Month: January 2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz voiced concern on Monday regarding the fatal shooting of a US citizen during an operation conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Minneapolis.
“I find the news we’ve been getting from the USA in the last few days indeed worrying. And it’s obviously always one region or one city that is affected,” Merz said in Hamburg, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“I assume that the American authorities will now really clarify whether it was necessary to shoot here, whether there really was a threat to the officers involved. In any case, I have to say I find this level of use of violence in the USA worrying, to put it that way,” he added.
A 37-year-old man was shot and killed Saturday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the city’s second fatal shooting of a US citizen by federal agents this month. The US government described the fatal shooting as self-defense; however, video footage of the scene posted online paints a different picture.
The killing of Alex Pretti, who worked as an intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis, further inflamed tensions, sparking street clashes between protesters and law enforcement. The incident followed the fatal shooting on Jan. 7 of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis.
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On Sunday, Iranian authorities unveiled a new mural on a massive billboard in central Tehran, delivering a direct warning to the United States against attempting a military strike on the country, as U.S. warships move toward the region.
The image shows a bird’s-eye view of an aircraft carrier with damaged and exploding fighter planes on its flight deck, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The deck is strewn with bodies and streaked with blood that trails into the water behind the ship to form a pattern reminiscent of the stripes of the American flag. A slogan is emblazoned across one corner: “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.”
The unveiling of the mural in Enghelab Square comes as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and accompanying warships move toward the region. U.S. President Donald Trump has said the ships are being moved “just in case” he decides to take action.
“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said Thursday.
Enghelab Square is used for gatherings called by the state and authorities change its mural based on national occasions. On Saturday, the commander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard warned that his force is “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger.”
Tension between the U.S. and Iran has spiked in the wake of a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests that saw thousands of people killed and tens of thousands arrested. Trump had threatened military action if Iran continued to kill peaceful protesters or carried out mass executions of those detained.
There have been no further protests for days and Trump claimed recently that Tehran had halted the planned execution of about 800 arrested protesters — a claim Iran’s top prosecutor called “completely false.”
But Trump has indicated he is keeping his options open, saying on Thursday that any military action would make last June’s U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites “look like peanuts.”
U.S. Central Command said on social media that its Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle now has a presence in the Middle East, noting the fighter jet “enhances combat readiness and promotes regional security and stability.”
Similarly, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Thursday that it deployed its Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar “in a defensive capacity.”
The protests in Iran began on Dec. 28, sparked by the fall of the Iranian currency, the rial, and quickly spread across the country. They were met by a violent crackdown by Iran’s theocracy, which does not tolerate dissent.
The death toll reported by activists has continued to rise since the end of the demonstrations, as information trickles out despite a more than two-week internet blackout — the most comprehensive in Iran’s history.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Sunday put the death toll at 5,848, with the number expected to increase. It says more than 41,280 people have been arrested.
The group’s figures have been accurate in previous unrest and rely on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths. That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest there in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify the toll.
Iran’s government has put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labeled the rest “terrorists.” In the past, Iran’s theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.
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The Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) took part in the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Ski Flying World Championships held in Oberstdorf, Germany, from January 22 to 25.
Visitors were introduced to Azerbaijan’s rich cultural heritage, unique tourism offerings, and winter sports potential, News.Az reports, citing local media.
A key objective of the cooperation with FIS is to promote Azerbaijan as a destination for world-class professional winter sports competitions and to implement a large-scale international marketing and promotional campaign for the country’s tourism brand and products.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has toured sculptures and artwork being created for a memorial museum dedicated to the country’s soldiers who died in Russia’s war against Ukraine, stating that the works will highlight the soldiers’ “legendary feats and glorious life.”
Kim visited the Mansudae Art Studio in Pyongyang the previous day and inspected a number of sculptures and artwork that will be erected at the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations, including a tower and decorative engravings for an outer wall, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
In October, North Korea launched the construction of the museum honoring the country’s young soldiers who were killed while fighting on Russia’s side in the war with Ukraine, marking the first memorial in the North to commemorate soldiers killed in overseas action.
Earlier this month, Kim visited its construction site in Pyongyang and dug the first shovelful of earth for the museum’s tree planting.
North Korea has sent more than 10,000 troops and conventional weapons to support Russia’s war efforts, with thousands believed to have been killed in action.
Kim lauded the sculptures as being created in a way that they will convey forever “the legendary feats and glorious life of admirable sons of the DPRK, the defenders of honor,” the KCNA said.
DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.
“Our army proved before the times the law of strength, the immutable truth that the strong in spirit always emerge victorious,” the KCNA also quoted Kim as saying.
The KCNA added that Kim also underscored the “need to ensure high artistic portrayal and delicate perfection in all details” so museum visitors can “feel the faith in certain victory cherished by the heroic soldiers” and always remember them.
Released KCNA photos show the sculptures depict combat scenes or soldiers in full gear at two to three times life-size.
The Mansudae Art Studio is a leading state-run art studio responsible for creating major artworks for the regime’s propaganda activities.
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The UN expressed concern on Monday about reports that the United States is sending a carrier strike group to the Middle East and increasing its military presence in the region.
Asked about the reports, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference: “We obviously are seeing these reports of heightened military tensions, which are very concerning indeed,” News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Addressing reports of the alleged use of force by Iranian security forces against protesters, Dujarric said: “Let me just say, we’ve seen various reports of an extremely high number of people killed by the security forces, of protesters being killed by the security forces.”
“The numbers vary, but even without having an exact number, it’s clear that the situation on the ground is just horrendous in terms of these killings,” he added.
Dujarric said the UN is also alarmed by the broader regional implications of recent developments, stating: “At the same time, we are very concerned about increased military activities and rhetoric, which we think goes counter to the stability of the region.”
Tens of thousands have rallied across Iranian cities over economic grievances and the depreciation of the rial, prompting US President Donald Trump to warn of a US “rescue” if protesters are killed, saying forces are “locked and loaded.”
Trump has said he is weighing a “tough response,” threatening action if mass executions proceed. He later softened his rhetoric, suggesting Tehran had stopped killing protesters following his warning.
Iranian officials have warned that any US attack would trigger a “swift and comprehensive” response.
The Federal Aviation Administration reports that seven people were killed and one person seriously injured when a private jet crashed during takeoff from an airport in Bangor, Maine.
The crash of the twin-engine turbo-fan jet Bombardier Challenger 600 at Bangor International Airport happened about 7.45pm on Sunday, the FAA said on Monday, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which occurred in snowy weather and in low visibility conditions.
Bombardier referred questions to the NTSB.
The NTSB said it has no role in the release of information about victims and that such information is handled by local authorities.
But airport director Jose Saavedra declined to comment, saying at a news conference on Monday that he was “awaiting guidance and support from federal partners”.
An audio recording of air traffic controllers includes someone saying “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down,” about 45 seconds after a plane was cleared for takeoff.
First responders arrived less than a minute later, Saavedra said.
The Bangor airport remained closed on Monday morning.
The plane had arrived in Maine from Texas, the government official said.
The company listed as its registered owner shares a Houston address with Arnold & Itkin, a personal injury law firm.
FAA records show the plane went into service in April 2020.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated on Monday that some of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats should be seen as prepositioning in preparation for negotiations to renew the free trade agreement between the two major trading partners.
Carney noted they are entering a review of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement this year and said he expects a “robust review,” News.Az reports, citing ABC news.
“The president is a strong negotiator, and some of these comments and positioning should be viewed in the broader context of that,” Carney said.
Trump threatened this past weekend to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada if America’s northern neighbor went ahead with a trade deal with Beijing, something Carney said Canada has no interest in.
Carney has said his recent agreement with China merely cuts tariffs on a few sectors that were recently hit with tariffs.
In 2024, Canada mirrored the United States by putting a 100% tariff on electric vehicles from Beijing and a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum. China had responded by imposing 100% import taxes on Canadian canola oil and meal and 25% on pork and seafood.
Breaking with the United States this month during a visit to Beijing, Carney cut its 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on those Canadian products.
“Last week’s new strategic partnership with China will make available tens of thousands affordable electric vehicles in Canada,” Carney said Monday.
Carney has said there would be an initial annual cap of 49,000 vehicles on Chinese EV exports coming into Canada at a tariff rate of 6.1%, growing to about 70,000 over five years.
He also has said the initial cap on Chinese EV imports was about 3% of the 1.8 million vehicles sold in Canada annually and that, in exchange, China is expected to begin investing in the Canadian auto industry within three years.
Trump’s tariff threat came amid an escalating war of words with Carney as the Republican president’s push to acquire Greenland strained the NATO alliance.
Carney has emerged as a spokesman for a movement for countries to find ways to link up and counter the U.S. under Trump. Speaking in Davos before Trump, Carney said, “Middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” The prime minister received widespread praise and attention for his remarks, upstaging Trump at the World Economic Forum.
Trump’s push to acquire Greenland has come after he has repeatedly needled Canada over its sovereignty and suggested it also be absorbed into the United States as a 51st state. He posted an altered image on social media last week showing a map of the United States that included Canada, Venezuela, Greenland and Cuba as part of its territory.