Morning Bird: Trump backed down on the Greenland issue. Senators stood up against the abolition of fees for CT and CRo
Trump demonstrated another turnaround in the negotiations around Greenland
President Donald Trump on Wednesday cancelled tariffs that he threatened to impose on eight European countries to enforce US control over Greenland, and shortly after insisting that he wanted to acquire the island "including rights, claims, and ownership", he demonstrated another turnaround.
In a post on his social network, Trump stated that he had agreed with the head of NATO on a "framework for a future agreement" on Arctic security, potentially mitigating tensions with far-reaching geopolitical implications. He stated that there are "further discussions" about Greenland related to the Golden Dome missile defense program, a multilayer system worth 175 billion dollars, which will for the first time place American weapons in space, reported the agency AP.
The Senate opposes the abolition of license fees
In the adopted resolution, senators expressed opposition to the abolition of broadcasting license fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio. Their decision was justified by political instability towards public broadcasting, which would be caused by direct financing from the public budget. The governing senators opposed the proposal, but they are in a significant minority in the Senate. Motorists and SPD do not even have any representatives in the upper house, said CTK.
Olympic flames to honor Leonardo da Vinci
Two olympic flames for the games in Milan and Cortina will honor Leonardo da Vinci. Their design was unveiled, which resembles the sun and is inspired by Leonardo's intricate knot patterns. Leonardo spent almost 25 years of his life in Milan (which is where one of the flames will be located) and many of his most famous works come from the time he lived in this city. The flames are designed to open and close - their diameter will increase from 3.1 meters to 4.5 meters - and the Olympic flame, enclosed in a glass and metal container, will be placed in their center, agent AP reported.
South Korean Prime Minister sentenced to 23 years in prison for attempted mutiny
On Wednesday, a South Korean court decided that the unfortunate declaration of martial law by then President Yoon Suk Yeol constituted an act of rebellion, and sentenced his Prime Minister to 23 years in prison for his involvement. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo became the first representative of Yoon's government who was sentenced for rebellion in connection with the introduction of martial law in December 2024. It is expected that this verdict will pave the way for upcoming judgments concerning Yoon and his other associates who also face charges of rebellion, CNN reported.
In the EU, the transition to renewable sources continues, surpassing fossil fuel power plants for the first time
Wind and solar energy sources produced more electricity than fossil fuels for the first time last year in the EU, as data released on Thursday shows, suggesting the bloc's continuing transition to low-carbon energy despite the resistance of some governments. According to data from the energy think-tank Ember, wind and solar energy produced 30% of electricity in the European Union in 2025, which is slightly more than the 29% supplied by fossil fuel power plants that use coal, gas and occasionally oil, the Reuters agency wrote.
