Director and actor Timothy Busfield appears at a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Albuquerque, N.M. (AJ Skuy for Fox News Digital Pool Photo via AP)2026-01-20T16:46:37Z ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) A judge ordered that actor Timothy Busfield be released from jail pending trial on child sex abuse charges, at a detention hearing Tuesday.The order from state district court Judge David Murphy is linked to accusations that Busfield inappropriately touched a minor while working as a director on the set of the series The Cleaning Lady.Busfield will be supervised upon release by a pretrial services office in Albuquerque, and can leave the state to return home, the judge said.Busfield, an Emmy Award-winning actor who is known for appearances in The West Wing, Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething, was ordered to be held without bond last week at his first court appearance. Busfield called the allegations lies in a video shared before he turned himself in.The judge acknowledged evidence that Busfield is accused of crimes that are inherently dangerous and involve children, but said prosecutors didnt prove that there are no conditions of release that would protect the publics safety. Theres no evidence of a pattern of criminal conduct, there are no similar allegations involving children in his past, Murphy said. Rather this defendant self-surrendered and submitted himself to this courts jurisdiction, demonstrating compliance with the court order for his arrest. At the hearing, Busfield was handcuffed and dressed in an orange jail uniform in a New Mexico state district court, while wife and actor Melissa Gilbert watched from the court gallery. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Gilbert was tearful while exiting the courtroom after the judge ordered Busfields release. Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls in the 1970s to 80s TV series Little House on the Prairie, was on the list of potential witness submitted ahead of the hearing.Albuquerque police issued a warrant for Busfields arrest earlier this month on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the series The Cleaning Lady. According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the police department says the child reported Busfield touched him on private areas over his clothing on one occasion when he was 7 years old and another time when he was 8. The boys twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but did not specify where. He said he didnt say anything because he didnt want to get in trouble.On Monday, Busfields attorneys submitted two brief audio recordings of initial police interviews in which the children say Busfield did not touch them in private areas. The attorneys in a court filing argue that the complaint characterizes the interviews as a failure to disclose abuse, but an unequivocal denial is materially different from a mere absence of disclosure.According to the criminal complaint, one of the boys disclosed during a therapy session that he was inappropriately touched by the shows director. Those records were obtained by police during the investigation.Arguing Tuesday for Busfields continued detention, Assistant District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch called evidence of abuse against Busfield strong and specific. The boys allegation are supported by medical findings and by their therapist, Brandenburg-Koch said. Their accounts were specific and not exaggerated.She also described a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority and grooming behavior by Busfield over the past three decades. Prosecutors also say witnesses have expressed fear regarding retaliation and professional harm.GPS is not going to tell this court if he is around children or talking to witnesses, Brandenburg-Koch said.Busfields attorneys have argued that the allegations emerged only after the boys lost their role in the TV show, creating a financial and retaliatory motive. The filings detailed what the attorneys said was a history of fraud by both the boys father and mother. They cited an investigation by Warner Bros. into the allegations that found the allegations unfounded. Busfield also submitted letters vouching for his character, and his attorneys say he passed an independent polygraph test. Legal experts say New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but a judge has final say over whether one can be used. There are strict requirements for admission.___Morgan reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Nature, Published online: 20 January 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00163-1Lawmakers announce legislation that would actually increase funding for basic research by more than 2%.

Train service in the Catalonia region will be suspended until it is safe to resume rail traffic, the local operator said.

For roughly one hour 45 minutes, President Trump meandered through his accomplishments and grievances, attacked perceived enemies and threatened allies.

The change in tone was stark for the president, who said he had been told that Ms. Goods father was a strong Trump supporter.

A Hmong immigrant, who is a U.S. citizen, was released after being questioned for an hour. Federal officials said they had been seeking sex offenders.

The new governor of New Jersey signed six executive orders after taking office on Tuesday. They matched the priorities she campaigned on last year.

The Venezuelan opposition leader stressed the need for free elections in her latest bipartisan meeting with lawmakers.

On Monday, the eldest Beckham son posted one-sided explosive accusations against his parents on Instagram. His parents have not responded directly.

The plane carrying President Trump was heading for Switzerland when it turned back for Joint Base Andrews. A White House official said there had been a minor electrical issue.

The agent told an investigator that he was assaulted with a broom and a shovel before he fired a single shot that wounded a Venezuelan man.

Renowned in his field, he counted among his clients five Nobel laureates, including Elie Wiesel, and eight Pulitzer winners as well as the estates of Tennessee Williams and Aldous Huxley.

Tetsuya Yamagami, 45, had admitted to shooting Mr. Abe, Japans longest-serving prime minister, with a homemade gun at a political rally in 2022.

Taiwans domestic gridlock is revealing a deep-seated fracture over how the island should defend itself and how much it can depend on the United States.

The family of Geraldo Lunas Campos said a witness saw him choked by guards in an El Paso detention facility this month. Federal officials said he died by suicide.

Prime Minister Mark Carney got a standing ovation in Davos for starkly describing the end of Pax Americana. He is looking for new allies to help his country survive it.

As President Trump continued his quest for Greenland, Prime Minister Mark Carney said great powers were unrestrained and urged medium-size countries to band together.

Donald Trump is the most un-American president in our history. And in his second term, there is no one to constrain his un-American impulses.

For now, Europes anti-coercion instrument is less a bazooka than a waterlogged firecracker.

The gathering of the global elite is set to serve as an all-hands effort to de-escalate tensions between President Trump and Americas allies over his insistence on acquiring Greenland.

Jimmy Kimmel quipped that the president can do so much damage in one three-day weekend I dont know if anybody has ever done more.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens during a news conference with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2026-01-21T06:42:13Z JERUSALEM (AP) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said Wednesday he had agreed to join U.S. President Donald Trumps Board of Peace, after his office earlier criticized makeup of the boards executive committee. The board, chaired by Trump, was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. The Trump administrations ambitions have appeared to balloon into a more sprawling concept, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting it will soon broker global conflicts.Netanyahus office had previously said the executive committee which includes Turkey, a key regional rival wasnt coordinated with the Israeli government and is contrary to its policy, without clarifying its objections. Israels far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has criticized the board and called for Israel to take unilateral responsibility for Gazas future. Others who have joined the board are the UAE, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Argentina. Others, including the UK, Russia and the executive arm of the European Union, say they have received invitations but have not yet responded. It came as Trump traveled to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to provide more details about the board. There are many unanswered questions. It was not immediately clear how many or which other leaders would receive invitations. When asked by a reporter Tuesday if the board should replace the U.N., Trump said, It might. He asserted that the world body hasnt been very helpful and has never lived up to its potential but also said the U.N. should continue because the potential is so great.That has created controversy, with some saying Trump is trying to replace the U.N. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday, Yes to implementing the peace plan presented by the president of the United States, which we wholeheartedly support, but no to creating an organization as it has been presented, which would replace the United Nations. Told late Monday that French President Emmanuel Macron was unlikely to join, Trump said, Well, nobody wants him because hes going to be out of office very soon. A day later, Trump called Macron a friend of mine but reiterated that the French leader is not going to be there very much longer.The executive boards members include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trumps deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.The White House also announced the members of another board, the Gaza Executive Board, which, according to the ceasefire, will be in charge of implementing the tough second phase of the agreement. That includes deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and rebuilding the war-devastated territory. Nickolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and U.N. Mideast envoy, is to serve as the Gaza executive boards representative overseeing day-to-day matters. Additional members include: Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, Rowan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan; Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi; Hassan Rashad, director of Egypts General Intelligence Agency; Emirati minister Reem Al-Hashimy; Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay; and Sigrid Kaag, the Netherlands former deputy prime minister and a Mideast expert.The board also will supervise a newly appointed committee of Palestinian technocrats who will be running Gazas day-to-day affairs.___Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Catherine Gaschka in Paris contributed to this report.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is seen during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)2026-01-20T15:52:22Z DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) There were grave warnings from European leaders and expletives from California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday as leaders at the World Economic Forum grappled with the Greenland crisis and heightened concerns over global trade.The gathering in Davos, Switzerland, comes as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to push for the seizure of Greenland and the imposition of related trade tariffs.French President Emmanuel Macron, wearing aviator sunglasses because of an eye infection, warned of a new colonial approach that would undermine decades of collaboration.Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister and former central banker, urged countries below the top tier of global power to continue multilateral cooperation with a new, dense web of connections. And in the forums entrance hall, Newsom was the most blunt, telling European leaders: Its time to get serious and stop being complicit. Its time to stand tall and firm have a backbone.Heres a look at what attendees said: Gavin Newsom I cant take this complicity. People rolling over. I shouldve brought a bunch of knee pads for all the world leaders, the California governor and prominent Democrat said. I hope people understand how pathetic they look on the world stage. I mean, at least from an American perspective, its embarrassing. California Governor Gavin Newsom attends the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) California Governor Gavin Newsom attends the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) 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 He added: Diplomacy with Donald Trump? Hes a T-Rex. You mate with him or he devours you. One or the other ... Wake up! Where the hell has everybody been? Stop with this (expletive) diplomacy of sort of niceties and somehow were all going to figure it out, saying one thing privately and another publicly. Have some spine, some goddamn (expletive). Emmanuel Macron Before expressing his concern, the French president began his address with a joke: Its a time of peace, stability and predictability. French President Emmanuel Macron touches his brow during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) French President Emmanuel Macron touches his brow during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) 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 Warning major powers against the temptation of modern colonial adventures, he added: Its a shift towards a world without rules. Where international law is trampled underfoot and where the only law that seems to matter is that of the strongest, and imperial ambitions are resurfacing. Then he took aim at the Trump administration, denouncing competition from the United States of America, through trade agreements that undermine our export interests, demand maximum concessions, and openly aim to weaken and subordinate Europe, combined with an endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable, even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty.Mark CarneyGreat powers can afford for now to go it alone. They have the market size, the military capacity, and the leverage to dictate terms. Middle powers do not, the Canadian prime minister said. In a world of great power rivalry, the countries in between have a choice: compete with each other for favor or to combine to create a third path with impact, he said. (We) argue the middle powers must act together because if were not at the table, were on the menu. Carney strongly opposed U.S. aspirations to expand its Arctic territory. We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenlands future. Canadas Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Canadas Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) 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 Scott BessentWith President Trump not due to address the elite global gathering until Wednesday, it fell to his treasury secretary to take up his defense in Switzerland.I think our relations have never been closer, Scott Bessent said, playing down the rift among Western countries over Greenland. Calm down the hysteria. Take a deep breath. He added: We are in the middle of President Trumps policies. And of course, Europe is an ally, the U.S.-NATO membership is unquestioned. We are partners in trying to stop this tragic war between Russia and Ukraine, but that does not mean that we cannot have disagreements on the future of Greenland. Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury, holds a speech at the USA House during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury, holds a speech at the USA House during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) 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 Bart De WeverBelgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said that with Trumps Greenland provocations, so many red lines have been crossed in Europe.Being a happy vassal is one thing. Being a miserable slave is something else. If you back down now youre going to lose your dignity, he said during a Davos panel discussion on redefining Europes place in the world.De Wever said that he and Belgiums King Philippe will meet with Trump on Wednesday when they will plan to press for a return to the old military alliance between Brussels and Washington.We either stand together or we will stand divided, and if we are divided, there is the end of an era, of 80 years of Atlanticism, really drawing to a close, he said. The former mayor of Antwerp, quoting the Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci, said that in a time of great transformation that it is up to U.S. president if the alliance holds. Its up to him (Trump) to decide if he wants to be a monster - yes or no. FILE - Belgiums Prime Minister Bart De Wever, center, speaks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, left, and Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof during a round table meeting at the EU Summit in Brussels, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) FILE - Belgiums Prime Minister Bart De Wever, center, speaks with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, left, and Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof during a round table meeting at the EU Summit in Brussels, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) 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 Ursula von der LeyenEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a diplomatic downward spiral in the West would only embolden its adversaries.The proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially between long-standing allies. The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July. And in politics, as in business, a deal is a deal, the EUs top official said. The Commission president said Europe was obliged to respond to international pressure. My point is: if this change is permanent, then Europe must change permanently too. It is time to seize this opportunity and build a new independent Europe, von der Leyen said. We consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but our friends. And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen talks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen talks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) 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 Donald TuskPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, writing on X, called on Europeans to beware of appeasement.Appeasement is always a sign of weakness. Europe cannot afford to be weak neither against its enemies, nor ally. Appeasement means no results, only humiliation. European assertiveness and self-confidence have become the need of the moment.

President Donald Trump speaks before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2026-01-21T05:17:30Z ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) President Donald Trump heads to the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday where his ambitions to wrest control of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark could tear relations with European allies and overshadow his original plan to use his appearance at the gathering of global elites to address affordability issues back home.Trump arrives for the international forum at Davos on the heels of threatening tariffs on Denmark and seven other allies unless they negotiate a transfer of the semi-autonomous territory a concession the European leaders indicated they are not willing to make. Trump said the tariffs would start at 10% next month and climb to 25% in June, rates that would be high enough to increase costs and slow growth, potentially hurting Trumps efforts to tamp down the high cost of living. The president in a text message that circulated among European officials this week also linked his aggressive stance on Greenland to last years decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize. In the message, he told Norways prime minister, Jonas Gahr Stre, that he no longer felt an obligation to think purely of Peace. In the midst of an unusual stretch of testing the United States relations with longtime allies, it seems uncertain what might transpire during Trumps two days in Switzerland.This will be an interesting trip, Trump told reporters as he departed the White House on Tuesday evening for his flight to Davos. I have no idea whats going to happen, but you are well represented. In fact, his trip to Davos got off to a difficult start. There was a minor electrical problem on Air Force One, leading the crew to turn around the plane about 30 minutes into the flight out of an abundance of caution and delaying the presidents arrival in Switzerland.Wall Street wobbled on Tuesday as investors weighed Trumps new tariff threats and escalating tensions with European allies. The S&P 500 fell 2.1%, its biggest drop since October. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.8%. The Nasdaq composite slumped 2.4%. Its clear that we are reaching a time of instability, of imbalances, both from the security and defense point of view, and economic point of view, French President Emmanuel Macron said in his address to the forum. Macron made no direct mention of Trump but urged fellow leaders to reject acceptance of the law of the strongest. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned the blocs response, should Trump move forward with the tariffs, will be unflinching, united and proportional. She pointedly suggested that Trumps new tariff threat could also undercut a US-EU trade framework reached this summer that the Trump administration worked hard to to seal.The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July, von der Leyen said in Davos. And in politics as in business a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something. Why Trump is talking about housing in DavosTrump, ahead of the address, said he planned on using his Davos appearance to talk about making housing more attainable and other affordability issues that are top priorities for Americans. But Trumps Greenland tariff threat could disrupt the U.S. economy if it blows up the trade truce reached last year between the U.S. and the EU, said Scott Lincicome, a tariff critic and vice president on economic issues at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.Significantly undermining investors confidence in the U.S. economy in the longer term would likely increase interest rates and thus make homes less affordable, Lincicome said.Trump also on Tuesday warned Europe against retaliatory action for the coming new tariffs.Anything they do with us, Ill just meet it, Trump said on NewsNations Katie Pavlich Tonight. All I have to do is meet it, and its going to go ricocheting backward.Davos a forum known for its appeal to the global elite is an odd backdrop for a speech on affordability. But White House officials have promoted it as a moment for Trump to try to rekindle populist support back in the U.S., where many voters who backed him in 2024 view affordability as a major problem. About six in 10 U.S. adults now say that Trump has hurt the cost of living, according to the latest survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. U.S. home sales are at a 30-year low with rising prices and elevated mortgage rates keeping many prospective buyers out of the market. So far, Trump has announced plans to buy $200 billion in mortgage securities to help lower interest rates on home loans, and has called for a ban on large financial companies buying houses. Trump will promote his Board of PeaceThe White House has said Trump plans to meet with leaders on the sidelines of the forum, after he gives his keynote address. There are more than 60 other heads of state attending.On Thursday, Trump plans to have an event to talk about the Board of Peace, a new body meant to oversee the end of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and possibly take on a broader mandate, potentially rivaling the United Nations.Fewer than 10 leaders have accepted invitations to join the group so far, including a handful of leaders considered to be anti-democratic authoritarians. Several of Americas main European partners have declined or been noncommittal, including Britain, France and Germany. Trump on Tuesday told reporters that his peace board might eventually make the U.N. obsolete but insisted he wants to see the international body stick around.I believe you got to let the U.N. continue, because the potential is so great, Trump said.___Madhani reported from Washington. JOSH BOAK Boak covers the White House and economic policy for The Associated Press. He joined the AP in 2013. twitter mailto AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

Guardia Civil officers collect evidence next to the wreckage of train cars involved in a collision in Adamuz, southern Spain, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)2026-01-20T13:36:23Z BARCELONA, Spain (AP) The roar was deafening inside the train car as it hurtled off the tracks, then slid down a steep slope, ripping open its frame. And then, amid the twisted metal of the wreckage, the cries of the injured and the silence of the dead. Surrounded by bodies after the train accident in southern Spain, one little girl somehow emerged virtually unscathed.Newspaper La Vanguardia reported that a Civil Guard officer found her barefoot on the tracks after she escaped through a broken window. Relative Juan Barroso told reporters the 6-year-old is in good health after receiving three stitches in her head at a hospital. The mayor of her familys village said he was finding a measure of solace in the fact this girl was out of harms way. Broken windows of a crashed train are photographed at the site of a train collision in Adamuz, southern Spain, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Broken windows of a crashed train are photographed at the site of a train collision in Adamuz, southern Spain, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) 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 There are many people who are very sad for the victims of this terrible accident, but there were also many who survived, like the miracle of the girl who is safe, Punta Umbrias Mayor Jos Carlos Hernndez told reporters Tuesday after leading a minute of silence for the victims.Among them were the girls parents, brother and a cousin. At least 42 people were killed in the brutal accident that has shaken the nation and left the 6-year-old child an orphan. Her familys last names are Zamorano lvarez, the town hall said. but The Associated Press is not disclosing her first name.Punta Umbria has declared three days of mourning for victims including the Zamorano lvarez family. They were seated in the front carriages that bore the brunt of the impact when a train coming the opposite direction suddenly jumped its track for reasons still unknown.Mayor Hernndez said that the girl is now with her grandparents in a hotel in Cordoba, the nearest city to the crash.She has a tremendous family who will do what it takes for her to have a happy life, the mayor said. JOSEPH WILSON Wilson covers Spanish news and sports for The Associated Press. He is based in Barcelona. twitter mailto

Former South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, center, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court for his first sentencing trial in the insurrection case, in Seoul Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (Chung Sung-Jun/Pool Photo via AP)2026-01-21T08:20:48Z SEOUL, South Korea (AP) A South Korean court ruled Wednesday that the 2024 imposition of martial law by then President Yoon Suk Yeol constituted an act of rebellion as it sentenced his prime minister to 23 years in prison for his involvement. Ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo became the first Yoon administration official convicted of rebellion charges in related to Yoons martial law imposition in December 2024. The verdict is expected to set the stage for upcoming rulings involving Yoon and his other associates, who also face rebellion charges. Han, who was appointed by Yoon prime minister, the No. 2 post in South Korea, served as one of the three caretaker leaders during moments of the martial law crisis that led to Yoons impeachment and eventually his removal from office.Rebellion is one of the gravest charges in South Korea, with the independent counsel recently demanding the death penalty for Yoon, who was charged with masterminding a rebellion. The Seoul Central District Court is to rule on Yoons rebellion charges on Feb. 19. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

A federal immigration officer looks through a window of a home Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Maplewood, Minn. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)2026-01-21T06:05:09Z MINNEAPOLIS (AP) As confrontations with federal officers over their massive immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota showed no signs of stopping Wednesday, legal battles over the surge and the local response were also intensifying.Federal prosecutors served grand jury subpoenas Tuesday to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walzs office and five other officials in the state as part of an investigation into whether they obstructed or impeded law enforcement during a sweeping immigration operation in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, a person familiar with the matter said. The subpoenas, which seek records, were also sent to the offices of Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and officials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties, the person said. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The subpoenas came a day after the government urged a judge to reject efforts to stop the immigration enforcement surge that has roiled Minneapolis and St. Paul for weeks.The Justice Department called the states lawsuit, filed soon after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an immigration officer, legally frivolous. Ellison has said the government is violating free speech and other constitutional rights. Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, 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. Mayor: Subpoenas are to stoke fearThe subpoenas are related to an investigation into whether Minnesota officials obstructed federal immigration enforcement through public statements they made, two people familiar with the matter said Friday. They said then that it was focused on the potential violation of a conspiracy statute. In a subpoena released by Freys office, the long list of documents required include any records tending to show a refusal to come to the aid of immigration officials. Frey said: We shouldnt have to live in a country where people fear that federal law enforcement will be used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with.The governors office referred reporters to a statement earlier Tuesday in which Walz said the Trump administration was not seeking justice, only creating distractions.Hard to track arrestsGreg Bovino of U.S. Border Patrol, who has commanded the Trump administrations big-city immigration crackdown, said more than 10,000 people in the U.S. illegally have been arrested in Minnesota in the past year, including 3,000 of some of the most dangerous offenders in the last six weeks during Operation Metro Surge.Julia Decker, policy director at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, expressed frustration that advocates have no way of knowing whether the governments arrest numbers and descriptions of the people in custody are accurate. Good, 37, was killed on Jan. 7 as she was moving her vehicle, which had been blocking a Minneapolis street where ICE officers were operating. Trump administration officials say the officer, Jonathan Ross, shot her in self-defense, although videos of the encounter show the Honda Pilot slowly turning away from him. Since then, the public has repeatedly confronted officers, blowing whistles and yelling insults at ICE and Border Patrol. They, in turn, have used tear gas and chemical irritants against protesters. Bystanders have recorded video of officers using a battering ram to get into a house as well as smashing vehicle windows and dragging people out of cars.Bovino defended his troops and said their actions are legal, ethical and moral. Pastor says protesters invaded churchA Minnesota church targeted by an anti-ICE protest Sunday decried it as unlawful, while one of the protest leaders called for the resignation of a church leader who works at a local ICE office. About three dozen people entered Cities Church in St. Paul, some walking right up to the pulpit. Invading a church service to disrupt the worship of Jesus or any other act of worship is protected by neither the Christian Scriptures nor the laws of this nation, Cities Church in St. Paul said Tuesday in a statement shared by its pastor, Jonathan Parnell.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the protesters as agitators in a post on X and said, arrests coming.Nekima Levy Armstrong, a lawyer and local activist, called for another pastor who works at ICE to resign from the church, saying his dual role poses a fundamental moral conflict. ___Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Ed White in Detroit; Sarah Raza, Jack Brook and Giovanna DellOrto in Minneapolis; Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Ali Swenson in Washington 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

EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY - People march and gather near the post office during a protest, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)2026-01-21T05:03:57Z WASHINGTON (AP) Democrats had planned to campaign in the midterm elections on affordability and health care, two issues where Americans are particularly unhappy with President Donald Trump. But the aggressive immigration crackdown in Minnesota, including the killing of an American mother during a confrontation with federal agents, has scrambled the partys playbook.Now Democrats are trying to translate visceral outrage into political strategy, even though theres little consensus on how to press forward on issues where the party has recently struggled to earn voters trust.Some Democrats want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a proposal that echoes defund the police rhetoric from Trumps first term, and impeach administration officials like Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Others have taken a different approach, introducing legislation intended to curb alleged abuses by federal agents. However, those ideas have been criticized by activists as insufficient, and theres mounting pressure to obstruct funding for deportations in an ongoing funding debate. Were Democrats. Im sure were going to have 50 different ideas and 50 different ways to say it, said Chuck Rocha, a party strategist who is advising several House and Senate candidates on immigration this year. If Democrats fail to strike the right balance, they could imperil their efforts to retake control of Congress and statehouses around the country. They could also hamper a chance to rebuild credibility with voters whose dissatisfaction with border enforcement under President Joe Biden helped return Trump to the White House. Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress and Bidens former domestic policy adviser, believes the party can thread the needle.Its not too much to ask that we have a government that can produce a secure border, that can deport people who are not legally here, and that can also respect peoples civil and human rights, she told The Associated Press. This country has done that before, and it can do it again. Violent scenes force a strong Democratic responseImmigration crackdowns have spread from city to city since Trump took office, but the latest operation in Minnesota has generated some of the most intense controversy.Rene Good, 37, was fatally shot by a federal agent earlier this month, prompting protests and angry responses from local Democratic leaders. Administration officials accused Good of trying to hit an agent with her car, an explanation that has been widely disputed based on videos circulating online.I think the party is very unified in our disdain and concern of the actions certainly of DHS and ICE, said Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. We should campaign on fairness and due process for all people, Garcia added, which is being violated every single day by ICE and DHS. We should be aggressive in that posture.But pushing back on the administration requires Democrats to step onto difficult political terrain. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults trusted Republicans more to handle immigration, according to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll from September, higher than about 3 in 10 who said the same about Democrats.On the issue of crime, Republicans also held the advantage. About 44% thought Republicans were better, compared to 22% for the Democrats. Republicans feel confident that their intertwined messages on crime and immigration will resonate with voters in the midterms. They frequently highlight violent criminals detained or deported, downplaying examples of nonviolent migrants who have been swept up.If Democrats want to make 2026 a referendum on which party stands for strong immigration policies and protecting public safety, we will take that fight any day of the week, said Republican National Committee spokeswoman Delanie Bomar.Some Democrats are more interested in using the issue as a way to pivot back to core messages about health care and the cost of living. I want everybody to understand, the cuts to your health care are whats paying for ICE to be doing this, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said last week. The cuts to your health care are whats paying for this.Democratic strategists have circulated the clip as an example of a potentially effective pitch, particularly after Trump slashed funding for some safety net programs during his first year in office. Trump faces his own public opinion challengesThe presidents approval may be slipping on the issue of immigration. His approval rating on the issue has fallen since the start of his term, according to AP-NORC polling, from 49% last March to 38% in January.Juan Proao, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Hispanic civil rights group in the U.S., said crackdowns have hurt Trump politically.Republican members of Congress are really uncomfortable with these agencies and their existing tactics, because they know its going to hurt them back at home come election cycle, he said. Proao said he had been disappointed with how Democrats had accommodated the Trump administration on immigration in the last year, but he praised changes in the partys strategy since Goods death was captured on video.I think everyone just gasped at that, and I think there has been a marked shift since then, he said. Some people who have vocally supported Trump in the past, like podcast host Joe Rogan, have expressed reservations. Are we really going to be the Gestapo? he asked recently.But Trump has not shown any sign of backing down. The administration has ramped up the number of federal agents deployed to Minnesota and the Justice Department issued subpoenas to the states Democrats, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, as part of an investigation into whether they obstructed or impeded enforcement operations.Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, who used to lead the party in his home state of Minnesota, said theres a lot of pain and anguish.Its heartbreaking, he said in a recent interview. Its chilling to think that this is the United States of America, what is supposed to be a beacon for democracy and freedom. MATT BROWN Brown covers national politics, federal policy and democracy issues for The Associated Press. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Caravans are placed in a newly-legalized Jewish settlement of Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)2026-01-20T19:19:52Z YATZIV SETTLEMENT, West Bank (AP) Celebratory music blasting from loudspeakers mixed with the sounds of construction, almost drowning out calls to prayer from a mosque in the Palestinian town across this West Bank valley.Orthodox Jewish women wearing colorful head coverings and with babies on their hips, shared platters of fresh vegetables as soldiers encircled the hilltop, keeping guard. The scene Monday reflected the culmination of Israeli settlers long campaign to turn this site overlooking the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour into a settlement. Over the years they fended off plans to build a hospital for Palestinian children on the land, always holding to the hope it would one day become theirs. That moment is now, they say. Settlers attend an inauguration ceremony for a newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Settlers attend an inauguration ceremony for a newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 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 Smotrich goes on settlement spreeAfter two decades of efforts, it took just a month for their new settlement, called Yatziv, to go from an unauthorized outpost of a few mobile homes to a fully recognized settlement. Fittingly, the new settlements name means stable in Hebrew.We are standing stable here in Israel, Finance Minister and settler leader Bezalel Smotrich told The Associated Press at Mondays inauguration ceremony. Were going to be here forever. We will never establish a Palestinian state here.With leaders like Smotrich holding key positions in Israels government and establishing close ties with the Trump administration, settlers are feeling the wind at their backs. Smotrich, who has been in charge of Israeli settlement policy for the past three years, has overseen an aggressive construction and expansion binge aimed at dismantling any remaining hopes of establishing a Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank. While most of the world considers the settlements illegal, their impact on the ground is clear, with Palestinians saying the ever-expanding construction hems them in and makes it nearly impossible to establish a viable independent state. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, captured by Israel in 1967, as part of a future state. An Israeli soldier stands guard during the inauguration ceremony for the newly legalized Jewish settlement of Yatziv, near the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) An Israeli soldier stands guard during the inauguration ceremony for the newly legalized Jewish settlement of Yatziv, near the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 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 With Netanyahu and Trump, settlers feel emboldenedSettlers had long set their sights on the hilltop, thanks to its position in a line of settlements surrounding Jerusalem and because they said it was significant to Jewish history. But they put up the boxy prefab homes in November because days earlier, Palestinian attackers had stabbed an Israeli to death at a nearby junction. The attack created an impetus to justify the settlement, settlement council chair, Yaron Rosenthal, told the AP. With the election of Israels far-right government in late 2022, Trumps return to office last year and the November attack, conditions were ripe for settlers to make their move, Rosenthal said.We understood that there was an opportunity, he said. But we didnt know it would happen so quickly.Now there is the right political constellation for this to happen.Smotrich announced approval of the outpost, along with 18 others, on Dec. 21. That capped 20 years of effort, said Nadia Matar, a settler activist. Shdema was nearly lost to us, said Matar, using the name of an Israeli military base at the site. What prevented that outcome was perseverance. Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich watches Rabbi Amiel Sternberg affix a mezuzah in the newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich watches Rabbi Amiel Sternberg affix a mezuzah in the newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 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 Back in 2006, settlers were infuriated upon hearing that Israels government was in talks with the U.S. to build a Palestinian childrens hospital on the land, said Hagit Ofran, a director at Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group, especially as the U.S. Agency for International Development was funding a peace park at the base of the hill.The mayor of Beit Sahour urged the U.S. Consulate to pressure Israel to begin hospital construction, while settlers began demonstrations at the site calling on Israel to quash the project, according to consulate files obtained through WikiLeaks.It was interesting that settlers had no religious, legal, or ... security claim to that land, wrote consulate staffer Matt Fuller at the time, in an email he shared with the AP. They just dont want the Palestinians to have it and for a hospital no less a hospital that would mean fewer permits for entry to Jerusalem for treatment. The hospital was never built. The site was converted into a military base after the Netanyahu government came to power in 2009. From there, settlers quickly established a foothold by creating a makeshift cultural center at the site, putting on lectures, readings and exhibitsSpeaking to the AP, Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister at the time the hospital was under discussion, said that was the tipping point. Once it is military installation, it is easier than to change its status into a new outpost, a new settlement and so on, he said. Olmert said Netanyahu who has served as prime minister nearly uninterrupted since then was committed to entirely different political directions from the ones that I had, he said. They didnt think about cooperation with the Palestinians. Settlers attend the inauguration ceremony for a newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg) Settlers attend the inauguration ceremony for a newly-legalized Jewish settlement, Yatziv, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour, in the West Bank, Jan. 19, 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 Palestinians say the land is theirsThe continued legalization of settlements and spiking settler violence which rose by 27% in 2025, according to Israels military have cemented a fearful status quo for West Bank Palestinians.The land now home to Yatziv was originally owned by Palestinians from Beit Sahour, said the towns mayor, Elias Isseid.These lands have been owned by families from Beit Sahour since ancient times, he said. Isseid worries more land loss is to come. Yatziv is the latest in a line of Israeli settlements to pop up around Beit Sahour, all of which are connected by a main highway that runs to Jerusalem without entering Palestinian villages. The new settlement poses a great danger to our children, our families, he said. A bypass road, complete with a new yellow gate, climbs up to Yatziv. The peace park stands empty. JULIA FRANKEL Frankel, based in Jerusalem, has reported from across Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Her reporting focuses on war, human rights, displacement and criminal justice. twitter mailto

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, attends a seminar in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)2026-01-21T05:16:09Z DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Irans foreign minister issued the most direct threat yet Wednesday against the United States after Tehrans bloody crackdown on protesters, warning the Islamic Republic will be firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.The comments by Abbas Araghchi, who saw his invitation to the World Economic Forum in Davos rescinded over the killings, comes as an American aircraft carrier group moves westward toward the Middle East from Asia. American fighter jets and other equipment appears to be moving in the Mideast after a major U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean saw troops seize Venezuelas Nicols Maduro.Meanwhile, an Iranian Kurdish separatist group in Iraq claimed Iran targeted one of its bases in a drone and missile attack that killed at least one fighter. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the attack, which would be the first foreign operation Tehran has launched since the protests started. Araghchi makes threat in columnAraghchi made the threat in an opinion article published by The Wall Street Journal. In it, the foreign minister contended the violent phase of the unrest lasted less than 72 hours and sought again to blame armed demonstrators for the violence. Videos that have slipped out of Iran despite an internet shutdown appear to show security forces repeatedly using live fire to target apparently unarmed protesters, something unaddressed by Araghchi. Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack, Araghchi wrote, referring to the 12-day war launched by Israel on Iran in June. This isnt a threat, but a reality I feel I need to convey explicitly, because as a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war. He added: An all-out confrontation will certainly be ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House. It will certainly engulf the wider region and have an impact on ordinary people around the globe. Araghchis comments likely refer to Irans short- and medium-range missiles. The Islamic Republic relied on ballistic missiles to target Israel in the war and left its stockpile of the shorter-range missiles unused, something that could be fired to target American bases and interests in the Persian Gulf. Already, there have been some restrictions on U.S. diplomats traveling to American bases in both Kuwait and Qatar. Mideast nations, particularly diplomats from Gulf Arab countries, had lobbied Trump not to attack. Last week, Iran shut its airspace, likely in anticipation of a strike. The USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been in the South China Sea in recent days, had passed through the Strait of Malacca, a key waterway connecting the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, by Tuesday, ship-tracking data showed.A U.S. Navy official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft carrier and three accompanying destroyers were heading west. While naval and other defense officials stopped short of saying the carrier strike group was headed to the Middle East, its current heading and location in the Indian Ocean means it is only days away from moving into the region. Meanwhile, U.S. military images released in recent days showed F-15E Strike Eagles arriving in the Mideast and forces in the region moving a HIMARS missile system, the type used with great success by Ukraine after Russias full-scale invasion in the country in 2022. Kurdish exiles claim Iranian attack in IraqThe National Army of Kurdistan, the armed wing of the Kurdistan Freedom Party, or PAK, claimed Iran launched an attack against one of its bases near Irbil, some 320 kilometers (200 miles) north of Baghdad. It said one fighter had been killed, releasing mobile phone footage of a fire in the predawn darkness. Iranian state television, which has confirmed attacks on the group in the past, did not acknowledge the assault. A handful of Iranian Kurdish dissident or separatist groups some with armed wings have long found a safe haven in northern Iraqs semiautonomous Kurdish region, where their presence has been a point of friction between the central government in Baghdad and Tehran. The PAK has claimed it launched attacks in Iran as a crackdown on the demonstrations took place, something reported by semiofficial Iranian news agencies as well. Protest death toll risesThe death toll from the protests has reached at least 4,519 people, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said. The agency has been accurate throughout the years on demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the death toll.The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution that brought the Islamic Republic into being. Although there have been no protests for days, there are fears the death toll could increase significantly as information gradually emerges from a country still under a government-imposed shutdown of the internet since Jan. 8. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that the protests had left several thousand people dead and blamed the United States. It was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties.More than 26,300 people have been arrested, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Comments from officials have led to fears of some of those detained being put to death in Iran, one of the worlds top executioners. That and the killing of peaceful protesters have been two red lines laid down by Trump in the tensions. ___Associated Press writers Stella Martany in Irbil, Iraq, Konstantin Toropin in Washington and Elena Becatoros contributed to this report. 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

A sign for the Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Federal Building and Courthouse is displayed outside the courthouse on Jan. 22, 2024, in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Jennifer Kelleher, File)2026-01-21T05:01:06Z HONOLULU (AP) A former flight attendant for a Canadian airline posed as a commercial pilot and as a current flight attendant to obtain hundreds of free flights from U.S. airlines, authorities said. Dallas Pokornik, 33, of Toronto, was arrested in Panama after being indicted on wire fraud charges in federal court in Hawaii last October. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday following his extradition.According to court documents, Pokornik was a flight attendant for a Toronto-based airline from 2017 to 2019, then used fake employee identification from that carrier to obtain tickets reserved for pilots and flight attendants on three other airlines.U.S. prosecutors said Tuesday that Pokornik even requested to sit in an extra seat in the cockpit the jump seat typically reserved for off-duty pilots. It was not clear from court documents whether he ever actually rode in a planes cockpit, and the U.S. Attorneys Office declined to say. The indictment did not identify the airlines except to say they are based in Honolulu, Chicago and Fort Worth, Texas. Representatives for Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines and American Airlines which are respectively based in those cities didnt immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment. Air Canada, which is based in Toronto, also did not respond to an email seeking comment. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on The scheme lasted four years, the U.S. prosecutors in Hawaii said. A U.S. magistrate judge on Tuesday ordered Pokornik to remain in custody. His federal defender declined to comment.In 2023, an off-duty airline pilot riding in the cockpit of a Horizon Air flight said Im not OK just before trying to cut the engines midflight. That pilot, Joseph Emerson, later told police he had been struggling with depression.A federal judge sentenced him to time served last November.The allegations against Pokornik are reminiscent of Catch Me If You Can, the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio that tells the story of Frank Abagnale posing as a pilot to defraud an airline and obtain free flights.

A top Alaska lawmaker said the state needs to hire twice as many prosecutors and public defenders if it wants to end the kind of extreme courtroom delays that the Anchorage Daily News and ProPublica exposed over the past year.Rep. Andrew Gray, chair of a legislative committee that holds jurisdiction over the Alaska court system, prosecutors and public defenders, said the news organizations stories of criminal cases delayed for years stab my heart. The time it takes to resolve Alaskas most serious felony cases is three years, or more than twice as long as in 2015.I hate how slow this system is. It kills me, Gray said.The blame, he said, should not fall on the front-line attorneys but on the state of Alaska for failing to hire enough prosecutors and public defenders.Gray is the latest official to respond to stories in the Daily News and ProPublica revealing how delays can harm criminal defendants and crime victims alike.Susan M. Carney, chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court, said in February that the system was not meeting expectations our own or Alaskans when it comes to the swift execution of justice. The next month, the court ordered new restrictions on pretrial continuances.But Gray said that beyond the court order, it will take new resources to meet the goal of resolving more cases quickly. The court systems own standard for speedy trials sets a 120-day deadline, which is rarely met.(Gray, in an interview, and Carney, in her speech to the Legislature, both noted that the median time to resolve less serious charges is far faster than for the most serious felonies: Class B misdemeanors crimes such as criminal mischief or shoplifting are closed within a median of about four months, Carney said.)Victim advocates, attorneys and judges told the newsrooms that Alaska has grappled with increasing delays for decades.Gray said lawmakers, who write the state spending plan and started a new legislative session on Tuesday, should include additional funding to reduce the caseloads carried by prosecutors and public defenders.I dont know exactly what the number is, but it will be a big one, Gray said. And yes, I would absolutely advocate for that.120 DaysAlaskas speedy-trial deadline.1,124 DaysThe median time it took for the most serious category of felony cases to be resolved in Alaska in 2025. Thats more than twice as long as in 2015.Retired Fairbanks Superior Court Judge Niesje Steinkruger, who worked as a public defender and assistant attorney general, agreed that inadequate staffing places a strain on attorneys on both sides who are being pushed to resolve cases faster.It puts those lawyers in just an awful position. They are type A personalities: They want to do the best that they can.Jacqueline Shepherd, an ACLU of Alaska attorney who tracks pretrial delays, agreed about the need for more front-line attorneys. According to a 1998 audit for the Legislature, public defenders can ethically handle no more than 59 cases at a time. Shepherd said some public defenders in Anchorage are asked to juggle 140 to 170. Obviously, they are overloaded, she said.But she said that adding staff alone wont be enough to solve the problem. Judges, she said, need to start bucking Alaskas culture of courtroom delay and make sure cases are moving toward trial or dismissal.Gray, a Democrat in traditionally red Alaska, became chair of the Judiciary Committee because Alaskas Senate and House are currently run by bipartisan majorities.His proposal for more money is likely to prove difficult in a state that has no state income or sales tax and faces revenue shortfalls made deeper by low oil prices.Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, in December proposed a plan that would shore up services by spending from reserves while also setting the annual oil wealth dividend each resident receives at $3,650, a big increase over previous years. The dividend payout would cost twice what Dunleavy has requested for public safety, courts and prisons combined.A spokesperson for the governor did not directly answer a question about whether Dunleavy would support doubling prosecutors and state defense attorneys. However, the spokesperson noted that funding for prosecutors and defense attorneys has already increased under Dunleavy in an attempt to reduce caseloads and backlogs.74 DelaysNumber of times one Anchorage sexual assault case was postponed in the 10 years it took to reach a jury.State budget documents show spending on the Department of Law, which employs state prosecutors, was $123 million last year or 42% higher than it was in 2018, when Dunleavy was elected. Spending on two agencies that oversee state-appointed defense attorneys was a combined $87 million, a 69% increase. The Department of Public Safetys spending also rose by the same percentage.Improving public safety has been Gov. Dunleavys top priority throughout his time in office, spokesperson Grant Robinson said.The boost to defense attorney and prosecutor budgets was due in part to a bill passed in 2022, part of an effort to raise pay and improve retention and recruitment.Gray said that effort was a good first step that helped fill vacant jobs. But he said the next step is to expand the workforce.They need to acknowledge that even being fully staffed, they are overworking their folks and that is the reason we are seeing these cases that drag on for an eternity, he said.But House Finance Co-Chair Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, said any effort to double the number of those attorneys is unlikely to succeed this year. The state is too strapped for cash, he said.Its the same reason why the Anchorage School District has a $78 million budget deficit, said Josephson, a former prosecutor who oversees the Department of Law budget and sponsored the bill increasing state attorney salaries. For decades, we have been trying to give people dividends and not tax them, and the system is exhausted by those two things.Over that same span, victim rights advocates noticed longer and longer delays for the most serious criminal cases.Some dragged on for so long that victims died before seeing justice, such as two women sexually assaulted in broad daylight in one of Anchorages most popular parks. The attacks occurred in 2017, yet it took seven years and 50 delays for the case to go to trial in December 2024. The jury found the defendant, Fred Tom Hurley III, guilty of two counts of second-degree sexual assault but not guilty of one count of sexual assault.Another case took even longer: 10 years. In all that time, as judges allowed 74 delays, no one in the courtroom ever asked the victim what she wanted. A key witness died along the way. A jury in April found the defendant, Lafi Faualo, guilty of first-degree sexual assault and first-degree assault involving a weapon but not guilty of one count of sexual assault.Faualos defense attorney was juggling some 375 active cases before the trial.59 CasesThe maximum ethical workload for a single prosecutor or defense attorney, according to the Alaska Division of Legislative Audit.In another example of extreme delays, Kipnuk resident Justine Paul spent seven years in jail for murder after being indicted on key blood evidence that proved within one year to be flawed. Meanwhile, the killing of his girlfriend Eunice Whitman remains unsolved, with the investigation only recently reopened.State officials say the situation has improved since the state Supreme Courts order limiting pretrial delays took effect in May.Rebecca Koford, spokesperson for the Alaska Court System, said that as of Jan. 1, 2026, there are 743 pending felony cases that are more than two years old 16% of all felonies. Thats an improvement from Jan. 1, 2024, when there were 1,428 such cases, representing 22% of the total.The courts order on delays, combined with earlier efforts in 2023, have led to significant progress, Koford said. Judges have been limiting continuances, stacking trials and using every resource available to move cases forward expeditiously and fairly.Still, the latest annual report from the Alaska Criminal Justice Data Analysis Commission noted that cases continue to take longer than they did in 2019 and before.Gray acknowledged it will be very hard to get lawmakers to agree on more money for attorneys.But we must have that debate, he said, because that is how we solve this problem.The post Alaska Lawmaker Calls for Hiring More Prosecutors, Public Defenders to Reduce Extreme Delay in Criminal Cases appeared first on ProPublica.

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Emergency crews respond after a commuter train derailed when a retaining wall collapsed onto the tracks in Gelida, near Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)2026-01-21T08:35:56Z GELIDA, Spain (AP) Commuter rail service in Spains northeastern Catalonia region was suspended Wednesday after a Barcelona commuter train crashed the night before, Spanish authorities said. At least one person died in the Barcelona-area crash, and 37 others were injured as crews worked at night to complete the rescue effort. The train hit a retaining wall that fell onto the tracks, authorities said.The news late Tuesday of another train crash mere days after Spains worst railway disaster since 2013 left many Spaniards in disbelief. Emergency workers were still searching for victims in the wreckage from Sundays high-speed crash in southern Spain that killed at least 42 people and injured dozens some 800 kilometers (497 miles) away. Three days of national mourning were underway, and the cause of that crash was being investigated. The victim of the Tuesday-night crash was a trainee train driver, regional authorities said. Of the 37 people affected, five were seriously injured. Six others were in less serious condition, emergency services said. Most of the injured had ridden in the first train car. The suspension of commuter trains Wednesday morning caused significant traffic jams on roads leading into Barcelona. Regional authorities in Catalonia asked people to reduce unnecessary travel and companies to allow remote work while the disruptions continued. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez acknowledged the Barcelona area crash, writing on X on Tuesday night: All my affection and solidarity with the victims and their families.While Spains high-speed rail network generally runs smoothly, and at least until Sunday had been a source of confidence, commuter rail services are plagued by reliability issues. However, accidents causing injury or death are not common in either.The commuter train crashed near the town of Gelida, located about 37 kilometers (23 miles) outside Barcelona.Spains railway operator ADIF said the containment wall likely collapsed due to heavy rainfall that swept across the northeastern Spanish region this week. ___Naishadham reported from Madrid. SUMAN NAISHADHAM Naishadham is an Associated Press reporter covering Spain and Portugal. She is based in Madrid. twitter mailto

Nature, Published online: 21 January 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00089-8More girls are hitting puberty at eight or earlier. Researchers are exploring the causes, the consequences and what should be done.

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Nature, Published online: 21 January 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00188-6Natures round-up of innovations that are poised to make a splash in the year ahead.

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Nature, Published online: 20 January 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00217-4An Austrian cow named Veronika can use a broom to scratch her body. Plus, Japan is about to restart the worlds biggest nuclear plant and an effort to measure the extent of toxic masculinity.

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From the ballot box in California to the halls of Congress and Wall Street, several new initiatives would require more oversight of how the company protects its passengers.

The Environmental Protection Agency has stopped estimating the dollar value of lives saved in the cost-benefit analyses for new pollution rules.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)2026-01-21T11:38:31Z BRUSSELS (AP) Rattled by President Donald Trumps aggression towards Greenland, the European Union is readying counter-measures against the United States. But as primarily a trading bloc of 27 nations, the EUs toolkit is mostly financial instruments, from steep tariffs on U.S. goods to the so-called trade bazooka touted by French President Emmanuel Macron.The term is shorthand for the blocs Anti-Coercion Instrument, or ACI, that could sanction individuals or institutions found to be putting undue pressure on the EU.Those sanctions could inflict untold billions of dollars in costs to U.S. companies by restricting EU market access, barring them from EU public tenders, and potentially limiting foreign direct investment and curtailing the export and import of goods and services.So far, theres little backing in the 27-nation EU to use it, with the exception of France. Macron warned in Davos on Tuesday that additional tariffs by the U.S. could force the EU to use its anti-coercion mechanism for the first time.The crazy thing is that we could find ourselves in a situation where we use the anti-coercion mechanism for the very first time against the United States, said Macron, arguing that allied countries should be focusing instead on bringing peace to Ukraine. Can you imagine it? Its crazy. I regret it, but it is the consequence of unnecessary aggressiveness. Still, we must all remain calm. Macron described the mechanism as a powerful instrument and we should not hesitate to deploy it in todays tough environment.EU leaders will hold an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday over tensions with Trump.The ACI was established by the European Commission in 2021 after Beijing restricted trade to Lithuania over its ties with Taiwan, which is claimed by China as its territory.The primary objective of the ACI is deterrence. The instrument will, therefore, be most successful if there is no need to use it, according to a commission statement issued before the dispute over Greenland. It would take at least six months to activate the ACI.The value of EU-U.S. trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat.Europes biggest exports to the U.S. are pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments, and wine and spirits.-Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.