EU to hold emergency summit on Thursday over Trump's Greenland threats
Leaders of EU countries will hold an emergency summit here on Thursday to discuss U.S. threats related to Greenland, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said on Monday.
The summit will assess possible retaliatory measures in response to threatened tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on countries that oppose his plan to "acquire" Greenland.
Gill said the EU continues to engage "at all levels" with Washington over its new tariff threats and is taking "every possible step" to protect the bloc's economic interests. He added that the use of the anti-coercion instrument is not ruled out.
IMF upgrades global growth forecast to 3.3 pct in 2026
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday slightly upgraded its global growth forecast for 2026, saying the world economy has remained more resilient than expected despite trade disruptions.
In an update to its World Economic Outlook, the IMF upgraded its global growth forecast for 2026 to 3.3 percent, up 0.2 percentage points from its projection in October 2025, and kept its 2027 forecast unchanged at 3.2 percent.
The IMF said the headwinds from trade policy uncertainties are expected to be offset by tailwinds from surging investment related to technology, as well as fiscal and monetary support, broadly accommodative financial conditions, and adaptability of the private sector.
Japan PM Takaichi to dissolve lower house on Friday for Feb. 8 election
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday announced her plan to dissolve the House of Representatives on Jan. 23 for a snap general election set for Feb. 8.
At a press conference, Takaichi said she will dissolve the 465-member lower house on Friday, the opening day of this year's ordinary parliamentary session.
Voting will take place on Feb. 8, with official campaigning starting from Jan. 27, she added.
The election, the first since Takaichi took office on Oct. 21, is set to come with more than two years left in the current lower house term.
Spain to hold three-day mourning following deadly train crash
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday announced three days of official mourning following a train crash in southern Spain that has killed at least 40 people.
The accident occurred at around 7:45 p.m. local time (1845 GMT) on Sunday, when a train carrying 317 passengers on the Malaga-Madrid route derailed for reasons still unknown near Adamuz, about 20 km north of the city of Cordoba.
As of Monday, authorities had confirmed 40 fatalities, while 48 people remained hospitalized, many of them in intensive care.■
