British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that the United Kingdom "will not back down" on the issue of X's AI chatbot Grok, declaring that the government "will take necessary measures" to ensure the platform complies with British law, reported Xinhua. Starmer described the actions of Grok as "disgusting" and "shameful," and criticized the decision to make it a premium service as "horrific." Starmer said the government is "absolutely determined to take action" and that if X does not comply, "Ofcom (the Office of Communications) has our full backing". The announcement followed a formal investigation launched by Britain's online safety regulator Ofcom into X's use of Grok to generate sexualized images of women and children. Ofcom described the case as its "highest priority" and said it could block access to the service "where appropriate." X and xAI, both owned by U.S. entrepreneur Elon Musk, have faced mounting criticism following reports that Grok was used to generate allegedly illegal sexual content. In response, image editing on Grok has been limited to paid subscribers. The prime minister's spokesman said that the latest move "simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service," calling it "not a solution" and "insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual violence."

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Giorgos Saunatsos, governor of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), resigned on Wednesday following a communications blackout in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) ten days ago, reported Xinhua. His resignation was accepted by Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported. Giorgos Vagenas, deputy commander of air navigation, has been appointed to temporarily assume the duties of CAA commander, while procedures are underway to appoint a permanent successor. The incident occurred on Jan. 4 and caused major disruptions to air traffic in the Athens FIR. According to an official report released on Tuesday, the blackout was triggered by "digital noise" resulting from desynchronization among multiple devices and interfaces at the KEPATHM facilities. The malfunction led to the unintended activation and continuous emission of critical transmitters, disrupting essential telecommunications systems. Full service was restored after resynchronization, system reboots, and the rerouting of traffic to the backbone network, the report said. The blackout temporarily halted all flights in and out of Greece, affecting Athens International Airport, Thessaloniki Airport and several regional airports. Thousands of passengers were stranded, and a number of inbound flights were diverted.

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The U.S. Senate and House are expected to vote soon on a resolution to curb U.S. President Donald Trump's ability to take further military action in Venezuela, reported Xinhua. This comes after the Senate earlier this month held a significant procedural vote to advance a war powers resolution in a bid to curb Trump's ability to take further military action in Venezuela without approval from Congress. The resolution, spearheaded by Democrats and a handful of Republicans, requires the president to seek lawmakers' authorization for any future military actions in Venezuela. Democrats and Republicans are at odds over the possible legislation, as well as the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the subsequent forcible seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that it is "long past time for Congress to reassert its critical constitutional role in matters of war, peace, diplomacy and trade." At the same time, the White House is "strongly" against the war powers resolution, as stated in a memo from the Office of Management and Budget. "Maduro's crimes and other hostile actions have resulted in a predatory incursion into the United States, the destabilization of the Western Hemisphere, massive death and human suffering, and a substantial and ongoing danger posed to our Nation," the memo said. Trump posted on social media that such legislation "greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President's Authority as Commander in Chief." While the resolution has enough support to pass the Senate, it must pass the Republican-led House of Representatives, which could be an uphill climb at a time when much of the GOP marches in lockstep with the president. Moreover, even if it passes, Trump is likely to veto the bill. While Congress could override a veto, that would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate. Experts said that it is unlikely. Many see the vote as largely symbolic, although not all analysts agree with that assessment. Clay Ramsay, a senior researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua: "The move is not purely symbolic, even though it does not stop Trump from doing as he chooses right now." "The number of Republican senators willing to oppose him on this just went from two to five," Ramsay said. "The House may not follow suit, but it's increasingly unpredictable." "Trump will definitely veto any War Power resolution on Venezuela that makes it to his desk. But vetoes are not the most efficient way to consolidate power in the U.S. on the scale that Trump wants," he said. "In terms of future actions, Democrats could draft bills that specifically limit U.S. activities in Venezuela, or they could draft two bills," Ramsay said. "I would add that economically, Trump is playing a longer game that involves forcing the (major oil companies) to change their investment plans and sink billions into restoring Venezuela's oil infrastructure," Ramsay added. On Monday, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Rick Crawford, a Republican, submitted a resolution to trumpet the seizing of Maduro. A separate bipartisan group of House lawmakers started to whip up support Monday night for new legislation that would curb funding for military actions in NATO territories that do not have Congressional approval. That comes after Trump's threats to annex Greenland, a territory of NATO member Denmark. Christopher Galdieri, a political science professor at Saint Anselm College in the state of New Hampshire, told Xinhua he does not think the proposed Venezuela legislation is purely symbolic. "If

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About 200 protesters rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Denmark Wednesday, expressing opposition to Washington's plans on Greenland as Danish and Greenlandic officials met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, reported Xinhua. The demonstration, named "Greenland Belongs to the Greenlanders," began at 4 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) in front of the embassy and was later moved by police to the opposite side of the street. The protest lasted around two hours. "We only want to be ourselves. We want to belong to Greenland as Greenlanders, and we will stay strong and committed to that," a Greenlander, Andersen, told Xinhua. "Nobody should be able to take over another country - not because someone thinks they are strong and therefore can take whatever they want," said Simon Vincent Nelson, a Copenhagen resident, adding that he was "very angry about it and felt offended." The rally followed U.S. President Donald Trump's renewed remarks to acquire Greenland, which have been firmly rejected by Denmark, Greenland, and NATO allies.

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The average year-on-year change in consumer prices, was 0.3 per cent in Finland in 2025, according to Statistics Finland. The average point figure for Consumer Price Index in 2025 was 122.7. On average, consumer prices have increased by 22.7 per cent compared to 2015. The average year-on-year change by division was the biggest in Health (6.8%) and the smallest in Clothing and footwear ( minus 0.1%). The average year-on-year change in Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels was minus 2.5 per cent. Of the commodities in the consumption basket, the biggest average year-on-year change was for out-patient fee (44.7%).

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The authorities will increase the number of shelter places for the victims of domestic violence in Finland by 15 this year, said the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a press release on Wednesday. After these additions, Finland will have a total of 243 shelter places. The THL has made funding decisions for shelters for the year 2026. In its budget for this year, Parliament decided to increase funding for shelters. The additional shelter places will help meet regional needs and the situation will improve particularly in Southwest Finland, which currently has the fewest shelter places relative to population among regions with a shelter, said the THL. With the new places, the number will rise from 10 to 18. Eight new family places will be opened in Turku shelter, 2 family places in Oulu shelter, one family place in Tilkka shelter, one family place in Imatra shelter. In addition, a pilot will start in Tampere at the Pispala housing service unit, offering three domestic violence shelter places for women. Although shelter places are now being increased, there are still areas in Finland, such as the Keski-Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County, with no shelters at all. If funding allows, THL will open calls for service providers in regions where shelters are currently missing. The Council of Europes Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) has urged Finland to ensure shelter services also in the Sámi homeland. THL is currently conducting a study to identify suitable locations and determine how services should be provided in Sámi languages and in a culturally appropriate manner. The study also examines possibilities for Nordic cooperation in service provision. At present, the northernmost shelter in Finland is located in Rovaniemi. THL is responsible for organizing shelter services in Finland. Service providers apply annually to THL for funding to cover the costs of the shelter services. For 2026, a total of €31.9 million was requested, and €30.9 million was granted. Current service providers have been selected for the period 2024–2028.

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NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 astronauts departed the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, starting their journey back to Earth, reported Xinhua. The four-member crew left the orbital laboratory earlier than originally planned after one of the astronauts living and working aboard the ISS experienced a medical issue last week. The spacecraft autonomously undocked from the ISS at 5:20 p.m. Eastern Time. The crew is scheduled to splash down off the coast of California at about 3:41 a.m. Thursday, following an approximately 10-hour journey. The crew consists of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. They arrived at the ISS on Aug. 2 last year and had originally been scheduled to remain aboard the station for about six months.

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Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in the southern area of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said on Wednesday, reported Xinhua. According to a military spokesperson, tanks were dispatched after troops spotted six armed individuals in western Rafah on Tuesday. The spokesperson said the militants had fired at a tank, triggering an exchange of fire that included airstrikes. Israel's Army Radio reported that two Israeli soldiers sustained light injuries in the fighting. Palestinian sources in Gaza reported a series of airstrikes west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, alongside artillery shelling. Israel has continued its military operations in Gaza despite a ceasefire that came into effect in October 2025. The more-than-two-year Israeli offensive has put Gaza into ruins and killed more than 71,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

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The death toll from a crane collapse that derailed a passenger train in northeastern Thailand's Nakhon Ratchasima province has risen to 31, with the number of injured now standing at 67, authorities said on Wednesday, reported Xinhua. The accident occurred on Wednesday morning when the construction crane used for a high-speed rail bridge collapsed onto the train traveling from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani province. Speaking at a press briefing, Nakhon Ratchasima Governor Chaiwat Chuenkosum said the State Railway of Thailand expects to take approximately seven days to clear the wreckage and restore the track to normal operation while a full investigation into the cause of the accident is underway. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn earlier told reporters that he has instructed agencies to conduct a transparent, comprehensive investigation to determine the cause and prevent recurrence. According to Thai media reports, the main contractor for the involved railway section is Italian-Thai Development PLC, which has issued a statement on the accident, saying that the company will fully assume responsibilities related to compensation and medical treatment.

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The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed on Wednesday that 2025 was among the three warmest years on record, extending a streak of exceptionally high global temperatures, reported Xinhua. The global average surface temperature in 2025 was 1.44 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 average, according to the WMO's consolidated analysis of eight datasets. Two of the datasets ranked 2025 as the second warmest year in the 176-year record, while the other six ranked it third, the WMO said in a press release. The past three years - 2023, 2024 and 2025 - were the three warmest years across all eight datasets. The consolidated three-year average temperature for 2023-2025 stood at 1.48 degrees above pre-industrial levels. "The year 2025 began and ended with cooling La Nina conditions, yet it still ranked among the warmest years on record due to the accumulation of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. She added that high land and ocean temperatures helped fuel extreme weather events, including heatwaves, heavy rainfall and intense tropical cyclones, underscoring the need for early warning systems. According to the WMO, a separate study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences found that ocean temperatures in 2025 were also among the highest on record, reflecting the long-term accumulation of heat in the climate system. About 90 percent of excess heat from global warming is stored in the oceans, making ocean heat a critical indicator of climate change.

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The United States, Denmark and Greenland have agreed to establish a "high-level working group" to explore possible areas of compromise since a "fundamental disagreement" persists over the future of Greenland, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Wednesday, reported Xinhua. His remarks came just after U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met him and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt at the White House. Though calling the meeting "a frank but also constructive" discussion "focused on how to ensure the long-term security in Greenland," Rasmussen said at a press conference that Denmark and Greenland's "perspectives continue to differ" from the United States. "I must say, the president (U.S. President Donald Trump) has made his view clear, and we have a different position," Rasmussen said, asserting that in Denmark's view, Greenland's long-term security "can be ensured inside the current framework." "We agreed that it makes sense to try to sit down on a high level to explore whether there's possibilities to accommodate the concerns of the president while we at the same time, respect the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark. So this is the work we will start," he said, adding that the working group is expected to meet for the first time "within a matter of weeks." Rasmussen warned that "ideas that would not respect territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable." Trump said Wednesday morning that anything less than Greenland becoming a part of the United States "is unacceptable," citing the need for U.S. national security and the Golden Dome project. On Tuesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen held a joint press conference in Copenhagen to show their united front against Trump's repeated threats to acquire the largest island in the world "one way or the other." Nielsen said that if Greenland must choose between the U.S. and Denmark, "we choose Denmark." Frederiksen said her country is facing "completely unacceptable pressure" from its closest ally. "But there is much to suggest that the hardest part is still ahead of us." Since his first term, Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to acquire Greenland. Both Greenland and Denmark have made clear that the island is not for sale. The White House said last week that Trump will not rule out the use of force. Greenland, the world's largest island, is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, while Copenhagen retains authority over defense and foreign policy. The United States maintains a military base on the island.

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Several people have been injured in a mass brawl that broke out on the sidelines of a trial in the western German city of Dusseldorf, a court spokesman said on Wednesday, reported dpa. Some 20 to 25 people started fighting in a hallway of the Dusseldorf Regional Court following a witness statement in a trial of a driver accused of hitting a woman with his car during a street festival. Two court officers are among those injured, the court spokesman said. The trial was interrupted and adjourned due to the brawl. The exact cause of the fight was initially unclear.

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