Europe Closes Ranks as Trump Revives Greenland Annexation Threats

Source：AFP

Jan 12, 2026 -- Today’s top stories: Europe Closes Ranks as Trump Revives Greenland Annexation Threats, Google Pushes AI Shopping Agents With New Universal Commerce Protocol, and China Flies Low-Cost Unmanned Cargo Aircraft in Logistics Push.

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By CommonWealth Magazine
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2026-01-12

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Berlin reiterates its support for Greenland ahead of diplomatic meetings in Washington

Denmark is facing a "decisive moment" in its diplomatic battle over Greenland after U.S. President Donald Trump again suggested using force to seize the Arctic territory.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that "There is a conflict over Greenland" ahead of meetings in Washington from Monday on the global scramble for key raw materials.

The idea of America capturing Greenland is being seriously discussed inside the White House.

This time, Trump and his advisers are not ruling out the use of American military force against a NATO ally, if the Island is not for sale.

European leaders and Canada rushed to Greenland's defense, warning that any attempt to seize it would shatter NATO unity and redraw the rules of the Western alliance.

The German government reaffirmed its support for Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory, amid U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of Annexation ahead of diplomatic meetings in Washington.

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Google Bets on AI-Based Shopping With New AI Agents for Retailers

Google has launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) for AI agent-based shopping at the National Retail Federation's annual show.

The Open-Source protocol creates a unified system spanning the shopping experience, from searching to payment, so that retailers don't have to build their own tools and connect the various functions.

The standard, developed with companies like Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart, lets agents work across different parts of customer buying processes, including discovery and Post-Purchase support.

The core idea is that the standard could facilitate these various parts of the process instead of requiring connections with different agents.

Google said that it also works with other Agentic protocols, such as Agent Payments Protocol (A2P), Agent2Agent (A2A), and Model Context Protocol (MCP).

The company specified that agents and businesses can pick and choose specific extensions of the protocol that suit their needs.

The company said that it will soon use UCP for eligible Google product listings in AI mode in search and the GEMINI Apps to let shoppers check out directly from U.S.-based retailers while researching a product. Users will be able to pay using Google Pay and pass on the shipping information saved in the Google Wallet.

Google said that it will soon support PayPal as a payment option.

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China Debuts Mid-Altitude, Low-Cost Cargo Aircraft: CCTV

China has launched the maiden flight of the Tianma-1000, an unmanned cargo aircraft developed by China North Industries group.

The Mid-Altitude, low-cost transport platform can navigate complex Highland terrains, execute Ultra-Short takeoffs and landings, and switch between cargo and Air-Drop missions.

It can reach a maximum altitude of 8,000 meters, fly a range of 1,800 kilometers, and carry a Payload of one ton, enabling the delivery of substantial supplies in a single flight.

The aircraft is designed for Multi-Functional roles, including cargo transport, emergency rescue, and Air-Drop operations.

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The CommonWealth English daily news digest is a service curated by CommonWealth English team with the help of AI tools.

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