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US officials have discussed sending lump sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark and potentially join the United States, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

While the exact dollar figure and logistics of any payment are unclear, US officials, including White House aides, have discussed figures ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 per person, said two of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The idea of directly paying residents of Greenland, an overseas territory of Denmark, offers one explanation of how the US might attempt to "buy" the island of 57,000 people, despite authorities' insistence in Copenhagen and Nuuk that Greenland is not for sale.

The tactic ⁠is among various plans being discussed by the White House for acquiring Greenland, including potential use of the U.S. military. But it risks coming off as overly transactional and even degrading to a population that has long debated its own independence and its economic dependence on Denmark. "Enough is enough ... No more fantasies about annexation," Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday after U.S. President Donald Trump again told reporters the U.S. needed to acquire the island.

European leaders say decision for Greenland, Denmark

Leaders in Copenhagen and throughout Europe have reacted to comments by Trump and other White House officials asserting their right to Greenland in recent days with disdain, particularly given that the U.S. and Denmark are NATO allies bound by a mutual defense agreement. On Tuesday, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and Denmark issued a joint statement, saying only Greenland and Denmark can decide matters regarding their relations.

Asked for comment about discussions to purchase the island, including the possibility of direct payments to Greenlanders, the White House referred Reuters to remarks by press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

During a press briefing, Leavitt acknowledged that Trump and his national security aides were "looking at what a potential purchase would look like." Rubio said he would meet his Danish counterpart next week in Washington to discuss Greenland.

The Danish embassy declined to comment, and Greenland's representative office in Washington did not ⁠respond to a request for comment.

Greenland discussions increasingly serious

Trump has long argued that the US needs to acquire Greenland on several grounds, including that it is rich in minerals needed for advanced military applications. He has also said the Western Hemisphere broadly needs to be under the geopolitical influence of Washington.

While internal deliberations regarding how to seize Greenland have occurred among Trump's aides since before he took office a year ago, there has been renewed urgency ⁠after his government captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a daring snatch-and-grab operation over the weekend, according to sources familiar with internal deliberations.

One source ⁠said White House aides were eager to carry over the momentum from the Maduro operation toward accomplishing Trump's other long-standing geopolitical goals.

"We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark isn't going to be able to do it," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. "It's so strategic."

One of the sources familiar with White House deliberations said the internal discussions regarding lump sum payments were not necessarily new. However, that person said, they had gotten more serious in recent days, and aides were entertaining higher values, with a $100,000-per-person payment - which would result in a total payment of almost $6 billion - a real possibility.

Many details of any potential payments were unclear, such as when and how they would be doled out if the Trump administration pursued that route or what exactly would be expected of the Greenlanders in exchange. The White House has said military intervention is possible, though officials have also said the U.S. prefers buying the island or otherwise acquiring it through diplomatic means.

Free association agreement one option

Among the possibilities being floated by Trump's aides, a White House official said on Tuesday, is trying to enter into a type of agreement with the island called a Compact of Free Association.

The precise details of COFA agreements - which have only ever been extended to the small island nations of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau - vary depending on the signatory. But the US government typically provides many essential services, such as mail delivery and military protection. In exchange, the US military operates freely in COFA countries, and trade with the US is largely duty-free.

COFA agreements have previously been inked with independent countries, and Greenland would likely need to separate from Denmark for such a plan to proceed. In theory, payments could be used to induce Greenlanders to vote for their independence, or to sign onto a COFA after such a vote.

While polls show an overwhelming majority of Greenlanders want independence, concerns about the economic costs of separating from Denmark - among other issues - have kept most Greenlandic legislators from calling for an independence referendum.

Surveys also show most Greenlanders, while open to separating from Denmark, do not want to be part of the US.

At least seven explosions have shaken Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, as low-flying aircraft have been detected in the skies above the city, in what the Venezuelan government said were coordinated US strikes.

Explosions and smoke were reported across Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, at around 2 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) with power outages near a key military base and reports of low-flying aircraft on Saturday.

People in various neighborhoods rushed to the streets. Some could be seen in the distance from various areas of Caracas.

President Nicolas Maduro announced a nationwide state of emergency, ordered the full activation of national defense plans, and authorized the deployment of comprehensive defense commands across the country in response to the attacks.

In a statement, the Venezuelan government said US forces carried out coordinated strikes on civilian and military targets in Caracas and several other states, describing the operation as a direct act of military aggression aimed at seizing the country’s oil and mineral wealth.

The government urged its supporters to mobilize nationwide in response to the attacks.

“People to the streets!” the statement said. “The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack.”

Caracas said it retains the right to legitimate self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter and called on regional governments and the international community to stand against what it described as imperialist aggression.

American news outlets reported that US President Donald Trump had greenlighted direct attacks on Venezuelan soil several days ago.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack, calling on the UN to convene immediately to discuss the issue.

"Caracas has been attacked by missiles, and the world must be aware; Venezuela is under attack. The Organization of American States and the United Nations must convene immediately," Petro said in a post published on X.

Since August, US Southern Command has deployed warships, submarines, aircraft carriers, F-35 squadrons, and approximately 15,000 personnel to the area.

These deployments include Carrier Strike Group Twelve, featuring the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier.

Since September, the US military has carried out more than 30 such strikes, with a reported death toll of at least 115.

Officials in Caracas have condemned the operations as a deliberate display of US hostility aimed at intimidating the region and undermining Venezuela’s sovereignty amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Washington has also claimed, without providing evidence, that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro leads the Cartel de los Soles, which the US designated a terrorist organization last month.

Maduro has said the administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to remove him from power and seize the country’s oil resources.

Las Vegas/New York: A 27-year-old Indian woman who had been reported missing since New Year’s Eve was found murdered with stab wounds inside her ex-boyfriend’s apartment in the US state of Maryland, police said.

The victim has been identified as Nikitha Godishala, a data and strategy analyst from Ellicott City. Her body was discovered inside an apartment owned by Arjun Sharma (26), her former boyfriend, according to the Howard County Police Department.

Investigators have obtained an arrest warrant charging Sharma with first- and second-degree murder.

Police said Sharma filed a missing person complaint on January 2, claiming he last saw Godishala on December 31 at his apartment. On January 3, detectives executed a search warrant at the same residence and found Godishala dead with multiple stab wounds.

Authorities said Sharma left the United States for India on the same day he reported Godishala missing.

Based on the investigation so far, detectives believe Godishala was killed shortly after 7 pm on December 31. The motive behind the killing remains unknown, and the investigation is ongoing.

Howard County police said they are working with federal law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest the suspect.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy said it is in contact with Godishala’s family and is extending all possible consular assistance. “The Embassy is also following up the matter with the local authorities,” it said.

Notably, India and the United States have an extradition treaty that allows cooperation in serious criminal cases, although such proceedings typically involve legal reviews and diplomatic coordination and may take several months.