The US president has imposed levies on eight European members of the bloc for opposing his plan to acquire the island

US President Donald Trump has announced he will impose tariffs on eight European NATO nations that oppose his plans to acquire Greenland. The measures will remain in place until a “complete and total purchase” of the Danish autonomous territory is achieved, he said.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly stated that Washington needs to annex Greenland for the sake of “national security” and to counter an alleged threat from China and Russia. The US president has shown increasing determination to acquire the territory by any means, hinting at potentially taking the island by force.

The US president moved forward with his threats on Saturday, announcing tariffs against eight European NATO members, including Denmark itself. A 10% levy will come into force on February 1, and will be bumped to 25% in June, remaining in force until a “complete and total purchase” of Greenland is realized.  

Trump announced the move in a post on his Truth Social platform, reiterating his allegations of an imminent takeover of the island by Beijing or Moscow. Both Russia and China have rejected the claims, which have also been disputed by regional officials. 

“Nobody will touch this sacred piece of Land, especially since the National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake. On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown,” Trump wrote. All the listed countries will be subjected to tariffs, which will be “due and payable” until a deal is reached.  

While European NATO states have largely refrained from clashing with the US publicly over Trump’s intentions, the affected nations have sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland to show their support to Denmark.  

Both Danish and Greenlandic authorities have rejected the prospect of ceding the island to the US, insisting that its future lies in the hands of its people. The population voted in 2008 to retain their autonomous status within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The $1.25mn case centers on Bayer’s Roundup herbicide, which the plaintiff has claimed caused his blood cancer

The US Supreme Court will hear an appeal by German chemical company Bayer on a Roundup-related case in which a man was awarded $1.25 million, claiming the herbicide gave him blood cancer.

The court made the announcement regarding Monsanto Co. v. Durnell in a statement on Friday, with a verdict expected by July. Bayer is currently facing thousands of similar lawsuits.

Roundup originally belonged to the now-defunct American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto, which was purchased by Bayer in 2018.

At the heart of the case is whether Bayer and other manufacturers should be held liable if they comply with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rulings on product warnings, while still running afoul of state laws requiring warnings on goods that may be carcinogenic.

Bayer argues that the EPA has determined that glyphosate, the main component of the controversial herbicide, is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans, and approved Roundup labels without cancer warnings.

In a statement on Friday, Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said that “it is time for the US legal system to establish that companies should not be punished under state laws for complying with federal warning label requirements.”

In 2023, a court in the state of Missouri awarded John Durnell $1.25 million on a failure-to-warn claim, but struck down all other claims and declined to award punitive damages.

The chemical company subsequently filed several appeals, and eventually petitioned the US Supreme Court to review the case in April 2025.

Faced with an avalanche of Roundup-related lawsuits following the acquisition of Monsanto, Bayer set aside more than $10 billion to pay potential damages in 2020, with that figure swelling even further in the intervening years.

In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that glyphosate could “probably” cause cancer.

The US Department of War will review its contracts with small businesses run by “socially and economically disadvantaged” people

The Pentagon will review all contracts worth over $20 million which it signed with small businesses under the 8A program, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has announced. Most of the firms operate as shell companies which funnel money to major consulting groups, he claimed.

Hegseth announced the audit on Saturday, stating that it will begin immediately. The move comes as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to eradicate the “corruptive, unconstitutional, non-merit-based” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in the military, he said. 

“We’re taking a sledgehammer to the oldest DEI program in the federal government, a program few people outside of Washington have ever heard of,” he stated.

The program to support companies run by “socially and economically disadvantaged” people was established in 1978 under Section 8A of the Small Businesses Act. Over the years, it has become a massive “breeding ground for fraud,” Hegseth claimed.

“In many instances, these socially disadvantaged businesses, they don’t even do work. They take a 10%, 20%, sometimes 50% fee off the top, and then pass the contract off to a giant consulting firm, commonly known as Beltway Bandits,” he said, referring to consulting and research companies operating within Washington’s ring highway which perform lucrative contractor work for the US government.

“Effective immediately, I’m ordering a line-by-line review of every small business sole source 8A contract that is over $20 million. And we’ll look at everything smaller than that, too,” Hegseth said.

Any 8A contracts deemed to be not contributing to the US military’s “lethality” will be terminated, while those companies participating in the “pass-through schemes” for the Beltway Bandits will lose them as well, he warned.

The Pentagon has long been plagued by allegations of wasteful spending, opaque contracting, and questionable procurement practices, coupled with its ever-increasing budget. While the Trump administration has repeatedly pledged to fix the situation and make the military less wasteful and more “lethal,” it has already secured a record $901 billion war budget. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump pledged a massive 50% increase in defense spending to $1.5 trillion in 2027; the remarks sent defense stocks skyrocketing worldwide.

The bloc’s former secretary general has urged Europeans to take threats from the White House seriously

Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said he cannot promise that the US will remain in the bloc in a recent interview with Der Spiegel. He added that European countries must take Washington seriously when it says it wants to take over Greenland.

US President Donald Trump has recently renewed his push to annex the mineral-rich Arctic island, and has refused to rule out withdrawing the US from NATO if the bloc opposes his ambitions, escalating tensions with European allies and calling into question the future unity of the organization.

Stoltenberg welcomed the European response, pointing to joint statements from the Nordic countries, Germany, and other European states backing Copenhagen and reaffirming that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. He added that respecting the sovereignty of NATO allies is essential.

”We must engage with the United States, which also means speaking up when we disagree,” the former NATO chief said.

Denmark insists the island is not for sale and that its future must be decided by its residents, who voted in 2008 to retain their autonomy within the Danish realm, which includes the right to regulate mining.

Trump claims that only US sovereignty can protect the island from being taken over by China or Russia – an allegation dismissed by both countries.

He warned on Friday that he could impose tariffs on US trading partners that refuse to support his push to acquire Greenland.

After meetings in Washington last week, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen acknowledged a “fundamental disagreement” but said he hoped a newly established bilateral working group would help resolve the issue.

France has warned Washington that any attempt to seize Greenland would be ‘crossing the line’ and threaten economic ties with the EU, the Financial Times reported this week.

Denmark has teamed up with France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and the UK to send small contingents of troops to the island ahead of the bloc’s Arctic Endurance exercises later next week.

Donald Trump has said he is “OK” with the rapprochement between Ottawa and Beijing

It is easier for Canada to deal with China these days than with its neighbor and main trading partner, the US, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said.

While running for office in April 2025, Carney labeled Beijing the main security threat to Ottawa. However, he appeared to have reversed his stance after US President Donald Trump repeatedly suggested that America’s northern neighbor could become the 51st state and slapped hefty tariffs on the country last year.

On Friday, Carney held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, becoming the first Canadian leader to visit the Asian nation in eight years. Relations between the two countries had been tense for a long time.

When asked by journalists afterwards to weigh in on the current state of Ottawa’s ties with both Washington and Beijing, the Canadian Prime Minister noted that “with the US, our relationship, this is no insight, is much more multifaceted, much deeper, much broader, than it is with China.”

“But yes, in terms of the way that our relationship has progressed in recent months with China, it is more predictable and you see results coming from that,” he said.

Beijing and Ottawa signed an initial deal that will slash tariffs on electric vehicles and canola seeds on Friday. Carney expressed hope that his country could form “a new strategic partnership” with China, with Xi also welcoming a “turnaround” in relations with Canada.

Trump said later that he was not bothered by the Canadian leader seeking rapprochement with Beijing, which Washington views as its main geopolitical rival.

“It’s OK. That’s what he [Carney] should be doing. I mean, it’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” the US president said.

Relations between Canada and China soured in 2018 after Ottawa arrested the chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei on a US warrant. Beijing responded by detaining two Canadian citizens on espionage charges. This was followed by the reciprocal imposition of tariffs.

Xi and Carney first met on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea in late October, agreeing to tackle “irritants” in bilateral ties.

The key to normalizing relations between Moscow and Washington lies in our own stability and strength

In recent years we have become accustomed to a great deal, yet world politics continues to set new records. Or perhaps sink to new depths, depending on your taste. One week in January provided a full set of examples: the kidnapping of Venezuela’s presidential couple by US special forces; the tightening of a naval blockade through the seizure of foreign ships; and threats to take Greenland from Denmark “by any means necessary.” Add to this the American president’s public remark that the only limitation on US foreign policy is his own sense of morality. Iran, too, is in turmoil, and the external factor is not even being concealed.

In such an atmosphere, analytical composure is hard to maintain. But that is precisely the task.

For several years analysts have been writing about the demise of the liberal order – a system of global governance built around international institutions overseen by the most powerful group of states: the West. That order consisted not only of organizations at different levels, but also of norms rooted in a specific ideological foundation. It has now become clear that this structure, originally tailored to Western preferences, has ceased to satisfy even its designers.

The reason is simple: other players learned to extract benefits from the system – sometimes greater than those enjoyed by its authors. China, for example, succeeded by following the rules so skillfully that it outplayed those who wrote them. Meanwhile, a wave of mass immigration from poorer states into richer ones brought not only economic advantages, but also political and social complications of increasing severity.

As the balance of power shifted, leading states began to adjust the model. But this had its own internal logic. Distorting it too far deprives the entire framework of coherence and stability. The result is what we are witnessing now: the abandonment of liberal pretenses and the rejection of restrictions that existed under the previous order.

Donald Trump embodies this change in a particularly blunt form. He frustrates European partners not because they cannot change, but because they do not want to: it was precisely the liberal system that gave the European Union its unique international advantages, which are now evaporating together with that system.

Trumpism is not an attempt to restore the global leadership of the 1990s–2010s, when Washington aimed to regulate the entire planet. The new approach is different. It exploits every lever of American power accumulated through decades of hegemony. Not for universal rule, but for specific gain. It is also strikingly honest. Material interest is openly declared, and there is little effort to disguise it behind “values.”

One could say that Washington is acting this way because it understands, instinctively or consciously, that American capabilities are diminishing. That awareness only intensifies the urge to extract maximum benefit while the accumulated advantage still exists.

Trump’s version of the Monroe Doctrine resembles the construction of a ‘Fortress America’ in the Western Hemisphere: a protected base for further raids onto the world stage. He grants clear priority to domestic issues, and in his political worldview Latin America is itself a domestic issue.

The most frequently discussed themes are drug trafficking, mass migration, labor market pressures, and the changing composition of the electorate. These link the United States to the region far more directly than do abstract international doctrines. Canada and Greenland are exceptions; however, as current events show, only partly.

From this emerges another Trump paradigm: the “enemy within.” In his political mythology, leftists and liberals obstruct the ‘America First’ project. Meanwhile, this logic extends to Latin America where he is ideologically hostile to left-wing governments. Speaking to military personnel hastily assembled from across the world, Trump recently emphasized that the army has a duty to confront internal enemies. Despite court rulings, the use of armed force in US cities has already become a hallmark of this presidency.

Thus, the primacy of the domestic agenda –including full control over the American continent as a guarantee of national security – forms the core of Trump’s political approach. External actions are linked to internal objectives: increasing revenue, stimulating investment, securing resources and minerals for the American economy.

There is, however, one special case: Israel. Support for Israel is also deeply embedded in US domestic politics, but it carries enormous external consequences. Washington is expected to back Israel’s ambitions to reshape the Middle East even when it is unclear whether such efforts are expedient for American interests themselves.

The Trump administration is therefore prepared to disregard many commitments inherited from the liberal era, including obligations toward allies and partners. If commitments are burdensome and offer no direct benefit, the White House sees no reason to honor them.

Of course, this is an “ideal type,” which may be distorted by circumstances. Above all the lack of unity within the American elite and even within Trump’s own circle. Lobbying, too, remains a structural feature of US politics. Yet so far Trump has pushed his vision through with notable effectiveness.

Assuming this interpretation is broadly correct, how should Russia behave?

Despite his outward recklessness, Trump is in fact risk-averse. He fears being dragged into the kind of long, exhausting confrontation that defined America’s “endless wars,” especially if it involves casualties. He prefers a spectacular raid, strong imagery, then quick withdrawal and a declaration of victory. Venezuela offers a textbook example. Where the risk of retaliation is real, or the outcome unclear, Trump chooses caution: pressure behind the scenes, indirect leverage, and special operations rather than open war.

When faced with true resistance, Trump rarely insists to the bitter end. We saw this in the episodes involving India, and especially China, over punitive tariffs. With India the results were modest. With China, it became obvious that Beijing had its own countermeasures. Trump moved toward negotiation. He dislikes blackmail when the other side does not bend. But he respects steadfastness.

Trump also treats the concept of “great powers” seriously, and believes only a handful of states qualify. He is fascinated by leaders who wield absolute or near-absolute authority. This explains his special interest in the leaders of China, Russia, India, North Korea and others of that category. Trump does not hide his envy for such models of governance.

This has practical implications. By insisting on American primacy in the Western Hemisphere, Trump still fails to recognize that other great powers have comparable interests in their own regions. Yet he now understands the existence of other interests better than before, especially when they do not directly conflict with American ones. This creates more room for negotiation than existed under the previous apostles of “global leadership.”

The current US administration prefers bilateral bargaining. It believes America is stronger than most counterparts. It is irritated by alliances between states designed to strengthen their positions. From this follows a clear conclusion. Russia should deepen cooperation inside BRICS and within regional communities. Not for rhetorical symbolism, but as a practical shield against pressure applied one-on-one.

Finally, Trump’s interest in undermining rivals by indirect means stems from his wish to avoid head-on confrontation. He respects deals and seeks partners abroad who can deliver them. He will therefore exploit internal divisions among the leadership of other states to steer policies in directions favorable to Washington.

That is why the key to normalizing relations with Trump’s America lies not in trying to charm or persuade it, but in ensuring internal resilience. The best defense against interference is stability and strength. Not strength that provokes, but strength that makes interference unprofitable.

This article was first published in the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta and was translated and edited by the RT team

Macron, Meloni, and Merz have all seemingly realized that they’ll have to talk to Putin sooner or later

Western European leaders who have spent the last four years flooding Ukraine with every tank, shell, and missile they could get their hands on came out this week in favor of diplomacy and peaceful coexistence with Russia. Was this week a turning point, or just a brief moment of sobriety on the continent?

What did Macron say?

French President Emmanuel Macron led the charge, declaring last month that “it’s in our interest as Europeans and Ukrainians to find the right framework to re-engage” with Moscow. Europeans, he added, should do so “in coming weeks.”

Macron spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin several times by phone in the weeks before Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine began in 2022. Contact resumed with a phone call last July, although both leaders simply reiterated their opposing views: Macron urging Putin to accept a ceasefire in Ukraine, and Putin – who views a ceasefire as a ruse to rearm and refit the Ukrainian military – insisting that any settlement must be “comprehensive and long-term, and provide for the elimination of the root causes of the Ukraine crisis.”

Does Meloni agree?

“I think Macron is right on this. I believe the time has come for Europe to also speak with Russia,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said last Friday. “Because if Europe decides to take part in this phase of negotiations by talking only to one of the two sides, I fear that in the end the positive contribution it can make will be limited.”

Although an outspoken supporter of Ukraine, Meloni heads a coalition government that includes Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s Lega party. Salvini has long called for talks with Putin, arguing last month that “if Hitler and Napoleon failed with their campaigns to bring Moscow to its knees,” so too would Ukraine and the EU.

Merz joins the chorus

Two days after declaring that Germany “will accept responsibility for the security of Ukraine,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz came out last week and said that “the whole thing,” meaning a peace agreement in Ukraine, “just doesn’t work without Russia’s consent.”

Then on Wednesday, Merz told an economic conference that the EU should “find a balance again with our largest European neighbor,” and that “if there is peace… then we can look ahead with great confidence beyond the year 2026.”

This is the same Friedrich Merz who pushed all last year for the confiscation of Russia’s frozen sovereign assets, and boasted of providing Ukraine with “long-range fire” systems.

Why are the Europeans changing their position now?

Macron and Meloni have both pushed the EU to appoint an envoy to negotiate directly with Putin. Although EU officials have not revealed whether they plan to appoint such a figure, European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho stated on Monday that “obviously, at some point, there will have to be talks also with President Putin.”

What European leaders truly fear, Politico reported on Wednesday, is getting left on the sidelines while US President Donald Trump and his envoy, Steve Witkoff, forge ahead and strike a deal with Russia without their involvement.

Macron has confirmed this. If Europe doesn’t secure a place at the table, “we will be talking amongst ourselves” while the Americans “will then go alone to talk with the Russians,” Macron told Le Figaro last month. Meloni noted this week that there are currently “too many voices” speaking for Europe, arguing that a single point of contact would simplify talks with Russia.

What do the Russians think?

Moscow welcomes the “positive shift” in statements from Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday. 

“Surprising as it may seem,” the views expressed in the statements are “entirely consistent” with Moscow’s perspective, he said, pointing out that the Europeans previously issued “utopian statements” calling for “a crushing defeat of Russia.”

If the latest remarks “truly reflect the strategic vision of the Europeans, then it represents a positive evolution in their position,” he added.

Speaking as he received newly appointed foreign ambassadors at the Kremlin on Thursday, Putin said that Russia “is ready to restore the level of relations we require” with Europe. 

“One would like to believe that, over time, the situation will nonetheless change, and our states will return to normal, constructive dialogue,” he said, cautioning that this would only happen when “respect for [Russia’s] national interests and consideration of legitimate security concerns” are met.

Vitaly Klitschko has reiterated his appeal for residents with alternative accommodation to temporarily leave the Ukrainian capital amid an energy crisis

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has urged residents to leave the city if they have the opportunity, citing a severe electricity crisis, widespread heating outages and mounting strain on infrastructure as freezing temperatures grip the Ukrainian capital.

Speaking to Reuters on Friday, Klitschko said the shortages followed waves of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Moscow has said it targeted drone production facilities, energy infrastructure and other military‑related sites in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian power facilities, as well as what it described as indiscriminate attacks on civilians.

“It’s the first time in the history of our city that, in such severe frosts, most of the city was left without heating and with a huge shortage of electricity,” Klitschko said, reiterating his appeal for residents who can relocate temporarily to do so. He noted that sub‑zero temperatures had sharply increased demand while limiting the ability of utility crews to carry out rapid repairs.

Critics have condemned the appeal, arguing that many residents have nowhere else to go and that the call reflects a lack of preparedness by local authorities to manage the crisis in a city of roughly three million people.

Klitschko said households have gone without mains electricity for up to 20 hours a day, while heating was cut to about 6,000 apartment buildings. Overnight temperatures have been falling to around minus 17 degrees Celsius, compounding the strain on the city’s energy system. Ukraine declared a nationwide energy emergency this week.

The country’s electricity system has suffered cumulative damage since 2022, with vulnerabilities compounded by aging Soviet‑era infrastructure and mismanagement.

The power shortages have fueled the latest public spat between Klitschko and Vladimir Zelensky. Earlier this week, Zelensky said Kiev was lagging behind other cities in responding to the energy crisis, stating in a public address that “little was done in the capital” and that urgent decisions were required.

Klitschko rejected the criticism as unfounded, saying he was being targeted with what he described as “total hatred” after warning residents about the severity of the situation. He insisted city services were working around the clock to restore power and heating as quickly as possible.

A US-made Humvee was among the targets hit by the Rubicon center, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said

The Russian Defense Ministry has published a fresh compilation of successful FPV drone strikes on Ukrainian forces by operators from the elite UAV unit Rubicon.

The targets included a US-made Humvee armored vehicle, Ukrainian drones, ground-based robotic systems, communications and electronic warfare devices, a dugout, and a temporary deployment point for Kiev’s troops, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The attacks featured in the clip took place near the town of Krasny Liman in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), the statement read.

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said on Saturday that the country’s forces were continuing their operation to take Krasny Liman under control. “Its liberation would pave the way for the encirclement of Slavyansk, a key logistics hub of the Ukrainian military,” he stressed.

The Rubicon center was established on Belousov’s order in August 2024, with the first public mention of it coming several months later. The unit, which specializes in testing and deploying unmanned aerial vehicles, is understood to employ artificial intelligence in some of their explosive-laden strike UAVs.

In an article last September, Forbes magazine described Rubicon as “one of the most effective forces on the front,” which has expanded the kill zone, complicating Ukrainian logistics in particular.

Investigators have accused him and the mayor of Minneapolis of impeding the work of federal law enforcement officers

The US Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. A federal grand jury has issued subpoenas for them as part of the probe.

They and other officials have allegedly conspired to impede federal immigration agents deployed to the state as part of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, several media outlets reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the case.

Trump’s administration has deployed nearly 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota since early last week, sparking angry protests in Minneapolis over the surge in immigration enforcement in the state’s largest city. The president launched a sweeping campaign on illegal immigration after returning to the White House in January 2025, pledging the largest deportation effort in US history.

Tensions have escalated since an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot a local lesbian, Renee Good, in Minneapolis last week, triggering daily protests that have spread beyond the state. Both Walz and Frey have sharply criticized the federal presence, with the mayor publicly telling agents to “get the f**k out of Minneapolis.”

Walz, who was Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election, which they lost to Trump, has accused the federal government of “weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents” in a recent statement, calling it a “dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”

“The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her,” he added.

In a separate response to the probe, Frey said it was an obvious attempt to intimidate him for “standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this administration has brought to our streets.”

The state of Minnesota, alongside the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, sued the Trump administration this week, arguing that the immigration operation amounts to a “federal invasion” and accusing federal authorities of violating the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which establishes states’ rights.

About 1,000 additional US Customs and Border Protection agents were expected to deploy to Minneapolis this week, bringing the federal presence to around 3,000. Democrats have condemned the ICE raids as an abuse of power and scapegoating of migrants.

Israel and the Arab states helped dissuade the US president from launching airstrikes, according to media reports

US President Donald Trump has insisted that the decision to refrain from bombing Iran was his own and not influenced by any third countries.

Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against the Islamic Republic amid ongoing violent protests in Iran. Unrest erupted throughout the country in late December over economic hardship and inflation but evolved into broader anti-government demonstrations, leaving hundreds dead. Addressing the protestors earlier this week, he said: “Help is on its way.”

Reuters reported on Wednesday that a US strike on Iran was “imminent.” The attack ultimately did not take place, however, with US media later claiming that senior officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Israel had urged Trump to call it off.

When asked about those reports by journalists on Friday, Trump replied by saying, “Nobody convinced me. I convinced myself.”

The reversal of Iran’s alleged plans to hold swift trials and execute some of the more violent demonstrators detained during the unrest had a “big impact” on his decision, he said.

“You had, yesterday, scheduled over 800 hangings. They didn’t hang anyone. They canceled the hangings,” Trump explained. “I greatly respect the fact that they canceled that,” he added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News on Wednesday that there would be “no hanging today or tomorrow.” Araghchi also said that calm has returned to the cities of Iran, with the government being in full control, and blaming Israel and outside interference for fueling the unrest.

Trump was also asked if his promise to help the Iranian demonstrators was still on the cards. “We're gonna see,” he responded.

Despite calling off the airstrikes, the US has sent at least one aircraft carrier to the Middle East, Fox News reported on Friday, citing military sources. Washington already has three destroyers and three Littoral Combat Ships in the region, according to the broadcaster.

Earlier this week, the US imposed additional sanctions on Iran, targeting five security officials it accused of being involved in “violence and cruel repression” against the demonstrators, one of the country’s prisons and 18 other individuals and entities suspected of helping Tehran evade oil restrictions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow is actively working to promote the “de-escalation of tensions” in the Middle East, including though efforts by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has held phone conversations with his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The agreement with Moscow and Kiev will enable repair work on the last remaining backup line, the agency has said

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said it has agreed with Russia and Ukraine on a localized ceasefire to allow repairs to start on the last remaining backup power line to Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

Europe’s largest nuclear facility, which has remained under Russian control since 2022, has repeatedly lost off-site power after the surrounding infrastructure sustained damage.

Russian officials have accused Ukrainian forces of targeting the plant, while Kiev has accused Moscow of cutting its power lines.

The IAEA said the final backup line was damaged and disconnected by military activity earlier in the month, leaving the plant reliant on a single external power connection. The agency has warned that such disruptions raise nuclear safety concerns but has not assigned blame, a position Moscow says encourages further provocations by Kiev.

“The IAEA continues to work closely with both sides to ensure nuclear safety at the ZNPP,” Grossi said on Friday, adding that the temporary ceasefire was the fourth such arrangement negotiated by the agency.

According to the IAEA, technicians from Ukraine’s electrical grid operator are expected to start repairing the line in the coming days.

Moscow has insisted that the only real threat to the ZNPP and its employees is the “reckless actions of Kiev’s armed forces,” which attack the infrastructure of the plant “almost every day.”

Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted not only the Zaporozhye facility but other nuclear-related sites as well. They struck the Kursk NPP in recent months with a drone, which hit an auxiliary building at the site in September, when Grossi was visiting Moscow. Kiev has denied involvement.

In November, Ukrainian drones targeted the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant in Russia’s Voronezh Region. However, Moscow said no critical safety systems were damaged.

Separately, the IAEA said in December that the protective structure over the reactor at the Chernobyl site in Ukraine was critically damaged after a drone attack last year.

Moscow said the incident was a provocation by Kiev, while Ukraine blamed Russia.

The authorities have found 21 bodies on a farm showing signs of torture

At least 21 migrant bodies have been discovered in a mass grave on a farm near Ajdabiya in eastern Libya, local media reported on Thursday. 

Security forces raided the property after receiving a report that migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were being held there, the sources said. The mass grave was found about ten kilometers southeast of Ajdabiya, roughly 160km from Benghazi. 

The Internal Security Agency in eastern Libya reported told TV channel al-Masar that it had found “a mass grave containing the bodies of 21 people of various African nationalities.” 

One security source, whose name was not disclosed, told Reuters: “We found migrants – men, women and ‍children – bearing signs of torture. They were taken to a hospital where they reported that other migrants had been with them and then disappeared.” 

Security officials arrested the farm owner, who admitted the presence of a mass grave on his property, the sources added. Reuters viewed photos that showed what appeared to be security personnel and Red Crescent volunteers placing bodies in black plastic bags at the site. 

How the migrants died is not yet clear, and an investigation is underway. 

The oil-rich country, a destination for migrants from neighboring African nations, has become a major transit hub for human trafficking and migration to Europe via the Mediterranean since the overthrow and killing of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. 

In February 2025, Libyan authorities and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported two mass graves in southeastern Libya, where the bodies of dozens of migrants were found. Some of the bodies showed signs of gunshot wounds, according to the IOM.

Later in June, the UN Human Rights Office reported that dozens of bodies had been discovered in detention centers in Tripoli and called for an independent investigation. The bodies were found at both official and unofficial sites run by the Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA), an armed group tasked with supporting government security.

The figures mark a 5% drop from last year, Pretoria’s transport minister has said

At least 1,427 people died in 1,172 road crashes across South Africa during the 2025/26 festive season, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced on Thursday.

This represents a 5% reduction in road fatalities compared to the previous festive season. She said the figures mark the lowest number of crashes in five years and the same number of fatalities as in the 2023/24 festive season.

Creecy was briefing the media in Pretoria on the release of the Road Safety Report for the 2025 and 2026 festive season, joined by her deputy, Mkhuleko Hlengwa. She provided an update on the progress and preliminary results of the 2025/26 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign, as well as overall road safety outcomes for 2025.

”Preliminary data indicates a five percent reduction in both fatalities and crashes compared to the same period last year,” Creecy said.

Five provinces recorded reductions in fatalities, with the Eastern Cape and Free State achieving the highest percentage decreases. However, Gauteng, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, and Northern Cape saw increases in road deaths.

Creecy said there was a spike in crashes and fatalities between 15 and 28 December, contributing to more than 40 percent of the season’s total. 

“This confirms that festive season crashes increase once travellers have reached their destinations and are engaging in festivities, rather than during peak travel periods,” she said.

Most incidents occurred over weekends between 7pm and 9pm, and again between midnight and 1am. They included collisions with pedestrians, hit-and-run incidents, single-vehicle overturns, and head-on collisions.

She said the highest number of pedestrian fatalities were reported in Cape Town, Johannesburg, eThekwini, Tshwane, and Nkangala District.

Small motor cars were involved in 55 percent of crashes, followed by light delivery vehicles at 20 percent. Minibus taxis and trucks accounted for seven and six percent of incidents, respectively.

Law enforcement efforts included 1,632 roadblocks, checking 1.8 million vehicles, issuing more than 450,000 fines, and arresting 525 motorists for excessive speeding. A total of 173,695 drivers were tested for alcohol, with 8,561 testing positive - a 144 percent increase from last year. 

KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest alcohol reading, 14 times above the legal limit. The fastest recorded speed was 222km/h in a 120km/h zone in the Northern Cape. Officers also arrested 89 motorists for attempting to bribe traffic officials.

Creecy highlighted road safety education, stating that 2,547 awareness programmes were conducted nationwide at mass transit points, malls, and other high-traffic areas to influence driver, pedestrian, and passenger behaviour.

Preliminary annual data for 2025 shows continued progress, with 11,418 fatalities from 9,674 crashes - the lowest in five years. She said when compared with 2024, crashes decreased by 6.4 percent and fatalities by 6.2 percent.

First published by IOL

A roadway near the US president’s Palm Beach complex is the latest addition to a growing list of assets bearing his name

A stretch of Southern Boulevard in Palm Beach, Florida has been renamed in honor of US President Donald Trump, who attended a ceremony marking the change.

The roadway runs between Palm Beach International Airport and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and is regularly used by the president during visits to his resort. Under the change, the section will now be known as President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.

“When people see that the beautiful sign is all lit up at night and it says ‘Donald J. Trump Boulevard,’ they’ll be filled with pride. Just pride,” Trump said on Friday as he stood beside a new street sign at a ceremony in Palm Beach. “Not in me. Pride in our country.”

The proposal initially faced resistance, but was ultimately approved last July as part of a broader bill covering multiple road renamings across Florida.

.@POTUS and Florida State Rep. Meg Weinberger officially unveil the sign for President Donald J. Trump Boulevard in Palm Beach County 🔥 pic.twitter.com/su8l3IFwm6

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 16, 2026

Supporters lined the route for the ceremony, while critics questioned the practice of naming public infrastructure after a sitting president, an honor typically reserved for former leaders.

The Palm Beach designation follows a series of moves since Trump returned to the White House last year that have attached his name to federal buildings and initiatives, drawing scrutiny in Washington.

A group of US senators have introduced legislation to bar federal assets from being named after a sitting president, though the measure would not apply to state or local decisions.

The debate has also focused on changes involving major national institutions, including the addition of Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, which has prompted legal challenges and public protests.

White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said earlier this month that the naming efforts reflect policy achievements rather than branding, citing initiatives such as the TrumpRx prescription drug website and noting that both Washington, DC and the Hoover Dam were named after presidents while they were still in office.

John Ratcliffe travelled to Caracas less than two weeks after his agents helped to kidnap Delcy Rodriguez’s predecessor

CIA Director John Ratcliffe met interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas on Thursday, just 12 days after US forces captured her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, in a deadly raid conducted using the agency’s intelligence.

An unnamed US official told media on Friday that Ratcliffe had delivered US President Donald Trump's message that Washington “looks forward to an improved working relationship” and discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability and ending Venezuela’s role as a “safe haven for America’s adversaries.” 

Several photographs circulating online show Rodriguez shaking hands with the CIA chief, whose agents helped abduct Maduro from his compound – an operation so precise that US intelligence even knew what he was eating and what pets were present.

The meeting signals Washington’s decisive pivot toward Rodriguez’s government, composed largely of Maduro loyalists, and away from the opposition, led by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado.

Just hours before Ratcliffe landed, Machado was at the White House presenting her Nobel Peace Prize medal to the US president in a symbolic appeal for support. Trump called it a “wonderful gesture” but pointedly did not endorse her claim to the presidency.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Caracas, Venezuela yesterday, meeting Acting President Delcy Rodriguez and other top Venezuelan officials.

Photos from Central Intelligence Agency pic.twitter.com/OlWV8g0Uhi

— Benjamin Hall (@BenjaminHallFNC) January 16, 2026

Trump articulated the rationale on Friday, arguing that dismantling Venezuela’s government and security apparatus would risk chaos and insisting Rodriguez offers a “controlled, stable, and effective” transition. “Remember Iraq,” he told reporters. “They fired everyone and it ended up being ISIS.”

US officials have acknowledged that CIA assessments last year framed Rodriguez, then Maduro’s vice president, as a pragmatic figure willing to negotiate. According to the New York Times, one intelligence report noted she wore a $15,000 dress at her inauguration, prompting an official to joke that she was “the most capitalistic socialist” they had seen.

After taking power, Rodriguez initially declared defiantly that no “foreign agent” would control Venezuela or turn it into a “colony.”

However, she has since moved to align with Washington’s demands, including opening Venezuela’s oil sector to US companies and cooperating on security.

Trump praised Rodriguez as a “terrific person” after their phone call earlier this week, noting “tremendous progress” and promising a “spectacular” partnership on oil and national security. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that sanctions relief could follow soon.

Last week, Rodriguez declared seven days of mourning for the victims of the US raid. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced on Friday that the latest death toll stands at 83, including 47 Venezuelan troops, 32 Cuban advisors, and several civilians, while over a hundred were injured.

The US president will personally chair the committee tasked with reconstructing the Palestinian enclave

President Donald Trump has unveiled the leadership structure of a high-powered committee which will oversee the reconstruction and governance of Gaza, naming himself as its chairman and appointing a controversial roster of diplomats, financiers and political allies.

In a White House statement released Friday, the administration confirmed the formation of the so-called “Board of Peace,” a central pillar of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza war.

Its responsibilities include “governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilization.”

The most prominent appointees are former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the president’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner. They will be joined by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, and Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel.

Some appointments are likely to draw scrutiny. Tony Blair, a key US ally in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, remains a polarizing figure in the region. Kushner’s prior peace initiatives were overwhelmingly rejected by Palestinian leadership for heavily favoring Israel.

The announcement formalizes the launch of what Trump has called “Phase Two” of his peace plan, which follows the initial ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement reached in early October.

This phase focuses on the demilitarization of Hamas and the establishment a new National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG).

The NCAG is led by a Palestinian, Dr. Ali Sha’ath, and held its first meeting in Cairo on Thursday. The White House has described Sha’ath as “widely respected for his pragmatic, technocratic leadership.”

To liaise between the Board of Peace in Washington and the on-the-ground NCAG, Trump appointed Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov as the High Representative for Gaza.

Mladenov will also serve on a separate Gaza Executive Board, which includes regional figures such as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al Thawadi.

Israel has reacted with skepticism, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referring to the NCAG’s introduction as a “declarative move” rather than substantive progress.

The conflict, triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, has resulted in the death of more than 71,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health officials. Although a ceasefire has largely held since October, authorities report over 450 fatalities from sporadic violence in the enclave since the truce began.

The US president hasn’t ruled out leaving the bloc if it refuses to cooperate

US President Donald Trump has warned he may impose tariffs on American trading partners that do not support his push to acquire Greenland, escalating tensions with European allies and casting new uncertainty regarding NATO unity.

At a White House event on Friday, the US president doubled down on his campaign to bring the vast, mineral-rich Arctic island under US control – a goal he has pursued since his first term and renewed with vigor since returning to office last year. He has previously not ruled out using military force, stating that “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”

“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security,” he said. “So I may do that.”

Trump also refused to rule out pulling the US out of NATO if the bloc opposes his ambitions. “We’re going to see,” he said, noting that so far “NATO has been dealing with us on Greenland.”

Trump claims that only US sovereignty can protect the Danish autonomous island from being taken over by Beijing or Moscow – an allegation dismissed by both countries.

European NATO members have largely refrained from direct public confrontation, but behind the scenes, resistance is mounting. This week, Denmark, which retains responsibility for Greenland’s foreign and defense policy, coordinated with several allies to send small contingents of troops to the island ahead of the bloc’s Arctic Endurance exercises.

France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom contributed personnel, a move interpreted as a reinforcement of Greenland’s existing sovereignty.

However, Denmark’s top military commander in Greenland, Major-General Soren Andersen, dismissed any conflict between NATO members as hypothetical. “I don’t see a NATO ally attacking another NATO ally,” he said. “My task is to work up here for the defense of the kingdom, together with NATO.”

NATO chief Mark Rutte has refused to address the bloc’s internal dispute. “I never ever comment when there are discussions within the alliance,” he said.

Danish officials have expressed dismay, but the government’s public response remains measured. After meetings in Washington this week, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen acknowledged a “fundamental disagreement” with the US but expressed hope that a newly established “bilateral working group” would resolve the issue.

More than 1,600 representatives from the African Union, Europe, the US and China were accredited to observe the vote

Russian observers have praised the organization and transparency of Uganda’s general elections, as incumbent President Yoweri Museveni took a commanding lead in early results after Thursday’s vote.

Darya Lantratova, deputy chair of the Russian Federation Council’s social policy committee, was part of an international observer mission invited by Ugandan authorities. She noted that the voting process was conducted systematically and openly.

“We have visited several dozen polling stations and can confirm that we have not recorded a single serious violation that could affect the voting results,” Lantratova said. She highlighted orderly queues, thorough identification checks, and provisions such as photographs on ballots to assist illiterate voters.

The election, which saw voters choose their president and 500 members of parliament, was monitored by more than 1,600 international and regional observers. Delegations included representatives from the African Union, the East African Community, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and China.

Uganda’s electoral commission announced on Friday that, with results in from 45% of polling stations, President Museveni had secured 76.25% of the vote. His main rival, Bobi Wine, a former pop star and opposition leader, received 19.85%.

Museveni, 81, has led Uganda since 1986 and has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of Western interference in the East African country’s affairs.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, alleged “massive ballot stuffing” and threatened to unleash street protests if the election is “rigged.” His party later claimed he had been placed under house arrest – an allegation police said they were unaware of.

Local police reported isolated incidents of violence, including an attack on a police station in Butambala district, which resulted in fatalities and injuries. No widespread unrest has been confirmed.

Alexander Kurdyumov of Russia’s Central Election Commission praised Ugandan officials for striving to ensure “fair and transparent voting.”

Meanwhile, Russian Senator Ivan Novikov, also part of the observer mission, emphasized that Russian cooperation with Uganda isn’t limited to the election period, noting longstanding trade and economic ties, including exports of wheat, mineral fertilizers, and aircraft parts.