Le Journal

By JACK BROOK, Associated Press/Report for America ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Federal immigration agents forced open a door and detained a U.S. citizen in his Minnesota home at gunpoint without a warrant, then led him out onto the streets in his underwear in subfreezing conditions, according to his family and videos reviewed by The Associated Press. ChongLy “Scott” Thao told the AP that his daughter-in-law woke him up from a nap Sunday afternoon and said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were banging at the door of his residence in St. Paul. He told her not to open it. Masked agents then forced their way in and pointed guns at the family, yelling at them, Thao recalled. Chongly “Scott” Thao, a U.S. citizen, sits for a photo at his home Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn., the day after federal agents broke open his door and detained him without a warrant. (AP Photo/Jack Brook) “I was shaking,” he said. “They didn’t show any warrant; they just broke down the door.” Amid a massive surge of federal agents into the Twin Cities, immigration authorities are facing backlash from residents and the local leaders for warrantless arrests, aggressive clashes with protestors and the fatal shooting of mother of three Renee Good. “ICE is not doing what they say they’re doing,” St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, a Hmong American, said in a statement about Thao’s arrest. “They’re not going after hardened criminals. They’re going after anyone and everyone in their path. It is unacceptable and un-American.” Encounter caught on video Thao, who has been a U.S. citizen for decades, said that as he was being detained he asked his daughter-in-law to find his identification but the agents told him they didn’t want to see it. Related Articles US futures and other world shares sink on worries over Trump’s push to claim Greenland Parts of the U.S. could see northern lights Monday NYSE working on a new platform for trading digital tokens around the clock 100 vehicles pile up in Michigan crash as snowstorm moves across the country Another immigrant died in a sprawling Texas detention facility. ICE says he killed himself Instead, as his 4-year-old grandson watched and cried, Thao was led out in handcuffs wearing only sandals and underwear with just a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Videos captured the scene, which included people blowing whistles and horns and neighbors screaming at the more than a dozen gun-toting agents to leave Thao’s family alone. Thao said agents drove him “to the middle of nowhere” and made him get out of the car in the frigid weather so they could photograph him. He said he feared they would beat him. He was asked for his ID, which agents earlier prevented him from retrieving. Agents eventually realized that he was a U.S. citizen with no criminal record, Thao said, and an hour or two later, they brought him back to his house. There they made him show his ID and then left without apologizing for detaining him or breaking his door, Thao said. DHS defends operation The U.S. Department of Homeland Security described the ICE operation at Thao’s home as a “targeted operation” seeking two convicted sex offenders. “The US citizen lives with these two convicted sex offenders at the site of the operation,” DHS said. “The individual refused to be fingerprinted or facially ID’d. He matched the description of the targets.” Thao’s family said in a statement that it “categorically disputes” the DHS account and “strongly objects to DHS’s attempt to publicly justify this conduct with false and misleading claims.” Thao told the AP that only he, his son and daughter-in-law and his grandson live at the rental home. Neither they nor the property’s owner are listed in the Minnesota sex offender registry. The nearest sex offender listed as living in the zip code is more than two blocks away. DHS did not respond to a request from The Associated Press seeking the identities of the “two convicted sex offenders” or why the agency believed…

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A startled British government on Tuesday defended its decision to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after U.S. President Donald Trump attacked the plan, which his administration had previously supported. Trump said that relinquishing the remote Indian Ocean archipelago, home to a strategically important American naval and bomber base, was an act of stupidity that shows why he needs to take over Greenland. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters after arriving at Palm Beach International Airport, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) “Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER,” he said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness.” “The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired,” Trump said. The blast from Trump was a rebuff to efforts by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to calm tensions over Greenland and patch up a frayed trans-Atlantic relationship. Starmer on Monday called Trump’s statements about taking over Greenland “completely wrong,” but called for the rift to be “resolved through calm discussion.” Remote but strategic The United Kingdom and Mauritius signed a deal in May to give Mauritius sovereignty over the Chago Islands after two centuries under British control, though the U.K. will lease back Diego Garcia where the U.S. base is located, for at least 99 years. Related Articles Top EU official questions Trump’s trustworthiness over Greenland tariff threat Judge refuses to block new DHS policy limiting Congress members’ access to ICE facilities How abortion coverage threatens to prevent a congressional deal on health care subsidies Christian leaders urge protecting worshippers’ rights after protesters interrupt service RFK Jr.’s MAHA movement has picked up steam in statehouses. Here’s what to expect in 2026 The U.S. government welcomed the agreement at the time, saying it “secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-U.K. military facility at Diego Garcia.” U.K. Cabinet Minister Darren Jones said Tuesday that the agreement would “secure that military base for the next 100 years.” In recent years, the United Nations and its top court have urged Britain to return the islands to Mauritius, and the British government says it’s acting to protect the security of the base from international legal challenge. A government spokesperson said that “the U.K. will never compromise on our national security,” and “this deal secures the operations of the joint U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia for generations, with robust provisions for keeping its unique capabilities intact and our adversaries out.” But the deal has met strong opposition from British opposition parties, which say that giving up the islands puts them at risk of interference by China and Russia. Islanders who were displaced from the islands to make way for the U.S. base say they weren’t consulted and worry the deal will make it harder for them to go home. Strong opposition Legislation to approve the agreement has been passed by the House of Commons, but faced strong opposition in Parliament’s upper chamber, the House of Lords, which approved it, while also passing a “motion of regret” lamenting the legislation. It’s due back in the Commons on Tuesday for further debate. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticized Starmer’s Labour Party government over the agreement. Badenoch said in an X post that Trump is right and that Starmer’s “plan to give away the Chagos Islands is a terrible policy that weakens UK security and hands away our sovereign…

By YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — U.S. futures fell sharply and European markets shed more than 1% on tensions driven by the Trump administration’s new tariff threats over Greenland. Related Articles NYSE working on a new platform for trading digital tokens around the clock Fed’s Powell plans to attend Cook’s Supreme Court hearing Trump’s AI-cloned voice is generated in a new Fannie Mae ad How to conduct your own portfolio makeover Inequality and unease are rising as elite Davos event opens with pro-business Trump set to attend France’s CAC 40 slipped 1.2% to 8,014.42, while Germany’s DAX lost 1.5% to 24,581.44. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 1.3% to 10,068.04. The future for the S&P 500 sank 1.8% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.6%. Trump said Saturday that he would charge a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland because of their opposition to American control of Greenland. Trump’s threats have sparked outrage and a flurry of diplomatic activity across Europe, as leaders consider possible countermeasures, including retaliatory tariffs and the first-ever use of the European Union’s anti-coercion instrument. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, asserted that America’s relations with Europe remain strong. He urged trading partners to “take a deep breath” and let tensions driven by the tariff threats over Greenland “play out.” In Asian trading, Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.1% to 52,991.10 after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called a snap election for Feb. 8. Yields on long-term Japanese government bonds surged after Takaichi indicated Monday she planned to dissolve parliament and hold an election, aiming to capitalize on her strong public opinion ratings. She also has proposed temporarily suspending the food tax. Expectations that Takaichi will take a renewed electoral mandate to raise government spending have revived worries over Japan’s national finances, pushing yields sharply higher, while prices of such investments have fallen as investors sold their holdings. The yield on the 40-year government bond surged to a record 4% on Tuesday, while yields on other long-term bonds also have been surging to decades-high levels. Chinese markets also declined. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gave up 0.3% to 26,487.51, while the Shanghai Composite ended nearly unchanged at 4,113.65. In South Korea, the Kospi dropped 0.4% to 4,885.75, while Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.7% to 8,815.90. Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.4% and the Sensex in India declined 0.8%. “Geopolitical events will remain in focus today, particularly any talks that may take place in Davos,” said Michael Brown, a senior research strategist at Pepperstone, referring to the World Economic Forum. This week will bring more corporate earnings in the U.S. and an update on inflation preferred by the Federal Reserve for making policy decisions. The U.S. Federal Reserve’s next policy meeting is in two weeks. It’s expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged, as it strives to balance a slowing jobs market with inflation, which remains above the Fed’s 2% goal. The Bank of Japan has a monetary policy board meeting ending later this week. In other dealings early Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 49 cents to $58.95 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, shed 33 cents to $63.61 a barrel. The U.S. dollar fell to 157.83 Japanese yen from 158.09 yen. The euro rose to $1.1716 from $1.1645. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

By JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The European Union’s top official on Tuesday called into question U.S. President Donald Trump’s trustworthiness, saying that he had agreed last year not to impose more tariffs on members of the bloc. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Trump’s planned new tariffs over Greenland “a mistake especially between long-standing allies.” She was responding to Trump’s announcement that starting February, a 10% import tax will be imposed goods from eight European nations that have rallied around Denmark in the wake of his stepped up calls for the United States to take over the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland. “The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July,” Von der Leyen said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “And in politics as in business – a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something.” “We consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but our friends. And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape,” she added. She vowed that the EU’s response “will be unflinching, united and proportional.” Trump has insisted the U.S. needs the territory for security reasons against possible threats from China and Russia. Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said America’s relations with Europe remain strong and urged trading partners to “take a deep breath” and let tensions driven the new tariff threats over Greenland “play out.” Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury, holds a speech at the USA House during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) “I think our relations have never been closer,” he said. Trump’s threats spark diplomatic flurry across Europe The American leader’s threats have sparked outrage and a flurry of diplomatic activity across Europe, as leaders consider possible countermeasures, including retaliatory tariffs and the first-ever use of the European Union’s anti-coercion instrument. The EU has three major economic tools it could use to pressure Washington: new tariffs, suspension of the U.S.-EU trade deal, and the “trade bazooka” — the unofficial term for the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, which could sanction individuals or institutions found to be putting undue pressure on the EU. Earlier Tuesday, Trump posted on social media that he had spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He said “I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland,” which is hosting the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting this week. France’s Macron suggests G-7 meeting in Paris this week Trump also posted a text message from Emmanuel Macron in which the French president suggested a meeting of members of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies in Paris after the Davos gathering. Later, however, Trump posted some provocatively doctored images. One showed him planting the U.S. flag next to a sign reading “Greenland, U.S. Territory, Est. 2026.” The other showed Trump in the Oval Office next to a map that showed Greenland and Canada covered with the U.S. Stars and Stripes. In a sign of how tensions have increased in recent days, thousands of Greenlanders marched over the weekend in protest of any effort to take over their island. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post Monday that the tariff threats would not change their stance. “We will not be pressured,” he wrote. In his latest threat of tariffs, Trump indicated that the import taxes would be retaliation for last week’s deployment of symbolic numbers of troops from the European countries to Greenland — though he also suggested that he was using the tariffs as leverage to negotiate with Denmark. Danish minister called for a stronger Europe in the face of Trump’s…

ANAHEIM — The Ducks rode three unanswered goals to get past the New York Rangers, 5-3, on Monday night at Honda Center. It was their fourth consecutive victory, a palate-cleansing streak after they lost nine straight games, including eight regulation defeats. The Rangers fell for the ninth time in 11 opportunities. With the win, the Ducks moved into a points tie with San Jose for third place in the Pacific Division after the Sharks beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers to spoil Matthew Tkachuk’s season debut. “(The atmosphere) is night-and-day different, when you’re on a nine-game losing streak, it’s not too hot. Obviously, we’ve been playing some good hockey recently,” forward Cutter Gauthier said. Gauthier, who turned 22 on Monday, scored goals Nos. 21 and 22 of his season in the final 18:59 of the tilt. Mason McTavish, new addition Jeffrey Viel and Alex Killorn all lit the lamp. Lukáš Dostál stopped 19 shots to win his third consecutive start after a string of six losses. Chris Kreider (illness) returned to action after two games away. Artemi Panarin victimized the Ducks’ penalty killers with an assist on Vladislav Gavrikov’s power-play goal and one of his own. J.T. Miller, who has 12 points in 11 games, assisted on Panarin’s goal and another by Matthew Robertson. Vincent Trocheck matched Miller’s assist total. Spencer Martin made 21 saves. The Ducks seemed determined to do things the hard way after going ahead 4-2 on Gauthier’s third-period goal, but they pulled through. Between a pair of penalties and the time the Rangers had six-on-five with Martin pulled, the Ducks spent most of the final 5:50 of the contest shorthanded. Yet they weathered that storm, including a wild stretch with three point-blank attempts while down two men, until Gauthier slammed the door with an empty-netter with 36 seconds to play. They had already allowed two power-play goals, including one at 7:11. There was little luck involved when Panarin served up a one-timer for Gavrikov, one that whizzed past a lethargic Killorn. “You can always look back and there’s things we could have done differently to stop those [goals],” Killorn said. “But on the biggest PK where we needed to stop them, we did that.” The hosts padded their lead after a savvy pinch by Drew Helleson stunted a breakout and recovered the puck. He hit Gauthier for a shot from between the circles, 61 seconds into the final frame. “When you’re careless with the puck and you give them those kinds of opportunities, they’re going to end up in your net,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said. Initially, the Ducks followed the same script in the second period as they did the first, falling down by a goal and then equalizing. They then earned their first lead of the night off Killorn’s man-advantage marker. It was two former Rangers setting the scene for the goal. Kreider finally dug the puck out of a protracted puck battle behind the net – which involved a third ex-Blueshirt, Ryan Strome – sliding it back to the point for Jacob Trouba. His blast got most of the way through Martin, who received no support from puck-watching Will Borgen as Killorn backhanded the rebound from inside the blue paint. Killorn’s fifth goal of the campaign was his third of the month, after scoring just two across October, November and December. They had pulled back even on Viel’s first goal as a Duck and the fourth of his career. Relentless forechecking from Gauthier, Ryan Poehling and Viel propelled the effort. After the latest in a series of takeaways inside the Rangers’ zone, Poehling flung a shot from above the left circle that banked off of Martin’s right pad to Viel, who scored confidently at 8:29. The Rangers had converted on the power play, 4:26 earlier. As Trocheck burst down the right wing after New York’s entry, Panarin hung out at the blue line, timing his engagement expertly to read Tim Washe’s deep position to defend a seam. “The Bread Man” zoomed ahead to the right hash marks and…