Starmer could send military to Greenland as Trump ratchets up rhetoric

Sir Keir Starmer is considering sending British troops to Greenland as Donald Trump’s rhetoric over snatching the Danish territory continues to ratchet up.

It comes just days after the prime minister committed to sending troops into Ukraine as the core of the coalition of the willing to guarantee the peace, with former senior military top brass questioning whether the UK has enough personnel.

The revelation comes after former Obama assistant secretary of state Frank Rose told The Independent that Mr Trump’s actions threaten to undermine US defence in the region and lead to allies turning on him.

President Trump has insisted he wants control over Greenland and has not ruled out the prospect of using military force to seize the semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander insisted that discussions about securing the High North against Russia and China were part of Nato’s “business as usual” rather than a response to the US military threat.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch lambasted the discussions, warning that there is a danger the Nato alliance could collapse and arguing that Greenland is a “second-order issue”.

She told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: “Right now, what I am really concerned about is if there is going to be a Nato. We need to keep America on side.”

Meanwhile, former UK ambassador to the US Lord Peter Mandelson insisted that he does not believe Mr Trump will send US troops to take control of Greenland, accusing critics of the US president of “wanting to clutch at their pearls” rather than face reality. However, the Labour peer was also critical of the prime minister, who sacked him as ambassador, for not producing the promised spending increase on defence.

The Telegraph reported that military chiefs are drawing up plans for a possible Nato mission to Greenland, which could involve British soldiers, warships and planes being deployed to the island.

Ms Alexander downplayed the suggestion, telling Ms Kuenssberg the report “possibly reads something more into business as usual discussions amongst Nato allies than there actually are”.

She said the UK agreed with President Trump that the Arctic Circle “is becoming an increasingly contested part of the world with the ambitions of [Vladimir] Putin and China”.

“Whilst we haven’t seen the appalling consequences in that part of the world that we’ve seen in Ukraine, it is really important that we do everything that we can with all of our Nato allies to ensure that we have an effective deterrent in that part of the globe against Putin.”

Mr Trump has said he wants to get control over Greenland, which has a strategic location and natural resources, and “if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way”.

But Lord Mandelson said he did not believe Mr Trump would use the military against a Nato ally.

“President Trump is not going to land on Greenland, take Greenland by force,” he said. “He’s not a fool. What’s going to happen is there’s going to be a lot of discussion, a lot of consultation, a lot of negotiation and at the end of the day, we are all going to have to wake up to the reality that the Arctic needs securing against China and Russia.

“And if you ask me who is going to lead in that effort to secure, we all know, don’t we, that it’s going to be the United States.”

He argued that Mr Trump “believes we live in a world of conflicts and hard power… and sometimes nettles need to be grasped. We have to understand that.”

He was also critical of Sir Keir over not matching his commitment with promised increases in defence spending.

“I’m sorry, but the money’s got to follow,” he said. “I think the principle [of extra defence spending] is accepted. I think that the funding is embraced, but I haven’t seen the financial plans. Not for the future, not in the way that they need to build up and unfold in the years to come.”

Downing Street sources noted that the prime minister shares President Trump’s view that Russia’s growing aggression in the High North must be deterred, and Euro-Atlantic security strengthened, and the UK takes the threats from Russia and China in the region “extremely seriously”.

They confirmed that “Nato discussions on reinforcing security in the region continue and we would never get ahead of those, but the UK is working with Nato allies to drive efforts to bolster Arctic deterrence and defence”.

Just last year, UK commandos took part in Exercise Joint Viking in Norway – one of Nato’s biggest High North drills in sub-zero temperatures– alongside 7,000 allied troops, Royal Navy patrol boats and RFA Lyme Bay.

This year, 1,500 Royal Marines will deploy for Exercise Cold Response across Norway, Finland and Sweden, training with allies to defend key terrain and demonstrate Nato unity.

But in the last week, senior retired military top brass have warned that the UK is overstretched even with Sir Keir’s commitment to Ukraine.

In a report for Policy Exchange, retired air marshal Edward Stringer warned that increased defence spending in the UK is being “eaten up by the Ministry of Defence [MoD]’s overdraft” with the UK’s military footprint shrinking at a critical moment.

His report, entitled “The Say-Do Gaps in Defence”, notes that the British army now has just 14 howitzers in total; the Royal Navy has been unable to put more than one attack submarine to sea for a while; and the RAF had to send training unit pilots to sea to guarantee certification of the F35 Force on the carrier.

Meanwhile, another Policy Exchange report earlier in the week from another retired air marshal, Lord Stirrup, outlined how the UK had become too reliant on possessing nuclear weapons for deterrence, which he warned was not scaring Vladimir Putin.

It came as Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as Nato’s deputy supreme allied commander in Europe between 2011 and 2014, said allied forces would need at least 50,000 troops in Ukraine to deter an attack from Russia, while the army currently has less than 75,000 personnel.

Inside the hunt for British Museum’s missing treasures

Deep inside the labyrinth of corridors at the British Museum, once every so often, the ringing of a school bell can be made out.

Its clattering noise can send new employees skidding down between offices in search of the commotion, but for those accustomed to the quirks within the institution’s four walls, the ritual is a well-known celebration.

Whenever there is a breakthrough in the quest to find hundreds of missing treasures from the museum’s Greek and Roman collections, the hardy six-person team will raise the signal to sound the golden bell in a moment of feverish excitement.

”It’s become a slightly weird rituation within the team,” says Professor Tom Harrison, leader in the search, who was persuaded to buy the bell by an ex-colleague inspired by television programmes where estate agents ring it when they make a sale.

“At the beginning, we hadn’t built up databases to make lots of matches [for missing items], so when we were able to identify a missing object, it was like a needle in a haystack moment where you think, ‘My God, how did we do that?’”

It is now more than two years since the institution broke the news that many of its precious artefacts were missing, stolen or damaged – later disclosed as around 2,000 items – from its Greece and Rome collections.

The revelation triggered a Metropolitan Police investigation, which is still ongoing, and prompted in-house emergency measures to improve security before an independent review recommended the museum document its entire collection.

At the time, George Osborne, chairman of the museum, declared recovering the missing treasures was a top priority – a job that fell on the shoulders of Prof Harrison, who had just been put in charge of the department.

The hoard of valuable items, many of them unregistered, included gold jewellery and classical gems dating as far back as the late Bronze Age.

“I took a real holiday about a year after I arrived because there was so little time and so much pressure,” Prof Harrison says.

Assigned with a recovery team of enthusiastic workers, Prof Harrison began the painstaking work of not only tracing objects through recorded transactions and sales catalogues, but also creating a database of all the items.

With a lack of information recorded digitally, their methods could be described as old-fashioned police detective work.

Some members scoured handwritten notes on collections purchased by the museum hundreds of years ago to identify missing items, while others checked in-stock items against archive catalogues to ensure they were fully intact.

Some searched out items known to be missing, using a growing database of known-missing artefacts, as well as tip-offs, to check artefacts up for sale, or sold on up to more than a decade ago.

“In some cases, we’ve had to track things down that have had four or five different possessors, and have sometimes gone on rather long and elaborate journeys, ending up, weirdly, not far from us,” says Prof Harrison.

“We’ve had things that have gone all around Europe, three or four countries, then returned to London, where we’ve found them. Equally, we’ve retrieved items from European countries and North America.”

But finding a suspected missing object isn’t always the final challenge.

Before bringing an item to the UK from abroad, the team must get an export licence, sometimes taking many months to secure. The country’s law enforcement agencies in the countries need to also be informed.

Then, crucially, the owner of the item must be persuaded to let go of their possession. Under its own guidance, the museum will not pay more than the price the person paid for it.

However, most people are cooperative, says Prof Harrison.

“An awful lot of people have only been too happy to give the items back to us without payment,” he says. “They get the offer of payment, but they don’t in the end choose to take it, which is incredibly decent and big of them.

“I can see that sometimes people have to go through a bit of a grieving process as they like the object and they might ask for evidence that we think it is ours, but then actually they behave entirely reasonably and want to be part of the positive story.”

But there are dead ends.

The team will receive a tip-off of a missing item that, after spending time researching and inspecting, will turn out to be a copy.

“It’s why when you keep plugging away, that when you get an item returned, it feels amazingly liberating and wonderful, because you’ve gone through the struggle to track it down, while there are other items we only know the last location.”

Out of the estimated 1,500 items missing, Prof Harrison and his team have recovered 654. But with many of the items found so far from large groups of gems, progress on the figure has slowed, with the team dealing more with small numbers, or even individual gems.

There is also a race to track down the gold items, which could be melted down as its price continues to soar.

How many of the items will get recovered?

“The melting down of gold is a major limitation on us, but we’re ambitious to try and get as much as we can back,” says Prof Harrison. “It will keep continuing. I strongly suspect things will continue to come back long after I’ve retired or died.”

Sitting on Prof Harrison’s desk, the golden bell waits for the next breakthrough.

Welbeck doubles Brighton’s lead at Man Utd in entertaining FA Cup tie

Manchester United host Brighton in the third round of the FA Cup, with the manager-less Red Devils bidding to right their season after the turbulent reign of Ruben Amorim.

Former United midfielder Darren Fletcher remains at the helm after overseeing a 2-2 draw with Burnley in the Premier League midweek, with the Scot likely to remain in post until United can secure the services of an interim manager until the summer.

While they dropped points at relegation candidates Burnley Fletcher’s side did look an improvement on Amorim’s, but Brighton will be looking to take advantage of the chaos at Old Trafford and cause an upset.

The Seagulls have never won the FA Cup but reached the final in 1983, when they lost to United, so Fabian Hurzeler’s side can seek revenge today.

Follow all the action with The Independent’s liveblog here:

Colombian singer Yeison Jiménez among six killed in plane crash

A Colombian singer is among the six people who have been killed in a plane crash.

Yeison Jiménez and the five other people on board the private aircraft all died in the crash in central-eastern Colombia on Saturday, authorities have confirmed.

The Sun reported the 34-year-old had written a poignant social media post before boarding the flight, saying: “Always humble, because what God gives you he can also take away.”

The other victims have been identified as Jiménez, the pilot Captain Hernando Torres, and passengers Juan Manuel Rodríguez, Óscar Marín, Jefferson Osorio, and Weisman Mora.

Jiménez, whose full name is Yeison Orlando Jiménez Galeano, was one of the most famous música popular artists in Colombia, producing eight albums in a 25-year career. He has been credited with revitalising the genre, originally a form of folk music that began in the Paisa Region in northwestern Colombia between the 1930s and 1940s.

The singer was headed to a concert on Saturday night, but crashed just after take-off and became engulfed in flames, according to reports.

In videos circulating on local media, shouts of “the runway is run out” can be heard as the aircraft takes off, with images showing the later wreckage of the plane on fire.

The plane, registered as N325FA, crashed in the Paipa and Duitama area in the department of Boyacá while travelling to Medellín, the Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.

Transportation minister Maria Fernanda Rojas said an investigation into the cause of the crash has begun. The Civil Aviation Authority added that the Technical Directorate for Accident Investigation has started collecting evidence.

The Boyacá governor’s office has declared a period of mourning. Messages have been pouring in from fans paying tribute to Jiménez.

In response to a statement issued on social media about his death, one wrote: “I never thought I’d see a post like this so soon. This is all so painful. My deepest condolences to the family. I’m praying for you.”

Another said: “Rest in peace, Master. Thank you for your music, your example to follow, your performance that will always remain in our celebrations, and that voice that sang to us with all its heart.”

And one more added: “You will always be the best. RIP. This news is hard to believe. Your loss hurts so much. God give strength to the families. You leave a huge void.”

Fellow música popular’ artist Andrés García is among the high-profile figures who have also paid their respects. He said: “I dare say that we’ve lost the number one artist in the popular music genre in Colombia and the world. What a great legacy you left us, @yeison_jimenez, an artist who didn’t live with arrogance, with remarkable humility. Fly high, Champion. Strength to all his family.”

Jiménez became the first singer of the genre to sell out tickets for a solo show when he performed at the Movistar Arena in Bogotá in 2024.

Born in Manzanares, Caldas, in 1991, he dedicated himself to his music career full-time from the age of 17, releasing his first commercial song “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” in 2013. Popular releases such as songs “Aventurero” and” Hasta La Madre”, and album Con el Corazón followed.

The singer has garnered 2.75 million subscribers on YouTube and has 3.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

He also served as a celebrity judge on the popular Latin American reality TV competition Yo Me Llamo in 2021.

Mandelson refuses to apologise over his friendship with Epstein

Lord Mandelson has refused to apologise to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for his friendship with the convicted paedophile and financier.

The former US ambassador and cabinet minister had described Epstein as his “best pal” in what he admitted were “toe-curling” emails, but claimed that he was “on the fringes” of the financier’s life.

Speaking in his first interview since getting sacked as the UK’s ambassador to the US on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Labour Party grandee would only apologise for “a system” that let down the victims of Epstein.

He said: “I want to apologise to those women for a system that refused to hear their voices and did not give them the protection they were entitled to expect.”

Pressed on whether he would apologise for his friendship with Epstein after his conviction, Lord Mandelson said: “If I had known, if I was in any way complicit or culpable, of course I would apologise… but I was not culpable, I was not knowledgeable for what he was doing, and I regret, and will regret to my dying day, the fact that powerless women were not given the protection they were entitled to expect.”

He described his relationship with Epstein as “a terrible mistake”, which “I will regret until my dying day”.

He went on: “I believed his story and that of his lawyer that he had been falsely criminalised in his contact with these young women. Now I wish I had not believed that story.”

In an awkward moment, he challenged Ms Kuenssberg over suggestions that he knew of allegations around Epstein.

“Do you really think that if I knew what was going on and what he was doing with and to these vulnerable young women, that I’d have just sat back and moved on and said, ‘Okay, that’s his that’s his life’? I’d have done that? Do you think I’d have written emails like that if I had any knowledge or suspicion of what he was doing?”

He said: “I can say this absolutely, I can say it to you categorically, I never saw anything in his life when I was with him, when I was in his hands, that would give me any reason to suspect what an evil monster this man was.”

The Labour peer also strongly implied that he disagreed with his sacking as ambassador to the US, which was done because of emails and texts emerging with new information about his relationship with Epstein.

Asked if he deserved to be sacked, Lord Mandelson said: “I understand why I was sacked.”

He added: “The emails that were published came as a huge surprise and a huge shock to me, not just to them. They no longer existed on my server I have long since disused. I was unable to share emails with them that I didn’t recall.”

The interview was met with anger by the government, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander saying that she thought that Mandelson should have apologised to the victims of Epstein.

She went on: “I think the breadth and the nature of the relationship that Peter Mandelson had with Jeffrey Epstein only became clear at the point at which those emails were published in September of last year, and that’s why the prime minister acted swiftly, took immediate action to remove him as the ambassador to the United States.”

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn demanded that Mandelson lose his seat in the Lords.

He said: “Says he had no knowledge of what Epstein was doing when he maintained he friendship with his ‘best pal’. Yet knew that Epstein had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor. Why are Labour continuing to allow this man to sit in the House of Lords?”

One veteran Labour MP was furious that the BBC had given Mandelson more publicity.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: “When Keir Starmer appointed Mandelson, I said publicly it was a serious error of judgement. I’ve always been a supporter of the BBC in its role as a public broadcaster, but the decision to invite Mandelson onto the Kuenssberg programme calls into question once more its own judgement.”

Ex-Labour adviser Baroness Ayesha Hazarika said: “Disappointed with the BBC for that Mandelson interview. A slap in the face to Epstein victims. He was part of the system of male power which enabled and dismissed abuse. The media went after Mandelson correctly in my view.”

Lord Kempsell, Boris Johnson’s former adviser, added: “In editorial terms – if a Conservative or right-winger had been forced to resign as US ambassador over links to Epstein, there is no way they would be back on a prime political programme in three months for an interview largely not about that scandal. Only Mandelson can achieve that.”

Your dream cruise formula: From Caribbean islands to European cities

If your ideal holiday is one that blends fuss-free adventure with great culinary choices and sumptuous relaxation, then book yourself onto a cruise immediately. From experiencing rich cultures, visiting breathtaking beauty spots, and dining on delicious delicacies – cruising has become one of the most luxurious ways to travel.

This dream-holiday formula is something that Virgin Voyages has perfected with its multi-award-winning, adult-only cruises, which sail across Europe, North America and the Caribbean. From entertaining onboard experiences and modern facilities to exciting escapades on land, these are the types of trips that are worth writing home about, and why Virgin Voyages has been named Travel + Leisure ® World’s Best #1 Mega Ship for an impressive three years in a row.

Here’s what would-be Sailors can expect from a Virgin Voyages cruise…

Whichever of the 150-plus destinations you choose to sail to, one thing remains guaranteed, you’ll get an unforgettable journey, and leave with happy stories to share with loved ones back home. Why not make those memories on Virgin Voyages’ impressive Lady Ships, with Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, Resilient Lady and Brilliant Lady each offering a distinct personality which is encapsulated in everything from decor to destinations. Expect enough amenities and activities to entertain a small city: from tequila tasting to spa days and over 20 premium eateries serving menus curated by Michelin starred chefs. There’s a whole holiday’s worth of experiences before you’ve even docked at your first port.

Be gone any thoughts of pokey, old-fashioned interiors and get ready to embrace charming cabins with a super-yacht aesthetic. No matter which of the Virgin Voyages sleeping quarters you choose from, you’ll be met with super comfortable beds, a roomy rainshower, mood lighting, free Wi-Fi and a large flat-screen HDTV. Want to really push the boat out? Opt for luxury suites that promise five-star comfort and opulence, with champagne tables, sun loungers, handwoven terrace hammocks and in-room bars. Virgin Voyages ‘RockStar’ Sailors can also enjoy everything from VIP entrances to private access to rooftop terraces.

Whether your spirit is one of a dancing queen or a sophisticated theatre-goer, Virgin Voyages has nightlife and entertainment options to suit every taste – developed with the help of the world’s most-talked-about directors, choreographers, and artists. Choose from 80s parties, festival acts or classic stories like Romeo and Juliet – reinvented with a circus twist. Each ship offers something different, so if you’re a Virgin Voyages regular, you’ll never see the same thing twice. Save your vocal chords for the private karaoke rooms, while the casinos and gaming arcades could elevate an already winning mood even further.

Don’t want to leave your full-on fitness regime behind when you go on holiday? Or are you just curious to try a new healthy group class? Whatever your wellness wishes, there’s plenty to keep you busy onboard with workouts for every level. There’s yoga, HIIT, weight training, boxing, meditation and more, plus running or walking the signature 255-metre-ish Virgin red running track, which curves around the top of the ship in a halo shape. If relaxation is your main goal, head to the spa for everything from steam room and sauna to hot stone massage and seaweed wrap. The beauty salon offers a range of professional treatments, from manicures, pedicures and nail art to IV therapy, Botox and fillers.

While you’re free to enjoy port cities at your own leisure, Virgin Voyages also curates an array of land excursions or ‘Shore Things’ for those who want to immerse themselves in local culture. Why not enjoy a barefoot fish cookout on the Mexican island of Cozumel, a late night party on the Greek Island of Mykonos or visit the historic halls of Harvard University when sailing through Boston, Massachusetts. If you’re cruising the Caribbean, choose from a beach day in St Vincent and The Grenadines; explore the private island of Mustique or visit the colourful buildings of the capital Kingstown. Do as much or as little as you like – you’re always in charge!

Proving that there really is a cruise for everyone, Virgin Voyages’ child-free cruises visit almost endless destinations that span Europe, North America and the Caribbean. Choose a five-night cruise from New York to Bermuda, taking in the paradise pink-sand beaches, maritime history and cafe culture of the island, or maybe a seven-night voyage starting in Los Angeles and sailing to Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan in Mexico. For a trip closer to home, soak in the Mediterranean sunshine while visiting Europe’s most famous cities and islands starting in the homeports of Greece and Spain. Tick off an array of bucket list destinations with the Idyllic Ibiza cruise aboard the Valiant Lady; set sail from Rome to Barcelona with stop offs at the superluxe Amalfi Coast, Cannes and Ibiza – now, that’s what you call an A-list adventure.

With so many incredible destinations to visit and on-board luxury to explore, a cruise with Virgin Voyages is a holiday you’ll never stop talking about.

Discover Virgin Voyages luxury range of cruises and plan your next adventure today

Five teenagers arrested on suspicion of murder after man found dead

Five teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found dead inside a house in County Durham.

Cleveland Police were called to an address on Egglescliffe Close in Stockton at around 6:50pm on Saturday 10 January, where a 49-year-old man was found dead.

A 19-year-old man, two 18-year-old men and two 17-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into police custody, a spokesperson said.

A witness told TeessideLive that four police vehicles were spotted at the scene.

The force said footage relating to the incident had been circulating on social media, and asked people not to share it further.

A spokesperson said: “We are aware of footage relating to this incident circulating around social media sites.

“Please do not share this footage any further, as this could impact on legal proceedings. You can upload footage anonymously here.

“Anyone with information, CCTV or doorbell footage is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference SE26005815.”

Egglescliffe Close is a residential street in the Hardwick area in northern Stockton. It connects with Elton Close and is found near Durham Road, the A177.

You can’t give Nobel Peace Prize to someone else, committee tells winner before Trump meeting

The organizers of the Nobel Peace Prize have told winner María Corina Machado it “cannot be revoked, shared or transferred” after she suggested giving Donald Trump her 2025 award.

The institute said in a statement the decision to award a Nobel Prize is “final and stands for all time”, citing the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, which do not allow appeals.

The warning comes after the U.S. president said he would be honored to accept the prize if offered by the Venezuelan opposition leader during a planned meeting in Washington next week.

Machado’s win in October was reported to have sparked resentment for Trump, who has long expressed interest in winning the prize and has at times linked it to diplomatic achievements, even though she has been effusive in her support and dedicated her win to him.

Machado has since backed Trump’s campaign to tackle Venezuelan drug boats and overthrow Nicolás Maduro. She and fellow Vente politician Edmundo Gonzalez had been thought to be frontrunners to lead the country after the shock capture of the former Venezuelan president, but she was sidelined in the aftermath of his toppling.

Following the U.S. raid, Trump said Machado was a “very nice woman” but that it would be “tough” for her to lead Venezuela because she did not have “respect within or the support within the country”.

In response, Machado offered to share or even personally give her prize to the president.

Speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News on Monday, she said that presenting the prize to Trump would be an act of gratitude from the Venezuelan people for the removal of Maduro.

”Did you at any point offer to give him the Nobel Peace Prize?“ Hannity asked. “Did that actually happen?” She responded, “Well, it hasn’t happened yet.”

Of the potential offer, Trump said: “I’ve heard that she wants to do that. That could be a great honor.”

But the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute warned on Friday: ”Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”

The organization also noted that committees awarding the prizes do not comment on the actions or statements of laureates after receiving awards.

Machado, who has been in hiding due to persistent threats on her life, emerged only briefly in Oslo after a three-day mission in which she was smuggled out of the country with the help of the US military for the Nobel ceremony.

The Venezuelan opposition leader, a former National Assembly member, was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 general election by authorities aligned with Maduro.

She backed a stand-in candidate who was widely considered to have won the vote, although Maduro claimed victory. Ballot audits by independent observers showed irregularities in the official results.