Daily World Briefing, Jan. 5

Trump says U.S. needs Greenland "for defense" following strikes on Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday stressed that the United States needs Greenland "for defense," claiming that Venezuela may not be the last country subject to U.S. intervention, according to The Atlantic.

"We do need Greenland, absolutely," Trump said in a phone interview with the magazine. The island, located in the Arctic, is part of Denmark.

"They are going to have to view it themselves. I really don't know," Trump said. "You know, I wasn't referring to Greenland at that time. But we do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense."

ROK President Lee Jae Myung arrives in Beijing for state visit

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a state visit to China from Jan. 4 to 7.

It is Lee's first visit to China since he took office.

Trump threatens Venezuela's acting president over refusal to cooperate with U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened that Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez could "pay a very big price, probably bigger than" that of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, if she continued to refuse cooperation with the United States.

"If she doesn't do what's right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro," Trump said in a phone interview with The Atlantic. Maduro was taken by U.S. force away from his country on Saturday and is now in custody in New York to stand trial on alleged drug charges.

Saudi warplanes strike E. Yemen's Al-Mahrah

Saudi warplanes launched airstrikes on Sunday in eastern Yemen's Al-Mahrah province, a Yemeni security official told Xinhua.

The official, who requested anonymity, said the airstrikes targeted a location near the headquarters of the military axis in Ghaydah, Al-Mahrah's provincial capital.

So far, there have been no reports of casualties, said the official.■