Federal judge halts bid to deport pro-Palestinian Turkish student

An immigration judge has rejected the Trump administration’s bid to deport Tufts University PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national whose high-profile arrest became a flashpoint in the crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism, her lawyers said. In a Jan. 29 decision, Immigration Judge Roopal Patel in Boston concluded the Department of Homeland Security failed to meet its burden to prove Ozturk was removable and terminated proceedings, according to a filing her attorneys made with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of…

Inside a Greenlandic Olympian’s Journey Through National Pride and Politics

Greenlandic siblings Sondre and Ukaleq Slettemark are competing in biathlon at the Winter Olympics under the Danish flag, a high-profile reminder of Greenland’s complicated status in international sport and the pride its athletes carry onto the world stage. Although they hail from Greenland, the autonomous Arctic territory within the Kingdom of Denmark has not been recognized by the International Olympic Committee. As a result, Greenlandic athletes must represent Denmark at the Games. That arrangement puts the…

U.S. Commerce Secretary denies Jeffrey Epstein links as resignation calls intensify

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday denied having a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein as calls for his resignation intensified and newly released Justice Department files appeared to undercut his earlier account of severing contact more than two decades ago. “Over a 14 year period, I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person,” Lutnick told a Senate committee, adding that while in New York he met Epstein and later had lunch with him during a family vacation around 2012.…

UN peacekeepers to withdraw most forces from Lebanon by mid-2027

UNIFIL to withdraw most peacekeepers by mid-2027 as mandate ends this year The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon will withdraw most of its troops by mid-2027, the mission said, laying out a timeline to wind down operations after its mandate expires on December 31, 2026, amid persistent tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border. “UNIFIL is planning to draw down and withdraw all, or substantially all, uniformed personnel by mid-year 2027,” spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said, adding the force intends to complete the pullout…

U.S. strike hits suspected drug boat in Pacific Ocean, killing two

U.S. military says two killed in strike on alleged drug-smuggling boat in eastern Pacific The U.S. military said it killed two people and left a third survivor in its latest strike on an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific, expanding a campaign Washington has framed as a fight against “narco-terrorists” operating out of Venezuela. “Two narco-terrorists were killed and one survived the strike,” U.S. Southern Command said in a statement posted on X. It added that the U.S. Coast Guard was notified to “activate…

Rubio plans Hungary trip after Trump endorses ally Viktor Orbán

Rubio to visit Hungary and Slovakia after Trump backs Orbán, amid EU tensions U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Hungary and Slovakia next week after President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of April elections, the State Department said, setting up a high-profile diplomatic swing as transatlantic tensions flare. Rubio will represent the United States at the Munich Security Conference before heading to Budapest and Bratislava. He is stepping in for Vice President JD…

Irish man in ICE custody fears for his life in Texas detention facility

Irish man detained by ICE says he fears for his life in Texas facility, as Irish politicians urge action An Irish man who has lived in the United States for nearly two decades says he is in fear for his life after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and transferred to a detention center in Texas, almost 4,000 kilometers from his home in Boston. Seamus Culleton, originally from Glenmore in Co Kilkenny, was taken into custody by ICE agents in September and later moved to a facility in El Paso, Texas, he…

Keir Starmer to chair cabinet after defying calls to quit

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair a cabinet meeting after weathering fresh calls from within Labour to resign, as his top ministers moved quickly to close ranks and project stability at the heart of government. The routine session follows a day of turbulence set off when Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar urged Starmer to step down over the fallout from the Peter Mandelson controversy. Sarwar is the most senior Labour figure to demand the prime minister’s resignation, warning the “distraction” from Downing…

European Union farm subsidy overhaul may delay payouts, auditor warns

Analysis: EU audit warning exposes risks at the heart of planned CAP overhaul The European Court of Auditors has fired an early warning shot over the European Commission’s plan to fold agricultural policy into a wider, performance-driven budget in the next Multiannual Financial Framework, saying the redesign could delay farm payments, heighten uncertainty and weaken the “common” in the Common Agricultural Policy. The critique goes to the core of how the EU intends to fund farming, rural development and cohesion from 2028 to…

King Charles pledges cooperation with police over Epstein allegations

King Charles voices ‘profound concern’ as police assess claims Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared UK trade files with Jeffrey Epstein London — King Charles has signaled “profound concern” over allegations about his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s conduct and said he would “stand ready to support” police if approached, Buckingham Palace said Monday, as Thames Valley Police confirmed it is assessing claims the former prince shared confidential trade reports with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The palace said the…