Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

Donald Trump and his advisers are examining “a range of options” to acquire Greenland, with the White House saying the use of the US military is “always an option”. In a statement on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president views Greenland as a national security priority for the United States, citing the need to deter adversaries in the Arctic. She said Trump and his team were discussing multiple approaches to achieve this goal. The remarks prompted a swift response from European leaders. France, Germany, Britain and several other countries issued a joint statement alongside Denmark’s prime…

The US Department of Justice has released less than 1% of the Epstein files. According to a court filing, prompting renewed criticism from Democrats who accuse the Trump administration of unlawfully keeping records under seal. The department has so far published 12,285 documents, totalling 125,575 pages, related to the disgraced financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Federal law required the bulk of the material to be released by 19 December. In a five-page letter submitted on Monday to Paul Engelmayer, the federal judge overseeing the case in New York, the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, said the slow pace…

Israel is moving towards the construction of a major new settlement in the occupied West Bank, a project critics say is designed to permanently undermine the possibility of a Palestinian state. In mid-December, the Israel Land Authority quietly issued a tender for the construction of 3,401 housing units in the area known as E1, a strategic stretch of land east of Jerusalem. The tender gives construction firms until mid-March to submit bids. The E1 project would effectively split the West Bank in two for Palestinians, severing the link between its northern and southern regions and further isolating East Jerusalem. The…

Nearly 150 countries have agreed a plan aimed at stopping multinational companies from shifting profits to low-tax jurisdictions, but the United States will be exempt from the agreement, prompting criticism from tax transparency groups. The deal, finalised under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), excludes large US-based multinationals from the proposed 15% global minimum corporate tax. The exemption followed negotiations between the Trump administration and other members of the G7. The OECD’s secretary general, Mathias Cormann, described the outcome as a landmark in international tax cooperation, saying it would enhance tax certainty, reduce complexity and…

Denmark’s prime minister has warned that any military attack by the United States on a Nato ally would bring the alliance, and the post-second world war security order, to an end, after Donald Trump again suggested taking control of Greenland. Speaking on Danish television on Monday, Mette Frederiksen said a US attack on another Nato country would mean that “everything would stop”, including Nato itself. Her remarks followed renewed comments by the US president indicating that Washington “needed” Greenland, raising fears of possible military action. The warning came days after Trump authorised a military operation in Venezuela and revived his…

Public anxiety over a possible United States invasion of Nigeria under a renewed Donald Trump presidency reflects wider uncertainty about global politics rather than any imminent military reality. While Trump’s rhetoric and foreign policy instincts often generate unease, particularly outside the Western world, the fear of a direct U.S. invasion of Nigeria does not withstand serious scrutiny when examined against current affairs, strategic interests, and historical precedent. At present, Nigeria and the United States maintain a complex but cooperative relationship. The two countries are linked through diplomatic engagement, trade, counterterrorism efforts, and development partnerships. Despite moments of tension—particularly around security,…

German leftwing militants have claimed responsibility for an arson attack that caused a major power cut in Berlin, leaving tens of thousands of homes without electricity and heating during freezing weather. The fire broke out early on Saturday on a bridge over the Teltow canal in the south-west of the city. Stromnetz Berlin, the grid operator, said up to 35,000 households and 1,900 businesses could remain without power until 8 January. Several high-voltage cables were damaged near the Lichterfelde heat and power station. State security authorities have opened an investigation into the blaze. A group calling itself Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group)…

Canadian officials and public health experts have warned that US health and science institutions can no longer be relied upon for accurate information, particularly on vaccines, amid concerns that misinformation from the Trump administration could undermine confidence in healthcare in Canada. Dawn Bowdish, an immunologist and professor at McMaster University in Ontario, said misleading claims from the US risk spilling over the border and influencing Canadian attitudes. “I can’t imagine a world in which this misinformation doesn’t creep into Canadians’ consciousness and lead to doubt,” she said. The warnings follow moves by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr,…

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the sea on Sunday, according to its neighbours, just hours before South Korea’s president was due to leave for talks in China expected to focus on Pyongyang’s nuclear programme. South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the launches were detected at about 7.50am local time from the North’s capital region. The missiles travelled roughly 900km (560 miles), the military said. South Korean and US authorities are analysing details of the launches, while maintaining what the joint chiefs described as a “full readiness posture”. Seoul said it was also sharing information closely with Japan.…

BYD’s battery electric vehicle sales rose by 28% over the year, despite weaker sales in December.