. Source link
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Donald Trump discussed, in a phone call, regional and international developments, in addition to bilateral relations. According to a statement by the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, President Erdogan affirmed that Turkiye is “closely” following developments in Syria, stressing that Syria’s unity, solidarity and territorial integrity are of paramount importance to Turkiye. The two leaders also discussed the fight against ISIS and the issue of ISIS members detained in Syrian prisons. “A peaceful Syria, free from terrorism and developing in all aspects, would contribute to the stability of the region”, President Erdogan said. Regarding the Gaza Strip, Erdogan said that efforts to establish peace in Gaza are continuing, and that Turkiye will continue to coordinate with the United States on this matter. President Erdogan also thanked Trump for the invitation to participate in the Board of Peace for Gaza. Source link
This photo taken on December 2, 2025 shows Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant Unit 6 in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture. The world’s biggest nuclear…