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Danish treatment of Greenlandic mother may be ‘ethnic discrimination’, says UN

The United Nations has warned Denmark that the treatment of a Greenlandic mother whose newborn child was removed by Danish authorities as a result of controversial parenting competency tests “may amount to ethnic discrimination”. Keira Alexandra Kronvold’s daughter, Zammi, was taken away from her when she was two hours old and placed in foster care in November 2024 after Kronvold was subjected to so-called FKU (parental competence) psychometric tests. At the time, she was told that the test was to see if she was “civilised enough”. On Friday, Kronvold, whose case prompted widespread outrage and contributed to Denmark’s subsequent decision to ban the use of such tests, will go to the Danish high court in the latest attempt to win back custody of her child. She is understood to be one of dozens of Inuit women living in Denmark who remain separated from their children after undergoing the discredited tests. In a move that will raise pressure on Copenhagen, it has now emerged that Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, has written to the government asking it to answer questions about the treatment of Kronvold and other families with a Greenlandic background. Alsalem, who wrote the letter along with the UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples and the special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, said on Thursday she and her colleagues had reason to believe that “that violations of human rights have occurred”. Denmark ruled Greenland as a colony until 1953 and, despite the Arctic island’s largely autonomous status now, people of Greenlandic origin in Denmark say they are still subject to systemic discrimination. The FKU tests, which campaigners had criticised for years as culturally unsuitable for Greenlandic people and other minorities, were seen as a particularly striking example of this before they were abruptly ditched by the Danish government last May. In the letter, sent late last month, the UN officials say they expressed concern over the “disproportionate impact of FKU assessment on Greenlandic parents, which may amount to ethnic discrimination”. Alsalem added: “While we welcome the decision that such tests should not be used for Greenlandic parents in the future, those that have been subjected to decisions using the FKU assessment should have access to justice and remedies.” A year after the law was changed, Kronvold remains separated from her daughter, who is now nearly 18 months old and living with a Danish family. She is only allowed to spend short periods of time with her daughter under supervision. The UN officials said the decision to remove Kronvold’s children from her without consent “may be discriminatory and disproportionate”, citing the “apparent disrespect to her decisions regarding procreation and contraception choices over the years and which clearly has caused her enormous psychological suffering”. Alsalem said: “In this respect, we recalled the fact that Indigenous women and girls are often subjected to multifaceted and complex spectrum of mutually reinforcing human rights violations, including in the context of sexual and reproductive health services and childbirth. “Such intersecting forms of discrimination and violence experienced by Indigenous women and girls also disrupts their spiritual and cultural lives and impacts the very essence of their family units and social fabric of their communities and nations.” Alsalem said she would be following the outcome of Kronvold’s court case and how the Danish authorities responded before deciding on further action. “In the interim, I hope that the authorities give due attention to the concerns we have raised, particularly in relation to Denmark’s binding human rights obligations,” she added. For Kronvold, the consequences of her separation from Zammi have been devastating. “I am not allowed to be connected with my daughter as I should as a mother. She has to make a connection to the foster parents and it hurt me so much that she called them Mum and Dad,” she said. Kronvold hopes her case and the intervention of the UN will lead to change for herself and for other Greenlandic people who have been separated from their children by Danish authorities. FKU tests, she said, should be “erased”, and the law changed to better protect Inuit people. Kronvold’s lawyer, Jeanette Gjørret, from Stage law firm, who specialises in children’s rights, said the high court case was symbolic and could help other Greenlandic parents. “There are many parents who are in the same situation, so we want the high court to look at the case and see: was it [the use of the tests] right or wrong?” said Gjørret. Denmark held a general election in March and parties have not yet formed a government. In response to a request for comment, the Danish social affairs ministry confirmed the UN letter had been received but added: “Denmark is currently without a government and cannot respond to the inquiry at the present time.”

Trump administration says hostilities in Iran ‘terminated’ ahead of war powers deadline

A US-Iran ceasefire that began in early April has “terminated” hostilities between the two sides for the purposes of an approaching congressional war powers deadline, a senior official of the Trump administration said on Thursday. Donald Trump faced a deadline on Friday to end the Iran war or make the case to Congress for extending it, but the date was most likely to pass without altering the course of the war. “For war powers resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated,” said the official, describing the administration’s thinking. There has been no exchange of fire between the US armed forces and Iran since a fragile ceasefire began more than three weeks ago, the official added. Earlier, analysts and congressional aides had said they expected Trump to notify Congress that he planned a 30-day extension or to disregard the deadline, with the administration arguing the ceasefire marked an end to the conflict. On Thursday, the Republican-led Senate again blocked a Democratic attempt to stop Trump’s war in Iran, rejecting a war powers resolution that would have limited the conflict until Congress authorizes further military action. The vote was 47-50, with two Republicans – Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky – voting in favor and one Democrat – John Fetterman of Pennsylvania – opposing it. It was the sixth time this year that Democrats have forced a vote on a war powers resolution related to the war. All have failed, mostly along party lines. Adam Schiff, the resolution’s author, said Thursday’s vote was critical. Friday marks 60 days since the Trump administration notified Congress that it was carrying out strikes on Iran. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must terminate its military campaign at the end of the 60-day window, unless Congress has declared war or authorized the use of military force. Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, testifying earlier on Capitol Hill, said the 60-day clock was paused due to the current ceasefire with Iran, though Democrats and critics have raised concerns with that interpretation. The US Constitution says only Congress, not the president, can declare war, but the curb does not apply for operations the administration casts as short-term or countering an immediate threat. Trump’s Republican party holds a narrow majority in both chambers of Congress. Earlier this month, the House had also narrowly rejected another war powers resolution meant to curb military action in Iran. The resolution introduced by Greg Meeks, the top Democrat on the House foreign affairs committee, failed by a vote of 213-214, with one Republican member voting present. It required at least two more votes to pass, as tied votes fail in the House. In a sign that Democrats had solidified in opposition to the war, three congressmen who had voted against a previous resolution in March – Henry Cuellar of Texas, Greg Landsman of Ohio and Juan Vargas of California – voted in favor of this attempt. Jared Golden of Maine was the sole Democrat to vote in opposition, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky the only Republican to vote for passage. Ohio’s Warren Davidson voted present, after voting in favor last month. With Reuters

Australian hiker missing in Nova Scotia national park not heard from for two weeks

A search is underway in Canada for a 62-year-old Australian woman who was reported missing on Tuesday while hiking in a coastal national park in the country’s south-east. Denise Ann Williams was last heard from on 15 April, when she told family she was travelling to Chéticamp, a fishing village on the west coast of Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia. Her rental car, a Nissan Sentra, was found at the Parks Canada visitor centre at the start of the Acadian trail head, an 8.4km loop at Cape Breton Highlands national park. A local said on social media they “walk in the park every other day and her vehicle has not moved in probably two weeks”. The park, which hugs a rocky coastline, is known to contain moose, coyotes and black bears. The Acadian trail is described on its website as a track of “moderate” difficulty, with “elevation gain and some short, steep sections”. It is estimated to take between three and four hours to complete. Phone reception in the park is patchy. “Hike with friends and a solid walking stick,” the website advises. “If you choose to walk alone, tell somebody where you are going.” The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Inverness county said they received a call at about 9.30am local time on 28 April reporting Williams as missing. They released images of her in a bid for public help, along with a physical description describing her as “5-foot-4 with greyish blonde, shoulder length hair”. Police said Williams was believed to have been wearing a dark winter jacket, a powder-blue beanie (toque) with “Antarctica” on it, an orange and blue scarf and glasses. Air and ground search efforts were continuing on Friday, authorities said, with RCMP and Department of Natural Resources air services, police dog services, multiple ground search and rescue teams and many other agencies assisting police. Chris Bellmore, president of Chéticamp Search and Rescue, told CBC News on Thursday it is “very difficult terrain in Nova Scotia”. “We have very mountainous terrain here ... There’s a lot of water here and there’s actually still snow up here in the highlands and in some areas that makes it a bit of a challenge to search.” Nova Scotia police corporal Mandy Edwards told the ABC, Australia’s national broadcaster, that wildlife could be a danger in the area at this time of year, with bears coming out of hibernation. “Hopefully she’s encountered some people along the way who may recognise her from the photo that was released,” she said. “So our searchers will be looking at those clues and those tips from the public to help to direct their search.” Daytime temperatures in the park have ranged between zero to 14C, dipping as low as -5C overnight, with some lingering snow. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance to Williams’ family. “Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment,” a department spokesperson said. - with Australian Associated Press

북한 or 조선? South Korea debates what to call North Korea

On a mild spring morning in central Seoul this week, a room of academics and lawyers gathered to debate a question: what should South Korea call North Korea? The task sounds deceptively simple but the answer is far from straightforward, and has provided fodder for columnists in recent years. The answer could even have repercussions for South Korea’s constitutional position. This linguistic gap stems from South Korea’s view that the entire peninsula is its territory, and that the North is a rebel-held region awaiting reunification, rather than a separate state. It means South Korea calls its northern neighbour Bukhan (북한), or “north Han”, a variation of how the South refers to itself: Hanguk (한국), meaning “Han nation”, a shortening of Daehan Minguk (대한민국), the Republic of Korea. However, North Korea calls itself Joseon (조선), a shortened version of Joseon Minjujuui Inmin Gonghwaguk (조선민주주의인민공화국), or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It has traditionally referred to the South as Namjoseon (남조선), or “south Joseon”. But this position, rooted in the peninsula’s division and entrenched after the Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953, is now being tested. In recent months, unification minister Chung Dong-young has begun referring to the North by its official name of Joseon Minjujuui Inmin Gonghwaguk. In January, the minister declared that “the Lee Jae Myung government respects the system of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”. In March, he raised the possibility of calling inter-Korean relations “Han-Jo relations”, or Hanguk-Joseon relations. His ministry sponsored this week’s conference, a first step in gauging public opinion on whether to adopt the North’s official name. Kim Nam-jung, the vice-minister, opened the event by saying: “How we call our counterpart shows how we perceive them and what kind of relationship we wish to build.” He pointed to the experience of divided Germany, where East and West began using each other’s official names after the 1972 Basic Treaty, helping to expand exchanges and ease tensions. “When language and institutions that recognise and respect the other’s reality are supported,” he said, “we can break the cycle of confrontation and expand the space for peaceful coexistence.” Since taking office, President Lee Jae Myung has adopted a more conciliatory approach towards North Korea, based on respecting its system, rejecting unification through absorption and avoiding hostile acts. He has said the two sides are “not enemies”. In practice, the two Koreas already operate as separate states. Both are members of the UN, with different political systems, currencies and passports. Even language has diverged over time. Supporters of the shift in wording argue that Bukhan itself carries political weight. Kim Sung Kyung, a sociology professor at Sogang University, said calling the North “Bukhan” meant not recognising its statehood as an independent country. The term, she said, had accumulated “layers of hostility, danger, indifference and hatred” since 1950 in the context of anti-communist ideology. It was difficult to find any logical basis, she added, for arguing that using “Bukhan” for 80 years had helped unification. The legal implications remain contested. Kwon Eun-min, a lawyer at Kim & Chang, said that calling North Korea by its official name does not automatically constitute recognising it as a state, noting that the two Koreas have used each other’s official names in summits and signed agreements over the decades. The debate comes against the backdrop of North Korea’s own rhetorical shift. In December 2023, its leader Kim Jong-un declared that North-South relations were no longer those of “fellow countrymen” but of “two hostile states” in a state of war. Since then, however, Pyongyang has begun calling the South by its official name, Daehan Minguk, or its shortened form, Hanguk, instead of Namjoseon. But critics have pushed back hard. Song Eon-seok, a senior member of the opposition conservative People Power party, wrote on Facebook that the move was “a clear violation of the constitution” that would mean “recognising the North as a separate, equal state”. South Korea’s constitution declares in Article 3 that “the territory of the Republic of Korea shall consist of the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands”, while Article 4 enshrines a duty of “peaceful unification”. Critics argue that using the North’s official name contradicts both. Public opinion reflects a generational shift. According to the Korea Institute for National Unification, only 49% of South Koreans now say “unification is necessary” – the lowest level on record. No decision on the Bukhan vs Joseon debate is imminent. Even the spelling depends on which side you’re on: “Joseon” if you follow South Korea’s romanisation system, “Choson” in North Korean usage. But perhaps that is a debate for another day.

Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv claims victory over ‘shadow grain fleet’ shipment to Israel

A ship carrying what is said to be stolen Ukrainian grain did not unload in Israel after a week of heavy condemnation from Kyiv. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, signalled there would be “a more systematic” campaign against vessels carrying grain exported illegally by Russia from occupied areas of Ukraine. “We will systematically act against the shadow grain fleet, in the same way we act against the shadow oil fleet.” Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, said the vessel, Panormitis, left Israel’s territorial waters for neutral seas following “a range of procedural measures taken by Ukraine”. Andrii Sybiha, the foreign minister in Kyiv, said Ukraine would continue to track the vessel and warn against any operations with it. “This is also a clear signal to all other vessels, captains, operators, insurers, and governments: do not buy stolen Ukrainian grain. Do not become part of this crime.” The Panama-flagged vessel’s manager was not immediately available for comment. The Jerusalem Post and other outlets on Thursday cited a statement from Israel’s grain importers association saying that the company importing the grain had been forced to turn away the vessel. Zenziper, the company named in the reports as the importer, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Radio Sweden meanwhile reported that Swedish authorities had move to seize another bulk carrier, the Caffa, with other reports adding that the seizure related to the illegal export of Ukrainian-grown grain. Ukraine’s SBU security service said its drones made a second attack in two days on oil facilities at Perm, deep inside Russia, this time hitting an oil refinery. The Lukoil-owned refinery at Perm, located more than 1,500km (900 miles) from Ukraine, is one of the largest in Russia and has a capacity of nearly 13m metric tonnes per year, the SBU said. Ukraine’s military also struck a refinery in the Russian city of Orsk in southern Orenburg region, triggering a fire. “The Orsknefteorgsintez oil refinery [Orsk in Orenburg region] was hit,” the general staff said. “A strike was recorded, followed by a fire on the territory of the enterprise. The facility is involved in supplying the Russian occupation army.” An explosion killed an army officer in a closed-off military town in Russia’s far east this week, Pjotr Sauer writes, in what appeared to be an attempt to target a more senior commander known as the “Butcher of Bucha”. Three sources familiar with the incident said the bomb detonated in a residential block in Knyaze-Volkonskoye-1, the home of Maj Gen Azatbek Omurbekov, who commanded Russian troops during the bloody occupation of the Ukrainian town. Two sources said the assailant put the bomb in the wrong place, killing a subordinate while Omurbekov was not injured. Neither Russia nor Ukraine commented on the incident. The EU has placed sanctions on Omurbekov over the Bucha massacre where Russian troops are accused of killing more than 400 civilians. Japan’s relaxation of its weapons-exports rules means Tokyo might one day supply military equipment to help Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion, Kyiv’s ambassador to Japan, Yurii Lutovinov, has told the Reuters news agency. A Japanese drone firm, Terra Drone, is to increase its investment in Ukrainian defence tech by partnering with Ukraine’s WinnyLab, the Kyiv Independent reports. Terra Drones already has a partnership with Amazing Drones, a Kharkiv company. Justin McCurry, the Guardian’s Tokyo correspondent, writes that Ukraine is not on a list of 17 countries that have signed defence equipment and technology transfer agreements with Japan. Arms sales will initially be confined to those countries, which include the US, Britain and Australia, meaning any agreement with Kyiv could be a long way off. Despite its support for Ukraine, Japan’s ability to supply it with arms are further complicated by Tokyo’s energy ties with Moscow. Japan imports Russia liquefied natural gas from the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project – in which the Japanese companies Mitsui and Mitsubishi have a stake – on Russia’s far east island of Sakhalin. The project accounts for almost 9% of Japan’s total LNG imports. Discussions were also under way about Japan contributing to Europe’s Purl programme which buys US-made equipment for Kyiv, Lutovinov said. The Japanese government of Sanae Takaichi plans to unveil a defence strategy and military procurement plan this year that is expected to call for a significant increase in the air, sea and land drones of the kind that Kyiv has used to defend against Russian attacks. But there has been no Japanese government announcement about arming Ukraine directly or contributing to Purl.

Brazil’s congress approves bill reducing prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil’s largely conservative congress has approved a bill reducing the prison sentence of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted last year of attempting a coup. The bill had initially been passed by congress in December, but President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva vetoed it in January in a symbolic move marking three years since Bolsonaro supporters ransacked the capital, Brasília. In a session on Thursday, the lower house overturned the veto with 318 votes, well above the 257 required, and the senate followed by 49 votes, with 41 needed. If confirmed by a supreme court justice, Bolsonaro’s sentence would fall from 27 years and three months to 22 years and one month. Another significant change would be the time served in a closed regime, which could drop from what legal experts estimate at between four and six years to between two and four years, meaning the former president could move to an open regime as early as 2028. It marked a second major blow in less than 24 hours for the leftwing president, who will seek re-election in October in what is expected to be a tight race against one of Bolsonaro’s sons, the senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who took part in the vote. On Wednesday night, Lula suffered a historic defeat when he became the first president in more than 130 years to have a nominee, the lawyer Jorge Messias, to the supreme court rejected by the senate. Although both the overturning of the veto and the rejection of the court nominee had in some form been anticipated, they are being widely interpreted in Brazil as further evidence that Lula, who in polls appears virtually tied with Bolsonaro’s son, will face a difficult election. Despite the overturning of Lula’s veto, the reduction of Bolsonaro’s sentence, as he remains under house arrest, will not be automatic; his lawyers will need to file a request for a sentence review with the supreme court. The new law reduces not only his sentence but also that of about 280 others convicted over the attempted coup to overturn the result of the 2022 election, when the incumbent Bolsonaro was defeated by Lula. Lula has not yet commented on the decision. When he vetoed the bill in January, he said reducing sentences for an attempted coup would encourage similar crimes in the future. “This man [Bolsonaro] must remain in prison,” he said. The president has also not announced whether he intends to put forward a new nominee for the vacant seat on the supreme court. His previous nominee, Messias, the government’s current solicitor general, delivered an anti-abortion speech during his senate hearing and was seen as an attempt to appeal to evangelical voters, who make up 26.9% of the population and have overwhelmingly backed Bolsonaro. The senate had not rejected a presidential nominee since 1894, and the decision is widely attributed to an agreement between the senate president, Davi Alcolumbre, and the opposition led by Flávio Bolsonaro, as well as for retaliation over Lula’s refusal to nominate a candidate backed by Alcolumbre. The senate president has reportedly told close allies that he will only allow a new confirmation hearing after the election. If Flávio Bolsonaro were to win, and given the number of justices expected to retire in the next four years, along with two previously appointed by his father, the Bolsonaro family could secure a majority of six out of the court’s 11 justices.

‘A new chapter’: first commercial flight from US since 2019 lands in Venezuela

US and Venezuelan officials have hailed a new era in diplomatic relations as the first direct commercial flight between the two countries in more than seven years landed in Caracas. Nearly four months ago, US special forces attack helicopters and planes swept into the skies over Venezuela’s capital after Donald Trump ordered the capture of its president, Nicolás Maduro. On Thursday afternoon it was a very different kind of aircraft that descended towards Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar international airport: an American Airlines passenger jet from Miami, heralding the start of a strange new chapter in the long-toxic ties between Caracas and Washington. “This is a historic day,” José Freig, the carrier’s vice-president of international operations, declared before handing Venezuela’s transport minister, Jacqueline Faría, a model of one of his company’s planes. Speaking in Spanish, the US chargé d’affaires in Venezuela, John Barrett, hailed a “historic milestone”, saying: “We are witnessing the reconstruction of our economic ties, Venezuela’s reopening to global commerce and the reconnecting of our peoples.” Barrett called the new flight “a direct result” of Trump and secretary of state Marco Rubio’s three-phase plan for post-Maduro Venezuela: stabilising Venezuela, rebooting its moribund economy and eventually securing a political transition back towards democracy. “We are only just getting started,” Barrett told dozens of journalists who had assembled by the runway before Flight 3599 touched down at 1.15pm local time. Faría said: “This country wants to connect itself to the world and it is a great pleasure for us to once again open the doors to the entire world.” The airport has long been a symbol of Venezuela’s devastating migration crisis: millions fled abroad as a result of the country’s economic meltdown under Maduro and because of political repression, with foreign journalists and Venezuelan activists frequently deported or interrogated while trying to enter or leave the increasingly authoritarian state. But on Thursday there was a much lighter mood, as the US flight approached Venezuela’s northern coast and Venezuelan passengers queued up to travel on the return flight. A Venezuelan saxophonist celebrated the moment with muzak renditions of Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York, Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine and Hotel California by the Eagles. Oliver Blanco, a senior Venezuelan diplomat, said: “We are writing a new chapter in coexistence [and] economic opening.” Félix Plasencia, Venezuela’s top diplomat in the US and a former ambassador to London, told journalists: “We are thrilled to have you here for this very first flight … and this should be the first one of many.” As he prepared to check in, Eloy Montenegro, a 71-year-old civil engineer flying to Miami, said the new route would make travel between the US and Venezuela easier. Of the years-long breakdown of relations between the two countries, Montenegro said: “That should never have happened but it happened. And things are much better now.” “But that’s politics – and that’s none of my business,” he added diplomatically before strolling towards the check-in desk past an arch of red, blue and white balloons. The last US commercial flight to take off from Caracas did so in March 2019, in Trump’s first term, as relations collapsed amid Trump’s effort to force Maduro from power through sanctions and threats. Other US airlines had already halted their flights as a result of the political and social turmoil sweeping Venezuela amid one of the world’s worst economic collapses outside a war zone. The new partnership between the White House and its longstanding anti-imperialist foes in Caracas represents a once improbable diplomatic handbrake turn. Since Maduro’s capture, his vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, has assumed power with Trump’s blessing, and has overseen a series of major economic concessions involving Venezuela’s oil and mining industries. Trump has repeatedly praised the actions of Rodríguez, who he warned would face an even worse fate than Maduro if she refused to toe the line. “I see it as a viceroyship,” said John Feeley, a veteran former US diplomat in Latin America and ambassador to Panama, of Venezuela’s highly unusual new relationship with the US. “It’s a powerful king-like figure that extracts rent from overseas territories and the person in charge who makes sure that the king or the crown, or in this case Washington, gets its due is Delcy.” Many are sceptical that the third phase of the plan – a political transition back towards democracy – will happen, with Rodríguez’s administration apparently in no rush to give up power or hold fresh elections. “It’s not time for elections,” the powerful interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, said on the eve of the flight’s arrival. Feeley, who resigned from the foreign service during Trump’s first term, did not completely rule out that the US intervention in Venezuela might eventually benefit the people of that country, after years of economic chaos, international isolation and increasingly autocratic rule. “We can never predict the future with any accuracy and I don’t … want to foreclose the possibility that this unconstitutional and, by international law, illegal action by the United States could not still result in a net positive for the Venezuelan people in terms of their democracy. I want to believe that can happen,” Feeley said. “[But] I’m pessimistic because of the track record of the Trump team and Donald Trump himself and his own attitudes towards democracy. “If Donald Trump is an autocratic-style president internally in the United States, what leads one to conclude he would be promoting democracy in another country?”