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Jan. 22 (UPI) — The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said Venezuela continues to carry out a systematic pattern of politically motivated arbitrary detentions, accompanied by serious violations of due process and the human rights of people deprived of liberty.

Gloria Monique de Mees, the commission’s special rapporteur for Venezuela, said before the Organization of American States Permanent Council in Washington on Wednesday that the group has information that indicates “clandestine detention centers” still are operating in the country.

“The persistence of these facilities highlights the structural nature of the violations and the absence of effective institutional oversight,” de Mees said, according to a report by Infobae.

Despite the release of some political prisoners by the interim government of Delcy Rodriguez after the Jan. 3 capture of Nicolas Maduro in a U.S. military operation, the human rights situation in Venezuela remains alarming, the commission said. Its members have not been able to visit the country since 2002.

During the session, the United States called for the “unconditional release” of the 1,000 political prisoners it estimates are being held in Venezuelan jails.

“Approximately 1,000 people remain unjustly detained,” U.S. Ambassador Leandro Rizzuto said during the OAS session convened to address the issue of political prisoners, according to El Mercurio Online.

He said the United States “urges the unconditional release of all unjustly detained political prisoners.”

U.S. pressure after Rodriguez becoming interim president led to authorities agreeing to release political prisoners. However, families and human rights groups in Venezuela say the process has been slow and lacks transparency.

According to the human rights group Foro Penal, 777 political prisoners were held in Venezuela as of Monday. Only 143 have been freed from incarceration, but they remain subject to criminal proceedings and severe restrictions, which the commission said do not amount to full releases.

More than 18,700 political detentions have been recorded since 2014, according to the group.

According to a report presented to the OAS by rights agency Commissioner Stuardo Ralon, criminal law is being used as a tool of persecution and control through abusive pretrial detention, indefinite postponement of hearings, frequent changes of prosecutors and lack of access to effective legal defense.

The commission also warned about deplorable detention conditions, including isolation, incommunicado detention, lack of medical care, limited access to drinking water and food, prolonged restrictions on family visits, and reports of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, without effective investigations by the state.

The commission stressed the human impact of these practices, which affect not only detainees but also their families, including children, and cause lasting physical and psychological harm.

The rights group reiterated its call for the immediate and unrestricted release of all people detained for political reasons, an end to the use of the criminal justice system as a tool of repression, guarantees of an independent judiciary and the investigation and punishment of torture and ill-treatment.

Jan. 22 (UPI) — Ecuador and Colombia have initiated a tariff dispute after a decision by Ecuador’s government to impose a 30% duty on imports from Colombia, a move Quito justified on grounds of border security concerns and a persistent trade imbalance.

Colombia responded swiftly, suspending electricity exports to Ecuador and announcing equivalent tariffs on an initial list of 20 Ecuadorian products, escalating tensions between the two Andean neighbors.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said Wednesday that the 30% tariff would apply to certain Colombian imports starting Feb. 1, citing what he described as a lack of reciprocity and insufficient security cooperation by the government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

The measure will remain in force “until there is a real commitment to jointly confront drug trafficking and illegal mining along the border,” Noboa said in a post on X.

Noboa contended that Ecuador has made “real efforts of cooperation” with Colombia, despite running a trade deficit that he said exceeds $1 billion annually. He added that those efforts have not been met with comparable actions by the Colombian side.

The sectors most affected by the 30% tariff are expected to be those with the highest share of bilateral trade, including electricity, pharmaceuticals for human use, certain food products, cane sugars, jet fuel, vehicles and unroasted coffee.

Colombia’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Diana Marcela Morales Rojas said the 30% tariff Colombia will apply to 20 products imported from Ecuador is a temporary instrument aimed at restoring balance to bilateral trade conditions.

“In the government of President Gustavo Petro, we have strengthened the state’s institutional capacity to act in a technical and proportional manner, in accordance with existing regulations, when the rules governing trade between countries are altered,” Morales said, according to local outlet El Colombiano.

As part of the escalating dispute, Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy announced Thursday the suspension of International Electricity Transactions with Ecuador, arguing the decision was necessary to guarantee domestic energy supply.

The ministry said the move responds to climate variability and projections of reduced firm energy availability in Colombia’s national interconnected system, factors it said increase risks to the country’s energy security.

“The duty of the state is to ensure, above all, that Colombian households, industry and essential services have secure and reliable energy,” said Energy and Mines Minister Edwin Palma Egea, according to Ecuadorian daily El Universo. He described the suspension as “a responsible, preventive and sovereign decision.”

The suspension is indefinite. Palma said Colombia rejects “unilateral measures imposed by the neighboring country,” but expressed confidence that diplomatic channels and open dialogue could quickly resolve the differences.

“When energy security conditions are restored and a framework of trust and good faith between both countries is rebuilt, Colombia will be willing to resume electricity exchanges,” he said. “Integration cannot be built at the expense of sovereignty or the well-being of our people.”

Ecuador relies on Colombian electricity imports to supplement its largely hydroelectric power system, particularly during periods of reduced rainfall that affect river flows and reservoir levels.

In response to the electricity suspension, Ecuador announced it will impose new tariffs on transporting Colombian crude oil through one of its pipelines.

In a post on X, Ecuador’s Minister of Environment and Energy Inés Manzano said that “the transport tariff for Colombian crude through the OCP pipeline will reflect the reciprocity received in the case of electricity.”

She added that Ecuador is prioritizing border security, its trade balance and its energy security.

These measures add to earlier restrictions along the border. Since Dec. 24, Ecuador has limited cross-border transit for security reasons, keeping open only two official crossings with Colombia and Peru.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump says Russia’s ‘war has to end’. Trump is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming hours.

United States President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he had reached a “framework of a future deal” on Greenland with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

He also withdrew his threat to impose 10 percent trade tariffs on eight European nations objecting to the sale of Greenland to the US – set to rise to 25 percent later in the year if no deal was reached.

Greenland is a self-governing territory which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly stated that the island is not for sale.

In a bid to defuse rising transatlantic tensions, Rutte met with Trump in Davos, Switzerland, during the annual summit of the World Economic Forum. During his speech at Davos on Wednesday, Trump reiterated that he wants to acquire Greenland, but ruled out taking the Arctic island by force.

On Thursday, Rutte told reporters that NATO countries would ramp up security in the Arctic as part of the agreement.

What has Trump said about the ‘framework’ for a future deal?

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump said that following a “very productive” meeting with Rutte, he had formed the “framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region”.

Trump added that, under this deal, he would not impose tariffs on the eight European countries that have opposed his attempt to acquire Greenland.

He added that additional discussions are being held about “The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland”.

The Golden Dome is Washington’s proposed multilayered missile defence programme, which is designed to counter aerial threats. Trump announced the project in May 2025. Under it, the US will deploy missile interceptors in space to shield against ballistic and hypersonic threats. The project is set to be completed by the end of Trump’s term in 2029.

In his post, Trump said more information about the framework would be made public as negotiations progress. These talks, he said, would be led by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the US side.

“We have a concept of a deal,” Trump told CNBC later on Wednesday.

But he offered no further details about what these negotiations, such as dates or venues for upcoming talks – would involve, nor specifics on who from Europe would join.

Why is the US at odds with Europe over Greenland?

On January 17, Trump announced that from February 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would be charged a 10 percent tariff on their exports to the US.

On June 1, the tariff was to be increased to 25 percent, he said. “This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

One day after he made this threat, the 27 members of the European Union convened for an emergency meeting to discuss their options. While many wanted to try to resolve the dispute via diplomatic efforts, some called for the implementation of a never-before-used “bazooka” package of retaliatory tariffs and trade restrictions. However, this could take up to a year to fully implement.

But following his meeting with Rutte on Wednesday, Trump withdrew his threat of tariffs and said a “framework for a future deal” had been reached.

Why does Trump want Greenland?

Trump, and US presidents before him, have coveted Greenland for its strategic position.

The sparsely populated Arctic island of 56,000 people – mostly Indigenous Inuit – is geographically in North America but politically part of Denmark, making it part of Europe.

Greenland’s geographical position between the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans provides the shortest air and sea routes between North America and Europe, making it crucial for US military operations and early-warning systems, especially around the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom gap, according to the Trump administration.

Greenland also has plentiful deposits of minerals, including large amounts of untapped rare earth metals, which are required for the production of technology ranging from smartphones to fighter jets. With global warming, more shipping routes around Greenland are opening up as the ice melts, making it of greater interest to many nations.

Did the US ever own Greenland?

During his speech in Davos on Wednesday, Trump said: “After the war, we gave Greenland back to Denmark. How stupid were we to do that? But we did it. But we gave it back.”

The US occupied Greenland in 1941 following Nazi Germany’s invasion of Denmark during World War II. It established a military and radio presence on the island, withdrawing following the end of the war. However, US forces have maintained a permanent presence at Pituffik Space Base, previously known as the Thule Air Base, in Greenland’s northwest ever since.

Denmark and the US reached an agreement in 1951, which allows the US to maintain military facilities in Greenland as part of mutual defence within the NATO framework.

Despite its presence on the island during World War II, the US never actually possessed the territory and its 1951 agreement with Denmark did not pass sovereignty of Greenland to the US.

What do we know about the framework of Trump’s future deal?

Specific details of the “framework” are unknown.

But Trump has described it as a pathway towards a “long-term deal”.

And he has specified some elements of what he expects from that deal. “It puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and to minerals,” Trump told reporters.

“It’s a deal that’s forever.”

On Thursday, Rutte told Reuters that will demand NATO countries ramp up Arctic security swiftly, as part of the security element of the agreement.

“We will come together in NATO with our senior commanders to work out what is necessary,” Rutte said.

“I have no doubt we can do this quite fast. Certainly, I would hope for 2026; I hope even early in 2026.”

But experts say not much else about the framework is known.

“We still don’t know what ‘framework’ actually means: is it political signalling, or does it contain concrete commitments, timelines and legal hooks? We also don’t know who the real parties are [US-Denmark only, or US-Denmark-Greenland] and what Greenland has formally endorsed,” Christine Nissen, the chief analyst at the Copenhagen-based Think Tank Europa, told Al Jazeera.

It is unclear whether Greenland has agreed to the framework of any deal or whether Greenlandic or Danish authorities were even consulted.

“There can’t be a deal without having Greenland as part of the negotiations,” Sascha Faxe, a member of the Danish parliament, told Sky News on Wednesday.

“We have a Greenlandic MP in Denmark and she’s very clear that this is not a prerogative of Rutte and NATO,” Faxe said, referring to Aaja Chemnitz Larsen, who represents one of the two parliamentary seats for Greenland in the Danish parliament.

She added: “They are very clear – Greenland is not for sale, they are not for negotiations – so it’s not real negotiations, it’s two men who have had a conversation.”

On Wednesday night, Larsen wrote in Danish in a Facebook post: “NATO in no way has the right to negotiate anything on its own about us from Greenland while bypassing us. Nothing about us, without us.”

In an X post on Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen wrote: “The day is ending on a better note than it began,” welcoming Trump’s ruling out the European tariffs and taking Greenland by force. “Now, let’s sit down and find out how we can address the American security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the [Kingdom of Denmark].”

It is also not clear which other European leaders are on board with the deal. EU leaders are convening in Brussels on Thursday for emergency talks over the matter.

In an X post on Wednesday, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed Trump’s decision to not charge tariffs on European countries. “As Italy has always maintained, it is essential to continue fostering dialogue between allied nations,” she wrote, without specifying details about Greenland or the deal.

If Washington ends up owning parts of Greenland as American overseas territory, it is not clear whether Denmark will hand over the land or whether the land will be purchased at a price. It is also not known what this hypothetical price would look like.

What natural resources does Greenland have?

Greenland is incredibly rich in minerals, including rare earth minerals used in the manufacture of batteries and high-tech industries crucial for defence. According to a 2023 survey, 25 of 34 minerals deemed “critical raw materials” by the European Commission were found in Greenland.

Greenland does not carry out the extraction of oil and gas, and its mining sector is opposed by its Indigenous population. The island’s economy is largely reliant on its fishing industry.

However, during his speech at Davos, Trump said that it was national security, and not minerals, that made it imperative for him to own Greenland.

“To get to this rare earth, you got to go through hundreds of feet of ice. That’s not the reason we need it. We need it for strategic national security and international security,” Trump said.

Referring to Trump during an interview with Fox News’s Special Report with Bret Baier on Wednesday, Rutte said: “He is very much focused on what do we need to do to make sure that that huge Arctic region – where change is taking place at the moment, where the Chinese and the Russians are more and more active – how we can protect it.”

Amid global warming, the vast untapped resources of the Arctic are becoming more accessible. Countries like the US, Canada, China and Russia are now eyeing these resources.

Russia and China have been working together to develop Arctic shipping routes as Moscow seeks to deliver more oil and gas to China amid Western sanctions, while Beijing seeks an alternative shipping route to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Malacca.

“Negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States will go forward aimed at ensuring that Russia and China never gain a foothold – economically or militarily – in Greenland,” Reuters news agency reported, citing an unnamed NATO source.

On Wednesday, Russian news agencies quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin as saying: “What happens in Greenland is of absolutely no consequence to us.”

What about the ownership of Greenland?

On Wednesday, Rutte said during the interview that the issue of whether Greenland will remain Danish territory did not come up during his discussion with Trump.

When Rutte was asked whether Greenland would remain under the Kingdom of Denmark, he responded: “That issue did not come up any more in my conversations tonight with the president.”

Trump has previously said that Washington needs to own Greenland, rather than lease it.

“You defend ownership. You don’t defend leases. And we’ll have to defend Greenland. If we don’t do it, China or Russia will,” Trump told reporters at the White House on January 9.

During his speech at Davos, Trump reiterated that he wants Washington to own Greenland, despite the US military presence there under the 1951 agreement.

Nissen, of Think Tank Europa, explained that this agreement already grants the US very extensive operational rights in Greenland pertaining to construction, movement and logistics. But, she added, the arrangement is not territorial, and sovereignty sits with Denmark and Greenland’s self-government.

“The US cannot exercise civil authority, change laws, control borders as a state, or transfer the territory. So Denmark and Greenland’s hard red line is straightforward: no ‘ownership’ and no territorial transfer through a deal.”

On Wednesday, The New York Times, however, cited three unnamed senior officials involved in the latest Greenland talks, reporting on the possibility that the framework could involve conversations over giving Washington sovereign control over small pockets of Greenland for military bases.

In theory, these pockets would be similar to the concept of the UK’s bases in Cyprus, which are regarded as British territory, one of the officials told The Times, while another confirmed this.

The UK has two Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) inside Cyprus, namely Akrotiri and Dhekelia. These are legally British-owned territories within Cyprus.

SBAs are purely for military use and governed almost entirely as military installations, where authority is essentially military and centralised.

“There are rumours that Trump may still imagine some form of US ownership of a very small piece of land, but Rutte has indicated that this was not substantively on the table,” Nissen said.

“If any element of the deal were to involve even a symbolic transfer of territory, that would cross a red line for Denmark, Greenland and Europe, and would set a dangerous precedent for sovereignty and the Western order.”

Nissen explained that even if there is a framework, Denmark and Greenland have legal options to constrain US ambitions for the island.

They could insist that US influence is limited to “rights of use” to territory rather than anything resembling sovereign control or exclusive jurisdiction. Essentially, she argued, they could use bureaucracy to bolster their positions.

“They can use governance tools that matter in practice: consultation clauses, joint oversight bodies, transparency requirements, clear review points and meaningful termination options – plus domestic law and permitting [land use, environment, infrastructure approvals] that can shape or slow what ambitions become on the ground.”

She explained that a likely outcome could involve strengthened US access to Greenland and an update to the 1951 defence deal — with more NATO branding, extra infrastructure and investment, and limited, targeted cooperation on minerals.

What are some overseas territories?

Greenland is actually one of two Danish self-governing overseas territories, the other one being the Faroe Islands.

The Arctic island was a Danish colony in the early 18th century, after an expedition led by Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede arrived in 1721. In 1979, it became a self-governing territory. Since 2009, Greenland has the right to declare independence through a referendum.

The UK has 14 overseas territories across the Atlantic, Caribbean, Pacific and polar regions.

The inhabited ones, including Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and Montserrat, are mostly self‑governing, with the UK responsible for defence and foreign affairs.

The US has five permanently inhabited territories — Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands — all with local governments but limited federal representation, and Puerto Rico is the largest as a self‑governing commonwealth.

Washington also controls nine mostly uninhabited islands used mainly for military or strategic purposes.

France has 13 overseas territories spread across the Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Pacific and South America. China has two Special Administrative Regions (SARs), Hong Kong and Macau, which are generally autonomous in terms of political, economic and legal systems.

Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand and Portugal also have overseas territories in different parts of the world with different arrangements for self-government.

Settler violence in the occupied West Bank has emptied nearly three-quarters of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Ras Ein al-Auja, forcing hundreds to flee. Residents who remain say they are being deliberately pushed out of their homes, with nowhere else to go.

Taking centre stage is Josh Paul, former director of congressional and public affairs at the US Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. In 2023, Paul resigned in protest over the US’s role in enabling Israel’s war on Gaza. Since then, he has co-founded A New Policy, a political organisation pushing for change in US policy towards Palestine and Israel.

Paul discusses his resignation, whether Washington has learned anything and if the US is doomed to repeat its mistakes.

South Korea on Thursday formally enacted a comprehensive law governing the safe use of artificial intelligence (AI) models, becoming the first country globally in doing so, establishing a regulatory framework against misinformation and other hazardous effects involving the emerging field.

The Basic Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Establishment of a Foundation for Trustworthiness, or the AI Basic Act, officially took effect Thursday, according to the science ministry.

It marked the first governmental adoption of comprehensive guidelines on the use of AI globally.

The act centers on requiring companies and AI developers to take greater responsibility for addressing deepfake content and misinformation that can be generated by AI models, granting the government the authority to impose fines or launch probes into violations.

In detail, the act introduces the concept of “high-risk AI,” referring to AI models used to generate content that can significantly affect users’ daily lives or their safety, including applications in the employment process, loan reviews and medical advice.

Entities harnessing such high-risk AI models are required to inform users that their services are based on AI and are responsible for ensuring safety. Content generated by AI models is required to carry watermarks indicating its AI-generated nature.

“Applying watermarks to AI-generated content is the minimum safeguard to prevent side effects from the abuse of AI technology, such as deepfake content,” a ministry official said.

Global companies offering AI services in South Korea meeting any of the following criteria — global annual revenue of 1 trillion won (US$681 million) or more, domestic sales of 10 billion won or higher, or at least 1 million daily users in the country — are required to designate a local representative.

Currently, OpenAI and Google fall under the criteria.

Violations of the act may be subject to fines of up to 30 million won, and the government plans to enforce a one-year grace period in imposing penalties to help the private sector adjust to the new rules.

The act also includes measures for the government to promote the AI industry, with the science minister required to present a policy blueprint every three years.

Following the implementation of the act, the science ministry said it has launched a support desk tasked with offering advisory services to businesses.

The support desk will work to respond to businesses’ general inquiries within three days and those requiring in-depth legal review within 14 days, according to the ministry.

“The AI Basic Act stands at the center of South Korea’s AI industry and the realization of an AI-based society,” Second Vice Science Minister Ryu Je-myung said in a release.

“The support desk will serve as a guide to help the act take root in the local industry,” Ryu added.

Copyright (c) Yonhap News Agency prohibits its content from being redistributed or reprinted without consent, and forbids the content from being learned and used by artificial intelligence systems.

Jan. 22 (UPI) — Nine Muslim-majority countries across the Middle East and Asia have announced their acceptance of President Donald Trump‘s invitation to join the U.S.-led Board of Peace intergovernmental organization, as they seek a permanent cease-fire to end the fighting in Gaza.

In a joint statement Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates said they “welcome” Trump’s invitation and will join his Board of Peace.

The foreign ministry of Kuwait followed hours later with a similar statement of its own.

The eight nations, led by Saudi Arabia, placed Gaza at the center of their acceptance.

The ministers said they “reaffirm their countries’ commitment to supporting the implementation of the mission of the Board of Peace as a transitional administration … aimed at consolidating a permanent cease-fire, supporting the reconstruction of Gaza and advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law.”

So far, at least 19 countries have agreed to join the Board of Peace, though no major European nation and several U.S. allies invited have either declined the invitation or remain uncommitted.

Trump first announced the board as part of a 20-point plan aimed at securing a cease-fire in Gaza, which has been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. On Friday, the White House announced the board’s appointed members, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, World Bank President Ajay Banga and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, among others.

While initially conceived to help bring an end to the two-year-old Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the board’s charter does not mention the Palestinian enclave, raising concerns over the scope of the board. Trump has suggested that it will seek to address other world conflicts, stating that “it might” replace the United Nations.

The announcement comes after Israel confirmed it accepted the offer on Wednesday, and Kosovo and Bahrain on Tuesday.

Concerns have also been raised about those invited to join, such as President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Both Trump and the Kremlin have confirmed that Putin was asked to join, and Wednesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the U.S. president told reporters Putin had accepted.

“This is the greatest board ever assembled, and everybody wants to be on it,” he said. “But, yeah, I have some controversial people on it. But these are people who get the job done. These are people that have tremendous influence. If I put all babies on the board, it wouldn’t be very much.”

The Kremlin has yet to confirm.

Canada has indicated it is willing to join, but that it will not pay the $1 billion Trump is requesting as a fee.

Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, speaking during the World Economic Forum, said that Ottawa sees the board as a vehicle for peace in Gaza and that it should be designed to meet the needs there.

He said the board needs to coincide with the “immediate full-flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza” where “conditions are still horrific.”

“We think there’s aspects of the governance and the decision-making process that could be improved,” he said. “But we will work with others, obviously work with the United States because we can improve the situation there and to move onto a path to a true two-state solution.”

Asked if Canada is willing to pay the $1 billion fee, Carney replied: “We would write checks and deliver in kind to improve the welfare of the people of Palestine, but we want to see it delivered direct to those outcomes, those outcomes promoting peace.”

Jan. 22 (UPI) — A New York court judge has ordered the state to redraw its congressional map, striking down a Republican district and potentially giving the Democratic Party an advantage in securing an additional seat in the upcoming midterm elections.

Justice Jeffrey Pearlman of the Supreme Court of the State of New York issued his ruling Wednesday, declaring New York’s 11th Congressional District unconstitutional as it unlawfully diluted the voting power of Black and Latino voters.

“It is clear to the Court that the current district lines of CD-11 are a contributing factor in the lack of representation for minority voters,” Pearlman wrote in his 18-page order.

“Petitioners have shown strong evidence of racially polarized voting bloc, … they have demonstrated a history of discrimination that impacts current-day political participation and representation and they have shown that racial appeals are still made in political campaigns today. Taken together, these circumstances provide strong support for the claim that Black and Latino votes are being diluted in the current CD-11.”

Pearlman ordered the district map to be redrawn by Feb. 6, though the ruling is expected to be appealed.

The lawsuit was filed in late October by New York voters who challenged the 2024 congressional map for maintaining what they called in the court document “a fatal substantive defect: it dilutes Black and Latino voting strength in CD-11.”

New York’s 11th congressional district encompasses all of Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn. Held by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, it is the only Republican seat in New York City.

In a statement, Malliotakis said she is reviewing the decision.

“Nothing changes the fact that this is a frivolous attempt by Washington Democrats to steal this congressional seat from the people and we are very confident that we will prevail at the end of the day,” she said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., celebrated the decision on Wednesday.

“This ruling is the first step toward ensuring communities of interest remain intact from Staten Island to Lower Manhattan,” he said in a statement. “The voters of New York deserve the fairest congressional map possible.”

According to the UN, more than 1,800 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians – about five per day – were documented in 2025.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has approved the issuance of gun licences to Israelis in 18 additional illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, as the right-wing government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushes to expand illegal outposts that undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

“The importance of the decision lies in the fact that these settlements will now be able to submit applications for a personal weapon licence,” Ben-Gvir, a far-right minister, wrote on Telegram on Wednesday, claiming that the efforts were to “enhance self-defence and increase personal security”.

Israeli settlers have been emboldened by a wide-scale armament programme spearheaded at the start of Israel’s genocidal war in the Gaza Strip by Ben-Gvir, and the near-total impunity they enjoy when carrying out attacks.

Israelis living illegally in the occupied West Bank have been armed with military-grade weapons ranging from US-made M16s to pistols and drones. Israeli authorities maintain that holding arms is necessary for their safety, but local and international organisations have long documented the organised, forced displacement of Palestinians from their ancestral lands.

Last year, Israel formalised plans to develop the illegal E1 settlement project, and this year, it is expected to push forward the plan to expand settlements near Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley and across Ramallah.

In December, another 19 settler outposts built without government approval were retroactively approved by Israel’s government as official settlements. In all, the number of settlements and outposts in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem has risen by nearly 50 percent since 2022 – from 141 to 210 now.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 2024 that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should come to an end “as rapidly as possible”.

In his statement, Ben-Gvir added that more than 240,000 Israelis have received gun permits since the expansion of the policy, compared with about 8,000 permits issued annually in previous years.

“An unprecedented number,” he said, adding that this contributed to “thwarting attacks, preventing infiltration, and stopping attackers even before security forces arrived”.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 1,800 settler attacks against Palestinians – about five per day – were documented in 2025, resulting in casualties or property damage in about 280 communities across the West Bank, and besting the previous year’s record of settler attacks by more than 350.

A total of 240 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 55 children, were killed by Israeli forces or settlers in 2025.

The board was initially aimed at rebuilding Gaza due to the ongoing Israeli genocide, but was later pitched as a global conflict body.

Rights groups condemn trial of three activists accused of ‘inciting subversion of state power.’

A landmark trial of three activists who organised vigils marking China’s Tiananmen Square massacre has opened in Hong Kong.

Chow Hang-tung, Albert Ho and Lee Cheuk-yan, former leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, are charged with “inciting subversion of state power” in the case before the Chinese territory’s High Court.

As they entered the courtroom on Thursday, Lee waved at his supporters, who waved back and said “good morning” to him.

Ho sat calmly, and Chow thanked her supporters for enduring the winds during the night and bowed to them.

Minutes later, Lee and Chow pleaded not guilty, while Ho entered a guilty plea.

About 70 people queued in the cold on Thursday morning for the public gallery, while dozens of police were deployed around the court.

Hong Kong used to host yearly candlelight vigils to mark Beijing’s deadly crackdown on demonstrators in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, but those events have been banned since 2020.

That year, Beijing imposed a national security law on the former British colony in the wake of huge, sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.

Rights groups and some foreign governments have criticised cases brought against prominent pro-democracy figures under the law as a weaponisation of the rule of law to silence dissent.

“This case is not about national security – it is about rewriting history and punishing those who refuse to forget the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown,” said Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director, Asia.

Angeli Datt, research and advocacy coordinator at the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders, condemned the trial as a “sham”.

“If Hong Kong authorities actually follow the law, their only recourse is to drop all charges and immediately release the three organisers,” Datt said in a statement.

Beijing has said the security law restored stability to the city following the 2019 protests, which sent hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets.

Three government-vetted judges will preside over the trial, which is expected to last 75 days. Videos related to the alliance’s years of work will be part of the prosecution’s evidence.

The three-judge panel earlier dismissed an application by Chow to throw out the case.

“The court will not allow the trial to become, as [Chow] said, a tool for political suppression,” the judges wrote in a preliminary ruling.

The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China was founded in May 1989 to support protesters holding democracy and anticorruption rallies in Beijing.

The following month, China’s government sent tanks and soldiers to crush the movement on and around Tiananmen Square, a decision it has since heavily censored domestically.

The Alliance spent the next three decades calling on Beijing to accept responsibility, free dissidents, and embrace democratic reform.

Its candlelight vigils in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park every June 4 routinely drew thousands.

The trial of Chow, Lee and Ho follows last month’s conviction of media tycoon Jimmy Lai, which drew international condemnation.

Lai was found guilty of conspiring to commit foreign collusion.

The city’s chief justice responded to the criticisms of Lai’s conviction on Monday, saying the judges deal “only with the law and the evidence, not with any underlying matters of politics”.

Several people were missing after heavy rains caused flooding and landslides across New Zealand’s North Island.

Rescue workers are searching for several people, including children, missing after landslides in New Zealand, where homes have been evacuated and roads closed as heavy rains hit almost the entire eastern seaboard of the country’s North Island.

Several people were missing on Thursday afternoon following a landslide which hit Mount Maunganui holiday park on North Island, at approximately 9:30am local time (20:30 GMT, Wednesday).

According to Radio New Zealand, the landslide hit campervans and a shower block at the popular tourist spot during the last week of summer school holidays.

Two people were also missing after a landslide struck a house in neighbouring Papamoa, police said. A 47-year-old man was missing after he tried to cross the Mahurangi River north of Auckland, and his car was caught in floodwaters, according to Radio New Zealand.

Officials briefing reporters about the ongoing rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui said they still hoped to find survivors but that the potential for further landslides was hampering operations.

Police District Commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said that “it is possible that we could find someone alive”, adding that he would not comment on the number of people missing, only to say that “it is in the single figures”.

Fire and Emergency Commander William Park said first responders had detected signs of life in the rubble but withdrew after concerns of further ground movement.

“My understanding was members of the public … tried to get into the rubble and did hear some voices. Our initial fire crew arrived and were able to hear the same. Shortly after our initial crew arrived, we withdrew everyone from the site due to the possible movement of the slip,” Park said.

Local media cited Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell as saying children were among those missing.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on X that he was “actively monitoring situations across the country”, including in Mount Maunganui.

Climate change, caused by fossil fuels and other pollutants, is making extreme rainfall and other disasters more frequent, leading to unprecedented flooding in places around the world.

Scientists have warned that similar extreme weather will continue to worsen without significant steps taken to reduce pollution.

Jan. 21 (UPI) — A Texas jury on Wednesday found former school police officer Adrian Gonzales not guilty of felony charges accusing him of endangering children during the 2022 mass shooting at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School that killed 19 students and two teachers.

Following seven hours of deliberations that capped off a two-week trial, the jury returned to the courtroom in Corpus Christi, Texas, Wednesday evening, when presiding Judge Sid Harle read its unanimous verdict that Gonzales was found not guilty on all charges.

Gonzales, 52, was facing 29 felony charges, one for each of the 19 fourth-grade students killed and 10 students wounded in the May 24, 2022, shooting.

Wearing a blue suit, Gonzales received the verdict while standing between two members of his defense counsel, one of whom placed a hand on the right shoulder of Gonzales, who bowed his head upon receiving the judge’s words.

Some members of the victims’ families who were in the courtroom cried, wiping eyes and noses with tissues, but remained silent on hearing the verdict.

On the morning of May 24, 2022, 18-year-old Salvador Rolando Ramos entered his former Robb Elementary School with an AR-15-style rifle and opened fire.

Ramos was in the school for 77 minutes before the nearly 400 officers who responded engaged Ramos, who was shot dead at the scene.

The prosecution during the trial argued that Gonzales failed to protect the students and failed to confront the gunman despite a witness having alerted him to Ramos’ location before he entered two connected classrooms.

The defense, however, successfully countered that Gonzales did what he could under the circumstances and with the information he had, arguing that he had rushed into the building after arriving on the scene, but retreated with other officers once the bullets rang out.

Nico LaHood, the primary defense attorney for Gonzales, told reporters following the verdict that the jury found gaps in the prosecution’s evidence.

“We felt Adrian was innocent from the beginning when we analyzed the situation,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a challenging case because of the emotions, the sheer emotions behind it and those precious babies being taken from those families.”

During closing arguments, special prosecutor Bill Turner told the jury that Gonzales did not follow his training, failing to engage Ramos until after children were being shot.

“If you have a duty to act, you can’t stand by while the child is in imminent danger,” he said. “If you have a duty to protect the child, you can’t stand by and allow it to happen.”

He then compared Gonzales to teachers who tried to protect students, saying they put the children first and students who tried to protect one another.

“Adrian Gonzales had a duty to put the kids first,” he said.

LaHood, in his closing arguments, told jurors that Gonzales “drove into danger” and did more than other Uvalde police officers to protect the children.

Convicting Gonzales, he argued, would inform police officers whether and ho to react to future similar situations.

“What you tell police officers is, ‘Don’t go in. Don’t react. Don’t respond,'” he said.

Gonzales is one of two former Uvalde police officers facing charges in connection to the mass shooting.

Pete Arredondo, the former Uvalde School District police chief, is facing 10 counts of child endangerment. His trial has yet to be scheduled.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun blasts Israel’s ‘policy of systematic aggression’ that directly targets civilians in Lebanon.

Israel said it attacked four crossing points on the Syria-Lebanon border, saying they were used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons, following earlier attacks on southern Lebanon that killed at least two people and injured almost 20.

The latest Israeli violence on Wednesday comes despite a US-brokered ceasefire, which ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon in 2024 and which Israel has repeatedly violated.

“Once again, Israel is pursuing a policy of systematic aggression by carrying out air strikes on inhabited Lebanese villages, in a dangerous escalation that directly targets civilians,” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement late on Wednesday.

“This repeated aggressive behaviour reaffirms Israel’s refusal to abide by its obligations arising from the cessation of hostilities agreement,” President Aoun said.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health said at least 19 people were wounded in Israeli air strikes on the southern Lebanese town of Qanarit.

The state-run National News Agency said Israeli warplanes bombed buildings in several south Lebanon villages and towns, including al-Kharayeb, al-Ansar, Qanarit, Kfour and Jarjouh, after the Israeli army issued warnings that it would carry out attacks on targets inside the country.

Earlier in the day, the Health Ministry said an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the town of Zahrani, in the Sidon district, killed one person. The ministry also said that an Israeli strike targeting a vehicle in the town of Bazuriyeh in the Tyre district killed another person.

The AFP news agency said its correspondent reported seeing a charred car on a main road in Sidon with debris strewn across the area and emergency workers in attendance. A photographer with the agency was also slightly wounded along with two other journalists who were working near the site of a heavy Israeli strike in Qanarit, where 19 people were injured.

The Israeli military said on social media that it targeted four border crossings on the Syria-Lebanon border used for “weapons transfer” and that it had also “eliminated” a “key Hezbollah weapons smuggler” in the Sidon area of southern Lebanon.

A Lebanese army statement decried the Israeli attacks that targeted “civilian buildings and homes” in a “blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty” and the ceasefire deal.

The Lebanese military also said such attacks “hinder the army’s efforts” to complete the disarmament plan for Hezbollah, which was part of the ceasefire agreement.

Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons amid the ongoing Israeli attacks, which have killed more than 350 people in Lebanon despite the ceasefire signed in November 2024, according to a tally of casualties from AFP.

Barcelona come from behind to beat Slavia Prague 4-2 to maintain their hopes of a top eight finish in the league phase.

Barcelona came from behind to defeat Slavia Prague 4-2 on a freezing night in the Champions League, with Fermin Lopez scoring twice and Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski adding second-half goals to secure the victory.

The win on Wednesday lifts Barcelona to ninth place in the standings with one game ⁠remaining on 13 points, level with seven other teams vying for a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the round ​of 16. Slavia languish third from bottom with just three points.

On a bitterly cold evening in ‍Prague, with temperatures dropping to -8 degrees Celsius (17.6 degrees Fahrenheit), Slavia stunned the visitors with an early lead.

A cleverly worked corner in the 10th minute saw Tomas Holes flick a delivery from the near to the far post, where Vasil Kusej bundled the ball across the line ‍under pressure from ⁠Frenkie de Jong.

Barcelona levelled in the 34th minute through Lopez, who unleashed a sharp, angled strike from inside the box, squeezing the ball past keeper Jindrich Stanek at the near post after a faint deflection off the Slovak’s shoulder.

Lopez doubled his tally and gave Barcelona the lead in the 42nd minute with a fine effort from the edge of the box. The attacking midfielder found the bottom right corner with precision, leaving Stanek no chance.

Barca’s advantage lasted just two minutes as an unfortunate defensive mishap saw Slavia equalise. ​Under pressure defending a corner, Lewandowski inadvertently deflected the ball off his shoulder and into ‌his own net to send the teams into half-time level at 2-2.

After regrouping at the break, Barcelona took control of the game in the second half, relentlessly attacking Slavia’s defence.

Raphinha, Pedri and Lopez all squandered good opportunities before substitute Olmo produced a moment of magic. In ‌the 64th minute, he hammered an unstoppable strike from the edge of the box into the top corner, restoring Barcelona’s lead in emphatic style.

Lewandowski atoned for his earlier own ‌goal by sealing the victory in the 70th minute.

Marcus Rashford – another second-half ⁠substitute – went on a blistering run down the left flank and delivered a cross into the box. Although Lewandowski initially struggled to control the pass, he reacted quickly to poke the ball past Stanek and give Barcelona a two-goal cushion.

“We knew it would be a difficult match with ‌the cold weather, they’ve put a lot of pressure on us, it was tough … My feet and hands hurt, can barely feel them … It was tough, but we managed to come back and win,” Lopez told Movistar Plus.

“We were aware ‍that goal difference was something important. Looking to secure a top-eight finish, we wanted to keep a clean sheet, but it was difficult. Good thing we managed to play well and got the win.”

United States President Donald Trump has said he would not take over Greenland by ​force, but he stuck firmly to his demand for control over the Danish territory during a speech in Davos, Switzerland. He also hinted at consequences if his ambitions were thwarted.

“People thought I ‌would use force, but I don’t have to use force,” Trump said at the World Economic Forum annual meeting.

He announced afterwards on his Truth Social platform that he had arrived at a “framework of a future deal” with respect to claiming Greenland, after meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

The details of that framework remain unknown, but Trump agreed to lift the tariffs he had threatened to slap on European allies starting February 1.

Here are the key takeaways from his Davos speech:

‘Would you like me to say a few words on Greenland?’

Trump opened his remarks about Greenland with an attempt at humour.

“I was going to leave it out of the speech, but I think I would have been reviewed very negatively,” he quipped.

After a lengthy critique of Denmark, which he claimed was too weak to protect Greenland, Trump repeated his key position on the territory.

“We need it for strategic national security and international security. This enormous, unsecured island is actually part of North America. That’s our territory,” he said.

Trump proceeded to assert that no nation other than the US can secure Greenland, and that it was therefore essential for European leaders to turn the self-governing island over to US control.

“I’m seeking immediate negotiations to once again to discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States,” Trump said.

He proceeded to describe the NATO alliance as a money sink for the US, one that failed to offer the country any benefits.

“We never asked for anything, and we never got anything,” Trump said.

The president’s remarks failed to acknowledge NATO’s assistance after the attacks on September 11, 2001, when the US invoked the alliance’s collective defence clause and member states sent military air defence in response.

Still, Trump continued to portray NATO as a moot investment, one that would not yield benefits unless forced.

“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that,” he said.

“That’s probably the biggest statement I made because people thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.”

Earlier this month, White House officials said Trump was considering “a range of options” for acquiring Greenland, including military action. At Davos, Trump again issued a warning to Denmark, setting an ultimatum to hand over Greenland.

“We’ve never asked for anything else. And we could have kept that piece of land, and we didn’t. So they have a choice. You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say no, and we will remember,” he said.

Hours later, the US president announced the “framework” for a Greenland deal, though it is unclear to what extent Denmark or Greenland had input or what the deal might look like.

Rutte later told Fox News that the issue of Greenland’s sovereignty did not come up in their conversation.

‘You follow us down, and you follow us up’

Speaking about the US economy and its global influence, Trump described the US as the driving force of global growth.

“The USA is the economic engine on the planet. And when America booms, the entire world booms. It’s been the history,” Trump said.

“When it goes bad, it goes bad,” he added. “You all follow us down, and you follow us up. And we’re at a point that we’ve never – I don’t believe we’ve ever been. I never thought we could do it this quickly.”

Trump, who returned to the White House for a second term in 2025, said he had expected economic improvements to take longer.

“My biggest surprise is I thought it would take more than a year, maybe like a year and one month. But it’s happened very quickly.”

He then turned his attention to Europe, offering a bleak assessment of the continent’s trajectory. Trump blamed the continent’s challenges on policies related to green energy and migration, without providing evidence to support the claim.

“Certain places in Europe are not recognisable, frankly, any more. They’re not recognisable,” Trump said, echoing anti-immigrant rhetoric.

“I want to see Europe go good, but it’s not heading in the right direction.”

Tariffs and the trade deficit

Defending his prolific use of tariffs and other protectionist trade policies, Trump credited the measures with chipping away at the US’s trade deficit and boosting domestic production.

“With tariffs, we’ve radically reduced our ballooning trade deficit, which was the largest in world history. We were losing more than $1 trillion every single year, and it was just wasted. It was going to waste,” Trump said.

“But in one year, I slashed our monthly trade deficit by a staggering 77 percent. And all of this with no inflation, something everyone said could not be done,” he added.

Trump also pointed to what he described as gains in exports, manufacturing and industrial capacity as evidence of the policy’s success.

“During the process, we’ve made historic trade deals with partners covering 40 percent of all US trade, some of the greatest companies and countries in the world. We have countries as our partners, too. The European nations, Japan, South Korea, they’re our partners,” he said.

Trump on Venezuela: ‘Going to do fantastically well’

Speaking about Venezuela’s economy and oil sector, Trump said the country had suffered a sharp decline because of past policies under socialist leaders like Nicolas Maduro and the late Hugo Chavez.

But he forecast that the South American country is now poised for a rapid turnaround, driven in part by cooperation with the US and international energy companies.

Trump has taken an active interest in Venezuela’s governance since a January 3 military operation to abduct Maduro and transport him to the US to face criminal charges. He has since confirmed that the US has extracted 50 million barrels of oil from Venezuela following Maduro’s ouster.

“Venezuela has been an amazing place for so many years, but then they went bad with their policies,” Trump said.

“Twenty years ago, it was a great country, and now it’s got problems. But we’re helping them. And those 50 million barrels, we’re going to be splitting up with them, and they’ll be making more money than they’ve made in a long time.”

Trump proceeded to praise the interim government of President Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, for cooperating with his ambitions in Venezuela.

“Venezuela is going to do fantastically well,” Trump said.

“We appreciate all of the cooperation we’ve been given. We’ve been given great cooperation. Once the attack ended, the attack ended, and they said, ‘Let’s make a deal.’ More people should do that.”

He went on to predict a dramatic economic recovery for the oil-rich nation, citing renewed foreign investment and support from major energy firms.

“Venezuela is going to make more money in the next six months than they’ve made in the last 20 years,” he said.

“Every major oil company is coming in with us. It’s amazing. It’s a beautiful thing to see. The leadership of the country has been very good. They’ve been very, very smart.”

Onto the topic of energy

Trump then turned to energy policy, highlighting a shift in his stance on nuclear power and reiterating his longstanding criticism of renewable energy.

“We’re going heavy into nuclear. I was not a big fan because I didn’t like the risk, the danger, but the progress they’ve made with nuclear is unbelievable, and the safety progress they’ve made is incredible,” Trump said.

“We’re very much into the world of nuclear energy, and we can have it now at good prices and very, very safe.”

His statements follow a news release from the US Department of Energy on Tuesday that announced Trump would be “unleashing America’s next nuclear renaissance” by expanding infrastructure to create such energy.

Trump has also grown his personal business ties with private nuclear power firms. In December, the Trump Media and Technology Group, of which Trump is the majority owner, announced a $6bn merger with TAE Technologies, a fusion energy company.

While Trump has warmed to nuclear power, he doubled down on his opposition to green energy initiatives designed to combat climate change. Calling such efforts the “Green New Scam” – his spin on the “Green New Deal” – he blamed Europe’s economic wobbles on efforts to embrace renewable technology.

“There are windmills all over Europe. There are windmills all over the place, and they are losers. One thing I’ve noticed is that the more windmills a country has, the more money that country loses and the worse that country is doing,” he told his audience at Davos.

‘Canada should be grateful’

From his podium, Trump also responded to Tuesday’s remarks from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

The leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, Carney had encouraged world leaders to prepare for a future without US leadership and warned that the “great powers” of the world appeared to be abandoning “even the pretence of rules and values for the unhindered pursuit of their power”.

While Carney did not explicitly mention Trump, it was clear his remarks were aimed at the US leader. Trump replied more directly during his turn at the Davos podium.

“Canada gets a lot of freebies from us,” Trump said.

“They should be grateful. But they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful. Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

Trump says he is meeting Zelenskyy

Trump also spoke about the war in Ukraine, and his efforts to mediate between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“I’m dealing with President Putin, and he wants to make a deal,” Trump said.

“I believe I’m dealing with President Zelenskyy, and I think he wants to make a deal. I’m meeting him today. He might be in the audience right now.”

A post on Zelenskyy’s social media account, however, showed the Ukrainian leader at his presidential office in Kyiv on Wednesday, holding a meeting on the energy situation following Russian strikes. His office confirmed he is in Ukraine, not at Davos.

Still, Trump insisted that he would help navigate Ukraine and Russia to an end to their war, which began nearly four years ago in February 2022.

“They’ve got to get that war stopped. Because too many people are dying, needlessly dying. Too many souls are being lost. It’s the only reason I’m interested in doing it. But in doing it, I’m helping Europe. I’m helping NATO,” he said.

‘Those beautiful sunglasses’

At one point in his meandering speech, Trump stopped to poke fun at French President Emmanuel Macron, mocking the aviator sunglasses he wore to Davos.

“I watched him yesterday with those beautiful sunglasses. What the hell happened?” Trump asked.

Macron’s office said the choice to wear sunglasses during his speech, which took place indoors, was to protect his eyes because of a burst blood vessel.

Jan. 21 (UPI) — Federal law enforcement can use force while enforcing federal immigration laws in Minnesota amid a roundup of those who illegally are in the country, a federal appeals court ruled.

A panel with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis on Wednesday issued a one-sentence ruling staying a lower court’s injunction against the use of force or crowd dispersal munitions, such as tear gas and pepper spray, against protesters who are not engaged in violence, according to The New York Times.

U.S. District Court of Minnesota Judge Katherine Menendez on Friday imposed the restrictions and another preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and others from making traffic stops of people who are not “forcibly obstructing or interfering” with federal officers.

The Trump administration appealed the ruling, arguing that it amounted to a “broad injunction regulating [Department of Homeland Security] officers’ operations” and “harms DHS officers’ ability to protect themselves and the public in very dangerous circumstances.”

Wednesday’s appellate court ruling only applies to the use of force and does not regard the merits of the federal government’s appeal, which is yet to be decided.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the federal lawsuit on behalf of protesters and after Renee Good was shot and killed while hitting an ICE officer with her vehicle on the morning of Jan. 7.

Good was trying to flee the scene after ICE officers tried to detain her for using her SUV to block ICE vehicles in a Minneapolis neighborhood.

Jan. 21 (UPI) — The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday okayed contempt of Congress resolutions for Bill and Hillary Clinton for refusing to testify about Jeffrey Epstein.

The committee voted 34-8 to approve the contempt resolution against former President Bill Clinton and 28-15 in favor of the contempt resolution for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Both resolutions received bipartisan support, with nine Democrats voting for the former president’s contempt resolution and three for the former Secretary of State’s contempt resolution.

All Republican members of the committee voted in favor of both contempt resolutions.

The nine Democrats who voted in favor of Bill Clinton’s contempt resolution include Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, Lateefa Simon of California and Emily Randall of Washington.

Also supporting that resolution were Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ayanna Pressley and Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico. Two, Reps. Dave Min of California and Yassamin Ansari of Washington voted “present.”

Tlaib, Stansbury and Lee also voted in favor of the resolution against Hillary Clinton, while Min voted “present.”

Committee chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., was pleased with the bipartisan support for both resolutions.

“I’m very happy that we had a bipartisan vote today to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress,” Comer said, as reported by The Hill. “This shows that no one’s above the law.”

He said that he anticipated some bipartisan support from committee Democrats and is “very, very proud of the ones who did.”

The former president did not show up for a scheduled deposition regarding his relationship with Epstein on Jan. 13, and neither did any of the committee’s Democratic Party members.

Hillary Clinton did not show up for her scheduled deposition on Jan. 14.

The committee had given both Clintons several months of advance notice for their respective hearings at the Rayburn Office Building in Washington, D.C., but Bill Clinton rescheduled his deposition twice before not appearing last week.

The former president appears in photos with Epstein and others.

Epstein was a financier and convicted sex offender who hung himself while jailed in New York City in 2019 and awaiting a federal trial on child sex trafficking charges.

The Clintons recently wrote Comer to say the subpoenas issued for each of them are not “legally valid” and they won’t appear at any deposition hearings.

The measures go to the House floor for consideration and, if passed, could result in charges against both Clintons and time in jail if they are found guilty.

Jan. 21 (UPI) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement initiated Operation Catch of the Day in Maine on Wednesday and arrested several people on its first day.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the new ICE operation, saying those arrested on day one include “illegal aliens” who have been convicted of many crimes, including aggravated assault, false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.

“Governor [Janet] Mills and her fellow sanctuary politicians in Maine have made it abundantly clear that they would rather stand with criminal illegal aliens than protect law-abiding American citizens,” said Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.

“We have launched Operation Catch of the Day to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in the state,” McLaughlin said. “Under President [Donald] Trump and [Homeland Security] Secretary [Kristi] Noem, we are no longer allowing criminal illegal aliens to terrorize American citizens.”

While McLaughlin referred to Mills and others as “sanctuary politicians in Maine,” neither the state nor any of its cities appear on the Department of Justice’s list of sanctuary states, counties and cities.

Maine’s governor last week said state and local officials have prepared for the federal immigration law enforcement operation there.

Mills on Jan. 14 said officials tried to learn more about the ICE operations in Maine, including when and how they might work.

“My administration is taking proactive steps to prepare,” Mills said in a social media post on Jan. 14.

“I have directed the Maine State Police to work closely with local law enforcement as necessary to provide whatever support is needed in advance of and during any potential federal operations,” she said.

“We also have been in touch with city officials in Portland and Lewiston, as well as the [Maine] Attorney General’s Office, to coordinate our response,” Mills explained.

“Our goal, as always, will be to protect the safety and the rights of the people of Maine,” she continued.

“Maine knows what good law enforcement looks like because our law enforcement are held to high professional standards,” Mills said. “They don’t wear a mask to shield their identities, and they don’t arrest people to fill a quota.”

She said if the federal government’s plan is “to be provocative” and to “undermine the civil rights of Maine residents,” such tactics are not welcome in the state.

Mills urged Maine residents and others who intend to protest ICE activities in Maine to do so peacefully and stay “reserved and resolved” if they encounter any hostility.

Jan. 21 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would not impose new tariffs on eight countries in Europe because they opposed his plan to annex Greenland.

Trump had said Saturday he would add 1% to 25% tariffs on those countries unless they allowed him to take the Danish territory.

“Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st,” he said.

Just before his announcement, the European Union’s parliament paused a vote on the trade deal that Trump negotiated with the bloc last summer. EU leaders were planning an emergency summit Thursday to work on a response to the threats.

Trump told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday that he will not use force to annex Greenland but warned that if he did, the United States could not be stopped.

Trump’s comments on his ongoing pursuit of acquiring Greenland did not completely rule out escalation, though he referred to Iceland instead of Greenland at several points.

“We never asked for anything and we never got anything,” Trump said. “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that.”

In Trump’s speech and responses during a Q&A with WEF President Borge Brende, he said inflation has been “defeated,” alleged protesters in Minnesota are “paid agitators” and suggested Europe is “not heading in the right direction.”

“People are doing very well,” Trump said. “They’re very happy with me.”

The president referred to the United States as the “economic engine” that all of Europe follows either up or down.

“In recent decades, it became the conventional wisdom in Washington and European capitals that the only way to grow a modern Western economy was through ever-increasing government spending, unchecked mass migration and endless foreign imports,” Trump said. “The consensus was that so-called dirty jobs and heavy industry should be sent elsewhere. That affordable energy should be replaced by the green new scam and that countries could be propped up by importing new and entirely different populations from far-away lands.”

Minnesota and immigration were a particular focus of Trump on Wednesday. He referred to Somalis, which Minnesota has the largest population of in the United States, as “low IQ people.” He used this as an example of the harm he believes immigration brings.

“The situation in Minnesota reminds us that the West cannot mass import foreign cultures,” he said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed the European Parliament in Strasbourg before heading to Davos herself, calling Trump’s threat of tariffs “simply wrong” because Europe agreed with the United States on the need to ensure the security of the Arctic.

Von der Leyen said that while Europe preferred to talk out differences, it was “fully prepared to act, if necessary, with unity, urgency and determination,” adding that leaders of EU nations would meet in Brussels to discuss their response at an emergency session of the European Council on Thursday.

Her comments came as the European Parliament was set to announce Wednesday that it was pausing ratification of a tariffs and trade deal with the United States inked in July because it was unlikely to pass.

Without the deal, $109 billion of U.S. exports to the EU will be subject to tariffs starting Feb. 7.

French President Emmanuel Macron told the forum in Davos on Tuesday that the EU must not fall prey to “the law of the strongest” and that it should hold out against what he said was a new type of colonialism, citing lopsided U.S. trade deals and an “endless accumulation” of new tariffs that become even less acceptable when used as leverage to alter borders.

Macron also levelled similar accusations at China, saying its “massive excess capacity and distortive practices threaten to overwhelm entire industrial and commercial sectors.”

“We prefer respect to bullies, we prefer science to conspiracies, and we prefer the rule of law to brutality,” said Macron, who is among those advocating deployment of a so-called “trade bazooka” that was created with China in mind when it was floated in 2023.

A deterrent against bids by global powers to strongarm the EU or member nations into policy shifts, the Anti-Coercion Instrument allows Europe to respond with counter-tariffs, restrict access to the Single Market, block bids for EU contracts, as well as target intellectual property rights and investment.

German officials told Politico that Berlin would ask the European Commission to look at the ACI option when EU leaders meet Thursday in Brussels, however, the outcome was being seen as dependent on what Trump says in his address Wednesday and the result of talks on the sidelines of the forum.

Speaking before departing Washington at a news conference to mark his first year in office, Trump initially ramped up his rhetoric, warning he was prepared to do whatever it took to acquire Greenland, before switching to diplomacy mode, saying he was confident he would be able to find a solution acceptable to both sides.

“I think something’s going to happen that’s going to be very good for everybody. … I think that we will work something out where NATO is going to be very happy and where we’re going to be very happy. But we need it for security purposes, we need it for national security and even world security. It’s very important,” Trump said.

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

US president says ‘framework of a future deal’ on Greenland and wider Arctic region reached with NATO chief Mark Rutte.

United States President Donald Trump says he is abandoning plans to impose steep tariffs on European countries opposed to his plans to take control of Greenland, after holding talks with NATO chief Mark Rutte.

Trump said in a social media post on Wednesday that the tariffs won’t be imposed because he and Rutte agreed to “the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region”.

“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” he said, without going into further details about what was agreed upon.

Trump has been threatening for weeks to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous island that belongs to Denmark, spurring widespread condemnation in Europe and around the world.

Trump announced on Saturday that he would impose 10 percent tariffs on Denmark, ‌Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, starting on February 1, over the countries’ opposition to his Greenland takeover push.

Trump has repeatedly accused Denmark of failing to do enough to secure Greenland’s territorial waters in the Arctic, and he has argued that the US needs to seize the island for its own national security.

But Greenlandic and Danish leaders have rejected the US president’s stance, which recently spurred mass protests under the banner, “Hands off Greenland”.

“Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media after Trump issued his economic threat on Saturday.

“Europeans will respond in a united and coordinated manner should they be confirmed. We will ensure that European sovereignty is upheld,” Macron said.

Trump’s aboutface on the tariffs came just hours after he told world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday that while the annexation of Greenland was necessary, his administration would not use force to do it.

“People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” said Trump, adding that he was “seeking immediate negotiations to once again discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States”.