Officials in Denmark and Greenland expressed alarm over President Donald Trump鈥檚 renewed calls for the autonomous Danish territory to become part of the United States. Mr. Trump said Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, his new special envoy to the vast Arctic island, will 鈥渓ead the charge.鈥� Meanwhile, more than 30 career diplomats serving in ambassadorial positions, mostly in Africa and Asia, will be replaced with political appointees on board with the president鈥檚 鈥淎merica First鈥� foreign policy vision.
The Trump administration paused leases for five offshore wind projects under construction off the East Coast, saying the suspension gives the Interior Department time to assess any security risks.聽Wind proponents decried the move as part of a sustained effort to oppose clean energy.聽Earlier this month a federal judge struck down President Trump鈥檚 January executive order blocking new or renewed wind energy leases on virtually all federal land and waters. Wind is the largest source of renewable energy in the U.S.
Syria has largely dismantled the mass production of the synthetic drug Captagon, according to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. One year after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, authorities have shut 15 large laboratories and 13 warehouses. Experts warn that Captagon-branded stimulants still dominate Middle Eastern markets, with stockpiles remaining and small-scale production persisting in Syria and neighboring states. A U.N. official nevertheless credited the progress to 鈥減olitical will and international cooperation.鈥�
Scientists are discovering new species in the Pacific Ocean. Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences recently retrieved 13 reef monitoring devices that had been placed around Guam up to 330 feet below the surface, where the light of day barely reaches. So far they expect to identify more than 20 species, including new types of sponges, sea squirts, and coral. The team will collect 76 more devices from across the Pacific over the next two years.
Twenty-five women in India听肠谤辞肠丑别迟别诲 an 18-foot Christmas tree to spread 鈥減eace, hope, joy, [and] love.鈥� A group of women from the southwestern state of Goa began crocheting online during the pandemic. This year, one member鈥檚 inspiration brought them together in person for the first time. Over three months, they stitched 1,000 squares of yarn and attached them to a metal frame donated by a local engineer. The colorful tree is on display at the local museum. 鈥淣ow we鈥檙e not alone,鈥� one crocheter said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e found each other.鈥�
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