WASHINGTON — Lindsey Halligan, who, as a hastily appointed Justice Department prosecutor, pursued indictments against a pair of President Trump’s adversaries, is leaving her position as her months-long tenure has now concluded, Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said Tuesday night.

Halligan’s departure from the role of interim United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia came as multiple judges were casting doubt on her ability to legally remain in the job after a court ruling two months ago that declared her appointment illegal. She was appointed in September to a 120-day stint, which concluded Tuesday.

“The circumstances that led to this outcome are deeply misguided,” Bondi said in a social media post on X announcing Halligan’s exit. “We are living in a time when a democratically elected President’s ability to staff key law enforcement positions faces serious obstacles. The Department of Justice will continue to seek review of decisions like this that hinder our ability to keep the American people safe.”

The move brings an end to a brief but tumultuous tenure. Trump tapped Halligan, a White House aide who had served as his personal lawyer but had no prior experience as a federal prosecutor, to lead one of the Justice Department’s most important and prestigious offices. She quickly secured indictments at Trump’s urging against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James. But a judge later concluded that her appointment was unlawful and that the two indictments must therefore be dismissed.

The Trump administration had kept Halligan in place despite that ruling, but on Tuesday, two judges made clear that they believed it was time for her tenure to end. Hours later, Halligan became the latest Trump ally to give up her title amid scrutiny from judges about the administration’s maneuvering to install the president’s loyalists in key posts. Last month, for instance, another of Trump’s former personal attorneys, Alina Habba, resigned after an appeals court said she, too, had been serving in her position unlawfully.

It was not immediately clear who would now lead the U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia, which has been buffeted by resignations and leadership turnover since last September when the Trump administration effectively forced out the veteran prosecutor who had been leading the office, Erik Siebert, and replaced him with Halligan.

Halligan’s departure followed orders Tuesday from separate judges that marked a dramatic new front in an ongoing clash between the Trump administration and the federal court over the legitimacy of her appointment.

In one order, M. Hannah Lauck, the chief judge of the Eastern District of Virginia and a nominee of President Obama, directed a clerk to publish a vacancy announcement on the court’s website and said she was “soliciting expressions of interest in serving in that position.”

In a separate order, U.S. District Judge David Novak said he was striking the words “United States Attorney” from the signature block of an indictment in a case that was before him as well as barring Halligan from continuing to present herself with that title. He said he would initiate disciplinary proceedings against Halligan if she violated his order and persisted in identifying herself in court filings as a U.S. attorney, and said other signatories could be subject to discipline as well.

“No matter all of her machinations, Ms. Halligan has no legal basis to represent to this Court that she holds the position. And any such representation going forward can only be described as a false statement made in direct defiance of valid court orders,” Novak wrote. “In short, this charade of Ms. Halligan masquerading as the United States Attorney for this District in direct defiance of binding court orders must come to an end.”

Novak, who was appointed to the bench by Trump during the Republican president’s first term in office, chided Justice Department leadership for what he suggested was an improperly antagonistic defense of Halligan by Bondi and Deputy Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche in an earlier court filing.

“Ms. Halligan’s response, in which she was joined by both the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, contains a level of vitriol more appropriate for a cable news talk show and falls far beneath the level of advocacy expected from litigants in this Court, particularly the Department of Justice,” Novak wrote.

“The Court will not engage in a similar tit-for-tat and will instead analyze the few points that Ms. Halligan offers to justify her continued identification of her position as United States Attorney before the Court,” he added.

Halligan was thrust into the position amid pressure by Trump to charge Comey and James, two of his longtime perceived adversaries. Trump made his desire for indictments clear in a Truth Social post in which he implored Bondi to act swiftly.

Halligan secured the indictments, but the win was short-lived. In November, U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie ruled that Halligan had been illegally appointed and dismissed both cases. The Justice Department has appealed that ruling.

In her own statement, Halligan acknowledged that her 120-day tenure had come to an end on Tuesday. She also lamented the legal limbo she said she had been left in by Currie’s opinion, noting that judges in the district over the last two months had “repeatedly treated my appointment as disqualifying” without actually removing her from the role.

“The court’s remedy did not match its rhetoric. It treated me as though I had been removed from office — declaring my appointment unlawful and striking my name from filings — while never taking the single step Judge Currie identified as the consequence of that conclusion: appointing a replacement U.S. attorney,” she said.

Tucker writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.

It has taken Wissa time to deliver such performances.

Wissa, who had already had a disrupted pre-season, following his protracted departure from Brentford, has only scored three goals since making his debut for Newcastle last month.

The forward has looked rusty at times, failing to take a big chance to open the scoring in the defeat against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-finals last week.

But Wednesday night showed what he can bring to this side.

Howe had called on Wissa to “max out” before the game, and he led the press effectively against a naive PSV side, who repeatedly played out from the back.

That certainly did not go unnoticed by fellow goalscorer Harvey Barnes.

“He’s had a tough start since he’s come here,” he told TNT Sports.

“Obviously injured for a long time. I had a similar start here. I know how tough it is just watching from the stands, so I know how delighted he will be.

“A first Champions League goal. I thought he played really well so I’m buzzing for him.”

The challenge for Wissa, of course, is to start scoring more regularly.

But he is a poacher in a differing mould to the towering Nick Woltemade, who likes to come in deep.

Of those forwards to have played a minimum of 250 minutes in the Premier League this season, Wissa ranks first for cross option runs per game.

These are defined by Opta as runs to get into the penalty area to make yourself available for a cross while your team-mate has the ball in a wide area.

Wissa also ranks 15th for runs in behind.

Given their differing qualities, Howe felt it was “transformative” to have Wissa available after Woltemade had to shoulder the burden up front in his absence.

It had always been the plan for the pair to share the load after Newcastle lost top scorer Alexander Isak to Liverpool last summer, and Wissa’s Premier League experience helps explain why Newcastle paid such a hefty £55m fee.

“Yoane’s career at Brentford was brilliant to watch from afar because I thought he was outstanding for them, scoring a number of massive goals,” Howe said.

“I loved his attitude and the way that he played, the determination and aggression that he played with.”

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.

The Awami League is barred from upcoming elections in Bangladesh. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is in exile. Sreenivasan Jain asks Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy what future the party has.

Bangladesh is heading into a historic election, with the Awami League barred from contesting and its leader, Sheikh Hasina, living in exile after her overthrow in August 2024.

In this interview, Sreenivasan Jain speaks with Sajeeb Wazed Joy — Hasina’s son and a senior Awami League figure — about whether the party has confronted public anger over years of repressive rule, and whether it sees any political future for itself in Bangladesh.

Guest:

Sajeeb Wazed Joy – Bangladeshi politician and businessman

Love Island: All Stars contestants Charlie and Scott got into a heated argument on Wednesday’s episode of the ITV2 dating show as everything bubbled over from love triangle drama

Love Island: All Stars contestants Charlie and Scott got into a heated argument on Wednesday’s episode of the ITV2 dating show. The two reality stars are back in the villa for another shot at love, but Charlie has got himself into a love triangle with Millie and Jess, a drama that has been bubbling away for the past few days.

To add to it all, Tommy chose to couple up with Jess and when accusations of jealousy came about, Jess confronted Charlie. He said: “Where have you got this BS from? Jess raged: “You said that Charlie told me that he only kissed you to make me jealous.”

Scott raged: “You admitted to me, you said you wanted Millie to open up her feelings to you via the situation with Jess!” “I just wanna drop it, it’s so annoying!” “Well it’s uspet me, you said it out of passing comment and it’s really f****** upset me!”

READ MORE: Love Island fans confused as Jess apologises to Charlie after love triangle dramaREAD MORE: Love Island’s Charlie Frederick: All you need to know about the reality TV star

Scott and Charlie then began to talk over each other and demanded that Sean come over to put his two pence into the whole dramatic situation.

He said: “You said it and I f***** agreed, don’t give me that b*******” ” Charlie then went back to his friends to vent about the situation.

He said: “He’s basically saying that I’ve said that I’m trying to make Millie jealous but I’m just following my genuine feelings. It’s constantly Scott though, why is he in my business?”

Fans instantly took to social media to react to the whole blow up, with one writing: “Scott do need to mind his business but he’s right about Charlie and he been right about him sorry not sorry!”

Another said: “Scott should just give up on those two, Charlie can finish them off…” and a third wrote: “Scott needs to defend Millie & Jess less they made their Charlie bed now they can lie and be miserable in this little cr***y love triangle”

A fourth wrote: “with how good charlie is at lying, i can see why scott has been on the attack!”

Fans have watched as Charlie started up a romance with Millie Court but then shared a kiss with Jess. It seemed as if Jess had been expecting Charlie to couple up with her, but he chose Millie. Jess was then left furious with Tommy, despite his decision to couple up with her

Before the recoupling had taken place, it had all kicked off with Scott getting involved in the drama. Millie was then seen telling her fellow Islanders to “drop it” and insisting that she, Charlie, and Jess were all “moving on”.

On the verge of tears, Jess raged: “Everyone is putting their f****** two pence in! I don’t get it. At the end of the day, I’m here for myself, and I do carry some guilt on my shoulders. It’s just the way that I’ve spoken to every single boy, and they all agree. Scott is supposed to be my f****** friend.”

Love Island: All Stars airs weeknights at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.

For eight months, the Los Angeles City Council and Mayor Karen Bass have butted heads over police hiring amid a budget crisis.

The conflict began last spring when the council voted to reduce LAPD hiring to 240 new police officers this budget year — just half the officers Bass had requested — in order to close the city’s $1 billion budget gap and stave off layoffs of other city employees, including civilian workers in the LAPD.

Last month, the council bumped the number of hires up to 280 after the LAPD said it had already hired its 240 allotted officers just halfway through the fiscal year. But the council still declined to fully fund up to 410 positions, which the mayor had called for in a letter.

On Wednesday, the council finally approved the hiring of up to 410 officers this year after hearing back from the city administrative officer that the money used to fund the positions this year will come from the LAPD’s budget, and not from the city’s general fund.

The hiring of the officers delivers a modest victory to Bass, who promised she would find the money for additional police hires when she signed the budget in June. Bass said the additional hires — which would bring the police force to around 8,555 officers by the end of the fiscal year — still would not match the number of officers lost through attrition this year.

“The second largest city in the United States cannot have an effective police department when it is operating with the lowest staffing levels in years,” she said. “And with only five months until Los Angeles welcomes tens of thousands of fans from around the world for the FIFA World Cup, investing in more police officers is critical to public safety.”

Still, the mayor’s victory comes after months of tension, with some council members questioning the fiscal wisdom of hiring more officers than the city budgeted for during a time of fiscal crisis.

“An overwhelming majority of us support additional… hiring,” said Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who chairs the council’s powerful Budget and Finance Committee. “My concern has been and continues to be the fiscal impact to next year.”

While Yaroslavsky said she would have preferred to stick to the original council plan of 240 hires this year, she thanked the city administrative officer and the police department for finding funds to hire the additional 130 officers for the rest of the fiscal year.

The motion to continue hiring up to 410 officers passed in a nine to three vote.

The funding for the hires, which is about $2.6 million in total for this fiscal year, will come from pots of money within the police department, including a tranche from the “accumulated overtime,” bucket, which is used to pay out overtime to officers who are retiring. The city found the $12 million allotted for that was not being fully drawn down this year.

Some on the council took issue with the additional hiring, saying the city did not know how it would pay for the ongoing cost of the hired officers, which will grow to about $25 million in the next fiscal year.

“How are we going to pay for the ongoing cost?” asked Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, who voted against the new plan. “We are sort of back to where we were in December where we are committing ourselves to a $25 million price tag with no plan for where that’s going to come from.”

In a report, the city administrative officer said the $25 million should be found in “ongoing reductions with the Police Department” that would not result in layoffs to civilian staff at the department or take from the city’s general fund.

“This is robbing Peter to pay Paul,” said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez about the funding decision.

Police Chief Jim McDonnell, who attended the city council meeting, took issue with councilmembers criticizing the increased hiring.

“We’re working on a skeleton crew,” he said. “This department is doing amazing things for the residents of this city, but it doesn’t seem to be appreciated.”

The dispute between the state and Santa Anita Park over the use of a new betting machine was ratcheted up Wednesday when four major trade unions sent a letter to Rob Bonta, the California attorney general, urging the state to return the terminals it confiscated on Saturday. Santa Anita filed suit against the state on Tuesday seeking the same.

Collectively, the Service Employees International Union, the Teamsters, California State Pipe Trades Council and the State Assn. of Electrical Workers created a special letterhead with all their logos to show their solidarity on the issue. The two-page letter, obtained by The Times, was stinging and pointed, calling the state’s removal of Racing on Demand machines as “not only misguided but reckless.”

It went on to say: “By removing these terminals, your agency has introduced unnecessary uncertainty into an industry already confronting significant economic challenges. This decision undermines innovation, discourages investment and jeopardizes the more than $1.7 billion in annual economic impact that California horse racing generates for local communities, workers and the state as a whole.”

The seizing of the 26 Racing on Demand machines and the money within the machines by 21 state Department of Justice employees and two Arcadia Police personnel on Saturday is forcing those in the horse racing orbit to take sides.

The state, by virtue of the raid, seems to be siding with the California tribes, who have purview over almost all non-pari-mutuel gambling in the state and oppose the machines. It includes casinos, table games and slot machines among other forms of gambling.

Santa Anita, and by extension Del Mar and Los Alamitos, contend the game, played on a machine that has the look and feel of a slot machine, say the betting is conducted between patrons in a commingled pool and paid out based on how much money is bet on each combination. The house, in this case Santa Anita, does take money off the top to run the game but is not involved in determining the payoffs.

The stated goal of the tracks is to use some of the money generated by the machines to increase purses, which is a huge liability in California racing now. A lot of states, most notably Kentucky and New York, use money from casino racing to help their race purses.

The current takeout on the 3 X 3 game, the one used on the machines where you pick first, second and third in three different races, is 22%, meaning the return to bettors is 78% of the money bet.

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.

U.S. President Donald Trump has doubled down on his long-standing ambition to bring Greenland under U.S. control, declaring there was “no going back” on the issue and refusing to rule out the use of force. His remarks, accompanied by leaked private messages and AI-generated images shared on social media, have triggered alarm across Europe and raised fears of a renewed transatlantic crisis.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark and a strategic Arctic location rich in minerals and critical for missile defence and shipping routes. Trump has repeatedly argued that U.S. control of the island is essential for global security, a claim Denmark and European allies strongly reject.

Trump’s Message: Security First, Allies Second

Trump said Greenland was “imperative for National and World Security” after speaking with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. To underline his stance, he shared AI-generated images portraying Greenland and Canada as part of the United States, signalling that the issue is not symbolic but strategic.

He also leaked private texts from European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who questioned Trump’s intentions. Trump responded by renewing threats of massive tariffs on French wines and champagne, intensifying fears of economic retaliation.

NATO and Europe Under Pressure

Trump’s comments have placed NATO under severe strain, with Denmark warning that the crisis threatens core principles of sovereignty and democracy. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told parliament that “the worst may still lie ahead,” rejecting any negotiations over national borders.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used the World Economic Forum in Davos to call for a “new independent Europe,” signalling that European leaders increasingly see Trump’s America as an unreliable security partner.

Trade War Fears Resurface

Trump’s Greenland rhetoric has revived memories of last year’s trade tensions. The European Union has warned it could reactivate tariffs on €93 billion worth of U.S. imports as early as February 6. Brussels is also considering deploying its powerful Anti-Coercion Instrument, which could target U.S. services, technology firms, and investment access.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attempted to calm markets, dismissing fears as “hysteria” and urging patience. However, financial markets reacted sharply, with global stocks sliding, gold hitting record highs, and U.S. stock futures falling to one-month lows.

Russia Enters the Narrative

Russia has seized the moment to question Danish sovereignty over Greenland. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Greenland as a “colonial conquest,” a comment that further complicates Arctic geopolitics. While Moscow denied seeking control of the island, its remarks underline how Trump’s stance is opening space for rival powers to challenge Western unity.

Public Backlash and Global Anxiety

Protests erupted in Switzerland ahead of the Davos forum, with demonstrators denouncing Trump’s policies as imperialistic. Investors, meanwhile, are reviving the so-called “Sell America” trade, signalling declining confidence in U.S. political stability and predictability.

Implications

Trump’s Greenland push risks reshaping transatlantic relations in three major ways:

• Security: It weakens NATO cohesion at a time of rising global instability.
• Economics: It threatens another U.S.–EU trade war, with serious consequences for global markets.
• Geopolitics: It accelerates European efforts to reduce dependence on U.S. security guarantees while giving rivals like Russia diplomatic leverage.

Analysis

Trump’s insistence on Greenland reflects a transactional and power-centric worldview where sovereignty is negotiable and alliances are conditional. By framing territorial acquisition as a security necessity, he is blurring the line between strategic competition and outright coercion.

While the administration portrays the dispute as manageable, the reaction from Europe suggests a deeper rupture. The crisis is less about Greenland itself and more about whether the U.S. under Trump still respects the norms that underpin the Western alliance. If this approach continues, Europe’s push for strategic autonomy may shift from rhetoric to reality permanently altering the balance of power within the transatlantic relationship.

With information from Reuters.

AMANDA Holden has revealed that she once prepared a Sunday roast in front of her family — while naked.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge, 54, said she stripped off while cooking the meal because it was a hot day.

And she added that her two daughters Lexi, 19, and Hollie Rose, 13, were used to seeing her without clothes.

She told the Table Manners podcast: “You know on the cusp between winter and summer where you have to give up roast dinners and turn it into a barbecue?

“My whole family moan about Sunday roast, but I make them have it, and then this one particular Sunday it was boiling hot so I did just strip off and cook everything naked.”

She said husband Chris Hughes, 51, “enjoyed it”.

read more on amanda holden

THREE CHEERS

Amanda Holden’s daughter Lexi turns 20 dressed as Dallas Cowboys cheerleader

best pals

Amanda Holden SPANKS Ashley Roberts as they reunite after Christmas break

But she added: “I didn’t eat naked.

“I always don’t mind being naked.”

Amanda recently admitted her boobs have grown – and shared the very unusual reason why.

While filming with close pal Alan Carr for their BBC series Amanda and Alan’s Greek Job, Amanda‘s chest became the topic of conversation.

Alan pointed out: “Your breasts have got bigger since the last one.”

Amanda, wearing a low-cut summer dress, replied: “They have. It’s because of the Saganaki cheese.”

Funnyman Alan quickly quipped, “Have you just been rubbing it straight in?,” prompting Amanda to burst out laughing.

After a dawn briefly interrupted by the explosions of missiles fired from MH-60L helicopters, there was a silence greater than the one traditionally accompanied by the crickets in Caracas: uncertainty about what the target had been. Social media users posted different images from their homes in which the fires resulting from the explosions rose in columns of uncertainty.

That uncertainty lasted a few hours, initially with a statement from the Foreign Ministry stating that Nicolás Maduro, in the exercise of his duties, had activated all the necessary defense protocols and plans to protect the nation, while also announcing the state of national emergency. Hours later, through a voice note recorded by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, it was announced that the whereabouts of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores were unknown. At the same time, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López warned of a further escalation of violence, said that the attacks had included civilian sites, and called for the consolidation of a wall of resistance made up of civilians and military forces in the face of the “invasion.”

A wall that no one saw erected before, in his statement from his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump said that cordial talks had been established with Delcy Rodríguez and that she was completely willing to work. A microphone became a dagger for the official narrative in less than 24 hours. Since July 28, 2024, the government’s ability to manage the media agenda had been undermined by a “data-beats-narrative” premise, which was validated by official voting records. Any attempt at explanation was no longer credible. Dissociation became a way of continuing to govern without legitimacy.

Since January 3, the Venezuelan government has had to juggle between showing that there is collaboration with the US and defending two central figures, such as Maduro and Flores. “It’s nothing personal, it’s just business” is one of the lessons that chavismo seems to have learned from Michael Corleone. As of today, even the son of Nicolás Maduro (“Nicolasito” Maduro Guerra) has said that he feels it’s necessary to reopen the US embassy in Caracas and even the Israeli one, which was closed long before.

Jorge Rodríguez: “If we are going to promote peaceful coexistence, we have to rectify, we have to look for mechanisms where there is calm (parsimonia), engagement (encuentro), and where we can tone down the arrogance (soberbia) a bit, but you (the opposition) have to tone down the pettiness (mezquindad).”

While the chavista leadership seeks to please the interests of the Trump administration and position itself as an indispensable ally for foreign investment, the grassroots support of the ruling PSUV party chants and performs choreographies on social media saying that it will rescue Maduro and Flores from an “illegal” imprisonment. In the meantime, it is at least interesting that those regime groups that have the most to lose from this sudden rapprochement with Washington are the most loyal ones, while the leadership in Caracas receives the CIA director.

Watching a spokesman as radical as Diosdado Cabello say that he wants the opening of the Venezuelan embassy in Washington is a sign that something has changed. In his words: “We are not afraid to sit down and talk to whoever we have to talk to. Doubting is betrayal. Unity turns us into a single body, there are no free agents here.”

Cabello has also accepted the (very slow and selective) release of political prisoners in these terms: “It has to do with a process of national reconciliation that the acting president has announced. Those who have cases of drug trafficking, rape, attacks on children, and murder are excluded.” But neither repression nor the verbal attacks on NGOs have ceased. Not even by Jorge Rodríguez, who on January 13 said that Foro Penal were petty and self-interested. Cabello said that “the so-called NGOs are charging families, saying that detainees are released thanks to them. Thanks to them? If NGOs do anything, it’s to slander detainees, because they receive money from abroad.”

Meanwhile, the “workers’ president” now shares prison with the world’s most famous criminals. Chavismo can try to turn the man who ordered mass kidnappings into a poor hostage of the US imperialism, while Delcy says that if she has to go to Washington, she will do so accompanied by the spirit of a brave people. The most reasonable scenario is that the legal battle over Maduro’s release will take years, along with an artificial anti-imperialist narrative.

Cabello tries to compensate for the impact of January 3 by claiming that nothing has really changed.

The Rodríguez siblings have already toned down the level of conflict. Addressing non-chavista lawmakers in the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez said: “If we are going to promote peaceful coexistence, we have to rectify, we have to look for mechanisms where there is calm (parsimonia), engagement (encuentro), and where we can tone down the arrogance (soberbia) a bit, but you (the opposition) have to tone down the pettiness (mezquindad).”

It is necessary to highlight that historically, in the official narrative, the opposition is an extension of Washington’s interests. That rectification has also become evident in the claims of international sectors of the left that have shifted from the term “invasion” to “intervention” to sum it up as an “illegal” detention. Nicolasito has framed it that way on a podcast tour, where he downplays the importance of the new Miraflores–White House relationship and instead focuses on the conditions under which his father and stepmother are being held..

The removal of Alex Saab and Freddy Ñáñez from the cabinet can also be considered a gesture to the Trump administration—the former for being Maduro’s financial operator (imprisoned by the US and later released by the Biden administration), and the latter for being in charge of the Venezuelan government’s “communications guerrilla” during moments of greatest tension between Miraflores and the White House.

Between biting their tongues and appealing to selective memory, the regime now seems focused on appropriating the narrative and confronting disputes over the truth. Cabello tries to compensate for the impact of January 3 by claiming that nothing has really changed: “the only thing that didn’t work out for them is that the Bolivarian Revolution is still governing and the country is at peace.”

But still, “data beats narrative.” Starting with Delcy Rodríguez, in this provisional government that Trump says is obeying him, there are actors indicted and under investigation for crimes related to money laundering and drug trafficking. Not to mention the cases of human rights violations, which do not expire.

MINNEAPOLIS — An appeals court on Wednesday suspended a decision that restricts immigration officers’ aggressive tactics in Minnesota, while Maine declined a request for more undercover license plates for U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicles, citing “abuses of power” during the Trump administration’s crackdown.

The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals was persuaded to freeze a judge’s ruling that bars officers from using tear gas and other means of control against peaceful protesters while the administration pursues an appeal. Operation Metro Surge, an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, began in early December.

An injunction ordered last week by U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez harms “officers’ ability to protect themselves and the public in very dangerous circumstances,” lawyers for the government argued.

Minnesota remains a major focus of immigration sweeps by agencies under the Department of Homeland Security. State and local officials who oppose the effort were served with federal grand jury subpoenas Tuesday for records that might suggest they were trying to stifle enforcement.

A political action committee founded by former Vice President Kamala Harris is urging donors to come to the aid of Gov. Tim Walz, her 2024 running mate, and contribute to a defense fund.

“The Justice Department is going after Trump’s enemies list,” Harris’ email said, referring to President Trump.

In Maine, meanwhile, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, said she won’t grant a request for confidential license plates sought by Customs and Border Protection, a decision that reflects her disgust over the tactics of immigration officers elsewhere. Renee Good was fatally shot by an immigration officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. A message seeking comment from CBP was not immediately returned.

“We have not revoked existing plates but have paused issuance of new plates. We want to be assured that Maine plates will not be used for lawless purposes,” Bellows said.

Portland Public Schools, the largest and most diverse district in Maine, said it kept the doors locked at two schools for a few minutes Tuesday because of concerns about activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“This is an understandably tense time in our community, as reports and rumors of immigration enforcement actions grow,” the district said.

Greg Bovino of the U.S. Border Patrol, who has commanded the Trump administration’s big-city immigration crackdown, said more than 10,000 people in the U.S. illegally have been arrested in Minnesota in the last year, including 3,000 “of some of the most dangerous offenders” in the last six weeks during Operation Metro Surge.

Bovino defended his “troops” and said their actions are “legal, ethical and moral.”

Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, said advocates have no way of knowing whether the government’s arrest numbers and descriptions of the people in custody are accurate.

Separately, a federal judge said he’s prepared to grant bond and release two men after hearing conflicting testimony about an alleged assault on an immigration officer. Prosecutors are appealing. One of the men was shot in the thigh last week.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to travel to Minneapolis on Thursday for a roundtable with local leaders and community members, according to sources familiar with his plans who spoke on condition on anonymity because the trip had not yet been officially announced.

Brook and Whittle write for the Associated Press. Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. AP reporters Ed White in Detroit and Ali Swenson in Washington contributed to this report.

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.

Israel has faced international condemnation after it bulldozed the headquarters of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem.

The UN said razing the compound violates international law.

What are the implications of the demolition?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Shireen Salti – Political analyst who specialises in Palestine-Israel public affairs

Francesca Albanese – UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory and a former lawyer at UNRWA

Gideon Levy – Columnist at Israeli news outlet Haaretz

THE RISING star of the modeling world, Kaia Gerber, is the cover girl for the latest issue of Harper’s Bazaar.

The 24-year-old model, and daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, captivates audiences with her latest photoshoot full of itty bitty dresses and braless looks

Kaia stuns in a daring tiny white frock, embracing a braless look that has set the internet abuzz.

The white dress, by Victoria Beckham, plunges down to her abdomen, showing off some serious cleavage.

The look was accompanied by an oversized Victoria Beckham leather jacket, knee-high tights by Falke,  a black Kokin New York hat, and Christian Louboutin heels.

The sultry shoot, photographed by Luis Alberto Rodriguez and styled by Carlos Nazario, radiates a mix of sensuality and sophistication, embodying the essence of modern femininity.

In the spread, Kaia is also seen wearing a Saint Laurent leather bomber with a cut-out Prada bikini top, and a red leather Givenchy dress.

Durga Chew-Bose interviews Kaia for the cover article, and the model reflects on her growth within the industry and the pressures that accompany her role as a public figure.

Kaia also discusses her relationship with Givenchy’s Sarah Burton, who’s been dressing her for red-carpet appearances.

At last fall’s Academy Museum Gala, Kaia wowed the crowd in a custom-designed Lyon-lace cape-back dress, evoking the essence of the legendary Audrey Hepburn, a muse for Givenchy.

Sarah Burton noted, “Kaia’s involvement in the dress’s design brings our collaboration to life; it’s always electric when we create together.”

The British designer added, “The dress is both timeless and modern, perfectly capturing Kaia.”

Kaia shares later in the article that she’s currently on her journey of self-discovery and empowerment, stating, “It’s not lost on me that part of my job is just being what people want me to be and being a canvas or mirror for people to reflect their own ideas onto.”

This perspective demonstrates her maturity and understanding of the complexities of the modeling world.

The February issue of Harper’s Bazaar hits newsstands on February 3, and promises to deliver more than just stunning visuals.

Kaia’s candid insights about navigating the beauty and fashion worlds while maintaining her identity make this an essential for anyone interested in the evolving narrative of celebrity children today.

“I’m a daydreamer,” Kaia said in the interview. “I play out every scenario in my head.”

The model went on to say, “My imagination is really strong, and it’s been such a gift in my work. Not always a gift in relationships.”

The interview for Harper’s Bazaar also discussed how she’s evolved now that she’s an adult.

“Now that I’m more secure in my adulthood, I’m willing to show up messy and be kind of childish about certain things,” Kaia said.

This feature not only showcases Kaia’s modeling prowess but also offers a glimpse into her evolving narrative as a bold young woman in the spotlight.

What’s the absolute best way to give Gov. Gavin Newsom free publicity and a worldwide audience?

Freeze him out at Davos, where the rich and powerful are meeting in the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland. The Trump administration is learning the hard way, in real time, that petty comes with a price — in this case, being laughed at by, well, the world.

And while Congress, Europe and law may hold no terrors for our president, we all know ridicule hits him in his soft, white underbelly.

In case you missed it, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the California governor has been banned from a scheduled media talk (allegedly under pressure from the White House) that was going to be a rebuttal to Trump’s ramble at the event, according to Newsom’s office.

On Wednesday, Newsom’s team announced that he had been turned away from USA House, the privately run but official gathering spot of the United States. Newsom was scheduled to do a fireside chat with Forbes magazine, but apparently when he arrived at the church-turned-conference hall, he was politely told to beat it.

“How weak and pathetic do you have to be to be this scared of a fireside chat?” Newsom posted on X.

Cue the outrage. Cue the coverage.

Forbes didn’t know the snub was coming, according to screen shots of private text messages reviewed by The Times, but within minutes it was world news. Except maybe on CBS.

That’s a lot of focus on a guy who isn’t even a billionaire and doesn’t run a country, and supposedly isn’t even in the presidential race yet. In case you’re not personally familiar with the gathering at Davos, it’s pretty much the kings (and occasional queen) of the world coming together to think big thoughts. Getting cold-shouldered in that crowd is a big deal.

But it’s the kind of big deal that makes Newsom look good. Blackballing him from USA House was akin to screaming in his face that he’s a big meanie and the president wasn’t going to take it any more. So there!

It’s funny. It’s powerful. It gets him the kind of news coverage that other not-yet-candidates dream about.

It makes it clear that far from the useful foil that the Newsom-Trump rivalry is often explained as, Newsom is hitting on points that are hitting home. With Trump, and with voters. And now, maybe with world leaders — which just makes him that much more viable as a candidate. Without a doubt, this is Trump quashing dissent.

Earlier in the day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent went after Newsom, calling Newsom “Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken.”

That’s a reference to the overly suave serial killer in the film “American Psycho” crossed with a popular 1990s version of a male Barbie known for its pretty eyes and good hair. To be fair, Newsom does resemble both of them.

That remark came in response to Newsom calling Bessent’s speech “smug” for suggesting that the average American couple was buying up homes as rentals for their retirements. Personally, like most of us, I can’t even afford an extra Barbie doll house, so to be fair, Newsom is right on that one.

Newsom also scored points off Trump’s speech. He called it “boring,” the most vicious insult you can hurl at Trump. But it was.

For more than an hour, Trump repeatedly called Greenland Iceland by mistake, while demanding it be turned over to him.

Yawn.

He went after windmills because “they kill the birds, they ruin your landscapes.”

Wut?

He went after Minnesota with a particularly rabid if overused bit of racism, because it “reminds us that the West cannot mass import foreign cultures, which have failed to ever build a successful society of their own.”

Yuck.

As Newsom pointed out in a press gaggle not too long afterward — right before being banned from his formal talk — for an American audience, it’s the same ugly drivel we’ve been subjected to for nearly a year. Absolutely none of it is fresh, though it remains awful and dangerous.

“My God, there wasn’t anything new about that speech,” Newsom said. “It was remarkably insignificant.”

It was certainly not a speech that won Trump credibility or support from those kings and queens. It certainly did not contain diplomacy or leadership, or frankly, even sense. Despite the laughter and applause from the audience, I doubt there are few if any outside of Trump’s team who would call it a success.

But for Newsom, Davos is a win.

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.