95 m. ago Trump’s Greenland bid might force EU to stop placating him and fight back

US President Donald Trump’s fixation on Greenland offers an ice-cold reminder to leaders in Europe and abroad: no deal is ever final. Trump announced a 10 per cent tariff, rising to 25 per cent in June, on eight European nations, including Denmark, for saying they would undertake token Nato military exercises in Greenland in response to US sabre-rattling. While the tariffs are not certain to take effect, the threat was a brazen escalation and insult to close US allies, trampling over the US-EU...

Politics

98 m. ago Did China, Russia, Iran joint naval drills in South Africa mark notable Brics shift?

Last week’s naval drills involving China, Russia, Iran and host country South Africa signalled a notable shift for Brics beyond its traditional focus on economic cooperation, analysts said, as the US noted it had closely monitored the exercise. However, observers also described the high-profile exercise as largely symbolic, calling it a diplomatic statement of intent rather than a step towards a formal military alliance. The Will for Peace 2026 drills were launched at a port in Cape Town on...

Politics

2 h. ago This year, Hong Kong must resolve to rewrite the script for retirement

Looking back at 2025, the city made meaningful strides in supporting its retirees. The government expanded the Elderly Health Care Voucher and Community Care Service Voucher schemes, and invested HK$2 billion (US$256.47 million) in an elderly and rehabilitation technology fund. It also announced 30 measures for the silver economy and formed the Working Group on Ageing Society Strategies to improve cross-bureau coordination. These efforts helped launch the long-awaited Q-Mark Silver Scheme,...

Politics

3 h. ago Impulse control: Malaysia’s social media ban targets teen minds

Eric Wong is only 20, but his life online is so consuming that he struggles to draw a line between his digital presence and the physical world. A member of Malaysia’s Gen Z – those aged 13 to 29 this year – Wong belongs to the first generation of true digital natives, raised on a steady stream of social media, online gaming and endless internet connectivity. “If there’s time in between classes, me and my friends will gather in the cafeteria or the nearby mamak (food stall) to play PUBG or Mobile...

Events

3 h. ago Trump wants nations to pay US$1 billion to stay on his Board of Peace

The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent spot on his new Board of Peace to contribute at least US$1 billion. According to a draft charter for the proposed group seen by Bloomberg, US President Donald Trump would serve as its inaugural chairman and would decide on who is invited to be members. Decisions would be taken by a majority, with each member state present getting one vote, but all would be subject to the chairman’s approval. “Each Member State shall serve a term...

Economics

5 h. ago China Just Applied To Launch 200,000 Satellites, Over Ten Times More Than Even Exist Right Now

China Just Applied To Launch 200,000 Satellites, Over Ten Times More Than Even Exist Right Now  Jalopnik

Politics

5 h. ago US strike in Syria kills leader tied to Isis ambush that left 3 Americans dead

A third round of retaliatory strikes by the US in Syria resulted in the death of an al-Qaeda-affiliated leader, who officials say had a direct tie to the Islamic State member responsible for last month’s ambush that killed two US soldiers and one American civilian interpreter in the country. US Central Command announced that the strike in northwest Syria on Friday killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim, who they claim was “an experienced terrorist leader who plotted attacks and was directly connected” to...

Events

6 h. ago Canada inks trade deal with China in break from Trump agenda

Canada inks trade deal with China in break from Trump agenda  LimaOhio.com

Politics

10 h. ago Does Russia or China actually threaten Greenland? Experts say Trump's warnings don't match reality

Does Russia or China actually threaten Greenland? Experts say Trump's warnings don't match reality  The Kyiv Independent

Events

10 h. ago Trump hits Denmark and other Nato allies with tariffs to force Greenland sale

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would charge a 10 per cent import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations, all Nato members, because of opposition to US control of Greenland. He said in a social media post that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff, which would be raised to 25 per cent on June 1 if a deal was not in place for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the...

Politics

10 h. ago Trump hits Denmark and 7 other Nato allies with tariffs to force Greenland sale

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would charge a 10 per cent import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations, all Nato members, because of opposition to US control of Greenland. He said in a social media post that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff, which would be raised to 25 per cent on June 1 if a deal was not in place for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the...

Politics

10 h. ago Trump hits Denmark and 7 other Nato allies with tariffs for opposing US on Greenland

Opening a new front in his worldwide tariff onslaught, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would impose a 10 per cent import tax on the United Kingdom and six European countries for opposing his plan to purchase Greenland and that the rate would more than double if they did not let him acquire the Danish territory. His announcement on social media two weeks to the day after he abducted Venezuela’s president from Caracas marks the latest chapter in a tumultuous start to 2026, even by...

Politics

12 h. ago Denmark’s Arctic commander rejects Trump’s claims of immediate Russia, China threat to Greenland

Denmark’s Arctic commander rejects Trump’s claims of immediate Russia, China threat to Greenland  politico.eu

Politics

12 h. ago Trump's erratic trade policies are pushing US partners towards China

Trump's erratic trade policies are pushing US partners towards China  France 24

Events

12 h. ago Beijing slams US senators for ‘malicious’ bill targeting Hong Kong trade offices

Beijing’s foreign affairs arm in Hong Kong has “strongly condemned” a group of US senators for pushing what it calls “malicious legislation” that seeks to strip the city’s trade offices in the United States of their special privileges and potentially force their closure. A spokesman for the Commissioner’s Office of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said the senators’ move exposed their “deep-rooted ideological prejudice” and “Cold War mentality”. “Any attempts to smear Hong Kong’s freedom and...

Events

12 h. ago Before Maduro’s capture in Venezuela, US spoke with minister who is his loyal ally

Trump administration officials had been in discussions with Venezuela’s hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello months before the US operation to seize the country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and have been in communication with him since then, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The officials warned Cabello, 62, against using the security services or militant ruling-party supporters overseen by him to target the country’s opposition, four sources said. That security...

Politics

13 h. ago How US actions in Venezuela and beyond could spell opportunity for China

America’s military action in Venezuela and President Donald Trump’s talk of owning Greenland are stoking concerns that the United States is dismantling the rules-based global order. But this could also be a diplomatic opening for China as it tries to portray itself, in contrast, as a more responsible and stabilising power. Analysts said while this aligned with Beijing’s push to strengthen ties with its neighbours – a strategic move as its rivalry with Washington has intensified – concrete...

Politics

15 h. ago Iran’s leader says ‘thousands’ killed in protests, Trump a ‘criminal’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said “several thousand people” died in this month’s anti-government demonstrations, his first acknowledgment of the deadly scale of the unrest. Some of those were killed “brutally and inhumanely”, Khamenei said without offering details in a public meeting broadcast on state TV. He accused the US and Israel of aiding the killings and said the Islamic Republic had evidence to support the claim. Iran did not intend to push the country towards...

Events

15 h. ago Taiwan faces possible Beijing squeeze after US quits WHO and other agencies

The United States’ decision to withdraw from dozens of UN and other international organisations may have dealt another blow to Taiwan’s efforts to raise its global profile amid mounting pressure from Beijing. While Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s government has sought to play down the impact, observers have warned that Washington’s retreat could further squeeze the island’s already narrow international space. US President Donald Trump on January 7 ordered the US to exit 66 international...

Politics

16 h. ago As Trump urges cap on credit card rates, could China follow suit for online loans?

US President Donald Trump’s call for American credit card interest rates to be capped at 10 per cent for a year has sparked a debate in China about whether Beijing should impose a similar limit on online loans. The discussion comes as many in China – especially younger people – are being enticed by credit offers amid a weak job market and a boom in online loan services. “Apps now keep luring young people into borrowing,” a finance blogger with nearly 500,000 followers wrote in a social media...

Politics