Rock, meet hard place: officials from Denmark and Greenland are meeting with members of the Trump administration to discuss the future of the semi-autonomous island. The various players have discussed the matter before, but this is the first time since US President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric about taking over Greenland. Yesterday, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen rejected the idea of joining the United States, saying, “We choose Denmark.” Meanwhile, Europe is keen to strike a deal that keeps the NATO alliance intact and avoids a military encounter. The US Senate may have a similar view: a bipartisan group will reportedly propose a bill that would bar the State Department from using congressional funds to annex Greenland. This move could hamstring Trump’s negotiating position.
The East African nation says the UAE violated its sovereignty. Although Somalia didn’t provide additional details, the move comes amid allegations by Saudi Arabia that the UAE helped a fugitive rebel from Yemen flee to Abu Dhabi via Somali territory. Cutting ties with the UAE is a big deal: the Emirates have invested lots of money in Somalia’s ports and military over the years. But there are other recent irritants — including when Israel recognized the independence of Somaliland, a secessionist region of the country, there were whispers that the UAE had supported the move. Not coincidentally, they would continue to recognize the UAE. Zoom out and this looks like yet another example of the growing UAE vs Saudi rivalry in the region? See more on thathere.
For over two weeks now, Iranians have been pouring into the streets in the largest demonstrations the country has seen since the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” uprising, and possibly since the 2009 Green Movement.
Walmart is investing $350 billion in US manufacturing. Over two-thirds of the products Walmart buys are made, grown, or assembled in America, like healthy dried fruit from The Ugly Co. The sustainable fruit is sourced directly from fourth-generation farmers in Farmersville, California, and delivered to your neighborhood Walmart shelves. Discover how Walmart's investment is supporting communities and fueling jobs across the nation.
In this special edition of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Juan Lavista Ferres, Chief Data Scientist and Director of the AI for Good Lab, to unpack the most striking insights from Microsoft’s newly released AI Diffusion Report. Their conversation explores the growing reach of generative AI, the accelerating pace of technological progress, and what this moment means for societies and economies around the world. The discussion examines how generative AI is spreading globally, and why the speed of diffusion will determine who benefits most. Together, they highlight countries leading the charge, including the UAE, Singapore, and South Korea, and explore the rise of models such as China’s DeepSeek across parts of Africa, offering a clear-eyed look at how AI adoption is reshaping global power, opportunity, and impact. Subscribe and find new episodes of Tools and Weapons wherever you listen to podcasts.