Latest news with #BBCInDepth
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Greenland's politicians unite against Trump
Greenland's leading political parties have issued a joint statement to condemn Donald Trump's "unacceptable behaviour", after the US president seemed to escalate his campaign to take over the island. The show of unity saw all leaders of parties in the Inatsisartut - the parliament - release a joint message saying they "cannot accept the repeated statements about annexation and control of Greenland". It follows a meeting between Trump and Nato's secretary general Mark Rutte on Thursday, where the president seemed to double down on his annexation plan. Greenland's joint statement was orchestrated by outgoing Prime Minister Mute B Egede, whose party was defeated in an election on Tuesday. "Our country will never be the USA and we Greenlanders will never be Americans," Egede wrote on Facebook. "Don't keep treating us with disrespect. Enough is enough." Greenland - the world's biggest island, between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans - has been controlled by Denmark, nearly 3,000km (1,860 miles) away, for about 300 years. Greenland governs its own domestic affairs, but decisions on foreign and defence policy are made in Copenhagen. The US has long had a security interest in the island. It has had a military base there since World War Two, and Trump is probably also keen on the rare earth minerals that could be mined. Why does Trump want Greenland and what do its people think? BBC InDepth: Greenland's dark history - and does it want Trump? Greenland was already on the defensive about Trump's annexing talk, but his comments to Rutte at the White House sent further shockwaves when he implied that Nato's help might be needed to seize the island. "You know, Mark, we need that for international security... we have a lot of our favourite players cruising around the coast, and we have to be careful," Trump said. "We'll be talking to you," he added. When asked about the prospect of annexation, Trump said: "I think that will happen." Rutte has been criticised in both Greenland and Denmark for not reprimanding Trump. Instead, he said he would "leave that [issue] outside... I do not want to drag Nato into that". He then pivoted to praise - something several world leaders have used when dealing with Donald Trump - saying he was "totally right" to see security in the Arctic maintained. The joint statement from Greenland's politicians emphasised that they are united in their pushback against Trump's plan. "Greenland continues the work for Greenland," the statement said. "We all stand behind this effort and strongly distance ourselves from attempts to create discord." Their decision to speak out came three days after elections in which the centre-right opposition - the Democratic Party - won a surprise victory. Its leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who is likely to be Greenland's new prime minister, is now negotiating with other parties to form a coalition.
BBC News
14-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Trump-Greenland row: Politicians unite against Trump's 'unacceptable behaviour'
Greenland's leading political parties have issued a joint statement to condemn Donald Trump's "unacceptable behaviour", after the US president seemed to escalate his campaign to take over the rare show of unity saw all leaders of parties in the Inatsisartut - the parliament - release a joint message saying they "cannot accept the repeated statements about annexation and control of Greenland".It follows a meeting between Trump and Nato's secretary general Mark Rutte on Thursday, where the president seemed to double down on his annexation joint statement was orchestrated by outgoing Prime Minister Mute B Egede, whose party was defeated in an election on Tuesday. "Our country will never be the USA and we Greenlanders will never be Americans," Egede wrote on Facebook. "Don't keep treating us with disrespect. Enough is enough."Greenland - the world's biggest island, between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans - has been controlled by Denmark, nearly 3,000km (1,860 miles) away, for about 300 governs its own domestic affairs, but decisions on foreign and defence policy are made in US has long had a security interest in Greenland. It has had a military base there since World War Two, and Trump is probably also keen on the rare earth minerals that could be mined does Trump want Greenland and what do its people think?BBC InDepth: Greenland's dark history - and does it want Trump?Greenland was already on the defensive about Trump's annexing talk, but his comments to Rutte at the White House sent further shockwaves when he implied that Nato's help might be needed to seize the island."You know, Mark, we need that for international security... we have a lot of our favourite players cruising around the coast, and we have to be careful," Trump said."We'll be talking to you," he asked about the prospect of annexation, Trump said: "I think that will happen." Rutte has been criticised in both Greenland and Denmark for not reprimanding Trump. Instead, he said he would "leave that [issue] outside... I do not want to drag Nato into that".He then pivoted to praise - something several world leaders have used when dealing with Donald Trump - saying he was "totally right" to see security in the Arctic maintained. The joint statement from Greenland's politicians emphasised that they are united in their pushback against Trump's plan."Greenland continues the work for Greenland," the statement said."We all stand behind this effort and strongly distance ourselves from attempts to create discord."But the row comes at a time when Greenland's parliament is in a state of flux. The centre-right opposition - the Democratic Party - won a surprise general election victory on Tuesday. Its leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who is likely to be Greenland's new prime minister, is now negotiating with other parties to form a coalition.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Migrants must be expected to integrate
Here's a new one: a sexagenarian has just been arrested for allegedly using an array of wigs and other disguises to take British citizenship tests for over a dozen applicants. Perhaps these would-be immigrants feel so strongly about living in Britain they are willing to cheat their way in. They wouldn't be the first. Maybe their grasp of English isn't sufficient to answer such stumpers as 'St Andrews is the patron saint of which country?' in a multiple-choice exam. But this apparent Mrs Doubtfire tale makes a mockery of citizenship tests we've long suspected are unfit for purpose. It isn't just the contents of the 45-minute quiz, nor even the fact that applicants can book and attempt it as many times as necessary until they pass. Take a sample test online, and it's inconceivable that the authorities could gauge how committed applicants are to assimilation, nor how respectful of our institutions, heritage and traditions. How many migrants' motivations are instrumental, rather than an affection for the culture of fish and chips, warm beer and conversations about the weather? The Office for National Statistics this week projected that net migration could fuel a rise in the UK population to 72.5 million by 2032, yet politicians remain remarkably complacent over what this means for social and cultural integration. After the Second World War, fewer than one in 25 people living in Britain had been born overseas. Today, the figure is around one in seven. The first big wave was the Windrush generation – most of whom came from the Caribbean, spoke English and were of Christian faith. Today, according to Policy Exchange, there are over two dozen communities of more than 100,000 people born overseas. The breadth of diversity in this country is staggering. British citizens now speak different languages, hold different faiths and subscribe to different traditions. How do you imbue mutual obligation, a sense of common purpose and solidarity with such massive cultural divergence? No one really knows, and few dare ask. One of the great inconsistencies in the multiculturalism debate is that we must celebrate our newly dynamic, vibrant society while simultaneously accepting that our shared values remain unchanged. We are expected to be both homogeneous and diverse. But changes are occurring before our eyes. One in five voters under the age of 45 would prefer to do away with democracy, it was reported last month. BBC In Depth recently warned that our 'moral compasses' are changing, with 'disapproval of various underhand activities [falling] noticeably'. Since the mid-2000s consumption of alcohol has been declining steadily, particularly among Gen Z. Bizarrely absent from any analysis of these trends is the possible impact of high migration inflows. The BBC predictably apportions blame to the bête noires of the liberal elites: social media, politicians and big business. Doubtless there's some truth to it – though saints have rarely found their way into Parliament at any time and corporations are much more ethically conscious today than in the past. By the 1980s, Britain had evolved into a relatively civilised society. We had outlawed capital and corporal punishment. Homosexuality had been decriminalised. Bribery, tribal loyalty and favouritism to family had been consigned to history. We had introduced secular education; women's rights had been dramatically expanded. Nobody was above the law. This was all underpinned by a strong sense of identity and national pride. Yet some of these features are being eroded, in part because of the progressive policies pursued by Tory politicians, the woke capture of our institutions and the denigration of our history. What's less clear is the role of inward migration. Just 64 per cent of people are now proud of the nation's history. When four schoolboys accidentally scuffed a Koran, they were suspended and the police logged it as a non-crime hate incident. There's a push to redefine Islamophobia, creating a blasphemy law by the back door. Tory politicians have warned of the 'abuse of postal votes' amid concerns that some heads of households were filling in ballot papers for whole families. 'We're at a crossroads,' the academic Dr Rakib Ehsan tells me. 'There is a lack of political leadership over these issues – and they won't go away.' Successful integration in a multi-ethnic society takes work. It's a dangerous mistake to believe it will happen by a mysterious process of osmosis. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
