Category: World

Armed gangs with “sophisticated weapons” kidnapped worshipers from at least two churches in Kaduna state. Nigeria faces several internal conflicts that have affected both Christians and Muslims — often indiscriminately.

“The attackers came in numbers and blocked the entrance of the churches and forced the worshippers out into the bush,” Reverend Joseph Hayab, head of the Christian Association of Nigeria for the country’s north, said on Monday.

“The actual number they took was 172 but nine escaped, so 163 are with them,” he said.

A politician representing the area at state parliament, Usman Danlami Stingo, on Monday talked of three separate attacks during Sunday church services. He put the number of abducted at 168, according to the Associated Press.

A police ‌spokesperson told Reuters news agency that gunmen with “sophisticated weapons” attacked the two churches, but that police were still trying to confirm the number taken.

The attacks occurred in the village of Kurmin Wali, a largely Christian forest community. It is remote and difficult to reach due to bad roads, the police spokesperson said.

Police said troops and ⁠other security agencies had been deployed to the area and that efforts were under way to track the ‌abductors and rescue ‌the captives.

Kidnappings-for-ransom on the rise in in Nigeria

Such attacks are common in central and northern Nigeria, where multiple criminal or “bandit” gangs, as well as religious armed groups, raid remote communities with limited security and government presence.

In November, armed gangs seized more than 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in Niger state, which borders Kaduna. They were released weeks later in two batches.

Nigeria’s abductions are predominantly for ransom, with armed groups using the money to fund other crimes and control villages.

It has grown into a “structured, profit-seeking industry” with profits of about $1.66 million in the year from June 2024 to July 2025, a recent report by Nigeria-based consultancy SBM found.

Are Christians being targeted?

Kajuru district is a hotspot for bandit attacks in Kaduna State, which has witnessed clashes between Christian farmers and Fulani Muslim cattle herders.

The violence centers around competition for land and dwindling resources, although on the surface it falls along ethnic and religious lines.

Nigeria is roughly split between Muslim (some 56%) and Christians (43%), with Christians primarily living in the south and Muslims in the north.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/nigeria-church-attack-kidnap-kaduna-christians/a-75572335

Germany has said peace in Gaza is a “core interest” but added Berlin sees the UN as the place to resolve conflict. The US plan received mixed reviews and will likely ruffle feathers with an invitation for Vladimir Putin.

Germany on Monday thanked US President Donald Trump for extending Berlin an invitation to take up a seat on his so-called “Board of Peace.”

German government spokesman Steffen Cornelius said: “We are thankful for this invitation. We share the aim of pursuing peace in the world. It is in Germany’s core interest to end the conflict in Gaza for good.”

Originally intended as a mechanism for rebuilding the devastated Gaza Strip, Trump has since framed the body as engaged in bringing about “enduring peace” worldwide.

“The Board of Peace is an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict,” the board’s charter reads.

Trump’s pay-to-play peace scheme

Trump has now asked dozens of nations to join, saying that those who put up $1 billion (€860 million) in the board’s first year will be allowed to remain a member beyond that time.

Among those invited by Trump — who appointed himself chairman of the proposed organization as well as dictating that he alone has the power to invite new members to it — are Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and numerous other heads of state.

Germany, like other invited nations, took care to reiterate its faith in the United Nations as the ultimate international arbiter of peace when it comes to conflict resolution.

Trump, who recently announced that the US would withdraw from 66 international treaties and bodies — many of them tied to the UN — appears to see the new body as a potential replacement for the UN, urging invitees to have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed.”

Who has been invited?

Envisioned as a second-phase of the “peace plan” that Trump put forth to halt the bloodshed in Gaza, a number of world leaders have or can be expected to receive invitations over the coming days.

Beyond naming himself chairman of the board and appointing a handful of loyal friends and family, Trump has also extended invitations to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, Argentine President Javier Milei and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is, “currently reviewing all the details of this offer, and we hope to establish contact with the American side to clarify all the nuances.”

A spokesman for the Belarus Foreign Ministry said Monday, “We are ready to participate in the activity of the Peace Board and expect and hope that the organization will greatly expand its scope and powers beyond the limits of the initiative.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/germany-cautiously-thankful-for-us-board-of-peace-invite/a-75571485

Speaking before a darkened ballroom on Thursday, U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark called on executives to be “fearless” in defense of free markets over government control and said the U.S. must remain “open to the world, open to the global exchange of talent and goods and ideas and innovation.”
The ​comments by the head of the most powerful U.S. business lobby group could be seen as mild pushback against President Donald Trump, who has waded into business mechanics like no other ‌U.S. president. He has directed the U.S. to take stakes in tech companies, asserted control of corporate equity structures, imposed tariffs, and advanced immigration policies opposed by the Chamber.

This month, several CEOs, including Exxon Mobil’s (XOM.N), Darren Woods and JPMorgan’s (JPM.N), Jamie Dimon, also have offered temperate critiques of certain Trump agenda items. But they limited their remarks to sectors where they have interests – Venezuela’s oil and the U.S. Federal Reserve, while Clark did not mention Trump by name or his policies during the speech.
Several corporate governance experts said the statements and omissions were in line with a broader fear among business leaders that his administration will punish dissent. That is a marked difference from Trump’s first term, when executives split with him after his handling of a white nationalist rally ‌in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 and more openly spoke out against other policies.

Even as masked immigration agents confront U.S. citizens in Minneapolis and Trump considers seizing Greenland, ​which may cut off American businesses from European markets, the response from business leaders has been milquetoast, said Richard Painter, University of Minnesota law professor and chief ethics lawyer for former President George W. Bush.
Trump has adopted an authoritarian approach in contrast to Bush’s free-market economic policies, Painter said.
“I’d like to see a lot more aggressive stance from the Chamber here,” Painter said of Clark’s speech. “A lot of executives may have voted for Trump, but they need ‍to speak out against coercion, whether it’s aimed at a protester in the streets or aimed at a CEO who isn’t doing what the president wants them to.”
Mark Levine, a Democrat who is the new New York City Comptroller overseeing public pension funds with stakes in the largest U.S. companies, said CEOs have taken only “baby steps,” speaking up only when Trump’s actions directly affect their businesses.

“I don’t think capitalism works if we allow a president with autocratic tendencies to dictate the behavior of every company in ⁠America,” Levine said.

TRUMP GETS LACKLUSTER RATINGS ON ECONOMY

Asked for comment, a Chamber spokesman noted a briefing that Clark held for reporters on Friday in which she said that “We are against government intervention in business, no matter which ‍party is suggesting it.” She added that CEOs have been doing “quiet work” to promote sound public policies behind the scenes, and “not rushing to outrage.”
In August, Neil Bradley, the Chamber’s chief policy officer, told Reuters the group aimed to respond to Trump in ‌a nonpartisan way, ‌to preserve support for free markets.
Trump’s approval rating on the economy currently stands at a lackluster 36%, below his overall 41% rating even as he portrays his economic policies as succeeding by conventional measures.

“Under our administration, growth is exploding, productivity is soaring, investment is booming, incomes are rising, inflation is defeated, America is respected again like never before,” Trump said in Detroit on Tuesday.
A few prominent CEOs have openly questioned some of his actions.
On January 9, Exxon’s Woods told Trump that Venezuela is “uninvestable,” undercutting White House messaging about the industry’s future in the country. Woods added he was confident in Trump’s plans and that the company could soon dispatch a technical team to assess conditions there. Even so, ⁠two days later, Trump said he might keep Exxon out ⁠of future deals in the country.
“I didn’t like ​their response. They’re playing too cute,” Trump told reporters.
An Exxon representative declined to comment for this story.
On January 13, JPMorgan’s Dimon said he supported the independence of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, days after the administration opened a criminal investigation into Powell’s conduct. Dimon added that Trump’s meddling in the Fed could spike inflation. “I don’t care what he says,” Trump told Reuters about Dimon’s comments.
A JPMorgan representative declined to comment for this article.
A day earlier, Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer (PFE.N), said he was annoyed by ‍Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s move to roll back vaccine recommendations for children. “I’m seriously frustrated, because what is happening has zero scientific merit,” he told journalists in San Francisco.
Pfizer representatives did not respond to questions.

Source :https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/american-ceos-push-back-trump-mildly-2026-01-17/

Elon Musk is seeking up to $134 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft (MSFT.O), saying he deserves the “wrongful gains” that they received from his early support, according to a court filing on Friday.
OpenAI gained between $65.5 billion and $109.4 billion from the billionaire entrepreneur’s contributions when he was co-founding what was then a startup from 2015, while Microsoft gained between $13.3 billion and $25.1 billion, Musk said in the federal court filing, ahead of his trial against the two companies.

“Without Elon Musk, there’d be no OpenAI. He provided the bulk of the seed funding, lent his reputation, and taught them all he knows about scaling a business. A pre-eminent expert quantified the value of that,” Musk’s lead trial lawyer Steven Molo said in a statement to Reuters.
OpenAI in a statement called it an “unserious demand” by Musk and part of what it said was his “harassment campaign” against OpenAI.
Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment outside business hours on the amount of compensation Musk is seeking.

MICROSOFT AND OPENAI ALSO FILE SUITS

During the week, OpenAI called the lawsuit “baseless” and part of a “harassment” campaign by Musk. A Microsoft lawyer has said there is no evidence that the company “aided and abetted” OpenAI.

The two companies challenged Musk’s damages claims in a separate filing on Friday.
Musk, who left OpenAI in 2018 and runs xAI with its competitor chatbot Grok, alleges that ChatGPT operator OpenAI violated its founding mission in a high-profile restructuring to a for-profit entity.
A judge in Oakland, California, ruled this month that a jury will hear the trial, expected to start in April.
Musk’s filing says he contributed about $38 million, 60% of OpenAI’s early seed funding, helped recruit staff, connect the founders with contacts and lend credibility to the project when it was created.
“Just as an early investor in a startup company may realize gains many orders of magnitude greater than the investor’s initial investment, the wrongful gains that OpenAI and Microsoft have earned – and which Mr. Musk is now entitled to disgorge – are much larger than Mr. Musk’s initial contributions,” Musk argues.

The filing says Musk’s contributions to OpenAI and Microsoft were calculated by his expert witness, financial economist C. Paul Wazzan.
Musk may seek punitive damages and other penalties, including a possible injunction, if the jury finds either company liable, the filing says, without specifying what form any injunction might take.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/musk-seeks-up-134-billion-openai-microsoft-wrongful-gains-2026-01-17/

A high-speed train derailed and smashed into another oncoming train in southern Spain on Sunday, pushing the second train off the tracks and down an embankment in a collision that killed at least 21 people, said Spain’s interior ministry.
The accident happened near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, about 360 km (223 miles) south of the capital Madrid.

Of the 75 people hospitalised, 15 are in serious condition, the chief of Andalucia’s regional government, Juanma Moreno, told reporters early on Monday.

He said the death toll would likely be more than 20 and warned the number may rise by daylight.
“The forcefulness of the accident has been very strong … we will likely find (more) corpses,” Moreno said, adding that heavy machinery would be needed to remove the trains’ wrecked metal pieces and try to locate any new victims.
Video from the scene shared on social media showed rescuers pulling passengers from twisted carriages lying on their side under the glare of floodlights. Some passengers climbed out of smashed windows, while others were wheeled away on stretchers.
El Pais newspaper reported that the 27-year-old driver of the Madrid-to-Huelva train, the one that was struck, was among the dead.

There were around 400 passengers on the two trains, most of them Spaniards travelling back to and from Madrid after the weekend. It was unclear how many tourists could be onboard as January is not holiday season in Spain.
“There are many injured. I am still trembling,” Maria San José, 33, a passenger on the Malaga-to-Madrid high-speed train that first derailed, told El Pais.
A passenger on the second train, who was not identified, told public broadcaster TVE: “There were people screaming, their bags fell from the shelves. I was travelling to Huelva in the fourth carriage, the last, luckily.”
The second train, heading to Huelva and operated by state-funded Renfe, was travelling at around 200 km per hour (124 miles/hour) at the moment of impact, reported El Pais.
It was unclear how fast the first train was travelling when it derailed.

The cause for the crash is not yet known, Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters at a press conference at Atocha station in Madrid, adding it was “really strange” that a derailment should have happened on a straight stretch of track. This section of track was renewed in May, he added.
“Tonight is a night of deep pain for our country,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X. Spain’s King and Queen were following the developments with concern, a spokesperson said.

‘STILL PEOPLE TRAPPED’

The accident happened at 7.45 p.m. (1845 GMT), about 10 minutes after the Iryo train left Cordoba heading towards Madrid, authorities said.
“The Iryo 6189 Malaga – (to Madrid) train has derailed from the track at Adamuz, crashing onto the adjacent track. The (Madrid) to Huelva train which was travelling on the adjacent track has also derailed,” Adif, which runs the rail network, said in a social media post.
Puente said most of those killed and injured had been in the first two carriages of the second train, the Renfe Alvia that derailed on impact and plunged down the side of the railway embankment. The first carriage had 37 people on board and the second, 16, he said.
An Iryo-operated train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed, smashing into the Renfe train travelling from Madrid to Huelva, sending it careering down a railway embankment.
The Iryo train had more than 300 passengers on board, while the Renfe train had around 100.
Paco Carmona, Cordoba fire chief, told TVE that while the Iryo had been evacuated within hours of the accident, the Renfe carriages were badly damaged, with twisted metal and seats.
“There are still people trapped. The operation is concentrating on getting people out of areas which are very narrow,” he said. “We have to remove the bodies to reach anyone who is still alive. It is proving to be a complicated task.”

HORRIFIC SCENE

Adamuz Mayor Rafael Moreno told El Pais that he was among the first to reach the crash site alongside the local police and saw what he believed to be a badly lacerated body several metres from the accident site.
“The scene is horrific,” he said. “I don’t think they were on the same track, but it’s not clear. Now the mayors and residents of the area are focused on helping the passengers.”
Local television images showed a reception centre set up for passengers in Adamuz, a town of 5,000 people, with locals bringing food and blankets as nighttime temperatures hovered around 42 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius).
Tearful passengers disembarking from the bus spoke briefly to local press before being guided inside.
Salvador Jimenez, a journalist for TVE who was on board the Iryo train, shared images showing the nose of that train’s rear carriage lying on its side, with evacuated passengers sitting on its upturned side.
Iryo is a private rail operator, majority-owned by Italian state-controlled railway group Ferrovie dello Stato. The train involved was a Freccia 1000 train which was travelling between Malaga and Madrid, a spokesperson for Ferrovie dello Stato said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/two-high-speed-trains-derail-spain-police-said-2026-01-18/

European Union ambassadors reached broad agreement on Sunday to intensify efforts to dissuade U.S. President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on European allies, while also preparing retaliatory measures should the duties go ahead, EU diplomats said.
Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland, a step major EU states decried as blackmail.

EU leaders are set to discuss options at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday. One option is a package of tariffs on 93 billion euros ($107.7 billion) of U.S. imports that could automatically kick in on February 6 after a six-month suspension.
The other is the so far never used “Anti-Coercion Instrument” (ACI), which could limit access to public tenders, investments or banking activity or restrict trade in services, in which the U.S. has a surplus with the bloc, including in digital services.
The tariff package appeared to command broader support as a first response than anti-coercion measures, where the picture was currently “very mixed”, according to an EU source.

DIALOGUE IN DAVOS

European Council President Antonio Costa, who chairs EU summits, said in a social media post that his consultations with EU members had shown their strong commitment to support Denmark and Greenland and readiness to defend against any form of coercion.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, visiting his Norwegian counterpart in Oslo, said Denmark would continue to focus on diplomacy, referring to an agreement Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. made on Wednesday to set up a working group.
“The U.S. is also more than the U.S. president. I’ve just been there. There are also checks and balances in American society,” he added.
The EU’s efforts at dialogue are likely to be a key theme of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump is set to deliver a keynote address on Wednesday in his first appearance at the event in six years.

“All options on the table, talks in Davos with the U.S. and leaders gather after that,” said one EU diplomat in summarising the EU’s plan.
The eight targeted countries, already subject to U.S. tariffs of 10% and 15%, have sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland, as a row with the United States over the future of Denmark’s vast Arctic island escalates.
“Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” they said in a joint statement published on Sunday, adding they were ready to engage in dialogue, based on principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a written statement she was heartened by the consistent messages from the rest of the continent, adding: “Europe will not be blackmailed”.
The tariff threat unsettled global markets, with the euro and sterling falling against the dollar and a return to volatility expected.

QUESTION MARKS OVER U.S. TRADE DEALS

A source close to French President Emmanuel Macron said he was pushing for activation of the ACI. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said that while there should be no doubt that the EU would retaliate, it was “a bit premature” to activate the as yet unused instrument.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is closer to the U.S. President than some other EU leaders, described the tariff threat on Sunday as “a mistake”, adding she had spoken to Trump a few hours earlier and told him what she thought.
Asked how Britain would respond to new tariffs, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said allies needed to work with the United States to resolve the dispute.
“Our position on Greenland is non-negotiable … It is in our collective interest to work together and not to start a war of words,” she told Sky News on Sunday.
The tariff threats do though call into question trade deals the U.S. struck with Britain in May and the EU in July.
The limited agreements have already faced criticism about their lopsided nature, with the U.S. maintaining broad tariffs, while their partners are required to remove import duties.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/trumps-greenland-tariffs-prompt-calls-unprecedented-eu-counter-measures-2026-01-18/

Video games have been blamed for plenty of problems among adolescents and young adults over the years, but research suggests moderation may be the key to healthy gaming. University students who gamed more than 10 hours weekly showed notably worse health outcomes compared to their peers who kept gaming under 5 hours, according to research from Curtin University.

Researchers examined 317 undergraduate students and found consistent differences across multiple health measures. Students in the high-frequency gaming group carried significantly more body weight, had worse dietary habits, and reported poorer sleep quality compared to those who limited their screen time.

The study, published in Nutrition, divided participants into three groups based on weekly gaming habits: low users at 0-5 hours, moderate users at 6-10 hours, and high users exceeding 10 hours. The high-frequency group showed the poorest health profiles across multiple measures.

Weight and Diet Differences Across Gaming Groups

Students gaming more than 10 hours weekly had a median body mass index of 26.3 kg/m², placing them in the overweight category. Their peers who gamed 5 hours or less averaged 22.2 kg/m², squarely in the normal weight range.

Obesity prevalence was more than three times higher in the high-frequency gaming group. Among these students, 38% were overweight and 24% were obese, compared to 21.1% overweight and 4.9% obese in the low-frequency gaming group.

Diet quality scores showed similar patterns. High-frequency gamers scored a median of 45.0 points out of 130 possible on dietary assessments, compared to 50.0 for minimal gamers. The tool measured adherence to Australian nutritional guidelines, evaluating choices like whole grain bread and fish consumption, plus quantity factors including fruit, vegetable, and high-fat snack intake.

Sleep quality was also worse among high-frequency gamers, who scored 7.0 compared to 6.0 for low-frequency gamers on standard sleep assessments. Both groups scored above 5, the cutoff indicating poor sleep quality. The measure looked at sleep duration, how long it takes to fall asleep, sleep efficiency, disturbances, medication use, and daytime dysfunction over the previous month.

Each additional hour of weekly gaming was associated with a 0.14-point decrease in diet quality score in regression analysis, even after researchers controlled for gender, ethnicity, smoking status, employment, medication use, alcohol consumption, BMI, physical activity, and perceived stress. The model explained about 29% of the variation in diet quality, indicating other unmeasured factors also play substantial roles.

Possible Explanations From Prior Research

The associations between gaming frequency and health outcomes may operate through several pathways, though these mechanisms were not directly tested in this study. Previous research has suggested that extended gaming sessions may displace time that would otherwise support healthy routines like meal preparation, physical activity, and adequate sleep.

Other studies have documented that gaming environments tend to promote consumption of energy-dense convenience foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. High-frequency gamers in this study consumed energy drinks significantly more often than their low-gaming peers. Other research has suggested that food marketing in digital entertainment environments often emphasizes energy-dense products and beverages.

Research on eating behavior has shown that mental absorption during immersive activities may reduce awareness of hunger and fullness cues, potentially promoting mindless eating patterns. Other studies have found that stress responses during gaming may alter appetite regulation, though these mechanisms were not examined in the current study.

Studies on screen time and sleep have documented that blue light exposure from screens suppresses melatonin production, the hormone regulating sleep-wake cycles. The mental stimulation associated with gaming can interfere with sleep onset, particularly during evening gaming sessions. Irregular sleep schedules often accompany extended gaming periods, as players may stay up late to complete missions, participate in scheduled online events, or simply lose track of time during engaging gameplay.

Gaming Platforms and Content Preferences

Platform preferences varied dramatically across gaming frequency groups. PC gaming was far more common among high-frequency gamers, with 76% playing on computers compared to just 40.2% of low-frequency gamers. Heavy PC users logged a median of 8 hours weekly on computers alone, compared to effectively zero hours for minimal gamers.

High-frequency gamers reported higher violence levels in their preferred games, rating violence at a median of 4.0 on a 5-point scale compared to 2.0 for low-frequency gamers, though the study did not examine whether violent content directly influences health outcomes. Game type preferences correlated with different health patterns. Simulation game players showed the highest BMI at 26.1 kg/m², while sports video game players demonstrated higher physical activity levels (equivalent to about 6 hours of moderate exercise weekly) and lower perceived stress.

Students who gamed heavily had started earlier in life, typically at age 8 compared to age 9 for minimal gamers. They were also more likely to report increased gaming compared to five years prior, with 31.6% saying they game more now versus just 11.6% of low-frequency gamers reporting increased play. Childhood gaming frequency positively correlated with current gaming hours and negatively correlated with diet quality, suggesting patterns established early in life may persist into young adulthood.

Gaming Time Versus Gaming Disorder

The study measured gaming time rather than addiction severity, an important distinction. Gaming disorder represents a clinical condition characterized by impaired control, prioritization of gaming over other activities, and continuation despite negative consequences. Some individuals may game extensively without developing disorder symptoms, while others may show problematic patterns at lower time investments.

The 10-hour weekly pattern identified in this research sits well below the 30-hour weekly cutoff proposed for gaming disorder diagnosis in other research. This suggests health associations may emerge at gaming levels that fall short of clinical addiction, making the findings relevant to a broader population of recreational gamers. Research on gaming addiction (though not examined in the current study) has linked it to mental health problems including anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation across demographic groups.

Gaming frequency showed only weak negative correlations with physical activity levels in this study. High-frequency gamers reported slightly lower total physical activity, but the relationship was modest, indicating that simple time displacement doesn’t fully explain the observed health differences.

Sports video game players demonstrated significantly higher physical activity levels and lower perceived stress scores. This finding suggests that certain gaming preferences may cluster with healthier lifestyle patterns, though the study design prevents determining whether game choice influences activity levels or active individuals prefer sports games.

Research on sedentary behavior has documented independent health effects beyond simply burning fewer calories, including alterations in glucose metabolism, lipid processing, and cardiovascular function, though these specific outcomes were not measured in this study.

High-frequency gamers were somewhat more likely to be men, though the gender difference didn’t reach statistical significance. They were more likely to be enrolled in Medicine, Allied Health, and Biology academic programs compared to low-frequency gamers, suggesting gaming habits may differ by academic discipline and institutional culture.

Considerations for Campus Health Programs

The pattern observed at 10 hours weekly provides one potential reference point for health education, though this reflects how researchers divided their sample rather than an established health guideline. Students, parents, and university administrators might find it useful to consider this level when discussing gaming habits, while recognizing that individual responses vary.

Universities might consider integrating gaming-related discussions into wellness programs, focusing on the balance between gaming and other health behaviors. Interventions could address healthy gaming practices including time awareness, scheduled breaks, avoiding pre-bedtime gaming, and environmental modifications like keeping nutritious snacks available during gaming sessions.

Some universities have built elaborate esports facilities and programs. These developments create opportunities to integrate health messaging directly into gaming communities, addressing nutrition, sleep, and physical activity alongside competitive gaming skills.

Source : https://studyfinds.org/heavy-gaming-higher-body-weight-poor-diet-university-students/

As President Donald Trump continues to insist that the US needs to own Greenland, his wider focus on the Arctic region has seen Washington order new icebreakers.

For these ships, which can sail through seas covered in solid ice, the US has gone to the world expert – Finland.

Temperatures are sub-zero inside Aker Arctic Technology’s ice laboratory, as the scale model of an icebreaker cruises down a 70m-long simulation tank.

It ploughs a neat channel through the frozen surface of the water.

Undergoing testing at a facility in Helsinki, Finland’s capital, this is a design for the next generation of the country’s icebreakers.

“It’s crucial that it has sufficient structural strength and engine power,” says ice performance engineer, Riikka Matala.

Mika Hovilainen, the firm’s chief executive, adds that the shape of the vessel is also crucial. “You have to have a hull form that breaks ice by bending it downwards,” he says. “It’s not cutting, it’s not slicing.”

Finland is the undisputed world leader when it comes to icebreakers. Finnish companies have designed 80% of all those currently in operation, and 60% were built at shipyards in Finland.

The country leads the way out of necessity, explains Maunu Visuri, president and chief executive of Finnish state-owned company Artica, which operates a fleet of eight icebreakers.

“Finland is the only country in the world where all the harbours may freeze during wintertime,” he says, adding that 97% of all goods to the country are imported by sea.

During the coldest months, icebreakers keep Finland’s ports open, and work as pathfinders for big cargo ships. “It’s really a necessity for Finland. We say that Finland is an island.”

It was this expertise that saw Trump announce in October that the US planned to order four icebreakers from Finland for the US Coast Guard.

A further seven of the vessels, which the US is calling “Arctic Security Cutters”, are to be built in the US, using Finnish designs and expertise.

“We’re buying the finest icebreakers in the world, and Finland is known for making them,” said Trump.

Under US law, the country’s naval and coastguard ships must be domestically-built, but in this case the president waived that requirement on national security grounds. He cited “aggressive military posturing, and economic encroachment by foreign adversaries”, by which he means Russia and China.

This US concern comes as climate change continues to make the Arctic Ocean more navigable for cargo ships, at least if icebreakers lead the way by cutting a path. This opens up commercial trade routes from Asia to Europe, either above Russia, or north of Alaska and Canada’s mainland, and down past Greenland.

Reduced ice levels also mean that oil and gas fields beneath the Arctic are more accessible.

“There’s simply a lot more traffic in that part of the world now,” notes Peter Rybski, a retired US Navy officer and Helsinki-based, Arctic expert.

“You have an active oil and gas exploration and extraction industry in Russia, as well as a newly-emerging trans-shipment route from Europe to Asia.”

Following Trump’s outline announcement last autumn, the first contracts were awarded on 29 December.

Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions is to build two icebreakers for the US Coast Guard at its shipyard in the Finnish port of Rauma. The first ship is due to be delivered in 2028.

A further four will be constructed in Louisiana, with all six using an Aker Arctic Technology diesel-electric powered design.

The US orders are part of an effort to catch up with the number of Russian icebreakers. Currently Russia has around 40, including eight that are nuclear powered.

By contrast, the US presently only has three in operation.

Meanwhile China operates around five polar-capable vessels. “None of them are technically icebreakers,” says Rybski, pointing to their design not meeting the strict criteria. “But they are increasing their fleet.”

He adds that China has increasingly been sending these “research” ships into Arctic waters between Alaska and the far east of Russia, including areas that the US considers its “exclusive economic zone”.

“With limited means to respond this becomes a problem [for the US].”

Trump’s desire to enlarge its icebreaker fleet goes beyond the practicalities of operating in ice-clad Arctic seas, assesses Lin Mortensgaard, a researcher at the Danish Institute of International Studies. She says it is also about projecting power.

“No matter how many aircraft carriers you have and how much you use them to threaten states with, you cannot sail your aircraft carrier into the central Arctic Ocean,” she says.

“Icebreakers are really the only kind of naval vessel to signal that you are an Arctic state, with Arctic capabilities. And I think this is what much of the US discourse is about.”

Back in Finland, Helsinki Shipyard occupies a dock on the capital’s waterfront. It is where half of the world’s icebreakers have been made. Today owned by Canadian firm Davie, it also hopes to win new contracts from the US Coast Guard.

“The geopolitical situation has changed definitely,” says the shipyard’s managing director, Kim Salmi.

“We have our eastern neighbour here [Russia]. They are building their own [new] fleet. And the Chinese are building their fleet.”

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q48d71ke8o

Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey has trademarked his image and voice to protect them from unauthorised use by artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

Clips including his famous catchphrase “alright, alright, alright” from the 1993 film, Dazed and Confused, have been registered to the United States Patent and Trademark Office database, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.

It is the first time an actor has attempted to use trademark law to protect their likeness from AI misuse, his lawyers and an expert said.

Stars across Hollywood and the music industry including Scarlett Johansson and Taylor Swift have endured a wave of fake video, audio and images online, created by AI tools.

Lawyers for the Magic Mike star told the WSJ they had no current examples of McConaughey’s likeness being manipulated by AI, but hoped the trademarks could be used broadly against any unauthorised copies of him.

A secondary aim would be to “capture some of the value that is being created with this new technology”, Kevin Yorn – one of the lawyers representing McConaughey – told the AFP news agency.

“My team and I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it”, McConaughey said via email to the newspaper.

“We want to create a clear perimeter around ownership with consent and attribution the norm in an AI world”.

Several clips were registered by the commercial arm of the Just Keep Livin Foundation, a non-profit organisation created by the Dallas Buyers Club actor and his wife Camila, according to AFP.

Alina Trapova, an assistant professor in copyright law at University College London, also believes it to be first time an actor has attempted to use trademark law to their benefit against AI.

Trapova has worked on copyright and AI for more than eight years. She told the BBC that AI is a big problem for celebrities, saying that they may object to unauthorised AI “due to reputational reasons”, but for Hollywood stars it “is often a case of missed licensing opportunities”.

She said celebrities are experimenting with different forms of protection as “unauthorised commercialisation” of their likeness in the forms of deepfakes becomes “more and more challenging in the age of AI”.

McConaughey is not a hardline opponent of generative AI.

He has a stake in ElevenLabs, a software company specialising in AI voice modelling “for several years now”, according to the 56-year-old.

The company has created an AI audio version of the ‘Interstellar’ actor, with his permission.

Dr Sandra Wachter, professor of technology and regulation at the University of Oxford, says she would not be surprised if others in the creative industries did the same as McConaughey in the future.

“It is simple for companies to take your work and train a model to do your job. It is comparatively difficult for you to protect your work in the first place,” she told the BBC.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp87z6vexl3o

Mayor Mamdani’s new chief equity officer disparaged liberal white women in numerous posts on an X account deleted shortly before her appointment — and just as another aide landed in hot water for her radical screeds, The Post has learned.

The city’s new equity officer, Afua Atta-Mensah liberally sprinkled the phrase “comrade” throughout her posts and retweeting statements such as, “there’s NO moderate way to black liberation.”

Mamdani — in appointing Atta-Mensah to the top city position designed to promote inclusion — said, “There is no one I trust more to advance racial equity across our work in City Hall.”

Atta-Mensah’s disturbing posts were unearthed by the New York Young Republicans Club from her personal X account, which she apparently deactivated within a week of her Thursday appointment.

Her account was deleted just as Mamdani’s new tenant advocate, Cea Weaver, faced scrutiny over her own tweets calling to “seize private property” and branding home ownership “a weapon of white supremacy.”

Atta-Mensah appeared to take notice and hid her own social-media past — which included retweeting or replying to at least three separate posts complaining about liberal white women, including one where she responded to somebody who wrote “we don’t talk about white liberal racism enough.”

“Facts! It would need to be a series of loooooonnnnnnnggggg conversations” Atta-Mensah replied.

She also reposted part of a thread from a post reading,”Who’s not police but FEELS like police to you?

“white women at nonprofit organizations,” read a reply Atta-Mensah reposted in September 2024.

A third post compared white women to Amy Cooper — a white woman who was dubbed “Central Park Karen” in 2020 after she called the cops on a black birdwatcher.

“A lot of y’all are Amy Coopers to the Black women in your non-profits every day,” the tweet read, which the equity chief responded to with, “THIS IS A WHOLE WORD!!!!”

Another series of tweets included Atta-Mensah’s 2021 reply to somebody posting about how the show “Succession” made them want to “tax these people to the white meat.”

Atta-Mensah appeared to agree, replying “Tax Them To The White Meat!!!” with a hand-clapping emoji.

Mamdani’s office has told The Post that it hasn’t directed appointees to delete their social media.

Atta-Mensah previously worked on the mayor’s campaign after a career with social-justice groups.

“Afua Atta-Mensah has dedicated her career to serving the New Yorkers who are so often forgotten in the halls of power,” Mamdani said in appointing her to her new top position.

Mamdani also stood by tenant advocate Weaver after her social-media comments mired his administration in controversy within days of kicking off in January — with her past tweets including stances such as, “The Police Are Just People The State Sanctions To Murder W[ith] Immunity.”

Another one of her tweets read, “Private property including any kind of ESPECIALLY homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy.”

She also called on people to “elect more communists” to carry out her radical agenda.

City Hall did not respond to Post requests for comment about Atta-Mensah.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/18/us-news/mamdani-chief-equity-officer-disparaged-liberal-white-women-in-now-deleted-x-posts-tax-them-to-the-white-meat/

Iran is threatening to continue mass executions of protesters arrested during its brutal crackdown on a nationwide uprising against the despotic regime, and warned the US that deploying forces would unleash “all-out war.”

Iranian officials say at least 5,000 demonstrators have been slaughtered in the streets for speaking out against the authoritarian rule that has gripped the country for nearly 50 years.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed the deaths on US- and Israel-linked “terrorists and rioters,” actions which Iran’s judiciary said on Sunday constitute “Mohareb,” an Islamic term meaning to wage war on God which carries the death penalty.

“A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments,” Asghar Jahangir, a spokesman for Iran’s judiciary, said at a press conference.

The renewed saber-rattling comes just days after President Trump thanked the Islamic republic’s leadership on Truth Social for canceling the executions of over 800 people headed for the gallows.

Among them was protester Erfan Soltani, 26, who was arrested Jan. 8 and given just 10 minutes to say goodbye to his family before being taken away for execution.

Soltani has since been confirmed alive and in good physical health by his family and human rights groups.

Trump vowed to intervene militarily if the regime killed demonstrators, and has sent US military assets, including an aircraft carrier, to the region. But he has yet to announce details on further plans.

Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian warned in a social media post Sunday that its response “to any unjust aggression will be harsh and regrettable,” adding that an attack on Khamenei would be considered “tantamount to an all-out war against the nation.”

Trump had said that Iran’s decision to halt the executions played a decisive role in his decision to hold off on military action.

Some 24,000 people have been arrested in the mass demonstrations, according to the US-based agency Human Rights Activists in Iran, which began Dec. 28 when shopkeepers rallied in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic hardships resulting from the collapse of Iran’s currency, the rial.

The unrest quickly grew into widespread protests across all 31 provinces, which the repressive regime responded to with a violent crackdown.

It’s the largest civil unrest in the country since 2022, when enraged citizens took to the streets following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody for allegedly improperly wearing a hijab.

A shocking new report by the Sunday Times says the death toll cited by human rights groups is woefully undercounted, putting the figure closer to 16,500, with another 330,000 to 360,000 injured.

The disturbing figures, compiled from eight major hospitals and 16 emergency departments, revealed between 16,500 and 18,000 people have been killed, with most victims believed to be younger than 30.

Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German eye surgeon who spoke to the outlet, said the violence seen during the demonstrations represents “a whole new level of brutality” by the regime.

“[In 2022] they were using rubber bullets and pellet guns taking out eyes. This time they are using military-grade weapons and what we are seeing are gunshot and shrapnel wounds in the head, neck and chest,” he continued.

At least 1,000 people have lost an eye, with one Tehran hospital reporting 7,000 eye injuries, according to the outlet.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/18/world-news/iran-threatens-to-resume-executions-warns-of-all-out-war-if-us-steps-in/

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung on Sunday demanded the Nobel Foundation at least highlight President Trump’s “unprecedented accomplishments” if he can’t be gifted its peace prize.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado had handed a beaming Trump her 18-carat-gold Nobel Peace Prize medal, which she won last year, during their meeting Thursday.

But the foundation said that officially, “Prizes shall be awarded to those who ‘have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,’ and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize.

“A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed.”

Cheung blasted that statement and contended Trump “rightfully deserves the Nobel Peace Prize” for his efforts to end global conflicts around the world.

“Instead of trying to play politics, they should highlight the President’s unprecedented accomplishments,” he sniped on X.

Source : https://nypost.com/2026/01/18/us-news/wh-demands-nobel-foundation-note-trumps-unprecedented-accomplishments/

China’s population fell for a fourth consecutive year in 2025, dropping ⁠by 3.39 million to 1.405 billion, a faster decline than in 2024, official data showed on Monday (Jan 19).

The total number of births in China dropped to 7.92 million in 2025, its lowest ‍in decades, from ⁠9.54 ‍million in 2024.

The number of deaths rose to 11.31 million from 10.93 million ⁠in 2024, figures from China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed.

China’s ‍population has been shrinking since 2022 and is ageing rapidly. This has complicated Beijing’s plan to boost domestic consumption and rein in debt, with hundreds of millions of people set to leave the workforce at ‌a time when pension budgets are already stretched.

Marriages in China plunged by a ‍fifth ‌in 2024, the biggest drop on record, with more than 6.1 million couples registering for marriage, down from 7.68 million in 2023.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/china-population-decline-marriage-births-5867436

Shares of Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp rose nearly 10 per cent on Monday, after U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology said it would buy a fabrication plant from the company.

Micron Technology said on Saturday it had signed a letter of intent to acquire Powerchip’s P5 fabrication site in Tongluo, Miaoli County, Taiwan, for $1.8 billion in cash.

Powerchip is one of Taiwan’s major semiconductor foundries and produces both legacy chips and memory chips.

Micron said it expects the deal to help boost its output of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) wafers beginning in the second half of 2027.

The purchase will add about 300,000 square feet of cleanroom space, a highly controlled environment needed for chip production, the company said. It will allow Micron to ramp up DRAM production in phases at a time when global demand for memory continues to outpace supply, the company added.

Micron is one of only three major suppliers of high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips essential to AI technology, alongside South Korea’s Samsung and SK Hynix <000660.KS >.

Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said last month he expects memory markets to remain tight beyond 2026. The company’s shares gained a whopping 240 per cent in 2025, far outpacing the benchmark chip index’s 42 per cent gain.

Micron has been operating in Taiwan for more than 30 years and is the island’s largest foreign direct investor, according to Micron Taiwan’s website. Its facilities in Taichung, Taiwan, are a key production hub for DRAM and HBM products.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/powerchip-shares-jump-after-micron-moves-buy-taiwan-fab-18-billion-5867366

A U.S.-based activist agency said Sunday it has verified at least 3,919 deaths during a wave of protests that swept Iran and led to a bloody crackdown, and fears the number could be significantly higher.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency posted the revised figure, up from the previous toll of 3,308. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution.

The agency has been accurate throughout the years of demonstrations in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently confirm the toll.

Iranian officials have not given a clear death toll, although on Saturday, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the protests had left “several thousand” people dead — and blamed the United States for the deaths. It was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties from the wave of protests that began Dec. 28 over Iran’s ailing economy.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency says 24,669 protesters have been arrested in the crackdown.

Iranian officials have repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest in the country.

Tension with the United States has been high, with U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening Tehran with military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against anti-government protesters.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a post Sunday on X, blamed “longstanding enmity and inhumane sanctions” imposed by the U.S. and its allies for any hardships the Iranian people might be facing. “Any aggression against the Supreme Leader of our country is tantamount to all-out war against the Iranian nation,” he wrote.

During the protests, Trump had told demonstrators that “ help is on the way ” and that his administration would “act accordingly” if the killing of demonstrators continued or if Iranian authorities executed detained protesters.

But he later struck a conciliatory tone, saying that Iranian officials had “canceled the hanging of over 800 people” and that “I greatly respect the fact that they canceled.”

A family member of detained Iranian protester Erfan Soltani said Sunday that the 26-year-old is in good physical health and was able to see his family days after his planned execution was postponed.

Somayeh, a 45-year-old close relative of Soltani who is living abroad, told AP that his family had been told his execution would be set for Wednesday but it was postponed when they reached the prison in Karaj, a city northwest of Tehran.

“I ask everyone to help in securing Erfan’s freedom,” Somayeh, who asked to be identified by first name only for fear of government reprisal, said in a video message.

On Saturday, Khamenei branded Trump a “criminal” for supporting the rallies and blamed the U.S. for the casualties, describing the protesters as “foot soldiers” of the United States.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-deaths-trump-khamenei-95207b62fb2c8a4f3745d981ea0f9849

A Purple Star Sapphire weighing 3,563 carats which is claimed to be the world’s biggest of its kind was unveiled on Saturday in the Sri Lankan capital by the owners, who are ready to sell the precious stone which is estimated to be worth at least $300 million.

The round shaped gem named “Star of Pure Land” is the world’s largest documented natural purple star sapphire, said Ashan Amarasinghe, a consultant gemologist.

“This is the largest purple star sapphire of its kind,” he told the media, adding that the gem “shows a well-defined asterism. It has six rays asterism. That’s something special out of all the other stones.”

The gem, which has been polished, is owned by the Star of Pure Land Team, who want to remain anonymous for security reasons.

One of the owners said the gem was found in a gem pit near the remote Sri Lankan town of Rathnapura, known as the “city of gems,” in 2023.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/sri-lanka-biggest-gem-sapphire-ad477c534852d758dee38a646dd8f435

Trump administration officials had been in discussions with Venezuela’s hardline interior minister Diosdado Cabello months before the U.S. operation to seize President Nicolas Maduro, and have been in communication with him since then, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.
The officials warned Cabello, 62, against using the security services or militant ruling-party supporters he oversees to target the country’s opposition, four sources said. That security apparatus, which includes the intelligence services, police and the armed forces, remains largely intact after the January 3 U.S. raid.

Cabello is named in the same U.S. drug-trafficking indictment that the Trump administration used as justification to arrest Maduro, but was not taken as part of the operation.
The communication with Cabello, which has also touched on sanctions the U.S. has imposed on him and the indictment he faces, dates back to the early days of the current Trump administration and continued in the weeks just prior to the U.S. ouster of Maduro, two sources familiar with the discussions said. The administration has also been in touch with Cabello since Maduro’s ouster, four of the people said.
The communications, which have not been previously reported, are critical to the Trump administration’s efforts to control the situation inside Venezuela. If Cabello decides to unleash the forces that he controls, it could foment the kind of chaos that Trump wants to avoid and threaten interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s grip on power, according to a source briefed on U.S. concerns.

It is not clear if the Trump administration’s discussions with Cabello extended to questions about the future governance of Venezuela. Also unclear is whether Cabello has heeded the U.S. warnings. He has publicly pledged unity with Rodriguez, whom Trump has so far praised.
While Rodriguez has been seen by the U.S. as the linchpin for U.S. President Donald Trump’s strategy for post-Maduro Venezuela, Cabello is widely believed to have the power to keep those plans on track or upend them.
The Venezuelan minister has been in contact with the Trump administration both directly and via intermediaries, one person familiar with the conversations said.
All of the sources were granted anonymity to speak freely about sensitive internal government communications with Cabello.
The White House and the government of Venezuela did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

CABELLO HAS BEEN MADURO LOYALIST

Cabello has long been seen as Venezuela’s second most powerful figure. A close aide of late former President Hugo Chavez, Maduro’s mentor, he went on to become a long-time Maduro loyalist, feared as his main enforcer of repression. Rodriguez and Cabello have both operated at the heart of the government, legislature and ruling socialist party for years, but have never been considered close allies of each other.
A former military officer, Cabello has exerted influence over the country’s military and civilian counterintelligence agencies, which conduct widespread domestic espionage. He has also been closely associated with pro-government militias, notably the colectivos, groups of motorcycle-riding armed civilians who have been deployed to attack protesters.
Cabello is one of a handful of Maduro loyalists Washington has relied on as temporary rulers to maintain stability while it accesses the OPEC nation’s oil reserves during an unspecified transition period.

But U.S. officials are concerned that Cabello – given his record of repression and a history of rivalry with Rodriguez – could play the spoiler, according to a source briefed on the administration’s thinking.
Rodriguez has been working to consolidate her own power, installing loyalists in key positions to protect herself from internal threats while meeting U.S. demands to boost oil production, Reuters interviews with sources in Venezuela have shown.
Elliott Abrams, who served as Trump’s special representative on Venezuela in his first term, said many Venezuelans would expect Cabello to be removed at some point if a democratic transition is to advance.
“If and when he goes, Venezuelans will know that the regime has really begun to change,” said Abrams, now at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.

US SANCTIONS AND INDICTMENT

Cabello has long been under U.S. sanctions for alleged drug trafficking.
In 2020, the U.S. issued a $10 million bounty for Cabello and indicted him as a key figure in the “Cartel de los Soles,” a group the U.S. has said is a Venezuelan drug-trafficking network led by members of the country’s government.
The U.S. has since raised the award to $25 million. Cabello has publicly denied any links to drug trafficking.
In the hours after Maduro’s ouster, some analysts and politicians in Washington questioned why the U.S. didn’t also grab Cabello – listed second in the Department of Justice indictment of Maduro.
“I know that just Diosdado is probably worse than Maduro and worse than Delcy,” Republican U.S. Representative Maria Elvira Salazar said in an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation” on January 11.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-talks-with-hardline-venezuelan-minister-cabello-began-months-before-raid-2026-01-17/

Peter Brown’s gray mustache and beard were matted with ice as he stood watch on a frigid Friday afternoon outside Green Central Elementary, not far from where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Good last week.
Wearing a neon green vest and equipped with a whistle and walkie-talkie, Brown, an 81-year-old retired lawyer who lives nearby, kept his head on a swivel. His eyes were taking in each passing car and pedestrian near the campus as he stood ready to sound the alarm should federal immigration personnel approach the school, which teaches in English and Spanish and is around the corner from the spot where Good died.

“I never did like bullies, and that’s what the federal government has become,” Brown said, explaining why an octogenarian stood outside for four hours in -2 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill (-19 Celsius). “What’s happening in my city is nothing more than authoritarian intimidation, and me and my neighbors are not going to put up with it.”

PARENTS PATROL SCHOOLS

The Trump administration has deployed about 3,000 federal agents across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, making it the latest region targeted by the president’s mass deportation program. People who normally might be organizing parent-teacher association meetings are arranging security patrols at their kids’ schools to watch for immigration agents.

Some parents not on patrol are escorting foreign-born teachers or staff members, driving them to and from their homes and schools to make them feel safer. Others are delivering groceries and prescription medicines to immigrant families who are too afraid to leave their homes or send their kids to class.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat representing Minnesota, said on Friday she had met with school principals from her state “and heard horror stories of kids and parents ‘under siege’ by ICE.”
“Little kids scared. Dangerous encounters. This is no longer about a fraud investigation,” Klobuchar wrote on social media, as she urged residents to remain peaceful.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and the Border Patrol, said this week more than 2,500 people have been arrested during the effort that officials have dubbed Operation Metro Surge. DHS has repeatedly said its agents are not targeting schools.

“ICE is not going to schools to arrest children — we are protecting children,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin in a statement. “Criminals are no longer able to hide in America’s schools to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement and instead trusts them to use common sense. If a dangerous illegal alien felon were to flee into a school, or a child sex offender is working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect public safety. But this has not happened.”
But parents and school leaders say otherwise.
A spokesperson for Saint Paul Public Schools said in a statement that two of its contracted student transportation vans were pulled over by ICE agents this week. Several schools and daycare centers have emailed parents to notify them of teachers and staff who have been detained, according to school leaders and parents.

SOME STUDENTS LEARNING ONLINE

Schools have notified the public that some parents have been detained at bus stops after dropping off kids. Border Patrol agents clashed with protesters on the grounds of Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis as classes ended, just a few hours after Good was shot and killed. DHS said the clash followed agents’ pursuit of someone who had rammed one of their vehicles several miles away and fled to the school grounds.
Several school districts — including those in Minneapolis and St. Paul, the state’s two largest — have cancelled classes some days and are allowing students to learn online instead of attending classes in person for the next several weeks in response to the immigration operations.
“Many families in my area are afraid to send their kids to school because ICE is staking out our bus stops,” state Representative Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, a Democrat and co-chair of the Minnesota House of Representatives’ Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee, told the Star Tribune newspaper.
Nate Byrne, a spokesperson for Kids Count on Us, a coalition of 500 community-based childcare centers in Minnesota, said it is receiving daily reports about ICE officers on or near childcare center grounds, and that such centers in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods have seen a 50% reduction in attendance.
Kids Count on Us has received reports of childcare workers taken into ICE custody, Byrne said, though he did not have specific figures.

PARENTS DELIVER FOOD, RAISE MONEY

“Parents who are not fearful of being detained by ICE — typically because they are white — are forming teams to patrol outside their childcare centers during drop-off and pick-up and when staff need to come and go,” Byrne said. “Parents who are fearful of being detained by ICE due to the color of their skin are being extremely cautious.”
St. Paul parent Kelly, who spoke on the condition that her last name not be used, citing fears of retribution from the federal government, said she was helping deliver food to immigrant families that attend her children’s school but were afraid to leave their homes. Parents are also raising money to help pay rent for the families across the metro area, as the parents are missing work, according to Kelly and other parents.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/whistles-walkie-talkies-minneapolis-keeps-guard-over-schools-amid-ice-arrests-2026-01-17/

U.S. President Donald Trump purchased about $100 million in municipal and corporate bonds from mid-November to late December, his latest disclosures showed, including up to $2 million in Netflix (NFLX.O), and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O), bonds just weeks after the companies announced their merger.
Financial disclosures posted Thursday and Friday showed the majority of Trump’s purchases were municipal bonds from cities, local school districts, utilities and hospitals. But he also bought bonds from companies including Boeing (BA.N), Occidental Petroleum (OXY.N), and General Motors (GM.N).

The investments were the latest reported assets added to Trump’s expanding portfolio while he is in office. It includes holdings in sectors that benefit from his policies, raising questions about conflicts of interest.
For example, Trump said in December he will have a say in whether Netflix can proceed with its proposed $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, which faces a rival bid from Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O).. Any deal to acquire Warner Bros will need regulatory approval.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/netflix-warner-bros-bonds-among-100-million-purchased-by-trump-2026-01-17/

Iranians in exile are being targeted by the regime’s secret services, which is believed to be responsible for thousands of deaths since the start of the mass protests in Iran.

While Iran’s rulers attempt to crush the popular uprising with extreme brutality and ruthlessness, exiled Iranians around the world fear for the fate of their family members and friends. According to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office, around 295,000 people with Iranian roots live in Germany (as of 2024). In 2021, almost half of them had a German passport.

Along with worrying about their relatives back in Iran, many of them are also concerned about their own safety. This is especially true if they are politically active or work in journalism. Such individuals can quickly become targets of Iranian intelligence services, which are very active — and dangerous — in Germany, according to the country’s domestic intelligence agency.

“It can be assumed that Iranian intelligence services will increase their persecution abroad, partly due to current events,” wrote the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, in response to a query from DW.

It added: “Transnational repression measures by Iranian intelligence services against dissident organizations and individuals from the diaspora include targeted espionage, discrediting, intimidation, threats, and even the use of violence.” Their aim, the statement added, is to suppress opposition activities and coerce cooperation in order to spy on the regime opposition abroad.

Kidnappings and targeted killings

In light of the escalating violence of the Islamic regime in Iran, such assessments are frighteningly real. Several thousand people are said to have already been killed, though the information on arrests and deaths cannot be independently verified.

It is also difficult to gauge whether Iranian intelligence services are now stepping up their activities in Germany in the immediate aftermath of the mass protests. In principle, what the BfV has been observing for many years still applies: “Espionage activities by Iranian intelligence services often serve to plan state-sponsored terrorist activities, including the abduction or even killing of the target person.”

German-Iranian Jamshid Sharmahd kidnapped and killed in 2020

The BfV has also warned that people living in Germany could fall victim to such operations, referring specifically to the case of a man with Iranian and German citizenship. During a trip to a country neighboring Iran in 2020, Jamshid Sharmahd was abducted and, based on initial reports, executed four years later. Later reports indicated that he had died shortly before the planned execution.

The BfV sees a pattern at work here: “It can be assumed that Iran will continue to arrest Western nationals under fabricated pretexts and use them as leverage in a kind of ‘hostage policy.'”

In light of such fates, the BfV has often warned against traveling to Iran and neighboring countries: “Iranian intelligence services use offensive and aggressive approaches to establish contact with people entering Iran, which can also lead to detention and interrogation lasting several days.”

The German government responded to the death of Jamshid Sharmahd in 2024 by closing the three Iranian consulates general in Frankfurt am Main, Munich, and Hamburg. Some of the diplomatic staff had to leave Germany. Iran’s only diplomatic presence in Germany is now its embassy in Berlin.

The closure of the consulates is likely to have made it more difficult for the regime to deploy spies disguised as diplomats in Germany, a practice that is widespread internationally. The long-standing economic sanctions on Iran mean that espionage abroad is particularly important for the country to find expertise for its controversial nuclear program.

Cyber-attacks also target opposition figures

According to the BfV, cyberespionage has been part of the Iranian secret service’s repertoire since at least 2013. Economic interests play just as much a role in this as attempts to intimidate those whom the regime considers its worst enemies: People who are committed to freedom of expression and human rights.

“This involves attacking the private email and social media accounts of members of the diaspora. Iranian intelligence services can then use the stolen data to create movement profiles of those affected, investigate their everyday lives, and uncover their private and professional networks,” the BfV told DW.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/how-dangerous-are-iranian-secret-services-in-germany/a-75538204

Ji Seung-ryeol, 41, prides himself on his sense of fashion.

He diligently shares mirror selfies on Instagram, where everyone knows the more likes you get, the cooler you are.

So he was bewildered to find out that men his age have become the subject of ridicule online, mocked for shoehorning their way into styles associated with Gen Z and younger millennials.

AI-generated caricatures of this demographic have gone viral on social media: a middle-aged man decked out in street wear and clutching an iPhone. The kids call them “Young 40s”.

The memes have made Ji’s beloved Nike Air Jordans and Stüssy T-shirts the butt of jokes—and the source of much indignation.

“I’m just buying and wearing things I’ve liked for a long time, now that I can afford them,” he tells the BBC. “Why is this something to be attacked for?”

Five off-piste skiers have died in two avalanches in the Austria’s Alps following heavy snowfall in the region.

An avalanche hit a group of seven skiers in the Pongau area near Salzburg, killing four and seriously injuring one on Saturday, local mountain rescue officials said.

A similar avalanche swept away a skier in the same area earlier in the day.

Poor conditions have led to the recent deaths of a number of people in the Alps over the last week.

In the latest incidents, the mountain rescue service said it was alerted around 14:00 local time (13:00 GMT).

Four people were found dead, while another suffered serious injuries, they said.

Around an hour and a half before, a female skier was buried by an avalanche in open alpine terrain near the same area.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. This tragedy painfully demonstrates how serious the current avalanche situation is,” said Gerhard Kremser, district head of the Pongau mountain rescue service.

Further avalanches were recorded in the Pongau region around midday, but no-one was injured.

On Tuesday, an avalanche killed a 13-year-old Czech boy skiing in the Austrian Alpine resort of Bad Gastein.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3r1v7gqdp8o

A threat by President Donald Trump to impose fresh tariffs on eight allies opposed to his proposed takeover of Greenland has drawn condemnation from European leaders.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move was “completely wrong”, while French President Emmanuel Macron called it “unacceptable”.

The comments came after Trump announced a 10% tariff on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland would come into force on 1 February but could later rise to 25% – and would last until a deal was reached.

Mr Trump insists the autonomous Danish territory is critical for US security and has not ruled out taking it by force.

Meanwhile, thousands of people took to the streets in Greenland and Denmark on Saturday in protest at the proposed US takeover.

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.

Trump has previously said Washington would get the territory “the easy way” or “the hard way”.

European countries have rallied to Denmark’s support. They have argued that the security of the Arctic region should be a joint Nato responsibility.

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.

Announcing the new tariffs in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said those countries were playing “a very dangerous game”. At stake, he said, was the “Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet”.

He said the proposed 10% levy to be introduced next month on goods exported to the US would rise to 25% in June and remain “payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland”.

In his response, Starmer said: “Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration.”

France’s Emmanuel Macron said: “Tariff threats are unacceptable in this context… We will not be swayed by any intimidation.”

Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson said: We won’t let ourselves be blackmailed.”

“Sweden is currently having intensive discussions with other EU countries, Norway and the United Kingdom to find a joint response,” he added.

European Council President Antonio Costa stated: “The European Union will always be very firm in defending international law… which of course begins within the territory of the member states of the European Union.”

Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the threat had “come as a surprise”.

Meanwhile, German MEP Manfred Weber, head of the conservative EPP group in the European Parliament, said Trump’s move raised questions about the still-to-be-ratified EU-US trade deal negotiated last year.

Brussels and Washington clinched a deal that agreed a US tariff on all EU goods of 15% and that the 27-member bloc would open its markets to US exporters with 0% tariffs on certain products.

“The EPP is in favour of the EU-US trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage,” Weber posted on X. “The 0% tariffs on US products must be put on hold,” he added.

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, however, said Denmark “just doesn’t have the resources or the capacity to do what needs to be done in the northern region”.

He told Fox News the life of Greenlanders would be “safer, stronger and more prosperous under the umbrella of the United States”.

Trump has often mused that “tariff” is his favourite word, and he has made clear that he views it as something of a blunt instrument with which to convince – or coerce – countries around the world to align their policies with the desired outcomes of the White House.

But his announcement represents a significant escalation in his recently rekindled drive to acquire Greenland, despite their opposition.

It is unclear what immediately prompted the tariffs announcement, which Trump first hinted at while speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday.

While in recent weeks he has repeatedly said that a variety of options – including the potential use of military force – remained on the table, the announcement comes just days after US and Danish officials agreed to set up a high-level working group to discuss the future of the island.

In Washington’s diplomatic and political circles, that announcement was seen by many as a “best-case” scenario for Denmark and its European allies – one that would, at the very least, delay any decision or further escalation from the White House.

Instead, the latest tariffs have injected a newfound sense of urgency into the issue and strained relations with important Nato allies and trading partners.

Opinion polls suggest 85% of Greenlanders oppose the territory joining the US.

Demonstrations against Trump’s takeover plans were held in Danish cities as well as in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, on Saturday – before the tariff announcement.

In the Danish capital, Copenhagen, placards were held up reading: “Hands Off Greenland” and “Greenland for Greenlanders”.

“We demand respect for the Danish Realm and for Greenland’s right to self-determination,” said Camilla Siezing, heads of Inuit, an umbrella group of Greenlandic associations.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4qjwk9n2no

Selena Gomez stripped down the glam for a rare fresh-faced selfie this week.

The “Wizards of Waverly Place” actress, 33, shared a makeup-free smiling selfie to her Instagram Stories on Saturday.

Gomez looked relaxed as she posed with her hand resting on her head.

She appeared to be wearing a loose white tank top for the casual snap.

Prior to her Friday makeup-free post, the Rare Beauty founder recently shared a post showing her finished full glam look for her Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Powdered Bronzer launch party on Thursday.

The makeup look featured a nude lip, soft-shimmery eye shadow with a dark liner and mascara. She wore her hair in a short, curly wet look.

She accessorized with a pair of dangling brown feather earrings.

“An evening with Rare Beauty to celebrate our warm wishes powdered bronzer,” she captioned the post, tagging her glam squad which includes makeup artist, Jenna Nicole.

The fresh face was also a quick change from Gomez’s Golden Globes appearance last weekend.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/01/17/style/selena-gomez-strips-off-the-glam-for-rare-makeup-free-selfie/

Ben Affleck politely denied ever meeting “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Lisa Barlow despite her previous claim that a work obligation with him was keeping her from filming some of the Bravo show this season.

The “Gone Girl” star was put on the spot in his Access Hollywood interview, which was posted on Friday.

“It’s ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.’ Cast member Lisa Barlow is saying that she was with you at an event with her husband and she wasn’t able to film. The cast members don’t believe her. So the question is, do you know who Lisa Barlow is?” the interviewer asked the actor as he promoted his new film with Matt Damon, “The Rip.”

Affleck immediately responded with confusion, but said that he doesn’t “want to get anybody in trouble.”

“I don’t know what this is – an event in Salt Lake City? Like, prove somebody right or wrong?” he asked.

In the episode in question, Barlow, 51, did not clarify where the event was that she was supposed to be meeting Affleck at. However, the interviewer told the star that it was likely held in Utah.

“I haven’t been in Utah in maybe, 8, 9 or 10 years, I don’t know,” Affleck, 53, said. “It doesn’t look familiar to me and I don’t remember anything.”

The “Air” star went on to sidestep the question by saying it’s unlikely that he met the Bravolebrity, but it is possible that he could have met her and the meeting slipped his memory as he typically runs into so many people at events.

“I don’t want to embarrass her because, I say hi to a lot of people, I don’t want to be the jerk who is like, I did meet you… You don’t remember everyone you meet,” Affleck shared.

“I don’t think I’m qualified to weigh in on this, whatever this raging controversy is.”

It didn’t take long before Barlow came back with receipts and proof. She responded in the comments section under Access Hollywood’s post explaining that she allegedly met him at the SXSW movie festival.

“SXSW [for] The Accountant 2,” she wrote, referring to Affleck’s movie premiere at the Austin, Texas, festival in March 2025. “And it was a great movie and party.”

She then followed it up with a TikTok from her SXSW experience. Included among the roundup of clips was a video showing her view of Affleck walking the red carpet at the festival as well as a brief snippet of Lively talking on stage at her “Another Simple Favor” premiere.

As Bravo fans may recall, the Vida Tequila owner said in a Season 6 episode the reason why she couldn’t attend castmate Angie Katsanevas’ girls’ trip was because of her feud with other co-star Bronwyn Newport and because she had a business obligation involving the actor and Lively.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/01/17/celebrity-news/ben-affleck-and-lisa-barlow-have-awkward-war-of-words-after-she-blamed-him-for-missing-rhoslc-filming/

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly going through the “first real test” in their relationship as his potential NFL retirement looms amid their wedding planning.

A source claimed the pop star, 36, has been focused more on lifting Kelce’s “defeated” spirits following the Kansas City Chiefs’ losing season than on making wedding arrangements, reports Daily Mail.

“Taylor is trying to put him in a better mood by spending more time with him and not bombarding him with wedding plans,” the insider said.

“She would want him to focus on [the wedding] after he makes his career decision because she knows how important that is to him.”

The source added that the “Fortnight” singer is looking at the rough patch as the pair’s “first real test of their relationship.”

“They have been together and in love and have enjoyed the success of her tour and career and his Super Bowls and his career. Travis hasn’t been in this position before where he is staring at his future with complete 20/20 vision,” they said.

Kelce, 36, has been left feeling “a bit defeated” as retirement rumors hang in the air following the Chiefs’ losing 2025-26 season.

The professional tight end was previously rumored to be considering retirement after the 2024-25 season. However, he ultimately decided to try for one more Super Bowl ring before he officially called it quits.

“He is used to still be playing, and he is missing not being on the field, which might bode well for his fans and the Chiefs if he decides to play another year,” the insider said of Kelce’s potential career plans, adding that the NFL star will “make the Chiefs well aware of his future plans by early March.”

“We will know a few weeks after the Super Bowl if he will be returning or not. That is his timeline that he has set to make a decision to play one more year or not,” they added.

Still, Kelce has a bright future ahead with his soon-to-be wife at his side and career opportunities.

Last month, Page Six exclusively reported that Swift and the “New Heights” podcast co-host have their post-NFL life planned out with different projects.

“Things are changing; he is getting to the end of what he has known all his life and dealing with potential retirement, marriage and a future family with sprinkles of a whole new life in TV,” the insider told Daily Mail, seemingly confirming Page Six’s reporting.

Swift is coping with the challenging moment by “focusing on positivity right now,” per the source.

“But she wants him to be in a place where he is happy because at the end of the day, that will make them happy,’ the source added.

Reps for Swift and Kelce did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2026/01/17/entertainment/taylor-swift-and-travis-kelce-facing-first-real-test-in-relationship-amid-wedding-planning-report/

US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Iran’s supreme leader after the twisted Ayatollah accused him of being responsible for the deaths of over 3,000 protesters.

Tyrant Ali Khamenei, 86, labelled the US president a “criminal” as he claimed Trump fuelled the nationwide demonstrations which saw his security forces shoot civilians dead on the street.

In response, Trump slammed the dictator’s abhorrent ruling style.

“The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people,” Trump told Politico on Saturday.

“His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership.”

Khamenei says Iran views Trump as the main reason for the “casualties, damages and slander” in Tehran across the past three weeks.

The official death toll across Tehran stands at 3,090, according to human rights activists, but fears remain that the true total could be closer to 12,000.

The Middle East was braced for US strikes on the Islamist regime after Trump promised brave protesters “help is on the way” after 17 days of bloody street strife.

Iran’s bloodthirsty regime had vowed to fast-track trials and executions of those captured during the deadly protests but Trump has now accepted assurances that “killing in Iran is stopping”.

“The best decision he ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago,” Trump told Politico.

The President went on to say Khamenei should focus on running his own country properly and not “killing people by the thousands in order to keep control.”

“Leadership is about respect, not fear and death,” Trump told Politico.

Trump also called for the end of Khamenei’s brutal 37-year reign.

“It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran,” Trump said.

Khamenei went into hiding once Trump started to threaten to launch strikes on Tehran over the deaths of the protesters but reappeared today for religious festivities in the capital.

But Iranian sources warned yesterday that hundreds of prisoners among more than 18,000 believed to have been arrested were still in danger.

An Iranian refugee in contact with protesters told The Sun: “The regime is buying time by lying to Trump and they will do what they want once he loses focus.

“People are pleased that there have been no executions so far but that could change very quickly.”

The number of executions in Iran, usually by gruesome public hangings, has doubled in the past year as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cracked down following June’s 12-day war with Israel.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15798209/trump-iran-worst-place-live-ayatollah-sick-man/

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