Danish PM says US ambition to take Greenland ‘remains intact’

Washington’s ambition to take control of Greenland remained intact, Denmark said on Thursday, as a European military mission arrived on the mineral-rich strategic Arctic island, drawing a sharp rebuke from Russia.The developments came a day after a high-level meeting at the White House failed to resolve “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory that President Donald Trump has repeatedly said Washington needs to seize to ensure US security.The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement Thursday that “a working group” was being set up to discuss how Arctic security could be improved.”However, this does not change the fact that there is a fundamental disagreement, because the American ambition to take over Greenland remains intact,” Frederiksen said.”This is obviously a serious matter, and we are therefore continuing our efforts to prevent this scenario from becoming a reality,” she added.The head of government’s comment came as European military personnel had begun arriving in Greenland.France, Sweden, Germany and Norway announced Wednesday that they would deploy military personnel as part of a reconnaissance mission to Greenland’s capital Nuuk.”Soldiers of NATO are expected to be more present in Greenland from today and in the coming days. It is expected that there will be more military flights and ships,” Greenland’s deputy prime minister Mute Egede told a news conference on Wednesday, adding they would be “training”.Germany’s defence ministry said Thursday that the reconnaissance mission to Greenland by several European NATO members aims “to explore options for ensuring security in light of Russian and Chinese threats in the Arctic”.”The first French military personnel are already on their way. Others will follow,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on X.Trump has argued that if the United States does not take Greenland, “China or Russia will”.The Russian embassy in Belgium, where NATO is headquartered, said the arrival of NATO forces to Greenland was concerning.”The situation unfolding in the high latitudes is of serious concern to us,” the embassy said in a statement published late Wednesday.NATO is “building up its military presence there under the false pretext of a growing threat from Moscow and Beijing,” the embassy added.- ‘Good relationship’ -After leaving the White House on Wednesday Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said a US takeover of Greenland was “absolutely not necessary.””We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” Lokke told reporters.He also noted that “there are no Chinese warships along the coast of Greenland”.”Nor are there any massive Chinese investments in Greenland,” he told the Danish press after the meeting.Trump, speaking after the meeting which he did not attend, for the first time sounded conciliatory on Greenland, acknowledging Denmark’s interests even if he again said he was not ruling out any options.”I have a very good relationship with Denmark, and we’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out,” Trump said without explaining further.He again said Denmark was powerless if Russia or China wanted to occupy Greenland, but added: “There’s everything we can do.”- Live ‘in peace’ -On the streets of Nuuk, red and white Greenlandic flags flew in shop windows, on apartment balconies, and on cars and buses, in a show of national unity this week.Some residents described anxiety from finding themselves at the centre of the geopolitical spotlight.”It’s very frightening because it’s such a big thing,” said Vera Stidsen, 51, a teacher in Nuuk.”I hope that in the future we can continue to live as we have until now: in peace and without being disturbed,” Stidsen told AFP.

Top Bangladesh cricket official sacked amid World Cup row

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday sacked a senior official after their leading men’s cricketers went on strike, escalating a crisis that has already seen the nation refuse to tour India for next month’s T20 World Cup.The BCB has been in turmoil since ties with India soured, prompting Dhaka to ask the International Cricket Council to shift its group matches to co-host Sri Lanka. The World Cup begins on February 7, with Bangladesh still scheduled to play four games in India.The row deepened after Najmul Islam, head of the BCB’s finance committee, lashed out at the players who demanded compensation from the board if the team were to pull out of the marquee competition.”We are spending so much money on them, they are not being able to do anything in different places,” Najmul said.”Have we got any international awards? What have we done at any level? Let us now ask them for the money back after every time they can’t play. Why should there even be a question of compensating the players?”In protest against his remarks, teams pulled out of Thursday’s first match of the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), demanding Najmul be ousted within next 48 hours.The BCB had distanced itself from Najmul’s remarks and on Thursday removed him from the job.”Following a review of recent developments and in the best interest of the organisation, the BCB President has decided to release Mr. Najmul Islam from his responsibilities as Chairman of the Finance Committee with immediate effect,” the BCB said in a statement.The row erupted on January 3, when the Indian cricket board (BCCI) ordered the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman following tensions between the neighbouring nations.The BCCI did not publicly give a reason for his removal but the presence of the Bangladesh player sparked criticism from some right-wing groups after a Hindu man was lynched in Bangladesh in December.Political relations between India and Bangladesh soured after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi.India’s foreign ministry last month condemned what it called “unremitting hostility against minorities” in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.Bangladesh’s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence.Mustafizur, who has played in the IPL for other teams in previous editions, was snapped up at auction in December by Kolkata for more than $1 million.His sacking sparked fury in Dhaka.Bangladesh, led by Litton Das, are placed ninth in the ICC T20 rankings.They have played all the nine editions of the tournament, but have never qualified for the semi-finals.

Suicide d’une gendarme à Lyon: la justice referme le dossier, colère de la famille

La justice a refermé jeudi l’enquête sur la mort en 2011 d’une gendarme dans une caserne à Lyon, une décision jugée “scandaleuse” par la famille qui récuse la thèse d’un suicide pour raisons personnelles, persuadée qu’elle était harcelée par des collègues.Dans ce dossier au long cours, la chambre de l’instruction de la cour d’appel de Lyon “a estimé qu’il n’y avait pas lieu à poursuivre quiconque”, a déclaré lors d’un point-presse téléphonique l’avocat des proches de Myriam Sakhri, Me Vincent Brengarth. Son arrêt de non lieu -le 4e de la procédure- est “une décision scandaleuse”: “Il est évidemment impensable pour nous d’en rester là. Le combat va continuer”, a-t-il ajouté.Présente à la cour, où des portraits de la disparue avait été accrochés aux grilles, sa soeur Nadirha Sakhri a dénoncé une enquête “bâclée” et une “mascarade depuis le début”.”Ils ne veulent pas juger son affaire. Ils n’ont pas de courage, ce n’est pas un souci. Nous irons jusqu’à la Cour de cassation. Et si la Cour de cassation n’arrivera pas à juger l’affaire, on ira jusqu’à la Cour européenne”, a-t-elle déclaré.Âgée de 32 ans et d’origine algérienne, la jeune gendarme a été retrouvée morte le 24 septembre 2011 dans son appartement de fonction, à Lyon, une balle dans le ventre et son arme de service à ses pieds.Affectée au Centre d’opérations et de renseignements de la gendarmerie (Corg) du Rhône, service chargé de répondre aux appels du public, elle s’était plainte de harcèlement et de racisme et une enquête interne avait été ouverte, dont elle attendait les conclusions.À sa mort, un mot retrouvé à ses côtés, écrit de sa main -“Merci à G. le connard !”- désignait le colonel qui commandait à l’époque la gendarmerie du Rhône.- “Courage” -Après le décès de la gendarme, l’affaire avait été rapidement classée. Mais la famille, dénonçant la partialité des investigations menées par l’Inspection générale de la gendarmerie nationale (IGGN), avait porté plainte.Celle-ci avait déclenché l’ouverture d’une première information judiciaire en 2012. Elle avait débouché sur un non-lieu en 2013, confirmé en appel en 2014 puis par la Cour de cassation en 2015.Les magistrats avaient écarté tout harcèlement, estimant que la gendarme s’était suicidée après avoir appris qu’elle devrait comparaître devant un tribunal pour deux affaires liées à l’exercice de sa profession.Pas convaincue, la famille avait poursuivi son combat et compilé des témoignages démontrant que la gendarme était devenue “la bête noire” de son entourage professionnel.Sur la base de ces nouveaux éléments, une information judiciaire pour harcèlement et homicide involontaire avait été rouverte en 2021 et confiée à la chambre de l’instruction de la cour d’appel. L’examen de l’affaire avait fait depuis l’objet de multiples reports, jusqu’au non lieu prononcé jeudi, dont les motivations n’ont pas encore été rendues publiques.”Nous avions énormément d’éléments qui permettaient non seulement de caractériser l’existence d’un racisme ambiant au sein du service dans lequel évoluait Myriam Sakri”, mais aussi “des comportements de harcèlement à son encontre”, a pourtant noté Me Brenghart, dénonçant “le manque de courage” de la justice.”On sera là pour élever la voix de Myriam quoi qu’il arrive, on ne lâchera rien et on fera preuve de courage quoi qu’il arrive”, a ajouté devant la presse la nièce de la gendarme, Damia, qui n’a pas souhaité donner son nom de famille.

Suisse: l’autorité de la concurrence ouvre une enquête contre Microsoft

L’autorité suisse de la concurrence a annoncé jeudi avoir ouvert une enquête contre le géant américain Microsoft concernant le prix de ses licences. Les autorités de la concurrence ont reçu des dénonciations faisant état d’augmentations très fortes du prix des licences liées aux produits de Microsoft en Suisse, a indiqué la Commission de la concurrence (Comco) …

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Privés de parents: au Salvador, les enfants victimes de la lutte anti-gangs

Les poussins piaillent avec impatience quand Jade arrive pour les nourrir. Depuis que son père a été arrêté dans le cadre de la lutte acharnée contre les gangs au Salvador, l’adolescente doit travailler à la ferme de sa grand-mère et supporter les railleries à l’école.Le président de droite Nayib Bukele, au pouvoir depuis 2019, se …

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Iran: Ali Khamenei, un dirigeant impitoyable confronté à son plus grand défi

Fin manoeuvrier qui n’a jamais reculé devant le recours à la répression, le guide suprême Ali Khamenei a surmonté une succession de crises à la tête du système théocratique iranien, mais apparaît désormais contesté comme jamais. Agé de 86 ans, il domine la République islamique depuis qu’il en a pris la tête, à vie, en 1989, …

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Les images générées par l’IA, une stratégie de communication pour Trump

Jouer au football dans le Bureau ovale, boire un cocktail sous le soleil à Gaza… Depuis son retour au pouvoir il y a un an, Donald Trump ne cesse de se mettre en scène dans de fausses images générées par intelligence artificielle.Le président américain inonde sa plateforme Truth Social de ces images ultra-réalistes, une stratégie …

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Iran vows to defend itself as Trump says will ‘watch it and see’

Iran vowed on Thursday to defend itself against any foreign threat, after US President Donald Trump said he would “watch it and see” about military action over the crackdown on protesters.Iran’s judiciary said a protester who the United States and rights groups feared faced imminent execution would not be sentenced to death, after Trump had warned of strikes should people arrested for demonstrating be killed.The protests were sparked by economic grievances but evolved rapidly into a nationwide movement that has constituted the greatest threat to the Islamic republic since its inception in 1979. Rights groups say the crackdown by authorities, who exercise zero tolerance for dissent, has left at least 3,428 people dead. They also accuse the country’s theocratic leaders of using an internet blackout to cover up the brutality of their crackdown.In telephone talks on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Saudi Arabian counterpart Faisal bin Farhan of the importance of “global condemnation of foreign interference in the internal affairs of regional countries”.The developments came hours ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Iran later on Thursday, which was requested by the US.On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia informed Iran it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used to attack it, two sources close to the kingdom’s government told AFP.Up until Wednesday, the United States was threatening military action against Iran should it carry out the death penalty against people arrested over the protests.In an announcement at the White House, Trump said he had now received assurances from “very important sources on the other side” that executions would not go ahead.”They’ve said the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place — there were supposed to be a lot of executions today and that the executions won’t take place — and we’re going to find out,” Trump said.Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office if US military action was now off the table, Trump replied: “We’re going to watch it and see what the process is.”The comments sent oil prices plunging on Thursday, as concerns eased of a looming supply shock in energy markets. Iran makes up around three percent of global oil production. All eyes were on protester Erfan Soltani, 26, in prison in Karaj outside Tehran since his arrest, who is facing charges of propaganda against Iran’s Islamic system and acting against national security.On Thursday, the Iranian judiciary said Soltani has “not been sentenced to death” and if he is convicted, “the punishment, according to the law, will be imprisonment, as the death penalty does not exist for such charges”.- ‘No hanging today or tomorrow’ -Iran’s judiciary chief had vowed fast-track trials for those arrested, and prosecutors have said some detainees will face capital charges of “waging war against God”.State media reported hundreds of arrests and the detention of a foreign national for espionage, without giving details.In an interview with US network Fox News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there would be “no hanging today or tomorrow”, while accusing US ally Israel of orchestrating violence in Iran, without providing evidence.Araghchi contends the protests devolved into widespread violence between January 7 and 10 because they were infiltrated by external “elements who had a plan to create a big number of killings in order to provoke President Trump to enter into this conflict and start a new war against Iran”.The authorities imposed an unprecedented internet blackout on January 8, as protests exploded in size and intensity, severely hampering the demonstrators’ ability to communicate with each other and the outside world.Iran’s Minister of Justice Amin Hossein Rahimi echoed Araghchi’s allegation, telling state news agencies that after January 7, “those weren’t protests any longer” and anyone who was arrested on the streets then “was definitely a criminal”.- ‘Full control’ -Araghchi said the Iranian government was “in full control” and reported an atmosphere of “calm” after what he called three days of “terrorist operation”.Iran also struck a defiant tone about responding to any US attack, as Washington appeared to draw down staff at a base in Qatar that Tehran targeted in a strike last year.Iran targeted the Al Udeid base in June in retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear facilities. Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Trump the strike showed “Iran’s will and capability to respond to any attack”.Fears of possible US military action continued to rile the region, and Turkey on Thursday said it opposed a military operation against Iran. – ‘Zero protests’ -G7 nations said Wednesday they were “deeply alarmed at the high level of reported deaths and injuries” and warned of further sanctions if the crackdown continued.Monitor NetBlocks said Iran’s internet blackout had lasted over 156 hours. Despite the shutdown, new videos, with locations verified by AFP, showed bodies lined up in the Kahrizak morgue south of Tehran, wrapped in black bags as distraught relatives searched for loved ones.The US-based Institute for the Study of War, which has monitored protest activity amid the shutdown, said it had recorded “zero protests” on Wednesday.But it added: “The regime is sustaining repressive measures that impose a significant cost on the regime. This suggests that the regime does not perceive that the threat from protests has subsided.”Iran Human Rights, based in Norway, said security forces had killed at least 3,428 protesters and arrested more than 10,000.burs/sjw-ser/axn