Trump says he will '100%' carry out Greenland tariffs threat, as EU vows to protect its interests
Donald Trump has vowed to "100%" follow through on his threat to impose tariffs on European countries who oppose his demand to take control of Greenland, BBC reported.
European allies have rallied around Greenland's sovereignty. Denmark's foreign minister emphasised the US president cannot threaten his way to ownership of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reiterated the UK's position that the future of Greenland is for "Greenlanders and for the Danes alone" to decide, according to BBC.
China's birth rate hits record low as population continues to shrink
China's birth rates sunk to a record low in 2025, despite the government rolling out a spate of incentives to boost it, as the country's population fell for the fourth straight year, BBC reported.
Government data on Monday showed that the country's birth rate fell to 5.63 per 1,000 people – a record low since the Communist Party took power in 1949 – while its death rate rose to 8.04 per 1,000 people, the highest since 1968.
Its population fell 3.39 million to reach 1.4 billion by the end of 2025, marking a quicker decline than the previous year, according to BBC.
Spain high-speed train crash kills at least 40 as PM promises investigation
Spain is reeling from its deadliest train accident in more than a decade, with the death toll of a high-speed train collision rising to at least 40 people as emergency workers continue to search for victims and Spanish authorities promise an investigation into the accident’s causes, Aljazeera reported.
The incident occurred when a train heading from Malaga to Madrid, with about 300 passengers on board, derailed near Cordoba in southern Spain at 7:45pm (18:45 GMT) on Sunday and collided with a train coming from the capital to Huelva, another southern city, carrying about 200 passengers.
“We are wondering what happened. Time and the work of the experts will provide the answer,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during a news conference. “We will uncover the truth with absolute transparency and make it known to the public.”
Paddy production projected to fall by 4.20 percent this year
Rice production is projected to decline by 4.20 percent this year compared to last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
The Ministry stated that paddy production is likely to decrease by 250,350 metric tons this year.
According to the Ministry’s Information Officer, Mahananda Joshi, the estimated rice production this year stands at 5,705,126 metric tons, down from 5,955,476 metric tons last year, representing a decline of 4.20 percent.
Last year, paddy cultivation covered 1,420,636 hectares of land, which has decreased by 3.8 percent this year to 1,376,872 hectares.
Factors such as youth migration, a shift toward fruit farming and cash crops, movement of people to urban areas, land industrialization, and the construction of physical infrastructure have contributed to the reduction in paddy cultivation.
In addition, drought during the paddy planting season, particularly in Madhes Province, led to a decrease in the area. Joshi added that despite the availability of hybrid seeds and fertilizers, adverse weather conditions negatively affected the planting season.
