A new law will allow full-fat and 2 percent milk to be served in schools. Heres what to know.

The law, which was approved unanimously by Congress late last year, also gives schools more flexibility in serving nondairy milks.

Bruce Blakeman, the likely Republican candidate for governor, said the killing of Renee Good was just one point of disagreement between him and Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat.

The agent shot an immigrant from Venezuela in the leg while trying to arrest him, an official said. The shooting comes a week after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in the city.

In a report Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board said fractures that appeared to have led the left engine to separate from the planes wing had occurred at least four other times.

Juliana Peres Magalhes wrapped up testimony on Wednesday in the case against Brendan Banfield, her former lover, who is accused of killing his wife and another man.

James Luckey-Lange, 28, was released this week with several other U.S. citizens from the countrys notorious prison system after going missing in December, his family said.

The Trump administration has ended Temporary Protected Status for about 600,000 Venezuelan immigrants, part of a broader effort to curb avenues for immigrants to remain in the United States.

The lawmakers, all Democrats who urged military service members not to follow illegal orders, said prosecutors had contacted them. But it is unclear what crime they might have committed.

The deadly episode came a day after a crane fell on a moving train in northeastern Thailand, killing at least 32 people.

In 1970, he founded Londons Young Vic, an adventurous peoples theater (the Who took the stage at one point) before shaking up the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Law enforcement officers stand amid tear gas at the scene of a reported shooting Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)2026-01-15T05:48:02Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A federal officer shot a man in the leg in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel and broom handle, further heightening the sense of fear and anger radiating across the city a week after an immigration agent fatally shot a woman in the head.Smoke filled the street Wednesday night near the site of the latest shooting as federal officers wearing gas masks and helmets fired tear gas into a small crowd while protesters threw rocks and shot fireworks. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OHara said during a news conference that the gathering was an unlawful assembly and people need to leave.Such protest scenes have become common on the streets of Minneapolis since a federal agent fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7 amid a massive immigration crackdown that has seen thousands of officers sent into the Twin Cities. Agents have yanked people from cars and homes and been confronted by angry bystanders who are demanding that officers pack up and leave. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the situation as not sustainable.This is an impossible situation that our city is presently being put in and at the same time we are trying to find a way forward to keep people safe, to protect our neighbors, to maintain order, he said. Frey described a federal force that is five times as big as the citys 600-officer police force and has invaded the city, scaring and angering residents, some of whom want the officers to fight ICE agents. At the same time, the police force is still responsible for their day-to-day work to keep the public safe.The Department of Homeland Security says it has made more than 2,000 arrests in the state since early December and is vowing to not back down. Shooting followed chaseIn a statement describing the events that led to Wednesdays shooting, Homeland Security said federal law enforcement officers stopped a person from Venezuela who was in the U.S. illegally. The person drove away and crashed into a parked car before taking off on foot, DHS said.After officers reached the person, two other people arrived from a nearby apartment and all three started attacking the officer, according to DHS.Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life, DHS said. The two people who came out of the apartment are in custody, it said.OHara said the man shot was in the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.The shooting took place about 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) north of where Good was killed. OHaras account of what happened largely echoed that of Homeland Security. Clashes in court as wellEarlier Wednesday, a judge gave the Trump administration time to respond to a request to suspend its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, while the Pentagon looked for military lawyers to join what has become a chaotic law enforcement effort in the state.What we need most of all right now is a pause. The temperature needs to be lowered, state Assistant Attorney General Brian Carter said during the first hearing in a lawsuit filed by Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.Local leaders say the government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights with the surge of law enforcement. U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez gave the U.S. Justice Department until Monday to file a response to a request for a restraining order.Justice Department attorney Andrew Warden suggested the approach set by Menendez was appropriate.The judge is also handling a separate lawsuit challenging the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officers when they encounter protesters and observers. A decision could be released this week.During a televised speech before Wednesdays shooting, Gov. Tim Walz described Minnesota as being in chaos, saying whats happening in the state defies belief.Lets be very, very clear, this long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement, he said. Instead, its a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government. Military lawyers may join the surgeCNN, citing an email circulating in the military, says Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is asking the military branches to identify 40 lawyers known as judge advocate general officers or JAGs, and 25 of them will serve as special assistant U.S. attorneys in Minneapolis.Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson appeared to confirm the CNN report by posting it on X with a comment that the military is proud to support the Justice Department.The Pentagon did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking more details.Its the latest step by the Trump administration to dispatch military and civilian attorneys to areas where federal immigration operations are taking place. The Pentagon last week sent 20 lawyers to Memphis, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said. Mark Nevitt, an associate professor at Emory University School of Law and a former Navy JAG, said theres concern that the assignments are taking lawyers away from the military justice system.There are not many JAGs but there are over one million members of the military, and they all need legal support, he said.An official says the agent who killed Good was injuredJonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who killed Good, suffered internal bleeding to his torso during the encounter, a Homeland Security official told The Associated Press.The official spoke to AP on condition of anonymity in order to discuss Ross medical condition. The official did not provide details about the severity of the injuries, and the agency did not respond to questions about the extent of the bleeding, exactly how he suffered the injury, when it was diagnosed or his medical treatment.There are many causes of internal bleeding, and they vary in severity from bruising to significant blood loss. Video from the scene showed Ross and other officers walking without obvious difficulty after Good was shot and her Honda Pilot crashed into other vehicles.She was killed after three ICE officers surrounded her SUV on a snowy street a few blocks from her home. Bystander video shows one officer ordering Good to open the door and grabbing the handle. As the vehicle begins to move forward, Ross, standing in front, raises his weapon and fires at least three shots at close range. He steps back as the SUV advances and turns.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said Ross was struck by the vehicle and that Good was using her SUV as a weapon a self-defense claim that has been deeply criticized by Minnesota officials.Chris Madel, an attorney for Ross, declined to comment on any injuries.Goods family, meanwhile, has hired a law firm, Romanucci & Blandin, that represented George Floyds family in a $27 million settlement with Minneapolis. Floyd, who was Black, died after a white police officer pinned his neck to the ground in the street in May 2020.The firm said it would conduct its own investigation and publicly share what it learns. ___Associated Press reporters Julie Watson in San Diego, Rebecca Santana in Washington, Ed White in Detroit, Giovanna DellOrto in Minneapolis and Graham Lee Brewer in Oklahoma City contributed. STEVE KARNOWSKI Karnowski covers politics and government from Minnesota for The Associated Press. He also covers the ongoing fallout from the murder of George Floyd, courts and the environment, among other topics. twitter mailto ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Richer covers the Justice Department and federal courts. She joined The AP in 2013 and is based in Washington. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Policemen protect the British Embassy during a protest by hardline supporters of the Iranian government, as people ride on their motorbike in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)2026-01-15T02:30:30Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for hours without explanation early Thursday as tensions remained high with the United States over Tehrans bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.The closure ran for over four hours, according to pilot guidance issued by Iran, which lies on a key East-West flight route. International carriers diverted north and south around Iran, but after one extension, the closure appeared to have expired and several domestic flights were in the air just after 7 a.m. Iran previously shut its airspace during the 12-day war against Israel in June and when it exchanged fire with Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. However, there were no signs of current hostilities though the closure immediately rippled through global aviation because Iran is located on a key East-West route for airlines. A man hands out posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a funeral ceremony for a group of security forces, who were killed during anti-government protests, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) A man hands out posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a funeral ceremony for a group of security forces, who were killed during anti-government protests, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Demonstrators burn a poster depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Demonstrators burn a poster depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace, said the website SafeAirspace, which provides information on conflict areas and air travel. The situation may signal further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defense, increasing the risk of misidentification of civil traffic. Iran in the past has misidentified a commercial aircraft as a hostile target. In 2020, Iranian air defense shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 with two surface-to-air missiles, killing all 176 people on board. Iran for days adamantly dismissed allegations of downing the plane as Western propaganda before finally acknowledging it. The airspace closure came as some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait also ordered its personnel to temporary halt going to the multiple military bases in the small Gulf Arab country. The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on Iran at the request of the United States on Thursday afternoon.U.S. President Donald Trump made a series of vague statements Wednesday that left unclear what American action, if any, would take place against Iran. In comments to reporters, Trump said he had been told that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, without providing many details. The shift comes a day after Trump told protesters in Iran that help is on the way and that his administration would act accordingly to respond to the Islamic Republics deadly crackdown. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also sought to tone down the rhetoric, urging the U.S. to find a solution through negotiation. People take part in a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, Berlin Germany, Wednesday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) People take part in a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, Berlin Germany, Wednesday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Asked by Fox News what he would say to Trump, Araghchi said: My message is: Between war and diplomacy, diplomacy is a better way, although we dont have any positive experience from the United States. But still diplomacy is much better than war.The change in tone by the U.S. and Iran came hours after the chief of the Iranian judiciary said the government must act quickly to punish the thousands who have been detained.Activists warned that hangings of detainees could come soon. The security forces crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,615, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution. JON GAMBRELL Gambrell is the news director for the Gulf and Iran for The Associated Press. He has reported from each of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iran and other locations across the world since joining the AP in 2006. twitter instagram mailto

Workers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the company headquarters, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, July 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)2026-01-15T05:43:14Z BANGKOK (AP) Elon Musks AI chatbot Grok wont be able to edit photos to portray real people in revealing clothing in places where that is illegal, according to a statement posted on X. The announcement late Wednesday followed a global backlash over sexualized images of women and children, including bans and warnings by some governments. The pushback included an investigation announced Wednesday by the state of California into the proliferation of nonconsensual sexually explicit material produced using Grok.Initially, media queries about the problem drew only the response, legacy media lies. Musks company, xAI, now says it will geoblock content if it violates laws in a particular place. We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis, underwear and other revealing attire, it said. The rule applies to all users, including paid subscribers, who have access to more features.xAI also has limited image creation or editing to paid subscribers only to ensure that individuals who attempt to abuse the Grok account to violate the law or our policies can be held accountable. Groks spicy mode had allowed users to create explicit content, leading to a backlash from governments worldwide. Malaysia and Indonesia took legal action and blocked access to Grok. The U.K. and European Union were investigating potential violations of online safety laws. France and India have also issued warnings, demanding stricter controls. Brazil called for an investigation into Groks misuse. The Grok editing functions were facilitating the large-scale production of deepfake nonconsensual intimate images that are being used to harass women and girls across the internet, including via the social media platform X, Californias announcement said. The avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual, sexually explicit material that xAI has produced and posted online in recent weeks is shocking. This material, which depicts women and children in nude and sexually explicit situations, has been used to harass people across the internet, it cited the states Attorney General Rob Bonta as saying. We have zero tolerance for the AI-based creation and dissemination of nonconsensual intimate images or of child sexual abuse material, he said. ELAINE KURTENBACH Based in Bangkok, Kurtenbach is the APs business editor for Asia, helping to improve and expand our coverage of regional economies, climate change and the transition toward carbon-free energy. She has been covering economic, social, environmental and political trends in China, Japan and Southeast Asia throughout her career. twitter mailto

A construction crane that collapsed on the Rama 2 Road elevated expressway in Samut Sakhon province, Thailand on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Arnun Chonmahatrakool)2026-01-15T05:33:40Z NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand (AP) A construction crane collapsed onto an elevated road near Bangkok, killing two people on Thursday, a day after another crane fell on a moving passenger train in northeastern Thailand and killed 32 people.The work on an extension of the Rama 2 Road expressway a major artery leading from Bangkok has become notorious for construction accidents, some of them fatal.The crane collapsed at part of the road project in Samut Sakhon province, trapping two vehicles in the wreckage, according to the governments Public Relations Department.Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Thai TV Channel 7 that two people had died. It was unclear if anyone else had been trapped in the wreckage.There was uncertainty about the number of victims because the site is still considered too dangerous for search teams to enter, said Suchart Tongteng, a rescue worker with the Ruamkatanyu Foundation. At this moment, we still cant say whether another collapse could happen, he said, citing dangling steel plates. Thats why there are no rescue personnel inside the scene, only teams conducting on-site safety assessments. At the site of Wednesdays train derailment, the search for survivors ended, Nakhon Ratchasima Gov. Anuphong Suksomnit said. Three passengers listed as missing were presumed to have gotten off the train earlier, but that was still being investigated. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Officials believed 171 people had been aboard the trains three carriages, which were being removed from the scene Thursday. The crane that fell, crushing part of the train, was a launching gantry crane, a mobile piece of equipment often used in building elevated roadways.Police were still collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses and have not pressed charges, provincial Police Chief Narongsak Promta told reporters.South Koreas Foreign Ministry reported a South Korean man in his late 30s, was among the dead. The high-speed rail project where the accident occurred is associated with the plan to connect China with Southeast Asia under Beijings Belt and Road Initiative. In August 2024, a railway tunnel on the planned route, also in Nakhon Ratchasima, collapsed, killing three workers.Anan Phonimdaeng, acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand, said the projects contractor is Italian-Thai Development, with a Chinese company responsible for design and construction supervision. A statement posted on the website of the company, also known as Italthai, expressed condolences to the victims and said the company would pay compensation to the families of the dead and hospitalization expenses for the injured.Transport Minister Phiphat said Italthai was also the lead contractor on the highway project where Thursdays accident took place, though several other companies are also involved.The rail accident had already sparked outrage because Italthai was also the co-lead contractor for the State Audit Building in Bangkok that collapsed during construction last March during a major earthquake centered in Myanmar. The buildings collapse was the worst quake damage in Thailand and about 100 people were killed. Twenty-three individuals and companies have been indicted, including Italthais president and the local director for the company China Railway No. 10, the projects joint venture partner. The charges in the case include professional negligence and document forgery, and Thailands Department of Special Investigation has recommended more indictments.The involvement of Chinese companies in both projects has also drawn attention, as has Italthai and Chinese companies involvement in the construction of several expressway extensions in and around Bangkok where several accidents, some fatal, have occurred. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday the government was aware of the rail accident and had expressed condolences.___Associated Press writers Wasamon Audjarint in Bangkok and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, left, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen, arrive on Capitol Hill to meet with members of the Senate Arctic Caucus, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)2026-01-15T08:50:32Z NUUK, Greenland (AP) Troops from several European countries, including France, Germany, Norway and Sweden, are arriving in Greenland to help boost the Arctic islands security after talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. on Wednesday highlighted fundamental disagreement between the Trump administration and European allies.The first French military elements are already en route and others will follow, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday, as French authorities said about 15 French soldiers from the mountain infantry unit were already in Nuuk for a military exercise.Germany will deploy a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel to Greenland on Thursday, its Defense Ministry said. Denmark announced it would increase its military presence in Greenland, with NATO allies joining them, just as the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers met with White House representatives on Wednesday in Washington to discuss U.S. President Donald Trumps intentions to take over the island in order to tap its mineral resources and protect the security of the Arctic region amid rising Russian and Chinese interest. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen, flanked by his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, said Wednesday that a fundamental disagreement over Greenland remains with Trump after they held highly anticipated talks at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rasmussen added that it remains clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland. We really need it, Trump told media in the Oval Office after the meeting. If we dont go in, Russia is going to go in and China is going to go in. And theres not a thing Denmark can do about it, but we can do everything about it.Trump said he had not yet been briefed about the contents of the White House meeting when he made his remarks. In Greenlands capital, Nuuk, local residents told The Associated Press they were glad the first meeting between Greenlandic, Danish and American officials had taken place but suggested it left more questions than answers.Several people said they viewed Denmarks decision to send more troops, and promises of support from other NATO allies, as protection against possible U.S. military action. But European military officials have not suggested the goal is to deter a U.S. move against the island.Maya Martinsen, 21, agreed and said it was comforting to know that the Nordic countries are sending reinforcements because Greenland is a part of Denmark and NATO.The dispute, she said, is not about national security but rather about the oils and minerals that we have that are untouched. More troops, more talksIn Copenhagen, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced a stepped-up military presence in the Arctic in close cooperation with our allies, calling it a necessity in a security environment in which no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.This means that from today and in the coming time there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies, Poulsen said.Asked whether the European troop movements were coordinated with NATO or what role the U.S.-led military alliance might play in the exercises, NATO referred all questions to the Danish authorities.However, NATO is looking at how members can collectively bolster the alliances presence in the Arctic, according to a NATO official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.Rasmussen, the Danish foreign minister, announced the creation of a working group with the Americans to discuss ways to work through differences. The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark, he said.Speaking to FOX News Channels Special Report on Wednesday after the White House talks, Rasmussen rejected both a military takeover and the potential purchase of the island by the U.S. Asked whether he thinks the U.S. will invade, he replied: No, at least I do not hope so, because, I mean, that would be the end of NATO. Rasmussen said Greenlanders were unlikely to vote for U.S. rule even if financial incentives were offered because I think theres no way that U.S. will pay for a Scandinavian welfare system in Greenland, honestly speaking. You havent introduced a Scandinavian welfare system in your own country, he added. Trump, in his Oval Office meeting with reporters, said: Well see how it all works out. I think something will work out. EMMA BURROWS Burrows covers security, defense and intelligence for The Associated Press in Europe. She is based in London. twitter RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

This screengrab from video provided by NASA shows the NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 members re entering the earth in a middle-of-the-night splashdown near San Diego, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (NASA via AP)2026-01-15T08:45:45Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) An ailing astronaut returned to Earth with three others on Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASAs first medical evacuation.SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the astronauts exited the International Space Station.Its so good to be home, said NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, the capsule commander.It was an unexpected finish to a mission that began in August and left the orbiting lab with only one American and two Russians on board. NASA and SpaceX said they would try to move up the launch of a fresh crew of four; liftoff is currently targeted for mid-February.Cardman and NASAs Mike Fincke were joined on the return by Japans Kimiya Yui and Russias Oleg Platonov. Officials have refused to identify the astronaut who had the health problem or explain what happened, citing medical privacy. While the astronaut was stable in orbit, NASA wanted them back on Earth as soon as possible to receive proper care and diagnostic testing. The entry and splashdown required no special changes or accommodations, officials said, and the recovery ship had its usual allotment of medical experts on board. It was not immediately known when the astronauts would fly from California to their home base in Houston. Platonovs return to Moscow was also unclear. NASA stressed repeatedly over the past week that this was not an emergency. The astronaut fell sick or was injured on Jan. 7, prompting NASA to call off the next days spacewalk by Cardman and Fincke, and ultimately resulting in the early return. It was the first time NASA cut short a spaceflight for medical reasons. The Russians had done so decades ago. The space station has gotten by with three astronauts before, sometimes even with just two. NASA said it will be unable to perform a spacewalk, even for an emergency, until the arrival of the next crew, which has two Americans, one French and one Russian astronaut.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

This is neither law nor order, and the consequences can be deadly.

Despite the successes of 2025, the party still needs a radical shake up.

Plus, a space station evacuation.

The Kremlin has tried for years to freeze Ukraine into submission. This winter, its attacks have been the most devastating ever.

Senators are expected to ask Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, President Trumps nominee to lead the U.S. Cyber Command, about the mission in Caracas.

The Venezuelan opposition leaders attempts to share her award with the U.S. president have shaken some Norwegians faith in their signature soft-power tool.

The United States is escalating pressure on the Mexican government to permit the U.S. military to target fentanyl labs, according to American officials.

Nature, Published online: 15 January 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-03342-8Small acts of change have helped me to reset and give myself a break.

We examine the debate over the Arctic island and what residents are saying.

Pull up a stool at Ye Olde Pickle Factory and listen to a story about Americas urban-rural divide.

History suggests that the price of oil and a wider distribution of wealth are as important as foreign investment.

Traders in companies with ties to the presidents eldest son can bet on the outcome of events the president affects.

Exclamation marks, ellipses and haha cant fix our growing inability to communicate.

The judiciary said that Erfan Soltani was not sentenced to death, Iranian state media reported. His case has drawn attention to the fate of the arrested demonstrators.

A high-powered meeting in Washington on Wednesday ended in an impasse, leaving Greenlanders fearful of what comes next.

The members of Crew-11 two American, one Russian and one Japanese splashed down after one became ill, prompting an early return.

Harvard still dominates, though it fell to No. 3 on a list measuring academic output. Other American universities are falling farther behind their global peers.

Some travelers were able to squeeze out of mangled cars and others were rescued by residents, after the accident in northeastern Thailand. Dozens did not survive.

Palantir is working on a tool for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that populates a map with potential deportation targets, brings up a dossier on each person, and provides a confidence score on the persons current address, 404 Media has learned. ICE is using it to find locations where lots of people it might detain could be based.The findings, based on internal ICE material obtained by 404 Media, public procurement records, and recent sworn testimony from an ICE official, show the clearest link yet between the technological infrastructure Palantir is building for ICE and the agencys activities on the ground. The tool receives peoples addresses from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) among a range of other sources, according to the material.The news comes after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) head Kristi Noem said the agency is sending hundreds more federal agents to Minneapolis amid widespread protests against the agency. Last week ICE officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37 year old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good. During Operation Metro Surge, which DHS calls the largest immigration operation ever, immigration agents have surrounded rideshare drivers and used pepper spray on high school students.Enhanced Leads Identification & Targeting for Enforcement (ELITE) is a targeting tool designed to improve capabilities for identifying and prioritizing high-value targets through advanced analytics, a user guide for ELITE obtained by 404 Media says. The tool aims to be nearly all encompassing when it comes to finding ICE targets, from identifying subjects in the first place, to building a list of people, to supervisors approving selections for officers to ultimately go into the field and apprehend.Do you know anything else about this tool? Do you work at ICE, CBP, or Palantir? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.One feature of ELITE is the Geospatial Lead Sourcing Tab, according to the user guide. This lets ICE see people it may potentially want to detain on a map interface, based on various criteria such as Bios & IDs, Location, Operations, and Criminality. An ICE officer can then select people one by one, or draw a shape on the map to see people in that selected area.ELITE has already been used by ICE to target specific areas, according to sworn testimony from an ICE official in Oregon. In October, immigration officers waited in three unmarked SUVs outside an apartment complex in Woodburn. They went on to bust a drivers window and pull a 45-year-old woman from a van, used ICEs facial recognition app Mobile Fortify on her, and agents had the goal of making eight arrests per team per day, Oregon Live reported. Lawyers representing the woman say authorities arrested her and more than 30 other people in a dragnet.One of our apps, its called ELITE. And so it tells you how many people are living in this area and whats the likelihood of them actually being there, a deportation officer with ICEs Fugitive Operations Unit, identified in court records as JB, testified about the raid in early December. 404 Media purchased a transcript of JBs testimony from the court. Its basically a map of the United States. Its kind of like Google Maps.It pulls from all kinds of sources, JB continued. Its a newer app that was actually given to us in ICE. JB said ELITE is what ICE sometimes uses to track the apparent density of people at a particular location to target. Youre going to go to a more dense population rather than [...] like, if theres one pin at a house and the likelihood of them actually living there is like 10 percent [...] youre not going to go there. For that raid in Woodburn, JB suggested the immigration officers used ELITE to generate leads. Additionally, in a text thread of immigration officers, someone described the area as target rich, which JB explained meant the officials had run multiple license plates in that area and found vehicles registered to people who had either a criminal or immigration nexus.Screenshots of the ICE official's testimony. Image: 404 Media.JB and other officials were testifying in the case of MJMA, the woman pulled from the van during the Woodburn raid. She is being represented by attorneys from Innovation Law Lab.Once a person is selected on the map interface, ELITE then shows a dossier on that particular person, according to the user guide. That includes their name, a photo, their Alien Number (the unique code given by the U.S. government to each immigrant), their date of birth, and their full address. ELITE notes the source of the address (such as the government agency that supplied it), and gives an address confidence score. One address confidence score example in the guide is 98.95 out of 100; another is 77.25 out of 100. This score is based on both the source of the address and how recent the data is, the user guide says. (ICE is paying skip tracers, private investigators, and bounty hunters to help verify peoples addresses.)Those sources can include HHS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and CLEAR. The guide does not provide any more specifics on what CLEAR might be, but ICE has repeatedly contracted with Thomson Reuters which sells a data product called CLEAR. Thomson Reuters did not respond to a request for comment. HHS did not respond to a request for comment.The documents dont say if those are the only entities providing data for ELITE. The user guide says ELITE is integrating new data sources to reduce officer workload.ICE can also use ELITE to look up people based on an unique identifier, such as their Alien Number, name, or date of birth. ELITE also lets ICE do this in bulk, selecting up to 50 people at once, according to the guide.ICE can filter the map by what the guide calls Special Operations. These are groups of pre-defined aliens specifically targeted by Leadership for action. ICE officers are told to consult ICE leadership or broadcasts on when to use these operation filters. DHSs surge in Minneapolis is focused at least in part on the citys Somali community after renewed focus on a COVID-19 fraud case. The overwhelming majority of Somalis who live in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area are U.S. citizens, PBS reported.These records give us behind-the-scenes insight into the kind of mass surveillance machine ICE is building with help from powerful tech companies like Palantir, Laura Rivera, senior staff attorney at Just Futures Law, told 404 Media. When combined with what we know from ICE testimony and other public information, it gives us a blueprint into how ICE is going into communities and identifying people for arrest in real-time.Senator Ron Wyden, who represents Oregon where ELITE was discussed, told 404 Media in a statement, The fact ICE is using this app proves the completely indiscriminate nature of the agency's aggressive and violent incursions into our communities. This app allows ICE to find the closest person to arrest and disappear, using government and commercial data, with the help of Palantir and Trump's Big Brother databases. It makes a mockery of the idea that ICE is trying to make our country safer. Rather, agents are reportedly picking people to deport from our country the same way you'd choose a nearby coffee shop.Screenshot of the Palantir contract, via highergov.com.The ELITE user guide does not say who developed the system. But the tools distinctive titleEnhanced Leads Identification & Targeting for Enforcementexactly matches one included in an addendum to a Palantir contract from last year. It says Palantir should continue configuration and engineering services for ELITE and some other ICE tools. That supplemental agreement for $29.9 million started in September and is planned to go on for at least a year.Palantir has worked with ICE for years and was focused on criminal investigations, supporting Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Investigative Case Management (ICM) system. That changed in the second Trump administration, with Palantir now working on ICEs deportation efforts.After participating in a three-week coding sprint, ICE updated an ongoing Palantir contract related to Enforcement Prioritization and Targeting, to support the development of an accurate picture of actionable leads based on existing law enforcement datasets to allow law enforcement to prioritize enforcement actions, according to an internal Palantir wiki previously obtained by 404 Media. The goal was to find the physical location of people marked for deportation, and Palantir said it believes its work with ICE is intended to promote government efficiency, transparency, and accountability.The leaked material described Palantirs deportation-focused work as concentrated on delivering prototype capabilities and lasting around six months. It left open the room for more work with ICE, and said Palantir has developed into a more mature partner for ICE. Documents ICE published described Palantirs work as building a tool called ImmigrationOS.More than eight months have passed since Palantir discussed the issue internally. Neither Palantir nor DHS responded to multiple requests for comment.In their testimony, JB said, its a tool that we use that gives you a probability. But theres never [...] theres no such thing as 100 percent. The user guide adds, As always, make sure you do your due diligence on each target to confirm removability prior to action.

A group of six Democratic lawmakers is proposing legislation that would dramatically rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) facial recognition app, according to a copy of the draft bill shared with 404 Media. ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been scanning peoples faces with the app, called Mobile Fortify, across the country, using it to verify their citizenship and claiming that a result in the app should be trusted over a birth certificate.The move signals the first potential legislative move against the app after 404 Media first revealed Mobile Fortifys existence in June based on leaked ICE emails. Since then, 404 Media has covered its continued use against U.S. citizens, the 200 million images it uses, and the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) plan to roll out a version of the app to local law enforcement.Do you know anything else about this app? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.When ICE claims that an image it snaps and runs through an unproven app can be enough evidence to detain people for possible deportation, no one is safe, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and who authored the legislation, said. ICEs use of Mobile Fortify to determine a persons legal status is an outrageous affront to the civil rights and civil liberties of U.S. citizens and immigrants alike. DHS should not be conducting surveillance by experimenting with Americans faces and fingerprints in the fieldespecially with unproven and biased technology. It is time to put an end to its widespread use. We can secure the Homeland and respect the rights and privacy of Americans at the same time.The bill is being cosponsored by by Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Border Security & Enforcement; Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations & Accountability; Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus; and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. It follows some of the lawmakers demanding answers from DHS about the app in September.The proposed law, called the Realigning Mobile Phone Biometrics for American Privacy Protection Act, aims to curtail both Mobile Fortify and Mobile Identify, the local law enforcement version, in a few ways. First, it would ban use of the apps except for identification at ports of entry. As 404 Media showed, Mobile Fortify uses CBP systems that are usually reserved for identifying and taking photos of people as they enter the U.S. Mobile Fortify turned that capability inwards to American streets.The law would also require all photos and fingerprints of U.S. citizens captured before the practices introduced by the bill be deleted, and require that all photographs or fingerprints of U.S. citizens be destroyed within 12 hours of being taken. The law would also prohibit DHS from sharing the apps with non-DHS law enforcement agencies, effectively killing the local law enforcement version. (404 Media reported the app became unavailable on the Google Play Store in early-December.)When an immigration officer scans someones face with Mobile Fortify, the app runs their face against a bank of 200 million images held by DHS, according to the apps user manual previously obtained by 404 Media. If the app finds what it believes is a matching face, it returns a name, their nationality, age and date of birth, unique identifiers such as their alien registration, and a field titled Immig. Judge Decision, the manual says. This appears to refer to whether an immigration judge has ruled on this persons case, and may include a result that says remove.404 Media previously obtained an internal DHS document through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) which showed ICE does not let people decline to be scanned by the app. 404 Media has found likely cases of the app being used in Chicago. In a partnership with Reveal, 404 Media reported the app has been used on U.S. citizens.One video posted to social media this week showed an officer using the app to take a photo of an identification document in what the video said was Minnesota. 404 Media compared the app shown in the video to the user interface in the leaked Mobile Fortify user manual and they matched.The Trump Administration has weaponized federal agencies against the American people. This latest effort to use facial recognition to further target immigrant families is reckless and dangerous, said Rep. Espaillat in a statement. Im proud to stand with Ranking Member Thompson to introduce legislation to combat ICE and DHS, prohibiting the use of facial recognition as yet another ruthless tactic to further this administrations mass deportation agenda.The abuse of this type of technology by DHS agents is not only invasive, it is likely unconstitutional and certainly un-American, Rep. Meng added. Immigration enforcement should not be conducted by an app and DHS should not conduct dragnet operations that terrorize communities and violate people's constitutional rights. I am proud to have worked with Ranking Member Thompson and my colleagues to introduce this commonsense legislation.DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Though small business advocates in New York are excited that Mayor Zohran Mamdani is tackling the issue of excessive fees and fines, theyve heard similar promises before.

The hearing on Thursday followed up on the courts sweeping finding in September that noncitizen students had the same free speech rights as citizens.

Diosdado Cabello, Venezuelas interior minister, is accused by U.S. prosecutors of drug trafficking and is linked to repression at home, yet remains a powerful figure.

For half a century, a federal program has covered most at-risk properties. Now, a private company is pitching a plan to shrink the governments role.

You got to hand it to that auto worker for getting under Trumps skin, Stephen Colbert said after the president appeared to flip off a heckling worker at a Ford plant.

WASHINGTONCalling her actions indefensible, Vice President JD Vance stated Thursday that Rene Good was brainwashed by the Bible into loving thy neighbor. The fact of the matter is that Rene Good was radicalized by these deranged, left-wing texts, said Vance, whose response to the death of the 37-year-old Minneapolis mother was reiterated across social media by MAGA voters and GOP lawmakers who emphasized that the blame for her slaying lay squarely on the Scriptures that had poisoned her mind. She was obsessed. I dont know who Matthew and Mark are, if those are even their real names, but they should know that they will not escape accountability. Frankly, we should deport everybody who follows this insanity. Theres no Golden Rule in U.S. immigration code. At press time, the Department of Justice had reportedly launched an investigation after receiving a tip that there was a whole fringe network of these so-called followers of Christ.The post Conservatives Say Rene Good Was Brainwashed By Bible Into Loving Thy Neighbor appeared first on The Onion.

Cindy Patton, 66, died Wednesday when a nugget of granola punctured her cyanide tooth.The post Cindy Patton appeared first on The Onion.

With its proposal of the first-ever $1 trillion defense budget, the White House has sought a dramatic increase in funding for the armed forces. Here, The Onion breaks down President Trumps military spending by the numbers.The post Trumps Military Spending By The Numbers appeared first on The Onion.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CAIn an attempt to curb impulsive purchases made in periods of deep emotional distress, music store chain Guitar Center announced Thursday that it had instituted a 72-hour waiting period for all customers.Owning a guitar is a huge responsibility, and the last thing we want is for these instruments to fall into the wrong hands, said Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto, who added that the mandatory cooling-off period was an easy, proven way to prevent customers from purchasing acoustic or electric guitars, basses, or keyboards and ultimately doing something they would regret forever. The fact is, we see many customers come in at their lowest point, hoping to commit unspeakable acts like starting a cover band, attending a jam session, or writing and recording their own music. Ive seen far too many disturbed young men ask me to help them learn the guitar lick from Black Sabbaths Iron Man. Make no mistake: These safety policies save lives.Dalporto added that Guitar Center would also be adding mandatory background checks to make sure customers had no prior mental health issues before purchasing a drum set.The post Guitar Center Institutes 72-Hour Waiting Period appeared first on The Onion.

WASHINGTONIn an abrupt termination that surprised many White House observers and raised questions about the fate of her remaining staff, first lady Melania Trump reportedly cast longtime aide Heather Schofield into the Well of Gloom on Thursday.Shortly after midnight, the 55-year-old Trump was seen upon the blasted, confounding landscape of the Glade of Sorrow, where Schofield, her advisor since 2017, groveled on her hands and knees in the mud, grasping at the hem of her employers dark cloak. When a flash of lightning illuminated an ancient cobblestone well that had not been there moments before, the aide is said to have pleaded for compassion, to which Trump replied: Do not beg for mercy, Heather. There is no such thing on this plane of existence.Trump was then heard muttering an incantation that caused fingers of black smoke to rise from the well and drag the screaming aide down into its limitless depths, an account denied by the Office of the First Lady.Any assertion that the first lady cast Ms. Schofield into the Well of Gloom as a flock of ravens shrieked overhead and blotted out the moon is a total fabrication, said East Wing spokesperson Nicholas Clemens, appearing ashen-faced and expressionless as he spoke in a flat monotone and maintained an unblinking gaze into the distance. Ms. Schofields departure from this realm was completely voluntary, and there is no truth to the claim that she faced retaliation at work for failing to procure the Necrostone and unlock the unfathomable powers of azogsoth.The first lady and all of us at the White House wish Ms. Schofield the best in her future within the Well of Gloom, he added.Sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of being cast into an otherworldly vortex themselves confirmed that Schofield was not heard hitting the bottom of the well. She is believed to be the first aide Melania Trump has sent down the eldritch structure since a group of White House social media interns went missing in 2020.According to staffers who claimed to have peered inside the well, its twisting interior is covered with impenetrable runes that spin downward into infinity. Saying their brief glimpse had driven them to the brink of madness, they speculated that Schofield was enduring unspeakable horrors that would permanently shatter her psyche while denying her the mercy of death.Tension had been flaring between Heather and Melania, and to be honest, the writing was on the wall, said one staffer who worked closely with Schofield, stating that Trump had frequently criticized the aides job performance. Once it became clear Heather couldnt conduct the arcane rites necessary to obtain the Necrostone, the atmosphere at work got really tense. Just last week, Melania rebuked her in a dead tongue in front of everybody, causing our eyes to roll back in our heads and making us lose consciousness. It was pretty awkwardand unprofessional too, I might add.The staffer added that since the aides ejection from the earthly plane, morale has been low in the first ladys offices, where an air sour with brimstone fills the halls and at least one staircase is awash in blood. In the East Wing, Schofields former coworkers can reportedly hear her warped, guttural moans inside their own minds, making it difficult to concentrate.Many in the White House described Schofield as a person who couldnt handle the stress of her job. One source noted her hair had suddenly and inexplicably turned pure white. Another stated that she would often come into work in a shirt that was mis-buttoned and drenched in a strange glowing ichor. But few expressed pity for her ceaseless torment.Yeah, its sad when someone loses their job, but you know the second the tattered remains of her soul are released shes going to cash in with a pathetic tell-all about Melania, said a source within the Office of Communications, suggesting publishers would be chomping at the bit to get their hands on a memoir by someone who had spent significant time in the Well of Gloom. Whatever. At least the well has been fed.The source added, Besides, Heather was clearly not the chosen one who, according to prophecy, will decipher the secrets of azogsoth, slay the First Elders with Igoras Blade, and allow the first lady to enter the Sphere of the Deathless, where she will reign supreme for all eternity.The post Melania Trump Casts Longtime Aide Into Well Of Gloom appeared first on The Onion.

It's time to refresh your living room.READ MORE...

Protesters participate in a demonstration in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)2026-01-15T10:03:05Z The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Thursday to discuss Irans deadly protests at the request of the United States, even as President Donald Trump left unclear what actions he would take against the Islamic state.Tehran appeared to make conciliatory statements in an effort to defuse the situation after Trump threatened to take action to stop further killing of protesters, including the execution of anyone detained in Tehrans bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.Irans crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,615, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The death toll exceeds any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the countrys 1979 Islamic Revolution.Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for hours without explanation early Thursday and some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait also ordered its personnel to temporary halt travel to the multiple military bases in the small Gulf Arab country. Iran previously closed its airspace during the 12-day war against Israel in June. Here is the latest: Trump hails good news on arrested Iranian shopkeeperU.S. President Donald Trump has hailed as good news reports that the death sentence has been lifted for an Iranian shopkeeper arrested in a violent crackdown on protests.Relatives of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani had said he faced imminent execution.Trump posed Thursday on his Truth Social site: FoxNews: Iranian protester will no longer be sentenced to death after President Trumps warnings. Likewise others. This is good news. Hopefully, it will continue!Iranian state media denied Soltani had been condemned to death. Iranian judicial authorities said Soltani was being held in a detention facility outside of the capital. Alongside other protesters, he has been accused of propaganda activities against the regime, state media said. Trump sent tensions soaring this week by pledging that help is on its way to Iranian protesters and urging them to continue demonstrating against authorities in the Islamic Republic.On Wednesday Trump signaled a possible de-escalation, saying he had been told that the killing in Iran is stopping.G7 warns of more sanctions for IranIn a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Unions main foreign policy chief said the G7 members were gravely concerned by the developments surrounding the protests, and that they strongly oppose the intensification of the Iranian authorities brutal repression of the Iranian people.The statement, published on the EUs website Thursday, said the G7 were deeply alarmed at the high level of reported deaths and injuries and condemned the deliberate use of violence by Iranian security forces against protesters.The G7 members remain prepared to impose additional restrictive measures if Iran continues to crack down on protests and dissent in violation of international human rights obligations, the statement said. Chinese foreign minister speaks with Iranian counterpartChinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken with his counterpart in Iran, who said the situation was now stable, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.Abbas Araghchi said he hoped China will play a greater role in regional peace and stability during the talks, according to the statement from the ministry.China opposes imposing its will on other countries, and opposes a return to the law of the jungle, Wang said.China believes that the Iranian government and people will unite, overcome difficulties, maintain national stability, and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, he added. China hopes all parties will cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialogue. China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard. Turkey says its opposed to any foreign military intervention in IranWe are against military intervention in Iran, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told journalists in Istanbul on Thursday. Iran must address its own internal problems They must address their problems with the region and in global terms through diplomacy so that certain structural problems that cause economic problems can be addressed.Ankara and Tehran enjoy warm relations despite often holding divergent interests in the region.Fidan said the unrest in Iran was rooted in economic conditions caused by sanctions, rather than ideological opposition to the government.Iranians mostly absent from annual religious rituals in IraqIranians have been largely absent from an annual pilgrimage to Baghdad, Iraq, to commemorate the death of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, one of the twelve Shiite imams.Many Iranian pilgrims typically make the journey every year for the annual religious rituals.Streets across Baghdad were crowded with pilgrims Thursday. Most had arrived on foot from central and southern provinces of Iraq, heading toward the shrine of Imam al-Kadhim in the Kadhimiya district in northern Baghdad, Adel Zaidan, who owns a hotel near the shrine, said the number of Iranian visitors this year compared to previous years was very small. Other residents agreed.This visit is different from previous ones. It lacks the large numbers of Iranian pilgrims, especially in terms of providing food and accommodation, said Haider Al-Obaidi.Lufthansa halts night flights to and from Tel Aviv and Amman Europes largest airline group said Thursday it would halt night flights to and from Tel Aviv and Jordans capital Amman for five days, citing security concerns as fears grow that unrest in Iran could spiral into wider regional violence.Lufthansa which operates Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings said flights would run only during daytime hours from Thursday through Monday due to the current situation in the Middle East. It said the change would ensure its staff which includes unionized cabin crews and pilots -- would not be required to stay overnight in the region.The airline group also said its planes would bypass Iranian and Iraqi airspace, key corridors for air travel between the Middle East and Asia.Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for several hours early Thursday without explanation. A spokesperson for Israels Airport Authority, which oversees Tel Avivs Ben Gurion Airport, said the airport was operating as usual.State media denies man arrested during recent protests was condemned to deathIranian state media has denied claims that a young man arrested during Irans recent protests was condemned to death. The statement from Irans judicial authorities on Thursday contradicted what it said were opposition media abroad which claimed the young man had been quickly sentenced to death during a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in the country. State television didnt immediately give any details beyond his name, Erfan Soltani. Iranian judicial authorities said Soltani was being held in a detention facility outside of the capital. Alongside other protesters, he has been accused of propaganda activities against the regime, state media said.New Zealand says it is appalled with Iran situationNew Zealands Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Thursday that his government was appalled by the escalation of violence and repression in Iran.We condemn the brutal crackdown being carried out by Irans security forces, including the killing of protesters, Peters posted on X.Iranians have the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and access to information and that right is currently being brutally repressed, he said.Peters said his government had expressed serious concerns to the Iranian Embassy in Wellington.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference after a trilateral meeting with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Citadel of David Hotel in Jerusalem, Monday Dec. 22, 2025. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP)2026-01-15T12:15:42Z DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cast the U.S. announcement that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza would advance to its second phase as largely symbolic, raising questions about how its more challenging elements will be carried out.Speaking late Wednesday with the parents of the last Israeli hostage whose remains are still in Gaza, Netanyahu said the governing committee of Palestinians announced as part of the second phase was merely a declarative move, rather than the sign of progress described by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.Israeli police officer Ran Gvilis parents had earlier pressed Netanyahu not to advance the ceasefire until their sons remains were returned, which Israels Hostage and Missing Families Forum said Wednesday.Netanyahu told Gvilis parents that his return remained a top priority. The announcement of the ceasefires second phase marked a significant step forward but left many questions unanswered. Those include the makeup of a proposed, apolitical governing committee of Palestinian experts and an international Board of Peace. The committees composition was coordinated with Israel, said an Israeli official speaking on the condition of anonymity.Questions also include the timing of deployment of international forces and the reopening of Gazas southern Rafah border crossing, as well as concrete details about disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza. In an interview on Wednesday with the West Bank-based Radio Basma, Ali Shaath, the engineer and former Palestinian Authority official slated to head the committee, said he anticipated reconstruction and recovery to take roughly three years. He said it would start with immediate needs like shelter.If I bring bulldozers, and push the rubble into the sea, and make new islands (in the sea), new land, it is a win for Gaza and (we) get rid of the rubble, Shaath, a Gaza native, said. Progress announced but hardship enduresPalestinians in Gaza who spoke to The Associated Press questioned what moving into phase two would actually change on the ground, pointing to ongoing bloodshed and challenges securing basic necessities.More than 450 people have been killed since Israel and Hamas agreed to halt fighting in October, Gazas Health Ministry said on Thursday.Those casualties, which UNICEF said include more than 100 children, are among the 71,441 Palestinians killed since the start of Israels offensive, according to the ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians.The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.We see on the ground that the war has not stopped, the bloodshed has not stopped, and our suffering in the tents has not ended. Every day there is suffering in the tents, in the rain and the sun, from sun to rain to death, said Samed Abu Rawagh, a man displaced to southern Gaza from Jabaliya. Hamza Abu Shahab, a man from eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza, said he was waiting for tangible changes, such as easier access to food, fuel and medical care, rather than promises.We were happy with this news, but we ask God that it is not just empty words, he told the AP in Khan Younis. We need this news to be real, because in the second phase we will be able to return to our homes and our areas God willing, it wont just be empty promises.Gazas population of more than 2 million people has struggled to keep cold weather and storms at bay while facing shortages of humanitarian aid and a lack of more substantial temporary housing, which is badly needed during the winter months. This is the third winter since the war between Israel and Hamas started on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people and abducted 251 others. Challenges lie aheadThe second phase of the ceasefire will confront thornier issues than the first, including disarming Hamas and transitioning to a new governance structure after nearly two decades of the groups rule in the stripThe United Nations has estimated reconstruction will cost over $50 billion. This process is expected to take years and little money has been pledged so far.Hamas has said it will dissolve its existing government to make way for the committee announced as part of the ceasefires second phase. But it has not made clear what will happen to its military arm or the scores of Hamas-affiliated civil servants and the civilian police.Bassem Naim, a member of the groups political bureau, said Thursday that Hamas welcomed the announcement of the committee as a step toward establishing an independent Palestinian state, but did not elaborate on the issues in question. He said on X that the ball is now in the court of the United States and international mediators to allow it to operate. Israel has insisted Hamas must lay down its weapons, while the groups leaders have rejected calls to surrender despite two years of war, saying Palestinians have the right to resist. ___Metz reported from Jerusalem. Josef Federman contributed reporting from Jerusalem. SAM METZ Metz covers Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and points beyond for The Associated Press. mailto