Category World News

As the city’s worst wildfires ever to spread to the sky were visible from space on Thursday morning, the Hollywood Hills were igniting uncontrollably.

The Hollywood Hills’ heartland was threatened by the fast-paced blaze on Wednesday night as firefighters battled to contain it amid dry, hurricane-force winds that slowed down operations and spread the flames.

At least five wildfires were burning in Los Angeles County at the time, putting 130, 000 people under evacuation orders as the fire ravaged inland Pasadena and the Pacific Coast.

The flames that tore through some of the world’s most lavish real estate and above showbiz landmarks instantly recognized throughout the world included the homes of movie stars and celebrities.

The flames reached Calabasas and Santa Monica, home to California’s rich and famous. The stars who lost homes included Cary Elwes, Paris Hilton, and Manny Moore. In the Palisades Fire, Billy Crystal and his wife Janice lost their 45-year home.

After rushing back to the city, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass cut off an official trip to Ghana, saying, “This firestorm is the big one,” he said at a press conference.

Production at a number of Hollywood studios was halted, and Universal Studios’ theme park between Pasadena and Pacific Palisades was closed.

Palisades Charter High School, which has been used in numerous Hollywood productions, including the 1976 horror film Carrie and the TV series Teen Wolf, was one of the area’s more than half a dozen schools, according to officials, which were either damaged or destroyed.

At a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Tuesday, United States President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his desire to acquire Greenland, which he said was critical to American national security.

The Republican leader, who is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 20, refrained from using military or economic force to avenge the autonomous Danish territory.

Trump has also stated that in order to expand the US’s territory, he wants to become the 51st state and take control of the Panama Canal.

So why does Trump want to acquire Greenland — a territory that is 80 percent covered in snow and is more than 3, 000km (1, 864 miles) from the US capital, Washington, DC? Is this the first time the US has attempted to annex Greenland?

Where is Greenland? What’s its status?

Greenland, the largest island in the world and geographically located between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean, is geographically located in North America. Though Australia is much larger and is surrounded by water, it isn’t considered an island because it’s a continent.

Greenland is home to some 56, 000 residents, mostly Indigenous Inuit people.

Its capital, Nuuk, is closer to New York (some 2, 900km or 1, 800 miles) than Copenhagen, which is located 3, 500km (2, 174 miles) to the east.

The island was under Danish rule from the early 18th century until 1979, when it became a self-governing territory. Since 2009, Greenland has the right to declare independence through a referendum.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede has called for independence from Denmark.

The Arctic island is one of Denmark’s two autonomous territories, the other one being the Faroe Islands.

Greenland is automatically a member of the North Atlantic military alliance because Denmark is a member of NATO.

Although it is one of the 25 overseas countries and territories (OCTs) of the EU, Greenland is not a member state. “OCT nationals are EU citizens”, an EU law website says. Hence, Greenlanders are considered to be EU citizens.

In 1973, Greenland joined the now-defunct European Community with Denmark, but left in 1985. The EU has replaced the European Community.

The EU has not officially commented on Trump’s recent statements.

How have Greenland and Denmark reacted to Trump’s threats?

Trump stated in a post on his Truth Social Media platform on December 23 that “Growland’s ownership and control are a necessity in every way.”

To this, Greenland’s elected Prime Minister Egede said the island was not for sale. “Greenland is ours. We can never and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom”, Egede said in a written comment.

Following Trump’s desire to conquer the autonomous island, the Danish government announced it would increase defense spending in Greenland to $ 1.5 billion.

On Tuesday, ahead of his son Donald Trump Jr’s trip to Greenland, the US president-elect again posted on his Truth Social platform saying: “Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation …”.

Following Trump’s latest comments, Egede met with Danish King Frederik X in Copenhagen on Wednesday, but details of the meeting were not made public.

Greenland’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated on Tuesday that the island had no intention of establishing a federal state in the United States, while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated on Tuesday that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”

“Greenland, as an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, enjoys sovereignty under the Rigsfællesskabet framework, and any military intervention would constitute a direct violation of its rights as well as Denmark’s”, Christine Nissen, the chief analyst at the Copenhagen-based think tank Europa, told Al Jazeera.

Denmark and the EU are engaged in a difficult balancing act by attempting to maintain a positive relationship with the United States, a crucial transatlantic partner, while recognizing the seriousness of being threatened by such a fundamental principle as sovereignty.

She said that to de-escalate tensions and protect broader cooperative interests, it is necessary to use strategic diplomacy.

Why does Trump want Greenland?

Trump has previously stated his desire to control the island, which also houses a US military base. Trump canceled his trip to Copenhagen after a close US ally, Denmark, turned down his offer to purchase the island during his first term.

The shortest route between North America and Europe is in Greenland. The US now has a better understanding of its military and its early warning system for ballistic missiles.

By installing radars in the waters that connect Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom, the US has expressed interest in expanding its military presence there. Washington intends to track Russian and Chinese vessels in these waters.

Additionally, the island is incredibly rich in minerals, including rare earth minerals used in batteries and high-tech industries.

According to a 2023 survey, 25 of 34 minerals deemed” critical raw materials “by the European Commission were found in Greenland.

The indigenous population of Greenland opposes its mining industry because it does not extract oil and gas. The island’s fishing industry is largely responsible for its economy.

Has the US ever attempted to purchase Greenland?

Yes. Greenland has long been a topic of interest for the US.

In 1867 and 1946, when President Harry S. Truman suggested purchasing Greenland for $100 million, the US has considered doing so at least twice. Denmark rejected the offer.

In 1867, the US bought Alaska from Russia. US Secretary of State William H. Seward made an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate the purchase of Greenland after this.

Following Nazi Germany’s invasion of Denmark during World War II, the US occupied Greenland in 1941. Since then, American forces have been operating from the island’s military and radio base, Pituffik Space Base, which was formerly known as Thule Air Base, in the northwest of Greenland.

In 1946, Truman made a pitch to purchase the island for $100 million, which Denmark rejected. This was done in accordance with Cold War secrets, which was only revealed in an Associated Press report in 1991.

The Mercator projection: How big is Greenland?

In terms of actual size, some modern world maps can be misleading. The Arctic island is 2.17 million square kilometres (836, 330 square miles), making it about three times the size of the US state Texas.

However, the Danish territory is perceived to be larger based on maps. This is because modern world maps frequently use the Mercator projection, which was created by the 1569-era European cartographer Geert de Kremer. The projection’s distortion of landmass proportions has been criticized.

On the Mercator map, it appears that Greenland’s territory is almost as large as Africa’s. However, in reality, 14 Greenlands can fit inside Africa.

Why did Trump’s son visit Greenland?

Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr arrived in Greenland on Tuesday. The Greenland government said that Trump Jr was visiting the island” as a private individual”, and Greenland’s representatives would not meet him.

Despite this, Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Monday, writing: &nbsp”,I am hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘ MAGA'”, referring to the Make America Great Again movement.

” My son, Don Jr, and various representatives, will be traveling there to visit some of the most magnificent areas and sights.

“Greenland is an incredible place, and the people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our nation”, Trump added. “We will protect it, and cherish it, from a very vicious outside world”.

How has the world reacted?

Some European leaders are offended by Trump’s recent remarks, which could undermine US-EU ties.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rebuked Trump’s idea on Wednesday. “Borders must not be moved by force,” he said. This principle applies to every country, whether in the East or the West”, he wrote on his X account.

There is concern about recent US statements in discussions with our European partners. It is clear: We must stand together”.

There is “no question of the EU letting other nations in the world, whoever they may be,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Wednesday, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

According to Nissen from the Europa think-tank, Trump’s threat “could represent a fundamental rupture” in the US-EU relationship as well as the “collapse of the current international order, including NATO and the liberal world order.”

This underscores Europe’s vested interest in minimizing the likelihood that this will ever materialize, preserving stability, and ensuring that speculative threats remain exactly that: speculative.

Elon Musk is expected to have a significant impact on the new Trump administration. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is tasked with reducing government spending and bureaucracy, will be led by him. Additionally, he appears to have a lot of influence on the new president given his closeness to Donald Trump. What should we make of Musk’s new political power? The pros and cons are weigh-in’d by Sandra Gathmann in Start Here.

This episode features:

Thomas Gift | Director of the Centre on US Politics, University College London

Vittoria Elliott | Platforms and Power Reporter, Wired

Islamabad, Pakistan – When Richard Grenell, a close confidante of Donald Trump, the incoming United States president, demanded the release of Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan last November during protests in Islamabad, the post went viral.

In another since-deleted tweet the same day, Grenell wrote, “Watch Pakistan. The people have been influenced by the US Red Wave, and their Trump-like leader is facing false charges. Stop the international political prosecutions”!

On December 16, the day after Trump nominates him as a presidential envoy for special missions, Grenell reiterated his demand for Khan’s release. Both tweets have received hundreds of thousands of views. This time, the post racked up more than 10 million views.

The message gained further momentum when Matt Gaetz, another Republican and a former Trump nominee for attorney general, also wrote, “Free Imran Khan”.

The posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) were seen as a significant boost for Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which has been advocating for their leader’s release since August 2023.

However, many commentators expressed doubts about how much pressure is being put on Pakistan to release the former prime minister’s interest in Khan by Trump allies. And less than three years after it accused Washington of a role in Khan’s removal, some people pointed out a grave irony in the country’s most well-known political party, the PTI, which is trying to woo US support.

Complex relationship

After nearly four years in power, the Khan’s government was removed from power in April 2022 by a parliamentary no-confidence vote.

He alleged a US-led conspiracy, in collusion with Pakistan’s powerful military, as the cause of his removal, rallying his supporters to protest nationwide. These allegations have been vehemently refuted by both the US and Pakistani military.

Since then, Khan and his party have faced a wave of crackdowns. Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 on dozens of charges and convictions. His party’s symbol – a cricket bat – was banned from Pakistan’s national election last February, forcing its candidates to contest as independents.

Relations between Pakistan and the US appear to have gotten a little better since Khan’s removal, with Donald Blome being named as the post’s replacement in May 2022. The post has been vacant since August 2018.

US officials have largely avoided commenting throughout the investigation into Khan and the PTI, citing Pakistan’s internal affairs. However, powerful Pakistani diaspora organizations in the US have actively campaigned among American politicians to bring about Khan’s recovery.

“The vocal advocacy of the Pakistani diaspora in the US, particularly around the release of Imran Khan, adds layers of complexity to this relationship”, Hassan Abbas, a professor at the National Defense University in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera.

In response to bipartisan requests for President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to watch Pakistan’s contentious elections in February 2024, their efforts led the US Congress to hold a hearing on the “future of democracy” in Pakistan in March of last year.

Months later, in October, more than 60 Democratic legislators urged Biden to leverage Washington’s influence over Islamabad to secure Khan’s release. Then, just days before the US election on&nbsp, November 5, Atif Khan, a senior PTI leader in the US, met Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump to discuss concerns about Khan’s incarceration.

A congressional hearing on the November protests in Islamabad, which included at least 12 PTI employees, is scheduled for January 22, two days after the new Trump administration takes office. The PTI blames the authorities for the casualties.

Islamabad has so far rejected Trump allies’ comments as having any relevance. Last month, the Pakistani foreign office said the country seeks relations based on “mutual respect, mutual interest, and noninterference in each other’s domestic affairs”.

“As for anyone making statements in their individual capacity, we would not like to comment on that”, said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the foreign office spokesperson, during a media briefing.

Shehbaz Sharif, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s prime minister, claimed that the government views remarks made by people like Grenell and Gaetz as those of “private American citizens.”

The government does not respond to remarks made by individual citizens. Only if there is agitation at the government level will there be a need to issue a formal response, Afzal told Al Jazeera. “We look forward to working with the new administration,” Afzal said.

Khan as knight in shining armour?

Syed Mohammad Ali, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, described PTI supporters ‘ campaigning for US support as “kind of ironic”.

The PTI-supporting diaspora is now wooing the incoming US administration to play a stronger role in what is happening in Pakistani politics, Ali told Al Jazeera.

“But putting aside that irony, it does demonstrate that many foreign Pakistanis who live far away from home view Imran Khan as their shining armor.”

Trump later developed a relationship with Khan while serving as prime minister from 2018 to 2022, when he first criticized Pakistan for providing “nothing but lies and deceit.”

Trump called Khan his “very good friend,” and they first met in Washington in July 2019 and again in Davos in January 2020.

By contrast, relations between Khan and Biden were frosty. After assuming the presidency in November 2020, Khan frequently criticised Biden for not getting in touch with him.

Former Pakistani ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, acknowledged the Pakistani diaspora’s effectiveness in mobilising support. “They have persuaded individuals in both parties to call for Khan’s release”, he told Al Jazeera.

However, Haqqani, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, cautioned that Pakistan remains a low priority for Trump’s foreign policy.

PTI supporters should not assume that this is how they can gain influence over US officials. Apart from one or two statements, there’s no sign of a broader policy shift”, Haqqani said.

Ali, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, emphasized the disconnect between US foreign policy and domestic politics.

“Perhaps the Trump administration will approach things more transactionally. Pakistan has benefitted in the past during Republican regimes, but currently, it isn’t a significant player in US plans”, he said.

Haqqani noted that US leverage often involves sanctions and economic pressures, but Pakistan, no longer a major aid recipient, offers limited options for influence.

Post-9/11, Pakistan was a significant recipient of US aid. But in recent years, aid has drastically reduced. Issues like Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs, its relationship with China, and alleged support for militants are what concern the US”, he said.

As Kyiv’s counterinvasion passed its five-month mark this week, Ukrainian forces launched a new surprise offensive inside Russia, expanding its reach to the north and east.

On Sunday, geolocated footage showed Ukrainian forces entering the settlement and departing from their base in Sudzha, capturing fields, and entering Berdin.

By Monday, Ukrainian forces had also captured the settlements of Russkoye Porechnoye and Novosotnitsky. The main thoroughfare connects Sudzha to Kursk, the regional capital, and all three settlements.

According to Russian military bloggers, Ukrainian forces also control Martynovka, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye, and Mikhaylovka.

According to the Russian bloggers, the Ukrainian forces reportedly advanced in three waves using armoured vehicles and company-sized assaults.

The use of electronic warfare was cited as one of the keys to their success.

“Our drones can’t do anything about it yet, as enemy EW (electronic warfare) has nailed them literally to the ground”, one reporter wrote.

Ukrainian forces also seem to have used High Mobility Army Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to block Russian reinforcements.

“As in August, the enemy is actively covering up his offensive actions with HIMARS strikes”, wrote a Russian reporter. “He is trying to knock out our suitable reserves, artillery and drone operators”.

Explosions were reported at an aviation technical base in Kursk itself, about 70km (40 miles) from Ukrainian-held areas. More than one Ukrainian missile was shot down, according to the military operations headquarters in Kursk, suggesting others had crossed.

According to reports from the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, “Ukraine forces are using longer-range fires to interdict Russian rear areas and EW to degrade Russian drones in support of Ukrainian mechanized advances,” “the Ukrainian forces operating in Kursk are employing more effective combined arms tactics.”

In addition to missiles, Ukraine has used long-range drones of its own build to attack Russian energy assets. A Ukrainian drone hit a terminal for gas condensate transshipment in the port of Ust-Luga, near Leningrad, on Saturday, causing a massive fire.

The occupation of tens of thousands of Russian servicemen, who would otherwise be attacking Ukrainian soil, is one of the reasons why Ukrainian officials have cited a number of causes for the counterinvasion.

“The Kursk region is where the Russians have deployed their powerful units. North Korean soldiers are involved there. What’s important is that the occupier cannot currently redirect all this force to other directions, in particular the Donetsk, Sumy, Kharkiv or Zaporizhia regions”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an evening address on Monday.

“Since the beginning of the Kursk operation, the enemy has already lost over 38, 000 troops in this area alone, including approximately 15, 000 irrecoverable losses”, he said.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces published a list of Russian equipment destroyed in Kursk, including 104 tanks, 575 armoured combat vehicles, more than 1, 000 other vehicles and 330 artillery systems.

In exchange for its own POWs, Ukraine claimed to have taken 860 Russians from Kursk and used them.

Are Russian tanks dwindling?

Russia’s ability to replace soldiers is less certain, compared to its ability to replace equipment.

Ukraine’s defence ministry estimated that during 2024 its forces had destroyed 3, 689 Russian tanks, 8, 956 armoured combat vehicles, and more than 13, 000 artillery pieces. 5 ships and 458 smaller craft were reportedly sunk by the Ukrainian Navy.

Soviet armour has been being recovered and repurposed for use by Russia. Its ability to continue doing that is not known.

Despite satellite photography suggesting a high percentage of Russia’s tanks were in such poor condition as to be inaccessible, one monitor of Russian hardware estimated that there were only about 48 percent of its tanks left and a similar proportion of its armored fighting vehicles.

Russia had two to three years of armour, according to an estimate made by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies a year ago.

Questions about Russian armor were also raised by the continued Russian assaults on Ukrainian positions this week.

The twin settlements of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad in Donetsk, which Russian forces have attacked 26 times along a front that is 45 kilometers (30 miles) away from the south, have received the majority of their manpower and firepower.

In his Saturday evening address, Zelenskyy stated that “ferferent battles continue along the entire front line, with Pokrovsk being the hottest area.”

On Tuesday, 41 combat clashes were in this area, out of 176 across the entire front.

At the closest point, Russian forces held positions just 1.5km (1 mile) from Pokrovsk, where 7, 300 civilians were reportedly still living and working.

“The intensity of the fighting has changed, it has become greater. Serhiy Okishev, a sergeant of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade fighting in the Pokrovsk region, stated on a telethon that there are now a separate motorized rifle regiment and a motorized rifle regiment of the Russian Federation.

However, he pointed out that Russian troops were using fewer armoured vehicles and more buggies, golf carts and civilian vehicles. Whether this was due to the Russian arsenal’s lack of armor or manoeuvrability was a factor.

Similar to what a spokesman for the Ukrainian forces in Kurakhove said on Friday: “The Russians have switched to attacks only by infantry in the past few weeks, and if armoured vehicles are used, then only for fire support and in the assaults themselves do not take part.

Because they are so afraid of our antitank missile systems, he said, “The Russians keep their own armored vehicles as far as they can.”

Ukraine invests in long-range and unmanned systems

In the past year, Ukraine has made significant investments in its own defense sector, particularly unmanned systems of all kinds, and is working on novel strategies.

Ukrainian media outlet TSN learned on Monday that the Ukrainian military intelligence’s Magura V sea drone shot down two Russian Mi8 helicopters over the Black Sea on December 31.

The attack took place near Cape Tarkhankut, 15km (10 miles) from Sevastopol.

Unit 13 of military intelligence, responsible for operating the Magura surface drone, laid a trap for Russian aviation, which is engaged to spot and destroy naval drones once they’re sighted. “In this particular operation, we did not have the task, as usual, of hiding from aviation. We went specifically to hunt for air targets”, said an unidentified source.

The armed forces are “increasing the number of brigades with a reinforced unmanned component” and creating a separate brigade for unmanned systems, according to Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskii.

“Overall, in December, operators of the Defense Forces of Ukraine hit over 54 thousand enemy targets. Almost half of this result – 49 percent – provided by kamikaze drones”, he wrote on social media.

On Friday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyal revealed that Ukraine would construct at least 30 000 long-range drones and cruise missiles this year.

“As part of the ‘ Weapons of Victory ‘ project, we will launch long-term contracts with manufacturers for 3-5 years. We will pay special attention to the long-range component and missile program”, Shmyal said.

In order to increase Ukraine’s defense industrial capacity from an estimated $7 billion in 2024, the drone and missile programs were a part of a strategy.

The prospect of a freeze in the conflict along the current battle lines has increased as a result of Donald Trump’s pledge to end the war this year.

Zelenskyy praised France for bringing up the possibility, but added that this should be done as part of a deal bringing Ukraine into NATO, and that he was willing to host a multinational force of European peacekeepers in Ukraine.

“It ought to be on the path to NATO without a doubt. The deployment of European forces does not mean that NATO will not have a future, Zelenskyy said. Trump seems to be optimistic about this, he said.