09/05/2026

SATURDAY | MAY 9, 2026

9 Greenland slams alleged bid to buy petition signatures

COPENHAGEN: Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Thursday slammed as “indecent” reported attempts by an American to pay locals US$200,000 each to sign a petition calling for Greenland to join the United States. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the US needs to annex the Danish autonomous territory to ensure national security. “A foreign individual is offering money for a signature to incorporate Greenland into another country. That is not just deeply worrying. It is indecent,“ Nielsen wrote on Facebook. Greenlandic broadcaster KNR on Thursday reported that a “mysterious American” calling himself “Cliff” had offered a taxi driver in Greenland’s capital Nuuk US$200,000 to sign the petition. The taxi driver, Danny Brandt, told KNR he declined the offer. Brandt wrote a social media post about his

o Locals purportedly offered money by ‘mysterious American’

the London ETO.“ Two men, including a British immigration officer, were found guilty in a London court on Thursday of spying on behalf of Hong Kong and ultimately China, targeting prominent pro-democracy dissidents now based in Britain. Relations between Britain and China have been strained since a national security crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2019 in Hong Kong, which was under British rule for 156 years before reverting to Chinese sovereignty almost three decades ago. – Reuters US begins review of Mexican consulates WASHINGTON: The US State Department has started a review of the more than 50 Mexican consulates operating in the US, an official said on Thursday. The move, which comes amid tense relations between Mexico and the US, could result in the closure of some diplomatic offices, the official added. “The Department of State is constantly reviewing all aspects of American foreign relations to ensure they are in line with the president’s America First foreign policy agenda and advance American interests,“ said Global Public Affairs assistant secretary of state Dylan Johnson. The news of the review was first reported by CBS News. The Mexican Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mexican immigrants have the largest immigrant population in the United States, with at least 37 million individuals of Mexican origin living in the US in 2021, according to Pew Research Center analysis of the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. As a result, Mexico, with whom the US shares a southern border, has an expansive foreign consular network in the United States, with its offices providing an array of services for residents, including legal services. A host country’s closure of consulates could reflect strained diplomatic relations with a home country. US President Donald Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have had a somewhat tense relationship since he returned to the White House last year. Tensions peaked last month after two US officials were killed in a car crash. They were officers of the Central Intelligence Agency, sources said. Sheinbaum has also been outspoken about the rights of Mexicans in the US, after several Mexican nationals have been killed in anti-immigration operations in the United States. – Reuters us. That ought to be easy enough to understand.” Trump in January backed down from several intense weeks of aggressive rhetoric, announcing that he had reached a “framework” agreement on Greenland with Nato’s secretary-general, the details of which remain vague. Denmark and Greenland are in the process of holding talks with Washington about the future of the Arctic island. – AFP

political situation”. They would not confirm how many reports they had received nor their “substance”. “We are a democratic society. Our future is not negotiated in a taxi. And it is not bought with money,” said Nielsen. “Decisions about our country are made by

encounter, and a person in the comments section said he had also been offered money to sign. Brandt said he reported the incident to police. Greenland police told AFP they had “received reports that cannot be ruled out as being connected to the current

Swiss Guards lined up at the San Damaso courtyard on the day of the meeting between Leo and Rubio at the Vatican. – REUTERSPIC

Pope Leo celebrates first anniversary of papacy POMPEII: Pope Leo XIV marked one year as leader of the Catholic Church yesterday with a visit to southern Italy, returning to his flock after weeks dominated by a clash with Washington. The first American pontiff marked the anniversary of his May 8, 2025 election in Pompeii and Naples, starting the visit at a shrine founded by a former Satanic priest. St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. The one-day trip marked the first of several short pastoral visits planned this summer in Italy, and comes a fortnight after a tour of four African nations. However, the celebration was overshadowed by United States President Donald Trump’s extraordinary attack on Leo last month over the pontiff’s anti-war stance.

See, while an official told AFP the talks had been “friendly and constructive”. In a terse statement, the Vatican said the Holy See and the United States discussed the “need to work tirelessly for peace”. A long line of popes, including Leo’s predecessor Francis, Benedict XVI and John Paul II, have prayed at the sanctuary in Pompeii, which is known for charitable works. The shrine also has a strong connection with Leo XIII, the 19th century pope who inspired the current pontiff with his defence of workers, who made the shrine a pontifical basilica in 1901. – AFP

It holds the body of Bartolo Longo, a 19th-century saint who rediscovered his Catholic faith after being a Satanic priest. The sanctuary has a strong connection with Leo, who cited the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii in his first address from the balcony of

Leo on Thursday met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican, with the latter seeking to mend ties. A US spokesman hailed the “strong relationship” between the Vatican and the Holy

UK to summon Chinese ambassador over espionage convictions LONDON: Britain will summon the Chinese ambassador following the conviction of two men for spying on behalf of Hong Kong and ultimately China, Security Minister Dan Jarvis said on Thursday. the Chinese ambassador to make it clear activity such as this this was, and will always be, unacceptable on UK soil.” “Its sole purpose is to embolden anti-China elements who are hiding in the UK and bent on destabilising Hong Kong, and to smear the Chinese government and the Hong Kong SAR government.”

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Britain said in a statement it had lodged representations with the British government and that China would take necessary measures to safeguard its interests. “The facts of this case clearly show that this is nothing but a political move of abusing the law and manipulating the judicial process by the UK side.

A Hong Kong government spokesperson said the allegations were absolutely not related to the Hong Kong government and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (ETO) in London, nor were they party to the case. “We firmly oppose any unfounded allegations against the HKSAR government and

“The activities carried out by these men, on behalf of China, are an infringement of our sovereignty and will never be tolerated. “We will continue to hold China to account and challenge them directly for actions which put the safety of people in our country at risk. “That is why the Foreign Office will summon