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A winter storm bringing icy temperatures will slam a massive stretch of the United States this week, with more than 175 million people facing the prospect of heavy snowfall, power outages and travel disruption.Winter Storm Fern is forecast to engulf an area stretching from Texas and the Great Plains region to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. Forecasters warned it could be 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometers) long — well over half the length of the continental US. The storm’s peak is expected to come Thursday and Friday, with Texas already having declared an emergency. More than a foot of snow could be seen across the mid-Atlantic region, the forecasters warned, with Virginia and Maryland likely to bear the brunt as arctic air blows in.US weather channels were running apocalyptic predictions of “crippling ice,” and a 1,500-mile (2,414-kilometer) “snow zone” liable to see record-breaking snowfall, while warning that freezing rain could damage power infrastructure and trees.New York City, the US financial capital and the country’s most populous urban area, could see as much as 12 inches of snow, the Weather Channel warned.In New York, the current cold snap has caused temperatures to collapse. On the morning of January 20, the National Weather Service’s observatory in Central Park recorded a temperature of 16F (-9C) — or 2F (-17C) accounting for wind chill — the coldest temperature that the city has seen so far this winter.- ‘Sub-zero’ -“Frigid temperatures will expand across the eastern two-thirds of the country behind an Arctic cold front,” the National Weather Service said in an advisory. “Frigid sub-zero and single digit temperatures will expand from the Northern Plains Thursday into the Mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and Northeast by Sunday. “This Arctic blast will be accompanied by gusty winds, leading to dangerous wind chills. The coldest wind chills may fall below minus 50 Fahrenheit (minus 46C) across the Northern Plains. An extremely cold air mass, combined with a frontal zone to its south will produce a major winter storm from the Central-Southern Plains region to the East Coast starting Friday and lasting into the weekend, the advisory added.Some areas likely to be affected were bracing for the arrival of severe weather.In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday declared a state of emergency and activated emergency resources including the state’s national guard and transport department assets to help ease the pressure on roads.A combination of snow, rain and sleet could make travel almost impossible, local media warned.The Monroe County Road Commission, which covers a large area outside Detroit, Michigan, warned “there is a shortage of salt.””This year we’ve used more than we have the last four Decembers combined,” David Leach, the commission’s managing director, told CBS News.In past years, rural areas in the northeast have been entirely cut off as snowplows struggled to clear roads.

The US Supreme Court appeared skeptical Wednesday of President Donald Trump’s effort to fire a Federal Reserve governor, in a case testing the central bank’s independence.Trump sought in August to dismiss Fed governor Lisa Cook, a key official on the bank’s interest rate-setting committee, accusing her of mortgage fraud. She denies the allegations.The conservative-dominated Supreme Court barred the Republican president in October from immediately removing Cook, allowing her to stay on the job until it could hear the case contesting her dismissal.During two hours of oral arguments Wednesday, a majority of the nine justices on the top court — both conservatives and liberals — expressed doubts that the president had shown sufficient cause to remove Cook or had provided her with appropriate due process.Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump appointee, said setting a “very low bar for cause” could allow presidents to dismiss Fed governors at will and “weaken, if not shatter, the independence of the Federal Reserve.””All of the current president’s appointees would likely be removed for cause on January 20, 2029 if there’s a Democratic president,” Kavanaugh said, referring to the next inauguration day.Justice Samuel Alito, another conservative, took issue with the “hurried manner” in which the court was being asked to decide the case while the facts remain in dispute.Solicitor General John Sauer, representing the Trump administration, pushed back, saying the allegations against Cook merited her dismissal.”Deceit or gross negligence by a financial regulator in financial transactions is cause for removal,” Sauer said.”The American people should not have their interest rates determined by someone who was, at best, grossly negligent in obtaining favorable interest rates for herself.”Trump has accused Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s board of governors, of making false statements on one or more mortgage agreements, allegedly claiming two primary residences, one in Michigan and another in Georgia.Paul Clement, Cook’s lawyer, said she had “at most” made an “inadvertent mistake” on her loan documents and noted that no previous US president has ever tried to remove a Fed governor.”It’s less important that the president have full faith in every single governor, and it’s more important that the markets and the public have faith in the independence of the Fed from the president and from Congress,” Clement said.- ‘Political pressure’ -In a sign of public support for Cook, Fed Chair Jerome Powell personally attended the hearing, which comes as the Trump administration intensifies its pressure on the central bank.Powell revealed this month that prosecutors had launched a criminal inquiry into him over an ongoing renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.Powell has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated attempt to influence the central bank’s interest rate setting.Trump’s bid to fire Cook and the Powell probe are a dramatic escalation of his efforts to control the Fed, which he has repeatedly criticized for spurning his demands to slash interest rates more aggressively.By ousting Cook, the president could potentially add another voice to the Fed’s board to try and shift interest rates in his favored direction.The Supreme Court has overwhelmingly sided with Trump since he returned to office and it recently allowed him to fire members of other independent government agencies.But it created a carve-out for the “quasi-private” Fed in its ruling.Cook became a Fed governor in 2022 and was reappointed to the board in 2023.In a statement released after the hearing, she said the case “is about whether the Federal Reserve will set key interest rates guided by evidence and independent judgment or will succumb to political pressure.””For as long as I serve at the Federal Reserve, I will uphold the principle of political independence in service to the American people,” Cook said.

Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the powerful US Federal Reserve Board of Governors, has come under the spotlight as President Donald Trump steps up pressure on the central bank.Cook was one of former president Joe Biden’s choices to fill open seats on the Fed board — a seven-member body guiding US monetary policy — and she took office as a Fed governor in May 2022.The daughter of a Baptist chaplain and a professor of nursing, Cook bears physical scars from racism after she was attacked as a young child while involved in an effort to integrate racially segregated schools in the state of Georgia.Before joining the Fed, she dedicated much of her research to the effects of discrimination on the productive capacity of the world’s largest economy. Even though she kept a relatively low profile as a Fed governor, she came under scrutiny last summer as Trump sought her immediate removal over claims of mortgage fraud.The Fed makes decisions on interest rates independently from the White House, but Trump has repeatedly criticized the central bank for not lowering borrowing costs more quickly.Its independence could come under question — with consequences for the economy — as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on the bank, including by opening an investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell.The outcome of Cook’s case will be crucial in determining how much discretion the president has when it comes to removing key Fed officials.She vowed Wednesday to uphold Fed independence for as long as she serves at the central bank.”This case is about whether the Federal Reserve will set key interest rates guided by evidence and independent judgment or will succumb to political pressure,” she said in a statement after the hearing.She previously rejected Trump’s attempt to oust her, saying he had no authority to do so.The Supreme Court has allowed her to remain in her role for now.- An academic economist -Prior to becoming a Fed governor, Cook was a professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State University. She earned an economics degree from Oxford University and a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley.In 2023, she was reappointed to the Fed’s board and sworn in for a term ending in 2038.At the central bank, Cook has voted with Powell in policy decisions, like most of her colleagues. These included instances when the bank started cutting interest rates and when it decided to put a pause on rate reductions.She has been described as a “dove” at times, a term referring to someone who tends to support lower rates.But in a June speech, she warned of longer-term risks surrounding inflation and said that the Fed’s cautious approach to rate cuts was well positioned to respond to developments.Cook’s opponents have in the past questioned her qualifications, criticisms that her supporters say are fueled by her race.”I have been the target of anonymous and untrue attacks on my academic record,” Cook told lawmakers in 2022.Other board members, including Powell, are not trained economists. Cook speaks five languages, including Russian. She also specializes in international development economics, having worked on topics such as Rwanda’s recovery following the 1994 genocide.In addition, she has researched inequality in the labor market, a key area of Fed focus.Cook grew up in an area of the United States where public swimming pools were destroyed to avoid opening them up to Black people, and was one of the first Black children to attend a previously segregated school.She has studied lynchings and patents issued to Black entrepreneurs, arguing that discrimination has held back the entire society, not just the direct victims of injustice.

The US Supreme Court appeared likely on Wednesday to allow a Federal Reserve governor fired by President Donald Trump to remain in her post for now in a case with far-reaching consequences for the central bank’s independence.Trump sought in August to dismiss Fed governor Lisa Cook, a key official serving on the bank’s interest rate-setting committee, accusing her of mortgage fraud. She denies the allegations.The conservative-dominated Supreme Court barred the Republican president in October from immediately removing Cook, allowing her to stay on the job until it could hear the case contesting her dismissal.During two hours of oral arguments, a majority of the nine justices on the top court — both conservatives and liberals — seemed skeptical that the president had shown sufficient cause to remove Cook or had provided her with appropriate due process.Justice Brett Kavanaugh expressed concern that setting a “very low bar for cause” could allow presidents to dismiss Fed governors at will and “weaken, if not shatter, the independence of the Federal Reserve.””All of the current president’s appointees would likely be removed for cause on January 20, 2029 if there’s a Democratic president,” Kavanaugh said, referring to the next inauguration day.Justice Samuel Alito, another conservative, took issue with the “hurried manner” in which the court was being asked to decide the case while the facts remain in dispute.Solicitor General John Sauer pushed back, saying the allegations against Cook were serious and merited her dismissal.”Deceit or gross negligence by a financial regulator in financial transactions is cause for removal,” Sauer said.”The American people should not have their interest rates determined by someone who was, at best, grossly negligent in obtaining favorable interest rates for herself.”Trump has accused Cook of making false statements on one or more mortgage agreements, allegedly claiming two primary residences, one in Michigan and another in Georgia.Paul Clement, Cook’s lawyer, said she had “at most” made an “inadvertent mistake” on her mortgage documents and noted that no previous president has ever tried to remove a Fed governor.”It’s less important that the president have full faith in every single governor, and it’s more important that the markets and the public have faith in the independence of the Fed from the president and from Congress,” Clement said.- ‘Political pressure’ -In a sign of public support for Cook, Fed Chair Jerome Powell personally attended the hearing, which comes as the Trump administration intensifies its pressure on the central bank, including the opening of a criminal investigation into the Fed chief.Earlier this month, Powell revealed that US prosecutors had launched an inquiry into him over an ongoing renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.Powell has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated attempt to influence the central bank’s interest rate setting.Trump’s bid to fire Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s board of governors, and the probe into Powell are a dramatic escalation of the president’s efforts to control the Fed.Trump has repeatedly criticized the Fed for spurning his demands to slash interest rates more aggressively.By ousting Cook, the Republican president could potentially add another voice to the Fed’s board to try and shift interest rates in his favored direction.The Supreme Court has overwhelmingly sided with Trump since he returned to office and it recently allowed him to fire members of other independent government boards. But it created a carve-out for the Fed in its ruling.Cook became a Fed governor in 2022 and was reappointed to the board in 2023.In a statement released after the hearing, she said the case “is about whether the Federal Reserve will set key interest rates guided by evidence and independent judgment or will succumb to political pressure.”

To muted applause and not a few stony faces, US President Donald Trump took the stage before hundreds of the world’s rich and powerful Wednesday for the most anticipated speech of this year’s Davos forum.But during the two-hour wait to get in, the excitement to hear the leader of the world’s most powerful nation in person was palpable — “It’s like a rock festival,” one attendee said.  Quickly the doors to the World Economic Forum’s packed congress hall closed, forcing hundreds to scramble for spots in overflow rooms to watch him on screens.Even the president of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics, was stuck in line at one point before an aide guided him elsewhere.”It’s interesting that people were lining up to hear President Trump, like they were not lining to hear any other speaker — none has got such kind of interest,” Rinkevics told AFP afterwards.Many were apprehensive about the escalating tensions between Trump and Europe over his bid to seize Greenland, a crisis that has overshadowed the annual schmoozefest’s agenda.”I expect the worst. From what we know from Trump, he always needs to have all the attention and he needs to have a shocker message,” Julia Binder, of the Swiss-based IMD Business School, told AFP.And shock he did.- ‘Neo-imperial’ -In one overflow room, attendees mockingly laughed and gasped throughout his speech.Guffaws when Trump talked about wind farms killing birds. Nervous laughs when he said he was asking for “a piece of ice”, meaning Greenland. Stunned and turning to each other for confirmation when Trump abruptly started referring to Greenland as “Iceland”.Others said “oh no” when he alleged that “Canada lives because of the United States” after accusing its Prime Minister Mark Carney of being ungrateful in his own widely praised speech on Tuesday. Unbelieving laughs broke out when he made fun of French President Emmanuel Macron for wearing sunglasses — due to a burst blood vessel — during his own speech on Tuesday.And howls when he again insisted: “All the US is asking for is a place called Greenland.””I would say he’s gone from neocon to neo-imperial,” one attendee whispered.An hour into Trump’s rambling speech, people started to leave the overflow rooms. “He’s a nutcase,” one said on the way out. – ‘Piece of rock’ -Many said Trump was the ideal guest at a forum for hearing provocative voices.”Davos is a platform for and exchange of ideas, of views. So we are here to listen to all views, whether we like them or not,” said Daniel Marokane, chief executive of a South African power company.But others took umbrage at his trademark abrasiveness and attacks, including an insistence that the US deserves Greenland as payback for its massive NATO financing.”We’re in the business of democracy, we’re not in the business of merger and acquisitions,” Sweden’s Energy Minister Ebba Busch said afterwards. “We will not be blackmailed”.”Trump got elected because he knows how to read a room, but I’m not sure he read the room this time,” said an American medical technology executive, who like others requested anonymity to protect his company’s identity.”One guy I saw get up and leave, he was visibly shaking with anger.”For Polish President Karol Nawrocki, it was a “very important speech”, not least because Trump claimed he would not use force to acquire Greenland.”We’re looking for the diplomatic solution of this, and I’m sure that it will be solved,” he told AFP.Vocal Trump critic Gavin Newsom, governor of California, called Trump’s speech “jaw dropping” for an international audience, saying he had harmed US-European ties despite backing off his implicit threat of using force to seize Greenland. “The damage is extraordinary. And that’s what made this speech so pathetic. What was the point of all this?” he said.For Philippe Aghion, co-winner of the 2025 Nobel prize in economics, “His speech confirms my feeling that Europe needs to rise up, wake up”.”You have to negotiate from a position of strength, and it’s important for Europe to make itself respected,” he told AFP.

US President Donald Trump for the first time ruled out using force to take Greenland as he addressed world leaders in Davos Wednesday, but demanded “immediate negotiations” to acquire the island from Denmark.Trump’s quest to take control of Greenland from a NATO ally has deeply shaken the global order and the markets, and it dominated his first address to the World Economic Forum in six years.In a speech lasting more than an hour in the Swiss ski resort, Trump slammed “ungrateful” Denmark for refusing to give up Greenland, and said the United States alone could guarantee the security of the “giant piece of ice”.But Trump appeared to take the threat of military action off the table, in a dramatic turnaround from his previous threats that the US could use force to take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island.”We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable — but I won’t do that,” Trump said.”I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.”Wall Street stocks opened higher Wednesday after Trump’s comments.Denmark said it was a “positive” sign that Trump had said he wanted to avoid military force — but stressed that the US president had not backed away from his push to acquire Greenland.”What is quite clear after this speech is that the president’s ambition remains intact,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.Greenland’s government meanwhile unveiled a new brochure on Wednesday offering advice to the population in the event of a “crisis” in the territory, saying it was an “insurance policy”. – ‘Immediate negotiations’ -Trump repeatedly pushed his claims to Greenland — which he mistakenly called Iceland several times — during lengthy remarks on the deepest crisis in transatlantic relations for decades.He said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States” and added that Washington would “remember” if Denmark said no.Trump says Greenland is under threat from Russia and China.The US president also lambasted Europe on a number of fronts from security to tariffs and the economy, saying it was “not heading in the right direction”. Trump flew into Davos by helicopter, stepping onto a red carpet laid in the snow — but he flew into a growing international storm over Greenland.He arrived some two hours behind schedule, after an electrical issue earlier forced Air Force One to turn back to Washington and the president to switch planes.Europe and Canada had earlier closed ranks against what they view as a threat to the US-led global order from Trump’s territorial ambitions.Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney won a standing ovation at Davos on Tuesday when he warned of a “rupture” to the US-led system. French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said Europe would not be bullied.But Trump, who was due to meet a number of leaders in Davos, renewed his attacks on the two leaders, mocking Macron in particular for wearing sunglasses at Davos, which the French president said was because of an eye condition.- ‘Thoughtful diplomacy’ -Trump also repeatedly expressed doubts on NATO during his speech, saying Washington was treated “so unfairly” and questioning whether the alliance would defend the United States if asked.NATO chief Mark Rutte, whom Trump was due to meet in Davos, said Wednesday that “thoughtful diplomacy” was needed to resolve the crisis. The Greenland row has also soured relations with the European Union, which has threatened countermeasures after Trump vowed tariffs of up to 25 percent on eight European countries for backing Denmark.But Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a Trump ally, told AFP after the “very important” speech: “I think the situation will be calm.” He said he understood the US leader’s stance amid Russian pressure at EU borders.In a speech that veered from topic to topic, Trump also expressed hope of ending the Ukraine war soon, saying he expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on Thursday.Also on Thursday, meanwhile, Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called “Board of Peace”, a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.burs-dk/rlp

A US House panel was set to vote Wednesday on whether to launch contempt of Congress proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton over their refusal to testify before its politically charged investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.The Republican-led House Oversight Committee is weighing two resolutions accusing the former president and former secretary of state of defying subpoenas to appear in person before investigators.If approved, the measures advance to the full House of Representatives, also majority Republican, which would decide whether to formally cite the Democratic power couple for contempt and refer them to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution.The vote underscores how the Epstein affair continues to cast a long shadow over Washington, entangling some of the most prominent names in US politics.Lawmakers are examining how authorities handled earlier investigations into Epstein, whose 2019 death in custody as he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges was ruled a suicide.The Clintons say the probe is being weaponized to attack political opponents of President Donald Trump — himself a longtime Epstein associate who has not been called to testify — rather than to conduct legitimate oversight.Trump spent months trying to block the disclosure of the files linked to Epstein, who moved in elite circles for years, cultivating close ties with business tycoons, politicians, academics and celebrities to whom he was suspected of trafficking girls and young women for sex.The president and his Justice Department officials are accused by Democrats of a cover-up, having released only a fraction of the case files it was required by law to make public more than a month ago.  Neither Trump nor the Clintons have been accused of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein.But Republicans say the Democratic couple’s past links to the disgraced financier, including Bill Clinton’s use of his private jet in the early 2000s, justify in‑person questioning under oath.- ‘Ridiculous offer’ -The contempt push followed oversight committee Chairman James Comer’s rejection of a last‑minute offer for a narrower interview with Bill Clinton in New York.Comer said the proposal would have limited questioning to a single lawmaker, barring colleagues from participating and producing no official transcript — terms he said violate standard committee practice.”I have rejected the Clintons’ ridiculous offer,” Comer said, accusing them of seeking special treatment because of their name.Clinton representatives dispute that account, saying they never opposed testimony being on the record or under oath. In refusal letters, the couple argue that the subpoenas are invalid because they lack a clear legislative purpose.Instead, the Clintons submitted sworn written statements describing their knowledge of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a prison sentence for sex trafficking.Comer announced that Maxwell had been scheduled to give a deposition before the committee’s investigators on February 9, although he said he expected her to assert her constitutional right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination.Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane in the early 2000s for Clinton Foundation-related humanitarian work but said he never visited Epstein’s private island.Hillary Clinton said she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his island. The committee vote exposes divisions among Democrats, some of whom privately acknowledge that no one should be beyond scrutiny in efforts to uncover the full scope of Epstein’s crimes. Others fear that advancing the contempt resolutions plays into a partisan strategy to shift attention away from Trump’s own past contacts with Epstein and from criticism that his administration has moved slowly to release all related records.”We have offered to help, we have helped, and to this very moment we are ready to help,” Bill Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Angel Urena posted on X.”But the Republicans REFUSE to say YES.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday of “politicising” the institution, ratcheting up pressure on the central bank.President Donald Trump has accused Powell of not moving faster to cut interest rates, and the Fed chief revealed this month that the Justice Department has launched an investigation into him — a move former Fed chairs labelled an effort to undermine the bank’s independence.Bessent on Wednesday criticised Powell for planning to attend a Supreme Court hearing on Trump’s attempt to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook, calling his presence “a political statement”.”I am not sure why Chair Powell would go and support Governor Cook when the Fed has not undertaken an examination of whether she did in fact commit mortgage fraud,” Bessent said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, citing allegations Cook has denied.”The Fed should not be politicised. He is politicising the Fed.”Trump has anchored his attempt to remove Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the central bank’s board of governors, on mortgage fraud allegations.She challenged the removal attempt and the Supreme Court allowed her to remain in her post until it hears her case. She has not been charged with a crime.Trump renewed criticism of Powell in Davos on Wednesday, blaming Fed policymaking for holding back his achievements.”They stop you from being successful,” he said, adding that he planned to announce a new Fed chairman in the “not-too-distant future”, with Powell’s term at the helm ending in May.This month, Powell revealed that US prosecutors had opened an inquiry into him over an ongoing renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.Prosecutors sent the Fed subpoenas and threatened a criminal indictment relating to testimony Powell gave last summer about the remodelling. Powell has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated attempt to influence the central bank’s interest rate setting, and the heads of major central banks have thrown their support behind him.Trump has said he will judge Powell’s successor on whether they immediately cut rates.

US President Donald Trump ruled out using force to take Greenland for the first time as he addressed world leaders in Davos Wednesday, but demanded “immediate negotiations” to acquire the island from Denmark.Trump’s quest to take control of Greenland from a NATO ally has deeply shaken the global order and the markets, and it dominated his first address to the World Economic Forum in six years.In a speech lasting more than an hour in the Swiss ski resort, Trump slammed “ungrateful” Denmark for refusing to give up Greenland, and said the United States alone could guarantee the security of the “giant piece of ice”.But Trump appeared to take the threat of military action off the table, in a dramatic turnaround from his previous threats that the US could use force to take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island.”We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable — but I won’t do that,” Trump said.”I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.”Wall Street stocks opened higher Wednesday after Trump’s comments.- ‘Immediate negotiations’ -Trump however pushed his claims to what he called “our territory” — and mistakenly called it Iceland on several occasions — during lengthy remarks on the deepest crisis in transatlantic relations for decades.He said he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States” and added that Washington would “remember” if Denmark said no.Trump says Greenland is under threat from Russia and China.The US president also lambasted Europe on a number of fronts from security to tariffs and the economy, saying it was “not heading in the right direction”. Trump flew into Davos by helicopter, stepping onto a red carpet laid in the snow — but he flew into a growing international storm over Greenland.He arrived some two hours behind schedule, after an electrical issue earlier forced Air Force One to turn back to Washington and switch planes.In a sign of dissent against Trump, the words “No Kings” were dug into the snow overlooking mountain-fringed Davos overnight, referring to a US protest slogan.Europe and Canada had earlier closed ranks against what they view as a threat to the US-led global order from Trump’s territorial ambitions over semi-autonomous Greenland.In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday he would not “yield” to pressure from Trump on Greenland.Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney won a standing ovation at Davos on Tuesday when he warned of a “rupture” to the US-led system. French President Emmanuel Macron meanwhile said Europe would not be bullied.But Trump, who was due to meet a number of leaders in Davos, renewed his attacks on the French president and Canadian premier.He mocked Macron for wearing sunglasses at Davos, which the French president said was because of an eye condition, and said that Carney “wasn’t so grateful” and that Canada “lives because of the United States”.- ‘Thoughtful diplomacy’ -Earlier, NATO chief Mark Rutte told Davos on Wednesday that “thoughtful diplomacy” was needed, as Trump’s claims over Greenland provoke an existential crisis for the group.Rutte also pushed back against Trump after the US leader said he doubted NATO would come to the aid of the United States if asked. “I tell him, yes they will,” Rutte said.Trump however repeated his doubts on NATO during his speech, saying Washington was treated “so unfairly”.The Greenland row has also soured relations with the European Union, which has threatened countermeasures after Trump vowed tariffs of up to 25 percent on eight European countries for backing Denmark.But Polish President Karol Nawrocki, a Trump ally, told AFP after the “very important” speech: “I think the situation will be calm.” He said he understood the US leader’s stance amid Russian pressure at EU borders.In a speech that veered from topic to topic, Trump also boasted of his achievements since his return to power a year and a day ago. He last spoke at Davos in his first term in 2020.Trump unleashed his trademark anti-migrant rhetoric, particularly against Somalis in the United States — while hailing the US economy as the “engine” of the world.The US president also expressed hope of ending the Ukraine war soon, saying he expected to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos on Thursday.Also on Thursday, meanwhile, Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called “Board of Peace”, a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.burs-dk/rlp

It looked like a rock concert: hundreds of the world’s rich and powerful stood in a massive line for a precious seat to hear US President Donald Trump deliver his speech in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.After a two-hour wait, the doors to the World Economic Forum’s congress hall closed to the disappointment of many who had to scramble for spots in four overflow rooms to watch him on television screens.The exclusive crowd included executives of top companies, academics and politicians — even the president of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics, was stuck in line at one point before an aide guided him elsewhere.”It’s like a rock festival,” one attendee said. Another watched Trump’s helicopter landing in the mountain retreat on her phone.Some voiced concern about the escalating tensions between Trump and Europe over this bid to seize Greenland, an issue that has overshadowed the annual schmoozefest’s agenda.”I expect the worst. From what we know from Trump, he always needs to have all the attention and he needs to have a shocker message,” Julia Binder, of IMD Business School, told AFP.And shock he did.In one overflow room, attendees laughed and gasped throughout his speech.Guffaws when Trump talked about wind farms killing birds. Nervous laughs when he said he was asking for “a piece of ice”, meaning Greenland. Others gasped “oh no” when he said: “Canada lives because of the United States.” Another said: “Oh my goodness!” when Trump recalled that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte once referred to him as “daddy”.And more laughs when he mocked French President Emmanuel Macron for wearing sunglasses — due to a burst blood vessel — during his own speech on Tuesday.”I would say he’s gone from neocon to neo-imperial,” one attendee whispered in another room.An hour into Trump’s rambling speech, some people started to leave from overflow rooms.- ‘Piece of rock’ -Some said Davos was a place to listen to different voices.”Davos is a platform for and exchange of ideas, of views. So we are here to listen to all views, whether we like them or not,” said Daniel Marokane, chief executive of a South African power company.It was Trump’s first in-person visit to Davos since 2020. Last year, he addressed the Davos crowd via a livestream, warning that he would impose tariffs on their companies if they did not move production to the United States. Greenland has replaced tariffs as the topic of the week.”What I can’t understand is why are we fighting over a piece of rock covered with ice,” Ken Griffin, the billionaire head of the Citadel pension fund, said at a panel hours before Trump’s arrival.”The United States has access to military bases in Greenland,” he said. “We don’t need Greenland.”