International News Briefs for Tuesday, January 13, 2026
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
Minnesota & Illinois Sue over “Federal Invasion” by ICE Agents
Jan 13, 2026
The state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul have sued the federal government in an effort to halt an unprecedented surge of federal immigration agents into the state. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison likened the deployment of ICE agents to a “federal invasion.”
Attorney General Keith Ellison: “Deployment of thousands of armed, masked DHS agents to Minnesota has done our state serious harm. This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop. DHS agents have sown chaos and terror across the metropolitan area and in cities across the state of Minnesota.”
Click here to see our interview with AG Ellison.
The lawsuit was filed Monday, five days after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, sparking nationwide protests. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decried the actions of the federal agents.
Mayor Jacob Frey: “What we are seeing right now is not normal immigration enforcement. We are not asking ICE not to do ICE things. We are asking this federal government to stop the unconstitutional conduct that is invading our streets each and every day. You’ve seen the videos. At times, there are as many as 50 agents arresting one person. The scale is wildly disproportionate and has nothing to do with keeping people safe.”
The state of Illinois has also sued the Trump administration over use of federal forces in the state.
ICE Agents in Minneapolis Fire Tear Gas, Pepper Spray at Protests over Immigration Raids
Jan 13, 2026
On Monday, residents of the Twin Cities continued to protest the deployment of ICE agents in their neighborhoods. Agents responded by firing tear gas, pepper spray and other chemical agents. In one incident, agents rammed the car of a Latino man in south Minneapolis and then questioned his immigration status. Christian Molina said he was pulled over and only let go after he told agents he was a U.S. citizen.
Christian Molina: “It’s not safe out here. It’s not safe, you know? People aren’t safe. So, just, I mean, I’m glad they didn’t shoot me or something, because, you know, what if they start shooting me? You know what I mean? They have guns.”
In another incident, masked, armed federal immigration agents broke down the door of a home in north Minneapolis on Sunday without a warrant. The agents used a battering ram to get inside the house in an attempt to arrest a Liberian man. Occupants inside the home included the man’s wife and 9-year-old daughter.
Four Top DOJ Officials Resign over Decision Not to Probe ICE Killing of Renee Good
Jan 13, 2026
Image Credit: Facebook/ODU English Department
MS NOW is reporting four top officials at the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division have resigned in protest over the DOJ’s response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Last week, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon decided not to investigate the ICE agent, Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Renee Good.
As Trump Weighs Iran Strikes, Tehran Says It Is Prepared for War But Ready to Negotiate
Jan 13, 2026
Iran says it is prepared for war but ready to negotiate, as the Trump administration considers attacking Iran over Tehran’s crackdown on the recent mass protests. Trump is expected to be briefed today on options including launching strikes inside Iran and offensive cyberattacks. On Monday, Trump announced a 25% tariff on countries that conduct business with Iran, including China, India, Turkey and Pakistan.
The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights says at least 648 protesters have been killed over the past two weeks. An Iranian official also reported today the number of dead could be as high as 2,000. We will have more on Iran later in the show.
Eight Palestinians Killed in Intense Winter Storm
Jan 13, 2026
In Gaza, an intense winter storm has killed at least eight Palestinians as strong winds have toppled numerous buildings and temporary shelters across the Gaza Strip. In Gaza City, three people died, including a 15-year-old girl, when a weakened wall collapsed on their tent. Earlier today, Qatar repeated its calls for Israel to allow more aid into the besieged strip.
Headstone Is Finally Placed for Palestinian Poet Refaat Alareer, Killed in 2023 Israeli Strike
Jan 13, 2026
Image Credit: X/@AsemAlnabeh
In other news from Gaza, a headstone has finally been placed on the grave of Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer, more than two years after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on December 6, 2023. His body wasn’t recovered until 10 months ago. Inscribed on the headstone are the closing lines of his most famous poem: “If I must die, / Let it bring hope; / Let it be a tale.”
Ex-Treasury Secretaries & Fed Chairs Criticize Criminal Probe into Jerome Powell
Jan 13, 2026
A bipartisan group of former Treasury secretaries and other top economic officials has blasted the Trump administration for launching a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The probe was set in motion after Powell refused Trump’s demands to lower interest rates. The former officials described the investigation as an “unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine” the independence of the Federal Reserve. Signatories to the letter include former Fed chairs Janet Yellen, Ben Bernanke and Alan Greenspan. The Wall Street Journal reports Trump’s own Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has privately warned Trump the move to investigate Powell could backfire.
Sen. Mark Kelly Sues Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over “Unconstitutional Crusade” to Censure Him
Jan 13, 2026
In other legal developments, Democratic Senator Mark Kelly has sued U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The lawsuit comes a week after Hegseth formally censured the Navy veteran for joining five other Democratic lawmakers to urge service members to refuse unlawful orders. Kelly spoke on the floor of the Senate on Monday.
Sen. Mark Kelly: “Pete Hegseth’s unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: If you speak out and say something that the president and secretary of defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion or even prosecuted.”
Press Freedom Groups Criticize House Subpoena of Journalist Seth Harp
Jan 13, 2026
The House Oversight Committee is facing growing criticism for voting to subpoena the prominent investigative journalist Seth Harp after he posted publicly available information about a Delta Force commander who reportedly played a role in the recent U.S. abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Harp is the author of the book “The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces.” On Monday, 20 press freedom and First Amendment groups, including the ACLU and Reporters Without Borders, called on the House committee to rescind the subpoena, saying Harp’s reporting is “fully and squarely within the protections of the First Amendment.” This is Chip Gibbons of Defending Rights and Dissent.
Chip Gibbons: “The subpoena against Seth Harp has few parallels in recent memory. We have to remember Seth Harp has done some of the most important investigative reporting on U.S. foreign policy. It’s been critical reporting. The House knows full well the dangers to press freedom that subpoenaing a journalist poses. That’s why in 2024 they actually passed legislation to prevent executive branch subpoenas against journalists about their newsgathering.”
Click here to see our interview with Seth Harp about his book, “The Fort Bragg Cartel.”
Military Faces War Crime Accusation for Disguising Military Plane Used in Boat Strike
Jan 13, 2026
Image Credit: Donald Trump via Truth Social
The New York Times is reporting the Pentagon may have committed a war crime by using a secret aircraft painted to look like a civilian plane to attack a boat in the Caribbean in September. Eleven people died in the attack. The Trump administration claimed, without offering proof, that the boat was carrying drugs. Under international law, it is a war crime to commit what’s known as “perfidy” — disguising military equipment as civilian.
Russia Launches Another Major Overnight Drone & Missile Attack on Ukraine
Jan 13, 2026
Russia launched another massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine overnight, launching nearly 300 drones, as well as 18 ballistic missiles and seven cruise missiles. The attack targeted Ukraine’s power infrastructure, leaving thousands more without heat. Four people were killed in Kharkiv.
Meanwhile, a U.N. monitoring group says about 2,500 Ukrainian civilians were killed last year, making it the deadliest year yet for civilians since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
RSF Drone Strike Kills 27 at Sudanese Army Base
Jan 13, 2026
In Sudan, the UAE-backed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces launched a drone strike on a Sudanese army base in the southeastern city of Sinjah on Monday. Twenty-seven people were reportedly killed. The attack came a day after Sudan’s military-led government returned to the country’s capital Khartoum after operating in the eastern city of Port Sudan for nearly three years. The government’s return comes nearly a year after the military recaptured Khartoum from the RSF.
EPA to Stop Considering Health Impacts When Regulating Air Pollution
Jan 13, 2026
In a major reversal, the Environmental Protection Agency is no longer considering health impacts and lives saved when regulating air pollution from new power plants. Instead, the EPA will focus on the cost to industry as it regulates air pollutants, including fine particulate matter and ozone.
Judge Blocks Trump Effort to Freeze $10 Billion in Child Care Subsidies for 5 States
Jan 13, 2026
The Trump administration has suffered a number of new legal setbacks in its effort to slash funding for social services. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has ordered the Trump administration to restore nearly $12 million in funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics. In a separate case, a federal judge ruled the Trump administration can’t freeze $10 billion in child care subsidies for five Democratic-led states: New York, California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota.
Nearly 15,000 Nurses Launch Strike in NYC; Mayor Mamdani Backs Nurses
Jan 13, 2026
In labor news, nearly 15,000 nurses have launched the largest nursing strike in New York City history. Striking nurses have accused management at six private New York hospitals of refusing to negotiate fair contracts that improve safe staffing, fully fund health benefits and protect them from workplace violence. Striking nurses picketed outside NewYork-Presbyterian and other hospitals on Monday.
Striking NYC Nurse: “I am fighting for my healthcare insurance. I don’t know how I can be here working at a hospital that will not give me health insurance. It is so important for me to have health insurance. It’s so important to take care of the community. I love being a nurse. I want to take care of patients. I want to be at bedside. And it’s so important for us to strike, because we are fighting for patient safety.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined the striking nurses on Monday and praised their work.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani: “New Yorkers have a right to quality healthcare, as do the nurses who provide that care. My job as mayor is to protect both of those rights.”
Synagogue in Jackson, Miss., Once Bombed by KKK, Is Damaged in Arson Attack
Jan 13, 2026
Image Credit: Beth Israel Congregation
In Jackson, Mississippi, the city’s only synagogue, Beth Israel, has been heavily damaged in a fire. A 19-year-old man named Stephen Pittman has admitted to starting the blaze early on Saturday. Pittman reportedly described the house of worship as a “synagogue of Satan” in an interview with investigators. When a judge read Pittman his rights, the teenager responded, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” In 1967, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the same synagogue after the synagogue’s rabbi spoke out against racism and segregation.