Attack on Iran Would Backfire, Causing Great Losses for US, Warns European Think-tank

Wednesday, 28 January 2026 11:19 AM 

A giant banner depicting a US aircraft carrier, and the American flag, burning and drenched in blood, is displayed in Tehran, Iran, January 26, 2026. (Photo via social media)

The US faces serious risks if it attacks Iran again, which held back much of its military strength during the 12-day June 2025 war, and any future aggression could provoke a far stronger response, warns the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

A report from ECFR published on Tuesday highlights Iran’s unmatched combination of size, population, and military capability, saying, “With over 90 million citizens and territory nearly four times the size of Iraq, Iran presents a logistical and operational challenge far exceeding previous US interventions."

Libya’s population during NATO’s 2011 aggression was fifteen times smaller than Iran’s, while Iraq’s population at the 2003 invasion was less than one-third of today’s Iranian population, the report said.

ECFR notes that such scale, combined with Iran’s geographic diversity, makes any attempt to overthrow Iran's government extremely difficult.

During the June 2025 war, Iran deliberately refrained from using much of its military arsenal. ECFR analysts observe that Tehran “could deploy weapons and strategies it has so far held in reserve if its national security were threatened.”

This deliberate restraint illustrates Iran’s strategic patience and credible deterrence, signaling that further US escalation would encounter formidable resistance, according to the report.

Iran also benefits from a network of regional allies, including resistance groups in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, which could coordinate defensive or retaliatory actions against potential aggressors.

Iran says its missile power is stronger compared to the 12-day war with the Israeli regime in June.

According to the report, Tehran’s military readiness extends beyond conventional forces as it is capable of protecting critical oil infrastructure and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint for global energy supplies. Any disruption there could cause severe economic consequences worldwide.

Historical experience reinforces ECFR’s warnings. Past US interventions in Libya and Syria, launched under the pretext of protecting civilians, instead resulted in prolonged instability, economic collapse, and widespread chaos.

Similar tactics applied in Iran would backfire, causing greater losses for Washington while leaving Iranian sovereignty intact, ECFR noted.

This comes as European and regional powers have urged caution, emphasizing that Iran’s thirteen land and maritime borders make any large-scale conflict highly destabilizing.

“Iran’s combination of population, territory, and disciplined military forces ensures that external powers cannot easily impose their will,” the report emphasizes.

Iran has demonstrated restraint during prior conflicts, along with its military capabilities, which would give it a strategic advantage in deterring foreign intervention, ECFR concluded.

Senior Commander: Iran Fully ready, Any Adventurism Will be Costly for Enemy

Wednesday, 28 January 2026 11:16 AM

This file photo shows Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, deputy chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination, pointing during a naval drill in the Persian Gulf.

A senior Iranian commander says Iran’s enemies have failed militarily and are now waging hybrid and cognitive warfare, stressing that any hostile move against the country would cause serious damage and heavy costs for the adversaries.

Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, deputy chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination, sounded the warning on Wednesday, stressing that the enemy knows that any adventurism will bring about heavy costs for them.

“When the enemy does not achieve results through military actions, it continuously exerts pressure in the realm of softwar and hybrid war; however, we are not inexperienced in this field. The country’s officials and our people are familiar with the concepts of softwar, hybrid war, and cognitive war, and they know that the only way to counter the enemy’s tricks under current conditions is unity, cohesion, coordination, empathy, and mutual support,” he said.

Admiral Sayyari stressed that the enemy has sought to break this unity, but the Iranian people has always neutralized the enemy’s tricks in a timely manner, adding that the enemy is trying to undermine this cohesion and empathy, but would certainly fail, because the people of Iran are aware and insightful and know the enemy very well.

“The United States has been pursuing the implementation of gunboat diplomacy. They try to intimidate the other side by deploying large ships and extensive equipment and to convey the impression that they can inflict damage,” said the Iranian commander, on the display of US military power through the deployment of aircraft carriers.

The remarks by Admiral Sayyari came amid escalated rhetoric by US President Donald Trump, who recently threatened fresh military action against Iran in connection with what the latter described as the Islamic Republic’s handling of recent economic protests.

Washington has just deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying strike group to West Asia near Iran, and Trump said on Tuesday that another US “armada” of naval vessels was sailing toward the Islamic Republic.

“It should not lead us into miscalculation when the enemy hypes up the arrival of one fleet and then says that another one was added. If an incident occurs, they can rest assured that they too will be damaged, and this damage will be heavy,” Admiral Sayyari stressed.

The senior Iranian commander said that it should not be assumed that the enemy has the upper hand merely because of advanced equipment, adding that during the eight years of the Iran–Iraq war in the 1980s, all resources had not been at the disposal of Iran’s enemy.

He added that Iran also possesses assets the enemy lacks, including faith, belief, initiative, creativity, and capabilities that were clearly demonstrated during the eight years of the Sacred Defense against Iraq as well as in the 12-day imposed war in June 2024.

Iran says it has boosted its missile power since war with Israel

Iran says its missile power is stronger compared to the 12-day war with the Israeli regime in June.

On June 13, 2024, Israel launched an unprovoked aggression against Iran, initiating a 12-day war that resulted in at least 1,064 Iranian casualties, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.

The United States further escalated the war by unlawfully bombing three peaceful Iranian nuclear facilities. However, through successful retaliatory operations, Iran effectively halted the terrorist assault.

“We also have the ability to inflict damage on the enemy, and the enemy is fully aware of this matter and will certainly take it into account in its calculations that any adventurism will be accompanied by heavy costs for it,” Admiral Sayyari stressed.

“The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran is fully prepared to defend territorial integrity, independence, and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and it remains committed to carrying out its missions with all its might. The Army also hopes … to benefit from the comprehensive support of the people; because without the presence of the people on the scene, standing up to the enemy is not possible,” the top commander emphasized.

In conclusion, Admiral Sayyari said that the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran is always ready to confront any kind of threat whether it came from land, sea, or air, stressing that the military forces would continue to defend the country.

Sudanese Group Suspends Participation in French-led Peace Process

27 January 2026

Yasir Arman

January 26, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-Revolutionary Democratic Front (SPLM-RDF) said on Monday it was suspending its participation in the Nyon peace process, accusing the French mediator Promediation of legitimizing the former ruling National Congress Party (NCP).

In a statement, the group led by Yasir Arman said it decided to withdraw because Promediation organized meetings in Malaysia for the NCP and Islamist forces. The SPLM-RDF argued that these meetings aimed to integrate the NCP into the political track despite the opposition’s commitment to exclude the former regime of ousted President Omar al-Bashir.

Promediation organized a gathering in Kuala Lumpur from January 20 to 22 that included 15 NCP front organizations and branches. The SPLM-RDF, which had previously taken part in the track, called on other revolutionary forces to join its boycott.

Promediation, a French non-governmental organization, has intensified efforts to bridge gaps between Sudanese political actors amid the ongoing war. It has facilitated several workshops for Sudanese parties in Malaysia, Cairo, and Nyon, Switzerland, to prepare for a political resolution.

The Revolutionary Front condemned the Malaysia track as a contradiction of civil forces’ pledges to reject the NCP and its affiliates. The NCP is the political wing of the Islamic Movement; its brigades are currently fighting alongside the army against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The group stated that accepting the NCP violates the Nairobi Declaration of Principles, which calls for classifying the Islamic Movement as a terrorist group. It also argued that the move contradicts a September 12, 2025, statement by the “Quad” mechanism—the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.

The SPLM-RDF concluded by calling for the development of the Nairobi Declaration to build a coalition of anti-war forces and welcomed dozens of organizations that expressed a desire to join.

Oman’s SalamAir Launches Flights to Port Sudan as Security Improves

27 January 2026

Officials and airport staff stand before a Salam Air aircraft during a welcoming ceremony at Khartoum International Airport, on Jan 27, 2026

January 27, 2026 (PORT SUDAN) – An aircraft belonging to Oman’s SalamAir landed at Port Sudan Airport on Tuesday, marking the first Gulf-based carrier to resume flights to Sudan after 33 months of suspension.

Several foreign airlines intend to resume operations to Sudan shortly, following improved security conditions in various Sudanese cities.

Regional and international airlines suspended activities in Sudanese airspace following the outbreak of conflict in mid-April 2023 and the subsequent closure of Khartoum Airport. Some carriers later resumed operations via Port Sudan Airport in the east of the country after the Sudan Airports Company transferred air navigation services to the airport.

The Sudan Airports Company said in a press statement that Oman’s SalamAir launched flights on Tuesday from Muscat to Port Sudan, with three flights per week.

The new route aims to enhance aerial connectivity between Oman and Northeast Africa to meet increasing demand from Gulf markets and to serve the Sudanese community, which is the Sultanate’s second-largest Arab community.

The company added that the launch of these flights is intended to facilitate movement and support bilateral relations as SalamAir joins other international carriers operating at Sudanese airports.

Foreign airlines currently operating regular flights to Port Sudan include EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, and Turkish Airlines, as well as Sudanese carriers.

The eastern Sudan region was removed from the list of unsafe airspace in July 2024, making the corridor viable for the return of international companies.

Sudan Grants Saudi Companies Priority in Reconstruction Projects

28 January 2026

A view of cranes at Port Sudan on the country’s northern Red Sea coast. (AFP)

January 27, 2026 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure on Tuesday announced it would grant Saudi companies priority in reconstruction projects, focusing on railways and port development.

The move follows a period of increased diplomatic engagement between Khartoum and Riyadh. Saudi leadership has been coordinating with U.S. President Donald Trump to lead international efforts to end the conflict in Sudan.

Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Saif al-Nasr Haroun met with Saudi Ambassador Ali bin Hassan Ahmed Jafar to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation and rebuilding infrastructure destroyed during the war.

The minister said Sudan aims to involve Saudi firms in logistics zones and the Abu Amama port project. He added that joint technical committees would be formed to facilitate these projects.

The announcement follows the 2024 cancellation of a $6 billion preliminary deal signed in 2022 with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Ports and Sudan’s Invictus Investment. Khartoum scrapped that agreement after accusing the United Arab Emirates of supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Tuesday’s discussions also covered technical and investment partnerships to rebuild Sudan Airways, the national carrier. The two sides agreed to hold a specialized workshop in February for Saudi investors.

Haroun noted that both nations are key partners in securing Red Sea maritime routes.

Saudi Arabia remains one of Sudan’s top three trading partners despite the ongoing crisis. Trade between the two countries reached 5.4 billion Saudi riyals ($1.44 billion) in 2024, according to Saudi economic data.

Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim recently stated the government is seeking the most suitable partners for port construction, identifying Saudi Arabia and Qatar as the primary contenders.

Earlier this month, Transitional Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan issued a decree to reconstitute the high-level council for strategic cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

Sudan Deputy Leader Says Neighbour Ties to RSF Hinder Peace

27 January 2026

Sudanese Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council Malik Agar gestures toward a map while addressing members of the diplomatic corps in the South Sudanese capital, on Jan 27, 2026

January 27, 2026 (JUBA) – Sudan’s Deputy Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Malik Agar, criticized neighbouring countries on Tuesday for cooperating with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), arguing that such support undermines efforts to achieve peace.

Addressing diplomats in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, Agar said there was “complacency and cooperation” by some of Sudan’s neighbours with the RSF and cross-border mercenaries.

He argued that the RSF’s initial justifications for the war, which included claims of fighting for democracy, had been invalidated by the group’s actions against civilians in West Darfur and North Darfur.

Agar added that the RSF uses the narrative of fighting Islamists to appeal to Gulf and Western countries. Sudan has accused the United Arab Emirates of providing weapons and military equipment to the RSF.

“The purpose of the war is occupation and settlement to achieve the interests of other countries,” Agar told the ambassadors and representatives of the African Union and IGAD bloc. He accused the RSF of targeting service facilities in areas they had withdrawn from.

Agar arrived in Juba on Monday for talks with President Salva Kiir and security officials. The visit follows an RSF attack on military sites in the Blue Nile region launched from across the borders of Ethiopia and South Sudan. The Sudanese army said it had reclaimed one of the three sites seized by the paramilitary force.

Regarding peace efforts, Agar said regional and international initiatives had not yet met the requirements for ending the conflict. He ruled out a peace agenda formulated without Sudan’s participation while the country remains suspended from the African Union.

Sudan has made its engagement with the AU’s peace efforts conditional on the lifting of its suspension from the continental bloc, which has been in place since Oct. 25, 2021.

Sudanese in Egypt Complain of Intensified Residency Crackdown

28 January 2026

Sudanese at the Abu Simbel border crossing in southern Egypt on April 6, 2024 (SUNA photo)

January 27, 2026 (CAIRO) – Sudanese nationals in Egypt report a surge in police campaigns targeting residency and asylum law violators, particularly in Cairo and other major provinces.

More than 1.5 million Sudanese have fled to Egypt since the conflict erupted in April 2023, part of a broader exodus of 4.3 million people to neighbouring countries. While tens of thousands have recently returned following army gains in Khartoum, Al Jazirah, and Sennar, a significant population remains.

The security measures have triggered a polarized debate on social media between supporters and critics of the crackdown.

One Sudanese mother told Sudan Tribune her son, a law student, was detained on Jan. 20 while working an evening shift at a restaurant. She said it was his second arrest despite holding a valid residency permit and ID.

The mother alleged her son was beaten and robbed of cash and his phone during his first detention. She said he is currently held in a small room at a police station in the October Gardens district and suffers from chronic health issues, including nerve and kidney inflammation.

Egyptian authorities have reportedly issued a deportation order for the student. The mother said appeals to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Egyptian Foundation for Refugee Rights have so far gone unanswered.

The Sudanese Community Platform has advised all refugees and residents to carry original passports and documents at all times to avoid detention. The group also warned of cases where family breadwinners were deported, leaving relatives stranded in Egypt.

Legal expert Ammar al-Baqir noted that Sudanese residents, including those with UNHCR-issued cards, have limited legal protections. He explained that Egyptian security forces often do not recognize UNHCR documentation during sweeps.

Under a 2024 law regulating the asylum of foreigners, Egypt established a Permanent Committee for Refugee Affairs to coordinate with the UNHCR. However, Egyptian law grants immigration officials broad authority to deport foreigners who enter illegally, overstay, or violate the terms of their residency.

Al-Baqir emphasized that Egyptian authorities only recognize residency rights issued directly by the state.

What to Know About South Sudan’s Major Offensive Against Opposition Forces

By JOSEPH FALZETTA

10:19 PM EST, January 27, 2026

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — South Sudan’s army, following territorial losses in recent weeks, has announced a major military operation against opposition forces, raising fears for civilian safety.

In a statement on Sunday, army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang said Operation Enduring Peace would commence and ordered civilians to evacuate three counties in Jonglei state immediately. He directed aid groups to leave within 48 hours.

Koang told The Associated Press on Monday that the operation aims to recapture towns recently seized by opposition forces and “reestablish law and order.”

The announcement came a day after a senior army commander was filmed urging his troops to kill civilians and destroy property in the Jonglei offensive, drawing rebuke from the U.N. and others.

“It is now indisputable: South Sudan has returned to war,” said Alan Boswell of the International Crisis Group. “It is incredibly tragic for a country that only grows weaker and poorer.”

Here’s what to know about the conflict in South Sudan:

Government’s battlefield losses

Beginning in December, a coalition of opposition forces seized a string of government outposts in central Jonglei, a region that is the homeland of the Nuer ethnic group and an opposition stronghold.

Some of those forces are loyal to opposition leader Riek Machar, while others consider themselves part of an ethnic Nuer militia called the White Army. White Army fighters have historically fought alongside Machar but consider themselves a distinct group.

Machar, an ethnic Nuer, was made the most senior of five vice presidents under a 2018 peace agreement that ended fighting between his forces and those loyal to President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, the country’s largest group. That five-year civil war was waged largely along ethnic lines, killing an estimated 400,000 people.

Suspension of government’s No. 2

But there has been a resurgence of violence in the past year, with sporadic fighting.

Machar was suspended last year as South Sudan’s No. 2 after White Army fighters overran a military garrison in the town of Nasir. He now faces treason and other charges over that attack, which authorities allege Machar helped orchestrate. But Machar’s allies and some international observers say the charges are politically motivated. He remains under house arrest while his trial unfolds slowly in the capital, Juba.

Machar’s trial is widely seen as a violation of the 2018 peace agreement. Yet Kiir and his allies say the agreement is still being implemented, pointing to a faction of the opposition still in the unity government.

Forces loyal to Machar have declared the agreement dead, and have since ratcheted up pressure on the army by seizing armories and launching hit-and-run attacks on government positions. The government has relied largely on aerial bombardments to beat back a rebellion that analysts say is gaining momentum across multiple states.

After seizing the government outpost of Pajut in Jonglei on Jan. 16, opposition forces threatened to advance toward Juba. The government has responded by amassing fighters in nearby Poktap, while several thousand Ugandan soldiers defend Juba.

Army chief Paul Nang gave his troops one week to “crush the rebellion” in Jonglei.

‘Spare no lives’

On Saturday, a day before the army announced its offensive, a senior military commander was filmed urging his forces to kill all civilians and destroy property during operations in Jonglei. It was not clear who took the video, which has been shared on social media.

“Spare no lives,” Gen. Johnson Olony told forces in Duk county, not far from Pajut. “When we arrive there, don’t spare an elderly, don’t spare a chicken, don’t spare a house or anything.”

Armed groups in South Sudan, including the military, have repeatedly been implicated in civilian abuses, including sexual violence and forced recruitment.

Olony’s comments were particularly aggressive, and drew concern. “We are shocked, we are disturbed, we are surprised,” said Edmund Yakani, a prominent civic leader.

Olony’s words showed that government troops were being “empowered to commit atrocities, to commit crimes against humanity, and, potentially, even to commit a genocide,” he said.

The U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan expressed “grave alarm” at developments that it said “significantly heighten the risk of mass violence against civilians.”

Machar’s political group said in a statement that Olony’s words were an “early indicator of genocidal intent.”

Speaking to the AP, government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny called Olony’s comments “uncalled for” and “a slip of the tongue.”

But he also said that while it was possible Olony was “trying to boost the morale of his forces,” his words are not indicative of government policy.

Community violence

Olony, appointed assistant chief of defense forces for mobilization and disarmament a year ago, also leads a militia, known as the Agwelek, from his Shilluk tribe that agreed to integrate into the army last year.

Olony’s deployment to Nuer communities is contentious because of a separate rivalry between the Shilluk and Nuer communities. In 2022, White Army fighters razed Shilluk villages and displaced thousands of civilians before the government intervened with attack helicopters.

Olony’s forces were also involved in military operations in other Nuer communities last year.

Deploying him to Jonglei “is incendiary,” said Joshua Craze, an independent analyst and writer on South Sudan. “His presence in the state is a propaganda gift to the opposition in its mobilization efforts.”

IShowSpeed Wraps Up Africa Tour Highlighting the Continent’s Cultural Diversity

By MARK BANCHEREAU

12:19 PM EST, January 27, 2026

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — American streamer and YouTuber IShowSpeed is on the final leg of a 28-day tour of Africa aimed at showcasing the continent’s cultural diversity, which is often overshadowed by images of poverty and violence.

The 20-nation tour across southern, eastern and North Africa began in Angola in late December. He attended the Africa Cup of Nations soccer final in Morocco on Jan. 18, then visited Senegal, celebrating the national soccer team’s victory with fans, and Nigeria, where he passed 50 million YouTube subscribers and marked his 21st birthday.

“I’ve done so many incredible things in my life,” IShowSpeed said during a stop in Botswana. “But this trip is different. It opened my eyes. Africa is not what I thought.”

On Monday, he visited Ghana, trying jollof rice, meeting a traditional ruler and receiving a massage at the shea butter museum.

“I am back home, there ain’t no better feeling,” the content creator, whose real name is Darren Watkins Jr., said upon arriving in Ghana, revealing that his ancestry traces to the West African country. He arrived on Tuesday in Namibia, likely the tour’s final stop.

For his “Speed Does Africa” series, Watkins streamed live on YouTube. In videos lasting up to nine hours, he sampled local dishes, learned traditional dances and challenged athletes, often shouting in excitement. Large crowds of his followers swarmed him at many of his destinations.

Changing perceptions of Africa

Pape Seye, a 40-year-old resident of Senegal’s capital, Dakar, highlighted Watkins’ visit to the House of Slaves on Gorée Island, a symbol of the Atlantic slave trade that sent millions of Africans into bondage.

“Americans, especially Black Americans, need to know that our histories are tied, that many of our ancestors might have been deported from Gorée,” he said.

Souleymane Ba, a 24-year-old literature student from Senegal, told The Associated Press: “I hope that as Americans learn more about Africa and see its rich cultures, they will realize it is not made up of ‘shithole countries.’” Ba was referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments during his first term denigrating Haiti, El Salvador and African countries.

For some Americans, the message appears to be resonating.

“IShowSpeed is single-handedly changing our view of Africa,” GrowYourEther, another American streamer, said in a TikTok video.

“We had been told Africa is primitive, that it’s dangerous,” said American influencer Caroline Jones in tears on Instagram, adding she was moved by the warm welcome the streamer received on the continent.

Criticisms and controversies

Others have been more skeptical. Beninese influencer Nelly Mbaa, known online as Afro Chronik, said that Watkins embodies a Western expectation that young Black men be valued for spectacle rather than intellect. She said he’s followed not for subtle humor, but for performing “an absurd, exaggerated and grotesque character.”

“If he were to abandon this persona — the constant grimacing, shouting and controversial remarks — his audience would likely disappear,” Mbaa said.

IShowSpeed has more than 50 million YouTube subscribers, 45 million Instagram followers and 47 million on TikTok.

He has built his brand on loud, exaggerated and sometimes aggressive reactions that became his online persona, but also sparked controversy. In 2022, he was permanently banned from several videos games after a sexist outburst against a female player and briefly suspended from YouTube for showing sexual content in a video game.

Days After a Disputed Election, Uganda’s Army is on the Hunt for Opposition Leader Bobi Wine

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA

6:57 AM EST, January 27, 2026

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Where is Bobi Wine?

In a recent video shared from hiding, the Ugandan opposition leader walks in a family graveyard in central Uganda, taunting the army chief who has failed to find him and lamenting what he calls the injustice that has befallen him.

The 43-year-old musician-turned-politician has been evading a military hunt for over a week, infuriating Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba — the army chief and president’s son — in what has become a very public rivalry.

Wine went into hiding shortly after Uganda’s disputed presidential election on Jan. 15. The vote was marred by an internet shutdown and the failure of biometric voter identification kits meant to prevent ballot stuffing.

Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has rejected the official results, according to which President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term with 71.6% of the vote.

He has urged his followers to do whatever is legally possible to show the government has weaknesses despite the massive military presence that accompanied the election.

Dispute between Wine and the army chief

Ugandan soldiers raided Wine’s house the day after the Jan. 15 vote, but the opposition leader had already gone into hiding, fearing for his life after campaigning for weeks in helmet and flak jacket at rallies where security forces were a constant presence.

Wine said his ability to evade the army shows that the government is not as strong as it appears.

“The whole army is looking for one person. It’s now coming to 10 days but they have failed to find me,” Wine said in a video posted on X on Monday. “That means they are not as strong as they tell you.”

That also “means that you, as a Ugandan, you can do whatever is possible without breaking the law. Yes, they call us outlaws, but we are not law breakers,” he added.

The hunt for Wine is being led by Kainerugaba — the president’s presumptive heir — who has responded to Wine’s taunts by calling him a coward, a “baboon” and a “terrorist.”

He has a yearslong habit of posting offensive tweets, which he often deletes later.

Kainerugaba said on X that Wine and other leaders of his National Unity Platform party are wanted for criminal offenses, but did not specify them.

Yet Ugandan police and government spokesman Chris Baryomunsi say Wine is not wanted and is free to return to his family.

Wine said in his most recent message to his followers that he went to his ancestral home to “to get some love.”

“Another day of hiding. Another day of injustice,” he said. “As I have always said, that in a country under family rule the ruling family is always above the law.”

Ugandans worry about unrest

The exchanges between Wine and Kainerugaba have raised tensions after the election, with many Ugandans worried that an attack on Wine could trigger unrest.

Wine, the most prominent of seven candidates who ran against Museveni, has a large following among young people in urban areas, many of them unemployed or angry with the government over official corruption and the lack of economic opportunities. Many want to see political change after four decades of the same leader.

The opposition were further angered by a Jan. 23 raid in which Wine’s wife Barbara Kyagulanyi says she was roughed up by soldiers at the couple’s house on the outskirts of Kampala, the capital, forcing her to be hospitalized for anxiety and bruises.

Kyagulanyi, who is affectionately known as Barbie, told reporters gathered around her hospital bed that she did not cooperate with the dozens of men in military uniform who demanded to know where Wine was.

She described “a swarm of men” behind masks who broke the door and windows to reach her and then attacked her by lifting her off the floor by her pajamas. One of the intruders banged her head against a pillar, demanding the password to a phone, she said.

Kainerugaba has taken responsibility for the raid but denies that Kyagulanyi was attacked.

“My soldiers did not beat Barbie,” he said on X. “We are looking for her cowardly husband not her.”

Museveni to serve seventh term

Museveni, the 81-year-old leader who is a long-time U.S. ally, has accused the opposition of trying to foment violence during the voting.

He will now serve a seventh term that would bring him closer to five decades in power.

His supporters credit him for the relative peace and stability that has made Uganda home to hundreds of thousands fleeing violence elsewhere in this part of Africa.

Goma in Eastern DR Congo is Hanging by a Thread a Year After the City ell to Rwanda-backed Rebels

By JUSTIN KABUMBA and RUTH ALONGA

4:02 AM EST, January 27, 2026

GOMA, Congo (AP) — One year after M23 militants stormed into Goma, the rebel group still controls the main city in eastern Congo and is tightening its grip.

The scars from the fighting between the Congolese army and M23 in January 2025 remain visible, but life has gradually returned to normal: Markets are functioning and people are adapting, but there is no real economic recovery. Bank closings, followed by the shutdown of the international airport, have severely crippled economic activity, plunging thousands of households into poverty.

Rwanda-backed M23 is the most powerful of over 100 armed groups vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo, near the border with Rwanda. The conflict has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, according to the U.N. agency for refugees.

Following a sharp escalation of fighting early last year, M23 rebels took over Goma, which remains in their hands today.

In downtown Goma, the banking district is one of the most striking symbols of the new reality, with once-bustling buildings now shuttered. ATMs are out of service, and the bank signs are off.

That leaves people almost completely dependent on mobile phone money transfer services. It is a way to survive — but an expensive one.

“Today, we pay up to 3.5% for each withdrawal,” explains Grâce Omari, a resident of the Chaumage neighborhood. “These are significant sums for families who have almost no income left.”

Still, at the nearby Kituku Market, the city’s main trading center, crowds were visible on Monday, the traditional market day.

Local boats docked at the pier, unloading food products from the surrounding rural areas, which are quickly displayed in the stalls. Seated behind their stalls, women were selling vegetables, flour, secondhand clothing and basic necessities. But their movements are mechanical, their gazes sometimes weary. Here, activity has never ceased, but it has lost its substance.

Espérance Mushashire, 44, a mother of 12, has been selling vegetables for years. She remembers a time when she lived with dignity. But that’s not the case anymore, she says — many customers only come to inquire about prices, and then leave. 

“We buy at high prices, but we hardly sell anything. Customers have no money left. Our children don’t even go to school anymore,” Mushashire said.

In the Mugunga neighborhood on the outskirts of Goma, daily life unfolds with an almost resigned quietness.

“The situation deteriorated,” said Agathe Hanghi, a local resident. “Before, I sold things, I earned money, and that allowed me to eat and get medical treatment. But now, there’s no money left. All my savings are gone, and what little was left, (the M23 rebels) came and took from here at home.”

Like in many families, Hanghi’s children no longer go to school. Priorities have been reduced to the bare essentials: food, shelter, survival.

She added: “We don’t know what to do anymore.”

At the university, an economics professor teaches his students, attempting to analyze a situation that defies conventional models. Deo Bengeya describes an economy paralyzed by the absence of financial institutions.

According to him, without banks, recovery remains impossible: no credit, no investment, no safeguarding of savings. Households consume what they have, when they can, without any prospects.

“The economy of the city of Goma after its fall is in a very critical state,” Bengeya told The Associated Press. “The purchasing power of the population has fallen, some residents have fled the city, wages have fallen, and unemployment has risen.”

A year after Goma’s fall to the rebels, the inhabitants move forward in small steps, driven by a single certainty: the obligation to continue living, even when the future seems uncertain.

Dutch Court Jails Eritrean Man for 20 Years Over ‘Cruel’ People Smuggling

Migrants from Eritrea, Libya and Sudan sail a wooden boat before being assisted by aid workers of the Spanish NGO Open Arms, in the Mediterranean sea, about 30 miles north of Libya, Saturday, June 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra, File)

By MIKE CORDER

1:01 PM EST, January 27, 2026

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch court convicted an Eritrean man on Tuesday of people smuggling and extortion and sentenced him to the maximum 20 years imprisonment, saying that he and his accomplices subjected migrants to “cruel, violent, and degrading treatment.”

Tewelde Goitom, also known as Amanuel Walid, was found guilty by the Overijssel District Court of leading a criminal organization that mistreated migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe and extorted money from their families in the Netherlands to pay for the risky voyages.

The court rejected his defense that he was not the person identified by witnesses as a leader of a notorious smuggling network that shipped people from Libya to Europe and often onward to the Netherlands, where they applied for asylum.

Presiding Judge René Melaard called the case “exceptionally serious” because of both the nature and scope of the crimes.

“On the one hand, because of the gross undermining of Dutch and European immigration policy, but on the other, and especially, because of the particularly cruel, violent and degrading treatment to which you and your accomplices subjected the migrants,” Melaard said.

“You, along with your accomplices, were merciless, unscrupulous, and devoid of regard for human dignity in your treatment” of the migrants “apparently solely to extort as much money as possible from vulnerable and helpless people seeking a better future,” Melaard added.

Goitom, 42, was also ordered to pay more than 30,000 euros ($35,000) in damages to victims. He has two weeks to appeal his conviction.

Migrants seeking to get to Europe were held by Goitom’s network in camps in Libya, where they were “mistreated while being forced to call family members, who were pressured to transfer money for their relatives’ passage,” the court said in a statement. “Only when their passage to Europe had been paid for was a migrant eligible to leave the camp and continue their journey.”

In a message on X, the prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court welcomed the verdicts, saying that it had shared evidence in the case as part of a joint team investigating crimes against migrants in Libya. The ICC has an ongoing investigation in Libya.

At the opening of the trial in November, Goitom told judges that he was a victim of mistaken identity. He was extradited to the Netherlands in 2022 from Ethiopia, where he was convicted of similar crimes.

Goitom’s case was delayed by the lengthy extradition process of another man, Kidane Zekarias Habtemariam, who escaped during trial in Ethiopia in 2020. Described as one of ’’the world’s most wanted″ human traffickers, Habtemariam was extradited from the United Arab Emirates to the Netherlands in late December and is expected to stand trial in a Dutch court at a later date.

Habtemariam was convicted in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment after escaping from custody in Ethiopia while on trial on people smuggling charges.

Both men are facing justice in the Netherlands because Dutch prosecutors say some of their alleged crimes happened in the Netherlands. They say that Dutch-based relatives of migrants seeking to make the perilous journey from East Africa through Libya and across the Mediterranean to Europe were extorted by people smugglers.

Goitom’s defense lawyers disagree. “There is no clear connection to the Netherlands,” Simcha Plas argued, saying that the payments were made in Eritrea or via the UAE, and that the Netherlands lacks jurisdiction.

The court rejected that argument as they convicted Goitom of multiple charges of complicity in people smuggling and extortion. He was acquitted in the cases of two migrants because judges said there was insufficient evidence.

MLK Legacy Remains Relevant Today

After one year of the Trump administration people in the United States and internationally are mobilizing against the rising threats of fascism and imperialist war

By Abayomi Azikiwe

Editor, Pan-African News Wire

Sunday January 25, 2026

Political Review

This year represented the 40th anniversary of the official adoption of the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as an annual federal holiday.

Every January on the third Monday of the month is designated as MLK Day where federal office buildings and other public entities are closed in recognition of the contributions of Dr. King as a historical figure integral to the struggle for Civil Rights and peace in the United States. 

The proclamation of this federal holiday did not come about spontaneously. After King’s assassination on April 4, 1968, the late former U.S. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. of Detroit initiated the first bill aimed at creating the holiday. However, it would take nearly two decades for the proposal to become a reality. 

Thousands would rally in Washington, D.C. during the early 1980s demanding that MLK’s birthday be made a federal holiday. Stevie Wonder, the internationally renowned recording artist whose career was launched by Motown Records, released a song in honor of King and performed it at huge gatherings at the Lincoln Memorial.  

On January 19 there were hundreds of events commemorating the life, times and contributions of Dr. King. Many of the same issues which MLK was engaged in during the period between 1955-1968 remain today on a domestic and international level. 

In the United States, the current administration has ramped up the repressive and imperialist militaristic policies which made the state what it has become over the centuries. The degree to which democracy exists in the U.S. has been dependent upon the movements for national liberation, workers rights, civil rights and economic emancipation. 

Consequently, the federal holiday honoring Dr. King should be utilized to advance the struggle for complete freedom in the 21st century. Progressive forces note that to honor the legacy of MLK and the Civil Rights Movement as a whole, the present-day organizations must complete the struggles which arose during the post-World War II period to the present.

Detroit Honors Six Decades of Mass Struggle in the U.S. and Worldwide

At the Historic St. Matthew’s-St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church the 23rd Annual Detroit MLK Day Rally/March and Community meal was held as usual on the official federal holiday of Monday January 19. The event filled up the sanctuary and the fellowship hall of the religious institution. 

Banners and posters of MLK, Fannie Lou Hamer and Viola Liuizzo, evoking the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, hung in the Church sanctuary. A large banner calling for the United States to leave the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela where the President Nicholas Maduro and First Lady Cicilia Flores were kidnapped and illegally imprisoned in New York City. There was another banner calling for the end of the genocide in Gaza and the liberation of Palestine.

This Church extends back to the mid-19th century in Detroit and played a role in the Underground Railroad. During the 1920s it served as a base for the local branch of the NAACP as well as for meetings in efforts to defend Dr. Ossian Sweet who was facing an extended prison tenure for defending his home against a racist white mob in 1925. By 1966, when the first Northern High School strike was held, the Church opened for volunteers to hold classes from anti-racist and pro-Black perspectives.

The Annual MLK event was conceived in 2004 during the height of the U.S. imperialist occupation of Iraq and Haiti. This event was founded by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice (MECAWI) with the expressed intent of continuing the civil rights, social justice, anti-war, peace and anti-poverty legacy of Dr. King and his contemporaries. The event was initially held at the Central United Methodist Church from 2004 to 2018. It was moved to its present location in 2019.

This year’s commemoration featured SEIU Home Care workers who have won a major concession from the bosses. These activities by workers are reminiscent of the labor struggles which Dr. King immersed himself in during the 1960s. 

Cultural workers were featured during the rally and community meal. These artists included The LaShell School of Dance, Kenneth Russell, along with spoken word artists, Jenna Edwards, J.C. A Creative, Daii Dreamiin, One Single Rose, Wardell Montgomery, and others.  

Movement Photographer and Activist Valerie Jean wrote in a social media post that:

“Aurora Harris and Abayomi Azikiwe emceed the event. There were profound speeches from folks like my dear friend, former president of UAW Local 909, Frank Hammer, who spoke about the long-haul Colombian workers’ struggle against GM, and a personal shero of mine, Hawaida Araf, who was arrested by the Israeli Occupation Forces while on the Global Sumud Flotilla that set out to deliver food and medical supplies to occupied Palestine…. There were powerful performances throughout the day. Zania Alake’ sang Lift Every Voice and Sing, with Allen Dennard on trumpet, Butter Hawkins on drums, and Bill Mayer on electric keyboard. Everyone in attendance stood together and sang along; it was truly beautiful. My friend and fellow Water Protector, Alexander Webb, played his drum and sang an Anishinaabe Dream Song to honor Dr. King’s legacy. There was poetry, children dancing, and music that filled the room. The youngest singer of the day, Jenna Edwards, delivered an awe-inspiring rendition of Stand Up. It was a day full of deep cultural Detroit roots that left my heart full.”

This same writer went on to describe the tribute that was paid to the “Long Distance Runners” for their perseverance in the protracted efforts to achieve advances in the struggle. Those who received recognition were Dorothy Dewberry-Aldridge, Chair of the Detroit MLK Committee, Dan Aldridge, Professor Dr. Gloria Aneb House, Bob Fletcher, Frank Joyce, Terry Shaw, Charles Simmons, William G. Anderson, John W. Hardy, Marian Kramer-Baker, Maryam Lowen, and Martha Prescod Norman Noonan. The event program contained recognition of several people who have transitioned to the ancestral realm in recent months such Imam Jamil Al-Amin (H. Rap Brown), Claudette Colvin, Rene Litchtman, David Rambeau, Ruby Curl-Pinkens and Assata Shakur.  

According to the above-quoted writer: 

“The 2026 MLK Day Detroit 23rd Annual Rally and March fell on a bitter cold day, but that didn’t stop hundreds of people from making their way to the historic St. Matthew’s & St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church on Woodward in the North End…. After the program, all who could manage the below-zero temperatures marched through the neighborhood. We then shared a community meal and listened to poetry from some of Detroit’s most amazing poets.

Deep gratitude to the Detroit MLK Day Committee for planning this historic day, filled with so many profound and beautiful moments to share with comrades.” 

Atty. Mark Fancher, spoke on the interconnectedness of the domestic and international struggles for emancipation. Fancher, a longtime member of the National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) and the All-African People's Revolutionary Party (Intl.), discussed the progressive legacy of Dr. King while emphasizing the need to internationalize the movements for liberation both inside and outside the territorial boundaries of the U.S. 

The event was co-sponsored and endorsed by a host of organizations and individuals including: The Anti-Fascist Organizing Coalition (AFOC), Detroit Justice Center, Detroiters for Tax Justice, General Defense Committee, IBEW Local 558, May Day Detroit, Michigan Coalition Against Genocide, Moratorium NOW! Coalition, People’s Assembly, Nakba Survivors Association, Mosaic Design Group, Buck Dinner Fund, General Baker Institute, Communist Party, USA, Michigan District, Rev. Denise Griebler and Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellerman, Nancy Hurston Carter, Jewish Voice for Peace, James and Grace Lee Boggs Foundation, Metro Detroit A. Philip Randolph Institute, Broadside Lotus Press, ACLU of Michigan, Central United Methodist Church, Detroit Wobbly Kitchen, Gwen Winston, Palestinian Youth Movement, among others.

Lessons for 2026

A planned stayaway in Minneapolis which gained widespread support within the labor movement was announced from the pulpit on MLK Day in Detroit. A solidarity demonstration was indeed held in downtown Detroit to coincide with the Minnesota actions on January 23. 

Over 100,000 people marched through the streets of Minneapolis while hundreds of businesses along with schools were closed. The people of Minnesota are responding resolutely with mass and labor actions against the fascist occupation by the Trump White House. 

The following morning after the overwhelming successful mass demonstrations and one-day strikes in Minnesota and around the country, the federal agents occupying Minneapolis shot to death Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Registered Nurse (RN) Alex Pretti (37). Immediately the news rapidly spread of Pretti’s death at the hands of Custom and Border Patrol (CBP) agents while the White House soon labelled this Veteran Administration Hospital employee and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) a domestic terrorist. This was the same tactic used against Renee Nicole Good (37), a poet and community activist, who was shot at point blank range by another federal agent. 

Both of these killings by federal agents are being justified by the administration. Such homegrown and foreign policy atrocities illustrate the nexus between domestic repression, exploitation and imperialist militarism as Dr. King described as early as 1967. Therefore, these contradictions will not be resolved until the social conditions which give rise to them are eliminated. 

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on Spotlight Discussing the Escalating Repression in the United States

Watch this worldwide satellite television news segment Spotlight featuring Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, discussing the increasingly repressive social atmosphere in Minneapolis, Minnesota with the deployment 3,000 federal agents from ICE and CBP resulting in the brutal executions of Renee Nicole Good and most recently, Alex Pretti. 

To view this segment just go to the following URL: US deadly protest crackdown

Also in the broadcast is Wilmer Leon, a Washington, D.C.-based political scientist. 

The resistance of the people in the Twin Cities portends much for the building of mass movements throughout the United States to fight back against the Trump administration. 

This program aired live on Sun. Jan. 25, 2026.

Promotional language for the program reads this way: "Thousands in Minneapolis brave bitter cold to protest the ICE crackdown against immigrants, with protesters calling for an ICE shutdown. The protesters demand President Trump pull heavily armed ICE agents out of the city in Minnesota.

"A US citizen was fatally shot by ICE agents identified as ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti. He was a lawful gun owner with a permit and had a nursing license issued in 2021, and remains active.

"This episode of Spotlight tries to help understand what is happening on the ground. Why is it happening now? And what does it mean for America’s future?"

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, on 1+1 Discussing Current African Affairs

In this latest episode of 1+1, we return to the continent of Africa. 

To watch this interview in its entirety just click on the website below: 1+1 E361 Youri & Abayomi Azikiwe of Pan African Newswire on what's happening in Africa

Instead of returning back to North Africa and covering the history and current affairs of Egypt, we decided to dedicate this episode to a lot of the huge upheavals and big news coming out of the continent that happened in November and December of last year and earlier this month. 

On the show Abayomi Azikiwe of Pan-African News Wire provides news and analysis. 

We discuss and explain what is happening in Nigeria regarding US threats and the false accusations that the Nigerian government doesn't do enough to stop Boko Haram and persecution of Christians. 

We also discuss the attempted coup in Benin, Israel's recognition of Somaliland. Abayomi Azikiwe explains why fellow Pan-Africanist Leftists and anti-imperialists should be more in favor of a united Somalia rather than this secessionists movement despite serious legitimate grievances. 

The staged coup in Guinea Bissau illustrates once again the role of the far-right military. 

Further discussions took place related to the triumph once more of Western-backed Yoweri Museveni in Uganda as well as Paul Biya in Cameroon and the protests and violent suppression of the broad opposition. 

We continued with the latest developments involving the conflict between DR Congo and Rwanda. 

Then we touch on the status of the peace agreement between Ethiopia and the Tigrayan secessionists movements.

Videos of the Deadly Minneapolis Shooting of Alex Pretti Contradict Government Statements

By JIM MUSTIAN and MICHAEL BIESECKER

8:21 PM EST, January 25, 2026

Leaders of law enforcement organizations expressed alarm Sunday over the latest deadly shooting by federal officers in Minneapolis while use-of-force experts criticized the Trump administration’s justification of the killing, saying bystander footage contradicted its narrative of what prompted it.

The federal government also faced criticism over the lack of a civil rights inquiry by the U.S. Justice Department and its efforts to block Minnesota authorities from conducting their own review of the killing of 37-year-old Alex Pretti.

In a bid to ease tensions, the International Association of Chiefs of Police called on the White House to convene discussions “as soon as practicable” among federal, state and local law enforcement.

“Every police chief in the country is watching Minneapolis very carefully,” said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, a police research and policy organization. “If a police chief had three officer-involved shootings in three weeks, they would be stepping back and asking, ‘What does our training look like? What does our policy look like?’”

Pretti’s death came on the heels of the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of Renee Good and another incident a week later in Minneapolis when a federal officer shot a man in the leg after being attacked with a shovel and broom handle while attempting to arrest a Venezuelan who was in the country illegally.

“We’re dealing with a federal agency here,” Wexler said, referring to the Department of Homeland Security, “but its actions can have a ripple effect across the entire country.”

Experts say video of shooting undermines federal claims

While questions remained about the latest confrontation, use-of-force experts told The Associated Press that bystander video undermined federal authorities’ claim that Pretti “approached” a group of lawmen with a firearm and that a Border Patrol officer opened fire “defensively.” There has been no evidence made public, they said, that supports a claim by Border Patrol senior official Greg Bovino that Pretti, who had a permit to carry a concealed handgun, intended to “massacre law enforcement.”

“It’s very baked into the culture of American policing to not criticize other law enforcement agencies,” said Seth Stoughton, a former police officer and use-of-force expert who testified for prosecutors in the trial of the Minneapolis officer convicted of murdering George Floyd.

“But behind the scenes, there is nothing but professional scorn for the way that DHS is handling the aftermath of these incidents,” Stoughton said.

Several government officials had essentially convicted Pretti on social media before the crime scene had been processed.

Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller generated outrage by describing Pretti as “a would-be assassin” in a post, while a top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, Bill Essayli, drew the ire of the National Rifle Association for posting that “if you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”

“In a country that has more guns than people, the mere possession of a weapon does not establish an imminent threat to officers — and neither does having a weapon and approaching officers,” Stoughton said. “I don’t think there’s any evidence to confirm the official narrative at all. It’s not unlawful for someone to carry a weapon in Minnesota.”

Minnesota official says state investigators blocked from shooting scene

In the hours after Pretti’s shooting, Minnesota authorities obtained a search warrant granting them access to the shooting scene. Drew Evans, superintendent for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said his team was blocked from the scene.

Minnesota authorities also received an emergency court order from a federal judge barring officials “from destroying or altering evidence related to the fatal shooting involving federal officers.”

Bovino sounded a less strident tone at a Sunday news conference, calling Pretti’s shooting a “tragedy that was preventable” even as he urged people not to “interfere, obstruct, delay or assault law enforcement.” He refused to comment on what he called the “freeze-frame concept,” referring to videos circulating on social media that raise doubts about the dangers Pretti posed to officers.

“That, folks, is why we have something called an investigation,” Bovino said. “I wasn’t there wrestling him myself. So I’m not going to speculate. I’m going to wait for that investigation.”

Policing experts said the irregularities in the federal response went beyond the government’s immediate defense. Before Pretti’s parents had even been notified of his death, DHS posted a photograph on X of a 9mm Sig Sauer semiautomatic handgun seized during the scuffle, portraying the weapon as justification for the killing.

“The suspect also had 2 magazines and no ID,” the post said. “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage.”

However, the photo showed only one loaded magazine lying next to the pistol, which had apparently been emptied and displayed on the seat of a vehicle. Minnesota state officials said that, by removing the weapon from the scene, Border Patrol officers likely mishandled key evidence.

Videos show Pretti holding a cellphone

None of the half-dozen bystander videos shows Pretti brandishing his gun. Rather, the videos showed Pretti’s hands were only holding his mobile phone as a masked Border Patrol officer opened fire.

In videos of the scuffle, “gun, gun” is heard, and an officer appears to pull a handgun from Pretti’s waist area and begins moving away. As that happens, a first shot is fired by a Border Patrol officer. There’s a slight pause, and then the same officer fires several more times into Pretti’s back.

Several use-of-force experts said that unenhanced video clips alone would neither exonerate nor support prosecution of the officers, underscoring the need for a thorough investigation. A key piece of evidence will likely be the video from the phone Pretti was holding when he was killed. Federal officials have not yet released that footage or shared it with state investigators.

“The evaluation of the reasonableness of this shooting will entirely depend on when the pistol became visible and how, if at all, it was being displayed or used,” said Charles “Joe” Key, a former police lieutenant and longtime use-of-force expert.

Ian Adams, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, described the federal government’s response as “amateur hour.”

“Jumping to the end result of this investigation, or what’s supposed to be an investigation, is somewhat embarrassing for policing professionals nationwide,” Adams said. “It’s clear that professionals in policing are observing what’s going on and not liking what they’re seeing.”

__

Associated Press reporter Hannah Fingerhut contributed reporting Des Moines, Iowa.

Corporations Face Pressure to Respond to Immigration Agencies While Also Becoming a Target of It

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

11:22 AM EST, January 26, 2026

From family-run cafes to retail giants, businesses are increasingly coming into the crosshairs of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, whether it’s public pressure for them to speak out against aggressive immigration enforcement or becoming the sites for such arrests themselves.

In Minneapolis, where the Department of Homeland Security says it’s carrying out its largest operation ever, hotels, restaurants and other businesses have temporarily closed their doors or stopped accepting reservations amid widespread protests.

On Sunday, after the U.S. Border Patrol shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies including Target, Best Buy and UnitedHealth signed an open letter calling for “an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.”

Still, that letter didn’t name immigration enforcement directly, or point to recent arrests at businesses. Earlier this month, widely-circulated videos showed federal agents detaining two Target employees in Minnesota. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also rounded up day laborers in Home Depot parking lots and delivery workers on the street nationwide. And last year, federal agents detained 475 people during a raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia.

Here’s what we know about immigration enforcement in businesses.

What ICE is allowed to do

Anyone — including ICE — can enter public areas of a business as they wish. This can include restaurant dining sections, open parking lots, office lobbies and shopping aisles.

“The general public can go into a store for purposes of shopping, right? And so can law enforcement agents — without a warrant,” said Jessie Hahn, senior counsel for labor and employment policy at the National Immigration Law Center, an advocacy nonprofit. As a result, immigration officials may try to question people, seize information and even make arrests in public-facing parts of a business.

But to enter areas where there’s a reasonable expectation of privacy — like a back office or a closed-off kitchen — ICE is supposed to have a judicial warrant, which must be signed by a judge from a specified court, and can be limited to specific days or parts of the business.

Judicial warrants should not be confused with administrative warrants, which are signed by immigration officers.

But in an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press, ICE leadership stated administrative warrants were sufficient for federal officers to forcibly enter people’s homes if there’s a final order of removal. Hahn and other immigration rights lawyers say this upends years of precedent for federal agents’ authority in private spaces — and violates “bedrock principles” of the U.S. Constitution.

Still, the easiest way for ICE to enter private spaces in businesses without a warrant is through consent from an employer. That could be as simple as someone agreeing to let an agent into certain parts of the property. The agency may also cite other “exigent circumstances,” Hahn notes, such as if they’re in “hot pursuit” of a certain individual.

Other actions ICE can take against employers

Beyond more sweeping workplace raids, enforcement against employers can also take the form of I-9 audits, which focus on verifying employees’ authorization to work in the U.S.

Since the start of Trump’s second term, attorneys have pointed to an uptick in instances of ICE physically showing up to a place of business to initiate an I-9 audit. ICE has the authority to do this — but it marks a shift from prior enforcement, when I-9 audits more often began through writing like mailed notices.

David Jones, a regional managing partner at labor and employment law firm Fisher Phillips in Memphis, said he’s also seen immigration agents approach these audits with the same approach as recent raids.

“ICE is still showing up in their full tactical gear without identifying themselves necessarily, just to do things like serve a notice of inspection,” Jones said. Employers have three days to respond to an I-9 audit, but he and others note that agents behaving aggressively might make some businesses think they need to act more immediately.

The rights of businesses

If ICE shows up without a warrant, businesses can ask agents to leave — or potentially refuse service based on their own company policy, perhaps citing safety concerns or other disruptions caused by agents’ presence. But there’s no guarantee immigration officials will comply, especially in public spaces.

“That’s not what we’re seeing here in Minnesota. What we’re seeing is they still conduct the activity,” said John Medeiros, who leads corporate immigration practice at Minneapolis-based law firm Nilan Johnson Lewis.

Because of this, Medeiros said, the question for many businesses becomes less about getting ICE to leave their property and more about what to do if ICE violates consent and other legal requirements.

In Minneapolis — and other cities that have seen surges in immigration enforcement, including Chicago and Los Angeles — some businesses have put up signs to label private spaces, educated workers on how to read different warrants and set wider protocols for what to do when ICE arrives.

Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and vice president of HR at Engage PEO, says she’s also seen a nationwide uptick in interest for I-9 self-audits across sectors and additional emergency preparation.

How the public is responding

ICE’s increased presence and forceful arrests at businesses has sparked public outcry, some of it directed at the companies themselves for not taking a strong enough stand.

Some employers, particularly smaller business owners, are speaking out about ICE’s impacts on their workers and customers. But a handful of bigger corporations have stayed largely silent, at least publicly, about enforcement making its way to their storefronts.

Minneapolis-based Target, for example, has not commented on videos of federal agents detaining two of its employees earlier this month, although its incoming chief executive, Michael Fiddelke, was one of the 60 CEOs who signed the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s letter calling for broader de-escalation. The letter also got support of the Business Roundtable, a lobbying group of CEOs from more than 200 companies.

Target is among companies that organizers with “ICE Out of Minnesota” have asked to take strong public stances over ICE’s presence in the state. Others include Home Depot, whose parking lots have become a known site of ICE raids over the last year, and Hilton — which protestors said was among brands of Twin City-area hotels that have housed federal agents.

Hilton and Home Depot did not respond to comment requests over the activists’ calls. Home Depot previously denied being involved in immigration operations.

Several worker groups have been more outspoken. Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for a local chapter of the Culinary Union in Las Vegas, said members have been shocked by a “widening pattern of unlawful ICE behavior” nationwide and “recognize that anti-immigrant policies hurt tourism, business, and their families.” United Auto Workers also expressed solidarity with Minneapolis residents “fighting back against the federal government’s abuses and attacks on the working class.”

Hahn of the National Immigration Law Center noted some businesses are communicating through industry associations to avoid direct exposure to possible retaliation. Still, she stressed the importance of speaking publicly about the impacts of immigration enforcement overall.

“We know that the raids are contributing to things like labor shortages and reduced foot traffic,” Hahn said, adding that fears to push back on “this abuse of power from Trump could ultimately land us in a very different looking economy.”

___

Associated Press Writer Rio Yamat in Las Vegas and Anne D’Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.

Egypt to Adopt Restrictions on Children’s Social Media Use to Fight ‘Digital Chaos’

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi meets with President Donald Trump during a summit to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

By SAMY MAGDY

4:16 AM EST, January 26, 2026

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s Parliament is looking into ways to regulate children’s use of social media platforms to combat what lawmakers called “digital choas,” following some western countries that are considering banning young teenagers from social media.

The House of Representatives said in a statement late Sunday that it will work on a legislation to regulate children’s use of social media and “put an end to the digital chaos our children are facing, and which negatively impacts their future.”

Legislators will consult with the government and expert bodies to draft a law to “protect Egyptian children from any risks that threaten its thoughts and behavior,” the statement said.

The statement came after President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday urged his government and lawmakers to consider adopting legislation restricting children’s use of social media, “until they reach an age when they can handle it properly.”

The president’s televised comments urged his government to look at other countries including Australia and the United Kingdom that are working on legislations to “restrict or ban” children from social media.

About 50% of children under 18 in Egypt use social media platforms where they are likely exposed to harmful content, cyberbullying and abuse, according to a 2024 report by the National Center for Social and Criminological Research, a government-linked think tank.

In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children younger than 16. The move triggered fraught debates about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.

The British government said it will consider banning young teenagers from social media while tightening laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged his government to fast-track the legal process to ensure a social media ban for children under 15 can be enforced at the start of the next school year in September.

Mali’s Government Moves to Impose Fuel Rationing as al-Qaida-linked Attacks Cut off Supplies

People queue with their motorcycles at a gas station amid a fuel shortage in Bamako, Mali, Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 (AP Photo, File)

By OPE ADETAYO

5:40 AM EST, January 24, 2026

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Mali’s government has moved to impose fuel rationing to counter widespread shortages caused by al-Qaida-linked groups operating in the border regions that have in recent months cut off fuel supplies to the landlocked African country.

In announcing the rationing on Thursday, officials did not say when it would start. The measure was cast as an effort to reduce long lines at gas stations, especially with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan only a few weeks away.

Russian troops with the Africa Corps — Moscow’s state-controlled paramilitary force involved in operations in West Africa — have lately begun escorting tanker convoys distributing gasoline across the country.

Since the junta took over in May 2021, Mali’s military government — as well as those in Burkina Faso and Niger — have turned from Western allies to Russia for help combating militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Since September, al-Qaida-linked militants and other jihadis in Mali have increasingly attacked fuel trucks — more than a hundred trucks have been burned in the violence, which has crippled fuel imports and distribution.

Mali’s fuel importers union said that over 2,000 tanker trucks have entered the country since the start of the year — significantly less than the up to 6,000 per month that came prior to the attacks.

Officials say the rationing system will ensure a more equitable fuel distribution among consumers. The new measures will include registering vehicle plates and wait periods for cars and vehicles to refuel. Cars will be allowed to tank up every 72 hours and motorcycles every 48 hours.

A Malian fuel importer told The Associated Press that Russian soldiers from the Africa Corps are already escorting fuel convoys to protect them from the militant attacks. He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the Russian presence in Mali.

Moussa Alassane Diallo, Mali’s trade and industry minister, told a union of petroleum product importers on Thursday that the rationing will “give us complete control” over gas stations, and allow authorities to “monitor the quantities of fuel sold.”

“We are committed to ending the fuel crisis as long as the military continues to escort our tanker trucks”, said Ibrahim Touré, head of the petroleum importers union.

But many residents — especially taxi drivers — expressed concerns that the fuel limits would impact their daily lives.

“These measures may work for private cars, but for us taxi drivers, it’s going to be difficult because we don’t earn enough money to fill up our taxis every time we go,” said Oumar Coulibaly, a taxi driver in the capital, Bamako.

“We do a lot of trips, and we need fuel,” he said.

Experts say the junta’s move was likely spurred by concerns about popular discontent over prolonged fuel shortage.

Beverly Ochieng, a senior analyst with the consultancy Control Risks’ Global Risk Analysis team, said the “insecurity on supply routes due to militant presence and activity will remain a challenge to the transportation of fuel in the coming weeks, and the stability of supplies will vary.”

25 Killed in Attack by Islamic State-backed Group in Eastern DR Congo, Rights Group Says

6:17 PM EST, January 25, 2026

GOMA, Congo (AP) — An attack by an Islamic State-linked militant group in eastern Congo killed at least 25 people early Sunday, a rights group based in Ituri province said.

The dead from the attack by the Allied Democratic Force, or ADF, include 15 men who were burned alive in a house and seven who were shot in the village of Apakulu in the Irumu territory of Ituri province. Three others were killed in Walese Vonkutu administrative area.

“This tragedy occurred around 4 a.m. and claimed the lives of at least 25 people. This incursion by the ADF is a true massacre,” Christophe Munyanderu, president of the Convention for the Respect of Human Rights, said.

There was no immediate statement from the ADF.

The eastern region of Congo has witnessed several attacks in recent months by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.

The ADF, which operates in the border region between Uganda and Congo, has killed several civilians. The group grew out of an insurgency against Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s rule but was pushed into Congo after Ugandan military assaults. Last July, it carried out a series of attacks that killed more than 100 people.

The Ugandan and Congolese armed forces have been conducting joint operations against the group.