United States of the Middle East

US President Donald Trump posted a photo of the United States flag covering the map of Iran, with the question: “United States of the Middle East?” 

The post on Truth Social on Saturday represented another potentially incendiary message from Trump amid supposedly ongoing negotiations for a more lasting ceasefire in the US-Israeli war with Iran.

That's not all! The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed they executed targeted "self-defence" military strikes in southern Iran on Monday. The operations primarily targeted the port city of Bandar Abbas and areas near Larak Island, hitting missile launch sites as well as IRGC mine-laying boats. 

Iran retaliated – but it was very much a restrained response. As far as I am aware, the IRGC downed an MQ-9 Reaper drone and repelled an F-35 fighter jet (as per IRGC on Tuesday).

Mohammad Akbarzadeh, the deputy political chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, was even quoted by the Tasnim news agency as saying that the possibility of renewed war is low!

Why is Iran still trusting the United States?! When will Iran ever learn?!?!

😡😡😡😡

…and Greenland breathes a sigh of relief.

On Friday, he had posted this 👇

Pearly Tan said she felt a sense of relief more than anything else as Malaysia's world No. 2 women's pair made a triumphant return to competitive action in the first round at the Singapore Badminton Open 2026 today. 

The 26-year-old and partner Thinaah Muralitharan were made to work hard before emerging victorious over Taiwan's world No. 26 Hu Ling Fang-Jheng Yu Chieh 20-22, 21-16, 21-15 in 51 minutes. 

Pearly-Thinaah next face either Thailand's Aimsaard sisters, Benyapa-Nuntakarn, or Canada's Jackie Dent-Crystal Lai in the second round.

Donald Trump's Alleged Worldview

A cartoon titled "Trump's Map of the World", drawn by illustrator Julian Fiebach and shared by the German magazine Der Spiegel, has gone viral on the Internet. 

The cartoon offers a biting, satirical reimagining of the world map through Donald Trump's eyes and mocks his foreign policy, which is often described as "narcissistic and resource-obsessed". 

The scathing cartoon reduces global geopolitics to an egocentric scribble where nations and continents are labeled not by geography or history but by what they represent in Trump's personal worldview. Through humour and exaggeration, the cartoon mocks the transactional and self-centered approach often associated with Trump's leadership style. 

Instead of depicting nations in the usual way, the sketch presents the world through what appears to be Trump's own way of interpreting it. Many regions are labelled not by their actual names but by resources, business interests, or stereotypes. 

Words such as "oil", "diamonds", "casino", "tea", and "chips" appear across different parts of the map, implying that places are valued mainly for what they can provide economically or strategically. 

At the center lies "Me", an oversized, irregularly shaped landmass dominating what should be North America. This suggests a highly self-focused view of global affairs, where American interests come first and everything else is seen in relation to them. Prominently marked are "Mar-a-Lago" (Trump's Florida resort), "NY" (New York, his birthplace and business hub), a "Casino", and "Wall". 

To the north and east, oil-rich regions are tagged "oil" multiple times, including on distorted versions of the Middle East and parts of Russia. 

Other regions are also reduced to commodities, business opportunities, or political rivals. 

The drawing makes fun of Trump's often unconventional ideas about international relations, such as his widely discussed suggestion that the US could purchase Greenland. 

On the other side of the map, a large part of Asia is labelled "Xi Ping", referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping. This reflects the intense geopolitical and economic rivalry between the United States and China during Trump's presidency. 

Vladimir Putin gets his own sprawling domain labeled "Putin", complete with "war" scribbled nearby, hinting at Ukraine and broader aggression. Europe shrinks to a tiny "EU" sliver attached to the "Riviera", while Africa is reduced to "diamonds". 

Other parts of the world are also portrayed through blunt stereotypes. Scattered islands bear dismissive labels like "idiots" and "cold".

The all-Malaysian clash in the Australian Open quarter-finals yesterday didn't happen.

World No. 22 Aira Azman withdrew due to a hamstring injury, leaving top seed Sivasangari Subramaniam to advance straight into the semi-finals against world No. 12 Nele Gilis of Belgium.

Denmark Switches to Red Streetlights

A quiet transformation is underway in Gladsaxe, Denmark, where urban lighting is evolving to protect local wildlife without compromising public safety. 

In this municipality near Copenhagen, red LED streetlights have been installed along key roadways, offering a potential model for cities worldwide grappling with the environmental impact of artificial lighting. The initiative targets light pollution and seeks to reduce disruptions to nocturnal species, particularly bats, which are sensitive to urban light. 

This innovative shift is rooted in scientific research and aligns with global sustainability efforts. In doing so, it represents more than just a change in lighting color. It is a rethinking of how cities can evolve their infrastructure to meet pressing environmental goals, preserve local ecosystems, and manage the growing challenges of urban development. 

In most urban areas, artificial light serves primarily to ensure safety and improve visibility for pedestrians and drivers. However, growing evidence suggests that traditional lighting systems disrupt natural ecosystems. Species such as bats, which rely on echolocation for navigation and feeding, are particularly vulnerable to artificial light. Research shows that short-wavelength lights – like those in white, blue, and green spectrums – disrupt their behavior, leading to altered migration patterns and disrupted feeding cycles. 

In contrast, red-spectrum lighting has been found to have minimal impact on bat activity. In Gladsaxe, the decision to replace standard white lights with red LEDs along Frederiksborgvej, a road near a local bat colony, is designed to protect species such as the common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) and the brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus). This shift is based on evidence that red light interferes less with nocturnal species, offering a sustainable compromise between ecological protection and the need for public illumination. 

The implementation of red lights is a targeted effort to reduce the impact of street lighting on local bat populations, ensuring their ability to forage and navigate while maintaining road safety. This innovation follows findings from the Danish Road Directorate, which highlighted how artificial light affects bat behavior in close proximity to their feeding corridors and roosting areas. Gladsaxe’s project has become a key part of Denmark’s broader sustainability strategy, linking urban development with environmental responsibility. 

The introduction of red lighting in Gladsaxe is part of the EU-funded Lighting Metropolis – Green Mobility program, which also involves cities across Denmark and Sweden. The program aims to reduce the environmental footprint of urban lighting while maintaining energy efficiency and road safety. 

The move to red LEDs aligns with sustainable city goals and offers multiple benefits. These energy-efficient lights reduce power consumption compared to older systems like sodium vapor lamps. Additionally, they require less maintenance and integrate smart lighting technologies that adjust brightness based on real-time data, further improving energy efficiency.

Adding 3 New Territories to the United States

Donald Trump on Saturday, blithely boasted about his plans to expand the United States by adding Canada, Denmark colony Greenland, and Venezuela as new states, RT News reported, citing the Washington Post. 

He audaciously asserted that Canada will be the 51st state, Greenland the 52nd and Venezuela the 53rd! 

Later, he retreated and claimed he was only joking. 😅😅😅

I cannot imagine that the Canadians, Greenlanders and Venezuelans are laughing! 

😡😡😡

The above aside, methinks, Trump forgot to add Panama as the 54th state! And I would even include the Philippines as the 55th!

Mindanao Nearly Swapped for Greenland

I came across a Segundo Eclar Romeo piece in the Philippine Daily Inquirer published January 20 that more than a century ago, Mindanao and Palawan were casually floated as tradable assets in an internal United States diplomatic letter, suggested as part of a geopolitical swap for Greenland.

Yes, you read that right. 

In 1910, then US Ambassador to Denmark Maurice Francis Egan sent a letter to Washington proposing what he himself described as a “very audacious suggestion”. In this proposal, the US could acquire Greenland and the Danish West Indies (now the US Virgin Islands) in exchange for Mindanao and Palawan, which were, at that time, under American colonial rule. 

The idea was that Denmark would receive the southern Philippine islands and then trade them to Germany in exchange for Northern Schleswig, a region Denmark had lost to Prussia in 1864. The proposal amounted to a three-way colonial chess move – one that treated territories with entire peoples and cultures as mere geopolitical pieces on an imperial board. 

This proposal was never presented to Denmark or discussed with Philippine colonial authorities. But it reveals much about the prevailing mindset of US diplomacy in the early 20th century – one in which strategic territories could be swapped or traded, not unlike rare cards between collectors. 

It also casts a long shadow into the present, especially in light of the current campaign of the Trump administration, which again expressed interest in acquiring Greenland by purchase and even with veiled threats of military coercion. While this modern iteration may sound implausible or laughable, it reminds us that the idea has long been simmering in the strategic imagination of the US foreign policy establishment. 

It has been said that to many Filipinos, the idea of swapping an island – even one as far-flung as Greenland – for Mindanao, home to over 26 million people and a cradle of unique cultural and historical identity, is not only unimaginable but also offensive. Mindanao is not a bargaining chip, period! 

Yet, the 1910 letter proves that this kind of thinking existed – and perhaps still exists – in circles where power outweighs principle. That Mindanao was ever proposed as a tradable item – without the knowledge or consent of its people – is not merely a historical footnote. It is a sobering reminder of how colonial logic treated territories as objects, not homelands. 

And that colonial logic is embedded deep within the Donald Trump psyche.

In Shenzhen in Guangdong province, China: 

😒😒😒

Canadian Army Prep for a Potential US Invasion

Canadian media outlet The Globe & Mail uncovered that the Canadian military has been modeling what an American invasion might look like. 

Of course, modeling isn't the same as having a battle plan – nonetheless, it points out that Canada cannot stop a southern invasion. In fact, within hours, American military superiority would crush any resistance.

However, occupying Canada becomes the real problem. Canada is massive. No nation has the numbers to dominate and hold it sustainably. Even if the government surrendered, military and civilian resistance could disappear into the wilderness or rural areas where hunting them down would prove difficult. 

The CAF model suggests Canadian forces could continue fighting using 'unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military or armed civilians would resort to ambushes, sabotage, drone warfare or hit-and-run tactics'. 

Sound familiar? Think Taliban in Afghanistan or Vietcong in the 1960s and 1970s. Hit-and-run attacks, IEDs, blending into the civilian population – tactics that proved nightmarish to counter. You can't measure success or predict where the next ambush comes from. 

With NATO countries sending troops to Denmark's colony, that is Greenland, to counter Donald Trump's annexation threats, other formerly friendly nations are reconsidering what to do if America comes knocking.

Malaysia's Sivasangari Subramaniam kept the country's hopes alive at the Tournament of Champions 2026 after producing a gritty comeback to reach the quarter-finals in New York. 

The fifth seed overturned a two-game deficit to shut the door for homester Amanda Sobhy, winning 6-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4 in a thrilling 55-minute second-round clash on Sunday.

The Kedah-born player will next take on fourth seed Olivia Weaver,

Decoding Donald Trump's Davos Speech

US President Donald Trump (left) spoke at the World Economic Forum on January 21 in Switzerland. His address was designated as a special session in the official agenda for Davos.

It was a meandering 72-minute speech of dubiety, deception and delirium. 

72 minutes in which he bragged everything is going great guns in the US of A! Grocery prices, energy prices, air fares, mortgages, rents, car payments – are all coming down and they are coming down fast!

72 minutes in which Trump confused Greenland with Iceland. One a colony of Denmark; the other a sovereign country. Multiple times. While explaining why he wants to buy it. 

72 minutes in which he called Greenland “a piece of ice” on which the fate of the Earth would depend: “What I’m asking for is a piece of ice in exchange for world peace”.

72 minutes in which he threatened a NATO ally, Denmark, with these words: “You can say yes, and we’ll appreciate it. You can say no, and we’ll remember it”.  

72 minutes in which he declared that he has “100% Scottish blood and 100% German blood”. Which would make 200%. Evidently math is not his strong suit. 

72 minutes in which he claimed that the United States, after World War II, “gave Greenland back to Denmark”. Too bad that’s not true. The United States never owned Greenland. Never. In 1916 they officially recognized Danish sovereignty. During the war they only obtained temporary military bases. And in 1946 they tried to buy it by offering 100 million dollars. Denmark said no. There was no “giving back”. 

72 minutes in which he claimed that “China has no wind turbines”. China. The country that for 15 consecutive years has been the world’s largest producer of wind energy. The one that builds 45% of all wind projects on the planet. But for Trump, “they don’t have fields of windmills”. They sell them “to the stupid”. 

72 minutes in which he said that “all the big oil companies are coming with us to Venezuela”. Too bad that 3 days earlier, the CEO of ExxonMobil told him to his face that Venezuela is “not investible”. Too bad Trump got furious and threatened to exclude Exxon. Too bad the other companies are standing on the sidelines, terrified. But at Davos he said “they’re all coming”. 

72 minutes in which he claimed that “there is practically no inflation” in the United States. US inflation is at 2.7%. Above the Fed’s target. Forecast to rise because of his own tariffs. But for him, “there is practically none”. 

72 minutes in which he attacked the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, calling him “stupid” and “Jerome too-late Powell”. Live. In front of world economic leaders. 

72 minutes in which he told the story of imposing tariffs on Switzerland out of spite, because “a woman” whose name he doesn’t remember “petted him the wrong way”. 

72 minutes in which he said that “yesterday the market crashed because of Iceland”. Iceland. A country with 380,000 inhabitants. That supposedly made Wall Street collapse. 

72 minutes in which he claimed that the United States “paid 100% of NATO”. 100%. When the American share of the NATO budget is about 16%. But for him, 100%. 

72 minutes in which he mispronounced Azerbaijan as “Aber-bajian”. 

72 minutes of conveyer-belt wordiness. A smokescreen of fustian and fantasy. A clumsy catalogue of easily verifiable lies, of made-up numbers, of threats to allies, of insults to officials, of geographical flubs, of boasts contradicted by facts. 

And the world, in bemused silence, watched. 

Donald Trump Kyaje Kage aka Moron Cake

The Danes are not holding back their feelings about the US president, especially after his bold statements about making Greenland part of the US.

A Danish bakery went viral after introducing the Donald Trump Kvaje Kage, a cake whose name loosely translates to Moron Cake or Idiot Cake, priced at just DKK 25 and selling fast across Denmark. 

(Note: I'm not sure if the bakery is still offering the sweet but if I'm not mistaken, they began selling since February or March last year).

An image posted on Reddit's Clever Comebacks forum shows the pastries that resembled Trump. The bright orange confectioneries are shaped like his head and decorated with furrowed brows that resemble a scowl. 

The cake was launched in response to renewed rhetoric about the United States buying Greenland, known to Greenlanders as Kalaallit Nunaat, with bakers saying the idea crossed from diplomacy into absurdity. 

What began as a tongue in cheek political statement has turned into a cultural moment, blending humour, protest and pastry as customers snap up the cakes in quiet defiance. 

Plenty of people voiced their love for the orange pastry, with one person commenting: “Denmark should send a box of these cakes to Trump”! 

Ten-man Celtic battled their way to a 2-2 draw against Bologna and earned a priceless point yesterday. 

The Serie A side made the worst possible start when their goalkeeper passed the ball straight to Daizen Maeda in the box, and the Glasgow forward squared it to Reo Hatate in the middle for a simple finish in only the 5th minute. Hatate then went from hero to zero, picking up two yellow cards in the space of three minutes and got sent off. 

However, despite that blow, the Reds grabbed their second goal in the 40th minute when Auston Trusty stabbed home from a Kieran Tierney corner with the help of a crucial Arne Engels flick. 

That insurance policy proved crucial as Bologna hemmed Celtic in for much of the second half and then expectedly scored (58, 73) to level the game. 

Still, Martin O'Neill should be satisfied with the resilience shown by his team in trying circumstances and yet, at the same time, feel frustrated about what might have been had Hatate stayed on the pitch.

The bottom line is that Celtic remain in the hunt for a place in the Europa League knockout play-offs with a home game against Utrecht, on the final matchday (i.e., January 29).

No More a Peacemaker

US President Donald Trump blamed the Nobel Peace Prize committee for turning him from a peacemaker to a warmonger in a letter to Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, that was confirmed on Monday. 😂😂😂

He reiterated he no longer feels obliged to think only of peace after he was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

The authenticity of the message was confirmed by a source close to the matter to the AFP news agency and by Støre to the Norwegian newspaper VG. 

It remains unclear why Trump directed the message to the Norwegian government, as the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the independent Norwegian Nobel Committee, not by Oslo’s political leadership. 

In a written response, Støre underlined that point. “I have clearly explained, including to President Trump, what is well known: the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee”, he said. 

CNN reported yesterday that Støre asserted he received the said message in reply to a text he and Finnish President Alexander Stubb sent Trump, in which the Nordic leaders “conveyed our opposition to his announced tariff increases against Norway, Finland and select other countries”. [Refer my post "Greenland Prompts US Tariffs on European Allies" published on Monday].

The number of European troops being deployed in Greenland is still undetermined. Danish state-owned broadcaster TV2 have reported that 58 Danish troops landed in the Arctic territory, joining about 60 others (as opposed to 31 soldiers, as per my January 19 post) dispatched earlier to supposedly participate in ongoing multinational military exercises, dubbed Operation Arctic Endurance. 

On the US side, the Pentagon have issued “prepare-to-deploy” orders to roughly 1,500 active-duty soldiers from the 11th Airborne Division. Officially, the alert is tied to a potential domestic deployment to Minneapolis but it has immediately raised scrutiny. Reconstituted and reoriented in recent years, the division have been widely regarded as the Army’s premier Arctic and cold-weather formation, optimized for sub-zero operations and high-latitude logistics.

Methinks, Trump should just quickly give the order to seize Greenland! End of story!

Greenland Prompts US Tariffs on European Allies

The Greenland issue is not going away anytime soon! 

US President Donald Trump is seeking to force the hand of his European allies who opposed his plan to take over the self-governing territory when he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and UK will be subject to a 10% US tariff on "all or any goods" from February 01. 

Accusing these countries of playing "a very dangerous game", he said the tariffs would be raised to 25% on June 01 "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland". 

Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and UK have even dispatched a tiny contingent of troops to Greenland in a symbolic show of force. It is strange that Denmark wasn't mentioned at all – but I would think they'll have troops there too.

I saw another report that says only 31 troops were deployed. Of this total, 15 were from France, 13 from Germany, 2 from Norway and one from UK. 😂😂😂

Denmark's Army chief Major-General Peter Boysen has come out to boldly assert that he's ready to defend Denmark! 😂😂😂

But Greenland and Denmark are two separate entities. Lest we forget, Denmark is an occupier, a colonizer.

And Boysen should know that at the Pituffik Space Base located on the north-west coast of Greenland – where the Americans already have a presence – the US has 150 troops stationed there!

Trump has previously said Washington would get the territory "the easy way" or "the hard way" – an apparent reference to buying the island or taking it by force. The US president insists “world peace is at stake” as China and Russia “want Greenland”. 

Only the US can “play this game”, he emphatically adds.

Kaja Kallas Says It’s Time for Booze

EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas has privately suggested that the state of the world might make it a “good moment” to start boozing, Politico reported on Wednesday. 

The comment comes as Kallas faces direct calls to step down over her handling of the bloc’s foreign policy. 

The Estonian reportedly made the remark during an informal discussion with leaders of political groups in the European Parliament, according to Politico which cited two people who were present. According to the sources, Kallas (right) said that even as a teetotaller, the current global situation could justify starting. Poor woman, methinks, it's an open admission of personal stress.

Her ‘joke’ comes amid heightened tensions across the globe, including US threats towards Denmark's Greenland, Iran and Venezuela, the ongoing Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, and mounting criticism of Brussels from within the EU. 

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (left) stated last week that “we must replace the European Union’s High Representative for Policy, Ms. Kallas”, arguing that the bloc is in an unprecedented crisis and that the leadership is incapable of solving problems, knowing only how to “hate Russia”.

Meanwhile, some Western European leaders were recently caught up in a drug-abuse controversy after a video went viral in May supposedly showing French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer with objects speculated to be drug paraphernalia during a train journey to Kiev, Ukraine. 

Macron’s office have vehemently denied the claims, stating the object in question was a tissue and calling the story “disinformation” spread by “France’s enemies”. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, however, suggested at the time that if the suspected objects were indeed drug-related, it would explain “a lot of recent ideas and proposals” coming from Kiev’s European backers. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also commented on the footage stating that it “opened the veil of the stinking Sabbath” of Western politics, adding that “the fate of Europe is decided in every sense by drug addict placeholders”. She also recalled a Western ambassador telling her in 2022 that it was “normal” to take drugs in the EU and that many Western leaders used cocaine.

Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan's defensive frailties once again came into focus as the world No. 2 were clearly outplayed by Japan's Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto in the semi-finals of the India Open today. 

The Malaysians fell 21-16, 21-13 to the world No. 6 Japanese as Yuki-Mayu's attacking exposed gaps at the backcourt. 

Thinaah admitted that they struggled to cope with their opponents' pace and intensity, particularly during rallies. Despite producing flashes of quality, the duo were often forced into passive positions, allowing Yuki-Mayu to dictate play with sharp angles and quick interceptions at the net. 

The Malaysians' next mission is the Indonesia Masters next week.

Greenland is Under Occupation by Denmark

Denmark is occupying Greenland in violation of UN rules, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, had said. 

On Sunday, Trump maintained the US will acquire Greenland – an autonomous territory of Denmark – “one way or another”. He also argued that Copenhagen is unable to provide security for the world’s largest island, quipping that it is only defended by “two dog sleds”. 

Later in the day, Landry took to X to note that the US protected Greenland during World War II. US military facilities were set up on the Arctic island in line with a deal between Washington and Copenhagen in April 1941, a year after Denmark was overrun by Nazi Germany. 

“History matters. The US defended Greenland’s sovereignty during WWII when Denmark couldn’t”, he wrote. 

After the conflict ended, “Denmark re-occupied it – sidestepping and ignoring UN protocol”, Landry, who was appointed presidential envoy for Greenland last month, claimed. 

The Danish ambassador to the US, Jesper Moller Sorensen, responded to the accusations shortly afterwards, insisting that “Greenland has been a part of the Kingdom of Denmark for centuries. That has repeatedly been recognized by US administrations, in the UN and internationally”. 

Writing on X: “Only the people of Greenland should decide their future. A vast majority of Greenlanders voted yes to its self-governing status inside the Kingdom [in 2008]”. 

And Greenland's prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen at a news conference in Copenhagen, Denmark on Tuesday insisted: "If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark".

But everybody knows the US don't give a damn! 

Already, Stephen Miller, one of Don Trump’s famiglia’s many aggressive, sabre-rattling and sinister sidekicks, had declared that Denmark’s Greenland really belongs to the US anyhow (totally false) and that there won’t be any military resistance if Washington seizes it (most likely correct). 

Miller’s wife Katie had even posted a map of Greenland covered in the American flag and the caption “soon”, even before her husband laid down the law – or rather its absence for the Americans: “We live in the real world, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power”.

The world needs to understand that what Trump wants, he gets!

Donald Trump is Emboldened

After the criminal acts against Venezuela – refer my blog post "US Kidnaps Venezuelan President And Wife" yesterday – US President Donald Trump is emboldened and he is now warning other countries. 

He threatens Colombia and its president, Gustavo Petro, describes Cuba as “ready to fall”, warns Mexico “to get their act together”, and reasserts his desire to acquire Denmark's self-governing territory of Greenland.

And don't forget that Iran, Canada, Panama and Nigeria are in his sights too.

I'm sure Russia and China are on his list – but I reckon he will deal with them last. After he's finished the job with the other countries. It should be easy-peasy. After all, who dares to challenge America's military might?

To Trump, might is right!

On Saturday, I was at a Toastmasters meeting in Kajang, where I was the Toastmaster of the Day. Photos of the said meeting:

Donald Trump Renews Push for Greenland

US President Donald Trump has stepped up his campaign to take over Greenland, declaring the Danish territory essential to Washington’s national security and appointing a special envoy he said would “lead the charge”. 

Trump’s comments on Monday came as the leaders of Denmark and Greenland protested against remarks by the new envoy, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (right), who said he would make the Arctic territory “a part of the US”. 

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen issued a joint statement asserting that “Greenland belongs to Greenlanders”.

They reiterated: “You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security. The US shall not take over Greenland”.

Show the Greenlanders you mean business, Trump! Send in the Marines!

Scotland Achieve World Cup Dream

It's football news only this morning!

Scotland qualify for their first World Cup since 1998 yesterday when they beat Denmark 4-2 on a night of twists and turns at Glasgow's Hampden Park. 👏👏👏

The Scots took the lead in just the third minute courtesy of a phenomenal Scott McTominay overhead kick but the Danes levelled from the penalty spot in the 57th minute. The Scots were back in front when Lawrence Shankland turned in a corner from Lewis Ferguson in the 78th minute only for the other side to side-foot home minutes later to level at 2-2. 

And then Scotland scored two dramatic stoppage-time goals. Substitute Kieran Tierney restored the home side's lead in the 93rd minute from outside the box. And then came a sensational fourth from fellow substitute Kenny McLean, who lifted the ball over the Denmark goalkeeper from the halfway line. 

Scotland finish as Group C winners with 13 points, two clear of Denmark, ranked 18 places above them.

Meanwhile, Malaysia close their 2025 season unbeaten after edging Nepal 1-0 in their AFC Asian Cup 2027 Group F third-round qualifier at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on the same day. 

Harimau Malaya's winner came in the 55th minute via Faisal Halim, who coolly slotted the ball past the Nepali goalkeeper after a brilliant through ball from playmaker Safawi Rasid. 

Malaysia remain firmly atop Group F with 15 points from five matches and need only a draw with Vietnam in their last group game on March 31 next year to book their spot at the 2027 Asian Cup.