Water is sprayed on a damaged tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, California, on May 24, 2026, after the tank containing a chemical used to make plastic parts overheated.
| Photo Credit: AP

Copenhagen:

In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland, some Danes are California dreaming, offering to buy the golden state and infuse it with a Nordic vibe and universal health care.

A satirical website has launched a petition for Denmark to buy America’s most populous state, with more than 200,000 people signing up to the idea so far.

Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Mocking Trump’s favourite slogan, the tongue-in-cheek petition urges Denmark to “Make California Great Again”, rewriting the phrase with letters from the Danish language.

“Let’s buy California from Donald Trump!” the site Denmarkification.com says, in a nod to “Californication”, a word the Red Hot Chili Peppers band immortalised with its 1990s hit song.

“Let’s be honest — Trump isn’t exactly California’s biggest fan. He’s called it ‘the most ruined state in the Union’ and has feuded with its leaders for years.”

“We’re pretty sure he’d be willing to part with it for the right price,” it says.

“We’ll send our bestest negotiators — Lego executives and the cast of Borgen,” it mused, referring to the Denmark-based global toy behemoth and the Danish-produced drama series, respectively.

“We’ll bring hygge to Hollywood, bike lanes to Beverly Hills, and organic smorrebrod to every street corner. Rule of law, universal health care and fact based politics might apply.”

“Hygge” is a word in Danish that describes a cozy atmosphere while “smorrebrod” is a multi-ingredient sandwich ubiquitous in the Nordic country and its neighbours.

Why would the Scandinavian country want the US state? For its sunny climate, tech industry and wealth of avocados, the site says.

And of course Disneyland, which it proposes renaming “Hans Christian Andersenland”, in reference to Denmark’s famed fairy tale writer.

“Mickey Mouse in a Viking helmet? Yes, please.”

Whether Americans would want to offload the state is not much of a concern.

“Let’s face it — when has that ever stopped him? If Trump wants to sell California, he’ll sell California.”

On Wednesday at 11:45 am (0945 GMT), almost 207,000 people had signed the petition, which aims to gather 500,000 signatures.

Since late December, Trump has repeatedly reiterated his desire to take over Greenland, the vast Arctic island rich in natural resources.

Greenland’s leaders, backed by the Danish government, have insisted it is not for sale.

Local Greenland elections are scheduled for March 11. Amid concern over possible election interference, the Greenlandic parliament last week adopted a law banning anonymous or foreign donations to political parties.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Los Angeles County in the US has been battling devastating wildfires for the past five days. At least 11 people are dead and thousands of structures, which include homes, commercial buildings and vehicles, have been damaged or destroyed. While the fires that have devastated celebrity neighbourhoods near Malibu have caught the world’s attention, a similar-sized blaze in Eaton Canyon, north of Los Angeles, has ravaged Altadena, where rows of neat bungalows once nestled. But as the embers cooled, some residents whose homes were ravaged in the inferno returned to see what remained. 

According to the BBC, many residents of Altadena found small trinkets that brought smiles to their faces amid a hellish ordeal. Six-year-old Henry Giles was among one of them. When the little boy returned to his home in Altadena with his parents, he found a bucket and a toy lawnmower that survived the inferno. “Mommy look, they survived! We hid them in the bushes because we knew there would be a fire!” he excitedly yelled, per the outlet. 

Another man, 52-year-old Larry Villescas, was also able to find a few things, including a wedding gift from 25 years ago. He said that he found a Christmas ornament, a Dr Suess book and something that nearly brought him to tears. 

“We found a dish and a bowl that’s part of a dish set that my great aunt gave us on our wedding day. It’s lasted 24 years. We’ve been together 29 and we got married four years later, and so 24 years old that bowl and that plate, believe it or not,” he told the BBC. 

Also Read | Los Angeles Battles Historic Wildfires, Yet Its Air Quality Is Better Than Delhi’s

Even though not much survived the fire, a few other residents were able to find small things that are now even more special to them. Daron Anderson said that he found a white and blue flowered vase from the pile of debris that stayed together. “I know my mom will like it,” he said, adding, “It’s small, but it’s something.”

Another woman sifted through charred coins to find two pearls belonging to her mother’s necklace, while her neighbour managed to find a power saw and an antique hand tool. 

LA wildfires to be costliest US disaster 

Meanwhile, as firefighters continue to combat the Eaton Fire, its destruction has taken a toll on the Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities. At least 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the area, CBS News reported. Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said that crews have made good progress on portions of the blaze, while other areas are still very active.

The devastating Los Angeles wildfires are poised to become one of the costliest natural disasters in US history, with estimated losses already surpassing $135 billion. According to a preliminary estimate by private forecaster AccuWeather, the total losses could reach as high as $150 billion, making it one of the most expensive wildfires the country has ever seen. 
 

Los Angeles:

A small plane crashed into a commercial building in California on Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring 18 others, police said.

The crash occurred early in the afternoon near Fullerton Municipal Airport, 25 miles (40 kilometres) southeast of Los Angeles. The cause remains unknown.

“There are two confirmed fatalities,” Fullerton police said on X.

Active Investigation Update:

There are two confirmed fatalities, ten individuals were transported to area hospitals for treatment and eight individuals were treated and released on scene. The investigation is on going. https://t.co/CiLra4HYFv

— Fullerton PD (@FPDPIO) January 3, 2025

Additionally, 10 people were hospitalized and eight others were treated at the scene.

Investigators do not yet know if the victims were plane passengers or if they were workers at the building where it crashed, a police officer told local station KTLA.

Television footage showed a gaping hole in the roof of the building, with smoke pouring out.

A small single engine plane (N8757R) crashed into the roof of a warehouse near Fullerton Municipal Airport, US. pic.twitter.com/7dTdrE6p2Y

— Resistance War News (@ResistanceWar1) January 3, 2025

“All we hear is like a loud noise, boom, and that’s it. Then we started running out” of the building, Jerome Cruz, one of the workers who witnessed the scene, told CBS News.

The plane was a single-engine Van’s RV-10, a small model with four seats, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which has opened an investigation.

Another crash near Fullerton Airport injured two people in November.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

For the first time since the pandemic, the largest crowd gathered in the US town of Pasadena, California for the 136th Rose Parade on Wednesday (Jan 1). From colourful boats to swift-marching bands to majestic hopping horses, the parade was a success, if not slightly dampened by the national tragedy in New Orleans where at least 15 people died and 30 were injured when a vehicle rammed into a crowd of New Year’s Day revelers. The 8.85-kilometre parade draws viewers worldwide with the event also broadcast live. Each year, hundreds of volunteers work together to make the event happen. The parade is usually followed by the Rose Bowl game, hosted at the historic Rose Bowl Stadium.

What is the Rose Bowl Parade?

Initially started by the Valley Hunt Club to showcase the mild winter climate of Southern California, the parade has grown on to become a cultural phenomenon and a New Year’s Day tradition. It has taken place nearly every years since 1980 in the Californian city with NBC New broadcasting it on radio in 1927 before moving to television in 1954.

What was the theme of this year’s Rose Bowl Parade?

Rose Bowl Parade President Ed Morales had announced “Best Day Ever!” as the theme of the 2025 Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

“The 2025 theme celebrates life’s best moments – those unexpected times that bring a smile, warm our hearts and fill us with joy. From a once-in-a-lifetime experience to the simplest pleasures, each is indelibly etched into our memory,” explained Mr Morales.

Who are the participants?

The Rose Parade features three types of entries: floral-decorated floats sponsored by a participating corporation or community organization, equestrian units, and marching bands. The only cars that appear in the Rose Parade are those that may carry the Grand Marshal, the Mayor of Pasadena, the Rose Bowl Game Hall of Fame Inductees and the Tournament of Roses President.

Morgan Anderson, Bill Brzeski and Drew Rios were appointed as this year’s judges to present float awards based on many criteria including float design, floral presentation, and entertainment value.

Also Read | Grapes, Condoms, Coke And Chips: Here’s What India Ordered On New Year’s Eve

Who attended this year’s event?

Singers Kiesza and Aloe Blacc kicked off this year’s event atop the float by Honda, with a synchronised light show, pyrotechnics and dancers. Kiesza, the Canadian-born dancer best known for her 2014 bit “Hideaway” performed some of her popular songs before a B-2 bomber stealth aircraft did a flyover.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King was the parade’s grand marshal and could be seen sporting a red blazer as she waved to the crowd from a Rolls-Royce Phantom III.

A 2-year-old boy in the US fatally shot his 22-year-old mother inside their apartment in Northern California, police said on Monday. According to CBS News, Jessinya Mina died on Friday from a single gunshot wound to her upper body after her toddler son picked up an unsecured gun inside a bedroom of the home and pulled the trigger. The loaded gun belonged to Andrew Sanchez, Ms Mina’s boyfriend. Mr Sanchez is now facing criminal charges in her death, officials said. 

“At some point in time while handling that particular weapon, the toddler was able to manipulate the trigger, and it actually struck Mina as she was lying in bed,” Lt. Paul Cervantes said during a news conference, per the outlet. 

The mother of two was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but she couldn’t make it. “It’s devastating and definitely serves as a stark reminder of the significance and importance of being able to properly store your weapon,” Mr Cervantes said. 

According to the police, Ms Mina’s children and her boyfriend were planning to spend the evening out and were relaxing at home when the shooting happened. The little boy’s 8-month-old sibling was also at home during the incident. 

Officials said that Mr Sanchez left the loaded 9mm gun, which did not have an external safety feature, in the bedroom, in an area accessible by the children. He was taken into custody after Friday’s incident and was charged with felony child endangerment and felony criminal storage of a weapon. 

Mr Sanchez has no criminal history, Mr Cervantes said, adding that detectives were working to learn to whom the gun is registered. For now, he has been released on bail. 

“This is a very tragic and a very much preventable and avoidable incident,” Mr Cervantes said.

Also Read | 15-Year-Old Boy In US Has Fingers Amputated After Vape Explodes In His Face

In an online fundraiser created by Ms Mina’s sister, Jessica Rodriguez, called her a woman “full of love and life and an amazing beautiful mother”. Separately, in a statement to the outlet, she said, “My niece and nephew will have to live off of memories and stories of my sister rather than her presence. We will never be able to witness my sister carry out her lifelong goals and accomplishments due to his negligence”. 

Meanwhile, this incident comes after a 7-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old brother inside a truck parked in a shopping centre in California. It also days after a 3-year-old accidentally shot and injured a 1-year-old sibling with a firearm stored in their home. 

Los Angeles, United States:

A man found illegally in possession of a shotgun and a loaded handgun was arrested by sheriff’s deputies assigned to protect a Donald Trump rally in Coachella, California, the Riverside County sheriff’s office announced Sunday.

The Secret Service said that it was aware of the arrest and that neither Trump nor rally attendees had not been in any danger during the incident, which took place on Saturday.

“While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing,” the organization tasked with protecting presidents and presidential candidates said in a joint statement with the FBI and the US Attorney’s office.

The sheriff’s team said the man, which it identified as 49-year-old Vem Miller of Las Vegas, was later released on bail and faces a court hearing on January 2.

They added that the deputies, manning a checkpoint near the rally, arrested Miller as he drove up in a black SUV.

They later booked him at a local detention center on charges of possessing a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine.

The incident comes on the heels of two assassination attempts — one in Pennsylvania in which a bullet grazed Trump’s ear, and a second, aborted attempt at his Florida golf course.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — a Trump supporter who also addressed the Republican’s rally in Coachella on Saturday — said that there was “absolutely no way that any of us are going to truly know what was in his head.”

“If you’re asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt,” Bianco, a former member of the far-right Oath Keepers group, told a press conference.

Bianco said the man had “multiple” passports and IDs with different names in his vehicle, which was unregistered. He said any further charges would come from federal authorities.

There was no immediate comment from the Trump campaign.

Trump’s decision to hold a rally in California surprised political analysts, who note that the state is heavily Democratic, but he drew a large crowd, even in temperatures near 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius).

Coachella is known for its annual music festival.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

California’s largest active fire exploded in size on July 26 evening, growing rapidly amid bone-dry fuel and threatening thousands of homes as fire-fighters scrambled to meet the danger.

The Park Fire’s intensity and dramatic spread led fire officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Camp Fire, which burned out of control in nearby Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes.

Also Read:Fighting every wildfire makes bigger fires more extreme, study says

More than 130 structures have been destroyed by this fire so far, and thousands more are threatened as evacuations were ordered in four counties: Butte, Plumas, Tehama and Shasta. It stood at 1,243 sqkm (480 square miles) on July 26 and was moving quickly north and east after igniting on Wednesday when authorities said a man pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico and then calmly blended in with others fleeing the scene.

“There’s a tremendous amount of fuel out there and it’s going to continue with this rapid pace,” Cal Fire incident commander Billy See said at a briefing. He said the fire was advancing up to 21 sqkm (8 square miles) an hour on Friday afternoon.

Officials at Lassen Volcanic National Park evacuated staff from Mineral, a community of about 120 people where the park headquarters are located, as the fire moved north toward Highway 36 and east toward the park.

Communities elsewhere in the U.S. West and Canada were under siege on Friday, from a fast-moving blaze sparked by lightning sent people fleeing on fire-ringed roads in rural Idaho to a new blaze that was causing evacuations in eastern Washington.

In Eastern Oregon, a pilot was found dead in a small air tanker plane that crashed while fighting one of the many wildfires spreading across several Western states.

More than 110 active fires covering 2,800 square miles (7,250 square kilometers) were burning in the U.S. on Friday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NFC). Some were caused by the weather, with climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes as the region endures record heat and bone-dry conditions.

“A fire in Eastern Washington destroyed three homes and five outbuildings near the community of Tyler, which was evacuated Friday afternoon,” said Ryan Rodruck, a spokesperson with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. “Firefighters were able to contain the Columbia Basin fire in Spokane County to about 1.3 square km (half a square mile,)” he said.

In Chico, California, Carli Parker is one of the hundreds who fled her home as the Park Fire pushed close. Ms. Parker decided to leave her Forest Ranch residence with her family when the fire began burning across the street. She has previously been forced out of two homes by fire, and she said she had little hope that her residence would remain unscathed.

“I think I felt like I was in danger because the police had come to our house because we had signed up for early evacuation warnings, and they were running to their vehicle after telling us that we need to self-evacuate and they wouldn’t come back,” said Ms. Parker, a mother of five.

“Ronnie Dean Stout, 42, of Chico, was arrested early on Thursday in connection with the blaze and held without bail pending a Monday arraignment,” officials said. There was no reply to an email to the district attorney asking whether the suspect had legal representation or someone who could comment on his behalf.

“Fire crews were making progress on another complex of fires burning in the Plumas National Forest near the California-Nevada line,” said Forest Service spokesperson Adrienne Freeman. Most of the 1,000 residents evacuated by the lightning-sparked Gold Complex fires were returning home Friday. Some crews were peeling off to help battle the Park Fire.

“As evidenced by the (Park) fire to the West, some of these fires are just absolutely exploding and burning at rates of spread that it is just hard to even imagine,” Tim Hike, Forest Service incident commander of the Gold Complex fire about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Reno, said Friday. “The fire does not look that bad right up until it does. And then that just might be too late.”

Forest Ranch evacuee Sherry Alpers, fled with her 12 small dogs and made the decision to stay in her car outside a Red Cross shelter in Chico after learning that animals would not be allowed inside. She ruled out traveling to another shelter after learning the dogs would be kept in cages, since her dogs have always roamed free at her home.

Ms. Alpers said she doesn’t know whether the fire spared her home or not, but she said that as long as her dogs are safe, she doesn’t care about the material things. “I’m kind of worried, but not that much,” she said. “If it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Brian Bowles was also staying in his car outside the shelter with his dog Diamon. He said he doesn’t know if his mobile home is still standing. Mr. Bowles said he only has a $100 gift card he received from United Way, which was handed them out to evacuees. “Now the question is, do I get a motel room and comfortable for one night? Or do I put gas in the car and sleep in here?” he asked. “Tough choice.”

In Oregon, a Grant County Search and Rescue team on Friday morning located a small single-engine air tanker that had disappeared while fighting the 567 sqkm (219 square miles) Falls Fire burning near the town of Seneca and the Malheur National Forest. “The pilot died,” said Bureau of Land Management information officer Lisa Clark. No one else was aboard the bureau-contracted aircraft when it went down in steep, forested terrain.

“The most damage so far has been to the Canadian Rockies’ Jasper National Park, where a fast-moving wildfire forced 25,000 people to flee and devastated the park’s namesake town,” a World Heritage site.

In Idaho, lightning strikes sparked fast-moving wildfires and the evacuation of multiple communities. The fires were burning on about 80 sqkm (31 square miles) on Friday afternoon.

Videos posted to social media include a man who said he heard explosions as he fled Juliaetta, about 43 km (27 miles) southeast of the University of Idaho’s campus in Moscow. The town of just more than 600 residents was evacuated on Thursday just ahead of roaring fires, as were several other communities near the Clearwater River and the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery Complex, which breeds salmon.

Also Read:Explained | Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in summer by 2030s, say scientists

“There’s no estimate yet on the number of buildings burned in Idaho, nor is there information about damage to urban communities,” officials said on July 26.

Oregon still has the biggest active blaze in the United States, the Durkee Fire, which combined with the Cow Fire to burn nearly 1,630 sqkm (630 square miles). It remains unpredictable and was only 20% contained on Friday, according to the government website InciWeb.

NFC said more than 27,000 fires have burned more than 15,000 sqkm (5,800 square miles) in the U.S. this year, and in Canada, more than 22,800 sqkm (8,000 square miles) have burned in more than 3,700 fires so far, according to its National Wildland Fire Situation Report issued on Wednesday.

San Francisco:

Lawsuits are flying in a dispute between two California airports over the right to use the name “San Francisco” — despite neither of them being in the city.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is suing the recently renamed San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport (OAK), insisting the similar sounding names might confuse potential passengers.

Their lawsuit has been met with a counterclaim from The Port of Oakland asking a judge to rule its airport’s new moniker — which replaced “Metropolitan Oakland International Airport” — is not a copyright infringement.

“Changing ‘Metropolitan’ to ‘San Francisco Bay’ in Oakland Airport’s name accurately describes OAK’s geographic location on the Bay and presents the airport as an additional choice for travel into the San Francisco Bay Area,” said port attorney Mary Richardson on Thursday, announcing the lawsuit.

The San Francisco city attorney’s decision to pursue litigation “is an attempt to stop consumer education, prevent expanded air travel options for Bay Area residents and visitors, and is a misguided use of San Francisco taxpayer dollars,” she added.

The legal turbulence began in April when officials in San Francisco sued for copyright infringement, claiming the name change was a customer grab and an effort to poach business.

“The Metropolitan Oakland International Airport seeks to increase passengers and profits by rushing to unlawfully incorporate San Francisco International Airport’s trademarked name into its own,” the suit says.

Passengers could easily mix up the two destinations, the suit says, and end up stranded.

“The potential for confusion will be particularly acute for international travelers who may not speak or read English,” it says.

“Travelers will very likely be confused and book tickets to the unintended airport, thinking that the ‘San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport’ is SFO and arrive in the wrong place, a mistake leading to missed flights and connections, among other problems.”

Despite the lawsuit, officials in Oakland voted unanimously to adopt the new name on Thursday, in a move that will not affect the “OAK” designation used on baggage tags.

The two airports sit just 10 miles (16 kilometers) apart, on opposite sides of San Francisco Bay.

Neither of them is actually in San Francisco — SFO is in San Mateo County while OAK is in Oakland.

Both airports are a 20-40 minute taxi ride to downtown San Francisco.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Alexander Vinnik, a 38 year old Russian man suspected of running a money laundering operation using bitcoin. File
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Alexander Vinnik, a Russian suspected cybercrime kingpin who was arrested in Greece in 2017, convicted of money laundering in France three years later and is now awaiting trial in California, has pleaded partially guilty, TASS news agency cited his lawyer as saying on Saturday.

The lawyer, Arkady Bukh, said that as a result of the plea bargain he now expected Vinnik to get a prison term of less than 10 years.

“He pleaded guilty on a restricted number of charges,” TASS quoted Bukh as saying, adding that Vinnik had faced life imprisonment.

“The culmination of the negotiations was a deal with the prosecutor’s office. We expect that the prison term will be up to 10 years.”

Vinnik, accused of laundering more than $4 billion through the digital currency bitcoin, was arrested in 2017 in Greece at the request of the United States, although Moscow has repeatedly demanded he be returned to Russia.

He was extradited to France from Greece where he was sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering before he was sent back to Greece and then on to the United States in 2022.

The U.S. Department of Justice has said Vinnik “allegedly owned, operated, and administrated BTC-e, a significant cybercrime and online money laundering entity that allowed its users to trade in bitcoin with high levels of anonymity and developed a customer base heavily reliant on criminal activity.”

The maximum penalty for the U.S. charges against Vinnik is 55 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice website.