Trump ‘very angry’ with Putin over ceasefire negotiations 300325
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Trump ‘very angry’ with Putin over ceasefire negotiations Banzai Japan Music Video US President Donald Trump has said he is “very angry” and “pissed off” with Russian President Vladimir Putin after six weeks of attempting to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine. In an NBC News interview, he said he was angered by the Russian leader questioning Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s credibility, and he threatened to impose a 50% tariff on countries buying Russian oil if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire. Book Novotel Hotel “If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault – which it might not be… I am going to put secondary tariffs… on all oil coming out of Russia,” he said. The comments marked a notable shift in the president’s tone toward Putin and Russia. European leaders had worried that Trump was cosying up to Putin as negotiations on a ceasefire in Ukraine continued. Banzai Japan Music Video For the past six weeks, Trump has harangued Zelensky in the Oval Office and demanded numerous concessions from Ukraine’s president. In turn, he has flattered Putin and largely given in to the Russian president’s demands. This appears to be a departure from that dynamic. It is the first time the US has seriously threatened Russia with consequences for dragging its feet in ceasefire negotiations, which would seem to put the diplomatic ball back in Moscow’s court. NBC News said that in a ten-minute phone interview Trump told them he was very angry and “pissed off” when Putin criticised the credibility of Zelensky’s leadership, although the president has himself called Ukraine’s leader a dictator and demanded that he hold elections. “You could say that I was very angry, pissed off, when… Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location”, Trump said. “New leadership means you’re not gonna have a deal for a long time,” he added. Trump said that the Russians knew of his anger, but noted that he has “a very good relationship” with Putin and “the anger dissipates quickly… if he does the right thing”. If Russia does not follow through with a ceasefire, however, Trump threatened to target their economy further if he thought it was Putin’s fault. “There will be a 25% tariff on oil and other products sold in the United States, secondary tariffs,” Trump said, noting that the tariffs on Russia would come in a month without a ceasefire deal. Secondary tariffs could range up to 50% on goods entering the US from countries still buying oil from Russia. The biggest such buyers by a long margin are China and India. Trump said he would speak to Putin later in the week. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Man tending grave probed for starting South Korea fires
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Man tending grave probed for starting South Korea fires Banzai Japan Music Video A 56-year-old man is being investigated in South Korea on suspicion of starting a deadly wildfire that killed 30 people. The man, who has not been named, was performing an ancestral rite by a family grave on a hill in Uiseong county, North Gyeongsang province, at the time. He has been booked – but not arrested – and will be called in for questioning once the investigation of the site has been completed. He denies the charges. Book Novotel Hotel On Sunday, officials said the main fires had finally been brought under complete control – 10 days after they started, causing widespread damage to buildings, including historic temples. Investigators reportedly spoke to the suspect’s daughter who is said to have told them the fire began as her father tried to burn tree branches hanging over the graves with a cigarette lighter. According to the Korea Forest Service, the fires burned more than 48,000 hectares – equivalent to about 80% of the size of the capital Seoul. They also destroyed an estimated 4,000 structures, including homes, factories and a number of national treasures. Goun Temple – a Unesco World Heritage Site – was among the temples destroyed in the blaze. It was built in 618 AD and was one of the largest in the province. Banzai Japan Music Video Most of the casualties were people in their 60s and 70s. Even though the main fire has been brought under control, smaller ones continue to reignite, authorities say. Fuelled by strong and dry winds, the fires spread to several cities and counties. Unseasonably warm weather, dry conditions and pine forests in the region also helped fuel the flames. An investigation involving the police, fire authorities, and forest management will be carried out next week. Acting President Han Duck-soo said the government would provide financial support for those who have been displaced by the fires. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Trump says he ‘couldn’t care less’ about higher car prices
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Trump says he ‘couldn’t care less’ about higher car prices Banzai Japan Music Video Donald Trump has said he “couldn’t care less” if carmakers raise prices after his 25% tariffs on foreign-made vehicles comes into effect. Some analysts have warned that Trump’s charges on businesses importing vehicles could lead to the temporary shutdown of significant car production in the US, increase prices, and strain relations with allies. But speaking to NBC News on Saturday, the US president said he hoped foreign carmakers raise prices as it means “people are gonna buy American-made cars. We have plenty”. On Wednesday, Trump announced new import taxes of 25% on cars and car parts entering the US from overseas, which go into effect on 2 April. Charges on businesses importing vehicles are expected on 3 April, and taxes on parts are set to start in May or later. Book Novotel Hotel When asked about what his message was to car bosses, he said: “The message is congratulations, if you make your car in the United States, you’re going to make a lot of money”. He went on to say: “If you don’t, you’re going to have to probably come to the United States, because if you make your car in the United States, there is no tariff.” The 25% import tax on carmakers was briefly implemented but then paused at the beginning of March following pleas from major carmakers in North America like Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. But Trump told NBC he did not plan to delay imposition of the car tariffs any further, saying he would consider negotiating “only if people are willing to give us something of great value. Because countries have things of great value, otherwise, there’s no room for negotiation”. Banzai Japan Music Video The UK is in last-minute negotiations with the White House and is trying to get an exemption, arguing that – unlike other countries – the UK has a relatively equal trading relationship with the US. The prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not want to jump into a trade war. Several major economies have also vowed to retaliate in response to Trump’s tariffs. Germany has said it “will not give in” and that Europe must “respond firmly”, France’s president branded the move “a waste of time” and “incoherent”, Canada calling it a “direct attack”, and China accused Washington of violating international trade rules. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Japan chain shuts shops after pests found in food
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Japan chain shuts shops after pests found in food Banzai Japan Music Video One of Japan’s biggest restaurant chains is closing its outlets for deep cleaning, after two incidents of customers finding pests, including a rat, in their food. Sukiya, known for its beef-on-rice dishes, announced the temporary closure after an insect was found by a customer. Last weekend, it admitted that a rat had been discovered in a bowl of miso soup in January. The chain, which has nearly 2,000 restaurants, said most of its sites would be shut between 31 March and 4 April “to prevent external intrusion and internal infestation of pests and vermin”. In a statement, external, it apologised for the “great inconvenience and concern caused”. Book Novotel Hotel Rumours about the rat-in-miso incident had been circulating on social media for weeks before Sukiya was forced to confirm that the rodent had been found “before it was eaten”. The restaurant, in the city of Tottori, was temporarily closed, and Sukiya said measures had been taken to address cracks in the building that could lead to contamination. It then announced that all of its outlets would be regularly checked for gaps and rubbish would be refrigerated. The company has now taken the more drastic measure of closure after the insect – widely reported to have been part or all of a cockroach – was found on Friday by a customer in Tokyo. The manager apologised to the customer and gave them a refund, it said. Sukiya is part of Zensho Holdings, which owns a number of restaurant chains in Japan. Banzai Japan Music Video Last Monday, following the disclosure about the rat, its share price tumbled before recovering later in the week. Its shares will face scrutiny after Saturday’s announcement. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
JD Vance’s ominous pitch to Greenland
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel JD Vance’s ominous pitch to Greenland Banzai Japan Music Video A green shimmer, like a curtain of light being drawn across the night sky, formed beside the impossibly bright stars above Nuuk late on Friday evening. The appearance of the spectacular northern lights – a common wonder in these parts – seemed to mark the end of a hugely significant day in the arctic, one that brought icebound Greenland’s hopes and challenges into the sharpest relief. It was a day in which an acquisitive foreign power had sent an uninvited delegation to the world’s largest island with an uncomfortable message. Book Novotel Hotel On a brief visit to a remote US military base in the far north of Greenland, US Vice-President JD Vance may have tried at times to soften his boss’s stated aim of simply annexing the autonomous Danish territory. “We do not think that military force is ever going to be necessary,” Vance said, perhaps attempting to sound reassuring. But the vice-president’s overarching message remained stark and intimidating: the world, the climate, and the Arctic region are changing fast, and Greenland needs to wake up to threats posed by an expansionist China; long-standing Western security partnerships have run their course; the only way the island can protect itself, its values and its mineral wealth is by abandoning weak and miserly Danish overlords and turning instead to the muscular and protective embrace of the US. Banzai Japan Music Video “We need to wake up from a failed, 40-year consensus that said that we could ignore the encroachment of powerful countries as they expand their ambitions,” Vance told US troops at America’s Pituffik military base. “We can’t just bury our head in the sand – or, in Greenland, bury our head in the snow – and pretend that the Chinese are not interested in this very large landmass.” If you look at a map of the world that has the north pole at its centre, rather than the equator, it is easy to see how Greenland suddenly switches from being an easily overlooked smudge of uninhabited territory and into a key strategic landmass. It is at the heart of what many analysts now accept as an emerging power struggle between China, the US, and Russia, for control of the arctic, its minerals and its shipping lanes. But the speed and contempt with which the Trump White House has rejected its traditional reliance on Western allies – Nato in particular – has left its partners bewildered. “Not justifiable,” was the bristling response of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen after hearing Vance attack her government as he stood on its sovereign territory. ‘Like a threat’ But 1,500km (930 miles) south of the Pituffik base, in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, the American story vied for attention with a very different local event on Friday. “We will prevail,” a smiling crowd sang, at a ceremony to celebrate the formation of a new coalition government for Greenland. The mood felt mostly joyful and communal, with people locking arms and swaying gently as a band played inside the town’s house of culture. It was a powerful reminder of the shared values that bind Greenland’s tiny, and overwhelmingly native Inuit population together – the need for consensus and co-operation in an often hostile natural climate, the desire to protect and celebrate Inuit culture and the wish to be respected by outsiders, be they from familiar but distant Denmark or marginally closer America. “There are many ways to say things. But I think the way [Trump] is saying it is not the way. It’s like a threat,” said Lisbeth Karline Poulsen, 43, a local artist attending the ceremony. Her reaction appeared to capture the broader mood here – a recent poll showed just 6% of the population support the idea of being part of the US. The journey to independence Under its new government, and with overwhelming public support, Greenland is beginning a slow, very cautious move towards full independence from Denmark. It’s a process that will likely take many years, and which will involve lengthy dialogue with both Copenhagen and Washington. After all, Greenlanders well understand that their economy needs to be far more developed if their bid for independence is to stand any realistic chance of success. But they need to balance that development against realistic fears of exploitation by powerful outside commercial forces. Which brings us to the fundamental confusion, in Greenland and beyond, about the Trump administration’s approach towards their territory. What does America want? On his visit, Vance mentioned Greenland’s aspirations for independence, and implied that America’s real intention was not a sudden annexation of the island, but something far more patient and long-term. “Our message is very simple, yes, the people of Greenland are going to have self-determination. We hope that they choose to partner with the United States, because we’re the only nation on earth that will respect their sovereignty and respect their security.” If that is genuinely the American pitch – Trump’s messaging remains more aggressive than Vance’s – then Greenlanders can surely relax a little and take their time. There are still large reserves of goodwill towards the US here, and a keen interest in doing more business with American companies. On the security front, a 74-year-old treaty with Denmark permitting the US to increase its military presence in Greenland at any time – from new bases to submarine harbours – should surely take care of Washington’s concerns about countering the threat from China, just as it did during the Cold War years. What remains puzzling is Donald Trump’s impatience – the same impatience he’s displayed in attempting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Short of owning Greenland, America could get everything it desires and needs from this vast island without much difficulty. Instead, many people in Nuuk feel they’re being bullied. It’s a deeply counterproductive approach, which has already forced Washington into
Holidaymaker describes ‘chaos’ after quake hits Bangkok
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Holidaymaker describes ‘chaos’ after quake hits Bangkok Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo A holidaymaker has told of the moment the effects of a devastating earthquake brought chaos to Bangkok. Hundreds of people are believed to have died in neighbouring Myanmar, the epicentre of the 7.7 magnitude quake. Angela Jenkins and her husband Douglas, from Lewis in the Western Isles, were in a shopping centre in the Thai capital when the ground began to shake and shoppers started screaming and shouting. Mrs Jenkins said: “My husband grabbed my hand and we just ran for the door – it was just chaos. Nobody knew what was going on.” Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 The couple had signed up to an app to get earthquake warnings, but did not receive an alert. Mrs Jenkins said she had felt faint moments before the tremor struck the shopping mall and she held on to a shop counter to keep her balance. “The next thing everyone started screaming and shouting and running. It was really frightening,” she said. “It felt like the ground was moving. It felt as if I was on a boat and it was swaying.” Outside, the couple joined others in looking to the skyline to try and make sense of what was happening. Mrs Jenkins said they had not seen signs of damage, but added: “There is a big skyscraper and its alarms are going off. “There are still ambulances and fire engines screaming around the streets.” Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s The couple said they hoped to get back to their hotel, but until then had been trying to find shelter from the “blazing heat”. It is not yet known how many people have died in Myanmar in south east Asia. In Thailand, which borders Myanmar to the east, 81 construction workers are missing and a search and rescue operation is under way after an unfinished high-rise building collapsed in Bangkok. The earthquake measured as 7.7 on the Richter scale at about midday local time (06:00 GMT). Four smaller shocks ranging between 4.5 and 6.6 in magnitude have been measured since. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
WH Smith name to disappear from High Street after sale
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel WH Smith name to disappear from High Street after sale Banzai Japan Music Video The name WH Smith, a staple of UK town centres since the Victorian era when it became the country’s principal newspaper distributor, is set to disappear from the High Street after the firm agreed to sell its shops to Hobbycraft-owner Modella Capital. The sale does not include the WH Smith brand, its travel shops at airports and railway stations or its outlets in hospitals. The new owner will rebrand the High Street chain as TGJones, but said it would keep the Post Office outlets that operate in many branches. Book Novotel Hotel Modella Capital will take over 480 stores in retail parks, shopping centres and on High Streets including 5,000 staff. Modella said it would be “business as usual” while it worked on changes to the store chain including adding new ranges. However, the new owner said the Post Office and Toys “R” Us outlets currently in WH Smith stores, would remain. It would not comment on whether jobs would be cut following the takeover. The private equity firm specialises in retail and consumer businesses and, as well as buying Hobbycraft, has also invested in Crafters’ Companion and The Original Factory Shop. It said the TGJones brand carried “the same sense of family” as WH Smith, which it described as an “iconic” retail business. Banzai Japan Music Video WH Smith’s first shop was in Little Grosvenor Street, London. It opened its first travel retail store in London’s Euston station in 1848. It still sells papers and magazines, alongside books, sweets and snacks and art supplies. WH Smith group chief executive Carl Cowling said the £76m sale, was “a pivotal moment” for the company, which would now focus exclusively on the travel-related side of the business. “High Street is a good business; it is profitable and cash generative with an experienced and high-performing management team,” he said. “However, given our rapid international growth, now is the right time for a new owner to take the High Street business forward.” The travel division operates more than 1,200 stores in 32 countries. Nicholas Found at the consultancy, Retail Economics, said conditions on the High Street were “increasingly unforgiving”. As a result in recent years WH Smith’s travel arm had become its “engine room”, he said. WH Smith’s travel business contributed 75% of the group’s revenue and 85% of its trading profit in 2024. “Its product mix, which includes food, beverages and tech, is better suited to higher-margin, impulse-driven purchases in busy transit hubs,” he added. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Food hall to make way for huge Borough development
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Food hall to make way for huge Borough development Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPElmgQJGBo A food hall at the heart of a south London community will be bulldozed to make way for almost 900 homes in tower blocks up to 44 storeys high. The controversial Borough Triangle development, which covers an area the size of one and a half football pitches, was narrowly approved by councillors at a Southwark planning meeting on Wednesday. A slew of buildings will make way for the Berkeley Homes scheme, including the 100-year-old locally listed Institute of Optometry and a former paper-making factory that has been home to the Mercato Metropolitano food court for the past nine years. Most of the 40 traders with stalls will have to find alternative arrangements until a replacement is built. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsGZL-zb54 ‘Heart of community’ Up to 12 will be rehoused in a temporary nearby location by Berkeley while the scheme is under construction. An office block, flexible café or retail space and a new community centre, which is expected to be occupied by a Latin American group, also form part of the plans. The development would create 1,780 sq m of public space. Banzai Japan Music Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3syHHGzkF_s Of the planned 892 flats, 230 will be “affordable” (up to 80% of local market rates) and 153 will be social rent. The scheme amounts to 35% affordable housing, in line with the council’s policy. But just 13% of the new flats will have three bedrooms or more despite the council’s own policy for the area requiring a minimum of 20%. However, over two-thirds of the 153 social flats will have three bedrooms or more. Buildings that would escape the bulldozer include a locally listed former Baptist church at 82 Borough Road and the façade of 83 Borough Road. Nina Wessel, who lives near the development site, said the closure of Mercato Metropolitan would be a huge loss. She said: “Over the last nine years this market has become the heart of our community. “It now attracts over 600,000 yearly visitors, provides safe and inclusive spaces and offers activities for children and adults alike. “The traders provide jobs, support families and sustain the local economy. “This isn’t just a market. It’s a key reason people want to live here.” An official from Berkeley Homes said the Borough Triangle development would create a “thriving, diverse and welcoming neighbourhood with world-class architecture”. Book Novotel Hotel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR8YYeb4PMk Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Trump targets ‘anti-American ideology’ at Smithsonian museums
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Trump targets ‘anti-American ideology’ at Smithsonian museums Banzai Japan Music Video US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order targeting the Smithsonian Institution, which operates more than 20 museums and research centres visited by millions yearly in Washington DC and New York City. The order directs the vice-president to “eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from the institute’s museums, centres and the National Zoo in Washington. It also directs the interior secretary to restore federal properties, including parks, memorials and statues, which “have been improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history”. The move is part of Trump’s effort to shape American culture, in addition to politics. The order is titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”. It says that Vice-President JD Vance, who became a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents due to his position in government, will lead the purge. Book Novotel Hotel Trump’s order says that Congress should not fund Smithsonian exhibits and programmes that “divide Americans by race”. It alleges that the American Women’s History Museum, which is in development, plans to “recognize men as women”. It also singles out the National Museum of African American History and Culture, saying that the museum “has proclaimed that ‘hard work,’ ‘individualism,’ and ‘the nuclear family’ are aspects of ‘White culture’.” The museum opened in 2016 in Washington as former President Barack Obama, America’s first black president, was leaving office. The Smithsonian museums offer free entry to some 15 to 30 million visitors, external each year. It operates 21 museums in Washington, Virgina and New York. They include the National Museum of American History, the National Portrait Gallery, the American Art Museum, the National Zoo and more than a dozen others. The order also instructs Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to complete “restorations and improvements” to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It comes ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which took place within the building. Banzai Japan Music Video Trump has set out to radically reshape American culture, which he says has been contaminated by “woke” left-wing ideology. He has signed several orders that are intended to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programmes from the federal government – some of which led to legal challenges. Shortly after taking office, Trump fired the board of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, and installed himself as chairman. The move led to widespread criticism from actors and directors, causing several to cancel upcoming performances. Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol
Greenlanders prepare for uncomfortable visit from US vice-president
Buy Now An error occurred. Buy Now An error occurred. Book Novotel Hotel Greenlanders prepare for uncomfortable visit from US vice-president Banzai Japan Music Video A high-powered delegation of US officials will spend Friday at a remote military base on Greenland in what is being viewed as the latest move by the US as it amplifies its desire to acquire the Danish territory. The US group includes Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha, White House National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah. The trip marks the latest twist in what has become a tangled diplomatic journey that began with what was originally billed as a private tour by the US second lady. Book Novotel Hotel Usha Vance was only supposed to travel to Greenland, a semi-autonomous part of Denmark, with her son to attend cultural events, like a dog-sledding race, and to spend some time visiting the capital of Nuuk. But the visit quickly attracted scrutiny. While the trip was originally framed as a cultural tour, the scale of the security preparations made it clear that this was something bigger. Greenlanders made clear they would protest Mrs Vance’s presence. The visit raised eyebrows in light of President Donald Trump’s repeated comments that he would like to annex mineral-rich Greenland, which he says is critical for US security. Then when it was announced that Waltz, Trump’s national security advisor, would join the delegation visiting the island, the people of Greenland and Denmark appeared to grow even more uncomfortable. The American visits began to look less like a cultural interaction and more like an effort to meddle in the island’s internal politics by rallying support for closer ties to the US among the local population – at the expense of Danish sovereignty. Banzai Japan Music Video Greenland’s Acting Prime Minister Mute B Egede said it was a “provocation” and “demonstration of power”, and asked the international community to step up. “Just for the record, the government of Greenland has not extended any invitations for any visits, neither private nor official,” Egede said. Ordinary Greenlanders also made their displeasure known, promising that the American delegation would not receive a warm welcome. In Sisimiut, where the annual dog race is held, the mayor declined to set up a meeting with the second lady, citing next week’s municipal elections as a reason. A silent protest had been planned too, which would have seen locals turn their back on the American visitors – a potentially publicly awkward situation and poor optics for Mrs Vance. “The US administration could see they were heading for PR catastrophe,” political analyst Noa Redington said. “They were heading for a charm offensive without charm,” he said. “With people absolutely not happy to see Usha Vance or any other American politicians.” A mere two days after Usha Vance’s trip was announced, the cultural itinerary was dropped, replaced by a single visit to a remote US military installation – Pituffik Space Base. And now, Vice-President Vance would be joining his wife. Waltz was no longer listed on the itinerary, though he was added again later. “Leaders in both America and in Denmark, I think, ignored Greenland for far too long,” JD Vance said, announcing his visit. “That’s been bad for Greenland. It’s also been bad for the security of the entire world. We think we can take things in a different direction.” Despite his comments, political leaders in Denmark cautiously welcomed the change of plan, and especially the limiting of the itinerary to just the US base. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that while the vice-president’s presence may increase the formality of the visit, it was actually “masterful spin” which made the US “look like they’re escalating when they’re actually deescalating.” “I actually think it is very positive that the Americans are cancelling their visit to the Greenlandic community. Then they will instead make a visit to their own base, Pituffik, and we have nothing against that,” he said. Vance is the highest-ranking US official to ever visit Greenland and while the limited scope of the trip has pleased Denmark, the fact that he is going at all underscores the high level of interest the Trump administration has in the island. The US president himself has continued to reiterate his desire to acquire Greenland for national security reasons, saying on Wednesday that the US will “go as far as we have to go” to accomplish that goal. According to Michael Williams, a professor of international politics at the University of Ottawa, Trump’s focus on Greenland appears to reflect a larger international strategy that involves exerting US influence over key territories within its sphere of geographic influence. Canada and Greenland, both early targets of interest for the administration, occupy key Arctic waterways that are being contested by other global powers, like Russia and China. Recent US moves could be viewed as an attempt to gain the upper hand in these strategic North Americans regions. “You want to amp up the American presence in the north and its control over those northern reaches,” Williams said. “If you can do that, then you can actually potentially control those northern waters in a much, much more direct way than has ever been necessary before.” Book Novotel Hotel Banzai Japan Social Media Fumi Fujisaki Idol Riko Ueno Idol Rino Ibusuki Idol Yunagi Nino Idol Shiori Fujisaki Idol Kana Ichinose Idol Hoshino Arice Idol Sasa Sasagawa Idol Kosaka Yuu Idol Tsukumo Aira Idol Maika Ando Idol Yuuki Mochimaru Idol