Month: January 2026

One of the UK’s most picturesque towns has quaint cobbled lanes, a renowned antiques market and a sprawling 700-acre park with free-roaming deer, making it the ideal day out

There are charming towns scattered across the country, with riverside walks and cosy pubs that offer that quintessential English backdrop. One picturesque destination well worth a visit is nestled in the southeast, offering a journey into the past.

The pristine historic town of Petworth in Sussex is characterised by winding cobbled streets and Georgian architecture, with a distinctive art and antiques scene. The charming lanes are brimming with antique shops and independent boutiques, along with cafes, delis, and cosy pubs.

One of its most notable eateries is The Hungry Guest on Middle Street, which serves seasonal, locally sourced food that has put the town on the map. Elsewhere, there’s a selection of inviting pubs, including The Welldiggers Arms, The Black Horse Inn and The Angel Inn.

Petworth Antiques Market has also garnered attention in Petworth, thanks to over 40 dealers offering everything from exquisite furniture to ornaments and a wide range of homeware. One visitor shared on TripAdvisor: “I absolutely love going to the Petworth Antique Market, the customer service is amazing with extremely friendly, helpful staff, and I always always find beautiful treasures there!!”

The magnificent Petworth House and Park is another highlight, with an expansive 700-acre park nestled among the grand 17th-century Petworth House. Within its walls, guests can wander through the historic stately home and find an extraordinary collection of internationally renowned art and sculpture.

The estate stands as one of the finest surviving examples of an English landscape crafted by the legendary Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Visitors can also gaze upon hundreds of deer roaming freely throughout Petworth Park’s grounds or soak up breathtaking vistas of the South Downs, with the park providing an ideal vantage point.

It’s even been featured on the big screen in films such as Napoleon, Rebecca, and Maleficent, as well as in Netflix’s hit series Bridgerton. One TripAdvisor user raved: “Another National Trust gem! Had a wonderful day there. So much to see and wonderful walks in the grounds and deer park. The art collection is outstanding, and as usual, the volunteers in the house were great. Had an interesting talk in the square dining room about the history of the family. Found the kitchens fascinating! Great cafe too. Highly recommend.”

Another penned: “We had such a wonderful visit! The house is extremely interesting to explore, and the grounds are gorgeous. Petworth town is really lovely too. We were lucky to see the Turner exhibition at Petworth House when we were there, which was absolutely great! Andrew, Nicola and Kathy were all such wonderful guides/staff. They were really lovely and kind, and they answered all of our questions, which made our visit even more special. Thank you!”

There’s plenty to explore in Petworth, which is conveniently located just over half an hour’s drive from Chichester and roughly 50 minutes from Portsmouth. It offers an idyllic day out with its shops, eateries, and unspoilt landscapes, and was even hailed by Condé Nast Traveller last year as one of the UK’s most picturesque towns.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Jan. 20 (Asia Today) — A South Korean defense advisory panel has recommended creating a Joint Operations Command to streamline wartime and peacetime command as Seoul prepares for the transfer of wartime operational control, while calling for the disbandment of the military’s Drone Operations Command.

The Future Strategy Subcommittee under the Defense Ministry’s civilian-military advisory panel released its findings Tuesday, outlining defense reform tasks and implementation steps covering future defense concepts, command and unit restructuring, force structure and personnel reforms.

The subcommittee said a Joint Operations Command should be established to unify the command structure and strengthen operational command ahead of the wartime operational control transfer, known as OPCON. Under the proposal, the Joint Operations commander would also serve as the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces commander after the transfer, overseeing both wartime and peacetime operations.

The panel said the Joint Chiefs of Staff would shift to a narrower role focused on strategic situation assessment, military strategy development and force development.

The subcommittee also recommended abolishing the Drone Operations Command, saying it creates inefficiency because drone missions and requirements are already being developed by each service. It said a smaller functional command could handle cross-service tasks such as identifying integrated requirements.

In its future defense concept, the subcommittee said planning should account for North Korea’s nuclear and conventional capabilities and gray zone threats, as well as the possibility of disputes with neighboring countries. It recommended building a Korea-led combined defense system after OPCON transfer and a tailored deterrence posture within the alliance using South Korea’s conventional capabilities and broader military power including U.S. nuclear forces.

The panel urged early fielding of key assets tied to deterring North Korea, including high-power, ultra-precise ballistic missiles, long-range surface-to-air missiles and military reconnaissance satellites and microsatellite systems. It also called for raising research and development spending for advanced defense technology such as artificial intelligence, defense semiconductors and robotics by an average of more than 10% per year.

To address declining manpower, the subcommittee recommended expanding the use of civilian resources in non-combat roles and some combat support areas, with legal and institutional changes to enable use in both wartime and peacetime. It also proposed changes to the military service system to allow people to choose multi-year professional service alongside short-term conscripted service.

The subcommittee recommended building a total defense workforce of 500,000 by 2040, including 350,000 active-duty troops and 150,000 civilian defense personnel such as civilian employees and specialized reservists.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has deployed a military radar in the Somali region of Puntland as part of a secret deal, amid Abu Dhabi’s ongoing entrenchment of its influence over the region’s security affairs.

According to the London-based news outlet Middle East Eye, sources familiar with the matter told it that the UAE had installed a military radar near Bosaso airport in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region earlier this year, with one unnamed source saying that the “radar’s purpose is to detect and provide early warning against drone or missile threats, particularly those potentially launched by the Houthis, targeting Bosaso from outside”.

The radar’s presence was reportedly confirmed by satellite imagery from early March, which found that an Israeli-made ELM-2084 3D Active Electronically Scanned Array Multi-Mission Radar had indeed been installed near Bosaso airport.

READ: UAE: The scramble for the Horn of Africa

Not only does the radar have the purpose of defending Puntland and its airport from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, but air traffic data reportedly indicates it also serves to facilitate the transport of weapons, ammunition, and supplies to Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), further fuelling the ongoing civil war in Sudan.

“The UAE installed the radar shortly after the RSF lost control of most of Khartoum in early March”, one source said. Another source was cited as claiming that the radar was deployed at the airport late last year and that Abu Dhabi has used it on a daily basis to supply the RSF, particularly through large cargo planes that frequently carry weapons and ammunition, and which sometimes amount to up to five major shipments at a time.

According to two other Somali sources cited by the report, Puntland’s president Said Abdullahi Deni did not seek approval from Somalia’s federal government nor even the Puntland parliament for the installation of the radar, with one of those sources stressing that it was “a secret deal, and even the highest levels of Puntland’s government, including the cabinet, are unaware of it”.

READ: UAE under scrutiny over alleged arms shipments to Sudan

MEGHAN Trainor has announced she welcomed her third child via surrogate and shared the youngster’s adorable name and gender.

The singer shared the news in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

It included a slideshow of photos of Meghan, her husband, Daryl Sabara, and their two sons bonding with their new baby sister.

One captured the Grammy Award winner in tears as she had her first skin-to-skin contact with her newborn baby girl, moments after the youngster’s arrival.

Meghan revealed in her caption that her daughter, named Mikey Moon Trainor, was born on January 18th with the help of a “superwoman surrogate.”

“Our baby girl Mikey Moon Trainor has finally made it to the world thanks to our incredible, superwoman surrogate,” the Mother singer’s caption began.

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“We are forever grateful to all the doctors, nurses, teams who made this dream possible. We had endless conversations with our doctors in this journey and this was the safest way for us to be able to continue growing our family.

“We are over the moon in love with this precious girl. Riley and Barry have been so excited, they even got to choose her middle name. We are going to enjoy our family time now, love you all,” she concluded.

Mikey joins Meghan and Daryl’s boys, Riley and Barry.

Fans reacted with surprise and congratulatory messages in the comments for the growing family.

“WHATTTT!!!!! OMG MY HEART THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!! Congratulations!!!! So happy for you and your family!!!” one person wrote.

“Somehow I had no idea you were having a daughter via surrogacy,” another shocked user said.

“Oh my god I’m so happy for you all,” remarked a third.

“Not Meghan just surprising us all with another baby,” laughed a fourth.

“WHAT!!!! Congratulations omg!!! You finally have your baby girl I’m gonna cryyyy,” added a fifth.

Meghan – who recently underwent a dramatic weight loss – just revealed late last year that she’s heading on the road for her The Get In Girl Tour.

The tour kicks off on June 12th in Michigan and wraps on August 15th in Los Angeles.

Meghan appears to have much to focus on away from the recent toxic mom group drama ignited by her pal Ashley Tisdale.

Ashley claimed in a blog post that her close circle of mom friends, which includes Meghan, Hilary Duff, and Mandy Moore, repeatedly made her feel “left out” from their get-togethers.

A source exclusively revealed to The U.S. Sun that the ladies’ separation from the High School Musical star “wasn’t an overnight thing” and that she’d been “slowly slipping away” from them for years.

They also claimed that Ashley’s controversial political comments contributed to the feud as she made others feel “uncomfortable with her by association.”

WASHINGTON — A ballooning Immigration and Customs Enforcement budget. Hiring bonuses of $50,000. Swelling ranks of ICE officers, to 22,000, in an expanding national force bigger than most police departments in America.

President Trump promised the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, but achieving his goal wouldn’t have been possible without funding from the big tax and spending cuts bill passed by Republicans in Congress, and it’s fueling unprecedented immigration enforcement actions in cities such as Minneapolis and beyond.

The GOP’s big bill is “supercharging ICE,” one budget expert said, in ways that Americans may not fully realize — and that have only just begun.

“I just don’t think people have a sense of the scale,” said Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at the Center for American Progress and a former advisor to the Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget.

“We’re looking at ICE in a way we’ve never seen before,” he said.

Trump’s big bill creates massive law enforcement force

As the Republican president marks the first year of his second term, the immigration enforcement and removal operation that has been a cornerstone of his domestic and foreign policy agenda is rapidly transforming into something else — a national law enforcement presence with billions upon billions of dollars in new spending from U.S. taxpayers.

The shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis showed the alarming reach of the new federalized force, sparking unrelenting protests against the military-styled officers seen going door to door to find and detain immigrants. Amid the outpouring of opposition, Trump revived threats to invoke the Insurrection Act to quell the demonstrations and the Army has 1,500 soldiers ready to deploy.

But Trump’s own public approval rating on immigration, one of his signature issues, has slipped since he took office, according to an AP-NORC poll.

“Public sentiment is everything,” Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) said at a news conference at the Capitol with lawmakers supporting legislation to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Americans, she said, are upset at what they are seeing. “They didn’t sign on for this,” she said.

Border crossings down, but Americans confront new ICE enforcements

To be sure, illegal crossings into the U.S. at the Mexico border have fallen to historic lows under Trump, a remarkable shift from just a few years ago when President Biden’s Democratic administration allowed millions of people to temporarily enter the U.S. as they adjudicated their claims to stay.

Yet as enforcement moves away from the border, the newly hired army of immigration officers swarming city streets with aggressive tactics — in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere — is something not normally seen in the United States.

Armed and masked law enforcement officers are being witnessed smashing car windows, yanking people from vehicles and chasing and wrestling others to the ground and hauling them away — images playing out in endless loops on TVs and other screens.

And it’s not just ICE. A long list of supporting agencies, including federal, state and local police and sheriff’s offices, are entering into contract partnerships with Homeland Security to conduct immigration enforcement operations in communities around the nation.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has warned Democrats that this is “no time to be playing games” by stirring up the opposition to immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis and other places.

“They need to get out of the way and allow federal law enforcement to do its duty,” Johnson said at the Capitol.

Noem has said the immigration enforcement officers are acting lawfully. The department insists it is targeting criminals in the actions, what officials call the worst of the worst immigrants.

However, reports show that noncriminals and U.S. citizens are also being forcibly detained by immigration officers. The Supreme Court last year lifted a ban on using race alone in the immigration stops.

Trump last month called Somali immigrants “garbage,” comments that echoed his past objections to immigrants from certain countries.

The Trump administration has set a goal of 100,000 detentions a day, about three times what’s typical, with 1 million deportations a year.

Money from the big bill flows with few restraints

With Republican control of Congress, the impeachment of Noem or any other Trump official is not a viable political option for Democrats, who would not appear to have the vote tally even among their own ranks.

In fact, even if Congress wanted to curtail Trump’s immigration operations — by threatening to shut down the government, for example — it would be difficult to stop the spending.

What Trump called the “Big, Beautiful Bill” is essentially on autopilot through 2029, the year he’s scheduled to finish his term and leave office.

The legislation essentially doubled annual Homeland Security funding, adding $170 billion to be used over four years. Of that, ICE, which typically receives about $10 billion a year, was provided $30 billion for operations and $45 billion for detention facilities.

“The first thing that comes to mind is spending on this level is typically done on the military,” said Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. “Trump is militarizing immigration enforcement.”

Ahead, Congress will consider a routine annual funding package for Homeland Security unveiled Tuesday, or risk a partial shutdown Jan. 30. A growing group of Democratic senators and the Congressional Progressive Caucus have had enough. They say they won’t support additional funds without significant changes.

Lawmakers are considering various restrictions on ICE operations, including limiting arrests around hospitals, courthouses, churches and other sensitive locations and ensuring that officers display proper identification and refrain from wearing masks.

“I think ICE needs to be totally torn down,” Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said on CNN over the weekend.

“People want immigration enforcement that goes after criminals,” he said. And not what he called this “goon squad.”

Big spending underway, but Trump falls short of goals

Meanwhile, Homeland Security has begun tapping the new money at its disposal. The department informed Congress it has obligated roughly $58 billion — most of that, some $37 billion, for border wall construction, according to a person familiar with the private assessment but unauthorized to discuss it.

The Department of Homeland Security said its massive recruitment campaign blew past its 10,000-person target to bring in 12,000 new hires, more than doubling the force to 22,000 officers, in a matter of months.

“The good news is that thanks to the Big Beautiful Bill that President Trump signed, we have an additional 12,000 ICE officers and agents on the ground across the country,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a December statement.

The department also announced it had arrested and deported about 600,000 people. It also said 1.9 million other people had “voluntarily self-deported” since January 2025, when Trump took office.

Mascaro writes for the Associated Press.

It was clear many fans had turned on Frank during the defeat by the Hammers, with large numbers singing “you’re getting sacked in the morning” at him.

That feeling remained evident before Tuesday’s match.

“I really do think 99% of this stadium are Frank out,” said Spurs supporter Sarah Sturgeon-Scraggs, who has been attending home games with her dad Ronnie since she was nine.

“I have enjoyed coming to the matches because of the people we sit with and I get to spend time with my dad, but we get so little joy.”

Ronnie added: “Barring some sort of miracle on player support, style and results instantly the fans have abandoned him and I feel personally that he must go.”

This win and the much-improved first-half performance was still not enough to change their view, with a return to a more conservative and unadventurous display in the second half a cause for frustration.

“The first half was really enjoyable,” said Sarah. “There was a lot more movement, a lot more forward passing and a press. However, the second-half performance shows why Frank is not the right person to be managing this team. We went to five at the back, the game ground to a halt. It sucked the joy out of it yet again.

“I am still Frank out.”

Fellow Spurs supporter Ali Speechly held a similar view before kick-off.

“If we could see signs of what he is trying to achieve we might have more patience,” she said.

“It looks like a bunch of players doing what they want.”

Any change of heart after the game?

“Much better first half, where has that been? But second half we were dead again,” she said. “They either play a good first half or second half. It feels Thomas Frank can’t string the two together.”

Some, however, did see enough to believe Frank can build on this.

Alfie said before the match that Tottenham were playing “like a Championship team”, but after he said: “The first half was brilliant. The second half wasn’t great but we didn’t concede.

“But I am really happy with the result and I think Frank might have a lot more up his sleeve than we think.”

Hidden in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales is a scene of such natural beauty that even Hollywood filmmakers have flocked to it

In the middle of the Yorkshire Dales is a natural wonder that has been created over millions of years – and has been attracting visitors, including Hollywood royalty, for centuries.

The village of Malham, North Yorks., is famed for its stunning limestone landscape and has a soaring limestone ‘amphitheatre’ – Malham Cove – that can be found just a short walk from the village centre.

With breath-taking scenery, climbing Malham Cove is a whole family activity with many reviewers commenting that the terrain is suitable for kids from two-years-old and upwards – planting itself as a firm outdoor family favourite.

Malham Cove is a 70-metre-high, gently curving cliff of white limestone that formed along the line of the Middle Craven Fault – a major geological fault line – and has been eroded backwards from that line by water and ice over millions of years. The result is a scene of such stunning natural beauty, people flock to the village of Malham to climb the cove in their droves.

Today, the sheer rock face of Malham Cove challenges climbers and also protects a pair of nesting peregrine falcons but also the full circular walk around the cove is easy for first timers and children. It has even featured as a backdrop to many movies, including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

However, the natural beauty doesn’t end there with Gordale Scar, an impressive limestone gorge once regarded as one of the natural wonders of England, to the east of Malham village and Janet’s Foss, a lovely waterfall said to be home to Janet, Queen of the Fairies.

The village also offers vibrant cafés and charming pubs – perfect for walkers to enjoy after a big hike. Reviews of the area and Malham Cove itself are overwhelmingly positive.

One happy holidaymaker wrote: “What an amazing place to visit. It is very busy with lots of people but it doesn’t take away from this unique place. We stopped at a lovely little pub next to the stream.”

One other said: “Breath-taking natural scenery which is a must for you to visit. The terrain is great for all ages from 2+. Plenty of pubs/cafes and public toilets which is a bonus. Views are spectacular.”

Jan. 20 (UPI) — Two more women have accused actor Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault, and a judge in London on Tuesday granted Brand bail ahead of a Feb. 17 pretrial hearing.

Brand, 50, appeared remotely from his home in South Florida via video in the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, during which new charges were entered based on complaints filed by two women.

The additional charges accuse Brand of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault in 2009. The bail amount was not announced.

Those charges are in addition to two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault filed against Brand that are alleged by four women from 1999 to 2005.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told Brand that one of the charges against him only can be tried in a crown court and granted him an unannounced bail amount ahead of his scheduled pretrial hearing in London’s Southwark Crown Court on Feb. 17.

Tuesday’s hearing lasted about six minutes, during which Brand only acknowledged his name and date of birth.

The entertainer previously denied all allegations against him and said he only had consensual relations with his accusers and all other women.

He called the claims against him a “coordinated attack,” The Guardian reported.

One accuser said Brand raped her in 1999 while in southern England, and another said he “indecently assaulted” her in London in 2004.

A third accuser said Brand sexually assaulted and orally raped her in 2004, while a fourth victim accused him of sexual assault between 2004 and 2005.

Brand in May pleaded not guilty to those charges.

The actor and comedian was married to singer Katy Perry from October 2010 to December 2011 and has appeared in several films and television programs.

He is married to Laura Gallacher, who is the mother of Brand’s daughters, Peggy and Mabel.

US has moved to assert strict control over the production and sale of Venezuelan oil since attacking the country this month.

The United States military announced that it has seized a seventh Venezuela-linked oil tanker, as the US tightens its control over the production and sale of the country’s considerable oil resources.

US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees military operations in Latin America, said on Tuesday that it captured the Motor Vessel Sagitta as part of its blockade on oil vessels leaving and entering the country.

“The apprehension of another tanker operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean demonstrates our resolve to ensure that the only oil leaving Venezuela will be oil that is coordinated properly and lawfully,” SOUTHCOM said in a statement.

It added that Tuesday’s tanker seizure occurred “without incident”, sharing a video appearing to show US forces flying towards the vessel and landing on its deck.

The US began seizing sanctioned tankers on December 10, as part of a campaign of increasing pressure on Venezuela.

Tensions between the US and Venezuela came to a peak on January 3, when US President Donald Trump authorised a predawn military operation to abduct his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro.

In the lead-up to that operation, Trump and allies like Stephen Miller had been increasingly vocal about laying claim to Venezuelan oil, given the US’s history of prospecting for petroleum there in the early 20th century.

But by 1971, Venezuela had nationalised its oil industry. Efforts to expropriate assets from foreign oil companies in 2007 have further fuelled criticism from the Trump administration, which considers Venezuelan oil “stolen” from US owners.

Legal experts, however, largely consider such arguments a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty.

Trump has nevertheless said the US will control Venezuela’s oil and has used the threat of further military attacks to pressure Venezuela’s government into compliance.

The Trump administration has also placed steep sanctions on Venezuela’s economy, as part of a trend stretching back to the Republican leader’s first term as president.

The US has framed the tanker seizures as a way of enforcing those sanctions, although the legality of using military force to enforce economic penalties is disputed.

Trump and his officials have said that the sale of Venezuelan oil on the world market will be dictated by the US and that the proceeds from those sales will be placed in a US-controlled bank account.

Trump has also used control over Venezuela’s oil to ratchet up pressure on Cuba, for which access to Venezuelan oil is an important economic lifeline.

The US president told reporters on Tuesday at a White House briefing that he has taken 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela.

“We’ve got millions of barrels of oil left,” he said at the White House. “We’re selling it on the open market. We’re bringing down oil prices incredibly.”

Interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, meanwhile, said that her country had received $300m from recent oil sales. In her inaugural state of the union address last week, she signalled that her administration would reform the country’s hydrocarbon law to allow more foreign investment in future.

Timothy Busfield, the Emmy-winning actor known for “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething,” has secured a legal victory in his child sex abuse case.

A New Mexico judge on Tuesday sided with Busfield, announcing he will release him on his own recognizance as the 68-year-old actor-director awaits trial stemming from allegations he sexually abused two child actors on the set of the Fox drama “The Cleaning Lady.” His wife, “Little House on the Prairie” star Melissa Gilbert, was in attendance at Tuesday’s hearing and wept following the decision.

“Thank you, God,” she appeared to say.

New Mexico District Court Judge David A. Murphy said the child sex abuse allegations against Busfield are “inherently dangerous” and that prosecutors proved “Mr. Busfield does pose a danger to the safety of others” but that it is currently “difficult for the court to put too much weight into the allegations as they’ve not been vetted by the judicial system.”

Leading up to his decision, Murphy cited letters submitted by Busfield’s defense team from the actor’s friends and family, additional affidavits in support of the actor and “the lack of a pattern involving children in this case.”

“I don’t find that there’s been sufficient presentation that this defendant may commit new crimes pending trial. There’s not evidence of a pattern of criminal conduct,” Murphy added. “There are no similar allegations involving children in his past. There’s no evidence of noncompliance with prior court orders.”

Though Busfield will be supervised by a pretrial services officer in Albuquerque, his travel will not be limited and he is required to report to that officer. He is barred from possessing firearms and weapons and from consuming alcohol or drugs. He is also ordered to refrain from contacting the alleged victims and their family and from discussing his case with witnesses.

Busfield had been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque, where he was booked on two felony counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and a single count of child abuse. He turned himself into law enforcement last week, days after New Mexico officials issued a warrant for his arrest.

An affidavit filed earlier this month accuses Busfield of inappropriately touching two child actors, who are brothers, during his tenure as a director, actor and producer for “The Cleaning Lady.” According to the complaint, one child actor said Busfield first touched his “private areas” multiple times on set when he was 7 years old. The actor said that, when he was 8 years old, Busfield touched him inappropriately again several times, according to the affidavit. The complaint also detailed a police interview with Busfield in which he suggested that the boys’ mother might have sought “revenge” on the director for “not bringing her kids back for the final season.”

Leading up to his surrender, Busfield denied the allegations. “They’re all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys,” he said in a video published last week by TMZ. He also told supporters at the time he intends to “fight” the charges and predicted, “I’m gonna be exonerated.”

Tuesday’s hearing featured statements by Bernalillo County Deputy Dist. Atty. Savannah Brandenburg-Koch, Busfield defense attorney Amber Fayerberg and testimony from “Cleaning Lady” cinematographer Alan Caudillo.

Although Brandenburg-Koch argued against Busfield’s release and cited previous allegations that he assaulted two women, his attorney presented audio from the child actors’ initial interviews with police in which they said that Busfield did not touch them inappropriately.

“This was not a failure to disclose,” Fayerberg said of the audio clips, which she played in the courtroom. “This was an express denial.”

Fayerberg also mentioned the legal troubles of the child actors’ parents, including father Ronald Rodis’ guilty plea to a federal fraud charge in 2017, and a fraud lawsuit in 2011 against the boys’ mother, Angele LaSalle. The attorney said the two young actors had been “victimized” but not by Busfield.

“They were victimized by their own parents, who no longer could make money as a lawyer, disbarred. No longer could write bad checks,” she said, “taking 85% of the money they made on a TV show and then manufactured into victims as revenge.”

Busfield’s professional career has taken numerous hits amid the child sex abuse allegations. As the complaint circulated, Busfield was dropped by his agency and edited out of an upcoming film, according to Deadline. Last week, NBC also decided to pull an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” featuring Busfield from its programming lineup.

SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom sharply criticized world leaders while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week, faulting them for their “complicity” and failure to confront President Trump’s aggressive posture on issues such as Greenland and trade.

Speaking to reporters there, Newsom urged European and other global leaders to “stand tall and firm” and to “have a backbone,” bemoaning that too many have been “rolling over” in the face of Trump’s actions and rhetoric.

“It’s just pathetic,” Newsom told reporters.

He quipped that he “should’ve brought a bunch of kneepads for all the world leaders,” a retort Newsom has become fond of leveling against those he feels are supine in their duties. He admonished the suggestion that Europeans could continue to approach diplomacy with Trump as they have previous presidents. Newsom called Trump a “T-Rex.”

“You mate with him, or he devours you, one or the other,” Newsom said.

His comments came as the forum grappled with heightened geopolitical tensions, particularly debates over Trump’s controversial push involving Greenland — a flashpoint that has drawn warnings from European leaders and underscored wider concerns about the erosion of traditional alliances and global norms.

On Tuesday, stocks slumped on Wall Street after Trump threatened to hit eight European countries with new tariffs over his attempts to assert American control over Greenland.

Trump is scheduled to speak Wednesday at the World Economic Forum, where he is expected to try to convince Americans he can make housing more affordable. However, many onlookers will be watching what Trump has to say about his desire to acquire Greenland.

The annual event opened Monday and is a four-day gathering of world leaders with the stated mission of engaging in “forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities.”

Trump’s attendance comes after his administration opted to skip the annual United Nations climate policy summit in Belém, Brazil, in November, with Newsom instead attending as a proxy for the United States.

While in Switzerland, Newsom announced Tuesday that California surpassed 2.5 million cumulative new zero-emission vehicle sales since 2010. The state had set a goal of putting 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025, with that target eclipsed despite setbacks in clean energy brought on by the Trump administration.

“California didn’t reach 2.5 million zero-emission vehicles by accident — we invested in this future when others said it was impossible,” Newsom said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, center fielders who excelled at the plate and with their gloves, were elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Beltrán, making his fourth appearance of the ballot, received 358 of 425 votes for 84.2% from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, 39 above the 319 needed for the 75% threshold.

Jones, in the ninth of 10 possible appearances, was picked on 333 ballots for 78.4%

Beltrán moved up steadily from 46.5% in 2023 to 57.1% the following year and 70.3% in 2025, when he fell 19 votes short as Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.

Beltrán was hired as the New York Mets’ manager on Nov. 1, 2019, then fired on Jan. 16, 2020, without having managed a game, three days after he was the only Astros player mentioned by name in a report by Major League Baseball regarding the team’s illicit use of electronics to steal signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series championship — his final season.

He was hired by the Mets as a special assistant before the 2023 season.

“When I retired from baseball, I thought everything that I built in baseball, like relationships … I thought that was going to be lost,” he said in 2023. “Being back in baseball, I still receive love from the people, I still receive love from the players. The teammates that I had inside the clubhouse, they know the type of person that I am. But at the same time I understand that that’s also a story that I have to deal with.”

Jones received just 7.3% in his first appearance in 2018 and didn’t get half the total until receiving 58.1% in 2023. He increased to 61.6% and 66.2%, falling 35 votes short last year.

They will be inducted at Cooperstown, New York, on July 26 along with second baseman Jeff Kent, voted in last month by the contemporary era committee.

BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years in the organization were eligible to vote.

Chase Utley (59.1%) was the only other candidate to get at least half the vote, improving from 39.8% last year. He was followed by Andy Pettitte at 48.5%, an increase from 27.9% last year, and Félix Hernández at 46.1%, up from 20.6%.

Cole Hamels topped first-time candidates at 23.8%. The other first-time players were all under 5% and will be dropped from future votes.

Steroids-tainted players again were kept from the hall. Alex Rodriguez received 40% in his fifth appearance, up from 7.1%, and Manny Ramirez 38.8% in his 10th and final appearance.

David Wright increased to 14.8% from 8.1%.

There were 11 blank ballots.

A nine-time All-Star, the switch-hitting Beltrán batted .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 20 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, ’17), the Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016). He had 311 homers hitting left-handed and 124 batting right,

Beltrán was the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year and won three Gold Gloves, also hitting .307 in the postseason with 16 homers and 42 RBIs in 65 games.

Jones batted .254 with 434 homers, 1,289 RBIs and 152 stolen bases in 17 seasons with Atlanta (1996-2007), the Dodgers (2008), Texas (2009), the Chicago White Sox (2010) and the Yankees (2011-12). He finished his career with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League from 2013-14.

His batting average is the second-lowest for a position player voted to the Hall of Fame, just above the .253 of Ray Schalk, a superior defensive catcher, and just below the .256 of Harmon Killebrew, who hit 573 homers.

Carlos Beltran with the Mets in 2011.

(Bill Kostroun / Associated Press)

A five-time All-Star, Jones earned 10 Gold Gloves. He joins Braves teammates Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Chipper Jones in the hall along with manager Bobby Cox.

In the 1996 World Series opener at Yankee Stadium, Jones at 19 years, 5 months became the youngest player to homer in a Series game, beating Mickey Mantle’s old mark by 18 months. Going deep against Pettitte in the second inning and Brian Boehringer in the third of a 12-1 rout, Jones became the second player to homer in his first two Series at-bats after Gene Tenace in 1972.

Baseball Hall of Fame voting results

425 votes cast, 319 needed.

Carlos Beltrán 358 (84.2%), Andruw Jones 333 (78.4), Chase Utley 251 (59.1), Andy Pettitte 206 (48.5), Félix Hernández 196 (46.1), Álex Rodríguez 170 (40.0), Manny Ramírez 165 (38.8), Bobby Abreu 131 (30.8), Jimmy Rollins 108 (25.4), Cole Hamels 101 (23.8), Dustin Pedroia 88 (20.7), Mark Buehrle 85 (20.0), Omar Vizquel 78 (18.4), David Wright 63 (14.8), Francisco Rodríguez 50 (11.8), Torii Hunter 37 (8.7)

Received fewer than 20 votes (less than 5%, dropped from future ballots): Ryan Braun 15 (3.5), Edwin Encarnación 6 (1.4), Shin-Soo Choo 3 (0.7), Matt Kemp 2 (0.5), Hunter Pence 2 (0.5), Rick Porcello 2 (0.5), Alex Gordon 1 (0.2), Nick Markakis 1 (0.2), Gio González 0, Howie Kendrick 0, Daniel Murphy 0.

Jan. 20 (UPI) — Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, announced Tuesday that they’re expecting their fourth child.

They revealed the news in a joint post on Instagram.

“We’re very excited to share the news that Usha is pregnant with our fourth child, a boy. Usha and the baby are doing well, and we are all looking forward to welcoming him in late July,” the post read.

“During this exciting and hectic time, we are particularly grateful for the military doctors who take excellent care of our family and for the staff members who do so much to ensure that we can serve the country while enjoying a wonderful life with our children.”

JD Vance and Usha Vance, who married in 2014, share three children: Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 4. The last vice president to welcome a child while in office was Schuyler Colfax — who served under President Ulysses S. Grant — in 1870.

Singers Karol G and Feid have reportedly broken up after dating for three years.

According to TMZ, the split was “amicable” and the duo remain on good terms.

Representatives for Karol G and Feid did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for confirmation of the breakup.

Neither artist has addressed their split on social media, with Karol G’s most recent Instagram post being Christmas themed and Feid promoting his new single with Luis Fonsi, “Cambiaré’.”

The Colombian power couple were first rumored to be dating after the release of their 2021 collaboration “Friki.” Their relationship was all but confirmed after the two were seen together at the 2023 Latin Grammys, where Karol G won album of the year for “Mañana Será Bonito.”

The “Provenza” artist made their romance public when she posted a photo on Instagram in March 2024 of her holding hands with Feid at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music ceremony.

Feid was featured on Karol G’s 2025 album “Tropicoqueta” on the track “Verano Rosa.”

Feid spoke with The Times last year about how the single came to be.

“We recorded the song in 2023, but we changed the tone of it many times. We were trying to find a way in which Karol would sound like Karol and I would sound like Ferxxo,” he said.

El Ferxxo — pronounced Fercho — was an alter ego used by Feid beginning in 2020. The nickname was inspired by the singer embracing his Medellín roots and incorporating slang from his hometown into this music.

“Karol then told me, ‘Let’s put this song on my album. It would be muy chimba to release because our teams love us together on it,’” Feid said. “So we went to the studio again and recorded it in different tones until we both felt comfortable with it. It’s always special to work with her. She knows what she wants and how she wants it. For her to also be my partner, it’s beautiful and a blessing to work with family.”

The state Republican party on Tuesday filed an emergency application asking the U.S. Supreme Court to issue an injunction to stop the congressional districts California voters approved last year from going into effect.

Arguing that the districts created by Proposition 50 violate federal law because the race of voters was considered when they were configured, the filing urges the court to act by Feb. 9 because of ensuing deadlines for candidates to file to run for office.

“Our emergency application asks the Supreme Court to put the brakes on Prop. 50 now, before the Democrats try to run out the clock and force candidates and voters to live with unconstitutional congressional districts,” state GOP chairwoman Corrin Rankin said in a statement. “Californians deserve fair districts and clean elections, not a backroom redraw that picks winners and losers based on race.”

A spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom, who led the rare middecade redistricting effort and is one of the respondents in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to a request for coverage.

The redrawing of congressional districts typically occurs once a decade, after the U.S. Census, to account for population shifts. In California, the boundaries are drawn by a voter-approved independent commission to stop partisan gerrymandering and incumbent protection.

After President Trump urged leaders in Texas and other GOP-led states to redraw their delegation’s districts to boost the number of Republican elected to Congress in the November mid-term election, Newsom and other Democratic leaders responded by crafting a plan to increase the number of their party’s members in the California delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives. Republicans currently have a razor-thin majority, and the party that controls Congress after the November election will determine whether Trump is able to continue enacting his agenda during his final two years in office.

California voters handily passed Proposition 50, one of the most expensive ballot measure campaign in state history. The state GOP and others immediately challenged the new districts, but earlier this month, two members of a three-judge federal panel rejected their claim that the district boundaries were drawn to illegally favor Latino voters.

Reese Donatelli has been a football prognosticator since before she could talk, selecting the NFL teams she thinks will win on her dad’s social media, often with unexpected accuracy.

For years, football fans have loved her sass and the excitement she exudes as she shouts out her picks, grabbing the anointed team’s helmet and sometimes tossing the opponent’s.

But when the 4-year-old’s predictions weren’t panning out during the first weekend of playoff games this month, the situation took a nasty turn. Followers began to think the teams she picked as winners were actually cursed to be losers.

Reese’s family started receiving death threats. Her dad, Anthony Donatelli, received messages from people saying they were owed thousands of dollars because her predictions were wrong.

“It’s nuts,” Donatelli, of Riverside, said. “She’s obviously not an NFL analyst. She’s picking teams based on the color of her dress, or she’ll pick the Packers because she likes cheese. She just relates these silly little things as reasons why she picks certain teams.”

Even rapper Cardi B joked about Reese’s picks becoming curses after the girl picked the New England Patriots to win over the Houston Texans this weekend. The rapper’s partner, Stefon Diggs, is a wide receiver on the team. During an Instagram live, Cardi B said that “little white girl said we’re going to win. F— that, b—!” before immediately apologizing and saying, “I didn’t mean to say that.”

In the end, Reese’s prediction that the Patriots would win was right. New England beat Houston 28-16 on Sunday, advancing to the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos.

Donatelli said that although Cardi B’s comment was “unfortunate,” he isn’t looking to feud with the Grammy winner.

“I’m not here to fight fire with fire. I’m not angry,” he said. “We don’t want anybody or anything to ruin what Reese and I have created and how we bond.”

The Donatellis’ Instagram series, now called “Trust the Toddler,” started nearly four years ago on a whim when Donatelli was looking to share the joy of football with his infant daughter.

Donatelli purchased NFL mini helmets on Amazon as a way to help Reese learn colors and geography and introduce her to the game he grew up watching with his father. When Donatelli, a lifelong Steelers fan, first placed helmets in front of her, she picked one up and chucked it across the room.

“I said, you know what, we might have something here,” he recalled, laughing. “It just clicked. I would put the match-ups of who was going to play that week in front of her, and for the past four years she’s been calling football games. And she’s been pretty dang good at it.”

But even the best guessers have their off days.

There were six games in the first week of the playoffs, and Reese guessed the wrong team would win each time. The next week, she was 1 for 9 after predicting that the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears would win their respective games.

Amid the hoopla, Donatelli kept it lighthearted, posting on Instagram that “the curse has been reversed” alongside a photo of Reese, her fist pumped into the air in victory after she (rightly) predicted that the Patriots would beat the Texans.

Some still weren’t happy, but others kept up with the joke. One Instagram user deadpanned that they’d put “$10 million on Houston because of her,” adding that they’re in “more debt than the U.S. government now.”

Another follower offered a reality check for the haters: “If [you’re] letting a kid pick your parlays you shouldn’t be betting.”

Donatelli and Reese aren’t planning to stop their tradition anytime soon. For them, time spent watching Sunday football only strengthens their daddy-daughter bond, even if Reese’s team picks don’t always make it to the end zone.

Real Madrid beat Monaco 6-1 in the league phase of the Champions League, as forward Vinicius defies boos from home fans.

With three assists and a goal, Vinicius Junior quieted the fans who had booed him again at the start of Real Madrid’s 6-1 rout over Monaco in the Champions League.

Part of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium crowd jeered the Brazil forward nearly every time he touched the ball early on in the league-phase game in Madrid on Tuesday. But the boos dissipated as the match went on and were virtually gone by the time Vinicius scored his first Champions League goal of the season in the 63rd minute.

The early boos were not nearly as loud as they were on Saturday in Madrid’s 2-0 win over Levante in the Spanish league. Both times fans jeered when Vinicius’s name was announced in the starting lineup, but this time, the game ended with fans on Vinicius’s side as he was chosen the man of the match.

Vinicius has been having a lacklustre season, and some fans viewed him as one of the reasons why coach Xabi Alonso was replaced last week.

Vinicius had spats with Alonso, a former Madrid and Spain great as a player, who was replaced as a coach following a tumultuous eight-month stint. Vinicius was reportedly the main player not backing Alonso in the locker room.

He scored his goal on Tuesday with a well-placed strike after getting past a couple of defenders and hitting the upper corner. He did not go towards the fans to celebrate, and instead hugged his teammates near the midfield. Then he ran towards the sideline to salute and hug the new Madrid coach, Alvaro Arbeloa.

Vinicius had assists in goals by Kylian Mbappe in the 26th and Franco Mastantuono in the 51st. The Brazilian also assisted with a cross that led to an own-goal by Monaco defender Thilo Kehrer in the 55th.

“Vini, we are behind you,” read a banner held by a fan at the Bernabeu.

Mbappe scored in the fifth minute to put the hosts ahead. He hugged Vinicius after his second goal later in the first half and again following the final whistle.

Mbappe and Arbeloa had come out defending Vinicius recently, with Mbappe saying the crowd should not single out Vinicius as the one to blame for the team’s struggles.

Many fans applauded a seventh-minute attempt by Vinicius, who just missed wide from inside the area. When he misplayed a ball in the 40th, some of the fans started to boo again, but many more applauded in response.

There were no immediate jeers towards club President Florentino Pérez as had happened against Levante.

Mbappe appeared to apologise to Monaco fans after scoring. He was a former Monaco player. Mbappe has 18 Champions League goals for Madrid, the most of any player in the first 20 appearances with the club, ahead of the 14 of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Jude Bellingham, who was also jeered by some fans on Saturday, scored Madrid’s sixth goal in the 80th minute.

Vinicius came close to scoring again on a breakaway in second-half stoppage time.

Madrid had entered the match against Levante coming off a two-game losing streak, which included a loss to Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia – prompting Alonso’s departure – and an embarrassing elimination against Albacete in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.

There was a moment of silence before the match in honour of the victims of the train crash, in which more than 40 people were killed, in southern Spain on Sunday.

Arsenal win 3-1 at Inter Milan in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League to seal their place in the last 16.

Gabriel Jesus is already hitting top form just a month after returning from a lengthy injury layoff.

The Arsenal forward was given only his third start this season, and he scored twice in a dynamic first half to set his side on the way to a 3-1 victory at Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Jesus was out for almost a year after tearing his ACL last January.

“It’s a dream night. I always dreamed of being a footballer,” Jesus told Amazon Prime. “I watched when I was a kid, I watched a lot of Serie A, so to be here in this stadium and score here is tears in my eyes, because I always dreamed of being here.

“There is always a reason that things happen, even whether it’s good things or difficult things. I learned that during my 11 months out of the field.”

Jesus returned in December, but has made mainly substitute appearances since then, with his only starts before Tuesday coming in domestic cup competitions.

However, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta named the Brazilian in the starting lineup at San Siro in place of Viktor Gyokeres, who has struggled to adapt since his big-money move from Sporting Lisbon in the summer.

“Everyone wants to start,” Jesus added. “I am a very respectful guy. I am not a kid any more; I am 28, so I understand football.

“I am very happy Vik came on and scored a goal. I am so happy I scored, and Vik scored.”

Jesus fired Arsenal in front in the 10th minute with an instinctive finish to stretch out his leg and get on the end of a scuffed Jurrien Timber shot.

It was his first Champions League goal in more than two years since netting in a group match against Lens in November 2023.

Inter levelled eight minutes later through Petar Sucic, but Jesus was again in the right place at the right time to put Arsenal in front in the 31st minute.

Bukayo Saka swung in a corner from the right to the far post, where Leandro Trossard nodded it back across for Jesus to head home.

Gyokeres came on for Jesus in the 75th and scored Arsenal’s third nine minutes later.

The victory assured table-topping Arsenal a spot in the knockout stage of the Champions League and also saw it win seven European games in a row for the first time in its history.

Arsenal have never won the Champions League, although they reached the final in 2006, losing to Barcelona.

Arteta’s side also top the Premier League, with a seven-point advantage, and host Manchester United on Sunday.

Big Brother is reportedly set to return with a major shakeup to the format, shortly after it was announced that the celebrity edition will be rested for at least two years

Big Brother bosses are reportedly planning an “extension” of the series. The iconic reality show, which initially started out on Channel 4 in 2000 and then moved to Channel 5, was revived by ITV in 2023 after several years off air.

The first series of the reboot was won by Jordan Sangha, and Ali Bromley reigned supreme the second time round, whilst Richard Storry was named the public’s favourite housemate at the end of the third series last November. The broadcaster also made the decision to launch a comeback of the celebrity version, with Ibiza Weekender star David Potts and Coronation Street actor Jack P Shepherd emerging victorious.

Shortly afterwards, it was revealed that ITV had decided to hit pause on Celebrity Big Brother, but sources have now insisted that the civilian version of the programme is still very much on the cards and there could even be an increase in the number of episodes.

READ MORE: Davina McCall makes major decision about her marriage weeks after tying the knotREAD MORE: AJ Odudu ‘in tricky position’ as Big Brother future uncertain amid ITV money woes

A source said: “Despite the hold on the celeb version, ITV has always insisted that the programme is what they call a ‘priority reality format’. So it’s reassuring to see plans like this on the table. Extending by a week is something fans have been calling for as past runs have shown the action really only heats up in the latter days.”

The source teased that the upcoming edition of Big Brother will be worthwhile for both viewers and the broadcaster because it will be “exciting”, but it is also “far cheaper” to make than its celebrity counterpart.

Speaking to The Sun, the source explained: “The civilian one is far cheaper to produce than celebrity so the return on investment is worth the while. ITV really is committed to the format and has lots of ideas to keep the civilian version as exciting as possible, with the extension being one of the options being considered.”

It’s no secret that ITV have faced major budget cuts over the last year, with soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale each having had a reduction in episodes. The broadcaster’s daytime brands, Lorraine and Loose Women, have also been slashed significantly, and now only air for 30 weeks of the year as opposed to the full 52. So far, Celebrity Big Brother has been rested until at least 2027, and even hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best will not know whether they will be back at the helm until a later date.

The Sun reported an insider said: “Both hosts will plan most of their other TV work around fronting Big Brother, but that’s incredibly difficult when so much is up in the air. AJ, in particular, will have plenty of offers and usually makes decisions on taking other jobs based on recording dates for BB, as it’s her biggest gig and commitment.

ITV boss Kevin Lygo explained the issue at the Edinburgh TV festival last year. He said: “Celebrity Big Brother, we’re looking at. We’re thinking not on the main channel, that’s the answer. “It’s so difficult now to book big celebrities, famous people, which is what we need on the main channel. Whereas you can go more interesting and niche on ITV2.

“We’re in a battle with [production company] Banijay about the price. It does really well for us on ITVX. It’s a really important, crucial show. I love it and it does a tremendous job for us so, yes, it’s coming back.”

The Late And Live spin-off, which AJ and Will hosted, was also axed. The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment.

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WASHINGTON — President Trump took command of a White House press briefing on Tuesday to tell reporters directly why he believes his first year back in office has been a success — though his showcase at times included false claims and a lack of clarity on his foreign policy agenda.

“I don’t like to do this, to be honest with you, but I do it because we got to get the word out,” Trump told reporters during a nearly two-hour appearance in which he took roughly 20 questions from reporters.

In his remarks, the president repeated claims that the 2020 election was “rigged,” reiterated his annoyance at not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for ending “eight wars,” and dismissed concerns about the economy as he claimed the country is “doing so well” because of his tariffs.

Trump called Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado a “good woman” for giving him her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, calling his political foes “sick people,” and said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was “incompetent” for how she handled last year’s wildfire recovery efforts.

The president alleged that under Bass’ leadership, the city’s delay in issuing local building permits will take “years” when it should have taken “two or three days.”

“You had the incompetent mayor of Los Angeles who decided to go to Africa during the fire,” he said. “The place went crazy. Well, they still haven’t gotten their permits.”

At one point, Trump was asked about California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is widely expected to be eyeing a run for president in 2028, and who is in Davos, Switzerland, this week to talk about the California economy at the World Economic Forum.

“I don’t know that he is going to be the nominee,” Trump told reporters. “I just hate how California is being run. We actually have people leaving, it’s never happened before, but I hate the way it’s being run. He and I had a very good relationship, really close to the word exceptional, but now we seem not to.”

Trump kicked off the press briefing by sifting through dozens of mug shots of undocumented immigrants whom his administration has arrested and targeted for deportation. He boasted that many of the individuals were “murderers, they’re drug lords, drug dealers” in keeping with his campaign promise that he would be targeting the “worst of the worst.” But since he retook office, his administration has also cracked down on legal immigration, and at times, detained U.S. citizens.

As he talked about immigration, Trump lamented the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis — but partly because the president said her parents, particularly her father, were “tremendous Trump fans.”

“A lot of people, they say, ‘Oh, he loves you,’” Trump said. “I hope he still feel the same way.”

While Trump tried to focus on the success of his domestic policies, much of his appearance was dominated by his stance on foreign policy. The president, who was scheduled to leave for Davos on Tuesday evening, has repeatedly threatened to acquire Greenland and impose tariffs on European countries that send troops to help Denmark defend its Arctic territory.

Asked how far he would be willing to go to acquire Greenland, Trump said: “You’ll find out.” He was later asked if he was willing to risk breaking up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for the territory, to which the president responded: “I think that we will work something out where NATO’s going to be very happy and where we’re going to be very happy.”

Trump was also asked about Greenlanders who have said they do not want to be part of the United States and have expressed dismay about Trump’s desires to seize the island.

“I haven’t spoken to them,” Trump said. “When I speak to them, I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.”

At the press briefing, the president insisted that “Norway controls the Nobel Prize,” an assertion he made over the weekend in a text message sent to Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Store. In the text message, Trump wrote that he no longer felt an “obligation to think purely of Peace” when it comes to acquiring Greenland because he didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Norway has repeatedly said the award is given by the independent Nobel Committee, not the government, Store said in a statement.

Trump told reporters to not “let anyone tell you that Norway doesn’t control the shots.”

“I should’ve gotten the Nobel Prize,” Trump said.

Machado, last year’s Nobel Peace laureate, gave Trump her award during a White House visit last week. Trump appeared to have taken kindly to the gesture, telling reporters that he has “such respect for María, doing what she did.

“She said, ‘I don’t deserve the Nobel Prize. He does,’” Trump said. “How nice, right? Good woman.”

The president said he wanted to discuss the wide range of topics personally with reporters because he felt that he was not getting enough credit for the job he had done in the last year.

“A lot of people are listening to the fake news a little bit. I think we’ve done a much better job than we have been able to promote,” Trump said. “We have taken a mess and made it really good. It’s going to get even better.”

Times staff writer Gavin Quinton in Washington contributed to this report.