International News Briefs for Friday, January 9, 2026
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Friday, January 9, 2026.
Portland Mayor Calls on ICE to Halt Operations in City After Border Agents Shot Married Couple
Jan 09, 2026
Protests broke out in Portland, Oregon, Thursday after Border Patrol agents shot and wounded a married couple during a vehicle stop in a hospital parking lot. The incident came a day after an ICE agent fatally shot a mother of three in Minneapolis, Renee Good, sparking nationwide protests. In Portland, local police said the man and woman survived the shooting and then drove two miles, before calling 911 for medical help. Their identities and current condition have not been released.
After the shooting, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson called for a halt to ICE operations in the city.
Mayor Keith Wilson: “We know what the federal government says happened here. There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time has long passed. That is why we are calling on ICE to halt all operations in Portland until a full and independent investigation can take place. Our community deserves answers. Our community deserves accountability. And most of all, our community deserves peace.”
The Killing of Renee Good: Minnesota Officials Fear Cover-Up After FBI Halts Cooperation with State Investigators
Jan 09, 2026
Protests continue across the country over the killing of Renee Good, the mother of three shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday. Good was shot inside her car after she dropped her 6-year-old son off at school. Video of the shooting shows masked ICE agents approaching her vehicle, screaming for her to “Get out of the f—ing car” — using profanity — and attempting to force open her driver-side door. As Good attempted to drive past the officers, a masked agent pulled his firearm and fired three rounds at Good.
On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance claimed Good had aimed her car at the officer, but The New York Times published a slow-motion analysis showing how her vehicle was turning away from the officer when he opened fire. Vance also claimed the ICE officer, who has been identified as Jonathan Ross, is “protected by absolute immunity.”
Local officials in Minnesota have denounced the FBI for preventing state authorities from being part of the investigation into Renee Good’s death. On Thursday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said the FBI had blocked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from accessing case materials, scene evidence or investigative interviews. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote online, “Let’s call a spade a spade: Kristi Noem watched the videos and doesn’t want an impartial investigation because she knows her narrative about domestic terrorism is bullshit.”
Rep. Robin Kelly to Introduce Articles to Impeach Kristi Noem
Jan 09, 2026
Illinois Democratic Congresswoman Robin Kelly has announced that she is introducing articles to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Kelly said, “She wreaked havoc in the Chicagoland area and has brought her reign of terror to Minneapolis. One of her rogue ICE agents shot and killed an innocent woman today. It must come to an end.”
Immigration Agents Denounced for Raid Outside Minneapolis High School
Jan 09, 2026
Image Credit: via Social Media
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other officials are also calling on immigration agents to stay away from schools in Minneapolis, after armed, masked Border Patrol officers came onto the property of Roosevelt High School during dismissal on Wednesday. Agents deployed chemical weapons, tackled people and handcuffed two staff members. U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino was at the school during the operation. Minneapolis schools are closed again today for in-person classes.
Bipartisan Bill Advances in Senate to Block Trump from Taking Military Action in Venezuela
Jan 09, 2026
On Capitol Hill, the Senate advanced a bipartisan measure intended to block the Trump administration from conducting further military action in Venezuela following Saturday’s U.S. attack and abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Five Republican senators backed the measure: Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Todd Young. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine sponsored the measure.
Sen. Tim Kaine: “Here is something I can guarantee you: No one has ever regretted — no one has ever regretted a vote that just says, ‘Mr. President, before you send our sons and daughters to war, come to Congress.’ That is a vote that no one has ever regretted and no one will ever regret.”
In a social media post this morning, Trump said he canceled a second wave of attacks on Venezuela after Venezuela’s interim government agreed to cooperate with the U.S. on a number of issues. On Thursday, a number of prisoners were released, including Enrique Márquez, a prominent opposition figure.
“Would Be Great Honor”: Trump on Offer by Machado to Share Nobel Prize with Him
Jan 09, 2026
President Trump is scheduled to meet with top oil executives from Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and other oil firms at the White House today to discuss the future of Venezuela. Trump has repeatedly said the U.S. plans to take control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Trump has claimed Big Oil firms plan to invest $100 billion in Venezuela.
Trump is also expected to meet next week with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. On Saturday, Trump dismissed the idea of installing Machado as Venezuela’s leader. The Washington Post reports Trump’s refusal to support her stemmed from her decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, which Trump had lobbied for. One source told The Washington Post, “If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today.” After the Post article ran, Machado announced she wanted to share her Nobel Prize with Trump. On Thursday, Trump appeared on Fox News and was asked about this by Sean Hannity.
Sean Hannity: “Do you have any plans to meet with her? And would you accept the Nobel Prize she wants to hand to you?”
President Donald Trump: “Well, I understand she’s coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her. And I’ve heard that she wants to do that. That would be a great honor.”
U.S. Considers Sending $100,000 to Each Greenlander as Part of Trump Push to Take Over Island
Jan 09, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced plans to meet next week with Danish officials to discuss the future of Greenland as the Trump administration explores ways to seize the Danish territory. Reuters reports the Trump administration is considering sending lump sum payments of up to $100,000 to each resident of Greenland to convince them to secede from Denmark. The U.S. has also not ruled out using military force to take over Greenland.
Earlier this week, Trump told reporters at The New York Times he wants to take ownership of Greenland. In the same interview, Trump dismissed the importance of international law.
Katie Rogers: “Is there anything that could stop you if you wanted to?”
President Donald Trump: “Yeah, there’s one thing: my own morality, my own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me. And that’s very good.”
Zolan Kanno-Youngs: “Not international law?”
President Donald Trump: “I don’t need international law. I’m not looking to hurt people.”
Zolan Kanno-Youngs: “Do you feel your administration needs to abide by international law on the global stage?”
President Donald Trump: “Yeah, I do. You know, I do. But it depends what your definition of ‘international law’ is.”
This comes as German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has sharply criticized Trump’s foreign policy. He warned that the world is turning into a “den of robbers, where the most unscrupulous take whatever they want.”
Protests Continue in Iran; Trump Renews Threat to Attack Iran If Protesters Are Crushed
Jan 09, 2026
Anti-government protests continue in a number of Iranian cities despite a new nationwide internet blackout. International calls are also being blocked. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights estimates 45 people have been killed since the protests began on December 28 over Iran’s economic crisis, which has been worsened in part by U.S. sanctions. Earlier today, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said protesters are “ruining their own streets” to please U.S. President Donald Trump. On Thursday, Trump renewed his threat to attack Iran if security forces violently crush the protests. Trump said, “If they do it, we’re going to hit them very hard.”
“There’s Neither Peace Nor Truce”: Israel Kills 14 Palestinians in Gaza
Jan 09, 2026
In news from Gaza, Israeli forces have killed at least 14 Palestinians over the past day in attacks targeting areas across the Gaza Strip, including homes in the Bureij refugee camp.
Nuhad al-Wer: “Since they destroyed the house, I have nothing left. I sat like this, leaning on the floor. I’m 63 years old. For 63 years, when I built this house, I put a shekel on top of a shekel to build it. And it was gone, gone in seconds. They say there’s peace and a truce, but there’s neither peace nor truce.”
Israeli forces have killed at least 425 Palestinians since the so-called U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas came into effect in October.
Russia Deploys Hypersonic Missile in Massive Attack on Ukraine
Jan 09, 2026
Russia launched a massive overnight drone and missile attack on Ukraine. For just the second time, Russia fired a new hypersonic nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flies at roughly 10 times the speed of sound. Ukraine reported four people were killed in Kyiv, including an emergency medical aid worker. At least 20 buildings were struck in Kyiv, including the Qatari Embassy. Recent Russian strikes have also cut off power and water to more than a million people in southeastern Ukraine.
17 House Republicans Join Democrats to Restore Obamacare Subsidies
Jan 09, 2026
On Capitol Hill, the House has passed a bill to restore subsidies for the Affordable Care Act for three years. Seventeen Republicans joined with Democrats to pass the measure. But it is unclear if the bill will pass in the Senate. Health insurance premiums soared this month for millions after the subsidies expired.
Reps. Khanna & Massie Call for Special Master to Oversee DOJ Release of Epstein Documents
Jan 09, 2026
Republican Congressmember Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna
are urging a federal judge to appoint a special master to oversee the process of releasing files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Massie and Khanna said, “Put simply, the DOJ cannot be trusted with making mandatory disclosures under the Act.”
Mamdani & Hochul Announce Plan to Provide Free Child Care for 2-Year-Olds in NYC
Jan 09, 2026
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have announced plans to launch a new program to provide free child care for 2-year-olds in New York City and to expand pre-K programs statewide. The announcement comes a week after Mamdani was sworn into office and as he ran a campaign vowing to deliver universal child care to every New Yorker.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani: “To those who doubt the power of the people to make their own destiny, to the cynics who insist that politics is too broken to deliver meaningful change, to those who think that the promises of a campaign cannot survive once confronted with the realities of government, today is your answer.”