Category: World

LAMAR Odom has allegedly been arrested for driving under the influence in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The former basketball player, 46, who was previously married to Khloe Kardashian, has battled drug and alcohol addition in the past.

According to TMZ, who reported the arrest, Lamar was also given two traffic violations during the arrest.

The celebrity news site claims that he was slapped with the violations for driving more than 41+ miles per hour over the limit and improper lane change/failure to maintain lane.

TMZ also claimed that Lamar remains in police custody currently.

The Sun has reached out to Lamar’s rep for comment.

Lamar has made no secret of his struggles with alcohol and drugs in the past, and in 2023, fronted a TMZ documentary titled Lamar Odom: Sex, Drugs & Kardashians.

During the documentary and in his memoir, Darkness to Light, Lamar detailed his struggles with substances and his journey getting clean from cocaine.

His recovery came following a highly publicized near-death experience back in 2015, when the sportsman overdosed in a brothel.

Following a four-day bender, Lamar was found unresponsive after having 12 seizures, six strokes, and his heart stopping twice.

“My doctors from Cedars-Sinai said, like, I’m a walking miracle,” he previously told ABC.

After the harrowing experience, Lamar admitted to having “no memory” of taking drugs that day, despite the near-lethal doses.

The incident – which came shortly after his split from wife Khloe – pushed Lamar to have a stint in rehab the following year.

However, he previously detailed how he has used small doses of ketamine under medical supervision in order to get clean.

In 2019, Lamar told ABC that he does occasionally have a social alcoholic drink, but has steered clear of any other substances.

Lamar rose to prominence for playing in NBA team Los Angeles Lakers, winning several accolades during his run in the professional league.

At the height of his fame, he married Keeping Up With The Kardashians star Khloe and the pair even had their own reality show, Khloe and Lamar.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/15798325/lamar-odom-dui-arrest-las-vegas/

A CALIFORNIA man has been charged in relation to death threats made against Vice President JD Vance during his family trip to Disneyland last summer.

The 22-year-old man was arrested Friday, six months after allegedly sharing threats on Instagram while Vance visited the theme park with his wife, Usha, and at least two of their children.

Marco Antonio Aguayo from Anaheim, California, was arrested and charged with threats against the President and successors to the Presidency, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, said.

Vance was visiting the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim with his family at the time of the alleged threats, according to an affidavit filed on July 12, 2025.

COMMENTS REVEALED

On that day, Aguayo allegedly posted several public comments on the Walt Disney Company’s Instagram account, the attorney’s office said.

One of the comments read, “Pipe bombs have been placed in preparation for J.D. Vance’s arrival.”

“It’s time for us to rise up and you will be a witness to it,” another comment said.

According to officials, the last threat said, “Good luck finding all of them on time there will be bloodshed tonight and we will bathe in the blood of corrupt politicians.”

Later that day, law enforcement officials went to Aguayo’s home, where he initially denied any knowledge of the comments, further claiming his account had been hacked, the New York Post (NYP) reported, citing a criminal complaint.

Aguayo later surrendered his phone, allowing agents to access his Instagram account. He later allegedly admitted to posting the threats, the NYP reported.

He told law enforcement that the comments were “a joke to provoke attention and laughter,” adding that he “forgot” to delete them.

‘LET THIS CASE BE A WARNING’

“This case is a horrific reminder of the dangers public officials face from deranged criminals who would do them harm,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.

“I am grateful that my friend Vice President Vance and his family are safe, applaud the police work that led to the arrest, and will ensure my prosecutors deliver swift justice.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15797394/jd-vance-disneyland-death-threats-marco-aguayo/

NASA rolled its massive Space Launch System rocket toward its launchpad in Florida on Saturday, kicking off a final phase of preparations for the agency’s Artemis II mission that is poised to send four astronauts around the moon and back as soon as next month.

Traveling just one mile (1.6 km) per hour on its mobile launch platform, the 322-foot-tall (98 m) SLS emerged at sunrise from the giant garage doors of NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center for a crawl to its launchpad some 4 miles away, as hundreds of agency employees and contractors staked out the sidelines to watch.

“We truly look at that and see teamwork, we see global cooperation, we see a strong nation leading the way,” Artemis II mission commander Reid Wiseman told reporters on Saturday against the backdrop of the SLS cruising toward the launchpad.

“It represents an extraordinary American workforce, right there,” said Artemis II mission astronaut Jeremy Hansen of Canada.

The rocket’s upcoming Artemis II mission is the second under NASA’s multibillion-dollar Artemis moon program, following an uncrewed flight in 2022, and the first to carry astronauts, who will fly around the moon in a 10-day journey taking them to the farthest humans have ever ventured in space.

The mission’s crew includes three U.S. astronauts and a Canadian astronaut, and is planned to launch as soon as February 6, though whether that date holds will hinge on a key “wet dress” rehearsal four days prior that simulates the launch countdown to catch any snags or issues before flight.

“Wet dress is really the driver” of the launch schedule, Artemis launch director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson told reporters on Friday. “You’re going to need a little bit of time to look at the data” from the rehearsal, she said.

Also weighing on the February timeline is the launch of Crew-12, a separate, routine astronaut mission to the International Space Station whose launch date was moved up due to the early return of Crew-11 because of an astronaut medical issue. Resources required for that mission could contribute to a decision to launch Artemis II on a later date.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/nasa-rolls-giant-sls-rocket-launchpad-second-artemis-moon-mission-5866046

This follows an earlier recall of selected Nestle NAN formula products on Jan 8 due to the potential presence of cereulide.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Saturday (Jan 17) recalled two infant formula products due to the presence of cereulide toxin.

The agency detected the toxin, which can ⁠cause ‍nausea and vomiting, in another batch of Nestle NAN infant formula as well as a batch of Dumex infant formula products.

This follows an earlier recall of selected Nestle NAN formula products on Jan 8.

The affected batches are:

• Nestle NAN HA 1 SupremePro (800g), batch 52340017C3 (made in Switzerland)
• Dumex Dulac 1 (800g), batch 101570778C (made in Thailand)

The two products “may have used the same raw ingredient supplied by the same source used in the earlier batches of implicated infant formula products”, said SFA and the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) in a joint media release.

The recall is a precautionary measure while SFA’s investigations are ongoing.

There has been one case of illness likely associated with cereulide exposure, said the agencies. The case had mild symptoms and has since recovered.

Currently, clinical laboratory tests have not confirmed that the illness was caused by cereulide poisoning, said the agencies.

The CDA is working closely with SFA and “conducting surveillance” with medical practitioners to monitor for potential cases of cereulide poisoning in children, they added.

In total, the affected batches of imported infant products comprise less than 5 per cent of Singapore’s imported supply of the formula products, said SFA and CDA.

“SFA will continue to engage importers and manufacturers to monitor the situation closely.”

In addition, SFA said it found that a Singapore-based manufacturer, SMC Nutrition, had used the same affected raw ingredient in some of their infant formula products meant for export.

The agencies have directed the company to halt the export of the affected products and inform the relevant authorities of the importing country.

Cereulide is a toxin that can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea.

The symptoms usually appear between 30 minutes and six hours after consuming the affected food, and typically resolve within 24 hours.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/nestle-nan-dumex-dulac-infant-formula-recall-cereulide-sfa-cda-5865581

The Indonesia Air Transport turboprop plane left from Yogyakarta and was headed to the city of Makassar on Sulawesi island, according to rescuers.

Indonesian authorities are searching for a plane carrying three government workers and seven crew members after contact with the aircraft was lost on Saturday (Jan 17), officials said.

The Indonesia Air Transport turboprop plane left from Yogyakarta and was headed to the city of Makassar on Sulawesi island, according to rescuers.

Three employees of the ministry of marine affairs and fisheries were on board, on a mission to conduct aerial monitoring of resources in the area, Minister Sakti Wahyu Trenggono told a press conference.

Seven crew members were also on board, according to the airline.

Contact with the plane was lost shortly after 1pm (local time).

Muhammad Arif Anwar, the head of the local search and rescue agency, told AFP teams were deployed to a mountainous area of Maros Regency, which borders Makassar, near the last known location of the plane.

The search on land and by air involved the air force, police and volunteers, he added.

Andi Sultan, operations chief at the Makassar search and rescue agency, said a helicopter and drones were being used to find the plane.

The aircraft manufacturer, France-based firm ATR, said it had been informed of “an accident” involving one of its planes.

“ATR specialists are fully engaged to support both the investigation led by the Indonesian authorities and the operator,” the company said in a statement.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago in Southeast Asia, relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands.

The country has a poor aviation safety record, with several fatal crashes in recent years.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-lost-aircraft-turboprop-plane-makassar-5865821

The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation of Minnesota officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, over an alleged conspiracy to impede immigration agents, a source familiar with the probe said on Friday.
The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said subpoenas were prepared for Walz and Frey as part of the inquiry, but it was not immediately clear whether they had been served.

The investigation, first reported by CBS News, stems from statements made by Walz and Frey about the thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents deployed to the Minneapolis region in recent weeks under orders from President Donald Trump, the source said.
Reacting on social media to news of the investigation, Walz, who unsuccessfully ran for the vice presidency in the 2024 election won by Trump, said the federal justice system was being weaponized to intimidate Trump’s perceived political enemies.
“Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic,” Walz said.

The governor was referring to U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly, Democrats from Michigan and Arizona, who made a video statement urging members of the military to resist illegal orders, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom Trump has criticized as being too hesitant to raise interest rates.
Reacting to a CNN report on the investigation, Frey said separately: “This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, local law enforcement, and residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our city.”
The Justice Department declined to comment. But U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a message on social media platform X on Friday evening, saying: “A reminder to all those in Minnesota; No one is above the law.”
It would be highly unusual for federal prosecutors to bring a criminal conspiracy case based on statements from public officials about government policies.

The Trump administration has sent nearly 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota since early last week, triggering angry protests in Minneapolis over the surge in immigration agents on the streets of the state’s most populous city.
Confrontations between residents and federal officers have become increasingly tense after an ICE agent fatally shot a U.S. citizen, Renee Good, 37, behind the wheel of her car, in Minneapolis on January 7, triggering daily protests that have spread to other cities.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/doj-probing-minnesota-officials-over-alleged-conspiracy-impede-immigration-2026-01-16/

Canada and China struck an initial trade deal on Friday that will slash tariffs on electric vehicles and canola, as both nations promised to tear down trade barriers while forging new strategic ties during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit.
The first Canadian prime minister to visit China since 2017, Carney is seeking to rebuild ties with his country’s second-largest trading partner after the United States following months of diplomatic efforts.

Canada will initially allow in up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles at a tariff of 6.1% on most-favoured-nation terms, Carney said after talks with Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping.
That compares with the 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles imposed under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2024, following similar U.S. penalties. In 2023, China exported 41,678 EVs to Canada.
“This is a return to levels prior to recent trade frictions, but under an agreement that promises much more for Canadians,” Carney told reporters. He later said the quota would gradually increase, reaching about 70,000 vehicles in five years.

“For Canada to build its own competitive EV sector, we will need to learn from innovative partners, access their supply chains, and increase local demand,” Carney said, turning away from Trudeau’s rationale that tariffs were needed to protect domestic producers against subsidised Chinese manufacturers.
Relaxing EV tariffs diverged from U.S. policy, and some members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s cabinet criticised the decision ahead of an expected review of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal.
But Trump himself expressed support for Carney. “That’s what he should be doing. It’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

AGRI-FOOD PARTNERSHIP

Premier Doug Ford of Ontario, Canada’s main auto manufacturing province, denounced the deal.

“The federal government is inviting a flood of cheap made-in-China electric vehicles without any real guarantee of equal or immediate investments in Canada’s economy, auto sector or supply chain,” he said in a post on X.
In retaliation for Trudeau’s tariffs, China in March levied tariffs on more than $2.6 billion of Canadian farm and food products such as canola oil and meal, followed by tariffs on canola seed in August.
That led to a 10.4% slump in China’s imports of Canadian goods in 2025.
Under the new deal, Carney said, Canada expects China will lower tariffs on its canola seed by March 1, to a combined rate of about 15% from the current 84%.
Canada also expects its canola meal, lobsters, crabs and peas to have anti-discrimination tariffs removed from March 1 until at least year-end, he added.
Canadian canola futures rose.

The deals will unlock nearly $3 billion in export orders for Canadian farmers, fish harvesters and processors, Carney said.
China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement China was adjusting anti-dumping measures on canola as well as anti-discrimination measures on some Canadian agricultural and aquatic products in response to Canada lowering EV tariffs.
Carney added that Xi committed to visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China, but did not give details.
In a statement announced by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, the two nations pledged to restart high-level economic and financial dialogue, boost trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation in agriculture, oil, gas and green energy.
Carney said Canada will double its energy grid over the next 15 years, adding there were opportunities for Chinese partnership in investments including offshore wind.
He also said Canada was scaling up its LNG exports to Asia and will produce 50 million tonnes of LNG each year – all destined for Asian markets by 2030.

CARNEY SAYS CHINA ‘MORE PREDICTABLE’

“Given current complexities in Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S., it’s no surprise that Carney’s government is keen to improve the bilateral trade and investment relationship with Beijing, which represents a massive market for Canadian farmers,” said Beijing-based Trivium China’s Even Rogers Pay.
Trump has imposed tariffs on some Canadian goods and suggested the longtime U.S. ally could become his country’s 51st state.
China, similarly hit by Trump’s tariffs, is keen to cooperate with a Group of Seven nation in a traditional sphere of U.S. influence.
“In terms of the way our relationship has progressed in recent months with China, it is more predictable, and you see results coming from that,” Carney said when asked if China was a more predictable and reliable partner than the U.S.
Carney also said he had discussions with Xi about Greenland. “I found much alignment of views in that regard,” he said.
Trump has in recent days revived his claim to the semi-autonomous Danish territory as NATO members scrambled to counter U.S. criticism that Greenland is under-protected.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/canada-china-set-make-historic-gains-new-partnership-says-carney-2026-01-16/

Iran’s deadly crackdown appears to have broadly quelled protests for now, residents said on Friday, as state media reported more arrests in the shadow of repeated U.S. threats to intervene if the killing continues.
U.S. President Donald Trump, whose repeated threats to act had included a vow to “take very strong action” if Iran executed protesters, said Tehran’s leaders had called off mass hangings.

“I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!” he posted on social media.
Iran has not publicly announced plans for such executions or said it had cancelled them.
The protests erupted on December 28 over economic hardship and swelled into widespread demonstrations calling for the end of clerical rule, culminating in mass violence at the end of last week. According to opposition groups and an Iranian official, more than 2,000 people were killed in the worst domestic unrest since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

But several residents of Tehran reached by Reuters said the capital had now been comparatively quiet for four days. Drones were flying over the city, but there had been no sign of major protests on Thursday or Friday. Another resident in a northern city on the Caspian Sea said the streets there also appeared calm. The residents declined to be identified for their safety.

PROSPECT OF U.S. ATTACK RETREATS

The prospect of a U.S. attack has retreated since Wednesday, when Trump said he had been told killings in Iran were easing. But more U.S. military assets were expected to arrive in the region, showing the continued tensions.
U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, conducted intense diplomacy with Washington this week to prevent a U.S. strike, warning of repercussions for the wider region that would ultimately impact the United States, a Gulf official said.

Israel’s intelligence chief David Barnea was also in the U.S. on Friday for talks on Iran, according to a source familiar with the matter, and an Israeli military official said the country’s forces were on “peak readiness”.
As an internet blackout eased this week, more accounts of the violence have trickled out.
One woman in Tehran told Reuters by phone that her daughter was killed a week ago after joining a demonstration near their home.
“She was 15 years old. She was not a terrorist, not a rioter. Basij forces followed her as she was trying to return home,” she said, referring to a branch of the security forces often used to quell unrest.
The U.S. is expected to send additional offensive and defensive capabilities to the region, but the exact makeup of those forces and the timing of their arrival was still unclear, a U.S. official said speaking on condition of anonymity.
The U.S. military’s Central Command declined to comment, saying it does not discuss ship movements.

PAHLAVI CALLS FOR INCREASED PRESSURE

Reza Pahlavi, the U.S.-based son of Iran’s last shah who has gained increasing prominence as an opposition figure, on Friday urged the international community to ramp up pressure on Tehran to help protesters overthrow clerical rule.
“The Iranian people are taking decisive action on the ground. It is now time for the international community to join them fully,” said Pahlavi, whose level of support inside Iran is hard to gauge.
Trump this week appeared to downplay the idea of U.S. backing for Pahlavi, voicing uncertainty that the exiled royal heir who has courted support among Western countries could muster significant backing inside Iran. Pahlavi met U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff last weekend, Axios reported.
Iranian-Kurdish rights group Hengaw said that there had been no protest gatherings since Sunday, but “the security environment remains highly restrictive”.
“Our independent sources confirm a heavy military and security presence in cities and towns where protests previously took place, as well as in several locations that did not experience major demonstrations,” Norway-based Hengaw said in comments to Reuters.

REPORTS OF SPORADIC UNREST

There were, however, still indications of unrest in some areas. Hengaw reported that a female nurse was killed by direct gunfire from government forces during protests in Karaj, west of Tehran. Reuters was not able to independently verify the report.
The state-affiliated Tasnim news outlet reported that rioters had set fire to a local education office in Falavarjan County, in central Isfahan Province, on Thursday.
An elderly resident of a town in Iran’s northwestern region, where many Kurdish Iranians live and which has been the focus for many of the biggest flare-ups, said sporadic protests had continued, though not as intensely.
Describing violence earlier in the protests, she said: “I have not seen scenes like that before.”
Video circulating online, which Reuters was able to verify as having been recorded in a forensic medical center in Tehran, showed dozens of bodies lying on floors and stretchers, most in bags but some uncovered. Reuters could not verify the date of the video.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/iran-protests-abate-after-deadly-crackdown-residents-rights-group-say-2026-01-16/

Iran’s crackdown on dissidents is shaping up as one of the toughest security tests yet for Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has served as a lifeline against state-imposed internet blackouts since its deployment during the war in Ukraine.
SpaceX, which owns Starlink, made the satellite service free for Iranians this week, placing Musk’s space company at the center of another geopolitical hot spot and pitting a team of U.S.-based engineers against a regional power armed with satellite jammers and signal-spoofing tactics, according to activists, analysts and researchers.

How SpaceX withstands Iranian attacks on its most lucrative line of business is expected to be closely watched by U.S. military forces and intelligence agencies that use Starlink and its military-grade variant Starshield, as well as China, whose own nascent satellite internet constellations are set to rival Starlink in the coming years. With SpaceX weighing a public listing this year, the situation in Iran also represents a high-profile showcase for Starlink to investors.
“We’re in this weird early part of the history of space-delivered communications where SpaceX is the only true provider at this scale,” said John Plumb, the former Pentagon space policy chief under President Joe Biden.

“And these repressive regimes think they can still turn off communications, but I think the day is coming where that’s just not possible,” he said.
Victoria Samson, chief director of space security and stability at the think tank Secure World Foundation, said Russia, which has deployed an array of technologies to counter Starlink in Ukraine, might be keen to examine the effectiveness of Iran’s Starlink interference.
“I think a lot of actors are watching how Starlink fares here,” she said.

PROTESTERS USE STARLINK TO SEND CRACKDOWN VIDEOS

Thousands of people protesting Iran’s clerical rule are reported to have been killed in the past week, while Tehran’s order to restrict communications makes it difficult to discern the full extent of its violent crackdown on dissent.
Starlink, which is harder for Iran to tamper with than cable and cellphone tower networks, has become crucial for documenting events on the ground.

Raha Bahreini, an Iran researcher at Amnesty International, said they had verified dozens of videos from Iran, including footage of protesters killed or injured by Iranian forces, and believe that almost all of them came from people who had access to Starlink. She added, however, that the ongoing communications restrictions have impeded human rights organizations’ communications with people in Iran in efforts to assess the scale of the violence.
Starlink is banned in Iran, yet tens of thousands of terminals may have been smuggled into the country, although it remains unclear how many are in use, according to Holistic Resilience, a U.S. nonprofit that has helped deliver Starlink terminals to Iranians and says it is working with SpaceX to monitor what it describes as Iranian attempts to jam the system.

Consumer Starlink terminals are rectangular antenna dishes that come in two sizes – one roughly the size of a pizza box and a smaller “mobile” one the size of a laptop.
SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York declined to comment on Thursday in response to Reuters’ questions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, speaking to Al Jazeera TV on Monday, said the internet had been cut off “after we confronted terrorist operations and realized orders were coming from outside the country.”

JAMMERS AND FAKE GPS SIGNALS

Starlink, the first massive internet-from-space constellation of its kind, has emerged as a crucial tool for communications in wartime and remote areas. The network, which drove SpaceX’s $15 billion revenue in 2024, has expanded the geopolitical power of Musk, who in 2022 asserted control over how and where it was being used by Ukrainian troops fighting back Russian forces.
Roughly 10,000 low-orbiting Starlink satellites zipping above user terminals at an orbital velocity of some 17,000 miles per hour (27,360 kph) make its signals much harder to locate and disrupt than traditional satellite systems designed with a larger, single satellite fixed over a given territory.
Iran is likely using satellite jammers to disrupt the Starlink signals, according to Holistic Resilience and other specialists. Iran also appears to be engaging in so-called spoofing, or broadcasting fake GPS signals to confuse and disable Starlink terminals, according to Nariman Gharib, an Iranian opposition activist and independent cyber espionage investigator based in Britain.
The GPS spoofing wreaks havoc on a Starlink terminal’s connection and slows internet speeds, said Gharib, who analyzed data from a terminal inside Iran.
“You might be able to send text messages, but forget about video calls,” he said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/musks-starlink-faces-high-profile-security-test-iran-crackdown-2026-01-16/

Nickelodeon star Kianna Underwood has died after being struck in a hit-and-run accident. She was 33.

The Deputy Commissioner of Public Information confirmed to Page Six that police responded to a 911 call in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, at approximately 6:49 a.m. local time.

“A preliminary investigation determined a gray vehicle was traveling west bound and struck an unidentified female,” their statement read, confirming that she had “sustained severe trauma to the head and body.”

After emergency medical services arrived, “she was pronounced deceased on scene.”

The Deputy Commissioner also confirmed that the operator of the vehicle “did not remain on scene.”

No arrests have been made at this time and investigations remain ongoing.

Underwood — who was born in New York City — began acting at the age of 7. She got her big break in 2005 when she joined the cast of Nickelodeon’s “All That” in its 10th season.

She also spent a year on the first national tour of “Hairspray” as Little Inez and voiced Fuchsia in the Nick Jr. show “Little Bill.”

Following her short stint on TV, Underwood returned to New York City, where she was living a private life.

However, in 2023, a video surfaced on social media where she appeared to be struggling.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/01/16/entertainment/nickelodeon-star-kianna-underwood-known-for-all-that-and-little-bill-dead-at-33/

Janet Caperna shared that she recently suffered from acute gastritis and colitis that caused her to lose nearly 20 pounds in 12 days.

The “Valley” star told the Daily Mail in comments published Friday that she couldn’t stop vomiting after an evening of revelry over the holidays with family and friends — landing her in the hospital twice.

Caperna explained to the outlet that she initially thought she had food poisoning.

“It’s usually set off by something like food poisoning and it was just wreaking havoc on my body,” she explained, referencing the diagnosis.

“It was like my insides were wrung out and it felt like I had hot glass moving through me.”

The serious illness left the Bravo star, 36, feeling there was “no relief” from her suffering. “If I had a baby sip of water I would throw up,” she divulged.

Caperna — who has been on “The Valley” since its first season in 2024 — also shared that she feels she needs to explain her appearance after losing so much weight.

“I look sick, so I can’t just start going about my normal life again and not say something, because if I post on Instagram people are gonna be like, ‘Are you okay?”‘ the reality star said.

“I don’t want to glamorize looking like this because I look genuinely ill.”

Caperna took to Instagram to share clips of herself discussing the “serious health scare” that left her in “constant pain” and “unable to eat.”

“I’ve had a pretty rough go at it the last 2 weeks as I got super sick with what ended up being acute gastritis,” she wrote in the caption, noting that she will “probably will look pretty unhealthy for the next few months” as she attempts to gain the weight back.

She also divulged that she’s on the mend. “I am finally starting to feel so much better and am incredibly grateful for my family and friends that have checked in and been so supportive as I navigated this,” she wrote.

Her husband, Jason Caperna, took to the comments thread to support his wife and co-star.

“I’ve watched how hard the last few weeks have been on you — the fear, the exhaustion, the setbacks — and I’m beyond proud of the strength you’ve shown through all of it,” he wrote. “You never stopped fighting. I love you so much. Bright days ahead.”

On her “This Side of the Hill” podcast, the Bravo personality confessed that she overindulged in alcohol and other excesses over the holidays — including “a third of a cheese wheel on Thanksgiving.”

“The doctor basically said that my stomach and intestines were inflamed because I’d put something in there that wasn’t sitting well with my body,” she recalled.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/01/16/celebrity-news/the-valley-star-janet-caperna-reveals-secret-health-battle/

A new mural of slain Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska that was funded in part by Elon Musk has popped up on a Brooklyn building — and furious local lefties claim it’s part of a right-wing plot.

The three-story painting of Zarutska— who made national headlines when she was stabbed to death by a homeless ex-con on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina in August — was installed on an apartment building in a trendy section of Bushwick a few weeks ago.

The artwork on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Evergreen Street is part of a campaign launched by conservative tech CEO Eoghan McCabe to honor the 23-year-old aspiring artist with murals depicting her in several cities. He told The Post he wanted to highlight how crime in liberal areas can lead to tragedies like Zarutska’s death.

“I started this campaign to make sure that the story of Iryna does not disappear. Her murder is at the nexus of many issues plaguing American society. For example, one is the progressive approach to crime,” said.

McCabe, who runs the AI firm Intercom, donated $500,000 to the tribute initiative and collected $1 million from Musk, a spokeswoman for McCabe told The Post. They also raised $200,000 from smaller donors.

As images of the painting on the building, which is home to the Taiwanese dumpling restaurant Formosa, first got praise from those saddened by the young woman’s tragic loss.

“Beautiful!! What a lovely tribute to a beautiful girl and a beautiful life! RIP Iryna!! . . . I’m so sorry the USA failed you!!” said a user named Mary Signorino on a Facebook post that also showed other murals commissioned by McCabe in Washington DC, Miami and Los Angeles.

But a backlash to the campaign by the conservative billionaire came quickly, as lefties on a Bushwick neighborhood reddit page angrily called the the mural propaganda from “anti immigrant fascists.”

“It has become part of the endless fodder that balloons our police department budgets and welcomes masked unaccountable thugs into our neighborhoods to kidnap our friends, family, and neighbors,” the Redditor wrote, in an apparent reference to immigration enforcement,” a user on the site fumed.

Another critic fumed, “This needs to come down. Of course she deserves to be memorialized, but using her memory to stoke racial tensions is sick. The motivation behind this is evil.”

Others said they suspected Musk zeroed in on Brooklyn simply to stoke political tensions.

“This woman — it’s unfortunate what happened to her — but how do you connect her to Bushwick?” Joe, a 42-year-old graphic artist who lives nearby, told The Post Friday.

“A lot of people around here don’t like him so maybe this is his way to use his money to stick it to us. Go find somewhere else where they support you and your politics,” he said.

Dylan Goodwin, 38, said he loved the mural, painted by Connecticut-based artist Ben Keller, but hated one of the people paying for it.

“This is nice, but, you know, then you say Elon Musk, and I can’t stand the guy,” said Goodwin, who works in the film industry.

McCabe himself, who donated to President Trump’s presidential campaign, has also made headlines for right-wing stances, such as calling for the “rapid public execution” of killers.

“I do think that rapid, public executions for crimes like this are a spiritual goal that we should point ourselves towards. I worry about Western society if we can’t react in proportion to how evil this is,” he wrote on X in September, in reference to Zarutska’s murder.

He told The Post Friday by email that: “The vast majority of violent crime is perpetrated by a very small fraction of the population. When cities refuse to incarcerate these people, they get a lot more violent crime. Iryna’s killer had been arrested 14 times before he executed her.”

When asked about the backlash from the left to the mural campaign he said it was only a small part of the reaction.

“The campaign has received remarkably broad support across the political spectrum. We’re aware of very little discontent,” he said.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/16/us-news/elon-musk-funded-mural-of-murdered-ukrainian-refugee-iryna-zarutska-went-up-in-brooklyn-and-local-lefties-are-furious/

Germany is joining France, Sweden, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands in a largely symbolic mission to the Arctic. Fifteen Bundeswehr soldiers are expected to arrive in the Greenlandic capital Nuuk.

Germany joins NATO’s “Arctic Endurance” mission to assess maritime surveillance near Greenland as tensions rise over Russia and China’s growing presence.

With the US absent and talks with Washington stalled, Berlin faces mixed reactions at home.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/germany-sends-troops-to-greenland-for-symbolic-nato-mission/video-75544825

On a cold winter night, around 200km (125 miles) from the Indian capital Delhi, dozens of people huddle around telescopes, waiting for darkness to settle over the landscape.

Over the next few hours, more than 150 meteors streak across the sky – a spectacle all but impossible to witness from India’s sprawling light-polluted cities. For many travellers, experiences like this are becoming as compelling as visits to monuments or wildlife sanctuaries. Dark skies, once taken for granted, are now a reason to travel.

Stargazing in India has long been the preserve of amateur astronomers and science clubs. But as air pollution and city lights obscure the night sky, the hobby is breaking into the mainstream, sparking a new wave of astrotourism.

The trend is still niche, constrained by the high cost of organised trips and the challenge of reaching remote, light-free locations. But with more urban residents now willing to journey hundreds of kilometres for a glimpse of the cosmos, tour organisers say demand is surging.

In Ladakh’s cold desert, the remote, high-altitude village of Hanle once received around 5,000 visitors a year, according to Dorje Angchuk, engineer-in-charge at the Indian Astronomical Observatory. After it was designated India’s first dark-sky reserve in 2022, that figure rose to more than 30,000 last year.

Similar growth is being reported elsewhere. Astroport Global, a private company that offers stargazing experiences and astronomy workshops at five of its resorts across Indian states, says visitor numbers have climbed to around 20,000 a year, up from just a few hundred a few years ago.

One of the main drivers is visibility. Astronomers measure sky clarity using the Bortle dark-sky scale, which runs from one to nine. Delhi typically ranks between eight and nine, meaning only the brightest stars can be seen.

When PM2.5 (fine particulate matter that can clog lungs) levels rise above 100, visibility drops sharply and most constellations and deep-space objects disappear, says Jasjeet Singh Bagla, a professor at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Punjab.

In contrast, higher-altitude regions such as parts of Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh offer far darker skies and clearer air, as colder night-time temperatures push pollutants closer to the ground.

On 13 December, more than three dozen participants gathered near Rajasthan’s Sariska Tiger Reserve to watch the Geminid meteor shower, one of the most spectacular events in the celestial calendar. The reserve’s skies rank four on the Bortle scale, allowing the Milky Way and dense star fields to be seen without telescopes.

“We hold regular astronomy workshops and most of our guests come from Delhi, where deep-space observation is nearly impossible,” says Navjot Singh, a space educator at the resort.

A basic stargazing workshop lasting a few hours can cost around 1,200 rupees ($13; £10) per person, excluding food, accommodation and travel. Longer stays at offbeat resorts typically range from 8,000 to 12,000 rupees, with prices rising further for premium facilities. Interest peaks in winter, when low humidity and clear night skies significantly improve visibility.

For many participants, these trips offer more than a science lesson – it’s a chance to relive the night sky of childhood.

Experts say astrotourism in India is still at an early stage, but it is already opening new pathways for learning.

“When people look through a telescope or watch a meteor shower, space science stops being abstract,” says Dr Sachin Bahmba, founder of the Space Group of Companies. “The experience sparks curiosity, questions and learning.”

The growth has also brought economic benefits to some remote regions. In Hanle, the number of small hotels has risen sharply over the past three years. The boom has created new jobs for local youth, with residents trained as guides and astro-ambassadors.

Angchuk says the shift has been doubly beneficial. During the day, visitors explore Ladakh’s landscape, and by evening, the sky. “Once the sun sets, we dim the lights. That’s when they head out to watch the stars and planets,” he adds.

As interest grows, state authorities are also getting involved, offering training in telescope use and skywatching, says Bagla. Such programmes can be seen in the Himalayan states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

But scaling up remains a challenge. Reaching remote destinations such as Ladakh or Sariska involves high travel costs, limiting who can take part. Even for those who make the journey, options are scarce: India currently has just one officially recognised dark-sky reserve at Hanle, with another emerging at Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7ylwr803no

The Trump administration has named US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former UK prime minister Sir Tony Blair as two of the founding members of its “Board of Peace” for Gaza.

Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will also sit on the “founding executive board”, the White House said in a statement on Friday.

Trump will act as chairman of the board, which forms part of his 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas.

It is expected to temporarily oversee the running of Gaza and manage its reconstruction.

Also on the founding executive board are Marc Rowan, the head of a private equity firm, World Bank chief Ajay Banga and a US national security adviser, Robert Gabriel.

Each member would have a portfolio “critical to Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term success”, the White House statement said.

Trump had said on Thursday that the board had been formed, calling it the “Greatest and Most Prestigious Board ever assembled at any time, any place”.

Further members of the board would be named in the coming weeks, the White House said.

Sir Tony was UK prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and took the UK into the Iraq War in 2003. After leaving office, he served as Middle East envoy for the Quartet of international powers (the US, EU, Russia and the UN).

In this role, he focused on bringing economic development to Palestine and creating the conditions to move towards a two state-solution.

Sir Tony had already been a part of high-level talks about Gaza’s future with the US and other parties. In August, he joined a White House meeting with Trump to discuss plans for the territory, which Witkoff described as “very comprehensive”.

In September, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC that involving Sir Tony in such talks, given his record on the Iraq War, would “raise some eyebrows”.

But Streeting also noted the former prime minister’s role in brokering the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to end Northern Ireland’s Troubles.

“If he can bring those considerable skills there, in both diplomacy and state craft,” Streeting told the BBC, “that can only be a good thing”.

It comes after the announcement of a separate 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), charged with managing the day-to-day governance of post-war Gaza.

Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority (PA) which governs parts of the occupied West Bank not under Israeli control, will head that new committee.

The statement also said that Nickolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian politician and former UN Middle East envoy, would be the board’s representative on the ground in Gaza working with the NCAG.

Trump’s plan says an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) will also be deployed to Gaza to train and support vetted Palestinian police forces and the White House statement said that US Major General Jasper Jeffers would head this force to “establish security, preserve peace, and establish a durable terror-free environment”.

The White House said that a separate “Gaza executive board” was being formed that would help support governance and includes some of the same names as the founding executive board as well as further appointees.

The US peace plan came into force in October and has since entered its second phase, but there remains a lack of clarity about the future of Gaza and the 2.1 million Palestinians who live there.

Under phase one, Hamas and Israel agreed a ceasefire in October, as well as a hostage-prisoner exchange, a partial Israeli withdrawal, and an aid surge.

Earlier this week Witkoff said phase two would see the reconstruction and full demilitarisation of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian groups.

“The US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations,” he warned, noting these include the return of the body of the last dead Israeli hostage. “Failure to do so will bring serious consequences.”

However the ceasefire is fragile, with both sides accusing each other of repeated violations.

Almost 450 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since it came into force, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, while the Israeli military says three of its soldiers have been killed in attacks by Palestinian groups during the same period.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c07xv92vrz2o

US President Donald Trump has threatened to place tariffs on nations that do not go along with his ambitions to annex Greenland.

Trump said at a White House meeting that he “may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland”, which is a self-governing territory controlled by Denmark.

He did not say which countries might be hit with new tariffs, or what authority he would invoke to use such import taxes in pursuit of his goal.

Along with Denmark and Greenland, other countries oppose his plans, and many in the US have expressed scepticism about an acquisition. As Trump spoke, a bipartisan congressional delegation was visiting Greenland to show support for the territory.

The 11-member group included Republicans who voiced concerns about the president’s calls for the US to somehow acquire Greenland for national security reasons. They met MPs as well as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

Group leader Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat, said their trip was to listen to the locals and take their views back to Washington “to lower the temperature”.

Trump has said Greenland is vital for US security – and Washington would get it “the easy way” or “the hard way” – an apparent reference to buying the island or taking it by force.

“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security,” Trump said at Friday’s White House meeting on rural healthcare.

Greenland is sparsely populated but resource-rich and its location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks and for monitoring vessels in the region.

The US already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base – a missile-monitoring station on Greenland’s north-western tip that has been operated by the US since World War Two.

Under existing agreements with Denmark, the US has the power to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland.

But Trump has said the US needs to “own” it to defend it properly against possible Russian or Chinese attacks.

Denmark has warned that military action would spell the end of Nato – the trans-Atlantic defence alliance where the US is the most influential partner.

Nato works on the principle that allies have to aid each other in case of attack from outside – it has never faced an option where one member would use force against another.

European allies have rallied to Denmark’s support.

They have also said the Arctic region is equally important to them and that its security should be a joint Nato responsibility – with the US involved.

To this end, several countries including France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK have dispatched a small number of troops to Greenland in a so-called reconnaissance mission.

French President Emmanuel Macron said “land, air, and sea assets” would soon be sent.

The visit of the US congressional delegation comes days after high-level talks in Washington failed to dissuade Trump from his plans.

They include senators and members of the US House of Representatives who are fervent supporters of Nato.

Though Coons and the majority of the group are Democratic staunch opponents of Trump, it includes moderate Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski.

Greenlandic MP Aaja Chemnitz said the meeting with US legislators had made her “hopeful”. She told the BBC: “We need friends. We need allies.”

Asked about the wide gulf between the view of the White House and the position of Greenland and Denmark, she said: “It’s a marathon, not a short sprint.

“The pressure from the US side is something that we’ve seen since 2019. It would be naive to think that everything is over now.”

She added: “It’s changing almost hour by hour. So as much support as we can get, the better.”

Murkowski is one of the sponsors of a bipartisan bill aimed at blocking any attempt to annex Greenland.

A Republican congressman has also introduced a rival bill in support of annexing the island.

Trump’s envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, told Fox News on Friday the US should talk with Greenland’s leaders, not Denmark.

“I do believe that there’s a deal that should and will be made once this plays out,” he said.

“The president is serious. I think he’s laid the markers down.

“He’s told Denmark what he’s looking for, and now it’s a matter of having Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio and Vice-President JD Vance make a deal.

“The United States has always been a welcoming party. We don’t go in there trying to conquer anybody and trying to take over anybody’s country.

“We say, ‘Listen. We represent liberty. We represented economic strength. We represent protection.'”

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met Vance and Rubio at the White House on Wednesday.

According to a Danish official who spoke to the BBC on background to discuss the meeting, the US vice-president proposed finding a “middle ground” that would satisfy Trump and Denmark and Greenland.

The official said the possibility of a US military takeover of Greenland had not been raised in the White House meeting.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qpy952xvno

A 21-year-old college student who said he was blinded in one eye by a projectile fired by a federal officer during a Southern California protest said he faces a drastically different life now.

Kaden Rummler said in an interview that he was in agonizing pain and underwent an extensive six-hour surgery to his left eye after he was injured at a Jan. 9 protest over the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis. Rummler said he has no depth perception and can no longer drive. Shards of metal and a nickel-sized piece of plastic remain lodged in his skull, his attorney said, and he is considering suing.

“It’s going to affect every aspect of my life,” said Rummler, who hopes to pursue a career in forestry.

A second demonstrator at the same protest outside a federal immigration building in Orange County told the Los Angeles Times he was also blinded in one eye by a projectile fired by federal agents. Britain Rodriguez, 31, said he was standing on steps outside the immigration building when he was struck in the face.

“I remember hitting the ground and feeling like my eye exploded in my head,” Rodriguez told the newspaper.

The Department of Homeland Security didn’t respond to questions from The Associated Press about what type of projectile was used. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the agency, said in an emailed statement this week that the protesters were violent and that two officers were injured but didn’t specify the extent of their injuries. DHS said one demonstrator was taken to the hospital with a cut. McLaughlin confirmed to the Times that was a reference to Rummler and called his injury claims “absurd.”

Rummler has been charged with a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. One of his fellow protesters was jailed for several days and has been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer.

Rummler’s attorney John Washington said doctors want to know whether the materials in the projectile could be toxic but have been unable to get answers from DHS. Washington said based on their preliminary investigation they believe it was a capsule made from metal and plastic containing pepper spray.

The injuries in California are the latest in a growing number of violent encounters between federal agents and community members during protests over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Federal immigration agents deployed to Minneapolis have used aggressive crowd-control tactics that have become a dominant concern after the deadly shooting of Renee Good.

In Santa Ana, California, hundreds of people marched in the streets on Jan. 9 to protest Good’s killing. A smaller group later congregated outside the federal immigration building, shouting expletives through megaphones about ICE, according to video taken by OC Hawk, a group that films breaking news in Orange County.

The video shows a handful of officers in riot gear standing guard and urging demonstrators to move back. An orange cone is later seen rolling onto a plaza outside the building, and authorities begin firing crowd-control projectiles as they walk toward the crowd.

In the video, an officer is seen grabbing a protester by the arm and Rummler and a few others are seen stepping forward shouting in response. An officer then fires a crowd-control weapon, striking Rummler from several feet away. Rummler grabs his face and falls to the ground, and an officer grabs him by the shirt and drags him backward across the ground toward the building, the video shows. Later, video appears to show him face down on the ground being handcuffed.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/immigration-protesters-injured-eye-california-santa-ana-1fa27b64a1ff1015d8852927793de321

THE attorneys of the alleged assassin of Charlie Kirk are attempting to remove state prosecutors from the case, arguing the office is tainted by a personal conflict.

Tyler Robinson, 22, returned to court on Friday as his defense team pushed to disqualify the Utah County Attorney’s Office over an alleged conflict of interest.

The showdown played out in Provo, Utah, on Friday, in front of Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf.

Robinson is charged with aggravated murder in the September 10 shooting of the Turning Point USA co-founder, 31, as he addressed a large crowd on the campus of Utah Valley University.

Prosecutors have said they plan to seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.

Defense attorneys claim the Utah County Attorney’s Office is conflicted because the child of one of its prosecutors attended the event.

The defense said the family member was close to the scene, allegedly within 85 feet of Kirk, and law enforcement was deployed in the area to keep the person safe, according to arguments raised in an October 24 hearing.

The transcript from that hearing was sealed at first, then released with redactions in December after Judge Graf ruled the public had a right to see it.

Inside Friday’s hearing, Robinson’s mother, father, and brother sat in the first row as the defense raised the disqualification motion first.

Prosecutors objected and brushed it off as “a delay tactic.”

Defense attorney Richard Novak pushed back and said that until the judge rules, the prosecutor whose child was at the event should be removed from the case.

In a motion filed in December 2025, Robinson’s lawyers alleged a “concurrent conflict of interest based upon personal connections to a direct witness/victim” tied to the event.

They argued the prosecutor and his son are not “immune to [the] trauma” of the shooting and its aftermath, and that could shape prosecution decisions.

Prosecutors rejected the claim, saying no conflict exists and pointing to what they described as a “comparatively minor emotional reaction” by the prosecutor’s adult child.

They also argued the family member is among “literally thousands of other witnesses,” saying he had “no personal knowledge of the actual murder.”

Judge Graf has not ruled on whether the local prosecutors will be removed from the case.

If the office were disqualified, another jurisdiction or the state attorney general could end up taking over the prosecution.

Robinson has not yet entered a plea.

Prosecutors allege Robinson gunned down Kirk during the on-campus appearance, striking him once in the neck as horrified attendees looked on.

Robinson is also charged with felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.

He was arrested about 33 hours after the shooting, after authorities said his father recognized him from images circulating online and turned him in.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15795384/charlie-kirk-killer-tyler-robinson-trial-court-hearing/

IRAN’S mad mullahs could pose a bigger threat to world peace than ever after brutally crushing a nationwide rebellion, experts warned yesterday.

Fanatical Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has clung to power by ordering a mass slaughter feared to have claimed the lives of more than 12,000 protesters.

But his weakened and cornered regime has continued to hone its ­terrifying arsenal of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons programme while killing its people, sources said.

Donald Trump called off strikes on the Islamist state’s leadership and military machine on Wednesday after being assured that plans to execute arrested protesters had been stopped.

But analysts fear the rogue state’s rulers now realise their days are numbered — and are preparing to launch a terrifying Doomsday last stand.

Experts have told The Sun that much of Iran’s deadly nuclear material — nearly half a ton of enriched uranium — survived the B-2 bomber blitz ordered by Trump last summer.

The terror state is also planning to launch an apocalyptic 2,000- missile attack on its hated enemy Israel in a conflict set to dwarf last June’s 12-Day War.

Thousands of Israelis were left cowering in bomb shelters as Iran launched 550 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 suicide drones seven months ago.

The biggest single attack was a salvo of 200 ballistic missiles which left three people dead and 60 injured — as more than ten per cent of the incoming rockets dodged Israel’s interceptor shield.

Shunned peace pleas

But analysts have now revealed Iran — using technology shipped in from China — plans to launch ten times as many upgraded ballistic and hypersonic missiles simultaneously.

The unprecedented salvo threatens to overwhelm Israel’s Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow 3 defences and plunge the Middle East — and world powers — into crisis.

World War Three fears are spiralling again after Iran repeatedly refused to rejoin negotiations to curb its nuclear ambitions and shunned Trump’s peace pleas.

As protests raged across the entire nation for 18 days, ballistic missile production lines continued to work 24 hours a day on the orders of Khamenei.

Donald Trump ordered America’s first direct action against Iran in June in a bold bid to thwart the mullahs’ secret plans to build a nuclear weapon.

Seven bat-winged American B-2 Stealth Bombers dropped 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator GBU-57 bombs on atom plants at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

“Unfortunately, I don’t share the view that Iran’s nuclear programme was obliterated

The B-2s flew a 13,600-mile nonstop return trip from America’s Whiteman Air Force Base backed by tankers and more than 100 fighter jets.

Trump boasted that the huge 14-ton bombs “totally obliterated” the terror state’s nuclear sites.

Iran’s most prized underground laboratory at Fordow was, alone, smashed by six GBU-57 bunker busters, prompting the US president to post the message “Fordow is gone”.

But reports have since revealed that Iran spirited away nearly half a ton of 60 per cent enriched uranium from three atom plants before the dramatic strikes.

And Israeli spies and US satellites fear bomb material has now been ferried to a new fortified Doomsday plant under a peak dubbed Pickaxe Mountain.

Dr Raz Zimmt of Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies — who has studied Iranian threats for three decades — told The Sun: “The potential for escalation and for this to get very, very serious is very high.

“If we get to the next round of war I expect Israel to target not just ­military sites or nuclear facilities or missiles — they will hit oil installations and the Islamic regime itself.

“My concern then would be that Iran would hit back by launching more missiles and escalate the ­conflict with attacks on US interests or even Arab Gulf states.”

Dr Zimmt warned that battle ­damage assessments and satellite imagery gleaned after the 12-Day War will dash peacemaker Trump’s hopes.

He said: “Unfortunately, I don’t share the view that Iran’s nuclear programme was obliterated.

“For the last few years, it was very clear that even a successful US and Israeli combined military strike against Iran’s nuclear programme was not going to fully destroy its nuclear capabilities.

“We know that at least 400kg of fissile material — meaning enriched uranium to 60 per cent — still remains inside Iran.

“If the 60 per cent uranium is enriched to a higher military level of 90 per cent, this would be enough to produce ten nuclear bombs.”

Efforts to tame Iran have been dashed further as the Islamist nation’s military experts and ­weapons plants appeared to have been moved further underground.

And the regime’s new secret plant — built deeper than ever under hundreds of metres of solid rock — is feared to be the site of an upgraded enrichment plant.

Dr Zimmt said: “Pickaxe ­Mountain is a site which is located south of one in Natanz targeted by Israel and the United States.

“They may decide to take the fissile material and enrich that either in this new facility in the mountain or in Isfahan.

“It’s actually even deeper than the site in Fordow — a few hundred metres down — which will make it even more difficult to target.”

‘A cornered mad dog’

Ali Vaez, the Iran project director at the International Crisis Group warned the regime is likely to abandon all restraint if Israel attacks again.

He said Iranian officials boasted that missile factories are now ­working 24 hours a day, adding: “They hope to fire 2,000 at once to overwhelm Israeli defences, not 500 over 12 days.

“Iran’s leaders are fanatical and determined and still in possession of serious weaponry capable of triggering catastrophic events across the region.  

“Israel feels the job is unfinished and sees no reason not to resume the conflict, so Iran is doubling down preparedness for the next round.”

Iran has always denied having atom bomb aims — and remains under tough sanctions after a 2015 deal to limit its uranium enrichment was abandoned.

And its leaders now seem to have given up on diplomacy while ruthlessly crushing all dissent and ­doubling down on their plans to wage war again.

Defiant Khamenei said: “America’s arrogant nature accepts nothing but surrender.”

His Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi went on to reject pleas for direct talks and a halt to uranium enrichment, accusing the US of setting “unacceptable and impossible conditions”.

UK defence analyst and historian Paul Beaver told The Sun: “Trump must know there can be no ever- lasting peace in the Middle East as long as the ­current regime in Iran stays in place.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15795114/iran-doomsday-retaliation-ballistic-missiles-nukes/

OpenAI announced Friday (Jan 16) it will begin testing advertisements on ChatGPT in the coming weeks, as the wildly popular artificial intelligence chatbot seeks to increase revenue to cover its soaring costs.

The ads will initially appear in the United States for free and lower-tier subscribers, the company said in a blog post outlining its long-anticipated move into advertising.

The integration of advertising has been a key question for generative AI chatbots, with companies largely reluctant to interrupt the user experience with ads.

But the exorbitant costs of running AI services may have forced OpenAI’s hand.

Only a small percentage of its nearly one billion users pay for subscription services, putting pressure on the company to find new revenue sources.

Since ChatGPT’s launch in 2022, OpenAI’s valuation has soared to US$500 billion in funding rounds – higher than any other private company. Some expect it could go public with a trillion-dollar valuation.

But the ChatGPT maker burns through cash at a furious rate, mostly on the powerful computing required to deliver its services.

With its move, OpenAI brings its business model closer to tech giants Google and Meta, which have built advertising empires on the back of their free-to-use services.

Unlike OpenAI, those companies have massive advertising revenue to fund AI innovation – with Amazon also building a solid ad business on its shopping and video streaming platforms.

“Ads aren’t a distraction from the gen AI race; they’re how OpenAI stays in it,” said Jeremy Goldman, an analyst at Emarketer.

“If ChatGPT turns on ads, OpenAI is admitting something simple and consequential: the race isn’t just about model quality anymore; it’s about monetising attention without poisoning trust,” he added.

OpenAI’s pivot comes as Google gains ground in the generative AI race, infusing services including Gmail, Maps and YouTube with AI features that – in addition to its Gemini chatbot – compete directly with ChatGPT.

To address concerns about its pivot into advertising, OpenAI pledged that ads would never influence ChatGPT’s answers and that user conversations would remain private from advertisers.

“Ads do not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you,” the company stated. “Answers are optimised based on what’s most helpful to you. Ads are always separate and clearly labelled.”

In an apparent reference to Meta, TikTok and Google’s YouTube – platforms accused of maximising user engagement to boost ad views – OpenAI said it would “not optimise for time spent in ChatGPT”.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/openai-chatgpt-advertisements-5864741

The realism of the images and the misogyny motivating their creation can cause significant psychological distress to victims, says this researcher.

Many women have experienced severe distress as Grok, the AI chatbot on social media site X, removed clothing from their images to show them in bikinis, in sexual positions or covered in blood and bruises. Grok, like other AI tools, has also reportedly been used to generate child sexual abuse material.

In response, the UK government has announced it will bring forward the implementation of a law, passed in June 2025, banning the creation of non-consensual AI-generated intimate images. Following bans in Malaysia and Indonesia, Grok has now been updated to no longer create sexualised images of real people in places where it is illegal, which will include the UK.

X’s owner, Elon Musk, has claimed the UK government wants “any excuse for censorship”. The media regulator, Ofcom, is also conducting an investigation into whether X’s activities broke UK law.

Some X users have minimised the harm these “undressed” and “nudified” images cause, describing them as “fake”, “fictional”, “very realistic art at most” and “no more real than a Tom & Jerry cartoon”.

You might think that AI-generated and edited images only cause harm through deception – fake images mislead us about real events. But how can images that everyone knows aren’t real cause harm?

The sexualised content of undressed images is not real, even if they are based on genuine photos. But these images are highly realistic. This, along with the misogyny motivating their creation, is sufficient to cause significant psychological distress to victims.

HOW “UNDRESSED” IMAGES HARM

MP Jess Asato and other victims report an uncanny feeling at seeing undressed images of themselves: “While of course I know it’s AI, viscerally inside it’s very, very realistic and so it’s really difficult to see pictures of me like that,” Asato told the BBC.

Research in philosophy and psychology can help explain this experience. Think about looking down from a tall building. You know you are completely safe, but might still feel terrified of the drop. Or you watch a horror film, then feel on edge all night. Here, your emotions are “recalcitrant”: you feel strong emotions that clash with what you believe to be true.

Seeing oneself digitally undressed generates powerful recalcitrant emotions. People strongly identify with their digital appearance. And a “nudifed” image really looks like the subject’s body, given it is based on a real picture of them.

So, while knowing these images are fake, their realism manipulates the victim’s emotions. They can feel alienated, dehumanised, humiliated and violated – as if they were real intimate images shared. This effect may worsen as AI-generated videos provide ever more realistic sexual content of users.

Research shows that the nonconsensual sharing of nude or sexual images is “associated with significant psychological consequences, often comparable to those experienced by victims of sexual violence”.

Besides the psychological impact of undressed images, users also feel horrified at the very real motivations behind them. Someone felt entitled to sexualise your photo, directing Grok to strip away clothing and reduce you to a body without consent. Publicly bombarding women with these images exerts control over how they present themselves online.

Sexual deepfake videos and undressed images – whether of celebrities, politicians or members of the public – target women for humiliation. The misogynistic mindset behind these images is real and familiar, even if their content is not.

VIRTUAL HARMS

The distress caused by “undressed” images resembles another prevalent form of digital misogyny: the assault and harassment of women in virtual worlds. Many women in online virtual reality environments report their avatars being assaulted by other users – a common issue in video games that is worsened as virtual reality (VR) headsets present an immersive experience of being assaulted.

Whistleblowers have claimed Meta has suppressed the lack of child safety on its VR platform, with girls as young as nine frequently harassed and propositioned by adult men. Meta denies these allegations. A company spokesperson told the Washington Post that Meta’s VR platform has safety features to protect young people, including default settings that allow teen users to communicate only with people they know.

Virtual assault is also often dismissed as “not real”, even though it can cause similar trauma to physical assault. The realistic appearance of virtual reality, strong identification with one’s avatar and the misogynistic motivations behind virtual assault enable it to cause serious psychological harm, even though there is no physical contact.

These cases show how misogyny has evolved with technology. Users can now create and participate in realistic representations of harm: undressed images, deepfake videos, virtual assault and the abuse of chatbots and sex dolls based on real people.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/grok-x-ai-generated-deepfake-impact-women-misogyny-5863716

U.S. President Donald Trump said he had been told that killings in Iran’s crackdown on protests were easing and that he believed there was no current plan for large-scale executions, adopting a wait‑and‑see posture after earlier threatening intervention.
After Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran had “no plan” to hang people, Iranian state media on Thursday reported that a 26-year-old man arrested during protests in the city of Karaj would not be given the death sentence.

Rights organisation Hengaw, which reported earlier this week that Erfan Soltani was due to be executed on Wednesday, said a previously communicated order for his execution had been postponed, citing his relatives.
In a social media post on Thursday, Trump responded to a news report that an Iranian protester was no longer being sentenced to death, writing: “This is good news. Hopefully, it will continue!”
Iranian state media said that while Soltani was being charged with colluding against “internal security and propaganda activities against the regime”, the death penalty does not apply to such charges.

Trump’s comments on Wednesday led oil prices to retreat from multi-month highs and gold eased from a record peak on Thursday. Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene on behalf of protesters in Iran, where the clerical establishment has cracked down hard on nationwide unrest since December 28.

PROTESTS APPEAR TO ABATE, NEW US SANCTIONS

People inside Iran, reached by Reuters on Wednesday and Thursday, said protests appeared to have abated since Monday. Information flows have been hampered by an internet blackout for a week.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday the government was trying to address some of the economic problems that first spurred the protests, adding that it intended to tackle issues of corruption and foreign exchange rates and that this would improve purchasing power for poorer people.
Despite this, Washington tightened pressure on Tehran on Thursday by imposing sanctions on five Iranian officials it accused of being behind the crackdown, and said it was tracking Iranian leaders’ funds being wired to banks around the world.

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and law enforcement forces commanders.
“U.S. Treasury knows, that like rats on a sinking ship, you are frantically wiring funds stolen from Iranian families to banks and financial institutions around the world. Rest assured, we will track them and you,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a video. “But there’s still time, if you choose to join us. As President Trump has said, stop the violence and stand with the people of Iran.”
Sanctions were also imposed on Fardis Prison, where the U.S. State Department said women have “endured cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment”.
The Group of Seven countries said it was prepared to impose additional restrictive measures on Iran if it continued to crack down.

Tensions had risen on Wednesday, with Iran saying it had warned neighbours it would hit American bases in the region in the event of U.S. strikes, and a U.S. official saying the United States was withdrawing some personnel from bases in the region.
Trump said he had been told by “very important sources on the other side” that killings in the crackdown were subsiding.
He did not rule out potential U.S. military action but said his administration had received a “very good statement” from Iran.

TRUMP UNCERTAIN ABOUT SUPPORT IN IRAN FOR SHAH’S SON

Paul Salem, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute think-tank, said that while Trump has appeared to back away from action against Iran, he remained unpredictable.
Iran’s government is at “a strategic dead end, but I don’t think they are at immediate risk of state collapse or regime change,” he added.
In comments to Reuters, Trump expressed uncertainty over whether Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran and a prominent figure in Iran’s fractured opposition, would be able to muster support within Iran to eventually take over.
Trump told Reuters it was possible Iran’s government could fall but that in truth “any regime can fail.”
Turkey, one of several states in the region where the U.S. has forces, expressed opposition to the use of violence against Iran and said the priority was to avoid destabilisation.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi by phone on Thursday and discussed ways to support security and stability in the region, Saudi state media reported.
The security warning level at the U.S. Al Udeid air base in Qatar has been lowered after a heightened alert triggered on Wednesday, three sources briefed on the situation told Reuters on Thursday. U.S. aircraft that were moved out of Al Udeid are gradually returning to the base, one of the sources added.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-sees-iranian-crackdown-easing-tehran-denies-man-be-executed-2026-01-15/

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy military forces in Minnesota after days of angry protests over a surge in immigration agents on the streets of Minneapolis.
Confrontations between residents and federal officers have become increasingly tense after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a U.S. citizen, Renee Good, in a car eight days ago in Minneapolis, and the protests have spread to other cities.

Trump’s latest threat came a few hours after an immigration officer shot a Venezuelan man who the government said was fleeing after agents tried to stop his vehicle in Minneapolis. The man was wounded in the leg.
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” Trump wrote on social media.

Trump, a Republican, has for weeks derided the state’s Democratic leaders and called people of Somali origin there “garbage” who should be “thrown out” of the country.

He has already sent nearly 3,000 federal officers to the Minneapolis area, who have carried guns through the city’s icy streets, wearing military-style camouflage gear and masks that hide their faces.
They have been met day and night by loud, often angry protests by residents, some blowing whistles or banging tambourines. On Wednesday night, crowds of residents gathered near the area where the Venezuelan man was shot. Some shouted in protest, and federal officers ignited flash-bang grenades and released clouds of tear gas.
Later, after most of the residents had been dispersed, a small group vandalized a car they believed belonged to the federal officers, one person daubing it with red graffiti saying: “Hang Kristi Noem,” in reference to the Homeland Security secretary who oversees ICE.
Since the surge began, agents have arrested both immigrants and protesters, at times smashing windows and pulling people from their cars. They have been shouted at for stopping Black and Latino U.S. citizens to demand identification.

TREATED ‘LIKE AN ANIMAL’

The Trump administration and Minnesota leaders have each blamed the other for stoking anger and violence.
In one incident that captured public attention, U.S. citizen Aliya Rahman was grabbed and dragged from her car by masked immigration officers on Tuesday near the site where Good was killed. She said in a statement to Reuters that the agents “dragged me from my car and bound me like an animal, even after I told them that I was disabled.”

Rahman said she asked for a doctor repeatedly once taken into ICE custody but was instead taken to a detention center. She lost consciousness in a cell and was then taken to a hospital, she said.
In response to a request for comment, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said an “agitator” ignored an officer’s commands to move her vehicle away from the scene of an enforcement action and was arrested for obstruction.

VENEZUELAN MAN SHOT

DHS, which is overseeing Trump’s immigration crackdown, identified the man its officer shot as Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. He had been allowed into the U.S. by the administration of Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, in 2022 through the government’s humanitarian parole program. The Trump administration has since revoked the parole granted to Venezuelans and others admitted under Biden.
According to a DHS statement, federal officers tried to stop Sosa-Celis in his vehicle. He fled the scene in his vehicle, crashed into a parked car, then ran away on foot.
One officer caught him and while the two were “in a struggle on the ground,” two other Venezuelan men came out of a nearby apartment and “attacked the law enforcement officer with a snow shovel and broom handle,” the statement said.
Sosa-Celis got loose and began hitting the officer with “a shovel or a broomstick,” so the officer “fired defensive shots to defend his life,” the DHS statement said.
Reuters was not able to verify the account given by DHS.
The men fled into the apartment and all three were arrested after officers went in, DHS said. Sosa-Celis and the officer were recovering in hospital from injuries, according to the department and city officials.

TRUMP SUPPORTERS DIVIDED

The Insurrection Act of 1807 is a law allowing the president to deploy the military or federalize soldiers in a state’s National Guard to quell rebellion, an exception to laws that prohibit soldiers being used in civil or criminal law enforcement.
It has been used 30 times in U.S. history, according to New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice. The Supreme Court has ruled that the president alone can determine if the act’s conditions have been met.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-threatens-use-insurrection-act-minnesota-2026-01-15/

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday during a White House meeting, in a bid to influence his efforts to shape her country’s political future.
A White House official confirmed that Trump intends to keep the medal.

In a social media post on Thursday evening, Trump wrote: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!”

Machado, who described the meeting as “excellent,” said the gift was in recognition of what she called his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people.
The White House later posted a photo of Trump and Machado with the president holding up a large, gold-colored frame displaying the medal.
Accompanying text read, “To President Donald J. Trump In Gratitude for Your Extraordinary Leadership in Promoting Peace through Strength,” and labeled the gesture as a “Personal Symbol of Gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan People.”
Machado’s attempt to sway Trump came after he dismissed the idea of installing her as Venezuela’s leader to replace the deposed Nicolas Maduro.

Trump openly campaigned for the prize before Machado was awarded it last month and complained bitterly when he was snubbed.
Though Machado gave Trump the gold medal that honorees receive with the prize, the honor remains hers; the Norwegian Nobel Institute has said the prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked.
Asked on Wednesday if he wanted Machado to give him the prize, Trump told Reuters: “No, I didn’t say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize.”
The Republican president has long expressed interest in winning the prize and has at times linked it to diplomatic achievements.
The lunch meeting, which appeared to last slightly over an hour, marked the first time the two have met in person.
Machado then met with more than a dozen senators, both Republican and Democratic, on Capitol Hill, where she has generally found more enthusiastic allies.

During the visit, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had looked forward to meeting Machado, but stood by his “realistic” assessment that she did not currently have the support needed to lead the country in the short term.
Machado, who fled the South American nation in a daring seaborne escape in December, is competing for Trump’s ear with members of Venezuela’s government and seeking to ensure she has a role in governing the nation going forward.
After the United States captured Maduro in a snatch-and-grab operation this month, opposition figures, members of Venezuela’s diaspora and politicians throughout the U.S. and Latin America expressed hope for Venezuela to begin a process of democratization.

HOPES OF A MOVE TO DEMOCRACY

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, one of the senators who met with Machado, said the opposition leader had told senators that repression in Venezuela was no different now than under Maduro.
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez is a “smooth operator” who was growing more entrenched by the day thanks to Trump’s support, he said.
“I hope elections happen, but I’m skeptical,” said Murphy, of Connecticut.
Trump has said he is focused on securing U.S. access to the country’s oil and economically rebuilding Venezuela.
Trump has on several occasions praised Rodriguez, Maduro’s second-in-command, who became Venezuela’s leader upon his capture. In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Trump said, “She’s been very good to deal with.”
Machado was banned from running in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election by a top court stacked with Maduro allies.
Outside observers widely believe Edmundo Gonzalez, an opposition figure backed by Machado, won by a substantial margin, but Maduro claimed victory and retained power.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-meet-venezuelan-opposition-leader-machado-after-praising-its-government-2026-01-15/

A GROUP of ISS astronauts have splashed down back to Earth after being evacuated due to one member suffering a medical issue.

Four astronauts were forced to leave the space station a month early due to a mystery illness.

Nasa hasn’t revealed the nature of the medical issue due to privacy.

But the space agency has said it’s not due to an injury and not considered an emergency.

It’s the first time in history that a space crew has had to return to earth before their scheduled return date due to a health issue.

American astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui arrived on the ISS on August 1 and were supposed to stay on board until mid-February.

The Crew 11 team splashed down off the coast of California and greeted by dolphins during the early hours of Thursday morning local time (8:41am GMT), after an almost 11 hour journey.

Almost 40 minutes later the hatch was opened and the group were rushed off for medical checks – a standard procedure for all crew returns.

Fincke was first to be helped out of the capsule and onto a stretcher, followed by Cardman, Yui and finally Platonov.

In a news conference after the re-entry, Nasa administrator Jared Issacman said the crew member in question specifically “is doing fine”.

“We took this action because it was a serious medical condition,” he said.

Earlier, station commander Fincke called the unprecedented action “bittersweet” as he handed over control of ISS to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov.

“This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists,” he said.

“It’s the right call, even if it’s a bit bittersweet.”

Problems emerged last Thursday, just before Fincke and flight engineer Cardman were due to head outside the ISS for a marathon 6.5-hour spacewalk to install new external hardware but it was abruptly cancelled.

While the ISS has some medical equipment and astronauts have minor medical training there isn’t a doctor on board.

Astronauts typically spend six to eight months at a time living aboard the ISS.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/tech/15785257/nasa-astronauts-medical-emergency-iss-splashdown/

The US has indefinitely paused immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, citing the financial burden on Americans. The inclusion of countries like Bhutan, Brazil, Kuwait and Thailand has surprised many, and sparked confusion over the criteria used to devise the list.

In a bid to intensify the crackdown on legal immigrants, the US has announced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing in 75 countries, beginning January 21, the State Department announced on Wednesday (US time). However, some countries on the list of 75 nations have surprised people and led to questions regarding the criteria used to devise it.

While the inclusion of nations like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Libya, Iran, Myanmar, Sudan, and others embroiled in conflicts, or known for sending problematic migrants to the US seems logical, what has puzzled many is the presence of relatively prosperous countries such as Kuwait, or those with positive global reputations, like Thailand and Bhutan, along with some Balkan states. Even Brazil came as a surprise entry on the list to many.

This latest list by the US State Department has sparked confusion and debate among both experts and immigrants.

For instance, author-journalist Sadanand Dhume, said he was “surprised to see Kuwait, Thailand, Brazil, and Uruguay on the State Department’s (temporary) visa ban list”.

“These are relatively well off countries. Not surprised to see Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal on it. Bhutan is an interesting case. Many Bhutanese refugees in the US are ethnic Nepalis who were driven out of Bhutan in 1990-92,” Dhume posted on X.

Explaining why India was not on the list, Dhume said, “Migrants from India have extremely low welfare dependency rates, both in the US, and in Europe. It would be bonkers to include India in the list if the point is to crack down on groups who place a burden on the welfare net.”

Several affected countries have expressed surprise at the decision. For instance, Thailand, seemingly taken aback by the inclusion on the list, summoned the US Charge d’affaires in Bangkok on Thursday to seek urgent clarification on the decision, reported Thai media outlet Thaiger. It must be noted that Thailand is a hugely popular destination for American tourists, and consistently portrayed in US media as a welcoming, vibrant country.

Notably, despite Pakistan’s coterie with the US and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir meeting US President Donald Trump multiple times after Operation Sindoor, it has been included on the list and its citizens are now facing an indefinite pause in immigrant visa processing.

Brazil, which has the largest economy in South America, was also a surprise name on the US visa-ban list. It’s true that the diaspora in the US is Brazil’s largest, but it’s not that Brazilians have a history of large-scale immigration to the US. In fact, Brazilians form a miniscule part of the overall immigrants, representing around 1% of the total foreign-born population in the US.

The inclusion of Kuwait on the US immigrant visa pause list is also surprising, as this oil-rich Gulf nation boasts one of the world’s highest GDP per capita — $30,000–$32,000. The decision seemingly hinges on data showing its US immigrants historically more likely to access public benefits. However, data suggests that there are less than 40,000 Kuwaities in the US, of which 1/3rd are students.

Vivian Nereim, Gulf bureau chief of the New York Times said on X, “I am so curious to understand how Kuwait — an oil-rich country where the average citizen income exceeds $60k a year — ended up on this list.”

A media professional quipped, “(Because) It didn’t donate a big enough jet plane?”

WHY US SUSPENDED IMMIGRATION VISAS FROM 75 NATIONS?

The US State Department said that the suspension stems from efforts to ramp up immigration restrictions, and will be affecting countries from Latin America (like Colombia and Uruguay) to the Balkans (such as Bosnia and Albania), South Asia (Pakistan and Bangladesh), and numerous African, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean countries, reported news agency Reuters.

An internal cable, viewed by Reuters, detailed a comprehensive review of policies, regulations, and guidelines to guarantee rigorous screening and vetting for visa seekers.

The document flagged that citizens from these countries have shown tendencies to apply for public benefits in the US, labelling them as high-risk of becoming “public charges” and tapping into local, state, and federal resources. Public charge refers to a US immigration rule under which a visa or Green Card applicant can be denied if they are deemed likely to become primarily dependent on government assistance for basic living needs.

First reported by Fox News, this action spares visitor visas.

The latest move follows a November order directing diplomats to prioritise financial independence for visa applicants, avoiding reliance on government aid, reported Reuters.

“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” Tommy Pigott, the State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

He added that processing would stay on hold during a reassessment to block entries of those likely to claim welfare.

The cable also instructed consular staff to deny approvals for any “print-authorised” but unissued visas or those printed but not yet dispatched.

Officials haven’t detailed per-country rationales, but experts suggest exclusions for nations like India stem from robust documentation, adherence to US standards, strong economic links, and lower public charge risks. India excels in skilled visas like H-1B with cooperative consular ties.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/us-news/story/us-trump-suspends-immigrant-visas-75-nations-pakistan-iran-libya-myanmar-why-kuwait-thailand-bhutan-explained-2852389-2026-01-15

A Reproductive Health Adviser and senior figure associated with Physicians for Reproductive Health, Verma was born in an Indian immigrant family in North Carolina.

The name of Nisha Verma, an Indian-origin obstetrician and gynaecologist in the United States, has been doing the rounds on the internet following a tense debate during the HELP (Health, Education, Labour, Pension) Committee hearing on abortion pill safety in the US Senate. Verma, appearing as a democratic witness, was asked about whether men can get pregnant by Republican Senator Josh Hawley.

Instead of providing a direct answer to the question, Verma emphasised that the question was polarised, and she was unsure about where the question was heading. She also expressed her dissatisfaction with the proposed goal of the question, and her reaction resulted in a brief confrontation between the two, as Hawley claimed that the only goal was to establish a biological reality.

WHO IS NISHA VERMA

A Reproductive Health Adviser and senior figure associated with Physicians for Reproductive Health, Verma was born to an Indian immigrant family in North Carolina.

After completing medical education from the University of North Carolina, she has been working as a certified obstetrician-gynaecologist and complex family planning subspecialist. She also holds multiple degrees in Biology, Anthropology, and Public Health.

At present, Verma is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Emory University School of Medicine and provides clinical care in Georgia and Maryland.

As a gynaecologist, Verma has worked extensively to spread awareness about abortion and the harm that can be caused by abortion restrictions. She has testified in front of Congress on the harms of abortion restrictions and currently has a research grant to explore the impact of Georgia’s six-week abortion ban on people with high-risk pregnancies in the state.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/us-news/story/who-is-nisha-verma-who-did-not-answer-whether-men-can-get-pregnant-2852624-2026-01-15

The US warned that all options, including military action, were on the table against Iran as President Donald Trump signalled a softer tone on Tehran amid protests.

Amid violent protests in Iran that kept the world on edge, US and Iranian officials faced off during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, where the American envoy warned that all options were on the table against the Islamic Republic despite President Donald Trump’s softer tone on Tehran.

“Colleagues, let me be clear: President Trump is a man of action, not endless talk like we see at the United Nations,” said Mike Waltz, the US Ambassador to the UN. “He has made it clear that all options are on the table to stop the slaughter. And no one should know that better than the leadership of the Iranian regime.”

Waltz’s remarks came as uncertainty looms over possible US action against Iran over the protests, in which thousands of dissenters have been killed in a brutal crackdown by the Islamic Republic’s security forces. Protests in Iran have largely abated, as per reports, as the internet blackout continues.

Death toll figures have varied, with the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) saying it has verified the deaths of 2,435 protesters and 153 government-affiliated individuals. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO said Iranian security forces had killed at least 3,428 protesters.

Iran Fires Back At US, Warns Of Aggression

At the UNSC Meeting, Iran’s Deputy UN Ambassador Gholamhossein Darzi said Iran does not seek escalation or confrontation and accused Waltz of resorting “to lies, distortion of facts, and a deliberate misinformation campaign to conceal his country’s direct involvement in steering unrest in Iran to violence.”

“However, any act of aggression – direct or indirect – will be met with a decisive, proportionate, and lawful response,” he told the Security Council. “This is not a threat; it is a statement of legal reality.”

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia also accused the United States of convening the Security Council in a bid to “justify blatant aggression and interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state” and threats to “solve the Iranian problem in its favourite way: through strikes aimed at overthrowing an undesirable regime.”

Trump’s Softer Tone On Iran

Earlier, Trump adopted a wait‑and‑see posture, saying he had been told that the killings were easing and that he believed there was no current plan for large-scale executions. He said he had now received assurances from “very important sources on the other side” that Tehran had now stopped, and that executions would not go ahead.

Asked by an AFP reporter in the Oval Office if US military action was now off the table, Trump replied: “We’re going to watch it and see what the process is.” The White House said Iran halted 800 executions under pressure from Trump, but military action remains an option.

Additionally, US Senator Lindsey Graham rejected media reports claiming Trump had ruled out military action against Iran, calling the coverage “beyond inaccurate”. He said the circumstances around the decisive action against the “evil” Iranian regime have nothing to do with President Trump’s will or determination.

On the other hand, Iran’s envoy to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said Trump has informed Iran that he does not intend to attack and has asked Tehran to exercise restraint. Moghadam said he received the information on Wednesday, indicating that Trump did not want war.

Gulf Allies Urge Trump Against Strikes

Meanwhile, top officials from Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged Trump to hold off on strikes against Iran, citing concerns over the impact on global economy and regional stability. “The Gulf trio led a long, frantic, diplomatic last-minute effort to convince President Trump to give Iran a chance to show good intentions,” an unnamed Saudi official told AFP.

A second Gulf official confirmed the talks, adding that a message was also conveyed to Iran that attacking US regional facilities would “have consequences”. The New York Times reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also warned Trump against strikes.

The Saudi official said the Gulf outreach was aimed at preventing “an uncontrollable situation in the region,” warning Washington that any attack on Iran could trigger serious regional fallout.

New Sanctions Against Iranian Officials

Meanwhile, the US announced new sanctions on Iranian officials accused of suppressing the protests. G7 partners and the European Union also said they too were looking at new sanctions to ratchet up the pressure on Iran’s theocratic government.

The US Treasury Department targeted Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, for using force against demonstrators. US authorities said he coordinated the state’s security response to the demonstrations on behalf of Iran’s supreme leadership.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/iran-protests-deaths-us-warns-military-action-donald-trump-softens-tone-gulf-allies-latest-updates-ws-l-9835226.html

When Daidai realised her father was too old to slaughter two pigs for a traditional community feast in the run-up to Chinese New Year, she turned to social media.

She didn’t want him to feel bad.

“Can anyone help me?” she asked on Douyin, China’s version of Tiktok, at the end of last week. “My father is old. I am worried that he can’t handle these pigs.”

Daidai, who’s in her 20s, promised that those who came to their village, Qingfu, to assist would be treated to a pork banquet.

In rural Sichuan and Chongqing, large community meals are an important part of culture, featuring twice-cooked pork, steamed ribs, soup and homemade liquor.

“Let me hold my head up high in our village,” she said.

Her appeal for help attracted more than a million likes and the response on the ground was like a scene from a cheesy feel-good movie, as thousands of cars poured in, carrying many more people than she needed for the task.

So many responded that traffic jams have brought roads in this part of rural Chongqing in south-west China to a standstill. Drone images show carloads of people queuing up with rice crops on either side hoping to still enter Qingfu. Walking in from long distances has been a traffic-beating option for some.

Daidai posted that drivers coming into the area should be careful on the roads, especially those from the city unaccustomed to conditions in the countryside.

“The atmosphere has been great. It reminded me of my childhood when my family still kept pigs. It has been years since I felt anything like that,” one man, who drove more than 100 kilometres (65 miles) to get there, told the BBC.

He has seen licence plates from all over the country, he said.

When the pig slaughter and subsequent mass banquet did happen, it was watched live online by more than 100,000 viewers, registering 20 million likes, and the local government embraced it as a flash-tourism moment.

With many more people in town than two pigs could feed, tourism officials donated more pigs to meet the huge demand, and small restaurants have been serving crowds of visitors in outdoor seating areas.

Yet what this phenomenon has shown is how quickly a small matter can become something massive in the age of social media.

“I thought maybe a dozen people would come,” Daidai told Chinese media. “But there have been too many to count.”

The response has also been driven by what seems to be a yearning from Chinese people to get back in touch with community cultural events, as well as a need for positive experiences when life can, at times, seem very dark.

Daidai couldn’t believe how quickly it’s all happened. Last Friday she posted her request for help. By Saturday the response was so large that she went to the police to warn them that there could be disruption in the village and extra officers were brought in to manage the situation.

The banquet celebration, by then huge in size, went on for two days – 1,000 diners on 11 January became 2,000 the next day – with bonfires into the night and much partying, accompanied by a band.

Eventually, Daidai posted that her celebration was over, urging any more visitors to enjoy the region but not visit her home. After sleeping for only four hours over two days, she said she was exhausted.

However, it had been an incredible moment for her and her village.

To all the strangers who answered her call she said, “without your enthusiasm and passion, there would not have been a feast like this”.

“For everyone who came, the feeling was like that of a big family. It was really warm, really healing and really meaningful.”

She thanked government officials and the police for allowing a sudden celebration of this size to proceed.

It is already being predicted that the now famous Hechuan region, where her village is located, may try to turn this into a regular event, to tap into the enthusiasm for genuine, grass-roots interaction in a world where many feel isolated and removed from their culture.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2y9805g8go

Hong Kong police have confirmed that 168 people died in the massive blaze that ripped through an apartment complex in Hong Kong last November – seven more than previously announced.

The ages of the victims ranged from six months to 98 years old, police said in a statement on Thursday. Of the victims, fifty-eight of them were male and 110 were female. Many of them were elderly residents who had lived in the apartment complex for decades.

The fire at Wang Fuk Court was the deadliest that the city had seen in decades.

More than 30 people have been arrested in connection to the fire, on suspicions of manslaughter, fraud or corruption, city leader John Lee said on Wednesday.

Announcing that officials had completed all identification work, security secretary Chris Tang said the final death toll stood at 168.

Among the deceased are 10 domestic workers – nine Indonesians and one Filipina – five construction workers and two interior decorators.

Built in the 1980s, Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong’s north-eastern Tai Po district housed about 4,600 people, according to the 2021 census. Nearly 40% of the residents were 65 or older.

Thousands of firefighters were deployed to bring the fire under control. One of them, 37-year-old Ho Wai-ho, died during the firefighting operation.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2w9wqek3jo

Donald Trump’s hostile signals over Greenland and the aftermath of the Venezuela attack have raised fears in Japan and South Korea that Washington is no longer committed to its allies in East Asia.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung received a very warm welcome from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during his visit to Japan this week, with the two leaders pictured exchanging gifts in Nara, Takaichi’s hometown, and even playing the drums together.

The two-day summit ended with Lee and Takaichi pledging to make headway on various bilateral issues.

The bonhomie was even more noteworthy given that the two leaders come from different ends of the political spectrum, with Takaichi a conservative hawk and Lee a committed progressive. Their parties have had sharp words for each other in the past.

But analysts say Tokyo and Seoul feel the need to present a united front — not only to face China’s growing power in northeast Asia and the unpredictable regime in North Korea, but also because of their shared concerns about their nominally closest ally, the United States.

Those fears have spiked after Washington’s attack on Venezuela earlier this month. The military operation was brief and ended with the seizure of President Nicolas Maduro, but it also signaled a major geopolitical shift and the rising US focus on the Western hemisphere. Commenting on the attack, US President Donald Trump invoked the 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine about Washington’s supremacy in that part of the world, dubbing its revival the “Donroe Doctrine” in reference to his own name.

Is Washington still committed to Asia?

The worry in Seoul and Tokyo is that Trump is becoming less interested in the peace and security of northeast Asia, which could encourage other nations to test the US administration in the region.

“Both Japan and Korea have reason to feel disquiet about the so-called ‘Donroe Doctrine,’ as it portends the risk of a more isolationist-leaning US that is prepared to leave its allies to fend for themselves,” said Erwin Tan, a professor of international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.

“I would say that (South) Korea feels this rather more acutely than Japan and European allies of the US,” he told DW.

“Japan benefits from its status as an archipelagic country, as a result of which it does not face a serious land warfare threat,” Tan pointed out. “Japan’s existing air and naval capabilities assuage its fears of a land invasion to some degree.”

“Europe benefits from the existing nuclear arsenals of the UK and France, as well as the potential capacity for a larger pool of like-minded allies, even if the response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine among some European countries has been somewhat lackluster,” he said.

Japan and South Korea forced to step up

Current security issues in East Asia have been brewing for decades and have only grown more heated in recent years with China aggressively expanding its military, seizing the atolls of the South China Sea and making aggressive moves towards Taiwan, which it sees as its own territory. China’s ally North Korea has also forged a new alliance with Russia that is allowing it more leeway in dealing with Seoul.

In turn, US allies South Korea and Japan are forced to consider that its ties with the US are now no longer as rock solid as they once were.

In August 2023, President Joe Biden hosted the first US-Japan-South Korea summit at Camp David, creating a three-way security alliance designed to counter shared threats by deepening military, economic and technological ties.

“There is a growing feeling in Seoul that in order to keep the trilateral arrangement going, it needs to have a good relationship with Tokyo — and both sides now have reached the conclusion that it is up to Korea and Japan to pull the alliance along instead of the US taking the lead,” said Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, senior non-resident fellow with the Atlantic Council.

Biden’s successor Trump has signaled a willingness to turn on long-standing US allies, as seen in the growing crisis over Greenland.

South Korea and Japan are “watching what is going on elsewhere and hoping that over the rest of Trump’s term, nothing goes wrong here,” said Hinata-Yamaguchi.

He added that hope does not amount to a reliable tactic, so both Asian governments are also making more concrete plans.

Hunting for new allies in the West

In Nara, Takaichi and Lee committed to forming closer security ties, working to bring about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, greater multilateral cooperation, economic cooperation and supply chain resilience.

And while they are also working hard to keep the US committed to the existing arrangement — Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met with the head of the US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii on Monday to emphasize the need for cooperation to preserve regional security — both South Korea and Japan are broadening their defense horizons.

Seoul also held talks this week with defense officials from the Netherlands, looking at expanding cooperation in the development of weapons, high-level exchanges and the space and cyber security domains, while Japan is pushing ahead with the development of a next-generation fighter aircraft with the UK and Italy. For the first time, British paratroopers took part in a joint exercise with their Japanese and US counterparts in Japan this week.

The nuclear option

Hankuk University lecturer Erwin Tan points out that in 1969, the then-US president Richard Nixon put forward the Nixon Doctrine, under which the US military presence in the Indo-Pacific would be scaled back.

That position was so alarming to the South Korean government that President Park Chung-hee declared that he would be pursuing an independent nuclear capability. The crisis was resolved without South Korea obtaining its own nuclear weapons, but the debate has rekindled in recent years.

“In 2020, amidst concern over Trump winning re-election, there was public debate in both Korea and Japan about the possibility of them developing independent nuclear arsenals,” Tan said.

“I have no doubt that policymakers in both countries have been undertaking quiet discussions on the matter,” he said.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/seoul-tokyo-watch-us-foreign-policy-twists-with-rising-fear/a-75516264

The ruthless slaughter of anti-government protesters in Iran appears to have stopped — but only because residents are being held hostage in their homes by machine gun-wielding security forces that have flooded the streets, sources told The Post Thursday.

After weeks of anti-regime protests across Iran left thousands dead, the mass mobilization of security forces has suppressed the demonstrations, with many too afraid to step foot outside now.

“There were tanks out — there’s tanks everywhere,” the source told The Post after speaking to family in Tehran about the current situation.

“There’s trucks that are covered, with 10 people inside with machine guns just aiming them at everyone on the street.”

Another person in Tehran said fear has gripped the capital as police and security forces patrol the roads and conduct stops.

The local confirmed that the only reason calm returned to Tehran on Thursday was because of the mass killing of protesters, with more than 2,600 people killed since the demonstrations began, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

“There are no protests anymore because of massive killings. With 12,000 dead, people are terrified,” the local said, referencing the higher estimated death toll from activist groups.

The source called on President Trump to intervene — now — despite his claims Wednesday that “the other side” indicated that Iran has stopped the killing of protesters.

“We are waiting for Trump’s action, he promised to support Iranian protesters if the regime killed them! It is the time to attack this brutal regime!” the local said.

Trump had threatened to take military action against Iran if it continued to kill the protesters.

Images out of Tehran on Thursday show residents out and about, trying to carry on with their day as normal as possible while surrounded by vehicles destroyed during the protests.

Some were headed to the hospitals and morgues to recover the bodies of their loved ones killed in the demonstrations, with officials allegedly threatening to dump the bodies in a mass grave if relatives don’t claim the corpses soon, one of the sources told The Post.

Iran’s security forces have been accused of enacting one of its most brutal attacks on dissent in the history of the Islamic Republic, with nearly 17,000 people arrested, according to the HRANA.

Shocking video has since emerged of mass shootings against civilians, along with a brutal raid at the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam, where armed forces wounded patients and medical staffers.

Witnesses confirmed that the security forces began firing inside the hospital and deploying tear gas as they searched for people wounded in an earlier protest, with about 11 patients hauled away by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, DW reported.

“We knew the security agents were coming to arrest the wounded or record their identities,” a nurse, who did not reveal her real name, told the outlet.

“People gathered at the entrance to stop them,” she added. “At the same time, we were desperately short of blood, so calls for donors went out on social media.

“But the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and special units prevented donors from reaching us.”

The siege against the hospital lasted more than 24 hours, with patients, doctors, nurses, and even children suffering injuries due to the violence, according to reports highlighted by human rights organizations.

“Security forces allegedly raided the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam, deploying tear gas and beating patients and medical personnel,” the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in its latest Fact-Finding Mission report.

The full extent of the crackdown against the protesters has yet to be independently verified following a nationwide communications outage in Iran.

The protests and killing of demonstrators were the focus of an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting Thursday.

Iranian-American activist Masih Alinejad warned the UN that the Islamic Republic cannot be dealt with normally, likening Tehran to the Islamic State terrorist group.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/15/world-news/disturbing-reason-iran-appears-to-have-stopped-killing-protesters/

Tyler Robinson’s transgender lover was under FBI protection after he seemingly vanished from his Utah hometown for months, a family member and sources revealed.

In the family’s first public remarks since Robinson was arrested for Charlie Kirk’s Sept. 10 assassination, the relative also cast doubt on just how cooperative Lance Twiggs is to the police.

The revelation comes as the Twiggs’ family member said the young lovers – both 22 – were once talented, promising students who spiraled into delusion thanks to video games and an online Discord chatroom.

“Being as antisocial as they were, from my understanding – you know, playing these games and being part of this, this Discord group … they didn’t seem like they were in a real world,” the unnamed relative said during an interview with NewsNation’s Brian Entin Thursday.

She said their distorted sense of reality was even evident in the now-public text messages they exchanged immediately following Kirk’s murder at Utah Valley University, in which Thompson allegedly confessed to the hateful slaying.

“The world that they were in, like this gaming world, like that was a normal way that they kind of spoke,” she explained.

But that wasn’t always the case.

“Both of them are super smart…[Lance] was a concert pianist – he has talent for piano. [His] music was off the charts – not normal, it was very impressive.

“And that’s kind of what I heard about Tyler is that he was just so smart.

“It’s just a shame that these kids had so much potential and so, such a bright future.”

Authorities provided protection for Twiggs and his family while they moved from place to place for a while – but he’s with his family now, according to the relative.

“My understanding was for the first few weeks, cause there was so many threats against his family and him, that…they did have a little bit of FBI detail and they kind of moved around a little bit, but they’re not anymore. He’s with his family,” she said.

At the time, Twiggs appeared to just disappear from his St. George, Utah hometown, where he previously lived with Thompson in an $1,800-per-month townhouse.

A law enforcement source confirmed to Fox News Digital Thursday that Twiggs was no longer under FBI protection, but he was cooperating with authorities.

His family member, however, doubted to what extent.

“When I first found out about how he was taken in and talked to by the police…I know that they said that he was very cooperative but they had to go get him and bring him in – he didn’t voluntarily go in and say, ‘Hey, I heard about this and I have some knowledge,’” she said.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/15/us-news/ocation-of-charlie-kirk-suspects-boyfriend-lance-twiggs-revealed/

You can’t put a price tag on this Arctic island — at least, that’s the message from the people who live here as rumors swirl of US offers to purchase it.

“We are not for sale. Our land is not for sale. This goes back to our ancestors,” said Larserak Matthiessen, a Nuuk carpenter, told The Post

Peter Kristiansen, a Nuuk stone-carving artist teaching locals his craft when The Post caught him, agreed: “I want Greenland to be independent, but we’re not ready yet. But I hope it happens before I die.”

President Trump wants Greenland for national security reasons — both for the island’s rich rare-earth minerals and its geostrategic location between the US and any possible threats from Russia.

He also claims Moscow or Beijing will take over the island eventually if the US doesn’t take it by force or through money.

“One way or another, we’re going to have Greenland,” he said Sunday.

Most residents told The Post they want freedom from Denmark, a longtime NATO ally of the US, and aren’t thrilled about another occupation, Greenlandic parliamentary members Kuno Fencker and Juno Berthelsen told The Post.

Opinions diverge on when and how independence should happen, but the Greenlandic parliamentary members urged the Trump administration to buy into their quest for freedom or else overtures could fall flat.

“The wrong framing is that we can purchase a country or purchase a people,” Fencker said. “That’s the absolute wrong framing.” He and Berthelsen suggested Washington should support Greenland’s right to self-determination — and be ready to make deals once that happens.

That could appeal to Greenlanders such as student Oliver Bech, who said the financial angle is key — but “the vast majority of people” would still refuse paychecks to become the 51st state.

“The Americans already have a space base here in Greenland,” he said while warming up with a cappuccino in a popular cafe. “… But it’s actually Denmark that’s earning money from renting out land, and not us directly. Maybe it would be much better if we actually received that instead.”

Economic realities are stifling. Greenland must import nearly everything — from fruits and vegetables to machinery — and prices are high, with a harsher inflation rate than mainland Denmark.

Still, Emma Holm, who receives just $1,000 a month of unemployment welfare while caring for her elderly aunt, said she values Denmark’s social safety net.

That safety net is partly funded by Denmark’s “block grant” to the country, equating to roughly $477 million — about a fifth of Greenland’s total budget.

Asked whether she’d accept a rumored $100,000-per-person offer to become American, she said she felt more comfortable with the devil she knows.

“I don’t know. It depends. I mean, I’ve lived in Greenland all my life and I know the hospital is free and the education is free,” she said. “So I cannot say it should be changed. Greenland is Greenland.”

Even those frustrated with Denmark’s past colonization remain wary of cash handouts from outsiders.

“I’ve had enough of Denmark and how they governed us in history. I had enough,” said Nikolannguaq Heilmann, a retired shrimp boat engineer. “I would rather prefer us as a big partner. But that’s a very arrogant way to try. People know better than that.”

Fencker and Berthelsen — both members of Greenland’s pro-independence Naleraq party — said Greenlanders’ skepticism is justified, stressing that any deal with the United States must respect Greenland’s legal right to independence under the 2009 Self-Rule Act.

Under current law, Greenland must first negotiate with Denmark before opening direct talks with Washington on defense, security, or economic agreements — leaving the island in a tricky position.

As Arctic competition heats up, Fencker said any future relationship with Washington must come through sovereignty, not a price tag.

“We have self-rule, but the economic situation is very difficult,” he said, noting that Denmark’s block grant is indexed to Danish inflation — even though inflation is often higher in Greenland. “The block grant is not sufficient.”

Fencker warned that if Denmark walked away during independence talks, it would create a geopolitical “vacuum” that a superpower would inevitably fill. Rather than subsidies, he said Greenland’s strategic location is its leverage.

“Placement, placement, placement,” Fencker said. “If you want access to this location, you pay.”

That could mean renegotiating US military access, including expanding beyond the American Pituffik Space Base under a revised defense agreement, and paying Greenland directly to rent land — instead of routing everything through Copenhagen.

Berthelsen said opposition to independence is concentrated largely in Nuuk and driven by fears over losing Danish funding, cultural ties, and access to education.

“The block grant is the central argument,” he said. “People say we’re not economically ready.”

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/15/world-news/greenlanders-say-theyre-not-for-sale-but-partnership-with-us-is-possible/

U.S. lawmakers and former officials on Wednesday questioned President Donald Trump’s decision to allow Nvidia to sell its second most powerful AI chips in China, arguing the move erodes America’s AI edge and threatens to electrify Beijing’s military.
The Trump administration on Tuesday gave a formal green light to China-bound sales of Nvidia’s NVDA.OH200 chips, putting in place a rule that will likely kick-start shipments of the H200 despite deep concerns among China hawks in Washington.

Matt Pottinger, who served as a senior White House Asia advisor during Trump’s first term, told a congressional hearing that the administration is on the “wrong track” on AI and that its decision to allow the chip sales will damage its goal of winning the AI race.
Selling H200s to China “will supercharge Beijing’s military modernization, enhancing capabilities in everything from nuclear weapons to cyber warfare, autonomous drones, biological warfare and intelligence and influence operations,” he said. “Congress needs to put guardrails in place so that this mistake can’t be repeated,” he added.
Some Republican lawmakers echoed his concerns, without explicitly condemning the policy change.

“They steal so much intellectual property from this country but we don’t have to sell it to them,” Congressman Michael McCaul said, without referencing H200s specifically.
National security fears around Beijing’s access to American AI chips had prompted the Biden administration to bar sales of the prized semiconductors to China.
A spokesperson for Nvidia said “America should always want its industry to compete for vetted and approved commercial business, supporting real jobs for real Americans.”
The Trump administration, led by White House AI czar David Sacks, has said shipping advanced AI chips to China discourages Chinese competitors – such as heavily sanctioned Huawei – from redoubling efforts to catch up with the most advanced chip designs from Nvidia and AMD AMD.O.
Pottinger described that notion as a “fantasy.”

It was not clear how many chips would be sold to China. Reuters reported earlier on Wednesday that Chinese customs authorities told customs agents this week that Nvidia’s H200 artificial intelligence chips are not permitted to enter the country.
The regulations released on Tuesday specify that before being exported to China, chips must be reviewed by a third-party testing lab to confirm their technical AI capabilities. China also cannot receive more than 50% of the total amount of chips sold to American customers.
Nvidia will need to certify there are enough H200s in the U.S. before shipping any to China. Chinese customers must demonstrate “sufficient security procedures” and cannot use the chips for military purposes.
At least one Republican lawmaker, Congressman Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee holding the hearing, praised some guardrails contained in the regulations, describing “know your customer” provisions in the measure as “significant.”

In contrast, Jon Finer, who served as deputy U.S. national security advisor under former Democratic President Joe Biden, said the rules would create a sizeable new workload for the Commerce Department, which oversees export control policy, and would rely on Chinese buyers to make truthful statements about their own customers.
Democratic lawmakers were more explicit in their criticism of Trump’s policy shift.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trumps-greenlight-nvidia-ai-chips-china-draws-fire-lawmakers-former-officials-2026-01-14/

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi “seems very nice” but expressed uncertainty over whether Pahlavi would be able to muster support within Iran to eventually take over.
In an exclusive Reuters interview in the Oval Office, Trump said there was a chance Iran’s clerical government could collapse, blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for the stalemate in negotiations with Russia over the war in Ukraine, and dismissed Republican criticism of a Justice Department probe of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where thousands of people have been reported killed in a crackdown on the unrest against clerical rule. But he was reluctant on Wednesday to lend his full support to Pahlavi, the son of the late shah of Iran, who was ousted from power in 1979.
“He seems very nice, but I don’t know how he’d play within his own country,” Trump said. “And we really aren’t up to that point yet.
“I don’t know whether or not his country would accept his leadership, and certainly if they would, that would be fine with me.”
Trump’s comments went further in questioning Pahlavi’s ability to lead Iran, after he said last week that he had no plans to meet with him.

OPPOSITION FRAGMENTED

The U.S.-based Pahlavi, 65, has lived outside Iran since before his father was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution and has become a prominent voice in the protests. Iran’s opposition is fragmented among rival groups and ideological factions – including the monarchists who back Pahlavi – and appears to have little organized presence inside the Islamic Republic.
Echoing Trump’s caution, Sanam Vakil, deputy director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Program, said Pahlavi had gained prominence among some protesters and had helped mobilise them to some extent. “But I wouldn’t overstate it. It’s very hard to see how much support he has or how much support any figure has in Iran,” she said.

Trump said it is possible the government in Tehran could fall due to the protests but that in truth “any regime can fail.”
“Whether or not it falls or not, it’s going to be an interesting period of time,” he said.

Trump, who is closing out the first year of his second term in office, sat behind his massive Resolute Desk and sipped a Diet Coke during the 30-minute interview. At one point, he held up a thick binder of papers he said contained his achievements since being sworn into office on January 20, 2025.
But he sought to manage expectations for Republicans in November’s congressional midterm elections, noting that the party in power frequently loses seats two years after a presidential election.
“When you win the presidency, you don’t win the midterms,” he said. “But we’re going to try very hard to win the midterms.”

‘ZELENSKIY’ MAIN IMPEDIMENT TO REACHING DEAL

Trump, who has struggled throughout his presidency to end Russia’s war in Ukraine despite campaign boasts that he could end it in a day, said Zelenskiy is the main impediment to resolving the four-year-old war.
Trump has frequently criticized both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskiy but seemed more downbeat once again on the Ukrainian president.
Trump said Putin was “ready to make a deal.” Asked what the holdup is, Trump said simply: “Zelenskiy.”
“We have to get President Zelenskiy to go along with it,” he said.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS ‘SHOULD BE LOYAL’

Trump dismissed Senate Republicans who have vowed to block his Fed nominees over concerns that Trump’s Justice Department is interfering with the central bank’s traditional independence with its probe into the Fed’s Powell.
“I don’t care. There’s nothing to say. They should be loyal,” he said of his party’s lawmakers.
Trump also rejected criticism from JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon that Trump’s meddling into the Fed could spike inflation.
“I don’t care what he says,” Trump said.

Trump is to meet on Thursday with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House, their first in-person meeting since Trump directed the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and seized control of the country earlier this month.
“She’s a very nice woman,” Trump said of Machado. “I’ve seen her on television. I think we’re just going to talk basics.”
Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize last year and dedicated it to Trump. She has offered to give him her prize, but the Nobel Committee said the peace prize cannot be transferred.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-questions-reza-pahlavis-ability-garner-support-iran-2026-01-15/

India has issued its first-ever advisory asking all nationals to leave Iran as the security situation deteriorates amid fears of possible US-Israel military action. The MEA said the embassy is monitoring developments, relocating students, and exploring evacuation routes. About 10,000 Indians, mostly students, are currently in Iran.

In indications that New Delhi was not taking any chances over the developing situation in Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs issued an advisory asking all Indian nationals to leave Iran. The two-line advisory is the first time India has asked all its nationals to leave the country. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X that the government was closely monitoring the situation. “The Indian Embassy in Tehran is continuously monitoring the security situation and engaging Indian students in Iran to ensure their safety.” He added.

“In some cases, students are being relocated with the Embassy’s facilitation to safer places within Iran. Other feasible options are also under examination.”

The situation in Iran has deteriorated after President Donald Trump has actively encouraged the demonstrators against the Iranian regime. The US president, who said earlier this month that the US was “locked and loaded,” then told protesters, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

Such remarks suggested that he could be prepared to intervene militarily in Iran. Iran expert Ambassador KC Singh, who has served in Iran, stated that recent developments suggested that it “seems like the US is prepared to intervene militarily, as the protests have failed to fracture/uproot the Iranian Islamic regime.” The former ambassador said the exit of the Israeli prime ministerial aircraft called the Wing of Zion, away from Israeli airspace was significant, as the same measure was taken before Operation “Rising Lion” which then began the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.

The other measure to note here was media reports stating the US had ordered some of its personnel to leave from its AlUdeid airspace in Qatar. Israel’s aims in the region is another factor. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s pressing need for political survival could hasten military action on Iran. Israel has been roiled by protests in recent days demanding that Netanyahu step down.

Singh points out, “Netanyahu wants to dodge these protests by creating a distraction abroad. He wants to do this by waving a fist at Iran.” This war, should it come, will not be an easy one for the US or Israel. Iran has declared it will strike US bases across the region should it be attacked. Iran has ballistic missiles that are in the range of 500-1,000 kilometres, ensuring many bases are threatened. Also, as Singh points out, “Israel’s Iron Dome is not foolproof and cannot sustain a barrage of missiles fired at it.”

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/india-issues-first-ever-advisory-asking-all-nationals-to-leave-iran-amid-escalating-tensions

THE US government may have bought the mystery weapon behind Havana Syndrome in an undercover operation.

The perplexing illness that brings ringing ears, dizziness, crushing headaches and memory loss to its victims has long been unsolved.

But, the Biden Administration managed to quietly purchase the device in its final weeks in 2024, a new report by CNN claims.

Since then, the device has since been tested as Pentagon specialists look to unlock how the horrific symptoms diplomats experienced were caused.

Multiple sources told CBS News more than 1,500 American officials had reported experiencing Havana Syndrome since 2016.

Bought for millions of dollars by the Department of Homeland Security’s Investigations division, the device is portable, backpack sized and contains components with Russian origins, according to the anonymous sources.

Despite containing Russian components, there has been no evidence revealing that the device was Russian made.

Officials have reportedly struggled to understand how a device that small could cause the level of damage reported by some victims.

Testing has revealed the device emits pulsed, radio-frequency energy, however the nature of the testing remains unknown.

Investigators reportedly believe the device could be inducing Havana Syndrome symptoms.

Independent journalist Sasha Ingber and CNN revealed the government’s acquisition of the device.

It is unclear how the Biden Administration became aware of the item.

The term was derived from cases first reported by US diplomats and intelligence officers stationed in Havana, Cuba in 2016.

US officials briefed some of their findings to a congressional oversight hearing in 2025.

Victims of the syndrome have reported feeling a spate of neurological symptoms, including severe headaches and head pressure, vertigo, nausea and ringing or popping sensations in their ears.

Many have also described hearing intense high-pitched and painful sounds, which appeared to alleviate when they moved to a different location.

Some victims had symptoms so severe they were forced to leave their jobs.

Cases have since been reported from every populated continent and have spanned dozens of countries.

Some victims have spent the last decade attempting to shed light on their cases, often blaming the government for not providing proper support or specialised medical care.

There is no official recognition of the syndrome, so diagnosis and treatment can turn into an expensive process.

An initial assessment of the syndrome was completed in 2023, which found it was “very unlikely” a foreign entity was responsible for the illnesses.

The Biden Administration formally dubbed the symptoms as “Anomalous Health Incidents,” or AHIs.

The conclusion was supported in January last year, when an updated review found the majority of the intelligence community thought foreign involvement was highly unlikely.

Since then, two agencies have revised their positions, saying there was a “roughly even chance” that a foreign adversary had developed a device capable of hurting American officials and their families.

Despite this revision, the agencies did not link the device directly to the reported AHIs.

Since the device entered testing, concerns have sparked over the results of continued development of such technology.

CBS reported that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) had conducted a review of the previous investigations and was close to completion, however, was not ready to brief lawmakers or the public on its findings.

A spokesperson from the ODNI said Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard “remains committed to sharing findings from her investigation into Anomalous Health Incidents with the American people.”

“However, we are not going to rush to put out incomplete information,” the spokesperson said.

They noted a team had been continuing “relentless” work on completing the assessment.

Former senior CIA intelligence officer Marc Polymeropoulos has spoken publicly of the symptoms he suffered after being struck in Moscow in 2017.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15784427/us-buys-mystery-havana-syndrome-weapon/

PHOTOS of Kendall Jenner’s extravagant $23 million Montecito mansion have been revealed, including horse stables and other lavish amenities.

The U.S. Sun obtained aerial shots of the supermodel’s sprawling estate, which she quietly purchased in February 2025.

The pics show the entire compound, comprised of numerous smaller houses across six acres of land.

Its Spanish architectural style features a white exterior and red-tile roofs, surrounding a massive courtyard with two giant fountains, tons of greenery, and multiple seating areas.

The property appears to be the perfect place for Kendall‘s sporty lifestyle, as it features a professional-grade equestrian facility with several stables and an outdoor riding area for the TV star, who has been riding horses since she was a child.

Despite the seemingly tranquil oasis within the gated community, the home is just a short drive from the bustling center of town, giving plenty of opportunities to socialize.

Another perk for Kendall, 29, is that the house is nestled directly beside Oprah Winfrey‘s iconic “Promised Land” estate.

The home itself has a star-studded history, as it’s been owned by several famous names in recent years, including Ellen DeGeneres, and Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd and Tinder co-founder Sean Rad.

PRIVATE OASIS

The U.S. Sun exclusively reported in August that Kendall secretly bought the impressive property, originally built in the 1800s and since remodeled for a more modern look.

Kendall’s main house alone is a whopping 15,000 square feet, offering tons of privacy with its tall hedges, as well as room to entertain the rest of the Kar-Jenner gang.

Her sister, Kylie Jenner, 28, has shared some photos online with Kendall’s house being the backdrop, including one shot of her gorgeous stone chimney and massive balcony.

However, Kendall has primarily refrained from posting many shots of her stunning property, that is until last month when she shared a TikTok showcasing a day in the life of the Calvin Klein model.

The post showed pictures of Kendall with her horses, and one of a beautiful flower centerpiece on a wooden table in her black kitchen.

Kendall previously owned a Spanish-style mansion in Beverly Hills, which she purchased in 2017 for $8.5 million.

Kris and Caitlyn Jenner’s daughter is known for being much more private about her personal life than her other sisters, despite being on reality TV since her teen years.

SQUASHING RUMORS

Which is why it came as a shock to some fans when she addressed some long-standing plastic surgery rumors during a January 9th appearance on the In Your Dreams podcast.

Fans had long claimed that Kendall went under the knife to achieve her apparent physical transformation.

The reality star cleared the air and insisted that she’d “never had any plastic surgery to her face,” and admitted to only getting “Baby Botox” in her forehead.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/15783834/kendall-jenner-mansion-aerial-horse-ranch-montecito-home/

FEDERAL officials say the ICE agent who killed Renee Good was left with ‘internal bleeding‘ after the chaotic Minneapolis encounter.

The Department of Homeland Security said the agent was struck in his torso and taken to the hospital following the January 7 shooting.

The fatal confrontation unfolded in a residential neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is now under FBI investigation.

Authorities have identified the agent as Jonathan Ross, who was hospitalized after the gunfire.

Ross shot Good, 37, while she was behind the wheel of her SUV.

DHS has insisted Ross was struck by Good’s vehicle as she tried to drive away from the scene.

Good’s family and local leaders have countered that she was attempting to leave the area, not attack anyone.

The New York Times analysis of the footage has also suggested Ross may not have been hit by the SUV.

DHS said Wednesday the extent of Ross’s injuries was still unclear, even as it confirmed the internal bleeding.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said last week the agent was treated at a hospital, a message later echoed by President Donald Trump.

Video from the scene showed Ross walking away from the vehicle after shots were fired.

Footage also appeared to show other agents leaving the area before the investigation got underway.

DHS has said Ross feared for his life and the lives of other agents when he opened fire.

WHAT HAPPENED

Before the shooting, Good’s SUV had been stopped across the street, with video showing her waving other cars around.

Ross and other agents then got out of a truck and walked toward her.

Ross was seen moving around the SUV and filming as he approached.

As Good appeared to turn to drive away, Ross was positioned in front of the vehicle.

At that moment, Ross fired at the SUV.

One bullet struck the windshield, while two more shots went through the open driver’s side window, hitting Good.

The SUV then sped down the street and slammed into a phone pole, the reports said.

Protests flared in the hours after the shooting, as immigration enforcement continued in the Twin Cities.

Democrats at the local and federal level have demanded a full accounting of the use of force.

On Tuesday, prosecutors resigned amid reports of pressure from the Justice Department to scrutinize Good’s wife, rather than Ross’ actions.

Calls have grown for an impartial probe led by local agencies, not solely the federal government.

GOFUNDME CONTROVERSY

A GoFundMe set up for Ross has raised more than $700,000, sparking concern about money flowing to someone tied to a shooting still being investigated.

A GoFundMe spokesperson told Newsweek the company’s Trust and Safety team “is currently reviewing all fundraisers related to the shooting in Minneapolis to ensure they are compliant with our Terms of Service.”

The spokesperson added the team is “working to gather additional information from the organizer” of the fundraiser.

Billionaire Bill Ackman wrote on X: “I am big believer in our legal principal that one is innocent until proven guilty.”

“To that end, I supported the @gofundme for Jonathan Ross and intended to similarly support the gofundme for Renee Good’s family (her gofundme was closed by the time I attempted to provide support),” he added.

“The whole situation is a tragedy. An officer doing his best to do his job, and a protester who likely did not intend to kill the officer but whose actions in a split second led to her death.

Our country is stronger if we work together to resolve the complex issues that are tearing us apart.”

A letter signed by 160 members of Congress urged action, stating, “What is clear is that DHS must take immediate steps to preserve evidence, bring in unbiased investigative partners like the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension..

..and ensure the officers involved comply fully with investigators. The American public deserves the guarantee of a professional, unbiased and thorough investigation.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15782689/renee-good-minnesota-shooting-ice-agent-ross-internal-bleeding/

An illegal Venezuelan migrant was shot in the leg by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis after he allegedly fled during a traffic stop and beat the “ambushed” officer with a snow shovel Wednesday evening, the Department of Homeland Security said.

The suspect was behind the wheel when he tried to get away from federal immigration officers at around 6:50 p.m. local time, but he crashed into a parked car, according to DHS.

The migrant then tried to escape on foot and “violently assault[ed] the officer” as the two wrestled on the ground, according to an X post from the agency.

While the man continued to struggle with the officer, two other people emerged from a nearby apartment and allegedly mercilessly attacked the agent with a snow shovel and broom handle, the department said.

In the chaos, the Venezuelan migrant was able to wriggle out of the officer’s hold and also allegedly started striking him “with a shovel or broom stick,” according to the post.

The officer, “fearing for his life,” shot the Venezuelan man in the leg, DHS said.

The wounded migrant and the two alleged attackers then fled into the apartment and barricaded themselves inside, according to the agency.

Federal agents were eventually able to get inside and apprehended all three individuals.

The officer and the injured suspect were both taken to a nearby hospital, and the two attackers were taken into custody, DHS said.

The department said that the suspect they were originally apprehending is an illegal immigrant who entered the US in 2022.

Multiple sources told the Minnesota Star Tribune earlier Wednesday evening that a series of gunshots rang out after a car chase that tore through part of the Twin Cities.

KARE reported that federal agents swarmed around North Lyndale Avenue and 25th Avenue, which is near a 21-acre park, just before 8 p.m. local time.

A photographer with the outlet observed at least one ambulance leaving the area.

Angry protesters later swarmed the shooting scene and began hurling fireworks at police officers, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a late-night press briefing.

Cops tossed tear gas canisters at the protesters in response.

“The crowd is engaging in unlawful acts,” O’Hara said.

“I urge anyone who is at the scene to leave immediately. This is already a very tense situation and we do not need this to escalate any further,” the chief added.

Mayor Jacob Frey also slammed the destructive protesters — claiming they were taking President Trump’s “bait.”

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/14/us-news/minneapolis-officials-investigate-reports-of-another-shooting-involving-federal-agents/

Iran closed its airspace Wednesday to most flights amid widespread protests and tensions with the US.

The Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) warning was issued by Tehran just after 5 p.m. ET and barred all flights except international flights to and from Iran with permission, according to FlightRadar24.

The warning is valid for just over two hours.

Only five aircraft were visible over Iran’s airspace at the time the NOTAM was issued, the flight tracking website showed.

The temporary closure came after President Trump signaled that he was satisfied the Iranian regime was not executing anti-government protesters and implied US military action against Iran was not imminent.

“We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping. It’s stopped. It’s stopping, and there’s no plan for executions,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

“So I’ve been told that a good authority — we will find out about it. I’m sure if it happens, we’ll all be very upset… but that’s just gotten to me, the information that the killing has stopped, that the executions have stopped, they’re not going to have an execution.”

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/14/world-news/iran-closes-airspace-to-most-flights-as-tensions-with-us-escalate/

Vanessa and Kai Trump were spotted dressed to the nines for Tiger Woods’ massive 50th birthday bash.

The lavish soirée — said to be taking place at luxury Florida resort The Breakers on Wednesday — counted Vanessa, 48, and Kai, 18, among the high-profile guests.

In exclusive snapshots obtained by Page Six, the ex-wife of Donald Trump, Jr. rocked a form-fitting black spaghetti strap frock with a corset lace up in the back for the occasion, pairing the look with red platform heels.

Her daughter Kai, meanwhile, donned a red silk floor-length cutout gown and a cast on her left arm — she recently announced via Instagram that she had surgery on her wrist.

Both wore their hair in sleek straight styles.

The mother-daughter duo were snapped entering the upscale party, where they fêted the 82-time PGA Tour winner on his milestone birthday.

In another photo, the University of Miami student strapped a small handbag over her casted arm while making her way inside.

Snapshots from inside the bash showed suited waiters balancing plates of food as guests mingled.

Kai and Vanessa were also seen making their way — with a crowd of guests — into a room for the party while showing off their respective formalwear.

The birthday guest of honor, Woods, was also snapped at the event wearing a traditional black tuxedo.

Kai also modeled her eye-catching red dress alongside her mother in an Instagram post Wednesday evening — in one photo, she also posed solo ahead of the athlete’s big event.

Per Front Office Sports, guests were told to “wear a touch of red” in honor of the golf great’s “Sunday Red” tradition — which saw him wearing red polo shirts on each final day of competition and later inspired his own clothing label.

The outlet also reported ahead of the event that “Livin on a Prayer” rocker Jon Bon Jovi was expected to perform for roughly 300 guests, and that the menu is reportedly inspired by the golf icon’s Augusta National Gold Club Masters Champion Dinners.

The event is reportedly hosted by Woods’ TGR Foundation, and it will also be “the official launch of the nonprofit’s 30th anniversary campaign,” per the outlet.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/01/14/celebrity-news/vanessa-kai-trump-attend-tiger-woods-50th-birthday-party/

Danish and Greenlandic officials said they still have a “fundamental disagreement” with President Donald Trump over Greenland after meeting in Washington with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Iran’s protests face an information blackout, fueling a surge of AI-generated videos and recycled footage online. DW Fact check investigates how disinformation thrives when truth is hard to verify.

Iran has been witnessing anti-regime protests for more than two weeks, with demonstrations reported in several cities and towns. Verifying protest-related content has become increasingly challenging. Internet restrictions and tight control over information flows have created an information vacuum, meaning much of the footage circulating online cannot be independently confirmed.

Access to reliable information from inside Iran remains extremely limited. Foreign media outlets can barely report from within the country, and citizens documenting protests face serious risks. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported on Wednesday that at least 2,400 people have been killed in a bloody security crackdown during the latest wave of protests, while some rights groups claim the number is even higher.

Experts say this lack of access is not new but part of a long-standing strategy by the Iranian regime. Sara Bazoobandi, a senior researcher and non-resident fellow at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University in Germany, explains that internet shutdowns are a deliberate tactic to create doubt when people cannot share information.

“And for us to be confused with who is telling the truth,” Bazoobandi tells DW.

Authorities have imposed an almost total shutdown of internet and phone services. International calls were possible only intermittently after days of disruption. These constraints shape which images and videos reach audiences inside and outside the country, opening the door for disinformation and misinformation.

AI-generated videos fill the vacuum

NASA has ended Crew-11’s space stay a few weeks early due to a “lingering risk” to an astronaut’s health. The crew is now on its way back to Earth.

A SpaceX capsule departed the International Space Station (ISS) carrying four astronauts on Wednesday, in an emergency return flight due to the ailing health of a crew member.

This is the first time NASA has cut short a space crew’s mission due to a health emergency. Officials did not identify which of the four astronauts on board was facing the said issues, citing privacy concerns.

The affected crew member “was and continues to be in stable condition,” NASA official Rob Navias said.

The Crew Dragon capsule, dubbed Endeavor, undocked from the ISS and began its descent orbit at about 5:20 p.m. EST (2220 GMT) and will splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast after a nearly 11-hour flight.

A live NASA webcast showed the departure with the crew members strapped into their seats, seated side-by-side.

Who’s is onboard the Endevaor?

The SpaceX Crew-11 consists of two US astronauts, Zena Cardman, 38, and Mike Fincke, 58; Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui, 55; and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, 39.

They had flown to the space station from Florida in August and were originally meant to stay till mid-February.

Finckle, a retired Air Force colonel and the flight’s pilot, said everyone was safe: “First and foremost, we are all OK. Everyone on board is stable, safe, and well cared for.”

“This was a deliberate decision to allow the right medical evaluations to happen on the ground, where the full range of diagnostic capability exists. It’s the right call, even if it’s a bit bittersweet.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/four-astronauts-exit-iss-in-first-ever-medical-evacuation/a-75511073

The US and UK are reducing the number of personnel at the Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, as US President Donald Trump considers whether to take action against Iran over its crackdown on anti-government protests.

Officials have told CBS, the BBC’s US partner, that the partial American withdrawal was a “precautionary measure”. The BBC understands some UK military personnel are also being removed.

A Qatari government statement said the measures reportedly being taken by the US were “in response to the current regional tensions”.

The Foreign Office has also temporarily closed the British embassy in Tehran, which will now operate remotely, a government spokesperson said.

The US embassy in Doha has advised its personnel to exercise increased caution and limit non-essential travel to the Al-Udeid air base.

Iran closed its airspace from 02:45 local time (22:15 GMT) on Thursday to almost all flights, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration’s website.

The closure was initially due to last two hours, but was later extended to 08:00 local time (03:30 GMT), according to the Reuters news agency.

Several airlines have announced they will reroute flights around Iran in response, including Air India and Germany’s Lufthansa.

Air India warned that passengers could experience delays or cancellations as flights through the region were rerouted. Lufthansa issued a statement confirming its flights would avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace “until further notice”.

According to rights groups, more than 2,400 anti-government demonstrators have been killed in the recent violent crackdown by the Iranian authorities.

Regarding the removal of military personnel, the Qatari government said it would continue to “implement all necessary measures to safeguard the security and safety of its citizens and residents as a top priority, including actions related to the protection of critical infrastructure and military facilities”.

A UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson declined to comment on reports that UK personnel were being withdrawn “due to operational security”.

Al-Udeid is the largest US military base in the Middle East and about 10,000 personnel are based there, as well as about 100 UK staff. It is not clear how many will be leaving.

Earlier this week, Trump warned the US would take “very strong action” against Iran if the authorities execute protesters. Iran has said it will retaliate if attacked by the US.

On Wednesday, he said his administration had been told “on good authority” that “the killing in Iran is stopping, and there’s no plan for executions”.

When questioned by a reporter, Trump said that these were “very important sources on the other side” and that he hoped the reports were true.

The US president was also asked whether military action was now off the table, to which he replied: “We’re going to watch and see what the process is.”

The Reuters news agency, citing diplomats, reported that while some personnel had been told to leave the Al-Udeid air base, there was no immediate sign of large numbers of troops being bussed out like in the hours before an Iranian strike last year.

Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned Donald Trump to “not repeat the same mistake that you did in June,” adding: “You know, if you try a failed experience, you will get the same result.”

He also responded to reports of a 26-year-old man whose family say he had been sentenced to death in Iran, saying that “hanging is out of the question” and there would be “no hanging today or tomorrow”.

As well as the temporary closure of the British embassy in Tehran, the US Mission to Saudi Arabia has advised its personnel and citizens to “exercise increased caution and limit non-essential travel to any military installations in the region”.

Italy and Poland have published statements urging their citizens to leave Iran, while Germany has issued a notice to air operators recommending that flights do not enter Tehran, citing potential risk from “escalating conflict and anti-aviation weaponry”.

Iran’s government has accused the US of seeking to “manufacture a pretext for military intervention”, with the parliament speaker warning that if the US attacked, both Israeli and US military and shipping centres in the region would become legitimate targets.

The latest protests in Iran began at the end of December following the collapse of the currency and as the country deals with soaring living costs.

They quickly widened into demands for political change and became one of the most serious challenges to the clerical establishment since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c701xywwxw8o

Starlink has reportedly waived monthly subscription payments for users inside Iran after its government shut down the internet last Thursday – cutting off millions of people from their families, livelihoods and access to information, during a deadly crackdown on protests.

The satellite technology has become a vital communications lifeline for some of those in the country trying to tell the outside world what has been happening on the ground in recent days.

Two people in Iran told BBC Persian their device was running on Tuesday night even though they had not been keeping up with subscription payments. The director of an organisation that helps Iranians get online also told BBC Persian that Starlink had been made free.

The satellite technology, which belongs to Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, provides internet to tens of thousands of people in Iran, despite the fact it is illegal there. Since the internet was shut down, it has become one of the last, if not the last, remaining channels for Iranians to communicate with the outside world.

The BBC has approached SpaceX to confirm it has waived the fee, but they are yet to respond.

Using the service in Iran carries a punishment of up to two years in prison and authorities have reportedly been searching for Starlink dishes to stop people from connecting to the internet.

“They’re going onto rooftops and checking the surrounding buildings,” says Parsa – not his real name – who spoke to BBC Persian using a Starlink connection.

“What people need to know is that the government is searching areas where a lot of footage has come out, so they need to be even more cautious,” he says.

The device operates like a mobile phone mast in space, using a constellation of satellites to communicate with small dishes on the ground with a built-in WiFi router.

But the device is costly and beyond the means of many in Iran – so making it free may lead to its wider use.

Speaking to Al Jazeera TV on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the internet had been cut off “after we confronted terrorist operations and realised orders were coming from outside the country”.

Iran’s Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed internet restrictions were imposed to stop foreign social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram being used “to organise violence and unrest.”

Human rights groups have condemned the blanket blackout as an abuse of power and a spokesperson for the UN’s Human rights office told the BBC the shutdown “impacts the works of those documenting human rights violations.”

So far, one human rights group has confirmed the killing of more than 2,400 protesters during the unrest, as well as almost 150 people affiliated with security forces, although these numbers are believed to be much higher.

It is difficult to gauge the true scale of bloodshed because, like other international news organisations, the BBC is not able to report from inside the country.

The internet shutdown has also made it hard to gather and verify evidence of what is happening on the ground.

“I think a lot of people are connected, but only a very small number are taking the risk of sending information out,” explains Parsa.

According to human rights organisation Witness, at least 50,000 people are using Starlink to access the internet.

Mahsa Alimardani, who works as its associate director for technology, threats and opportunities, says the Iranian authorities have tried “aggressively jamming” Starlink to stop people accessing the internet but it has not been successful. “That’s why they are resorting to physical confiscations,” she adds.

But those who are taking the risk are going to great lengths. One man who spoke to BBC Persian said he travelled almost 1,000km (620 miles) to a border area so he could use mobile networks of neighbouring countries to send video he recorded.

The scene he witnessed – of a huge number of bodies lying on the ground at a forensic medical centre in Tehran – was so distressing that he felt compelled to share it, he told the BBC.

The Iranian government has a long track record of spying on its citizens, including digitally, to tighten its grip on society.

Phishing techniques have reportedly been used to hack phones and access people’s data and Iran’s access to the internet is largely restricted to a domestic service that mimics a private intranet.

Access to Western social media platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram is blocked, meaning Iranians have to use virtual private networks (VPNs) in order to access them.

But despite this, Instagram is one of the most popular platforms in Iran, with an estimated 50 million users.

Though some news is being shared online, experts say the Iranian government aims to control the narrative by limiting what information gets out.

Ana Diamond, research associate at the Oxford Disinformation and Extremism Lab, says the government is weaponising information by carefully curating it.

“Such material is designed less to inform than to condition; to almost normalise casualties, especially as the Iranian government calls them rioters, eroding collective resistance, and preparing the public – both inside and outside of Iran – for escalations of violence that may be yet to come if the protests continue,” Diamond says.

Despite the dangers, Starlink has become indispensable for many Iranians communicating what is happening inside the country to the rest of the world.

“I’d rather not think about it [getting caught]. It can be very frightening,” Parsa says.

On Tuesday, Iranian intelligence forces said they had seized a large consignment of Starlink kits allegedly intended for “espionage and sabotage operations” inside the country.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r4veg0rrzo

At least 32 people have been killed and 66 others injured after a construction crane fell onto a moving train in north-east Thailand.

The crane derailed the train and crushed some of its carriages, one of which caught fire. A one-year-old and an 85-year-old are among those injured, with seven people in critical condition, say authorities.

Officials say some 171 passengers were on board the train when the accident occurred at around 09:00 local time (02:00 GMT).

Thai state railways says it is taking legal action against the construction company responsible for the crane. The Italian-Thai Development Company expressed regret, saying it would compensate families of the dead and injured.

The train had been travelling from Bangkok to north-eastern Ubon Ratchathani province when the accident occurred. It was carrying mostly students and workers travelling for school and work in other districts.

Local outlet The Nation reported that the incident occurred while the crane was lifting a large concrete section which dropped on to the train, causing several coaches to derail.

One survivor, train staff member Thirasak Wongsoongnern, told local media that he and the other passengers were thrown into the air after the crane fell on them.

An eyewitness, Maliwan Nakthon, told BBC Thai that she witnessed the moment the crane collapsed. “There were small pieces, like fragments of concrete, that started falling,” she said. “After those fell, the crane slowly slid down and hit. It struck hard, and then it came down and crushed the train.

“The whole incident took less than one minute,” she added.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is due to visit the scene later on Wednesday, called for “someone [to] be punished and held accountable” for the incident, which is being investigated.

“Accidents like this can only happen due to negligence, skipped steps, deviations from the design, or the use of incorrect materials,” Anutin said.

The crane was being used to build an overhead railway that is part of a US$5.4bn (£4bn) China-backed project to link Bangkok with neighbouring Laos, where a Chinese-built high-speed line is already running to south-western China.

Known officially as the Bangkok-Nong Khai HSR Development for Regional Connectivity, the Italian-Thai Development Company is listed as the firm in charge of the Lam Takhong-Sikhio section where the incident took place.

The State Railway of Thailand has announced that it is suing the company. The initial cost of damages for the train carriages alone is reported to be more than 100 million baht (US$3.1m).

One of Thailand’s biggest contractors, the company was responsible for the construction of a Bangkok skyscraper that collapsed last March during an earthquake. Last year the company’s president and several designers and engineers were charged with professional negligence over that incident. Some have denied wrongdoing.

The Chinese embassy in Thailand said that no Chinese construction companies or workers were involved in the collapse, Chinese state media reported.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqz7v1507ro

Scientists want to use the bacteria living in your gut and mouth to help you sleep better at night.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to keep protesting and remember the names of those abusing them, saying help is on the way, as Iran’s clerical establishment pressed its crackdown against the biggest demonstrations in years.
Iran in turn accused Trump of encouraging political destabilization and inciting violence.

He said he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the “senseless killing” of protesters stopped and in a later speech told Iranians to “save the name of the killers and the abusers … because they’ll pay a very big price.”
An Iranian official said about 2,000 people had been killed, the first time authorities have given an overall death toll from more than two weeks of nationwide unrest.
U.S.-based rights group HRANA said that of the 2,003 people whose deaths it had confirmed, 1,850 were protesters. It said 16,784 people had been detained, a sharp increase from the figure it gave on Monday.

Asked what he meant by “help is on its way”, Trump told reporters they would have to figure that out. Trump has said military action is among the options he is weighing to punish Iran over the crackdown.
“The killing looks like it’s significant, but we don’t know yet for certain,” said Trump upon returning to the Washington area from Detroit, adding he would know more after receiving a report on Tuesday evening about the Iran protests.
“We’ll act accordingly,” he said.
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday urged American citizens to leave Iran now including by land through Turkey or Armenia.

IRAN POINTS TO U.S. AND ISRAEL

Iranian authorities previously accused the U.S. and Israel of fomenting the unrest.
In response to Trump’s social media post that “help is on the way,” Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani said the U.S. president was inciting violence, threatening the country’s sovereignty and security and seeking to destabilize the government.

“The United States and the Israeli regime bear direct and undeniable legal responsibility for the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives, particularly among the youth,” he wrote in a letter to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday.
Russia on Tuesday condemned “subversive external interference” in Iran’s internal politics, saying any repeat of last year’s U.S. strikes would have “disastrous consequences” for the Middle East and international security.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Monday he had continued to communicate with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and that Tehran was studying ideas proposed by Washington.

TRUMP WARNS AGAINST ANY EXECUTIONS

In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Trump vowed “very strong action” if Iran started hanging protesters, but again did not elaborate. “If they hang them, you’re going to see some things,” Trump said.
According to the Norway-based Iran Human Rights Society, hangings are common in Iranian prisons.
Hengaw, an Iranian Kurdish rights group, has reported that a 26-year-old man, Erfan Soltani, arrested in connection with protests in the city of Karaj, will be executed on Wednesday. Authorities had told the family that the death sentence was final, Hengaw reported, citing a source close to the family.
Reuters could not independently confirm the report and state media has not reported any death sentences so far.
Communications restrictions, including an internet blackout have hampered the flow of information in Iran. The U.N. said phone service had been restored but the internet still faced restrictions.
Holistic Resilience, a U.S. organization that works to expand information access in repressive or closed societies, said on Tuesday that billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service was now available for free in Iran.
The unrest, sparked by dire economic conditions, has posed the biggest internal challenge to Iran’s rulers for at least three years and has come at a time of intensifying international pressure after Israeli and U.S. strikes last year.
The U.S. president on Monday announced 25% import tariffs on products from any country doing business with Iran – a major oil exporter. China, which buys much of Iran’s oil exports, swiftly criticized the move.

NO SIGNS OF FRACTURE

The protests began on December 28 over the fall in value of the currency and have grown into wider demonstrations and calls for the fall of the clerical establishment.
Iran’s authorities have taken a dual approach, cracking down while also calling protests over economic problems legitimate. So far there are no signs of fracture in the security elite that could bring down the clerical system in power since a 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/iranian-mp-warns-greater-unrest-urging-government-address-grievances-2026-01-13/

U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to slap a 25% tariff on countries that trade with Iran risks reopening old wounds with Beijing, Tehran’s biggest trading partner.
Iran became a flashpoint in U.S.-China ties during Trump’s 2017-21 first term as president as Washington tightened sanctions on Tehran and put China’s Huawei, accused of selling technology to the Islamic Republic, in its crosshairs.

The arrest of Meng Wenzhou, the daughter of Huawei’s founder, in Canada at Washington’s request sparked retaliation and a hostage crisis, with bitter recriminations lingering for the remainder of Trump’s first administration.

With Iran in his sights once again, the duty would see Chinese shipments to the U.S. incurring levies exceeding 70%, higher than the effective 57.5% tariffs in place before Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping struck a deal in October to de-escalate their trade war.
It remains unclear which countries with Iranian business links Trump might target, and he has not named China. The U.S. president has also made offhand remarks that threatened to upend U.S. foreign policy without acting on them before.
“China will call (Trump’s) bluff. I can assure you that Trump has no guts to impose the extra 25% tariffs on China, and if he does, China will retaliate and he will be punished,” said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, “just like in Meng Wenzhou’s case.”

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Some Chinese experts questioned why Trump seemed intent on revisiting one of the most contentious foreign policy issues from his first term, despite having already made Beijing think twice about providing economic support to Tehran.
“China and Iran are not as close as in the public imagination,” said a Beijing-based Chinese academic who advises the foreign ministry on Iran policy, and requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to media.
China has sharply reduced Iranian imports in recent years, according to Chinese customs data, with Chinese companies wary of being sanctioned by the U.S. government. China bought just $2.9 billion of Iranian goods in the first 11 months of last year, the latest customs figures show, compared with a peak of $21 billion in 2018 during Trump’s first presidency.

That said, Beijing moves around 80% of Iran’s shipped oil through small independent refiners trading off the books to skirt U.S. sanctions over the country’s nuclear ambitions.
China’s state-backed oil majors have not done any business with Iran since 2022. Some analysts say the independents’ shipments means the total value of China’s purchases remains in the tens of billions of dollars.
“China is just an excuse, a kind of disguise for the Trump administration, to impose new pressure (on) Iran,” said Wang Jin at the Beijing Club for International Dialogue think tank.
When asked at Tuesday’s regular press conference on Trump’s tariff threat, China’s foreign ministry said that Beijing would “resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests”.

HIGH STAKES

Still, Iran remains substantially bigger business for China than Venezuela, where Trump acted to curb Beijing’s stake with a commando raid to capture President Nicolas Maduro to face drug charges in the United States.
Analysts said Trump’s renewed push to cut off Iran from global trade flows is likely to deepen scrutiny of Xi’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative, where Iran is a strategic hub for the passage of Chinese goods to the Middle East.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trumps-iran-tariff-threat-risks-reopening-china-rift-2026-01-13/

Residents in Greenland’s snow-covered capital, Nuuk, expressed support for remaining part of Denmark and called for a pause in independence discussions ahead of high-level talks in Washington on Wednesday, as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies his interest in the Arctic island.
Greenlandic and Danish foreign ministers will meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday after renewed threats of taking control over Greenland, an autonomous territory Denmark.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterated Greenland’s commitment to Denmark, dismissing the prospect of becoming a U.S. territory.
“We face a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the U.S. and Denmark here and now, then we choose Denmark,” Nielsen told reporters in Copenhagen on Tuesday, standing alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. “We stand united in the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Greenland’s political landscape appears to be shifting, with leaders and residents focusing on long-term independence rather than immediate autonomy.
“In the current circumstances, I think it would be wise for Greenland to commit to Denmark for a very, very long time and remain under the NATO security umbrella,” said Finn Meinel, a Nuuk-based lawyer.

Some Greenlanders are worried about potential U.S. intervention. Charlotte Heilmann, a pensioner in Nuuk, shared her reservations: “I can’t imagine living as an American. We are part of Denmark, and NATO, so I don’t understand why he keeps saying he wants to take our country.”
Casper Frank Moller, a tour operator, noted how U.S. threats have brought Greenlanders closer together. “Last year, some people were still focused on fast independence. But after what has happened, there’s more unity among us because we have to stand against this possible annexation. Hopefully, tomorrow’s meeting will lead to a diplomatic solution.”

‘FOR US, IT’S HOME’

Greenland has been moving towards greater self-governance since 1979. However, cabinet minister Naaja Nathanielsen, responsible for business, energy, and minerals, acknowledged there is no immediate rush.

“For others, this might be a piece of land, but for us, it’s home,” she said in London. Nathanielsen added that Greenlanders are content being part of Denmark and see themselves as allies of the U.S., not as Americans.
Trump’s administration has repeatedly claimed Greenland’s strategic importance to U.S. national security. White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under U.S. control, including potential use of the U.S. military and lump-sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark.

‘THE HARDEST PART IS AHEAD’

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt had requested the upcoming meeting in Washington in response to Trump’s remarks. Rasmussen emphasized the importance of addressing disputes diplomatically. “Our aim is to move the discussion into a meeting room where we can look each other in the eye,” he said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/denmark-greenland-foreign-ministers-meet-vance-rubio-wednesday-amid-trumps-2026-01-13/

Two Ukrainians have been accused of planning sabotage attacks for Russian spy services. Meanwhile, Germany’s foreign minister has played down the US threat to Greenland.

The Adelaide Writers’ Week retracted an invitation to an Australian-Palestinian author, citing the the Bondi Beach attack. Dozens, including the event’s director and the former PM of New Zealand, withdrew in response.

Organizers canceled the 2026 Adelaide Writers’ Week festival on Tuesday, after some 180 international and Australian authors withdrew from the event in protest of the scrapping of an appearance by an Australian-Palestinian author and academic.

The event’s director Louise Adler, the Jewish daughter of Holocaust survivors, said she was quitting her role on Tuesday, shortly before the festival was called off altogether.

Organizers apologized to novelist and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah on Tuesday, saying it regretted how its decision was represented, but the author responded saying she rejected the “disingenuous” apology.

What led to the boycott and eventually the festival’s halt?

Organizers had announced on January 8 that they would disinvite Abdel-Fattah, because “it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time, so soon after Bondi.”

This was a reference to the 15 people killed in December in a shooting targeting a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that a national day of mourning would be held on January 22 to remember those killed.

Abdel-Fattah called her exclusion “a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship.”

The event made no connection to Abdel-Fattah and the attack at Bondi Beach, which police believe was perpetrated by a man inspired by the Islamic State militant group, except to say she was being excluded “given her previous statements.”

Born in Australia to Palestinian and Egyptian parents, Abdel-Fattah often writes about Islamophobia and had been invited to speak about her novel Discipline. The book follows two Muslims, a journalist and a university student, navigating issues of censorship in Sydney. She has been a critic of the Israeli government and an advocate for Palestinians throughout the two-year war in Gaza, perhaps most starkly in a video shared in October 2024 when she said that Israel “has and never had a right to exist.”

String of writers and contributors withdraw

Dozens of participants pulled out of the event in response, eventually including New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, former Greek Finance Minister Janis Varoufakis, Australian author Kathy Lette, Latvian-Australian former journalist Peter Greste and Pulitzer Prize-winning ‌American Percival Everett.

Three board members and director Louise Adler also resigned, with an open letter of protest by Adler published in The Guardian on Tuesday.

“The Adelaide Festival board’s decision — despite my strongest opposition — to disinvite the Australian Palestinian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah from Adelaide Writers’ Week weakens freedom of speech and is the harbinger of a less free nation, where lobbying and political pressure determine who gets to speak and who doesn’t,” she wrote.

Adler also said she was ​disappointed the premier of South Australia state, Peter Malinauskas, had backed the board’s decision.

Organizers apologize but Abdel-Fattah calls the gesture ‘disingenuous’

The Adelaide Festival board apologized to Abdel-Fattah when announcing the February event would not go ahead on Tuesday.

It said it had taken the decision “out of respect for a community experiencing the pain from a devastating event,” but that it now saw that it “has created more division.”

“We also apologize to Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah for how the decision was represented and reiterate this is not about identity or dissent but rather a continuing rapid shift in the national discourse about the breadth of freedom of expression in our nation following Australia’s worst terror attack in our history,” it said.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/australia-writers-festival-called-off-amid-boycott/a-75485050

Uganda’s authorities have shut down rights groups, arrested opponents and their supporters, now they’ve turned off the internet. After 40 years in office, President Yoweri Museveni has no intention of stepping down now.

Uganda’s government has continued its harsh crackdown on dissent in the country ahead of a Thursday election that the United Nations Human Rights Office says is taking place in an atmosphere of repression and intimidation.

Recently, the Ugandan government ordered local rights groups to halt work investigating election integrity. Now, it has initiated a total internet blackout.

The blackout was confirmed by web tracker NetBlocks.

In a post on X, NetBlocks said, “Live network data show a nation-scale disruption to internet connectivity in Uganda.”

Journalists in the capital Kampala say they lost internet access after the Uganda Communications Commission ordered internet providers cut access to prevent the spread of “misinformation” and electoral fraud.

Some international phone calls were also being blocked said the journalists.

UN has been condemning pre-election abuses in Uganda for months

A November UN report claimed that Ugandan authorities began detaining ⁠hundreds of opposition supporters well ‍ahead of a January 15 election in which President Yoweri Museveni looks to extend his four-decade rule over the country.

Museveni came ⁠to power in 1986 after leading a five-year rebellion. He is currently Africa’s third-longest ruling head of state.

Museveni has changed ‌the constitution twice to remove age and term limits and his control of institutions leaves no room for an election upset in the East African country of 46 million.

The two watchdogs told to stop ‍their work this week had denounced rights ​violations ​including the arbitrary detention and torture of opposition supporters and journalists.

The UN said Friday that police and military had used live ammunition to ‍disperse peaceful rallies, made random arrests and renditioned opposition supporters ahead of the vote.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/uganda-crackdown-internet-blackout-ahead-of-vote/a-75495205

The US government has given chip giant Nvidia the green light to sell its advanced artificial intelligence (AI) processors in China, the Department of Commerce said on Tuesday.

The H200, Nvidia’s second-most-advanced semiconductor, had been restricted by Washington over concerns that it would give China’s technology industry and military an edge over the US.

The Commerce Department said the chips can be shipped to China granted that there is sufficient supply of the processors in the US.

President Donald Trump said last month that he would allow the chip sales to “approved customers” in China and collect a 25% fee.

Nvidia’s spokesperson told the BBC that the company welcomed the move, saying it will benefit manufacturing and jobs in the US.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security said its revised export policy applies to Nvidia’s H200 chips, as well as less advanced processors. Chinese customers must also show “sufficient security procedures” and cannot use the chips for military uses.

The H200 chip is a generation behind Nvidia’s Blackwell processor, which is considered to be the world’s most advanced AI semiconductor and remains blocked from sale in China.

Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu told the BBC on Wednesday that Beijing has consistently opposed the “politicisation and weaponisation of tech and trade issues”.

“We oppose blocking and restricting China, which disrupts the stability of industrial and supply chains,” he said. “This approach does not serve the common interests of both sides.”

Nvidia has been caught in a geopolitical tug-of-war between the US and China – two sides of a global AI race.

Trump reversed the chip-selling restriction last July, but demanded that Nvidia pay a cut of its earnings from China to the US government.

Beijing then reportedly ordered its tech companies to boycott Nvidia’s China-bound chips and prioritise semiconductors made domestically. That move was designed to bolster China’s tech industry, though experts have consistently said that the country’s chips still lag behind the US.

Throughout 2025, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang continually lobbied Washington to allow the sale of the firm’s high-powered chips to China, arguing that global market excess is essential for America’s competitiveness.

Some officials in the US, however, have expressed concerns that the chips would benefit Beijing’s military and hurt America’s progress in AI development.

While Beijing is likely concerned about domestic firms becoming over-reliant on Nvidia, local firms will be eager to secure H200 chips – at least until homegrown alternatives get better, said semiconductor analyst Austin Lyons.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4erx1n04lo

A foul-mouthed flier unleashed on Eric Adams at an airport, prompting the former Big Apple mayor to snap “Go f–k yourself” and warn “You’re gonna see the Brooklyn in me.”

The heated exchange, which was caught on video and posted to Reddit Tuesday, does not show what led up to the argument.

But at one point, the masked passenger tells Hizzoner, “Eric Adams, please punch me in the face. I would like if you punched me in the face.”

“Go f–k yourself…I’m not the mayor anymore,” Adams replied.

The pair got into it while getting off the flight in Dallas.

“You’re gonna see the Brooklyn in me,” the former NYPD captain, 65, snaps as he leans into the woman on the skybridge – prompting the passenger to push him out of her way.

It’s not immediately clear why Adams was in Texas.

On Monday, the one-term mayor, who was born in Brownsville, was in Manhattan announcing his next gig — tackling antisemitism with cryptocurrency.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/13/us-news/eric-adams-tells-heckler-go-f-k-yourself-as-ex-nyc-mayor-gets-booed-at-airport-youre-gonna-see-the-brooklyn-in-me/

Kiefer Sutherland was arrested in Los Angeles following an alleged altercation with a rideshare driver.

The LAPD confirmed to Page Six on Tuesday that officers responded to a call early Monday regarding an alleged assault involving a rideshare driver near Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood.

LAPD, who later identified the suspect as Sutherland, alleges the actor “entered a rideshare vehicle, physically assaulted the driver (the victim), and made criminal threats toward the victim.”

Officers arrested Sutherland for criminal threats.

LAPD noted the alleged victim did not sustain any injuries requiring medical treatment at the scene.

Documents obtained by Page Six on Tuesday confirmed that the “24” star was arrested and booked on Monday with a bail amount set at $50,000.

He was released at 11:30 PM local time the same day, and the Emmy winner is set to appear in court on Feb. 2.

NBC 4 News in Los Angeles was the first to report the news on Tuesday.

A rep for the actor did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.

This isn’t the “Lost Boys” actor’s first brush with the law — Sutherland was previously charged with drunk driving in Los Angeles in September 2007 after failing a field sobriety test.

He was released on $25,000 bail at the time, and the actor pleaded no contest to a DUI charge and was sentenced to 48 days in jail, according to People.

He also faced assault charges after allegedly head-butting fashion designer Jack McCollough in a bizarre 2009 incident in New York following a Metropolitan Museum of Art fundraiser.

McCollough and Sutherland later issued a joint statement — which included an apology by the “Stand By Me” star — and officials dropped charges in the incident, per CNN.

“I am sorry about what happened that night and sincerely regret that Mr. McCollough was injured,” Sutherland said in the statement, with McCollough responding, “I appreciate Mr. Sutherland’s statement and wish him well.”

The “Young Guns” actor has faced a challenging couple of years. His father, Hollywood icon Donald Sutherland, died at the age of 88 in 2024. The actor called his father “one of the most important actors in the history of film” in a social media statement.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/01/13/celebrity-news/kiefer-sutherland-arrested-for-alleged-assault/

US President Donald Trump was caught on camera saying “f**k you” and flashing his middle finger at a heckler during a visit to a Ford manufacturing plant in Detroit. The man, a worker there, allegedly shouted “pedophile protector,” referencing the Epstein files controversy. The viral clip sparked backlash online, though the White House defended Trump’s response as justified.

US President Donald Trump was caught on camera in a heated confrontation with a man during his visit to a Ford manufacturing plant on Tuesday, triggering widespread backlash after the video went viral on social media. The footage, first shared by TMZ, shows the president engaging in an angry exchange, during which he appeared to hurl abuses and make an obscene gesture at the individual.

The video shows Trump pausing as someone in the crowd shouts at him. Moments later, the president appears to mouth the words “f**k you” toward the man. As he resumes walking, Trump is seen raising his middle finger in the direction of the heckler before turning to wave at other attendees present at the event. The brief but explosive moment was quickly clipped and circulated widely online, drawing sharp reactions from both critics and supporters.

According to TMZ, the man who confronted Trump was a worker at the plant and allegedly shouted ‘pedophile protector’ at the president. The remark appeared to reference the late Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted child sex offender whose long-awaited files were recently released by the Trump administration.

However, the documents reportedly contained extensive redactions, leading to public anger and accusations of a lack of transparency. The delays and partial disclosures surrounding the Epstein files have fuelled frustration, with critics accusing the administration of shielding powerful individuals.

White House Terms Trump’s Reaction ‘Appropriate’

An “attempted murder” case in Bangladesh naming ousted PM Sheikh Hasina and 112 others has collapsed after investigators failed to trace the alleged victim or verify any core claims in the complaint. Even as the police are now seeking to drop the charges, they said they were under “pressure” to continue with the case. This substantiates what Hasina’s Awami League said were “ghost cases” and the political pressure on law enforcement officers in the Yunus regime.

An attempted murder case filed during the 2024 Bangladesh protests against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 112 others has unravelled after investigators failed to locate the alleged victim or substantiate the details that were provided as part of the complaint. Though the police want to drop the charges, they are under political pressure not to do so.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), which took over the probe from local police, has told a Dhaka court that the case was riddled with “factual inaccuracies”, ranging from a missing victim to fake identity documents to a complainant who could not be traced at his own stated address. Yet, even as the PBI recommended dropping charges, it acknowledged that it was facing “pressure” over its findings, which would clear the names of Sheikh Hasina and 112 others, including Awami League leaders Sajeeb Wazed Joy (Hasina’s son) and Obaidul Quader, from the case of the “attempted murder”, reported Bangladeshi media outlet, BDNews24.

The episode sheds light on the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration, which came to power promising justice and institutional reform after the 2024 protests. While the PBI’s stance signals that it is resisting the politically convenient prosecutions, its claim of “pressure” suggests a broader retributive political climate where law enforcement is expected to deliver cases against the Awami League regime, even when evidence does not hold.

After the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s regime and Muhammad Yunus taking over, scores of Awami League leaders were booked in what many, including the Hasina-led party, see as arbitrary and politically motivated cases under an Islamist-backed Yunus administration.

The arbitrary nature of such bookings of Awami League members came into focus recently after renowned musician Proloy Chaki, who was linked to the party, died in a hospital while in police custody on Sunday. His son, Sony Chaki, said his father was arrested despite not being named in any case at the time. “He was later shown arrested in an explosives case related to the August 4 violence,” Sony Chaki was quoted as saying by Bangladeshi daily The Daily Star.

‘ATTEMPTED MURDER’ CASE AGAINST HASINA IN BANGLADESH WHOSE VICTIM COULD NOT BE FOUND

The case that has unravelled was filed at Dhaka’s Dhanmondi Police Station on September 3, 2024, by a man identifying himself as Md Sharif, a resident of the city’s Hazaribagh Tannery area.

He alleged that his younger brother, Shahed Ali, 27, had been injured in an “attempted murder” during the protests on August 4, near Meena Bazar at Dhanmondi 27. The FIR, as was the pattern in most such cases after Yunus’s takeover, predictably named 113 accused, including Sheikh Hasina.

Nine other people, described as students of Dhaka College and City College, were also listed as injured. However, just the names of those nine were provided, without addresses or medical records, reported Dhaka-based news outlet, JagoNews24.

Local police initially arrested four suspects. The investigation was later handed over to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).

The PBI is a specialised investigation agency of Bangladesh. It handles complex, sensitive and high-profile cases, often taking over probes from local police when greater expertise or neutrality is required. The PBI reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs and functions as a national-level investigative body in Bangladesh.

BANGLADESH AGENCY JUNKS CASE AGAINST HASINA SAYING IT WAS ‘FUNDAMENTALLY UNRELIABLE’

In a statement issued on Tuesday, after months of media and social media scrutiny, the PBI said it had submitted a final report to court on November 5, citing “factual errors” in the case. However, details only emerged after the PBI’s remarks were revealed recently.

The most damaging finding was that the alleged victim could not be found.

Investigators discovered that “no person named Shahed Ali had ever lived at the address mentioned in the FIR” and that he was not, in fact, the complainant’s brother. Verification showed the National ID number cited in the case was fake and not linked to any registered mobile number, according to BDNews24.

The FIR also claimed Shahed ran a business at Shimanto Square. But the PBI, after enquiring with the market committee and carrying out on-site checks, found “no such person”. College authorities, meanwhile, could not verify the identities of the other nine alleged victims due to the absence of full details.

Despite repeated notices, the complainant failed to produce any victim or provide complete and accurate details, the PBI said, adding that evidence from the alleged crime scene showed that “no such incident had occurred at the stated time and place”, noted the BDNews24 report.

On this basis, the agency concluded that the case was “fundamentally unreliable”. If the case itself was “fundamentally unreliable”, it inevitably raises the question of what basis, if any, existed for booking and arresting people in it in the first place.

Since her ouster in August 2024, Sheikh Hasina has been named in over 225 legal cases in Bangladesh, including more than 130 murder charges and several allegations of crimes against humanity.

On November 17, 2025, she received her first major conviction when the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced her to death for her role in the violent crackdown on student protesters. Then in November 2025, she was convicted in three corruption cases related to land allocation irregularities, resulting in a 21-year prison sentence.

COMPLAINANT VANISHED, FAILED TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE; INVESTIGATORS EXPOSE FAKE IDENTITY, ADDRESS

According to court and investigation sources cited by JagoNews24, even the complainant proved elusive.

At the Hazaribagh address he had provided, the landlord said no one by that name lived there. Verification of his National ID revealed his real name to be Shariful Islam, son of Sirajul Islam, from Mandari in Lakshmipur Sadar, where locals also failed to recognise him.

The mobile number given in the FIR was mostly unreachable, though his WhatsApp account occasionally appeared active.

When investigators finally contacted him and met near Dhanmondi Lake, he was asked to produce the alleged victim and medical documents. He failed to do either. No medical papers were submitted with the FIR.

BANGLADESH’S PBI ‘FACING PRESSURE’ ON HASINA CASE. WHY IT MATTERS

Even as it recommended clearing Hasina and 112 others in the case, the PBI admitted it was “facing pressure” over the report. The agency insisted it is investigating all anti-Hasina protest-related cases “with sincerity”.

It said evidence had been found in 17 general register cases, leading to charge sheets, and that reports had been filed in 67 complaint register cases where incidents were proven.

Given these circumstances, and in the absence of any credible evidence or testimony to back the allegations, the investigation officer recommended that Sheikh Hasina and the remaining 112 accused be acquitted in the final report submitted to the court.

The next hearing in the collapsed attempted murder case is scheduled for February 3.

The case essentially substantiates what the Awami League has repeatedly alleged and accused Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of. The Hasina-led party described these indiscriminate cases against its members as the weaponisation of the legal system through false lawsuits, “ghost cases”, and mass arrests targeting their activists.

The Awami League has said that under the Yunus regime a broader pattern of political persecution emerged, with at least 2,264 cases filed across Bangladesh in the three months leading up to October 2025. These cases led to over 32,000 political arrests, including former ministers, MPs and senior bureaucrats, the party said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/bangladesh-sheikh-hasina-pbi-agency-attempted-murder-case-victim-not-found-muhammad-yunus-2851394-2026-01-14

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said it has identified the misuse of Grok to generate and disseminate harmful content.

Malaysia’s communications regulator said on Tuesday (Jan 13) that it will take legal action against social media platform X due to concerns over user safety in relation to artificial intelligence feature Grok.

The generative AI chatbot Grok has sparked a global backlash by allowing users to create and publish sexualised images, prompting authorities around the world to take action against xAI, the Elon Musk-led firm behind the chatbot.

Malaysia and Indonesia temporarily blocked Grok over the weekend, while Britain’s media regulator on Monday launched an investigation into Musk’s X.

Ofcom is probing X to determine whether ‍sexually intimate deepfakes produced by Grok violated ⁠its ‍duty to protect people in the UK from content that could be illegal, under the country’s Online Safety Act framework.

In France, government ministers said they had referred sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on ⁠X to prosecutors and also alerted French media regulator Arcom to check the platform’s compliance with the European Union’s Digital Services Act.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said it has identified the misuse of Grok to generate and disseminate harmful content, including obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, grossly offensive and non-consensual manipulated images.

“Content allegedly involving women and minors is of serious concern. Such conduct contravenes Malaysian law and undermines the entities’ stated safety commitments,” the commission said in a statement.

xAI replied to a Reuters email seeking comment with what seemed to be an automated response: “Legacy Media Lies.”

X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Malaysia’s communications regulator said it served notices to X and xAI this month to remove the harmful content but said no action has been taken by the firms.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has strict laws governing online content, including a ban on obscene and pornographic materials.

Malaysian authorities consider online gambling, scams, child pornography and grooming, cyberbullying and content related to race, religion and royalty as harmful.

GLOBAL REACTION

Elsewhere, Germany’s media ‍minister Wolfram Weimer called on the European Commission to take legal steps, saying EU rules provided tools to tackle illegal content and alleging the problem risked turning into the “industrialisation of sexual harassment”.

Italy’s data protection authority warned that using AI tools to create “undressed” deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations and, in some cases, criminal offences.

Swedish political leaders have also condemned Grok-generated sexualised “undressing” content after reporting that imagery involving Sweden’s deputy prime minister was produced from a user prompt.

The European Commission has extended a retention order sent to X last year to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026, amid concern over Grok-generated sexualised “undressed” images.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/grok-elon-musk-malaysia-take-legal-action-against-x-over-ai-concerns-5855436

Day trippers and tourists might be returning, but merchants in China’s northeastern Suifenhe town tell CNA the long-awaited spending boom has yet to materialise.

Li Penglin wasn’t planning to make history. He happened to be scrolling through news reports in December when a headline caught his eye: Russian President Vladimir Putin had approved visa-free entry for Chinese tourists.

The next morning, Li was at the border.

The 27-year-old, who works in China’s e-sports industry, lives in Suifenhe, where he also grew up – a county-level city in Heilongjiang province in northernmost China, located merely kilometres away from the border with Russia.

Curiosity drove him to try his luck, Li said – and he wanted to see whether the policy had taken effect.

His arrival took immigration officers by surprise, he added. Phone calls were made and several checks were done before officials gave the green light.

He became the first Chinese national to enter Russia under the new visa-free arrangement – a claim he later relayed to CNA and said border officials had repeated to him.

For Li, the trip wasn’t about making a statement but about satisfying a familiar pull. He had visited Russia several times before and said he was drawn to its food and culture.

“It feels different from China. The food, the streets, the atmosphere – it all feels distinct and closer to that of Europe,” he told CNA.

“It’s just minutes away, but the experience is authentic and different.”

This time, his destination was Grodekovo station in Pogranichny, Primorsky Krai – a modest Russian border town accessible by a 30-minute bus ride from the Suifenhe checkpoint.

Interactions with locals felt easy and friendly, Li said.

His quiet crossing reflects a larger shift unfolding along China’s northeastern edge.

After Beijing began visa-free entry to Russian citizens in September – and with reciprocal travel now running both ways since December – Suifenhe has become frontline testing grounds of warming Chinese-Russian ties – how they are translating into movement, trade and realities on the ground.

Among China’s landlocked neighbours, Russia is the only country to have reciprocated recent visa-free access.

Another comparable policy was visa-free travel by land with Kazakhstan – rolled out in late 2023.

Russia’s opening, however, comes against the backdrop of its ongoing war with Ukraine, sanctions and a deeper strategic tilt between Beijing and Moscow.

Since the war in Ukraine and the Western sanctions that followed, Russia’s pivot east towards China has reshaped daily life in Suifenhe – from the surge in car exports to a rise in Russian shoppers seeking goods and services no longer easily available at home.

In 2023, the Chinese border city handled around 21.5 billion yuan (US$3.07 billion) in trade with Russia – more than one-fifth of Heilongjiang’s Russia-related trade.

Overall China-Russia trade surged in 2023, reaching a record US$240.1 billion – driven by Russia’s pivot away from Western markets and its increasing use of yuan for transactions.

Trade reached new highs of US$244.8 billion in 2024, according to China’s customs data – driven by Russia’s increased demand for Chinese-manufactured goods like cars and electronics.

Against that backdrop, Suifenhe’s Russia-linked trade in 2023 amounts to roughly 1.27 per cent of the bilateral total.

Although Suifenhe’s share of overall China-Russia trade is in line with expectations for a border city, its role is more pronounced in specific segments.

A report noted that in 2023, cargo throughput at the Suifenhe port accounted for about 65 per cent of Heilongjiang province’s total, while its trade with Russia made up nearly 40 per cent of the province’s non-oil Russia-related trade – highlighting the city’s importance as a key hub for general merchandise and non-energy trade along the China-Russia border.

But the effects of this geopolitical alignment have been uneven in Suifenhe.

Russian visitors are returning. Chinese tourists are crossing over more spontaneously. Businesses from car exporters to coal traders have clustered along the border.

Yet shopkeepers and traders say the long-awaited boom has not arrived as suddenly as many have hoped.

Policies open doors but spending power, logistics and broader economic pressures ultimately determine what actually passes through.

A TOWN SHAPED BY CHINA-RUSSIA TIES

Suifenhe is one of the closest Chinese land gateways to Russia.

Perched on China’s northeastern edge, it takes less than 20 minutes to reach the border from the city centre.

Geography has long defined the town’s purpose. Rail links tied it into cross-border commerce as early as the late Qing dynasty, and that legacy endures today.

With a local economy closely linked to its northern neighbour, the town remains one of China’s most important trade gateways with Russia.

Imports – dominated by timber, coal, fertiliser and seafood – totalled roughly 16.8 billion yuan. Exports of machinery, textiles, daily goods, fruits and vegetables reached 8.8 billion yuan.

Russia’s imprint is visible across the local economy. More than 2,800 foreign trade enterprises are registered in Suifenhe, about 80 per cent of them engaged in Russia-related business.

The city’s comprehensive bonded zone handled roughly 4.2 billion yuan in trade in 2023 – with more than 90 per cent linked to Russia. Much of that trade moves by rail.

Suifenhe also hosts one of China’s largest rail ports to Russia, with annual capacity reaching millions of tonnes.

Rail freight volumes reached about 8.5 million tonnes in 2023 – mostly coal and timber, while road ports handled another 450,000 tonnes of goods, according to China Railway Harbin Group figures.

Entire industries have grown around this cross-border flow. Suifenhe imports nearly 4 million cubic metres of Russian timber annually – nearly 30 per cent of China’s total timber imports from Russia – supporting a local wood-processing sector worth roughly 6.5 billion yuan.

Cross-border e-commerce remains small but is growing. A pilot China-Russia cross-border e-commerce clearance platform processes tens of thousands of parcels a day for Russia-related orders.

Retail and tourism are similarly Russia-facing. Before the pandemic, Suifenhe received more than 300,000 Russian visitors annually. Arrivals recovered to around 120,000 in 2023 and accelerated after China’s visa-free trial for Russians and the easing of cross-border restrictions.

The city is dotted with Russian-language signs, restaurants and shops. Market regulators say more than 500 stores sell Russian food and consumer goods, with annual sales estimated to be billions of yuan.

Supporting services – from currency exchange outlets and ruble settlement banks to Russian-language legal and logistics consultants – have grown alongside demand.

For Wang Jianpeng, president of the Suifenhe Authentic Russian Goods Import Association, the change is unmistakable.

“Our association grew from 20 or 30 members a decade ago to more than 100 now,” he told CNA, adding that the overall volume of Russia-linked imports and distribution “has definitely increased”.

But Wang is cautious. “When the exchange rate moves, the market can grow – or disappear,” he said.

FUSS-FREE JOURNEYS ON A WHIM

Since 2023, Beijing and Moscow have elevated bilateral cooperation across trade, transport and cultural exchanges.

When President Xi Jinping met Putin in Moscow on May 8, 2025, both leaders singled out people-to-people ties as a core pillar of the relationship.

On the ground, visa-free travel, alongside expanded trade and transport links, has turned day trips and short visits – that once required careful planning – into journeys that can be made on a whim.

If trade figures and freight volumes show how closely Suifenhe is bound to Russia, the streets show how that relationship is lived.

Rather than mass tourism, the border is seeing a continuation – practical travellers making short, targeted shopping trips and even grocery runs, students and athletes on brief stays, families on day trips, and traders moving goods.

Among them is Anna Ulchenko, a 37-year-old school teacher from Vladivostok. She travelled to Suifenhe to stock up on construction fittings and household items to rebuild her home.

Even after factoring in transport and shipping, she said, Chinese prices still remain attractive.

“Many things are still around 30 to 50 per cent cheaper here,” she said – a steal even if it meant enduring winter cold that dipped to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Over the past year, the Russian ruble has strengthened by more than 20 per cent against the Chinese yuan, narrowing the price gap that once drew bargain hunters.

But for Ulchenko, availability matters as much as cost. “In Russia, the selection is limited,” she said. “Here, Chinese merchants will do their utmost to satisfy your needs.”

Her recent trip to China was also social. She travelled with her son and a family friend’s child. “It’s a good break,” she said. “We shop, we eat, we spend time (together).”

Another Russian traveller, who wanted to only be identified by her first name Elena, makes trips to Suifenhe every month.

The 33-year-old visits friends, stocks up on essentials and uses local medical services like dentist and clinical visits. “Medical technology is very good and prices are at least 30 per cent cheaper,” she told CNA.

“From registration to treatment, (there are also) staff who speak Russian who make you feel at ease,” she added.

Younger travellers combine sports and shopping. Viktor Zolotukhin, a Russian university student, was recently in Suifenhe for a skiing competition and used the trip to buy clothes and gifts. “Things are simply more value for money here,” he said. “Even small purchases add up.”

He also noted how some local Chinese merchants were accepting Russian rubles, as part of an experimental pilot.

“You can pay in rubles,” Zolotukhin said. “That makes shopping easier.”

NEW BORDER ECONOMY

If ruble payments and visa rules have made short trips easier, the deeper shift lies in what now moves across the border – and why.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the wave of Western sanctions that followed, demand has shifted eastward.

The town of Suifenhe has emerged as a node in that reconfigured supply chain.

One of the most visible changes is the surge in vehicle exports.

“Unfortunately, the car industry in Russia is not as well developed as in other countries,” said Igor Sadov, a Russian interpreter working for a foreign firm with a branch in Suifenhe.

He told CNA that many Western brands left the Russian market “after sanctions were introduced against Russia”.

Options were “very limited”, he said, and China’s auto industry is “mature and innovative”. “For customers who wanted more options, they look to China,” Sadov said.

Data from the China Automobile Dealers Association shows that China exported about 420,000 used vehicles to Russia in 2023 – more than five times the previous year – with exports remaining high into 2024.

Manzhouli, also located on the border with Russia and near Mongolia, has been one of the main gateways for used car exports, handling more than 60 per cent of shipments in 2023.

But Suifenhe and other border towns have increasingly become feeders and service hubs along the same corridor.

Infrastructure is China’s key advantage, said Sadov.

“There is a complete system here – vehicle inspection, certification, logistics,” he added.

“Companies can focus on orders. The rest is in place.”

That system, however, depends on labour willing to endure long hours and difficult conditions.

Wang, a 50-year-old truck driver hauling vehicles for export, said he signed up after seeing job recruitment adverts. A former farm worker, he said this was only his third run.

Each trip takes six to eight hours each way, often through freezing winter conditions and terrain, he said.

Language barriers and customs procedures also add to the strain.

“It’s very cold, the roads are tough, and language is a big problem,” he said, adding that he often “struggles” to communicate with customs officers and port staff.

“Many drivers quit. That’s why demand for (new) drivers remains high.”

Energy flows have followed a similar pivot. As European buyers closed off, Russia redirected coal and crude eastward.

China has become a major buyer of Russian coal and crude, according to customs and international energy trackers.

That shift has fuelled the rapid growth of small coal trading firms in northeast Chinese border cities and towns.

Xing, a Russian coal seller operating out of nearby Dongning, said competition has intensified over the past year.

“Many new coal companies have been set up,” he said. “Everyone is chasing the same Russian supply now.”

For traders such as Wang Jianpeng, the new border economy presents both opportunity and pressure.

“Volumes have increased but volatility is a constant risk,” he said. “Exchange-rate swings and rising costs can quickly erase (profit) margins.”

The border economy that has formed around cars, coal, timber and cross-border retail was not the product of long-term regional planning – but of geopolitical shock.

Sanctions, supply-chain dislocations and diplomatic alignment have opened new channels.

But workers, small traders and logistics firms who populate those channels face thin margins, high turnover and shifting regulations.

WHY THE BOOM HAS NOT RETURNED

And yet, the reopening of crossings and the emergence of new trade has not produced the instant, town-wide boom many expected. On the ground, merchant optimism is tempered by caution.

Zhou Rimin, who runs a spectacles shop in Qingyun shopping complex, arrived in Suifenhe from Jiangxi in the late 1990s – riding an earlier wave of Russian trade.

“Back then, buses would come one after another,” he recalled.

“Russian visitors were excited by Chinese products because Russia’s light and medium manufacturing industries were weak,” he said.

“Goods such as spectacles had more variety and were cheaper here. I used to restock popular frames every two weeks.”

Russia’s economy has been dominated by energy, raw materials and heavy industry, while light manufacturing – clothing, household goods, consumer electronics – lags behind China’s capacity – a contrast repeatedly noted by international institutions like the World Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

But advantage no longer guarantees sales, said Zhou.

Visitor numbers never fully recovered after the pandemic and the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

“Even after visa-free travel started, arrivals haven’t come back the way people hoped,” he said.

“There are barely any customers.”

The slowdown is reflected in rental prices.

A local tailor, identified only by his surname Wang, said monthly rent once peaked at about 500,000 yuan during the boom years.

Today, after renegotiations and landlord concessions, it remains below 30,000 yuan.

“The size of the rent cut mirrors the drop in sales,” he said. “Those who do come are spending less.”

Many merchants point to a weaker and more cautious Russian consumer.

While the ruble has strengthened against the yuan over the past year, it remains far below levels seen before 2014 – when Russia was first hit by Western sanctions following the annexation of Crimea.

Combined with sanctions, rising costs and wage pressures, that has shrunk shopping baskets.

“People are choosing lower-value items and are thinking carefully before buying,” Wang said.

“Their wages haven’t really gone up, and the economy in Russia isn’t good.”

Another problem is the spread of counterfeit goods.

Zhang Yanyan, who runs a Russian restaurant in Suifenhe and also operates a hotel in Vladivostok, said renewed interest in Russian products had produced a flood of imitation “Russian” goods in markets across the border.

“There’s been so much publicity that some people avoid buying Russian products because they fear fakes,” she said.

“Authentic importers suffer delays and extra scrutiny when counterfeit goods proliferate.”

The problem has drawn regulatory attention. Chinese market authorities launched inspections in several border cities to clamp down on shops falsely labelling goods as Russian, while Russian diplomatic missions in China have repeatedly warned consumers about counterfeits.

For legitimate importers, this added scrutiny means extra checks, seizures and delays – all of which eat into already thin margins.

For Wang Jianpeng, the head of the association that represents many of these traders, the picture is clear: visa-free travel has reopened doors, but it cannot, on its own, recreate the old conditions that once powered Suifenhe’s retail boom.

“Movement has returned but it doesn’t automatically mean consumption,” he said.

BETTING ON THE LONG GAME

The local response in Suifenhe is pragmatic. Many merchants and residents are recalibrating their expectations, spreading risk and betting on steady gains rather than a sudden surge.

For Wang Jianpeng, one practical change stands out: cheaper transport.

Cross-border bus services are limited and ticket prices remain high with few operators. “There’s no real competition right now, so prices stay stiff,” he said.

“If authorities can help bring in more operators and lower fares, it would directly encourage more people to come. That would really help tourism here.”

That logic has pushed some young locals to return.

Zhao Xian, who spent seven years working in Beijing in government-related roles, returned to Suifenhe with his wife and opened a cafe in May 2025.

He hasn’t seen tourists arriving in large numbers, even with the new visa-free travel arrangements, but he remains hopeful.

China is “opening further to the north and far east”, he said – creating “real opportunities”.

Foot traffic has been gradually rising. “From almost no tourists, numbers have been slowly increasing,” he said.

“Young people are returning because they see opportunities. Culture follows the economy.”

Zhao remains realistic about timelines.

“Industrial parks don’t become economies overnight. Policy turning into economic results takes time,” he said.

Local authorities are taking action. In December, Suifenhe’s government rolled out several initiatives aimed at Russian visitors, part of a broader effort to convert policy momentum into sustained economic activity.

These included a streamlined scheme allowing Russian tourists to rent cars more easily for self-driving within the city, as well as the opening of a new art gallery and a snow-ski compound targeted mainly at travellers from Russia.

For Zhang Yanyan, the timing could not be better.

Her friend Aida, 62, moved to Suifenhe from Vladivostok two years ago and now helps out in Zhang’s restaurant. She has adapted well to life in China and says Suifenhe is her “second home.”

“I am used to living here and meeting Chinese people in the restaurant,” Annie said. “I hope Suifenhe becomes lively again as China-Russia ties continue to improve. More people-to-people policies will benefit ordinary people on both sides.”

Some businesses are adapting their models.

Retailers that once relied on bulk tourist spending now mix wholesale services for Russian merchants, online order fulfilment and targeted promotions.

Car export firms have diversified their services, expanding into logistics, inspection and certification.

“When people (learn of) policy changes, they make choices to travel, order and invest,” said trade association head Wang Jianpeng.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/china-russia-border-town-suifenhe-economy-geopolitics-5848611

Russia launched a second major drone and missile bombardment of Ukraine in four days, officials said Tuesday, aiming again at the power grid amid freezing temperatures in an apparent snub to U.S.-led peace efforts as Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor approaches the four-year mark.

Russia fired almost 300 drones, 18 ballistic missiles and seven cruise missiles at eight regions overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on social media.

One strike in the northeastern Kharkiv region killed four people at a mail depot, and several hundred thousand households were without power in the Kyiv region, Zelenskyy said.

The daytime temperature in Kyiv, which has endured freezing temperatures for more than two weeks, was minus 12 degrees C (about 10 degrees F), with streets covered in ice and the rumble of generators heard throughout the capital.

Kyiv has grappled with severe power shortages for days, although Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Monday night’s strikes caused the biggest electrical outage the city has faced so far.

Kyiv residents huddle for warmth

More than 500 residential buildings remained without central heating Tuesday. Throughout the city, bare trees were weighed down with icicles and snow was piled up next to sidewalks.

Olena Davydova, 30, charged her phone at what is called a ”Point of Invincibility” shelter in Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi district. The government-built temporary installations, often large tents on the sidewalk, provide food, drinks, warmth and electricity.

Davydova said she had been without power for nearly 50 hours. That forced her to adopt some new routines: sleeping in one bed with her child and two cats, storing fresh food on the balcony, and using candles after dark.

She says she is taking the changes in stride. “I still have enough patience. I’m not reacting to this in a very emotional way,” she told The Associated Press.

Elsewhere, friends and relatives gathered in apartments still with power or hot water, at least temporarily, to charge their phones, take showers, or share a warm drink.

Klitschko ordered the city to provide one hot meal per day to needy residents. He also announced that workers in the city’s water, heating and road maintenance services would receive bonuses for working “day and night” to restore critical infrastructure.

US calls out ‘inexplicable’ Russian escalation

Four days earlier, Russia also sent hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in a large-scale overnight attack and, for only the second time in the war, it used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in what appeared to be a clear warning to Kyiv’s NATO allies that it won’t back down.

On Monday, the U.S. accused Russia of a “ dangerous and inexplicable escalation ” of the fighting at a time when the Trump administration is trying to advance peace negotiations.

Tammy Bruce, the U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations, told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Washington deplores “the staggering number of casualties” in the conflict and condemns Russia’s intensifying attacks on energy and other infrastructure.

Russia has sought to deny Ukrainian civilians heat and running water over the course of the war, hoping to wear down public resistance to Moscow’s full-scale invasion, which began on Feb. 24, 2022. Ukrainian officials describe the strategy as “weaponizing winter.”

The attack in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region also wounded 10 people, local authorities said.

In the southern city of Odesa, six people were wounded in the attack, said Oleh Kiper, the head of the regional military administration. The strikes damaged energy infrastructure, a hospital, a kindergarten, an educational facility and a number of residential buildings, he said.

2025 was the deadliest year for Ukrainian civilians

Last year was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since 2022 as Russia intensified its aerial barrages behind the front line, according to the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country.

The war killed 2,514 civilians and injured 12,142 in Ukraine — 31% higher than in 2024, it said.

“The sharp increase in long-range attacks and the targeting of Ukraine’s national energy infrastructure mean that the consequences of the war are now felt by civilians far beyond the front line,” Danielle Bell, the agency’s head, said in a statement Monday.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drone-missile-attack-aa7d5c2e54619fefabab72165444f8e3

The Trump administration’s decision to open a criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell drew condemnation from former Fed chiefs and a chorus of criticism from key members of Trump’s Republican Party on Monday, following an unusually sharp public ​rebuke from Powell calling the move a “pretext” to win presidential influence over interest rates.
The investigation, revealed late on Sunday when Powell said the Fed had received subpoenas from the U.S. Justice Department, was approved and started by Jeanine Pirro, ‌the U.S. Attorney in Washington and an ally of President Donald Trump, according to two sources with knowledge of the investigation.

Neither Attorney General Pam Bondi nor Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was briefed about the decision to subpoena the Fed last week, one of the sources added.
Pirro, in a statement Monday evening, said the Justice Department took legal action because the Federal Reserve had ignored requests to discuss cost overruns in a project to renovate two historical buildings at its headquarters.
“This office makes decisions based on the merits, nothing more and nothing less,” Pirro added on X.
The threat of indictment, ostensibly focused on comments Powell made to Congress about the building renovation project, sent rates on longer-term U.S. Treasury bonds up, as investors parsed what a less independent Fed could mean for inflation and monetary policy.

If amplified, such a market reaction could constrain Trump’s efforts to reshape the Fed, considered the ‌most influential central bank in the world and a cornerstone of the world financial system. A rise in long-term borrowing costs could also backfire against Trump’s efforts to address broad concerns about “affordability.”
The independence of ​central banks, at least in setting rates in order to control inflation, is considered a central tenet of robust economic policy, insulating monetary policymakers from short-term political considerations and allowing them to focus on longer-term efforts to keep prices relatively stable.
On Monday, former Fed chairs Janet Yellen, Ben Bernanke and Alan Greenspan joined with former government economic policy leaders from both political parties in raising the alarm.

“This is how monetary policy is made in emerging markets with weak institutions, with highly negative consequences for inflation and the functioning of their economies more broadly,” ‍they wrote. Global central bankers including the chiefs of the French and Canadian central banks publicly offered solidarity.
U.S. Republican Senator Thom Tillis, a member of the Senate Banking Committee that vets presidential nominees for the Fed, called the move a “huge mistake” on Sunday and said he would oppose any Trump nominees to the Fed, including whoever is named to succeed Powell as central bank chief, “until this legal matter is fully resolved.”
He was joined on Monday in condemning the development by fellow Banking Committee member Kevin Cramer and Senator Lisa Murkowski, who wrote on X that “the stakes are too high to look the other way: if the Federal Reserve ⁠loses its independence, the stability of our markets and the broader economy will suffer.”
Senator Cynthia Lummis, one of Powell’s more strident critics usually, on Monday said the Justice Department’s use of a criminal statute looked like a “heavy lift” and that she did not see any criminal ‍intent.
“We need this like we need a hole in the head,” quipped Senator John Kennedy, also on the banking committee.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Trump on Sunday that the investigation “made a mess” and could be bad for financial markets, Axios reported on Monday, citing two sources.
The rise in longer-term rates ‌notwithstanding, market reaction was ‌relatively muted. Gold hit a record high and the dollar fell. Major U.S. stock indexes notched record closing highs after gains from artificial intelligence stocks and Walmart.
“The market looks to be taking substantial reassurance from the fact that Powell’s decision to call out the attack on Fed independence has triggered a backlash in the Senate that will be reinforced by public support from former Fed chairs and Treasury Secretaries,” wrote Evercore ISI’s Krishna Guha.
Powell – who was nominated by Trump to lead the Fed in late 2017 and confirmed by the Senate to the position in early 2018 – will complete his term as Fed chief in May, but he is not obligated to leave its Washington-based Board of Governors until 2028. A number of analysts saw the latest move by the administration as adding to the chances that he will defiantly remain at the ⁠central bank.
The criminal indictment threat emerged about two weeks before Trump’s ⁠effort to fire another Fed official, Governor Lisa Cook, will be ​argued before the Supreme Court.
Until now Powell had avoided public disagreement with the Trump administration, Republican lawmakers had been largely silent and investors had been warily watching as the sparring match between the White House and the Fed played out during Trump’s second term.
Powell’s pointed response and signs of congressional pushback appear to open a new and more highly charged chapter in that row, even as House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he’d let the process “play out.”

‘THREATS AND ONGOING PRESSURE’

The subpoenas from the U.S. Justice Department last week pertained to remarks Powell made to Congress last summer over cost overruns for a $2.5 billion ‍building renovation project at the Fed’s headquarters complex in Washington, and threatened a criminal indictment.
“I have deep respect for the rule of law and for accountability in our democracy. No one – certainly not the chair of the Federal Reserve – is above the law,” Powell said.
“But this unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration’s threats and ongoing pressure” for lower interest rates and more broadly for greater say over the Fed, he said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/trump-team-ramps-up-attack-feds-powell-with-criminal-indictment-threat-2026-01-12/

Two China-flagged supertankers that were sailing to Venezuela to pick up debt-paying crude cargoes made U-turns and were headed back to Asia, LSEG shipping data showed on Monday, a sign that the U.S.-blocked South American country might not be directly exporting oil to its main buyer any time soon.
Following the U.S. announcement last week of a deal to export up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil stuck in storage, U.S. President Donald Trump said China would not be deprived of Venezuela’s crude. He did not elaborate on the supply mechanism.

But the Asian nation, the biggest market for Venezuela’s oil, has not received any cargoes from state-run PDVSA since last month as Washington says the oil embargo remains in force.
Global trading houses Vitol and Trafigura are instead readying the first cargoes of the announced $2 billion deal, to be sent to the U.S. and other destinations, including India and China, a negotiation that can ultimately benefit China’s refiners if the traders negotiate cargoes with them.
The very large crude carriers Xingye and Thousand Sunny, which have not been the subject of sanctions, had remained anchored in the Atlantic Ocean for weeks, waiting for directions amid the blockade and Venezuela’s political crisis, triggered by the U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

PDVSA did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The vessels are part of a group of three supertankers that cover only the Venezuela-China route to carry crude that pays Venezuela’s debt service to the Asian country.
The loans are part of Venezuela’s overall debt to China, which used to be its first lender. Shortly after Venezuela was put under U.S. energy sanctions in 2019, China granted a grace period to receive capital payments and negotiated a temporary deal with Caracas so debt service would be compensated with crude cargoes.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/china/supertankers-that-would-pick-up-debt-paying-venezuelan-oil-cargoes-china-make-u-2026-01-12/

Iran’s rial has plummeted to unprecedented lows, rendering it nearly worthless against major currencies, which exacerbates the nation’s economic turmoil. The soaring costs of essential imports have triggered widespread protests.

Iran’s national currency, the rial, has sunk to devastating new lows, making it practically worthless against major foreign currencies and pushing the country deeper into economic chaos. On Iran’s open market, one US dollar now buys around 1,429,500 rials, while one euro trades for about 1,668,500 rials, according to live rates tracked by Bonbast.com.

These figures reflect a free-fall that has left everyday Iranians struggling to afford even the most basic necessities. The crisis boiled over in late December 2025, when the rial’s sharp drop made imported essentials like wheat, cooking oil, and medicine ingredients far more expensive. Merchants passed those costs on to customers, driving up prices across the board.

Kylie Jenner proved she had no hard feelings towards Odessa A’zion after the actress snubbed her during an awkward moment at the 2026 Golden Globes.

The makeup mogul posted two photos with the “Marty Supreme” star on her Instagram Stories on Monday.

In a mirror selfie from inside the event, the two posed together while giving fierce facial expressions, and in another more candid photo, Jenner laughed as A’zion appeared to put her hand on her head.

During Sunday’s Golden Globes ceremony, A’zion was filmed going up to her “Marty Supreme” co-star Timothée Chalamet at his table and giving him a side hug and an air kiss. As Jenner also offered her cheek for a kiss, A’zion pulled away and walked off.

But Jenner, 28, and A’zion, 25, were noticeably friendly during the ceremony.

After Chalamet won the award for best actor in a musical or comedy, Jenner and A’zion both clapped excitedly and hugged.

They also posed for pictures at their table together.

Jenner stunned at the ceremony wearing a metallic gold Ashi Studio gown with glittering beaded straps as well as over 100 carats of custom Lorraine Schwarz diamond jewelry, including huge 75-carat earrings and multiple rings.

She also got a sweet shoutout from Chalamet when he thanked her during his emotional speech, referring to her as his “partner.”

“To my parents and my partner, I love you. Thank you so much,” he said.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/01/12/celebrity-news/kylie-jenner-posts-selfies-with-timothee-chalamets-co-star-following-awkward-golden-globes-snub/

“I saw it with my own eyes – they fired directly into lines of protesters, and people fell where they stood.”

Omid’s voice was shaking as he spoke, fearful of being traced. Breaking the wall of silence between Iran and the rest of the world takes immense courage, given the risk of reprisals by the authorities.

Omid, in his early 40s and whose name we have changed for his safety, has been protesting on the streets of a small city in southern Iran over the past few days against worsening economic hardship.

He said security forces had opened fire at unarmed protesters in his city with Kalashnikov-style assault rifles.

“We are fighting a brutal regime with empty hands,” he said.

The BBC has received similar accounts of the crackdown by security forces following the widespread protests across the country last week.

Since then, internet access has been cut by the authorities, making reporting from Iran more difficult than ever. BBC Persian is banned from reporting inside Iran by the government.

One of the largest nationwide anti-government protests took place on Thursday, the twelfth night of demonstrations. Many people appear to have joined the protests on Thursday and Friday after calls from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah of Iran who was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The following day, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said: “The Islamic Republic will not back down.” It appears that the worst bloodshed occurred after that warning as security forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps take their orders from him.

Iranian authorities accused the US and Israel of fomenting trouble and condemned “terrorist actions”, state media reported.

A young woman from Tehran said last Thursday felt like “the day of judgement”.

“Even remote neighbourhoods of Tehran were packed with protesters – places you wouldn’t believe,” she said.

“But on Friday, security forces only killed and killed and killed. Seeing it with my own eyes made me so unwell that I completely lost morale. Friday was a bloody day.”

She said that, after Friday’s killings, people were afraid to go out and that many were now chanting from alleys and inside their homes.

Tehran was a battlefield, she said, with protesters and security forces taking positions and cover on the streets.

But she added: “In war, both sides have weapons. Here, people only chant and get killed. It is a one-sided war.”

Eyewitnesses in Fardis, a city just to the west of Tehran, said that on Friday, members of the paramilitary Basij force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) suddenly attacked protesters after hours without a police presence on the streets.

The forces, who were in uniform and riding motorcycles, fired live ammunition directly at protesters, according to the witnesses. Unmarked cars were also driven into alleys, with occupants shooting at residents who were not involved in the protests, they said.

“Two or three people were killed in every alley,” one witness alleged.

Those who have given accounts to BBC Persian say the reality inside Iran is hard for the outside world to imagine, and the death toll reported by international media so far only represents a fraction of their own estimates.

International news outlets are not allowed to work freely inside Iran and they are mostly relying on Iranian human rights groups who are active outside the country. On Monday the Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) said at least 648 protesters in Iran had been killed, including nine people under the age of 18.

Some local sources and eyewitnesses report very high numbers of people killed across different cities, ranging from several hundreds to thousands.

The BBC is currently unable to independently verify these figures and, so far, Iranian authorities have not provided official or transparent statistics on the number of deaths of protesters.

However, Iranian media has reported that 100 security personnel had been killed during the protests, saying that protesters – whom they refer to as “rioters” – set fire to dozens of mosques and banks in various cities.

Videos verified by BBC Persian’s fact-checking team also show police vehicles and some government buildings being set alight in different locations during the protests.

Testimonies and video sent to BBC Persian are mainly from larger cities such as Tehran, nearby Karaj, Rasht in the north, Mashhad in the north-east, and Shiraz in the south. These areas have greater access to the internet via the Starlink satellite network.

Information from small towns – where many early casualties occurred – is scarce as their access to Starlink is very limited.

But the volume, consistency, and similarity of the accounts received from various cities point to the severity of the crackdown and the widespread use of lethal violence.

Nurses and medics who spoke to the BBC said they had seen numerous dead bodies and injured protesters.

They reported that hospitals in many cities had been overwhelmed and were unable to treat those with severe injuries, especially to the head and eyes. Some witnesses reported bodies “stacked on top of each other” and not handed over to families.

Graphic videos published on the activist-run Telegram channel Vahid Online on Sunday showed a large number of bodies at the Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre in Tehran, with many families either mourning or attempting to identify the corpses.

In one of the videos apparently from Kahrizak, relatives are seen looking at the photos of unidentified bodies displayed on a screen.

Many bodies in black bags were visible in the facility and on the street outside, only some of which seem to have been identified.

One video showed the inside of a warehouse containing several bodies, while another showed a truck being unloaded with people removing corpses from it.

A mortuary worker in a cemetery in Mashhad said that before sunrise on Friday morning between 180 and 200 bodies with severe head injuries were brought in and buried immediately.

A source in Rasht told BBC Persian that 70 bodies of protesters were transferred to a hospital mortuary in the city on Thursday. According to the source, security forces demanded “payment for bullets” before releasing bodies to families.

At the same time, a medical staff member at a hospital in eastern Tehran told BBC Persian that on Thursday, around 40 bodies were brought there the same day. The hospital’s name has been withheld to protect the identity of the medic.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgp70ynx1po

President Donald Trump has arrived at a delicate moment as he weighs whether to order a U.S. military response against the Iranian government as it continues a violent crackdown on protests that have left more than 600 dead and led to the arrests of thousands across the country.

The U.S. president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against antigovernment protesters. It’s a red line that Trump has said he believes Iran is “starting to cross” and has left him and his national security team weighing “very strong options.”

But the U.S. military — which Trump has warned Tehran is “locked and loaded” — appears, at least for the moment, to have been placed on standby mode as Trump ponders next steps, saying that Iranian officials want to have talks with the White House.

“What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”

Hours later, Trump announced on social media that he would slap 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran “effective immediately” — his first action aimed at penalizing Iran for the protest crackdown, and his latest example of using tariffs as a tool to force friends and foes on the global stage to bend to his will.

China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and Russia are among economies that do business with Tehran. The White House declined to offer further comment or details about the president’s tariff announcement.

The White House has offered scant details on Iran’s outreach for talks, but Leavitt confirmed that the president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff will be a key player engaging Tehran.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key White House National Security Council officials began meeting Friday to develop a “suite of options,” from a diplomatic approach to military strikes, to present to Trump in the coming days, according to a U.S. official familiar with the internal administration deliberations. The official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Trump told reporters Sunday evening that a “meeting is being set up” with Iranian officials but cautioned that “we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting.”

“We’re watching the situation very carefully,” Trump said.

Can the protests be sustained?

Demonstrations in Iran continue, but analysts say it remains unclear just how long protesters will remain on the street.

An internet blackout imposed by Tehran makes it hard for protesters to understand just how widespread the demonstrations have become, said Vali Nasr, a State Department adviser during the early part of the Obama administration, and now professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University.

“It makes it very difficult for news from one city or pictures from one city to incense or motivate action in another city,” Nasr said. “The protests are leaderless, they’re organization-less. They are actually genuine eruptions of popular anger. And without leadership and direction and organization, such protests, not just in Iran, everywhere in the world — it’s very difficult for them to sustain themselves.”

Meanwhile, Trump is dealing with a series of other foreign policy emergencies around the globe.

It’s been just over a week since the U.S. military launched a successful raid to arrest Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and remove him from power. The U.S. continues to mass an unusually large number of troops in the Caribbean Sea.

Trump is also focused on trying to get Israel and Hamas onto the second phase of a peace deal in Gaza and broker an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the nearly four-year war in Eastern Europe.

But advocates urging Trump to take strong action against Iran say this moment offers an opportunity to further diminish the theocratic government that’s ruled the country since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

The demonstrations are the biggest Iran has seen in years — protests spurred by the collapse of Iranian currency that have morphed into a larger test of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s repressive rule.

Iran, through the country’s parliamentary speaker, has warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington uses force to protect demonstrators.

Trump allies want to see US back protesters

Some of Trump’s hawkish allies in Washington are calling on the president not to miss the opportunity to act decisively against a vulnerable Iranian government that they argue is reeling after last summer’s 12-day war with Israel and battered by U.S. strikes in June on key Iranian nuclear sites.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on social media Monday that the moment offers Trump the chance to show that he’s serious about enforcing red lines. Graham alluded to former Democratic President Barack Obama in 2012 setting a red line on the use of chemical weapons by Syria’s Bashar Assad against his own people — only not to follow through with U.S. military action after the then-Syrian leader crossed that line the following year.

“It is not enough to say we stand with the people of Iran,” Graham said. “The only right answer here is that we act decisively to protect protesters in the street — and that we’re not Obama — proving to them we will not tolerate their slaughter without action.”

Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, another close Trump ally, said the “goal of every Western leader should be to destroy the Iranian dictatorship at this moment of its vulnerability.”

“In a few weeks either the dictatorship will be gone or the Iranian people will have been defeated and suppressed and a campaign to find the ringleaders and kill them will have begun,” Gingrich said in an X post. “There is no middle ground.”

Indeed, Iranian authorities have managed to snuff out rounds of mass protests before, including the “Green Movement” following the disputed election in 2009 and the “woman, life, freedom” protests that broke out after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in custody of the state’s morality police in 2022.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-protests-military-tariffs-28972b6ac7f67b5f28a7a3089ea2cf23

Paul Thomas Anderson’s ragtag revolutionary saga “One Battle After Another” took top honors at Sunday’s 83rd Golden Globes in the comedy category, while Chloé Zhao’s Shakespeare drama “Hamnet” pulled off an upset over “Sinners” to win best film, drama.

“One Battle After Another” won best film, comedy, supporting female actor for Teyana Taylor and best director and best screenplay for Anderson. He became just the second filmmaker to sweep director, screenplay and film, as a producer, at the Globes. Only Oliver Stone, for “Born on the Fourth of July,” managed the same feat.

In an awards ceremony that went almost entirely as expected, the night’s final award was the most surprising. While “One Battle After Another” has been the clear front-runner this awards season, most have pegged Ryan Coogler’s Jim Crow-era vampire thriller as its closest competition.

But “Hamnet,” a speculative drama about William and Agnes Shakespeare based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestseller, won in the dramatic category shortly after its star, Jessie Buckley, won best female actor in a drama.

It was a banner night for Warner Bros., the studio behind “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners.” Warner Bros. Discovery has agreed to be sold to Netflix in an $83 billion deal. Paramount Skydance has appealed to shareholders with its own rival offer.

In his speech after winning best director, Anderson praised Warner co-chief Michael DeLuca.

“He said he wanted to run a studio one day and let filmmakers make whatever they want,” said Anderson. “That’s how you get ‘Sinners.’ That’s how you get a ‘Weapons.’ That’s how you get ‘One Battle After Another.’”

The final awards brought to, or near, the stage a handful of the most talented filmmakers together in Anderson, Zhao and Coogler — plus Steven Spielberg, a producer of “Hamnet.” Regardless of who won what, it was a heartening moment of solidarity between them, with a shared sense of purpose. Zhao fondly recalled being at Sundance Labs with Coogler when they were each starting out.

“As students, let’s keep our hearts open and let’s keep seeing each other and allowing each other to be seen,” said Zhao, while Coogler smiled from the front row.

“Sinners” won for best score and cinematic and box-office achievement. The win for box office and cinematic achievement, over franchise films like “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” was notable for Coogler’s film, a movie that some reports labeled a qualified success on its release.

Yet “Sinners” ultimately grossed $278 million domestically and $368 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing original film in 15 years.

“I just want to thank the audience for showing up,” said Coogler. “It’s means the world.”

Coming off years of scandal and subsequent rehabilitation, the Globes and host Nikki Glaser put on a star-studded ceremony that saw wins for the streaming sensation “KPop Demon Hunters” (best animated film, song), a meta triumph for Seth Rogen’s “The Studio” and an inaugural award for podcasting that went to Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang.”

Many of the Oscar favorites won. Timothee Chalamet won his first Golden Globe, for “Marty Supreme,” after four previous nominations. The 30-year-old is poised to win his first Oscar. Fellow nominees like Leonardo DiCaprio and George Clooney stood to applaud his win.

“My dad instilled in me a spirit of gratitude growing up: Always be grateful for what you have,” said Chalamet. “It’s allowed me to leave this ceremony in the past empty handed, my head held high, grateful just to be here. I’d be lying if I didn’t say those moments didn’t make this moment that much sweeter.”

Glaser comes out swinging

The Globes, held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, got underway with a pointedly political opening from host Nikki Glaser and an early award for the night’s favorite, “One Battle After Another.” Emceeing the show for the second straight year, Glaser kicked off the show with self-aware satire.

“Yes, the Golden Globes, without a doubt the most important thing happening in the world right now,” she said.

In a winning, rapid-fire opening monologue that landed some punch lines on the usual subjects — the age of Leonardo DiCaprio’s dates, Kevin Hart’s height — Glaser also dove right into some of her most topical material.

For the on-the-block Warner Bros., Glaser started the bidding at $5. Referencing the Epstein files, she suggested best editing should go to the Justice Dept. The “most editing,” however, she suggested deserved to go to Bari Weiss’ new CBS News — a dig at the Paramount Skydance-owned network airing the Globes.

Globes mix glitz and gloom

Political tension and industrywide uncertainty were the prevailing moods heading into Sunday’s awards. Hollywood is coming off a disappointing box-office year and now anxiously awaits the fate of one of its most storied studios, Warner Bros. Following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, several attendees wore pins reading “Be Good.”

The Globes, formerly presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, have no overlap or direct correlation with the Academy Awards. After being sold in 2023 to Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries and Dick Clark Productions, a part of Penske Media, the Globes are voted on by around 400 people. The Oscars are voted on by more than 10,500 professionals.

But in the fluctuating undulations of awards season, a good speech at the Globes can boost an Oscar campaign. Winners Sunday included Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”) for best female actor in a comedy or musical, and Wagner Moura, the Brazilian star of “The Secret Agent,” for best male actor in a drama. Kleber Mendonça Filho’s period political thriller also won best international film.

“I think if trauma can be passed along generations, values can too,” Moura said. “So this to the ones who are sticking with their values in difficult moments.”

Other winners Sunday included the supporting actor front-runner, Stellan Skarsgård who won for the Norwegian family drama “Sentimental Value.” It was the first major Hollywood movie award for the 74-year-old, a respected veteran actor who drew a standing ovation.

“I was not prepared for this because I, of course, thought I was too old,” said Skarsgård.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/2026-golden-globes-1538032b1bb06383484b15c3c4b9c16f

The U.S. and India are actively engaged on a bilateral trade agreement to deepen economic and strategic partnership, the U.S. ambassador-designate to New Delhi said Monday.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India has emerged as the second biggest buyer of Russian crude after China, upsetting the Trump administration, which criticized the purchases as helping fuel Moscow’s war machine.

In August, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to place an additional 25% tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, bringing the combined tariffs imposed by the United States to a steep 50%.

A close aide of Trump, the new ambassador-designate, Sergio Gor, said the next call between the two sides on trade-related matters was scheduled Tuesday.

“Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences in the end,” Gor said in an address on his first day in office at the U.S. Embassy. “Remember India is the world’s largest nation so it’s not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there.”

Gor, who is also the U.S. special envoy to South and Central Asia, announced that India will be formally invited next month to join a U.S.-led strategic initiative called Pax Silica as part of a broader partnership.

The initiative aims to build a secure silicon supply chain, from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Nations that joined it last month include Japan, South Korea, U.K. and Israel.

Gor’s comments on bolstering trade and economic ties with India highlights a renewed push to anchor the partnership at a time the relationship has strained following Washington’s mounting pressure on New Delhi to stop buying discounted Russian crude oil.

India and the U.S. have been negotiating a bilateral trade agreement since early last year. They hoped to conclude the first tranche by the fall of 2025, but it hasn’t come through mainly due to differences over sourcing of Russian oil, and Indian negotiators facing pressure to protect small farmers and domestic industries.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/india-us-ambassador-trump-modi-trade-a71870e8eb2f62cb698bda074f4ecd49

A violent crackdown on a wave of protests in Iran has killed at least 648 people, said a rights group, as Iranian authorities sought to regain control of the streets with mass nationwide rallies.

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Jan 12) announced a 25 per cent tariff on any country trading with Iran, amid Tehran’s violent crackdown on a wave of protests.

“Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran ‌will pay a Tariff of ‍25 per cent ‌on any and all business being done with the United States of ‌America,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“This order is final and conclusive,” he said.

Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York declined to comment on Trump’s tariff announcement. Iran, already under heavy US sanctions, exports much of its oil to China, with Türkiye, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and India among its other top trading partners.

A violent crackdown on a wave of protests in Iran has killed at least 648 people, a rights group said on Monday.

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities sought to regain control of the streets with mass nationwide rallies.
The government’s call for rallies in support of the Islamic Republic drew thousands on Monday, a turnout Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed as proof that the protests – which the authorities attribute to foreign interference – had been defeated.

Iran’s leaders, their regional clout much reduced, are facing fierce demonstrations that evolved from complaints about dire economic hardships to defiant calls for the fall of the deeply entrenched clerical establishment.

Rights groups have warned that an internet blackout that monitor Netblocks says has lasted four days was aimed at masking a deadly crackdown on the protests.

The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said it had confirmed 648 people were killed during the protests, including nine minors, and thousands more injuries, but warned the death toll was likely much higher – “according to some estimates more than 6,000”, it said.

IHR added that the internet shutdown made it “extremely difficult to independently verify these reports”, saying an estimated 10,000 people had been arrested.

“The international community has a duty to protect civilian protesters against mass killing by the Islamic Republic,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene militarily if Tehran killed protesters, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying on Monday that military options, including air strikes, were still “on the table”, but “diplomacy is always the first option for the president”.

More than two weeks of demonstrations initially sparked by economic grievances have turned into one of the biggest challenges yet to the theocratic system that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution ousted the shah.

Khamenei, in power since 1989 and now 86, said in a statement that Monday’s pro-government rallies were a “warning” to the United States.

“These massive rallies, full of determination, have thwarted the plan of foreign enemies that were supposed to be carried out by domestic mercenaries,” he said, according to state TV.

“FOUR-FRONT WAR”

In the capital Tehran, state TV showed people brandishing the national flag and prayers read for victims of what the government has termed “riots”.

At Enghelab (Revolution) Square, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told the crowd that Iran was fighting a “four-front war”, listing economic war, psychological war, “military war” with the United States and Israel, and “today a war against terrorists” – a reference to the protests.

Flanked by the slogans “Death to Israel, Death to America” in Persian, he vowed the Iranian military would teach Trump “an unforgettable lesson” if Iran were attacked.

But Trump said Sunday that Iran’s leadership had called him seeking “to negotiate”, and Leavitt noted public messages from Iranian authorities were “quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately”.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a conference of foreign ambassadors in Tehran that Iran was “not seeking war but is fully prepared for war”, while calling for “fair” negotiations.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said a channel of communication was open between Araghchi and Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff despite the lack of diplomatic relations.

Araghchi said Tehran was studying ideas proposed by Washington, though these were “incompatible” with US threats.

“Communications between (US special envoy Steve) Witkoff and me continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” he told Al Jazeera.

Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s ousted shah who has been vocal in calling for protests, told CBS news the government was “trying to trick the world into thinking that (it) is ready to negotiate once again”.

He said Trump was “a man that means what he says and says what he means” and who “knows what’s at stake”.

“The red line that was drawn has been definitely surpassed by this regime.”

The US Department of State Consular Affairs highlighted the escalating protests and said US citizens in Iran should consider leaving by land to Armenia or Türkiye.

“US nationals are at significant risk of questioning, arrest, and detention in Iran,” the department said on its TravelGov account on X.

“RESPECT FOR THEIR RIGHTS”

State outlets were at pains to present a picture of calm returning in Tehran, broadcasting images of smooth-flowing traffic.

Tehran Governor Mohammad-Sadegh Motamedian insisted in televised comments that “the number of protests is decreasing”.

Iranian state media has said dozens of members of the security forces have been killed, with their funerals turning into large pro-government rallies. The government has declared three days of national mourning for those killed.

The European Union has voiced support for the protesters and on Monday said it was “looking into” imposing additional sanctions on Iran over the repression of demonstrations.

The European Parliament also announced it had banned all Iranian diplomats and representatives from the assembly’s premises.

The Iranian foreign ministry said it had summoned diplomats in Tehran representing France, Germany, Italy and the UK, demanding they “withdraw official statements supporting the protesters”.

French President Emmanuel Macron, however, issued a statement later Monday condemning “the state violence that indiscriminately targets Iranian women and men who courageously demand respect for their rights”.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/trump-iran-tariffs-protests-tehran-648-toll-rallies-5853936

“The United States has once again reiterated its desire to take over Greenland. This is something that the governing coalition in Greenland cannot accept under any circumstance,” the Greenland government said.

Greenland’s government on Monday (Jan 12) said it could not accept a US takeover of the Arctic island under “any circumstance”, after US President Donald Trump said that the United States would take the territory “one way or the other”.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to bring the island under US control, arguing that the Danish autonomous territory is crucial for national security.

“The United States has once again reiterated its desire to take over Greenland. This is something that the governing coalition in Greenland cannot accept under any circumstance,” the Greenlandic government said in a statement.

On Sunday, Trump warned that if the United States didn’t take Greenland, “Russia or China will, and I’m not letting that happen”.

The US leader said he would be open to making a deal with the Danish self-governing island, “but one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”

Last week, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement with Denmark to show their backing for Copenhagen and Greenland against Trump.

“On the basis of the very positive declaration from the six NATO member states regarding Greenland, the Government of Greenland will intensify efforts to ensure that the defence of Greenland is carried out within NATO,” Monday’s statement said.

“Greenland will always be part of the Western defence alliance,” the government added.

Denmark and other European allies have voiced shock at Trump’s threats over the strategic island, which has been home to a US military base since World War II.

A Danish colony until 1953, Greenland gained home rule 26 years later and is contemplating eventually loosening its ties with Denmark. Polls show that Greenland’s people strongly oppose a US takeover.

Germany’s foreign minister on Monday meanwhile played down the risk of a US attack on Greenland.

Asked after meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about a unilateral military move by Trump, Johann Wadephul said: “I have no indication that this is being seriously considered.”

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/greenland-trump-denmark-nato-nuuk-us-5853851

There are 9 million women of menopausal age in Germany’s labor force. The change of life can have consequences for an economy. There are things that companies can do to retain their workers.

When women talk about menopause and the associated problems — insomnia, difficulty concentrating, migraines, exhaustion — they often lower their voices to a whisper. There are currently about 11 million women of menopausal age in Germany, many of whom are suffering the effects of hormonal fluctuations, yet the subject is still taboo.

More than 9 million of these women are in the labor force. They constitute about a fifth of the working population.

At the same time, one-third of companies in Germany are reporting a shortage of skilled workers, according to a March 2024 survey by the Ifo Institute for Economic Research. Demographic change means that this is likely to be even more of a problem in future.

This makes it more important than ever for employers to look after the well being of their staff. Yet until now the problems of women going through menopause have often been ignored.

Around one third of women suffer severe symptoms that can impair their ability to work. In addition to hot flashes, other menopausal symptoms may include joint pain, heart palpitations, concentration difficulties, depressive moods, and reduced self-esteem.

The menopause usually begins when a woman is in her mid- to late-40s, and usually lasts between ten and 15 years. It’s a time of life when children have often left home, and women should be in a position to kick-start their careers again. The reality is quite different.

High financial cost

According to Andrea Rumler from the Berlin School of Economics and Law, menopausal symptoms are costing Germany approximately 9.5 billion euros per year in reduced economic output. Companies are losing around 40 million working days.

In 2023, Rumler conducted a survey of more than 2,000 women aged between 28 and 67. Almost a quarter of them said menopausal symptoms were a reason for reducing their working hours, and they had caused almost a fifth to change jobs. One in ten stated that they intended to retire early, or had already done so, because of the menopause.

Certain types of work particularly hard

Working through the menopause is harder in some occupations than in others. For example, if a female police officer on patrol suddenly has a very heavy menstrual bleed or a bladder issue, there isn’t always a toilet she can access close at hand.

Menopausal symptoms are especially problematic for women working in the public sphere. Teachers, childcare workers, nurses, carers, and saleswomen cannot work from home, or take breaks when they need to.

This is particularly relevant for society, as some of these professions are staffed predominantly by women, such as nursing (85%), workers in schools (73%), and commercial office workers (more than 65%). These sectors are also among the ones experiencing a particular shortage of skilled workers.

Fear of stigmatization and discrimination

For many women, not being able to talk openly about the menopause is a major burden. More than half of the women in Rumler’s survey stated that the menopause was a taboo topic in their workplace.

“Many women in this phase of life are suffering at work, but they don’t talk about it — out of shame, or ignorance, or for fear of being stigmatized,” Rumler says.

This is why companies need to educate people about the effects and symptoms of the menopause. This information is important not just for the women affected, but for other employees and managers, too. “I’m constantly hearing from company physicians, or people in human resources who actively address the subject, that their bosses just dismiss it and say it’s not an important issue,” Rumler explains.

As well as removing the taboo around discussion of the menopause, it is also helpful if women are able to adapt their working hours and routines to their needs. Flexible working hours, needs-based task scheduling, and well-timed breaks can help with exhaustion, concentration problems, and insomnia, and can considerably improve efficiency and productivity.

For example, it is particularly important for female salespeople, sales representatives, production workers, bus drivers, and police officers to be able to access sanitary facilities quickly and easily. And since the menopause has, until now, barely featured as part of a doctor’s medical studies, company physicians should be given appropriate additional training.

Britain is setting an example

In recent years, things have begun to move. Britain, in particular, has made considerable progress. The UK parliament has launched a major study of menopause in the workplace, and guidance on the topic is part of the routine health check by the state health service, the NHS.

More than 7,800 organizations have now signed the voluntary commitment known as the Menopause Workplace Pledge. They include companies such as Vodafone, the BBC, and Tesco, as well as local authorities, schools, charities, healthcare providers, and small companies in many different fields.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/menopause-when-hormones-harm-the-economy/a-75441306

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said no more Venezuelan oil or money will go to Cuba and suggested the Communist-run island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the long-time U.S. nemesis and provoking defiant words from the island’s leadership.
Venezuela is Cuba’s biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces in early January amid a strict U.S. oil blockade on the OPEC country, shipping data shows.

Meanwhile, Caracas and Washington are progressing on a $2 billion deal to supply up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil to the U.S. with proceeds to be deposited in U.S. Treasury-supervised accounts, a major test of the emerging relationship between Trump and interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.
“Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela,” Trump added.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel rejected Trump’s threat on social media, suggesting the U.S. had no moral authority to force a deal on Cuba.

“Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. Nobody dictates what we do,” Diaz-Canel said on X. “Cuba does not attack; it has been attacked by the U.S. for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood.”
The U.S. president did not elaborate on his suggested deal.
But Trump’s push on Cuba represents the latest escalation in his move to bring regional powers in line with the United States and underscores the seriousness of the administration’s ambition to dominate the Western Hemisphere.
Trump’s top officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have made no secret of their expectation that the recent U.S. intervention in Venezuela could push Cuba over the edge.
U.S. officials have hardened their rhetoric against Cuba in recent weeks, though the two countries have been at odds since former leader Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution.

CUBA DEFENDS IMPORT RIGHTS
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said in another post on X on Sunday that Cuba had the right to import fuel from any suppliers willing to export it. He also denied that Cuba had received financial or other “material” compensation in return for security services provided to any country.

Thirty-two members of Cuba’s armed forces and intelligence services were killed during the U.S. raid on Venezuela. Cuba said those killed were responsible for “security and defense” but did not provide details on the arrangement between the two long-time allies.
Cuba relies on imported crude and fuel mainly provided by Venezuela, and Mexico in smaller volumes, purchased on the open market to keep its power generators and vehicles running.
As its operational refining capacity dwindled in recent years, Venezuela’s supply of crude and fuel to Cuba has fallen. But the South American country is still the largest provider with some 26,500 barrels per day exported last year, according to ship tracking data and internal documents of state-run PDVSA, which covered roughly 50% of Cuba’s oil deficit.
Havana produce vendor Alberto Jimenez, 45, said Cuba would not back down in the face of Trump’s threat.
“That doesn’t scare me. Not at all. The Cuban people are prepared for anything,” Jimenez said.
It’s hard for many Cubans to imagine a situation much worse. The island’s government has been struggling to keep the lights on. A majority live without electricity for much of the day, and even the capital Havana has seen its economy crippled by hours-long rolling blackouts.
Shortages of food, fuel and medicine have put Cubans on edge and have prompted a record-breaking exodus, primarily to the United States, in the past five years.
MEXICO BECOMES KEY SUPPLIER
Mexico has emerged in recent weeks as a critical alternative oil supplier to the island, but the supply remains small, according to the shipping data.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum last week said her country had not increased supply volumes, but given recent political events in Venezuela, Mexico had turned into an “important supplier” of crude to Cuba.

Source:https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-suggests-cuba-should-strike-deal-with-us-2026-01-11/

GOLDEN Globes nominees won’t just be competing for prestige this year – and they’ll all be leaving with far more than the iconic gold statuette.

From ultra-rare wine that costs more than some houses to luxury oceanfront getaways on exotic islands, Hollywood’s biggest stars will be spoiled with the ultimate swag bag.

For the 83rd annual Golden Globes, nominees will each receive The Ultimate Gift Bag, valued at just under $1million and featuring a curated selection of the best in travel, beauty, wellness, and spirits.

The swag bag includes several vacation packages to keep the nominees well-traveled throughout the year.

Among the lavish trips included is a three-night stay at The Residence, a six-bedroom villa at the Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa.

The Residence is the property’s most extravagant room and costs a whopping $80,000 for three nights.

For more fun on the island, attendees can also enjoy town nights at The Muraka, the Hilton’s sister property at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

The world’s first undersea residence, followed by a two-night stay at the Rangali Ocean Pavilion, is valued at $70,000.

For those wanting an island getaway in the Western hemisphere, nominees can enjoy a stay at The Reserve at Grace Bay by Beach Enclave, a beachfront villa in Turks and Caicos worth $50,000.

The generous offerings also include a three-night stay at Casa Bellamar in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico – a beachfront villa worth $25,000.

Three nights at The Royal Villa at Conrad Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, valued at over $15,000, is also being given to nominees.

As well as four nights at Conrad Singapore Orchard worth $12,000, a six-night stay across a trio of New Zealand luxury lodges Flockhill, ROKI, and Minaret worth $32,000, and a four-night stay in New Zealand at Wharekauhau Country Estate with a private winemaker dinner worth $15,000.

For those wanting to be on the water rather than land, a five-day luxury yacht charter throughout the Coral Triangle in Indonesia, worth $60,000, is being offered.

And for those who prefer to be up in the clouds, behind-the-scenes access is being allowed for the 2026 W.E.C. race, which includes a five-percent private jet flight incentive valued at up to $10,000.

The Robb Report, who helped curate this year’s swag bag, is also offering coveted experiences including the opportunity to test drive the most coveted vehicles of 2027 at The Concours Club in Boca Raton, FL, valued at $31,500.

The company is also putting together a wellness retreat and giving nominees two tickets worth $20,000.

HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR

For the nominees focused on wellness, a variety of luxury skincare and beauty products are being offered.

A $450 Cellcosmet skincare set, $650 Sothys: Sothys x Bernardaud Porcelaine La Crème 128, and a TRONQUE Spa box with triple-active body milk, exfoliating body serum, firming butter, and an ionic dry brush worth $465 is also in the gift bag.

For those who take their haircare seriously, Maison Devereux is offering a year-long membership to The Golden Circle, as well as a set of gold shampoo and conditioner, which is valued at $21,000.

Extrait de Parfum collection is offering a $615 bottle of fragrance from their luxury brand and DOGPOUND, the celebrity-beloved gym, is giving out an exclusive full club rental experience at an ultra-private gym worth $7,500.

Celebrities can also experience CurrentBody Skin, a cutting-edge LED hair growth helmet worth $900.

The Guerlain Wellness Spa at the Waldorf Astoria is offering $500 massage treatments at both their Santa Monica, California location or at their New York City location.

WINE AND DINE

Anyone looking to let loose after the stress of the awards shows can relax with extremely rare bottles of wine from Liber Pater.

The luxury wine brand, which boasts it uses some of the most exclusive grapes in the world, is offering bottles of their French wine from 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019 – worth a staggering $210,000.

Two tickets are also being offered to the Jubilee at the Liber Pater estate in Bordeaux, which costs $117,000 and the 2026 Golden Vines event, worth $30,000.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/15734684/golden-globe-nominees-gift-bags-wine-maldives-trips-winners/

A WAITRESS who was “like family” to owners of a Swiss bar that went up in flames was found among people trapped behind a locked door during the blaze that killed 40.

Jessica and Jacques Moretti, a married couple and co-owners of Le Constellation, recounted the harrowing details of the night of the deadly inferno to investigators.

It comes as 34 of the 40 bodies reportedly were found piled up at the foot of the narrow staircase, according to 20 Minuten.

Jessica said the night was “very quiet” to begin with, with hardly anyone in at midnight to celebrate the New Year, according to police statements obtained by BFMTV.

“I was just telling Cyane [a waitress] that we needed to bring in more people to liven things up,” Jessica recalled.

The Morettis said they considered Cyane, 24, like a member of their family.

She spent Christmas with the pair just days before the tragic event.

Jessica said groups of people started to flock to the venue until there were almost a hundred guests at the bar, she estimated.

Some time later, she spotted an “orange light in the corner of the bar”.

“I immediately shouted, ‘Everyone out!’ and immediately thought of calling the fire department.”

She called emergency services at 1.28am and told security guards to send everyone out.

She then called her husband Jacques, who arrived at the scene not long after.

He said he tried to enter the building but it was “impossible” because it was full of smoke.

Instead, he and two other people went around to a service door on the ground floor which was “closed and locked” from the inside.

If police find that the pair knowingly kept the door locked and knew the risks, it’s understood they could face new charges.

The current accusation is negligent homicide – but the couple could be charged with murder by implied malice.

The owners could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of such a crime.

He told investigators that he found a pile of bodies on the floor when he unlocked the door after the deadly blaze, one of which was waitress Cyane.

Jacques recalled the harrowing moment he tried to save her life.

“Her boyfriend and I tried to resuscitate her outside on the street for more than an hour until the paramedics told us it was too late,” Moretti said.

The owner also told investigators he personally replaced the foam layer on the ceiling which later burst into flames during the catastrophic blaze.

He said staff regularly used the sparklers, and that council staff who inspected the bar three times never declared it a fire hazard.

Jacques said he didn’t believe the sparklers were enough to have started the fire on their own.

“We’ve been doing this for ten years, and there’s never been a problem,” the manager said, quoted by Blick.

“It’s not impossible that these candles caused the fire,” he said, but went on to say he believed, “there must be something else”.

He said the pyrotechnics, “were not powerful enough to ignite the sound-absorbing foam. I had done some tests”.

It comes after two former staff members claimed fire extinguishers were often locked away at Le Constellation bar.

Known only as Maxime and Sarah, the former employees said that fire safety training at the bar in Crans-Montana had been “dicey”.

Maxime told BFM: “I always said that if waitresses held up sparklers and they came into contact [with the ceiling], everything could go up in flames.

“There was definitely a risk and the safety measures were a bit dicey … staff weren’t briefed on fire safety and the emergency exit was sometimes blocked or locked.”

On top of the 40 people killed by the blaze, some as young as 14 years old, 119 people were injured in the catastrophe.

As Jacques – who is alleged to be a former “pimp” with an extensive criminal history – was taken into custody on Friday, his wife told reporters she wanted to “apologise”.

While her husband was being taken to jail in a white van with tinted windows, Jessica continued: “It’s an unimaginable tragedy. We never could have imagined this. I want to apologise.

Beyond wearing a tag, Jessica will now have to report to police every three days.

Despite the apology and reports that the owner knew the emergency exit was locked, it is understood that the Morettis will continue to deny any criminal or civil wrongdoing, according to their defence team.

Dozens of victims, some as young as 14 years old, lost their lives after the rapid inferno engulfed the ski resort nightclub.

Lawyers for the victims of the fire had called for the couple, who are both French nationals, to be placed in pre-trial detention.

Sébastien Fanti, counsel for wounded who remain in hospital, said of Mr Moretti before today’s hearing: “He’s a shady character whose practices raise questions.”

Romain Jordan, a lawyer representing some of the 116 injured – many teenagers left with catastrophic burns – has claimed that Le Constellation bar suspended its Facebook and Instagram accounts while rescue operations were ongoing.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15766413/swiss-bar-fire-owners-say-waitress-family-died/

‘LA is a crying, weeping shadow of what it once was,’ say despairing residents, as The Sun witnesses desperate scenes of crime and addiction

SLUMPED over and barely able to stand, drug-addled ‘zombies’ shoot up and smoke crack in the open, while one homeless man passes out with a bottle of alcohol for a pillow.

It’s just another day in one of LA’s most notorious ‘Walking Dead’ zones, while world-famous celebrities and billionaires continue to flee the so-called ‘City of Dreams’ in droves.

Specialists explain why the condition occurs, how it’s diagnosed, and the range of medical and surgical options available locally.

Imagine a sudden, electric shock-like pain striking one side of your face that can last seconds, at best, to a few minutes. The pain is so intense that it has been referred to as “suicide disease” by patients.

And it occurs several times a day when you’re chewing, talking, washing your face, brushing your teeth, or even having a light breeze blow across your face, according to Singapore General Hospital’s senior consultant Dr Adeline Leong, who heads its Department of Pain Medicine.

It’s called trigeminal neuralgia (TN), a condition that affects the trigeminal nerve. There are two such nerves in your face, one on each side of your head. Each nerve starts in your brainstem (the part known as the pons) and travels across your face, where it splits into three branches to the eye as well as upper and lower jaws (see illustration below).

The trigeminal nerves’ locations explain why TN affects, most commonly, “the region below the eye involving the cheek bone and the jaw”, said neurologist Dr Tu Tian Ming from Mount Elizabeth Hospital. In addition to a stabbing pain, “some patients also describe a continuous dull pain in between episodes, which may fluctuate in intensity”, he said.

“Some patients report tingling or dull ache before severe pain begins,” added Dr Leong. “But often, the onset feels abrupt. The pain-free intervals can last weeks or months initially but can shorten over time.”

Here’s a look at what causes TN, how common is it, and the solutions available.

HOW COMMON IS TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA?

TN is a rare condition. “There is no systematic collation of the number of TN patients in Singapore”, according to Dr Tu.

Associate consultant Dr Tan Chin Lik from National University Hospital’s Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, said that “the worldwide incidence is about four in 100,000”, which “translates into approximately 200 cases each year in Singapore”.

At SGH’s Pain Management Centre, “we see approximately 50 to 80 cases a year as a ballpark figure. Personally, I see about one or two patients in each clinical session,” said Dr Leong.

These patients are also seen in complementary care. Chiropractor and founder of Vitality Chiropractic, Shaan Daniel Rai, shared that “over the past seven years in operation, we have seen around 40 to 50 patients with TN. However, the incidence has been increasing over recent years, with three coming to see us in the past month”.

WHAT CAN CAUSE THE DEBILITATING PAIN?

The most common cause of TN – about 80 to 90 per cent of cases – is the compression of the trigeminal nerve by a loop of artery or vein, said Dr Tan. “Other causes include multiple sclerosis causing plaques in the brainstem, or a tumour compressing on the trigeminal nerve,” he said.

Situations that can affect the trigeminal nerve include head trauma such as whiplash, infections by the herpes zoster virus (it also leads to shingles), autoimmune conditions, circulatory issues, strokes, or accidental damage from brain, facial or dental surgery, according to Cleveland Clinic.

In addition, a study published in Neurology found that patients with high blood pressure were about 50 per cent more likely to develop TN than those with normal blood pressure over three years of follow-up. The researchers postulated that a twisted blood vessel, created by a high blood pressure, could compress the trigeminal nerve in these cases.

Migraine sufferers may be another group that can be prone to TN, according to Association of Migraine Disorders. Both migraine and TN affect the trigeminal nerve but in different ways: In migraine, triggers such as stress, light and hormones activate the trigeminal nerve’s pain-sensing fibres; in TN, the same nerve is compressed. What links the two conditions is the “electrical activity in the brain is thought to activate the trigeminal nerve in migraine with aura”, noted the website.

Having said that, there are also many TN cases where there is no obvious cause, said Dr Tu.

WHO CAN BE PRONE TO TN?

“Patients are usually middle aged, from 50 to 70 years old,” said Dr Tan – although they can be younger, starting from age 20 to 30, said Dr Tu.

Women are more predisposed to developing TN than men. This could be due to women’s smaller nerve volumes, genetic predispositions and hormonal influences. In studies, women are also more likely to experience pain on the right side of their faces, while men are commonly affected on the left.

The reasons aren’t clear, although experts highlighted anatomical differences such as narrower bone openings on the right side of the female skull that could increase nerve compression.

“Most cases of TN are sporadic, that is, they are non-hereditary,” said Dr Tan, “although it is believed that a small percentage (1 to 2 per cent) may be so. Scientists have identified several genetic variants of ion channels (they control nerve functions), which may contribute to TN, but these require further investigations.”

WHAT ABOUT TREATMENTS?

A brain MRI is often ordered to look for a blood vessel compression, said Dr Tan. “MRI can also be used to identify tumour or demyelination plaques as a cause of facial pain.” Patients are usually managed by neurologists or pain specialists, and referred to neurosurgeons when surgery is being considered, said Dr Tan.

The common treatments available in Singapore include:

ANTICONVULSANT MEDICATIONS

These include carbamazepine and gabapentin, and they are often preferred as the first line of treatment as they are non-invasive, said Dr Leong. The downside, however, are the medicines’ side effects, including drowsiness, dizziness and nausea.

Tech giant Meta urged Australia on Monday (Jan 12) to rethink its world-first social media ban for under-16s, while reporting that it has blocked more than 544,000 accounts under the new law.

Australia has required big platforms, including Meta, TikTok and YouTube, to stop underage users from holding accounts since the legislation came into force on Dec 10 last year.

Companies face fines of A$49.5 million (US$33 million) if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply.

Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta said it had removed 331,000 underage accounts from Instagram, 173,000 from Facebook, and 40,000 from Threads in the week to Dec 11.

The company said it was committed to complying with the law.

“That said, we call on the Australian government to engage with industry constructively to find a better way forward, such as incentivising all of industry to raise the standard in providing safe, privacy-preserving, age-appropriate experiences online, instead of blanket bans,” it said in a statement.

Meta renewed an earlier call for app stores to be required to verify people’s ages and get parental approval before under-16s can download an app.

This was the only way to avoid a “whack-a-mole” race to stop teens migrating to new apps to avoid the ban, the company said.

Meta said parents and experts were worried about the ban isolating young people from online communities, and driving some to less regulated apps and darker corners of the internet.

Initial impacts of the legislation “suggest it is not meeting its objectives of increasing the safety and well-being of young Australians”, it argued.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/meta-urges-australia-change-teen-social-media-ban-5851831

Singapore is aware of the allegations concerning babies being trafficked from Indonesia into the country for adoption and the government is working closely with Indonesian authorities to review the matter.

Adoptive parents of children brought from Indonesia to Singapore are facing delays in their children’s citizenship applications amid investigations into a suspected Indonesian baby trafficking syndicate.

In a joint media release on Friday (Jan 9), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said that they are aware of the allegations concerning babies being trafficked from Indonesia into Singapore for adoption. The ministries added that Singapore’s government is working closely with Indonesian authorities to review the matter.

This follows a request made in September 2025 by the Indonesia National Police. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) then said it was working with its Indonesian counterparts to investigate an alleged cross-border baby-trafficking syndicate based in West Java, in which three Singaporeans were suspected to be involved.

In July last year, an alleged ringleader was arrested in Jakarta, with Indonesian authorities seizing documents and records suggesting that the syndicate had trafficked at least 25 children, including 15 who had already been sent to Singapore.

SPF and MSF have been in contact with Indonesian police and Indonesia’s Ministry of Social Affairs in relation to the investigation findings and to verify the circumstances surrounding the affected children who were brought into Singapore for adoption.

SPF has also been rendering assistance to its Indonesian counterparts for their investigations.

Noting that the investigations are important, MHA and MSF said: “Child trafficking is a serious matter as it exploits young children’s vulnerabilities, violates their rights and separates them from their biological families for others’ personal gain or criminal activities.

“It also affects the children’s long-term well-being and development.”

MSF and the Immigration Checkpoints Authority have been in touch with the affected adoptive parents to explain the situation, which has led to some delays in their children’s citizenship applications.

“We are keenly aware of the anxiety that this situation has caused to the adoptive parents, and are working closely across the relevant authorities to ensure that the cases are dealt with as expeditiously as we can, and to safeguard the welfare and interests of the children,” said MHA and MSF.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/indonesia-baby-trafficking-adoption-citizenship-application-delay-5848246

Prediction markets let people wager on anything from a basketball game to the outcome of a presidential election — and recently, the downfall of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The latter is drawing renewed scrutiny into this murky world of speculative, 24/7 transactions. Last week, an anonymous trader pocketed more than $400,000 after betting that Maduro would soon be out of office.

The bulk of the trader’s bids on the platform Polymarket were made mere hours before President Donald Trump announced the surprise nighttime raid that led to Maduro’s capture, fueling online suspicions of potential insider trading because of the timing of the wagers and the trader’s narrow activity on the platform. Others argued that the risk of getting caught was too big, and that previous speculation about Maduro’s future could have led to such transactions.

Polymarket did not respond to requests for comment.

The commercial use of prediction markets has skyrocketed in recent years, opening the door for people to wage their money on the likelihood of a growing list of future events. But despite some eye-catching windfalls, traders still lose money everyday. And in terms of government oversight in the U.S., the trades are categorized differently than traditional forms of gambling — raising questions about transparency and risk.

Here’s what we know:

How prediction markets work

The scope of topics involved in prediction markets can range immensely — from escalation in geopolitical conflicts, to pop culture moments and even the fate of conspiracy theories. Recently, there’s been a surge of wages on elections and sports games. But some users have also bet millions on things like a rumored — and ultimately unrealized — “secret finale” for the Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” whether the U.S. government will confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life and how much billionaire Elon Musk might post on social media this month.

In industry-speak, what someone buys or sells in a prediction market is called an “event contract.” They’re typically advertised as “yes” or “no” wagers. And the price of one fluctuates between $0 and $1, reflecting what traders are collectively willing to pay based on a 0% to 100% chance of whether they think an event will occur.

The more likely traders think an event will occur, the more expensive that contract will become. And as those odds change over time, users can cash out early to make incremental profits, or try to avoid higher losses on what they’ve already invested.

Proponents of prediction markets argue putting money on the line leads to better forecasts. Experts like Koleman Strumpf, an economics professor at Wake Forest University, think there’s value in monitoring these platforms for potential news — pointing to prediction markets’ past success with some election outcomes, including the 2024 presidential race.

Still, it’s never a “crystal ball,” he noted, and prediction markets can be wrong, too.

Who is behind all of the trading is also pretty murky. While the companies running the platforms collect personal information of their users in order to verify identities and payments, most people can trade under anonymous pseudonyms online — making it difficult for the public to know who is profiting off many event contracts. In theory, people investing their money may be closely following certain events, but others could just be randomly guessing.

Critics stress that the ease and speed of joining these 24/7 wagers leads to financial losses everyday, particularly harming users who may already struggle with gambling. The space also broadens possibilities for potential insider trading.

The major players

Polymarket is one of the largest prediction markets in the world, where its users can fund event contracts through cryptocurrency, debit or credit cards and bank transfers.

Restrictions vary by country, but in the U.S., the reach of these markets has expanded rapidly over recent years, coinciding with shifting policies out of Washington. Former President Joe Biden was aggressive in cracking down on prediction markets and following a 2022 settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Polymarket was barred from operating in the country.

That changed under Trump late last year, when Polymarket announced it would be returning to the U.S. after receiving clearance from the commission. American-based users can now join a platform “waitlist.”

Meanwhile, Polymarket’s top competitor, Kalshi, has been a federally-regulated exchange since 2020. The platform offers similar ways to buy and sell event contracts as Polymarket — and it currently allows event contracts on elections and sports nationwide. Kalshi won court approval just weeks before the 2024 election to let Americans put money on upcoming political races and began to host sports trading about a year ago.

The space is now crowded with other big names. Sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel both launched prediction platforms last month. Online broker Robinhood is widening its own offerings. Trump’s social media site Truth Social has also promised to offer an in-platform prediction market through a partnership with Crypto.com — and one of the president’s sons, Donald Trump Jr., holds advisory roles at both Polymarket and Kalshi.

“The train has left the station on these event contracts, they’re not going away,” said Melinda Roth, a visiting associate professor at Washington and Lee University’s School of Law.

Loose regulation

Because they’re positioned as selling event contracts, prediction markets are regulated by the CFTC. That means they can avoid state-level restrictions or bans in place for traditional gambling and sports betting today.

“It’s a huge loophole,” said Karl Lockhart, an assistant professor of law at DePaul University who has studied this space. “You just have to comply with one set of regulations, rather than (rules from) each state around the country.”

Sports betting is taking center stage. There are a handful of big states — like California and Texas, for example — where sports betting is still illegal, but people can now wager on games, athlete trades and more through event contracts.

A growing number of states and tribes are suing to stop this. And lawyers expect litigation to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court, as added regulations from the Trump administration seem unlikely.

Federal law bars event contracts related to gaming as well as war, terrorism and assassinations, Roth said, which could put some prediction market trades on shaky ground, at least in the U.S. But users might still find ways to buy certain contracts while traveling abroad or connecting to different VPNs.

Whether the CFTC will take any of that on has yet to be seen. But the agency, which did not respond to request for comment, has already taken steps away from enforcement.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/prediction-markets-maduro-trades-1f47e737f915fff00c57f03e7390b41f

Becky Pepper-Jackson finished third in the discus throw in West Virginia last year though she was in just her first year of high school. Now a 15-year-old sophomore, Pepper-Jackson is aware that her upcoming season could be her last.

West Virginia has banned transgender girls like Pepper-Jackson from competing in girls and women’s sports, and is among the more than two dozen states with similar laws. Though the West Virginia law has been blocked by lower courts, the outcome could be different at the conservative-dominated Supreme Court, which has allowed multiple restrictions on transgender people to be enforced in the past year.

The justices are hearing arguments Tuesday in two cases over whether the sports bans violate the Constitution or the landmark federal law known as Title IX that prohibits sex discrimination in education. The second case comes from Idaho, where college student Lindsay Hecox challenged that state’s law.

Decisions are expected by early summer.

President Donald Trump’s Republican administration has targeted transgender Americans from the first day of his second term, including ousting transgender people from the military and declaring that gender is immutable and determined at birth.

Pepper-Jackson has become the face of the nationwide battle over the participation of transgender girls in athletics that has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans have leveraged the issue as a fight for athletic fairness for women and girls.

“I think it’s something that needs to be done,” Pepper-Jackson said in an interview with The Associated Press that was conducted over Zoom. “It’s something I’m here to do because … this is important to me. I know it’s important to other people. So, like, I’m here for it.”

She sat alongside her mother, Heather Jackson, on a sofa in their home just outside Bridgeport, a rural West Virginia community about 40 miles southwest of Morgantown, to talk about a legal fight that began when she was a middle schooler who finished near the back of the pack in cross-country races.

Pepper-Jackson has grown into a competitive discus and shot put thrower. In addition to the bronze medal in the discus, she finished eighth among shot putters.

She attributes her success to hard work, practicing at school and in her backyard, and lifting weights. Pepper-Jackson has been taking puberty-blocking medication and has publicly identified as a girl since she was in the third grade, though the Supreme Court’s decision in June upholding state bans on gender-affirming medical treatment for minors has forced her to go out of state for care.

Her very improvement as an athlete has been cited as a reason she should not be allowed to compete against girls.

“There are immutable physical and biological characteristic differences between men and women that make men bigger, stronger, and faster than women. And if we allow biological males to play sports against biological females, those differences will erode the ability and the places for women in these sports which we have fought so hard for over the last 50 years,” West Virginia’s attorney general, JB McCuskey, said in an AP interview. McCuskey said he is not aware of any other transgender athlete in the state who has competed or is trying to compete in girls or women’s sports.

Despite the small numbers of transgender athletes, the issue has taken on outsize importance. The NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees banned transgender women from women’s sports after Trump signed an executive order aimed at barring their participation.

The public generally is supportive of the limits. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to only compete on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion.

About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people age 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

Those allied with the administration on the issue paint it in broader terms than just sports, pointing to state laws, Trump administration policies and court rulings against transgender people.

“I think there are cultural, political, legal headwinds all supporting this notion that it’s just a lie that a man can be a woman,” said John Bursch, a lawyer with the conservative Christian law firm Alliance Defending Freedom that has led the legal campaign against transgender people. “And if we want a society that respects women and girls, then we need to come to terms with that truth. And the sooner that we do that, the better it will be for women everywhere, whether that be in high school sports teams, high school locker rooms and showers, abused women’s shelters, women’s prisons.”

But Heather Jackson offered different terms to describe the effort to keep her daughter off West Virginia’s playing fields.

“Hatred. It’s nothing but hatred,” she said. “This community is the community du jour. We have a long history of isolating marginalized parts of the community.”

Pepper-Jackson has seen some of the uglier side of the debate on display, including when a competitor wore a T-shirt at the championship meet that said, “Men Don’t Belong in Women’s Sports.”

“I wish these people would educate themselves. Just so they would know that I’m just there to have a good time. That’s it. But it just, it hurts sometimes, like, it gets to me sometimes, but I try to brush it off,” she said.

One schoolmate, identified as A.C. in court papers, said Pepper-Jackson has herself used graphic language in sexually bullying her teammates.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-transgender-athletes-trump-title-ix-ee41b615b2a44c6b8dc24072a208265d

The photos seemed destined for posterity in Israel’s state archives.

In the snapshots, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is joined by his wife, Sara, as well as U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and a group of Israeli soldiers, as they light Hannukah candles at Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews pray. The leaders exchange triumphant looks.

But something is off.

Sara Netanyahu’s skin is poreless, her eyes overly defined and her hair perfectly coiffed — a look officials acknowledge is the result of heavy retouching.

Critics say the issue isn’t the use of photo-editing software, which is common on the social media accounts of celebrities and public figures. They say it’s the circulation of the images in official government announcements, which distorts reality, violates ethical codes and risks compromising official archiving and record-keeping efforts.

“All the pictures to this day in the archives in Israel are authentic pictures of reality as it was captured by the lenses of photographers’ cameras since the establishment of the state,” said Shabi Gatenio, the veteran political journalist who broke the story in The Seventh Eye, an Israeli site that covers local media. “These images, if entered into the database, will forever infect it with a virtual reality that never existed.”

Since the manipulation of images was revealed, the government has taken the unprecedented step of crediting Sara Netanyahu in its releases that include manipulated images. And it’s not clear if the official archive will include images of her taken during the second half of last year, when Gatenio said the editing appears to have begun.

Mrs. Netanyahu’s personal spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Nitzan Chen, director of the Government Press Office, told The Associated Press that images of the prime minister are never manipulated and that his office would not upload any retouched photos to the official archive.

Personal Photoshop habit enters political realm

Sara Netanyahu, 67, has long used photo-editing software on her images. Her social media account is filled with images in which her face appears heavily retouched.

But the topic raised eyebrows since her Photoshop habit entered the public record.

Gatenio said he first noticed this last July, when the couple visited President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., and again in September, as Sara Netanyahu joined her husband on the tarmac ahead of a trip to New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

At the time, the prime minister’s office released a video of the send-off along with a photo, credited to Avi Ohayon, an official government photographer.

Comparing the photo to the raw video, Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert at the University of California, Berkeley, said the image had been post-processed, bearing local manipulations to smooth her skin and remove wrinkles.

Since then, photos showing Mrs. Netanyahu meeting with Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, in Washington also appear to have been retouched, Farid said.

“There’s been some Photoshop editing to — let’s call it — ‘beautify,’ lighten, smooth the face,” Farid said.

“Is it nefarious? No. Is it a problem? Yes. This is about something bigger than, ‘she Photoshopped her face to make herself look younger.’ This is about trust. Why should I trust any official photo coming out of that administration?”

Chen, the head of the Government Press Office, said office lawyers are trying to determine how to handle and properly identify photos “processed by people other than GPO photographers.”

He said the Justice Ministry is also examining the “criteria, limitations and possibilities” of the edited images, though he stressed there is nothing illegal about touching up photos. The issue, he said, is being transparent when such changes are made.

For now, the Prime Minister’s Office has decided to add Sara Netanyahu’s name to press releases that include retouched images. Since November, press releases showing photos of her smiling next to Trump and the family of the last hostage in Gaza in Washington, visiting a Miami synagogue and attending a funeral for an Israeli mayor have included this label.

At least one outlet, the Times of Israel, has said it will no longer carry official state photos that appear to have been manipulated. The Associated Press does not publish images that appear to have been retouched or digitally manipulated.

A broader phenomenon

Chen said the prime minister is never edited: “No Photoshop, no corrections, no color. Nothing.”

While his face may not be retouched, the prime minister’s official Instagram account tells another story.

The page has posted a bevy of content that appears to be AI-edited or generated, including a picture of the couple with Trump and first lady Melania Trump celebrating the new year in Washington.

The photo raised suspicions in Israel because it shows Sara Netanyahu wearing a black dress absent from other photos of the event, where she wore a dark red frock. Appearing in the sky above the couples are brightly colored fireworks and American and Israeli flags that Farid said were “almost certainly” generated by AI.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/israel-sara-netanyahu-photos-217896b96d01bf5cfcd7aa606b5fa78e

Police said a gas explosion at a home following a wedding reception in Islamabad killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom.

An explosion at a house following a wedding reception in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad has killed at least eight people, police said on Sunday.

Local authorities said that the blast, which is believed to have been caused by a gas leak, took place as members of the wedding party gathered at a house in a residential area in the capital.

What do we know about the blast in Islamabad?

Pakistani news channel Geo News cited police in reports that the blast took place in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Both the bride and groom and other family members were killed in the incident, while two neighbors also died.

Government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said that authorities had been alerted to the blast early on Sunday and that police officials were still investigating.

Yousaf said some nearby homes were also damaged and that routes in the area had been closed to help emergency services operate.

The official said an investigation to determine whether it was a gas cylinder or an explosion due to a gas leak, was currently underway.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/pakistan-gas-explosion-at-wedding-reception-in-islamabad-kills-8-including-newlyweds/a-75464404