Tragically, an avalanche buried a 12-year-old boy who was skiing off-piste with his family.
The scary incident happened today at 1 pm at the Sportgastein ski resort in Austria.
Ten mountain rescuers, a rescue helicopter and a police helicopter were dispatched to the scene. Credit: SN/Gustin Mountain Rescue
Ten mountain rescuers, three dog handlers, a rescue helicopter and a police helicopter team reached the spot.
The boy was pulled from under the snow before doctors performed 40 minutes of CPR to revive him.
Sadly, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The boy from the Czech Republic was skiing with his family, who had come to the resort for a holiday on Sunday, when the accident occurred.
helicopter disaster
Helicopter crashes after becoming entangled in ski lift cables
Gerhard Kremser, district head of the mountain rescue service in Pongau, said, “The 12-year-old and another boy were skiing down a steep slope between avalanche barriers.”
Kremser said the pair “triggered an avalanche” between the steel beams.
Suddenly the 12-year-old boy got stuck in a layer of ice and collided with an obstacle.
This terrible accident happened about 100 metres above the Goldbergbahn middle station.
The boy’s family was evacuated to the valley by police helicopter Libelle.
Officials said he is currently being cared for by a crisis intervention team.
The incident comes just days after a tourist froze to death in Bad Gastein, a ski town near Austria’s Gastein Valley.
The 55-year-old Danish man was discovered by mountain rescue teams on the edge of a waterfall on Sunday afternoon after he was reported missing the previous evening.
He was last seen by friends around 10 pm on Saturday night, but he did not return to his residence.
Police, a search helicopter and mountain rescue teams swept across the area in a major operation to bring the situation under control for the missing man.
His body was found frozen in the snow on the riverbank step far away from the gushing drop of the waterfall.
Mountain Rescue received seven other call-outs that day due to the cold conditions.
District leader Gerhard Kremser said, “These include avalanches, injured off-piste skiers, stranded persons in alpine terrain and large-scale search operations with tragic, fatal consequences.”
Microsoft Office has informed 400 million users about the rebranding exercise, which integrates their famous software suite with its AI tool, Copilot.
Alan Johnson, social news reporter
13:44, 13 January 2026
Microsoft Office users have criticized the rebranding of the software (stock) (Image: HJBC/iStock via Getty Images ).
Microsoft Office users have criticised the company’s latest rebranding process after it changed the name of its popular software suite. The package, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote, was first released by Bill Gates’ global corporation in 1990 and has 400 million users worldwide.
However, last week, users received a dialogue box informing them that it had been renamed. It read, “Welcome to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.” “Microsoft 365 Copilot apps (formerly Office) let you create, share, and collaborate all in one place with your favourite apps, now including Copilot.”
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Copilot was founded in 2023 as a replacement for Cortana, and it is an AI chatbot that allows users to maximise their productivity by generating content and automating tasks.
Upon hearing news of the change, software creator and entrepreneur Peter Deden said, “RIP MS Office. RIP Microsoft 365. It’s now ‘Microsoft 365 Copilot’.
“We’re one rebrand away from Excel being a prompt box that says, ‘Trust me, bro, the math checks out.'”
Another person said, “Microsoft Office is one of the most recognisable brands in the world. This is worse than Twitter changing its name to X. I want to have a 2-hour podcast discussion with the middle manager who approved this decision.”
A third pointed out, “This is stupid and brand destroying, yes, but note that the brand destruction actually happened in 2020 when they changed the name of Office to ‘Microsoft 365’ – it had nothing to do with AI.”
While a fourth
Microsoft shared the reason behind the rebranding, saying, “Microsoft 365 (Office) apps are now called Microsoft 365 Copilot apps on the web (office.com, microsoft365.com), mobile (iOS, Android), and Windows. The new app name and icon reflect the integration of Copilot within Microsoft 365 apps.”
It added: “The Microsoft 365 Copilot app serves as your everyday productivity app for work and life. But in the age of AI and Copilot integration, it has become much more than that. We’ve made a number of improvements to the work and education experience, as well as for consumers with personal accounts.”
Meanwhile, Gareth Oystrick, senior director of marketing for Microsoft 365, responded to the criticism, saying, “We haven’t made any recent naming changes to our Office apps. Office apps Word, Excel, and PowerPoint remain unchanged within the Microsoft 365 productivity suite.
“In November 2022, we renamed the Office ‘Hub’-only app to Microsoft 365 apps for web and mobile. In January 2025, we updated it to Microsoft 365 Copilot apps to reflect its role in bringing Copilot and Microsoft 365 productivity experiences into one place.”
Microsoft advised users, “Existing users with work and personal accounts may see these changes across their web (Office.com, Microsoft365.com), mobile (iOS, Android), and Windows apps.
“If you’re signed in and still don’t see the changes, verify that you’re connected to the Internet and then restart the Microsoft 365 Copilot app.”
The investment industry has stepped up warnings to the government over plans to limit cash ISAs, arguing they risk reducing the willingness of British investors to back listed companies.
Sky News has learnt that a meeting on Tuesday involving officials from the Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs, as well as major industry players, including Hargreaves Lansdown, HSBC, and Lloyds Banking Group, led to a heated exchange of words over the implications of the Treasury’s reforms.
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Under plans confirmed by Rachel Reeves in November’s Budget, the Cash ISA allowance will be reduced from £20,000 to £12,000 from April 2027, except for savers under the age of 65.
The Chancellor said the move aims to encourage more investment in the UK stock market, with £8,000 balances available to invest in stocks and shares ISA products.
The Treasury and HMRC are now preparing detailed anti-fraud rules, including banning transfers from stocks and shares and Innovative Finance ISAs to cash ISAs; The use of tests to determine whether an investment is worth holding in a stocks and shares ISA or is ‘cash-like’; And charges on any interest paid on stocks and shares or cash held in an Innovative Finance ISA.
The investment industry has been vocal in warning.
However, the investment industry has been vocal in warning that the rule changes will add complexity and penalise savers who are focused on derisking their portfolios before the age of 65.
There are also growing concerns that a more robust approach to taxing cash balances held in stocks and shares in ISAs would seriously damage their image as a tax-free investment option.
Any evidence that the reforms are weakening stock market investment ahead of the next general election would be damaging for Ms Reeves, who has directed the industry to work on a multimillion-pound campaign aimed at promoting retail investment to the public.
Many companies have already backed out from participating in that campaign due to cost and coordination concerns.
One industry person who attended Tuesday’s talks said, “It became clear at today’s meeting that significant reforms to ISAs are being made with very little understanding of how retail investors behave or the range of potential unintended consequences.
The implementation of fundamentally flawed changes has placed HMRC in a dangerous position.
“Rather than rushing into something that risks undermining retail investment, the Chancellor should go back to the drawing board and build an evidence base for sensible, long-term reforms aimed at supporting retail investors.”
The reforms will be subject to a consultation period, with draft legislation – in the form of amendments to ISA rules —being put before Parliament well before April 2027.
In the 2023-24 tax year, savers invested a record £103 billion in ISAs, of which almost two-thirds – £70 billion – was invested in cash ISAs.
Others present at Tuesday’s meeting included the Building Societies’ Association, AJ Bell, Fidelity, Vanguard and the Investment Association.
A government spokesperson said, “To encourage more investment in stocks and shares, we are making changes to ISA rules that will prevent breaches of the new lower cash ISA limit.
“We are already working closely with the industry and will publish clear guidance before the changes are implemented.”
The BBC has requested the court effectively prevent the parties from collecting most of the evidence until the motion is decided.
Court documents reveal that the BBC plans to dismiss Donald Trump’s lawsuit over the January 6 Panorama edit.
us The president filed a defamation case Over the broadcaster’s editing of a speech he gave in 2021, the day his supporters stormed the Capitol building.
Clips of parts of the US President’s speech were stitched together, showing him saying, “We’re walking to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We engage in intense battles.
The nearly hour-long documentary Trump: A Second Chance? The BBC broadcasted it one week before the US elections.
us President is seeking $5bn (£3.7bn) in damages as part of a defamation suit. Additionally, they have brought a $5 billion lawsuit alleging violations of the law on trade practices. Both lawsuits were filed in Florida.
In November, American correspondent James Matthews described the trial.
A BBC spokesperson said in a statement,
A BBC spokesperson said in a statement, “As we have previously made clear, we will defend this matter. We are not going to comment further on ongoing legal proceedings.”
Court documents show the broadcaster will file a motion to dismiss the lawsuits, claiming the Florida court lacks “personal jurisdiction” over the organisation, the court venue is “improper”, and Mr Trump has “failed to state a claim”.
Read more: Trump vs BBC: everything you need to know
Victory doesn’t really matter to Trump. It’s about pressure – a warning to his critics
katie spencer
Arts and Entertainment Correspondent
The BBC is retaliating.
If you read the legal filings and the grounds for which the corporation wants to dismiss the case, they are convincing.
The case’s filing location, Florida, forms the core of their argument. For a case against a British broadcaster, such an arrangement never made much sense.
He says Trump’s own legal team has provided a link to the Panorama episode, which viewers in the US cannot watch unless they use a VPN.
Would it be enough to throw it out?
This was always a curious affair, but let’s not forget that for Trump, it doesn’t really matter whether he succeeds or fails – this is designed to exert pressure; this is a high-profile warning shot to those who are personally critical of him and his administration.
Even if Trump doesn’t get his billions of dollars, the lawsuit is a form of leverage. But for a public service broadcaster, which is ultimately accountable to the taxpayers, being caught in such a situation is even more embarrassing and painful.
Given the prolonged uncertainty and significant legal costs, the BBC really needs to shut its operations down.
The corporation will argue that it did not create, produce, or broadcast the documentary in Florida, and that Mr. Trump’s claim about the documentary’s availability in the US on BritBox is false.
It will also claim that the president failed to allege that the broadcaster published the documentary with “actual malice.”
The BBC has requested the court effectively prevent the parties from collecting most of the evidence until the motion is decided.
image: Tim Davie resigns as Director General of the BBC. Photo: PA
The broadcasterapologised to the US President in November for “error of judgement” but said it disagreed that there were “grounds for a defamation claim”.
The fallout from the saga led to the resignation of both BBC director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Terness.
For the first time in its history, a woman will lead the Red Arrows (Image: Getty).
For the first time in its history, the Red Arrows have appointed a woman to lead the team. Wing Commander Sasha Nash has taken up the role of Officer Commanding, making her the most senior officer in the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team.
An experienced fast-jet pilot who joined Royal Air Force In 2005, Wing Commander Nash will take charge of the 150-strong unit and oversee all aspects of the Red Arrows. She said leading the team is “the career opportunity of a lifetime”, adding, “If someone had told me 20 years ago that one day I would be Officer Commanding the Red Arrows, I don’t think I would have believed it.
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“This is a team of dedicated, hard-working and enthusiastic people – who exemplify the ethos and values found across RAF units – and I am excited to work with them to continue to deliver the level of excellence for which the Red Arrows are globally renowned.”
Wing Commander Nash, who is originally from Surrey, succeeds Wing Commander Adam Collins, who had held the role from early 2023.
to both the Red Arrows team and the RAF,
He praised Wing Commander Collins’s “absolute dedication” to both the Red Arrows team and the RAF, as well as his “immeasurable wealth of performance knowledge and commitment to all that the Red Arrows represent.”
The pilot said, “I know we would all like to congratulate him on such a successful time with the Red Arrows and an exemplary RAF career and wish him all the best for the future.”
The new officer commanding said she knew she wanted to join the RAF from a young age, as she was “inspired” by airshows and “seeing the speed and excitement of the aircraft displayed at those events”.
Wing Commander Nash said, “That ambition stayed with me throughout school, where I won a sixth form scholarship and then a university bursary to join the RAF.
“Two decades later, I am still thoroughly enjoying everything I do and taking advantage of all the opportunities and experiences a career in the armed forces has provided.”
Leading the Red Arrows, according to Wing Commander Sasha Nash, is an exceptional career opportunity.
Wing Commander Nash, who played lacrosse for England at junior and senior levels, said, “I am incredibly proud and excited to now, as OC RAFAT, take command of a team whose aim is to represent the UK and help inspire future generations of aviators of all backgrounds.
“This is a great time to join the Red Arrows as we prepare for a busy season and plan for the future. I can’t wait to work with team members and have the opportunity to meet people at airshows and events this year.”
Training for the new season is already underway, with the first public events usually held in late May or early June.
Wing Commander Collins said, “As I hand over command to Sasha, I want to wish him all the best for the future and I am confident that under his leadership, the Red Arrows will continue to showcase our precision, excellence and teamwork around the world.”
The Red Arrows have faced criticism in the past over allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
In November 2022, the then commander of the unit was removed from his post while his alleged relationship with a junior team member was investigated.
A report in 2023 found that there was a “hostile, abusive and insulting” atmosphere among the Red Arrows Display team.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told parliament on Tuesday that the UK government believed “up to 2,000 people may have been killed, with many more dead. I fear the number could be much higher
Information coming out of Iran on Tuesday suggests that the crackdown by authorities to end more than two weeks of widespread anti-government protests has been far deadlier than reported by activists outside the country. With phone lines open to calls from inside the Islamic Republic, two sources, including one from inside Iran, told CBS News on Tuesday that at least 12,000 and possibly as many as 20,000 people have been killed.
It has been incredibly difficult to piece together the truth, as Iran’s fundamentalist rulers have cut off internet access and phone service in the country for the past five days. After a fifth day of complete internet shutdown in Iran, some Iranians were able to make phone calls outside the country on Tuesday, but calling into Iran from outside remained impossible.
A source inside Iran who was able to make the call told CBS News on Tuesday that based on reports from medical officials around the country, activist groups working to compile the full death toll from the protests believe the death toll was at least 12,000 and possibly as high as 20,000.
Pedestrians walk past a burnt building in Tehran, Iran, on January 10, 2026, following widespread protests against the regime.
The same source said that security forces were visiting several private hospitals in Tehran and threatening staff to hand over the names and addresses of people who were injured in the protests.
CBS News has not been able to independently verify the massive death toll reported by the source, which is several times higher than the numbers privately reported by most activist groups recently — though those groups have always made clear that their numbers are underestimates.
The opposition Iran International Television Network reported on Tuesday that their information indicated approximately 12,000 deaths. A Washington source with contacts in Iran told CBS News on Tuesday that a reliable source had told him the death toll was likely between 10,000 and 12,000.
Iranian authorities have not provided regular official estimates of total deaths from the unrest. Reuters on Tuesday quoted an unnamed Iranian official as saying that nearly 2,000 people have been killed since protests began on December 28 and blamed foreign-influenced “terrorists” for the violence, even suggesting that agitators were paid to spread chaos.
CBS News has verified that the video posted online Tuesday shows the bodies of hundreds of people killed during protests at a mortuary in a Tehran suburb. The video shows forensic personnel documenting gruesome injuries on bodies and crowds of people trying to identify the dead.
A new video shows badly injured bodies lining up at a mortuary.
An Iranian activist and blogger, who identifies himself only as Wahid online, first posted the shocking 16-minute clip. Wahid reported receiving the video from a source who travelled nearly 600 miles to upload it during a communications blackout.
Graphic videos show people injured by bullets and gunshots, along with other wounds, and piles of blood-stained clothes inside the mortuary complex.
An image from a video posted online by an Iranian activist using the pseudonym Vahid shows people looking at bodies on the ground outside the Tehran Province’s Forensic Diagnostic and Laboratory Center, which is at a mortuary in the Tehran suburb of Kahrizak. CBS News believes the video was taken on January 10, 2026, amid nationwide anti-government protests in Iran.
The protests – which have prompted President Trump’s threats of US military intervention – began in late December over anger over a new rise in the cost of living in Iran’s sanctions-hit economy. They quickly turned into mass rallies in all 31 provinces of Iran, with thousands of people chanting slogans calling for the downfall of the country’s Islamic rulers.
Even if the lower death toll reported by Cooper in Britain on Tuesday were confirmed, it would exceed the number of officially reported casualties in previous anti-regime protests in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution that brought the current government to power.
As protests escalated last week, President Trump warned several times that the US would take action if the Iranian regime killed protesters, without specifying any red lines that might trigger a response or what the response might be.
President Trump tells Iranian protesters that help is coming
Mr. Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday, “Iranian patriots, keep protesting—occupy your institutions!” Protect the names of the murderers and abusers. They will face severe consequences. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters stops. Help is on the way.”
He then offered no details about what help the United States might provide to Iran’s long-suppressed domestic opposition.
The president’s national security team was scheduled to hold a meeting at the White House on Tuesday to discuss their options, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. It was not clear whether the President himself would attend. He has provided information on a wide range of military and clandestine equipment that could be used against Iran, beyond conventional air strikes, according to two Pentagon officials who spoke to CBS News on the condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters.
He described the action as “far worse than we can imagine.”
“The information we are receiving indicates that violent actions have occurred, and the protests are likely worse than we had anticipated,” said Mahmoud Amiri-Moghadam, who leads the Norway-based activist organisation Iran Human Rights.
“The red lines of the entire international community have been crossed,” Amiri-Moghadam said. “We have a mechanism called the responsibility to protect civilians against serious human rights violations, mass killings… The United States, along with the European Union and basically all countries, has a responsibility to stop these atrocities; this extends beyond just President Trump.
He did not call for US military action but urged world powers to “provide Iranians with more means to communicate with the world, because that’s what the regime does – they shut down the Internet. Basically, it’s like solitary confinement. They put the Iranian people in solitary confinement and start torturing and killing them.”
He told CBS News that his organisation had received a video Monday night showing the scene of an alleged attack by security forces that killed 75 people in Mazandaran province, about a three-hour drive north of Tehran. Amiri-Moghadam said he could not share the video or the city where the alleged attack took place because the information “could be tracked,” which would jeopardise his sources.
“This indicates that the extent is much worse than we thought,” Amiri-Moghaddan said.
Internet access and text messaging services in Iran were also blocked on Tuesday, largely maintaining a blackout that began on the evening of January 8, when thousands of people turned out to raise their voices in response to the call of Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.
The protests – and the actions of security forces against them – appeared to escalate rapidly over the course of a few days from that evening.
On Tuesday, Iran’s police chief claimed that the protests were ordered from outside the country and that “terrorists” paid to create unrest were encountered inside Iran.
Iranians want “someone who can oust the Islamic Republic”
Amiri-Moghaddan told CBS News that many Iranians would not believe that story from their leaders.
He said, “The Iranian people are sick of the regime and want out.” “I remember asking many people from different backgrounds, ‘Who would you support?’ And they all basically say we will support anyone who can depose the Islamic Republic. Iran is a country with many types of people and different opinions. “Some people want the monarchy, some are against it, but I think the priority is to remove this regime.”
Pahlavi has said he is ready to return to lead Iran, even though he has not been there since his father, the US-backed Shah, fled nearly 50 years ago amid intense public outrage over his rule. He told CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell on Monday that the Iranians “need action.”
He said, “The best way to ensure that fewer people are killed in Iran is to intervene early so that this regime finally collapses and brings an end to all the problems we are facing.”
Pahlavi said he had spoken with the Trump administration, but he did not provide any details of those conversations.
Amiri-Moghaddan said that the “absolute majority” of Iranians “do not want a regime like that; more than 80%.”
But he said the 80% were “divided broadly into three groups: those who want the Shah’s sons, those who oppose the monarchy, and those who are undecided.”
United States Senator Mark Kelly has sued the Department of Defence and its Secretary, Pete Hegseth, alleging that they have trampled his rights to free speech by launching a campaign of “punitive retaliation”.
The complaint was filed on Monday in US District Court in Washington DC. It also names the Navy Department and its Secretary, John Phelan, as defendants.
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“I filed suit against the Secretary of Defence because there are few things more important than standing up for the rights of Americans who fought to protect our freedom,” veteran Kelly wrote in a statement on social media.
Kelly’s trial It is the latest escalation in the feud that first erupted in November, when a group of six Democratic lawmakers – all veterans of the US armed services or its intelligence community – published a video reminding military members online of their responsibility to “reject illegal orders”.
Democrats framed the video as a simple reiteration of government policy: courts have repeatedly ruled that service members actually have a duty to refuse orders they know violate U.S. Courts have repeatedly ruled that service members actually have a duty to refuse orders they know violate U.S. law or the Constitution.
But Republican President Donald Trump and his allies have condemned the video as “treasonous behaviour” and called for the lawmakers to be brought to justice.
focus on Kelly.
Kelly, in particular, has faced several actions that critics have called an unconstitutional attack on his First Amendment right to free speech.
Kelly, a senator from the pivotal state of Arizona, is one of the highest-profile lawmakers featured in the November video.
He is also considered a rising star in the Democratic Party and is widely speculated to be the presidential or vice-presidential candidate in the 2028 elections.
But before his career in politics, Kelly was a pilot in the US Navy who flew missions during the Gulf War. He retired with the rank of captain. Kelly was also selected to become an astronaut along with his twin, Scott Kelly, and served as part of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
His entry into politics came after his wife, former Representative Gabby Giffords, was shot in the head during an assassination attempt in 2011. On Monday, Kelly described the Senate as “a place I never expected to find myself in”.
“My wife Gabby was always the elected official in our family,” he told his Senate colleagues. “If she had never been shot in the head, she would be here in this chamber, not me. But I love this country, and I felt an obligation to continue my public service in a way I never expected.”
Kelly’s participation in the November video has brought her into prominence in the Trump administration’s crosshairs, and officials close to the president have taken action to condemn her statements.
Soon after the video came out, for example, the Department of Defence announced it started an investigation against Kelly. It warned that the senator could face court-martial depending on the outcome of the investigation.
The pressure on Kelly continued this month, when Hegseth revealed on social media that he had submitted a formal letter of censure against the senator.
That letter accused Kelly of “conduct unbecoming of office” and alleged that he “undermined the chain of command” through his videos.
Hegseth said the letter demanded Kelly be demoted from the position he held at the time of his retirement, as well as have his retirement pay reduced.
“Senator Mark Kelly – and five other members of Congress – released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” Hegseth wrote on Platform X.
“As a retired Navy captain who still receives a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. And the War Department – and the American people – expect justice.”
Attacks on political speech
Kelly responded to that claim by alleging that Hegseth had launched a politically motivated vendetta campaign designed to silence any future criticism of American military veterans.
Kelly said, “With everything I have earned through my twenty-five years of military service, Pete Hegseth is coming in, violating my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator,” and wrote on social media on Monday.
“Their unconstitutional crusade against me sends a frightening message to every retired member of the military: if you speak up and say something the President or the Secretary of Defence doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted.”
Kelly also took to the Senate floor on Monday to defend his decision to prosecute Trump administration officials.
“Every service member knows that military rank is earned. This is not given. It is earned through the risks you take,” Kelly told his fellow senators.
“After my 25 years of service, I earned my rank as a captain in the United States Navy. Now, Pete Hegseth wants even our longest-serving military veterans to live with the constant threat that they may be stripped of their rank and retirement pay, years or even decades after leaving the military, just because he or another Secretary of Defence or the President doesn’t like what they have to say.”
Their lawsuit seeks to have the federal court system halt proceedings against them and declare Hegseth’s censure letter illegal.
The petition filed with the court makes a twofold argument: that efforts to discipline Kelly not only violate his free speech rights but also attack legislative independence, because they allegedly seek to intimidate a member of Congress.
“It appears that never in our nation’s history has the executive branch imposed military sanctions on a member of Congress for adverse political speech,” the lawsuit claims.
The complaint also accuses the Trump administration of violating Kelly’s right to due process, despite high-profile calls from within the government to punish the senator.
It pointed to social media posts made by Trump, which included an indication that he thought Kelly’s behaviour amounted to “treasonous behaviour, punishable by death”.
The lawsuit also argues that Hegseth’s censure letter appeared to draw conclusions about Kelly’s alleged wrongdoings, only then requesting that the Navy review his military rank and retirement benefits.
The lawsuit argues that such a review cannot be considered an impartial assessment of the facts.
“The Constitution does not permit the government to announce a decision in advance and then subject Senator Kelly or anyone else to a nominal process designed merely to accomplish it,” the lawsuit said.
Nara, Japan — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed to step up cooperation between the neighbours, whose relations are sometimes strained as they both face growing uncertainty and regional challenges.
“I believe that cooperation between Korea and Japan is more important now than ever, as we continue to move toward a new, better future amid this complex, unstable international system,” Lee said at the start of the summit on Tuesday.
Takaichi said he reiterated his determination to further improve Japan’s relations with South Korea “because I believe the two countries should cooperate and contribute to stability in the region.”
“This year, I will raise Japan-South Korea relations to an even higher level.”
Takachi said, adding that his goal is to secure stable ties with Seoul while Tokyo grapples with a worsening dispute with China.
This meeting could lead to a political victory as Takaichi seeks to increase his power. A few months after taking office, he enjoys high approval ratings, but his party has a majority in only one of the two houses of parliament. There is growing speculation that she is planning a snap election in the hope of gaining more seats.
Takaichi is hosting Lee in his hometown of Nara, an ancient capital with precious deer and a centuries-old Buddhist temple in Gyeongju, South Korea, following Lee’s request during the October APEC meeting.
Nara, a centre of cultural exchange between the Korean Peninsula and Japan in ancient times, “holds a special meaning at a time when Korea-Japan exchanges are more important than ever,” Lee said.
Takachi will take Lee on Wednesday on a tour of Horyu Temple, which includes buildings dating back to the late 7th or early 8th century. They are among the oldest surviving wooden architecture in the world and reflect Japan’s adoption of Buddhism through the Korean Peninsula. Lee will also meet South Korean residents in Japan before returning home in the afternoon.
Although Japan’s cultural, religious, and political ties with the Korean Peninsula are ancient, their relations have faced repeated disruptions in modern times. Japan’s brutal colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945 has given rise to numerous controversies.
Takaichi was in Nara on Monday for preparations and posted on social media.
The Japanese prime minister faces rising trade and political tensions with China over comments he made about Taiwan that angered Beijing just days after he took office. Takaichi said potential Chinese military action against Taiwan, the island democracy that Beijing claims as its own, could justify Japanese intervention.
Tuesday’s meeting was aimed at focusing on trade and the challenges facing China and North Korea, as well as efforts to deepen trust between the two countries.
Japan and South Korea, both key US allies, also have to figure out how to deal with President Donald Trump’s unpredictable diplomacy, and US pressure on both countries is increasing defence spending.
Li was in Beijing for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping last week, as China steps up economic and political pressure against Japan and seeks rapprochement with Seoul. During the visit, the South Korean leader told reporters that relations with Japan are as important as those with China, but South Korea’s ability to broker reconciliation among its neighbours is limited.
Lee, in an interview with Japan’s NHK television on Monday, noted his interest in securing Japanese support for South Korea’s participation in the 12-member Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. He said this would include South Korea lifting a ban on imports from Fukushima and surrounding Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 earthquake. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and its consequences may take time to alleviate health concerns among South Koreans.
Lee also said his country wants to cooperate with Japan on security under a trilateral framework that also includes the US, but “what is critical is the issue of deep mutual trust.”
Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have begun to improve. In recent years, we have faced common challenges, such as growing China-US competition and North Korea’s nuclear program.
There were initial concerns about Takaichi’s ability to work with Lee, driven by his reputation as a security hawk and the perception by some that the leftist South Korean leader would lean toward North Korea and China. But so far, both the leaders have tried to put aside their differences.
Although the two leaders are expected to avoid discussing their historical disputes, media reports say they may discuss possible humanitarian cooperation in the ongoing effort to recover the remains. In western Japan, a former marine mining site was the location of an accident in 1942 that killed 180 workers, mostly Korean forced labourers.
___
Hyung-Jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.
IREF noted that the US already imposes a 50% duty on Indian rice shipments. (AI image)
Recent export data shows that India sent basmati rice worth $468.10 million, which is 5.99 lakh metric tonnes, to Iran during April to November of 2025-26. According to the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF),
Rising tensions in Iran and US President Donald Trump’s latest move to impose 25% tariffs on any country doing business with Iran could potentially impact India’s rice exports.
“Effective immediately, any country trading with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25% on any and all trade conducted with the United States.
order is final and conclusive. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump posted to the social media platform Truth Social.
Iran remains one of the most important overseas markets for Indian Basmati, but the ongoing instability is increasingly straining order execution, causing dispatch delays and disorganised delivery schedules in the current financial year.
Trump threatens to ‘strangle’ Iran before attack, blackmails India and China with 25% tariffs
Trump tariffs and Iran tensions: What’s next for India’s Basmati rice exports?
IREF says growing internal turmoil and large-scale demonstrations in Iran have begun to impact India’s rice export outlook, disrupting trade flows and putting pressure on basmati prices domestically.
Uncertainty has spread across the export chain, affecting contracts, payments and shipping plans.
This pressure is now clearly visible on the domestic markets. Prices of key varieties of Basmati have fallen sharply over the past week due to cautious buying, postponed deals, and a rising risk appetite among exporters.
India’s rice export to America
Dr Prem Garg, National President of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF), said, “Iran has historically been a pillar market for Indian Basmati.
However, the current internal turmoil has disrupted trade channels, slowed payments and eroded buyer confidence. Its immediate impact is evident in the Indian mandis, where Basmati prices have softened sharply in a matter of days.
Exporters are especially anxious about their credit exposure and shipments. We should exercise extreme caution when it comes to deadlines.”
Dr Garg said the IREF has advised exporters to re-evaluate the risks associated with Iranian contracts, strengthen payment safeguards, and avoid excessive inventory buildup targeted only at the Iranian market. “
We are not sounding an alarm but rather urging prudence. In times of geopolitical and internal instability, trade is often the first casualty.
A balanced approach is necessary to protect both exporters and farmers. He stated that while India’s rice sector is resilient, it requires protection through timely intelligence and responsible business practices.
The federation has also urged industry participants to expand their presence to alternative destinations in West Asia.
To mitigate the impact of an extended slowdown in shipments to Iran, the federation has urged industry participants to expand their presence to alternative destinations in West Asia, Africa, and Europe. Talking about Trump’s announcement of 25% tariffs,
IREF pointed out that Indian rice shipments to the US are already charged a 50% duty, a giant jump from the previous tariff rate of 10%. “Despite this substantial tariff increase, the volume of Indian rice exports to the US has not declined.”
Resilience is largely due to the fact that Indian rice – particularly basmati – has no equivalent substitute for Pakistani or US-origin rice.
Moreover, Indian rice is deeply embedded in the culinary traditions of immigrants from the Gulf region and the Indian subcontinent, ensuring sustained consumer demand despite price pressures,” IREF says.
India-Iran Trade Overview
There is currently little certainty regarding how the proposed 25% tariff will be implemented. Even in a scenario where the overall tariff burden increases further, IREF does not expect a major decline in Indian rice shipments to the US.
“The United States remains the 10th largest market for Indian rice globally and the 4th largest destination for Indian Basmati, underscoring its strategic importance.”
IREF said. In contrast, IREF flagged more serious risks emerging from Iran, where disruptions at the local market level have begun to interfere with trade payments. Importers have reported issues with exporters.
They are struggling to meet contractual obligations and transfer funds to India, creating a high level of uncertainty in ongoing transactions.
Although such episodes have been seen before, the direction and duration of the current disruption remain uncertain, and they are likely to cause additional volatility in prices.
These disruptions could potentially trigger additional volatility in prices, cash flows, and overall market confidence in the near term. The situation in Iran reminds us that food exports, particularly strategic commodities like rice, are highly sensitive to regional stability.
especially strategic commodities like rice – are highly sensitive to regional stability. For India’s rice ecosystem, taking timely precautions today can help prevent a deeper crisis tomorrow,” IREF concluded.
Equipped with weapons and navigating the frigid expanse of Greenland on dog sleds, these elite special forces are accustomed to combating fierce polar bears.
Donald Trump’s threats to invade this mineral-rich Arctic wilderness could now pit serious dog sled patrols against the US military.
If Donald Trump follows through on his threat, Greenland’s Sirius dog sled patrols could face off against US troops. Credit: AlamyDogs, as specialised special forces, are accustomed to combating fierce polar bears. Credit: Danish DefenseThe world’s only dog sled special force operates in areas others fear to tread. Credit: Redux/iVine.
The expert Danish naval unit will give a tough challenge to the opponents. They’ve mastered their environment despite hunger and frostbite in a world where one mistake can be fatal.
For up to five months at a time, they conduct long-range reconnaissance missions through this harsh land where the sun never rises in winter and temperatures can drop to -55°C.
The Royal Danish Navy unit’s battle honours include stopping Nazi encroachment off the coast of Greenland in World War II.
face adversity
Sirius Patrol is now in the international spotlight after Donald Trump mocked Greenland’s defensive capabilities.
on the brink
‘I’m the one who saved NATO,’ says Trump as the alliance plans to defend Greenland.
Cut into pieces
Putin’s mouthpiece offers to help US annex Greenland
Trump holds the belief that capturing an island such as Greenland would be effortless. However, Greenland is a large and challenging environment, and without any prior experience working there, one is likely to encounter significant difficulties.
Former Danish Rear Admiral Torben Orting Jorgensen is the individual being referenced.
He told a group of reporters aboard Air Force One, the presidential plane, “You know what Denmark has done recently to increase security on Greenland? They added another dog sled.
“That’s true. They thought it was a fantastic move.”
Trump was trying to clarify his view that Danish security is inadequate to secure strategic Greenland against Russian or Chinese incursions.
Yet Danish former Rear Admiral Torben Orting Jorgensen called Trump’s comments about serious sled teams an “insult of stupidity”.
Torben, 66, who now runs Denmark’s influential People and Security Defence Policy Network, told The Sun: “The fact that Trump is laughing at additional dog sled patrols only emphasises his ignorance of the conditions in that area.
The unit and we are using modes of transportation that have been adapted to the local conditions for centuries, and we are enhancing these with drones and other features.
“Trump believes it’s straightforward to take over an island like Greenland. But it’s a big, unfriendly place, and if you don’t know how to operate there, you’ll fail.”
The melting Arctic has become a crucible for competing world powers seeking to exploit minerals and fossil fuels as well as establish shipping routes through ice-shrouded seas.
In a sharp response to Trump, the Danes have unveiled a new £4.8 billion military package to defend Greenland, an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark, including a new radar station, five patrol ships and four long-range drones.
Yet in the brutal landscape of Greenland’s frozen north – which is impassable to modern military hardware – Sirius Patrol remains the first line of defence.
Taking its name from Sirius the Dog, the brightest star in the night sky, the world’s only dog sled special force operates where others fear to tread.
Every autumn, six sled teams, each consisting of two Royal Danish Navy soldiers, patrol for five months in an area equivalent to Britain and France combined.
White-out solitude is a stern test of men’s resilience.
Danish special forces collaborate with the Serious Dog Patrol. Credit: Alamy.Temperatures could drop to -55°C in Greenland Credit: Alamy
There is no opportunity to visit family or friends, except for the one visit to civilisation allowed during a 26-month tour of duty.
Instead, a close and respectful bond develops between man and dog, who become a cohesive unit, each dependent on the other for survival.
Huskies have developed a hissing growl that they use to warn of approaching polar bears.
This gives soldiers time to reach for their 10mm Glock pistol or bolt-action M53 rifle.
Eleven to fifteen Greenland huskies pull the sled, traversing sea ice and rugged ice an average of 19 miles per day.
At night, people move into a high-tech tent or a collection of huts built along the patrol route.
Their monotonous diet of canned foods is deprived of fresh fruits or vegetables throughout their time on patrol.
And although they change their socks weekly, they go two months without bathing or changing a full set of clothes.
Her hardy husband sleeps outside, braving the worst of the Arctic weather.
The naval unit’s selection and training processes are among the toughest of any country’s special forces and have been described as “extraordinary”.
Potential recruits undergo vigorous tests for stamina and strength as well as psychological testing to ensure they can withstand months of solitude.
At least eight months of rigorous education await those who succeed, covering subjects such as hunting techniques, tailoring, and veterinary skills.
glorious history
Patrolman Jesper Olsen described how, as part of his final training, he had to simulate a sledding accident by jumping into icy water.
They then tested their survival skills by living for five days with only a small bag of emergency supplies.
While hunting arctic hares and musk oxen to feed himself, he slept in a snow cave he dug with his mess tin.
The unit has a glorious history.
First known as the North-East Greenland Sledge Patrol, it was formed in the summer of 1941 with mainland Europe under Nazi control.
Its mission was to collect meteorological data to aid military planning in Europe.
The Germans also recognised Greenland’s potential and secretly built four weather stations along its rugged coast to aid their U-boat campaign.
Peter Harmanson, author of Fury and Ice: Greenland, the United States and Germany in World War II, said, “The Germans called Greenland the ‘season kitchen’, the place where the season was made, to be served to Europe the next day.”
They serve as a means of transportation and act as your alert system while you are sleeping.
Retired US Coast Guard Captain Bob Desh
Before Sirius, it was almost impossible to find a monitoring station among the icy waste.
U.S. Coast Guard ships struggled to navigate through the pack ice, while spotter aircraft visibility was hampered by snowstorms and the persistent darkness of winter.
So U.S. Coast Guard Commander Edward “Iceberg” Smith teamed up with Greenland Governor Eske Brun to form the Husky Patrol.
A force of ten Danes, four Greenlandic Inuits and one Norwegian was assembled to fight what became known as the “Weather War”.
The presence of the Inuit was significant; US Coast Guard Headquarters wrote: “In that great expanse of snow and ice, where people can hardly be distinguished at a short distance, only natives covering the area on sleds and well acquainted with the regular inhabitants can detect a stranger.”
Then sled teams of the hardy local breed of Greenland Husky were put together.
The unit takes its name from Sirius, the Dog Star, which is the brightest in the night sky. Credit: Facebook/Arctic Commando.Hardy soldiers conquer Greenland’s harsh terrain and climate Credit: Danish DefenseThe US president has reduced the strength of Greenland’s dog sled unit. Credit: AP.
The dogs, known for their stamina and strength as well as their keen sense of smell to detect dangerous animals and enemy soldiers alike, were accustomed to the unforgiving Arctic environment.
Retired US Coast Guard Captain Bob Desh said, “They’re tail-specific sensor packages.
“They serve as both a means of transportation and an alert system while you sleep.”
The unit was divided into three groups and began patrolling the northeast coast of Greenland.
At night they slept in tents or small huts called “hunting stations”, which were filled with paraffin, coal and dog food.
Bob said, “They were the most disgusting, wretched huts you could possibly think of, but it was a place to sleep.”
You have to be familiar with that harsh environment and that knowledge is not something you can learn in Alaska or in high technology or anything
Former Danish Rear-Admiral Jorgensen
Armed with rifles, soldiers shot musk oxen, polar bears, and arctic foxes as food for themselves and their dogs. The secret unit soon made its mark.
In the autumn of 1941 a patrol spotted a suspicious Norwegian trawler in a remote fjord.
Allied forces detained the German soldiers and kit they found on the ship.
In 1943, patrolmen Marius Jensen, Mikael Kunc, and William Arkay discovered a small cottage on Sabine Island with smoke coming from its chimney.
Seeing two people running from the hut, they decide to set up camp at a nearby hunting hut.
Later alerted by their howling dogs, they encountered two heavily armed German units.
Before beginning the two-day, 100-mile journey back to camp, the sled drivers were forced to flee, abandoning their dogs and equipment.
Later, Nazi soldiers open fire on Danish patrolman Eli Knudsen and his sled dogs. Killed in the melee, he was the unit’s first casualty.
The sled unit was disbanded after the war, but in 1950, as the Cold War cooled and concerns grew over Soviet designs in the Arctic, it was reorganised.
Before becoming the Serious Dog Sled Patrol, its name was changed to the Resolute Dog Sled Patrol.
Sirius’s boots on the ground prevent Russian and Chinese infiltration, a far cry from the high-tech modern warfare of AI-controlled drones and satellites.
If Trump intends to send US troops to seize Greenland, these warriors will be ready to serve.
Former Danish Rear Admiral Jorgensen told The Sun, “You have to be familiar with that harsh environment and that knowledge is not something you can just study in Alaska or high-tech or whatever.
“Sirius has battle-proven skills.”
A patrol lights a fire inside an ice cave Credit: Science Photo LibraryFormer Danish Rear Admiral Torben Orting Jorgensen. Credit: folokogsikkarhead.dk.Oliver of the Sun in Greenland Credit: Paul Edwards
a valuable oil land
Greenland has become a major strategic and resource-rich crossroads as global warming melts Arctic ice.
This is why US President Donald Trump has refused to occupy the world’s largest island by force.
As the ice recedes, it is becoming easier to extract billions of untapped barrels of oil and vast supplies of natural gas.
And rich reserves of gold, copper, lithium, cobalt, nickel and uranium await exploitation.
Melting Arctic ice is also opening up new transportation routes.
Ships will be able to sail from East Asia to Western Europe via the Arctic instead of using the Suez Canal, cutting travel times by almost half.
Trump believes that American control over the island is vital to America’s national security and to fend off the influence of the Russians and Chinese.
He said, “I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia. But I don’t want them as neighbours in Greenland.”
Trump said, “We need Greenland for national security – and that includes Europe.”
