Judge denies Minnesota’s request to end ICE surge in Minneapolis 31. January 2026 (19:41) Federal immigration operation has resulted in government agents killing two people, sparking weeks of protestsA federal judge has denied a request by Minnesota’s state government to end the federal immigration operation in Minneapolis that has resulted in government agents killing two people, sparking weeks of protests.The state, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, had lodged a lawsuit after the death of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent this month, demanding an end to the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge in the city. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Gregory Bovino reportedly mocked US Minnesota attorney’s Jewish faith 31. January 2026 (19:33) Bovino, recently demoted, used the term ‘chosen people’ in sarcastic way as attorney Daniel Rosen observed ShabbatRecently demoted border patrol official Gregory Bovino reportedly made mocking and sarcastic remarks about the Jewish faith of Minnesota’s US attorney, Daniel Rosen, during a phone call with prosecutors in the state earlier in January.According to the New York Times, Bovino mocked Rosen for observing Shabbat, a weekly day of rest that begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday – and used the term “chosen people” in a sarcastic way during a phone call with the lawyers on 12 January. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Campaigner Peter Tatchell arrested for carrying ‘globalise the intifada’ placard 31. January 2026 (17:08) The veteran activist called his arrest at Palestine solidarity rally in London an ‘attack on free speech’ Peter Tatchell, the activist and campaigner, has been arrested for holding a placard which displayed the phrase “globalise the intifada” at a pro-Palestine march in London.Tatchell, who attended a Palestine solidarity march in London on Saturday afternoon, held a sign that read: “Globalise the intifada: Non-violent resistance. End Israel’s occupation of Gaza & West Bank.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Snow and blizzards move into US east coast as 85 dead from last week’s storm 31. January 2026 (16:36) About 190,000 are still without power in the south-east as states scramble to prepare for more winter weatherDozens of people have died in the teeth of a severe winter storm across the US south, with further freezing temperatures, snow and blizzards set to assail the east coast on Saturday.At least 85 people have died across multiple states, according to an Associated Press tally, with frigid conditions and icy roads causing car crashes, hypothermia and other fatal incidents. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
One dead and six missing as fishing boat out of historic Massachusetts port is lost at sea 31. January 2026 (16:15) Fate of the Lily Jean, out of Gloucester with crew of seven, remains unknown after empty life boat and debris field discoveredThere wasn’t a mayday call from the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean on Friday morning as it navigated the frigid Atlantic Ocean on its way home to Gloucester, Massachusetts, the US’s oldest fishing port. The coast guard was notified by the boat’s beacon that alerts when it hits the water.When rescuers arrived they found one person dead, floating in the water, along with a debris field and an empty life boat. Six people remain missing. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘It’s astonishing how well it has lasted’: Anglesey marks 200th anniversary of beloved bridge 31. January 2026 (15:30) Despite repair problems, its admirers say Thomas Telford’s Menai Bridge is good for another two centuries When Ian Evans’s grandfather opened a hardware shop on Anglesey in the 1930s, the Menai Bridge was instrumental in ensuring its success.The wrought-iron chains from the early 19th century had just been replaced with tensile steel, making the suspension bridge stronger and wider. This allowed it to carry heavier freight and the Evans family was able to order bottled gas from the newly established Calor Gas company, bringing widespread energy access to rural Anglesey (Ynys Môn). Continue reading...(The Guardian)
US authorities reportedly investigate claims that Meta can read encrypted WhatsApp messages 31. January 2026 (14:01) A lawsuit filed last week alleges tech firm ‘can access virtually all’ private communications, a claim the company has deniedUS authorities have reportedly investigated claims that Meta can read users’ encrypted chats on the WhatsApp messaging platform, which it owns.The reports follow a lawsuit filed last week, which claimed Meta “can access virtually all of WhatsApp users’ purportedly ‘private’ communications”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Keep on dreaming’: could Europe really defend itself without the US? 31. January 2026 (14:00) Nato chief has glibly dismissed prospect of coping without US support, but in the age of Trump the case for autonomy is growingThe Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, was typically blunt when he met members of the European parliament this week. From the dais of the blond-wood committee room in Brussels, he was clear: “If anyone thinks that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming. You can’t. We can’t.”And if Europe wanted to supplant the US nuclear deterrent, existing spending commitments would have to double, he added – “so hey, good luck!” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Danger for homeless New Yorkers as cold-related deaths spike in bitter storm 31. January 2026 (14:00) At least 10 people have died in freezing temperatures as support groups warn of lack of affordable housingFor years, an older man nicknamed “Uncle” came to get dinner each night from a Coalition for the Homeless van that stopped in Hudson Yards.Volunteers could not convince him to go to a shelter because he feared getting attacked. He was often barefoot, but when the organization offered him sneakers, size 12, he only accepted them if they were scuffed because he didn’t want to get robbed. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nurses remember Alex Pretti and vow to ‘bring the care our patients need’ 31. January 2026 (14:00) Flowers and candles laid by VA building in Washington as killing reverberates through nursing communityFor Nolan Lee, it felt like Minnesota in Washington DC on Wednesday night. Despite the most extreme cold in 150 years, about a thousand people gathered in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) headquarters, a block from the White House, to remember Alex Pretti and demand an end to funding for US immigration and border agencies.The killings by federal agents of Pretti, an intensive care nurse at a veterans hospital, and Renee Good, a poet and mother of three, rocked Minneapolis and reverberated throughout the nation, with the future of US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – up for debate as a key funding bill that would increase the agency’s spending failed to pass the US Senate on Thursday. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
