Good morning.
Donald Trump would not rule out using military force to gain control of Greenland, the autonomous territory within Denmark, a fellow Nato member.
Since taking office, the president has repeatedly talked about the idea of expansion into Greenland, sparking widespread condemnation and unease on the island and internationally. Greenland is seen as strategically important for defense and as a future source of mineral wealth.
In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Trump was asked whether he would rule out using force against the territory. “I don’t rule it out. I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything. No, not there. We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security,” he said.
Here’s what the Danish’s prime minister said last month: “This is about the world order that we have built together across the Atlantic over generations … You cannot annex another country – not even with an argument about international security.”
Israel plans to capture all of Gaza under new plan, two Israeli officials say
Israel approved plans on Monday to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time, two Israeli officials told AP, in a move that if implemented would vastly expand Israeli operations in the Palestinian territory and likely bring fierce international opposition.
Israeli security cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote, hours after Israel’s military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reservists.
Since mid-March, Israel has halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza, including food, fuel and water, setting off the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war. The ban on aid has prompted widespread hunger and shortages that have sparked looting.
What’s the latest with Israel’s assault on Gaza? Military operations are set to intensify, including a call-up of tens of thousands or reservists, AP reports, citing an official with knowledge of the decision. It comes after attacks at the start of the weekend killed at least 40 people, including airstrikes on the Khan Younis refugee camp that killed at least 11 people, three of them infants up to a year old.
What’s the latest with Israel’s blockade on aid? Conditions are increasingly desperate. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said last month: “Policy is clear: no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza.” Flour is said to cost 30 times more than before the war. Aid warehouses are empty. UN World Food Programme bakeries closed a month ago when supplies ran out; essential community kitchens are now following. You can read the Guardian’s view in an editorial on the crisis here: “Hunger as a weapon of war”.
Need to use nuclear weapons has not arisen in Ukraine, says Putin
Vladimir Putin said the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and that he hoped it wouldn’t.
Speaking in a film by state television about his 25 years in power, Putin said Russia had the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to what he called a “logical conclusion”.
Fear of nuclear escalation has been a factor in US officials’ thinking since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. The former CIA director William Burns has said there was a real risk in late 2022 that Russia could use nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
What did Putin say? Responding to a question from a state television reporter about Ukrainian strikes on Russia, the Russian president said: “There has been no need to use those [nuclear] weapons … and I hope they will not be required.”
In other news …
Two people were arrested in connection with an alleged plot to detonate explosives at a free Lady Gaga concert in Rio de Janeiro, in what authorities believe was an attempt to target Brazil’s LGBTQ+ community.
Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on all movies “produced in Foreign Lands”, saying on Truth Social he wanted movies “MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN”.
French police are investigating a series of kidnappings of investors linked to cryptocurrency, after a 60-year-old man had a finger chopped off by attackers.
Stat of the day: 683 US measles cases confirmed since January
As of Friday, 683 measles cases had been confirmed since January, primarily in west Texas. There have been three confirmed deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including two deaths in school-age children who were unvaccinated. It comes amid fears the health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, might weaken US vaccination efforts further.
Don’t miss this: Maga’s era of ‘soft eugenics’ – let the weak get sick, help the clever breed
At the heart of all Trump administration policies is “soft eugenic” thinking, writes Derek Beres – the idea that if you take away lifesaving services, then only the “strong” will survive. The other side of the coin is encouraging the perceived strong to procreate more, a view supported by Elon Musk.
Climate check: Mexico factory that imports US toxic waste to relocate after Guardian report
A factory processing US hazardous waste in Mexico has promised to relocate what authorities call its “most polluting” operations after a Guardian investigation. The plant in the Monterrey metropolitan area recycles toxic steel dust sent by the US steel industry and recovers zinc, the investigation found.
Last Thing: Wisconsin woman missing for more than 60 years found ‘alive and well’
A Wisconsin woman who initially disappeared in July 1962 at the age of 20 has been found “alive and well”, according to authorities. “She sounded happy. Confident in her decision, no regrets,” said the person who found and spoke to her.
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