Nigeria police deny reports of mass church abductions at weekend in north

Police in northern Nigeria say reports that worshippers were abducted on Sunday from churches in Kaduna state were false.In a joint statement with local government officials on Monday, Kaduna state police commissioner Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu described the information as "mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos".Earlier, a local official in Kurmin Wali had told the BBC that gunmen had kidnapped dozens of people attending different churches.There has been a series of…

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Europe is ditching its softly-softly approach to Trump

Katya Adler Europe EditorBBCSomething in Europe has snapped. Donald Trump doubled down again on Monday, in his insistence that the US needs Greenland for national security reasons. Is he prepared to use force to seize it, journalists asked him? "No comment," said the president, sending chills down the spine of Greenland's anxious inhabitants. Again.Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark - a member of the EU and of Nato. President Trump is now leaning heavily on Denmark's allies…

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Greenland ‘will stay Greenland’, former Trump adviser declares

Faisal IslamEconomics editorGetty ImagesGary Cohn advised Trump on the economy in his first termOliver SmithBusiness producer, DavosDonald Trump will not be able to force Greenland to change ownership, a former top adviser to the US president has told the BBC.IBM's vice chairman Gary Cohn, who advised Trump on the economy in his first term, said "Greenland will stay Greenland" and linked the need for access to critical minerals to his former boss's plans for the territory.Cohn is one…

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US voters evaluate Trump’s economy after year one

BBCWhen campaigning to become president for the second time, Donald Trump made improving the economy a central part of his pitch to voters. One year after returning to the White House, we asked voters about that promise. What do they think of the state of the economy? Are their lives better today than they were a year ago? People from across the US and the political spectrum told the BBC about setting food budgets, applying for jobs and…

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Trump says he will ‘100%’ carry out Greenland tariffs threat, as EU vows to protect its interests

AFP via Getty ImagesKaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief, said the bloc has "no interest to pick a fight, but we will hold our ground".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.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…

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Anything that weakens Western alliances is viewed as a positive by Russia

Steve RosenbergRussia EditorReutersListen to Donald Trump and you would think Moscow and Beijing were lying in wait off the coast of Greenland, ready to pounce to boost their power in the Arctic."There are Russian destroyers, there are Chinese destroyers and, bigger, there are Russian submarines all over the place," President Trump said recently.That is why, according to America's president, US control of Greenland is essential.So how do you think Moscow has reacted to its alleged plot being uncovered…

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Trump links Greenland dispute to not getting Nobel Peace Prize, in letter to Norway’s PM

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueUS President Donald Trump has said he no longer feels obliged to think only of peace after he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize, as he again repeated his demand for control of Greenland.In a message to Norway's prime minister, Trump blamed the country for not giving him the prize."Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely…

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What are tariffs, how do they work and why is Trump using them?

Getty ImagesUS President Donald Trump has threatened to impose fresh tariffs on eight allies that oppose his demands for control of Greenland.Last year, he placed taxes on goods reaching the US from countries around the world, arguing the move would boost American manufacturing and create jobs.Critics warned of higher prices and damage to the global economy.What are tariffs and how do they work?Tariffs are taxes on imported goods.Typically, the charge is a percentage of a good's value.For example,…

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Japan PM Takaichi calls snap election three months after taking office

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will dissolve parliament on Friday, paving the way for an early election on 8 February that she hopes will translate her strong public polling into a big majority in the lower house.It was an "extremely weighty decision" that would "determine Japan's course together with the people", Takaichi told a news conference in Tokyo.The country's first female leader and her cabinet have enjoyed high public support since taking office last October.But her party lags…

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IMF warns of trade tension risk to global growth

Michelle Fleury,New York business correspondent,Jemma CrewandNick Edser,Business reportersGetty ImagesTrade tensions and a reversal in the artificial intelligence (AI) boom are among the main risks to global economic growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned.Its comments came in its latest world economic outlook, where it described the global economy as "steady", with growth expected to remain "resilient" this year.The IMF's forecast was produced ahead of Donald Trump's threat at the weekend to impose tariffs on eight European countries…

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US believes its power matters more than international law, UN chief António Guterres tells BBC

Anna FosterPresenter, Today programmeUN Photo / Alba García RuizAntonio Guterres told the BBC some believe "the power of law should be replaced by the law of power"The US is acting with impunity and believes its power matters more than international law, the head of the UN has told the BBC.Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, António Guterres said Washington's "clear conviction" was that multilateral solutions were irrelevant.What mattered, he continued, was the "exercise of the power and…

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