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Countries threatened by Trump Greenland tariffs ‘stand united’: statement

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Countries threatened by Trump Greenland tariffs ‘stand united’: statement


A drone view shows a general view of Nuuk, Greenland, January 15, 2026. — Reuters
A drone view shows a general view of Nuuk, Greenland, January 15, 2026. — Reuters
  • Italy’s PM calls Trump’s tariffs threats “mistake”.
  • Ireland says Trump’s stance deeply regrettable.
  • Macron asks EU to activate “anti-coercion instrument”.

The countries targeted by US President Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs over their opposition to his designs on Greenland will “stand united” in their response, they said in a joint statement Sunday.

“Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden said.

“We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty,” they said.

Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister earlier described the tariffs being threatened by Trump over European allies’ stance on Greenland as “completely unacceptable”.

The decision “is completely unacceptable and deeply regrettable,” said Helen McEntee”.

“Ireland has been crystal clear that the future of Greenland is a matter to be determined by Denmark and by the Greenlandic people, in line with well-established democratic principles and international law,” she added.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron’s team said that he will ask the European Union to activate its powerful “anti-coercion instrument” if the US imposes tariffs in the standoff over Greenland.

The bloc’s weapon — never used before and dubbed its trade “bazooka” — allows for curbing imports of goods and services, and has been invoked as a way to push back over tech and trade, and now the Danish territory the US president wants to acquire.

Italy’s prime minister called Trump’s threat to slap tariffs on opponents of his plan to seize Greenland a “mistake”, adding she had told him her views.

“I believe that imposing new sanctions today would be a mistake,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told journalists during a trip to Seoul.

“I spoke to Donald Trump a few hours ago and told him what I think, and I spoke to the Nato secretary general, who confirmed that Nato is beginning to work on this issue.”

However, the far-right prime minister — a Trump ally in Europe — sought to downplay the conflict, telling journalists “there has been a problem of understanding and communication” between Europe and the US related to the Arctic island.

Trump has threatened to impose tariffs of up to 25% on all goods sent to the US from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland over their objections to his moves.

Meloni said it was up to Nato to take an active role in the growing crisis.

“Nato is the place where we must try to organise together deterrents against interference that may be hostile in a territory that is clearly strategic, and I believe that the fact that Nato has begun to work on this is a good initiative,” she told reporters.

Meloni said that “from the American point of view, the message that had come from this side of the Atlantic was not clear”.

“It seems to me that the risk is that the initiatives of some European countries were interpreted as anti-American, which was clearly not the intention.”

Meloni did not specify to what exactly she was referring.

Trump claims the United States needs Greenland for its national security.





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UN Rights Chief Condemns Killing of Khamenei, Calls for Probe into Iran School Strike

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UN Rights Chief Condemns Killing of Khamenei, Calls for Probe into Iran School Strike



GENEVA: The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has said that killings such as the reported death of Ali Khamenei raise serious concerns under international human rights law.

Speaking to reporters, Turk said that from a human rights perspective, any form of killing is unacceptable.

“From a human rights perspective, any killing of anyone is not in the interest of international human rights law,” he said.

Strike on Girls’ School Raises Concern

Turk also addressed reports of a strike on a girls’ school in Minab, a city in southern Iran, during the first day of US and Israeli attacks.

Iran’s ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, claimed that the attack killed around 150 students, although the figure has not been independently verified.

The UN rights chief stressed that schools are civilian institutions and should never be targeted during armed conflicts.

Call for Independent Investigation

Turk called for an impartial investigation into the incident to determine the circumstances surrounding the strike, including the type of weapon used and the timing of the attack.

He said responsibility now lies with those who carried out the strikes to ensure a transparent inquiry.

Meanwhile, US officials told media that military investigators are examining the possibility that American forces were responsible, though the investigation has not yet reached a final conclusion.

The incident has intensified international concern about civilian casualties and humanitarian law violations as the conflict in the region continues to escalate.



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US Justice Dept releases Epstein documents with claims against Trump

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US Justice Dept releases Epstein documents with claims against Trump


An image of US President Donald Trump alongside disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is projected by the campaign group Led By Donkeys on Windsor Castle, after the arrival of  Trump and first lady Melania Trump for a state visit to the country, in Windsor, Berkshire, Britain, September 16, 2025. — Reuters
An image of US President Donald Trump alongside disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is projected by the campaign group Led By Donkeys on Windsor Castle, after the arrival of  Trump and first lady Melania Trump for a state visit to the country, in Windsor, Berkshire, Britain, September 16, 2025. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: The US Justice Department published additional FBI documents describing interviews with a woman who said President Donald Trump sexually assaulted her after she was introduced to him by Jeffrey Epstein.

The documents had not been made public under previous congressionally-mandated file releases related to the late convicted sex offender because they were mistakenly marked “duplicative,” the department said.

Democrats are investigating the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files.

The documents released include descriptions of multiple 2019 interviews the FBI held with the woman, who alleged she was assaulted by both Epstein and Trump while she was between 13 and 15 years old.

In one interview, the woman said Epstein took her to “either New York or New Jersey” and introduced her to Trump. 

The woman said she and people close to her received threatening calls over the years demanding she keep quiet that she believed were related to Epstein.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing related to the Epstein allegations, and the Justice Department previously said some of the documents it has released “contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump.”

Democrats have accused the Trump administration of covering up details of the Epstein investigation that could negatively impact Trump.

On Wednesday, a House committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions about the Justice Department´s handling of the documents.





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Two Indian pilots killed after IAF fighter jet crashes in Assam

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Two Indian pilots killed after IAF fighter jet crashes in Assam


IAFs Su-30MKI seen in this undated photo. — X@IAF_MCC
IAF’s Su-30MKI seen in this undated photo. — X@IAF_MCC
  • Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashes during training.
  • Jet went missing after taking off from Jorhat airbase.
  • Dead pilots identified as Sq Ldr Anuj, Flight Lieutenant Duragkar.

Two pilots from the Indian Air Force (IAF) were killed after a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet crashed in India’s northeastern state of Assam, NDTV reported, citing officials.

The Indian Air Force said on Friday that a fighter jet, which was on a training mission, crashed in the northeast Indian state of Assam.

“The Su-30MKI, which was on a training mission, crashed in the area of Karbi Anglong, Assam, approx 60 km from Jorhat,” the Indian Air Force said on X.

The aircraft had gone missing shortly after taking off from the Jorhat airbase. Communication with the Russian-origin fighter jet was lost at 7:42pm, according to officials.

The crash occurred in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, around 60 kilometres from the airbase. The aircraft reportedly went down in a remote hilly area.

The IAF identified the deceased pilots as Squadron Leader Anuj and Flight Lieutenant Purvesh Duragkar.

“All personnel of the IAF express sincere condolences, and stand firmly with the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the Air Force said in a post on X.

Local residents in the area said they heard a loud explosion from a nearby hill and saw a ball of fire shortly afterwards.

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of the two pilots in the “tragic” crash.

The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a two-seater, long-range fighter aircraft developed by Russian manufacturer Sukhoi. It is produced under licence in India by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF.

The aircraft was first inducted into the Indian Air Force in 1997, and the service currently operates a fleet of more than 260 Su-30MKI jets.

Similar incidents have occurred in recent years. A Sukhoi fighter jet crashed in Nashik, Maharashtra, in June 2024, while another Su-30 aircraft crashed in January 2023 shortly after taking off from the Gwalior airbase in Madhya Pradesh.





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