Lawmakers, protesters demand release of 5-year-old held at Texas immigration detention center
State troopers deployed pepper spray at protesters at the family detention center near Dilley where a 5-year-old Ecuadorian’s detention has drawn nationwide attention.
Proposed reading list for Texas students draws concern over religious themes, lack of diversity
Faced with a proposed list of almost 300 readings for K-12 students, the State Board of Education delayed a vote until April.
NJ councilwoman condemns ‘ignorance’ of comparing ICE agents to Nazis during heated meeting
A New Jersey township councilwoman forcefully defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a heated public meeting, criticizing disruptive protests and condemning comparisons of federal agents to Nazis as ignorant and historically offensive. Old Bridge Township councilmember Anita Greenberg-Belli made the remarks during a Jan. 27 council meeting as residents debated immigration enforcement, local police cooperation with federal authorities and protests targeting ICE operations across the country. “We have to recognize that ICE is not the problem,” Greenberg-Belli said. “There are people demonizing them when they’re doing their job trying to be safe.” Greenberg-Belli argued that restricting cooperation between local police and ICE endangers officers, families and communities by forcing federal agents to carry out arrests in neighborhoods rather than controlled settings like police stations. She said that when local law enforcement is allowed to coordinate with federal authorities, suspects can be transferred safely without agents having to go door to door, reducing the likelihood of confrontations and minimizing risks to bystanders. MOULTON SAYS ICE COMPARISONS TO NAZI GERMANY ARE NOT EXTREME IN CNN INTERVIEW “When local police are told they cannot work with ICE… that is where all this is breaking down,” Greenberg-Belli said. The councilmember also criticized protesters who, she said, cross the line from peaceful demonstration into disruption, arguing that interfering with enforcement actions escalates tensions and puts lives at risk. “When you go out and protest in that manner, peaceful protesting’s one thing – disruption is another thing,” she said. MICHAEL SHELLENBERGER: THE LEFT IS GETTING PEOPLE KILLED Greenberg-Belli further condemned protesters and public officials who have compared ICE agents to Nazis, calling the rhetoric offensive and historically inaccurate, particularly as Holocaust remembrance was referenced during the meeting. “It has no comparison with the Holocaust,” Greenberg-Belli said. “When you use that word and call these people Nazis and fascists, it just shows your ignorance. So please stop.” She contrasted immigration enforcement with the persecution of Jews during World War II, noting that Holocaust victims were stripped of their rights, property and freedom before being murdered, while individuals facing immigration enforcement retain legal options. DEMS BLASTED FOR TRYING TO ‘DEPORT’ ICE FROM SWING COUNTY, REFERENCING ‘BLOOD MONEY’ RENT Greenberg-Belli also raised concerns about the broader impacts of illegal immigration, including financial costs, fraud and election integrity, arguing the issue affects communities nationwide. “I do not like anyone getting hurt. I don’t like anyone putting themselves in harm’s way. And unfortunately, this has happened, and it’s got to stop,” Greenberg-Belli said. “But you can’t go around calling people that are doing their job – that work for the federal government, the state or local government – Nazis, when they’re doing their job: protecting communities,” she added. Fox News Digital has reached out to Greenberg-Belli for additional comments on the matter.
Trump taps Colin McDonald for newly-created role of assistant attorney general for fraud enforcement
President Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated federal prosecutor Colin McDonald to serve in the newly formed role of assistant attorney general for national fraud enforcement. McDonald is currently serving as an associate deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice. “I am pleased to nominate Colin McDonald to serve as the first ever Assistant Attorney General for National FRAUD Enforcement, a new Division at the Department of Justice, which I created to catch and stop FRAUDSTERS that have been STEALING from the American People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. MINNESOTA FRAUD WHISTLE-BLOWER SAYS ‘LACK OF GUARDRAILS WAS PRETTY SHOCKING’ “My Administration has uncovered Fraud schemes in States like Minnesota and California, where these thieves have stolen Hundreds of Billions of Taxpayer Dollars,” he continued. Trump praised McDonald as a “very smart, tough and highly respected America First federal prosecutor who has successfully delivered justice in some of the most difficult and high-stakes cases our country has ever seen.” “Together, we will END THE FRAUD, and RESTORE INTEGRITY to our Federal Programs. Congratulations Colin — STOP THE SCAMS!” the president wrote. McDonald has been serving in the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who said McDonald was “instrumental” in the federal government’s efforts to curb crime across the country. “Colin is a rockstar, who was instrumental in our team’s mission of Making America Safe Again,” Blanche wrote on X. “He is a consummate prosecutor who loves God, family, and country and will serve the President and the American people well.” HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WIDENS INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED MINNESOTA FRAUD Vice President JD Vance announced the new role and the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division at the Department of Justice during a White House press briefing earlier this month, as the administration seeks to pursue a crackdown on alleged systemic fraud in federal programs, including in Minnesota and California. “Colin McDonald is widely regarded as a thorough and highly competent attorney. He has an exceptional prosecutorial track record, which we look forward to seeing him put to use in his new role as Assistant Attorney General,” Vance said at the time ahead of McDonald’s formal nomination.
Ilhan Omar demands impeachment of Noem amid DHS funding battle: ‘We must abolish ICE’
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., held a press conference alongside her fellow “Squad” lawmaker Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., during which she continued to demand retribution against federal law enforcement in the wake of two agitators in Minneapolis being fatally shot by federal immigration officials. The press conference was held one day after Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance at a town hall event she held Tuesday evening, garnering widespread news attention. In addition to calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be impeached and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be abolished, Omar also demanded the federal immigration agents involved in the recent Minneapolis shootings be prosecuted and Democrats “vote no” on a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH UNKNOWN SPRAY AND OTHER KEY MOMENTS FROM CHAOTIC MINNEAPOLIS TOWN HALL “Voting no on the funding bill is the bare minimum. Backing the resolution to impeach Kristi Noem is the bare minimum. Holding law-breaking ICE agents legally accountable is the bare minimum,” Omar told those in attendance at her presser held outside Karmel Mall in Minneapolis, where there are several Somali-owned businesses. “We must abolish ICE. This moment demands it.” Omar’s signal that she is digging in on the DHS funding bill, illustrates a broader coalition of Democrats who are largely unified in their opposition to the legislation in the wake of the federal officer-involved shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. If an agreement is not made by Saturday at midnight, a lapse in appropriations would incur, but because the date falls on a weekend, Congress will have some time to rectify any differences before the major impact of the appropriations lapse is truly felt. The White House invited Senate Democrats to discuss the various government funding options, Fox News learned, but instead of taking them up on the offer, Senate Democrat leadership unveiled a list of demands to rein in ICE agents in exchange for their votes to avert a shutdown. SENATE REPUBLICANS TEE UP KEY SHUTDOWN TEST VOTE AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING During Omar’s Wednesday press conference, the progressive lawmaker described the federal government’s deportation enforcement as a “federal occupation” and “state-sanctioned violence and political retribution.” “We know this is not about public safety or immigration enforcement. It is state-sanctioned violence and political retribution,” Omar said to a crowd of supporters. “What is unfolding in our state is not accidental. It is part of a coordinated effort to target black and brown immigrant and Muslim communities through fear, racial profiling and intimidation from this administration’s immigration agenda is not about law enforcement.” During the press conference, Pressley praised Omar for her “steadfast leadership” and echoed some of Omar’s phrasing. “We have an occupant in the Oval Office who traffics in hate, is hellbent on inflicting hurt and harm and trauma on everyone who calls this country home with a laser focus on our most vulnerable,” Pressley said when given the microphone at the press conference. “He has governed with malice and used Ice agents to terrorize our cities for families apart, operating with impunity. Rogue masked agents who violate people’s rights in the name of so-called law and order. Yet they detain, deport and kill our neighbors in cold blood without due process.”
Ilhan Omar blames Trump’s rhetoric for surge in death threats, including spray attack: ‘So obsessed with me’
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., on Wednesday blamed President Donald Trump for an attack in which she was sprayed with a substance by a man during a news conference, saying the commander in chief was “obsessed” with her. Speaking at the Karmel Mall in Minneapolis, Omar reiterated calls to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement the day after 55-year-old Anthony James Kazmierczak allegedly attacked the congresswoman with an unknown chemical spray. “I think my presence here should tell you that the fear and intimidation doesn’t work on me,” Omar told reporters and her supporters during a news conference. “What the facts have shown since I’ve gotten into elected office is that every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket.” MAN ACCUSED OF SPRAYING OMAR HAS CRIMINAL RECORD AS CONGRESSWOMAN VOWS ‘A–HOLES’ WON’T WIN The progressive lawmaker said the attacks from Trump began almost immediately upon her taking office in 2019 during his first term in the White House. “I became a freshman who nobody should have actually known I existed because I wielded no power to having the most death threats of any member of Congress,” she said. “To the point where I had to have six Capitol Police officers providing 24-hour detail to me and my family. And then Biden got elected, and for four years it almost plummeted. Then he came back into office, and he resumed his vitriol. “And now my death threats are the highest of the members of Congress.” ABBY PHILLIP SAYS TRUMP IS ‘RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VITRIOL’ BEHIND ILHAN OMAR TOWN HALL ATTACKSHO Trump has repeatedly criticized Omar and other progressive lawmakers over a number of their policy positions and their opposition to his agenda. Omar then recalled Tuesday’s incident in which Kazmierczak used a syringe to squirt liquid on Omar after she called for the abolition of ICE and the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal agents conducting immigration enforcement operations. Kazmierczak was immediately tackled by security and remains jailed on a preliminary third-degree assault charge, authorities said. When asked about the attack on Omar, Trump suggested it may have been staged. “No. I don’t think about her,” he reportedly told ABC News. “I think she’s a fraud. I really don’t think about that. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.” Omar said her alleged attacker was “upset that Trump’s order to deport Somalis was not yielding enough deportations of Somalis.” “I wouldn’t be where I am at today, having to pay for security, having the government to think about providing me security if Donald Trump wasn’t in office and if he wasn’t so obsessed with me,” she said. “It is ironic that just last night he was on stage moments before I was attacked talking about me, and then when asked about my attack, he said, ‘I don’t think about her.’” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House.
Quebec mosque attack anniversary renews call to end anti-Muslim hate
Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Canadian Muslim leaders are calling for an end to Islamophobic rhetoric and fearmongering, as the country prepares to mark the nine-year anniversary of a deadly attack on a mosque in the province of Quebec. Stephen Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), said Thursday’s anniversary is a reminder that Islamophobia in Canada “is not benign”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “It’s something that unfortunately kills people,” Brown told Al Jazeera. “[The anniversary] forces us to remember that there’s real consequences to hatred.” Six Muslim men were killed when a gunman opened fire at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City on January 29, 2017, marking the deadliest attack on a house of worship in Canadian history. The assault left Quebec City’s tight-knit Muslim community deeply shaken, spurred vigils and condemnation across Canada, and shone a spotlight on a global rise in anti-Muslim hate and radicalisation. The Canadian government denounced the shooting as a “terrorist attack” against Muslims and pledged to tackle the underlying issues. In 2021, it announced it was designating January 29 as the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia. But Brown said he was not sure whether the lessons learned after what happened in Quebec City were being fully remembered today, nearly a decade later. “Right after the Quebec City mosque massacre, there really was a desire in society to try to mend some of the wounds and build some bridges,” he said. Advertisement “Unfortunately, what a lot of people are seeing [now] – and especially for Muslims that live in Quebec – … is a massive return to using Islamophobia and spreading fear of Muslims for political gain.” [Al Jazeera] Laws and rhetoric Brown pointed to a series of measures put forward by Quebec’s right-wing Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government that human rights groups say target Muslim Quebecers. In power since 2018, the CAQ passed a law in 2019 to bar some public servants from wearing religious symbols on the job, including headscarves worn by Muslim women, Sikh turbans and Jewish yarmulkes. The government justified the law, known as Bill 21, as being part of its push to protect secularism in the province, which in the 1960s underwent a so-called “Quiet Revolution” to break the Catholic Church’s influence over state institutions. But rights advocates said Bill 21 discriminated against religious minorities and would have a disproportionately harmful effect on Muslim women, in particular. As the CAQ’s popularity has plummeted in recent months, it has passed and put forward more legislation to strengthen its so-called “state secularism” model in advance of a looming provincial election later this year. Most recently, in late November, the CAQ introduced a bill that would extend the religious symbols prohibition to daycares and private schools, among other places. Bill 9 also bars schools from offering meals based exclusively on religious dietary requirements – such as kosher or halal lunches – and outlaws “collective religious practices, notably prayer” in public. The attack on Quebec City’s largest mosque lasted less than two minutes [File: Jillian Kestler-D’Amours/Al Jazeera] “Quebec has adopted its own model of state secularism,” said the provincial minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge. Roberge has rejected the idea that the bill was targeting Muslim or Jewish Quebecers, telling reporters during a news conference on November 27 that the “same rules apply to everybody”. But the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) – which is involved in a lawsuit against Bill 21 that will be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada later this year – said Bill 9 “masks discrimination as secularism”. “These harmful bans disproportionately target and marginalize religious and racialized minorities, especially Muslim women,” Harini Sivalingam, director of the CCLA’s equality programme, said in a statement. According to Brown at NCCM, the Quebec government’s moves have sent “the message to society that there’s something inherently dangerous or wrong with being a visible, practising Muslim”. Advertisement He warned that, when people in positions of authority use anti-Muslim rhetoric to try to score political points, “it gives licence to those who already hold a lot of these Islamophobic views or hateful views to actually take it out on people”. ‘Hate continues to threaten’ At the federal level, Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combating Islamophobia, said the Canadian government has shown a continued commitment to tackling the problem. That includes through an Action Plan on Combatting Hate, launched in 2024, which has devoted millions of dollars to community groups, antifascism programmes and other initiatives. But Elghawaby told Al Jazeera that Islamophobia has nevertheless been rising in Canada, “whether it’s through police-reported hate crimes [or] whether it’s Canadians sharing that they’re experiencing discrimination at work [and] at school”. Three black stone plinths stand in a memorial to the victims of the attack, outside the Quebec City mosque, in 2022 [File: Jillian Kestler-D’Amours/Al Jazeera] According to Statistics Canada, 211 anti-Muslim hate crimes were reported to police in 2023 – a 102-percent jump compared with the previous year. There was a slight increase in 2024 – the most recent year for which the data is available – with 229 incidents reported. Elghawaby, whose office was established after another anti-Muslim attack killed four members of a single family in London, Ontario, in 2021, said the figures underscore “that hate continues to threaten Canadians”. “Canada, despite a global reputation of being a country that welcomes people from around the world, does struggle with division, with polarisation, with the rise of extremist narratives,” she said, adding that remembering the Quebec City mosque attack remains critical. “[The families of the men killed] don’t want the loss of their loved ones to be in vain. They want Canadians to continue to stand with them, to continue to stand against Islamophobia, and to do their part in their own circles to help promote understanding,” Elghawaby said. “History can sadly repeat itself if we don’t learn from the lessons of the past.” Adblock test
Barcelona claim Champions League last-16 spot, but its the playoffs for PSG
Barcelona leap into Champions League automatic qualifying positions with win in Copenhagen, but PSG face playoffs. Barcelona stormed back in the second half to claim a 4-1 victory over Copenhagen at the Camp Nou, sealing a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Marcus Rashford on Wednesday ensured the Catalans finished fifth in the standings on 16 points, level with Manchester City, Chelsea and Sporting but ahead on goal difference. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Copenhagen shocked the hosts early when 17-year-old Viktor Dadason slotted the opener past Joan Garcia in the fourth minute, but the second half began with a Barcelona fightback. Yamal set up Lewandowski to equalise in the 48th minute, before scoring himself in the 60th with a deflected effort that left Copenhagen keeper Dominik Kotarski helpless. Raphinha made it 3-1 from the penalty spot after Lewandowski was fouled, and Rashford added a fourth with a free kick in the 85th minute. “We all came here tonight thinking about getting into the top eight. We’re very happy with the win,” 18-year-old Yamal told Movistar Plus. “When you concede a goal in the Champions League, it’s very difficult to come back, but the team was very resilient and managed to turn it around. With the number of matches we play in a season, having two fewer matches leaves you feeling much better.” Despite the comfortable final result, Barcelona endured a frustrating first half, during which Copenhagen took a shock lead. Dadason stunned the home crowd after Mohamed Elyounoussi delivered a defence-splitting pass, allowing Dadason to outrun Barca’s high defensive line before rifling a low shot past keeper Garcia. Advertisement Clearly unsettled, Barcelona were wasteful in attack during the opening 45 minutes. Raphinha and Lewandowski spurned opportunities to equalise, while Eric Garcia came closest to levelling when his driven effort struck the crossbar in the 33rd minute. The second half, however, saw a completely transformed Barcelona. Barely three minutes after the restart, Yamal burst forward on a counterattack, darting past Copenhagen defenders before unselfishly squaring the ball for Lewandowski to slot into an empty net. The hosts seized control and upped the tempo, pinning Copenhagen deep inside their own half, and Barca took the lead on the hour mark through Yamal, whose deflected shot from inside the box looped over a stranded Kotarski and nestled into the far corner. Raphinha made it 3-1 from the penalty spot in the 69th minute after Lewandowski was brought down inside the area while attempting to shoot, and substitute Rashford wrapped up the scoring. Although Barcelona delivered a clinical attacking display, questions remain about their defensive organisation. They completed the league phase without a clean sheet and finished with the worst defence among the top 13 teams. Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele has his penalty saved by Newcastle United’s Nick Pope [Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters] Dembele’s penalty miss costs PSG in 1-1 draw with Newcastle Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele had a night to forget, missing an early penalty and a golden chance from close range as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 with Newcastle in the Champions League. The draw meant both sides finished out of the top eight places in the league table and failed to qualify automatically for the last 16. They will enter the playoffs instead. PSG was awarded an early penalty when Bradley Barcola got behind the defence down the left wing with less than one minute played. The ball hit Barcola’s arm following a tackle from a defender coming across, and then flew onto the arm of Lewis Miley right behind him. Miley seemed unsighted, and the handball appeared accidental, but referee Slavko Vincic awarded the spot kick following a short video review. Dembele aimed for the bottom right corner, but goalkeeper Nick Pope made a brilliant save. Pope was beaten in the eighth minute when Vitinha curled a shot into the same corner after being set up by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the edge of the penalty area. Dembele, who scored 35 goals overall last season, scooped the ball well over the crossbar from 10 metres out in the 40th minute when meeting a cross from the left. Advertisement Joe Willock equalised for the visitors in first-half stoppage time, and substitute Harvey Barnes missed a chance to win it for the visitors with moments left. Adblock test (Why?)
Mourinho’s Benfica drag Real Madrid with them to Champions League playoffs
Benfica beat Real 4-2 which sends both teams into Champions League playoffs, as Madrid miss out on top eight. Published On 28 Jan 202628 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored an astonishing 98th-minute header as Benfica beat Real Madrid 4-2 to keep themselves in the Champions League and deny their illustrious opponents an automatic spot in the last 16. In an extraordinary finale on Wednesday, the Portuguese side were heading out despite leading 3-2 with seconds of stoppage time remaining before Trubin came forward for a free kick to score the goal needed to sneak into the playoff round on goal difference. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list That sparked wild celebrations from Benfica players, fans and their charismatic coach Jose Mourinho – a former manager of Real Madrid – at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon. The Spaniards had hoped to finish in the top eight and go straight into the last 16, but their 15 points from eight games were not enough, and they finished the match with nine men as Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were sent off. Andreas Schjelderup scored two goals for Benfica and Vangelis Pavlidis netted from the penalty spot, while Kylian Mbappe netted twice for Real in a hugely entertaining, end-to-end contest. Benfica advance at the expense of Marseille, who lost 3-0 at Club Brugge. The giant screen in the stadium in Belgium congratulated both teams for advancing to the next stage, but that proved premature as Trubin turned the tables. Both Benfica and Real needed a goal for different reasons going into the final minutes, and it is a vindication of the competition’s format that a single goal could have such a dramatic effect on the table. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin of Benfica scores his team’s fourth goal with a header [Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images] Benfica were denied two strong early penalty shots, and Real took the lead on 30 minutes against the run of play when Asencio’s cross to the back post was headed in by Mbappe. Advertisement The home side drew level six minutes later when Asencio’s slip in the wet conditions allowed Pavlidis to provide a perfect cross for Schjelderup to head into the net. Benfica were awarded a penalty in first-half added time when Aurelien Tchouameni was adjudged to have hauled Nicolas Otamendi to the floor, and Pavlidis buried his spot-kick. Schjelderup scored his second of the game from Pavlidis’s perfect pass to make it 3-1, before Mbappe swept home his second, too – his 36th goal of the season in all competitions. Benfica were still outside the top 24 when they were awarded a free kick with virtually the final play, and Fredrik Aursnes’s delivery was headed in by Trubin to complete a night of high drama in Lisbon. Adblock test (Why?)
Bengaluru: NHAI to build city’s longest tunnel-style underpass on airport highway
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has called for bids to build a sunken service road, and an underpass constructed almost six metres below the main road level, on the Bengaluru airport highway. The project is worth Rs 51.27 crore which will build Bengaluru’s longest underpass.