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I'm Danielle Jalowiecka with the latest BBC News.
President Trump has said he will "100%" follow through on his threat to impose additional tariffs on European countries opposed to his ambition to take control of Greenland. Asked if he might go further and use force to seize the Arctic territory from Denmark, the president replied, "No comment." Mr. Trump insists Greenland is key to U.S. security, but the former U.S. Defense Secretary and Republican Senator Chuck Hagel told the BBC it was a dangerous moment and Congress may need to intervene. "It's all very dangerously irresponsible. I think NATO is under threat if the president continues down the track that he's on, threatening to take a NATO member's territory by force. And I hope our Congress steps in here and the Congress does have the authority and the power to withhold the authorization of military force and withhold funds for any kind of action like this." Kurdish-led SDF forces in northeastern Syria have accused Damascus-affiliated armed groups of releasing 1,500 Islamic State militants from a prison in Hasakah. The prisoners are reported to have escaped as the Syrian army took control of the city during fighting. The government earlier blamed the SDF for the release of the Islamists. Lina Sinjab reports from Beirut. The Kurdish-dominated SDF in northwest Syria say they have lost control of Sednaya prison which houses thousands of Islamic State group prisoners. The SDF had said the prison had been under attack by forces linked to the government in Damascus. The past few weeks have seen deadly clashes between Kurdish and government forces. The SDF wanted to maintain autonomy and control over border crossings as well as Syria's oil reserves, while the government was pushing for a more centralized control over united Syria. Christian groups in Nigeria say armed gangs have kidnapped more than 160 people from three churches in Kaduna state, but local police and politicians say they're unable to confirm the abductions. From Lagos, Makuochi Okafor reports. The community leader of the area told the BBC that armed men attacked on Sunday and abducted worshippers from three churches. He said 177 people were taken while 11 escaped. Several others were injured but no deaths were reported. Police say officers have been deployed, though they have not confirmed the numbers. The Nigerian military says it is stepping up efforts to protect civilians and has recently received critical supplies from the United States to support its operations. Authorities say they are working with U.S. support to tackle insecurity across the country. Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have expressed regret for border clashes with Chad which left seven Chadian soldiers dead, describing it as "unintentional." The RSF said their units have been pursuing forces from the Sudanese army that had entered their territory and then fled across the border into Chad. World news from the BBC. The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has declared three days of national mourning for the victims of Sunday's high-speed train crash in Andalucia. On a visit to the scene, Mr. Sánchez promised a transparent investigation into the cause of the disaster. The number confirmed dead has risen to 40. Twelve others are in intensive care. The British government is launching a consultation into children's social media use as it considers whether it should introduce an Australian-style age ban for under-16s. Options under consideration will also include tougher enforcement for schools. Here's our technology editor Zoe Kleinman. Blocking British children's access to social media and restricting addictive features such as Streaks which count your daily interactions with an app, and infinite scrolling where the content never runs out are measures to be considered. The consultation will also examine whether Australia's social media ban for under-16s, which came into force last month, has worked so far. But this doesn't mean the U.K. will necessarily follow suit. Some academics and child safety campaigners fear a ban could have unintended consequences, such as tempting children into darker corners of the internet. The basketballer LeBron James's remarkable run of 21 years as a starter in the mid-season All-Star game has ended. The 41-year-old is not among the 10 names announced on Monday for the first time since his debut year in the NBA. It's been the longest run of sustained excellence in the sport. James may yet be selected as a reserve. The Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has led the tributes to the fashion designer Valentino, who's died at the age of 93. Models, movie stars and fellow designers have also been remembering the man who for decades dressed high society, including Princess Grace of Monaco and Princess Diana. His creations were red-carpet favorites for Hollywood stars, many of whom wanted his signature color, Valentino red. BBC News. |