If you value what we do, please support our work with a donation. President Donald Trump attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota) just hours before she was assaulted on Tuesday evening, with the president mocking her and relishing in violence against Somalis at a campaign rally. Police arrested the man, who they identified as Anthony James Kazmierczak. Her office later issued a statement saying that she is “okay” after the incident. Just hours before, at a rally in Clive, Iowa, the president waged another one of his bigoted attacks on Omar — one of countless times he's fixated on the lawmaker in recent months. When speaking about supposed violence caused by immigrants, Trump said immigrants must “show that they can love our country, they have to be proud. He went on to make racist remarks about Somalia and Somali people, as he's done numerous times in recent months, and relished in the idea of committing violence against them. He has said that she should be “thrown the hell out” of the U.S. while spreading lies about her status as a citizen; repeated false conspiracy theories about her; and, just on Monday, said that his administration is investigating her. Omar has previously said that the point of Trump's campaign against her, which she has dubbed as a “creepy obsession,” is to stoke violence. Other lawmakers, like Representatives Nancy Mace (R-South Carolina) and Randy Fine (R-Florida), have piled onto the attacks, with the latter at one point calling her a “Muslim terrorist.” That violence came to fruition against Omar — who has been loudly advocating against Trump's raid of Minneapolis and has backed calls to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Minneapolis police have reportedly sent a forensics squad to analyze the scene, and the liquid apparently had a strong foul smell resembling that of vinegar. Early reports claiming to have found Kazmierczak's social media feeds have found that he is a fan of Trump, and has for years made posts in favor of the president. Video showed aides telling Omar to end the town hall so she could be checked out. But she insisted on staying, saying: “We will continue. These fucking assholes are not going to get away with this.” Later in a statement on social media, she said that “I'm a survivor so this small agitator isn't going to intimidate me from doing my work.” Trump and others like Fine even continued to stoke hatred against Omar after the attack, suggesting that it was her fault or that she deserved it. She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” Trump told reporters. Many Democrats, however, spoke out in support of Omar after the attack. She fled war at 8 yrs old,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan). “What these people don't understand is that this country belongs to all of us. Her lived experience is why she won't let them win. The attack comes just days after another Democratic House member, Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (Florida), was assaulted by a man who Frost said cited Trump in his attack. The man reportedly said: “We are going to deport you and your kind.” Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump's crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes. We're concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks. We can only resist Trump's attacks by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. Truthout has launched a fundraiser, and we have only 24 hours left to raise $17,000. Sharon Zhang is a news writer at Truthout covering politics, climate and labor. Before coming to Truthout, Sharon had written stories for Pacific Standard, The New Republic, and more. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. Truthout must raise $17,000 for our basic publishing costs this month.

The FBI is serving a warrant Wednesday at an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia, as it probes alleged voter fraud in the 2020 election. A judge has not ruled in the case yet. A review by the DOJ in Trump's first term did not find evidence to support allegations of widespread fraud that could have changed the result of last month's presidential election. ​In the weeks after his 2020 election loss Trump launched a campaign in Georgia to overturn the election in his favor, including a now infamous call during which Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican who voted for Trump, to “find” enough votes to overcome his loss. Biden's win was ultimately affirmed in the state. Much of his ire was focused on Fulton County, whose voter base is largely non-white and voted for Biden. Since securing a second term, Trump has repeatedly asserted that those he believed to be responsible for, or connected to, his claims of widespread voter fraud would face consequences. The top federal prosecutor in Atlanta resigned days before Trump was inaugurated because the president believed he was not doing enough to find examples of the alleged fraud, according to a Senate report. BJ Pak had in fact investigated and did not substantiate various claims of election fraud advanced by Trump and his allies, the report says. The Justice Department's ongoing civil case against Fulton County seeks 2020 election records including ballots, ballots stubs and absentee ballot signature envelopes, according to court filings. It has also pointed to a subpoena issued by the State Election Board — which has a majority aligned with Trump — for those records. In court filings, Fulton County election officials said that court officials, not the election office, currently have those materials under seal. In addition to its lawsuit for Fulton County records, the Justice Department is suing two dozen states for non-public voter roll information. Election officials were also alarmed when a GOP operative claiming to working with the administration reached out to local election officials in Colorado last year seeking access to their voting equipment, CNN previously reported, (The White House denied it had authorized the operative's outreach). FBI Atlanta declined to give additional information, saying that “our investigation into this matter is ongoing.” This story is breaking and will be updated.

ICE does not have to report on injuries or deaths that happen during arrests. Truthout is an indispensable resource for activists, movement leaders and workers everywhere. Please make this work possible with a quick donation. This article was originally published by Documented, an independent, non-profit newsroom dedicated to reporting with and for immigrant communities in New York City. Months before ICE agents' tactics were put in the national spotlight by the deaths of two civilians in Minneapolis, José Castro-Rivera, a young man from Honduras, was hit by a vehicle on a busy interstate highway in Virginia. He was running to escape arrest during what ICE officers described as a “targeted, intelligence-based immigration enforcement operation.” Then, in August, just over 60 miles away in Southern California, a 52-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez, was also hit by an SUV on a freeway while evading ICE officers. Less than a month later, another person was killed in Chicago by federal agents. On September 12, 2025, Silverio Villegas González was shot “multiple” times in his car by ICE agents amid the agency's infamous “Operation Midway Blitz.” Through extensive scans of national and local outlets, as well as social media platforms including X, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as DHS public statements, Documented logged and analyzed more than 20 cases of violent — and sometimes fatal — ICE arrests nationwide since the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration ramped up. Since May 2025, Documented found, there has not been a single month in which an intended detainee was not severely injured during an ICE operation. While the agency is required by law to release reports after the death of detained immigrants, it is not required to report on deaths that happen during the arrest process, which makes it difficult to keep track of just how many people get injured or killed as ICE continues to arrest immigrants nationwide. In February 2023, DHS adopted a policy stating that it would not “tolerate” any use of excessive force. The unit was tasked with logging all instances of use of force by federal agents during enforcement operations, including “deadly force.” This included any “serious bodily injury” caused during such operations — from gunshots and strikes to the neck or head to the use of strangulation techniques. That year, ICE officers' use of force led to serious injuries and/or hospitalizations in nine cases. There was, however, a caveat in which cases federal agencies had to log with the OHSS. “Use of physical tactics or techniques that do not deliver a kinetic impact, such as arm holds, are not reportable incidents,” read a footnote in the OHSS report published in March 2024 — the only one produced so far. It remains unclear how many of the two dozen incidents identified by Documented were reported to OHSS by ICE, or whether they were logged as use-of-force incidents at all. ICE did not respond to questions from Documented about its policy to formally report injuries suffered by detainees during arrest attempts — either publicly or internally. DHS press statements, as recently seen in Minneapolis with the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, have often differed from evidence of detainees being severely injured during ICE's arrest attempts as well. The minute-long arrest video, shared by his sister-in-law on social media, is graphic. It shows Calderón screaming in pain as a silver SUV drives over both his legs while he is held down by a masked ICE agent. At least three other officers stand around him. The DHS secretary, Kristi Noem, used the same label for Renee Nicole Good shortly after she was shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026. In another case, the day before Christmas 2025, the department posted photographs on its X account showing a white van crashed into a tree. ICE officers had shot at the driver while attempting an arrest in Glen Burnie, Maryland, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and injure a passenger. “Thankfully, the ICE officers were not severely injured.” The federal agency said it conducted a “targeted traffic stop” of an alleged Venezuelan immigrant, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, minutes before 7 p.m. that evening. Sosa-Celis, DHS said, “fled the scene in his vehicle, crashed into a parked car, and proceeded to flee on foot.” When caught, he resisted, according to the DHS press release. Sosa-Celis and two other Venezuelan immigrants who emerged from a nearby apartment, the agency said, attacked the ICE agent with “a snow shovel and broom handle.” Nearly identical to the language used after the incident last Christmas, it stated: “Fearing for his life and safety as he was being ambushed by three individuals, the officer fired a defensive shot to defend his life.” Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump's crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes. We're concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks. We can only resist Trump's attacks by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. Truthout has launched a fundraiser, and we have only 24 hours left to raise $17,000. Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day. Truthout must raise $17,000 for our basic publishing costs this month.

MOSCOW, January 28. /TASS/. Russia is doing everything to ensure that its oil and gas reach other countries so that people there do not freeze, but anti-Russian sanctions are causing people to die from the cold in Western countries, Russian State Duma (lower chamber of Parliament) Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said. "In Russia, oil and gas are extracted not under palm trees, but in winter temperatures of -50°C (-58°F) and 50°C (122°F) in summer. In these difficult conditions, we do everything to ensure that oil and gas are supplied to other countries so that people there do not freeze. Sanctions lead to people freezing and dying," Volodin said in a video address published on his Max channel. He noted that sanctions should be thought through before being imposed. "Focus on important matters, not on hindering the development of other countries," the Duma chairman said. "For those who relocated to these countries, those who didn't stock up on warm clothing, you see what you might face? You might not come back from there," Volodin concluded.

A Texas man who at one time escaped from custody and was on the run for three days after being sentenced to death for fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend nearly 27 years ago was scheduled on Wednesday to be the first person executed in the US this year. Charles Victor Thompson was condemned for the April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39; and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30, at her apartment in the Houston suburb of Tomball. Thompson, 55, was scheduled to receive a lethal injection on Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. Prosecutors say Thompson and Hayslip had been romantically involved for a year but split after Thompson “became increasingly possessive, jealous and abusive”. According to court records, Hayslip and Cain were dating when Thompson came to Hayslip's apartment and began arguing with Cain around 3am the night of the killings. Police were called and told Thompson to leave the apartment complex. “The Hayslip and Cain families have waited over 25 years for justice to occur,” prosecutors with the Harris county district attorney's office said in court filings. Thompson's attorneys have asked the US supreme court to stay his execution, arguing Thompson was not allowed to refute or confront the prosecution's evidence that concluded Hayslip died from a gunshot wound to the face. Thompson's attorneys have argued Hayslip actually died from flawed medical care she received after the shooting that resulted in severe brain damage sustained from oxygen deprivation following a failed intubation. “If he had been able to raise a reasonable doubt as to the cause of Ms Hayslip's death, he would not be guilty of capital murder,” Thompson's attorneys said in court filings with the supreme court. Prosecutors said a jury has already rejected the claim and, concluded under state law that Thompson is responsible for Hayslip's death because it “would not have occurred but for his conduct”. A jury again ordered him to die by lethal injection. Shortly after being resentenced, Thompson escaped from the Harris county jail in Houston by walking out the front door virtually unchallenged by deputies. Thompson later told the Associated Press that after meeting with his attorney in a small interview cell, he slipped out of his handcuffs and orange jail jumpsuit and left the room, which was unlocked. It took me straight back to childhood being outside on a summer night,” Thompson said about his three days on the run during a 2005 interview with the AP. He was arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana, while trying to arrange for wire transfers of money from overseas so he could make it to Canada.

MOSCOW, January 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has exchanged a firm handshake with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who arrived in Moscow on a working visit. The Russian delegation includes Aide to the Russian leader Yury Ushakov, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Construction Minister Irek Faizullin, Head of the Main Directorate (formerly known as the GRU) of the General Staff of the Russian army Igor Kostyukov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Maxim Oreshkin, First Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, head of the Federal Customs Service Dmitry Shugayev. After the meeting, Putin and al-Sharaa will continue negotiations during a working breakfast. The agenda includes relations between Russia and Syria, as well as the situation in the Middle East. The last meeting of the leaders of the two countries took place in the Kremlin just over three months ago, when al-Sharaa visited Moscow for the first time after coming to power in Damascus. The leaders of Russia and Syria then talked for 2.5 hours. The current visit takes place on the eve of the anniversary of the proclamation of al-Sharaa as interim president, which took place on January 29.

Carrin Schottler was trying to focus on the centuries of British history at the Tower of London. The tour guide was talking, but Carrin kept losing focus: there was one guy in the group she couldn't take her eyes off. “I saw this really, very good-looking man. My heart skipped a beat…” Carrin tells CNN Travel today. Ever since she'd noticed him, Carrin couldn't stop stealing glances. She noticed his clothing: white shirt, oversized blazer and dress pants. “He can't be American,” thought Carrin, assessing the outfit. Even in Carrin's native New York, twentysomething guys didn't really dress like that. Carrin was over from the US for a semester studying abroad in London. “That day, I was with a girlfriend, and we were either going to see Harrods for the first time, or we were going to go on a tour at the Tower of London for the first time,” recalls Carrin. This stone fortress has been in the same spot on London's riverbank since 1066 and has seen centuries of tumultuous events play out within its walls. Eventually, Carrin found herself standing next to him. “And we then just start talking,” she recalls. “I saw Carrin, scoped her out a little bit,” he tells CNN Travel today. It just kind of built from there.” Heather also gave Paul an enthusiastic nod of encouragement on a couple of occasions, trying to move things along. Meanwhile, Paul was conscious he wanted to “be close, but not, like, creepy close” and was trying to strike that balance. He didn't want to misinterpret friendly politeness for interest. Heather realized the would-be couple needed some cheerleading. Besuited in red and blue with traditional hats, they cut a striking figure. Towards the end of the tour, they both took turns posing between two of Yeoman Warders and getting that requisite snapshot. “They could tell there was a little connection,” recalls Carrin. “One of the Beefeaters said to me, ‘Oh, what a nicely dressed man. What a very good-looking man he is. Meanwhile, when it was Paul's turn to pose between the two Yeoman Warders, the guards made a point of highlighting “this whole connection, about Carrin,” recalls Paul. “He was kind of matching us up.” Buoyed by their encouragement, as the tour wound down, Carrin decided to be brave. “It's just one of those moments where you gotta do something here,” she says. “Because we were both not moving … So I took the first move.” Carrin had been in London for a month or so at that point. Meanwhile, she knew Paul was just visiting for the weekend. “So I said to him, ‘If you want to go out, I can show you around London a little bit. Asking Paul out was more than a little daunting for 20-year-old Carrin. But she didn't want the connection to slip by, unacknowledged. “So, I was an independent woman and asked him out on a date,” she says. “It was really unusual for me to do such a thing. I've always been a very bookish, shy person… Doing something like this was really out of character for me. Something inside of me just said that, which probably was the best decision I think I ever made.” And she'd barely got the words out before Paul enthusiastically agreed. The two walked, with Heather, across Tower Bridge. Over thirty years later, she says she really doesn't “remember a thing about the Tower of London.” Other than, of course, meeting Paul and the Beefeater encouragement. “But there was just a lot of … how can I say … like emotions in the air. And you were kind of more occupied by that, than all the historical significance of the different buildings.” Carrin and Paul arranged to meet that evening in Piccadilly Circus. Carrin waited for him underneath the illuminated billboard screens. Tourists and commuters bustled past her, circling the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain, often interpreted as depicting Eros, the Greek god of love. When Carrin saw Paul walking in her direction, she felt the rush of emotions from earlier return in full force. He was still wearing his blazer and shirt. Meanwhile she'd changed out of her “typical American” Tower Bridge attire of “jeans and a regular shirt” into her favorite outfit. So I wore these brown block heels that I had bought in London, because all the women were wearing them in London. They hugged hello, both smiling at each other. Paul gave Carrin a bouquet of flowers. “And Paul, I don't know if he was nervous, but he had five cups of coffee … I was so nervous too.” If anything, it was even more potent. We stayed up pretty much the whole night looking around London, and saw all the sights,” says Carrin. “We had our first kiss right near Buckingham Palace …” In the early hours of the morning, Paul accompanied Carrin home to her college dorm, near Regent's Park. “He dropped me off that night to my university, and said, ‘Goodbye. “It just brings me back to that time, right there, at Regent's Park. The two promised to meet again several hours later. They spent all day Saturday together, and all of Sunday, before Paul had to get his train back to Manchester. At Euston Station, Paul and Carrin promised they would meet every weekend either in Manchester, London or somewhere else new to them both. They exchanged addresses, vowing to write in between visits. Carrin returned to her dorm room in a daze. “I called my mother and father that Monday,” recalls Carrin. Her mother could detect something was going on right away. … My parents were quite like ‘Whoa, what happened? That Christmas she had completely given up on love. From there, Carrin and Paul were true to their word. “We went back and forth over the weekends, and we did trips together to different places in the UK,” says Paul. It was not a courtship where you would have to put on some sort of pretense. And then we were both in a place that neither of us really knew, and it was just fun to explore together.” In November 1994, Carrin found herself feeling “homesick because I was missing our Thanksgiving.” So, Paul took it upon himself to track down a turkey and put together a Thanksgiving dinner for Carrin in his tiny dorm room in Salford, Manchester. His room was inside an old townhouse, which he shared with several other guys. In an hour, can you take out the turkey?' So the turkey was a shrunk, dried out thing. We had a Thanksgiving dinner in that little dorm room, put out a little cloth on the ground and we sat there and ate this very dry turkey.” “I thought it was wonderful,” says Carrin. She was touched that Paul put in all this effort for her. Meanwhile, Paul was staying in the UK for another several months. The pair traveled by ship from eastern England to Sweden's second biggest city, Gothenburg. We took the ferry from Harwich up to Gothenburg — because that's where Paul's from, Gothenburg — and I got to meet his family.” “And despite that, she stayed with me,” says Paul. “I get a little emotional,” she says, thinking back to this visit. We met his grandmother and took her up for Christmas … he was so gentle, he took such good care of her. The visit to Sweden strengthened their relationship, but now Carrin and Paul were at a crossroads. Meanwhile, Paul was tied to college in the UK and Sweden. “We really didn't know what was going to happen.” “I still remember lifting off from Gothenburg, and Paul stood out watching,” says Carrin. “There was no grand plan for the future,” says Paul. “It was just a kind of hope.” Then, she traveled to London and a surprise meeting changed her mind “I don't know if we're ever going to see each other again,” she remembers thinking Then, that summer, during her college vacation, Carrin spent a month with Paul in Sweden. This travel pattern continued for some time. “Between December ‘94 to October ‘96 we were doing back and forth as often as we could afford,” says Paul. “So we would take these tiny little recorders with tiny little tapes, and we would tape each other and talk with each other, and then send those tapes overseas.” And that's when we decided, in Norway, right by this waterfall …” begins Paul. “And in Swedish tradition, both people get rings. During that time, a plan of sorts began to form — Paul would try and get a job in the United States. “In October ‘96 I moved over to the United States. I transferred over with a company,” says Paul. When he didn't show, she unexpectedly met her future husband Paul started working in New York City. Paul's family flew in for the celebrations, as did many old friends from his military service days. “My American girlfriends saw these handsome men, and they were so charmed,” laughs Carrin. The soundtrack was a mix of classic American wedding fare, Swedish pop and British songs. “So I had a bouquet full of yellow roses, because I remember from Regent's Park these beautiful yellow roses,” she says. There were several other nods to Carrin and Paul's London meeting. The tables weren't numbered, for example. Instead, they were each named after different destinations in the UK where Carrin and Paul had traveled during their first three months together. “My sister Tammy made a speech, and she talked all about how we met,” adds Carrin. This period of their lives was a happy, but hectic, one. They were in the same place at last, but Paul's job involved a lot of travel, while Carrin was busy training to be a doctor. When Paul's IT consultancy company went under — a consequence of the late ‘90s dotcom bubble implosion — it seemed like an opportunity to do something different. Then, in September 2001, Paul turned 30 and the couple traveled to San Francisco to celebrate this new chapter of their lives. “We were in San Francisco during September 11,” says Carrin. “Some of his colleagues from his old job were lost during that time, in the World Trade Center. So it was a really rough time for us.” In the subsequent months, grieving and in shock, Paul and Carrin decided, together, that Paul wouldn't return to city working, post-graduation. They also didn't want Paul's future work to involve the same degree of travel. Today, Carrin and Paul still live in Albany, now with their 16-year-old son. “And we kind of blend Swedish and US traditions, the things that we really value from our childhood and the things we carry with us, right from home.” “So our son is very lucky, because he gets two Christmases for the price of one,” jokes Paul. “When he wants to be calm, he says the Swedish word and his aides say the Swedish word for calm: lugna. He understands Swedish and so we try to incorporate that into his life as well, which is really cool.” The man who saved two strangers' lives on a mountain A few years back, Carrin and Paul took their son to London to retrace the steps of their younger selves. “And we did take him for a walk in the similar spots where we took the walk that night.” The family didn't make it to the Tower of London on that visit, but Carrin and Paul hope to return one day. They often wonder if the Beefeaters who spurred them on are still around. “We thought they were so old, then, right?” says Paul. But today, when they thumb through the photos pasted in a scrapbook, the couple realize the Yeoman Warder matchmakers probably weren't quite as old as twentysomething Paul and Carrin assumed. These guards might still be living at the Tower, and might be keen to hear how their meddling led to lasting love and connection. “They were part of it,” agrees Paul. “When you think back on life, different things, a comment here and there can set off chain reactions.” Looking back today on their early days together in London, Paul calls it a “special time.” “For me, it was kind of magical,” agrees Carrin. “And we still have, up in our attic, all those boxes of tapes that we sent so long ago,” says Carrin. That period of their lives was filled with “a lot of uncertainty, but yet it was just exciting,” says Paul. “And there was a certain degree of calm around it,” he adds. “I don't know how to explain it emotionally.

Officials are quickly moving people they've apprehended out of state, making it difficult for loved ones to reach them Family members have been scrambling to learn the whereabouts of more than 200 people arrested during a federal immigration crackdown that has swept across Maine this week, immigration attorneys said, as federal authorities quickly ferried detainees out of the state. She said her team worked long hours to locate detainees and stop their transfer out of Maine. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents transfer detainees out of state, they become even harder to reach and face greater odds of removal from the US, the attorneys said. Most immigrants lost their first layer of legal protections in September, when the federal board of immigration appeals ruled that people who crossed the US border unlawfully are no longer eligible for release on bond, reversing years of legal precedent. If a detainee is moved quickly, lawyers lose the opportunity to challenge their detention. There are only a handful of lawyers who are trained to file habeas petitions in Maine, Beverly said, so an influx of requests could overwhelm the system. We are racing against the clock as soon as we get a phone call to get something filed,” Beverly said. Thursday's mass removal followed a dispute between Joyce and the federal immigration agency after the sheriff criticized its tactics, calling it “bush league policing”. The next closest holding facility, with larger capacity, is located in Burlington, Massachusetts. But data collected by Vera's ICE Detention Trends shows that more than 45% of Maine's detainees get transferred to Louisiana. More than 60 people have asked ILAP for emergency legal aid to prevent their removal since last week. Non-profit groups like ILAP can provide this support free of charge. Beverly said that private firms likely charge “thousands”, which could be prohibitive, unless families can find financial aid. “There are not adequate words to describe how difficult the past week has been,” Sue Roche, ILAP's executive director, said in a statement. Many have been racially profiled and abducted from their cars off the street, and some have been targeted at home. The lack of due process or humanity in this enforcement operation is appalling.”

Financial markets expect the bank to remain on hold through 2026 Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem is seen during a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press Food prices are now driving inflation, which could complicate the Bank of Canada's rate path ahead.Carlos Osorio/Reuters We agree with the decision, though believe food price increases are likely to pose an ongoing challenge for the bank. Moreover, labour growth stagnated in December and the unemployment rate increased to 6.8 per cent, up from from 6.6 per cent. Philip Soper, CEO of Royal Le Page, says a "further degradation" of Canada's relationship with the U.S. could act as a damper on the spring housing market.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail For the past year and a half, scores of prospective first-time homebuyers have held back, waiting for both home prices and borrowing costs to reach bottom. With rates now on hold, many of them may finally decide to jump into the upcoming spring housing market. “A further degradation of the relationship with the U.S. or a clear indication that there would be no reasonable renewal of our trade agreement with Mexico and the U.S. could actually act as a damper on the spring market,” said Philip Soper, CEO of Royal Le Page. Still, barring any significant trade shocks, Mr. Soper expects homebuyers to come out of hibernation. Employment levels among the key 25-to-54-year-old demographic are healthy, Canadians' savings rates remain strong and far above prepandemic levels, and inflation is reasonable. Yet, especially in larger housing markets, the volume of home sales has remained well below historical norms. It means, “there's a lot of people that need housing and relatively few transactions occurring,” Mr. Soper said. But don't expect the release of that pent-up demand to result in bidding wars and escalating home prices. Instead, Mr. Soper expects prices to decline by another 3 to 4 per cent in Toronto and Vancouver this year, with most smaller markets registering low, single-digit price gains. “It is important to step back from the daily noise. It's clear that our population growth has come down and is going to stay lower. It's clear that new technologies, particularly rapid advances in AI, have the potential to have a significant impact on businesses on the economy. We are monitoring those risks very closely, and if a new shock comes along, or an accumulation of evidence that materially changes our outlook, we're prepared to respond.” Gold prices climbed above US$5,300 per ounce for the first ​time on Wednesday, driven by economic ‍uncertainty and a weakening U.S. dollar.Angelika Warmuth/Reuters People don't want as much exposure to the U.S. dollar. … And at the same time, you're seeing other safe havens, most notably gold, up a lot.” A view of the US Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC on Monday.MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images Look, why did I make a point of commenting on Chairman Powell and the U.S. Fed? A loss of independence of the Fed would affect us all, and for Canada, our financial markets are particularly integrated with the United States, so it would particularly affect us. I'm not going to go through every event, but the month of January has been pretty packed with new elements, new geopolitical risks. Through the summer, I don't want to say uncertainty was low, but you saw a little more stability. Recently you've seen more unpredictability in U.S. policy, with all sorts of threats, including on Canada. And then I think the CUSMA review is coming more into focus. So those are really the key elements that have increased uncertainty. U.S. trade policy remains highly unpredictable, and for Canada, what the outcome is of the review of CUSMA is an important risk to our projection. … We go through a number of possible outcomes for CUSMA. I would stress that we've done a number of scenarios.” “Tariffs and uncertainty continue to disrupt the Canadian economy. Household spending is expected to continue growing moderately, supported by past cuts in interest rates and rising disposable incomes. U.S. tariffs and related uncertainty have held back business investment. But we expect some modest strengthening in investment as businesses adjust to the new trade environment and governments increase infrastructure spending.” Employment weakened in the first half of 2025 as sectors hit hard by U.S. tariffs cut production and jobs. In recent months, overall employment has risen, led by hiring in services like health care, and slowing population growth is reducing the number of new entrants into the labour market. Still, the unemployment rate remains high at 6.8%, youth unemployment is particularly elevated, and relatively few businesses say they plan to hire more workers in coming months.” If we focus on recent movements, CPI inflation rose to 2.4 per cent in December, boosted by base-year effects linked to last winter's GST/HST holiday. The Bank's preferred measures of core inflation have eased from 3 per cent in October to around 2.5 per cent in December. Alternatively, the labour market could weaken further as trade impacts deepen, leading to lower household spending. Financial conditions could also tighten if volatility returns to markets.” “Monetary policy cannot compensate for the structural damage caused by tariffs, and it cannot target hard-hit sectors of the economy. But it can play a supporting role, helping the economy through this period of structural change, while maintaining inflation close to the 2 per cent target.” Food and rent inflation remains elevated, but the Bank of Canada expects both to ease in coming quarters – as noted in the latest Monetary Policy Report forecast.Carlos Osorio/Reuters The Bank of Canada published a new forecast for economic growth and inflation on Wednesday in its quarterly Monetary Policy Report. Here's how economists are reacting in written commentaries issued after the rate decision: “There won't be anyone surprised by the Bank of Canada's well-telegraphed decision to keep rates on hold today, or its assessment that rates are at the right level if their forecast pans out. They remain firmly neutral on where things go from here, saying that “it's difficult to predict the timing or direction of the next move.” But if there's a slight leaning here, it's still towards some worries on the growth front due to uncertainties on trade, and a bit more comfort that underlying inflation is decelerating. With both historical actual and potential growth revised higher, the output gap in Q4 is in the range of -1.5 per cent to -0.5 per cent, unchanged from October's estimate. We'll stick to our forecast for no interest rate moves by the bank in 2026, but see the odds of a further cut as more likely than a hike, given the potential minefield in trade negotiations ahead, and a starting point that still has significant economic slack.” “The Bank of Canada's largely unchanged economic projections are similar to our own, although we think the slow pace of economic growth this year will help ease core price pressures sooner than policymakers expect. We agree that the policy rate's next move will be upwards, but we do not expect this to come until 2027, providing that CUSMA renegotiations have been wrapped up by then.” That said, our baseline outlook is relatively in line with the BoC – below-trend growth helping inflation continue to moderate. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is up for review this year.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press There weren't many surprises in Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem's opening statement on Wednesday. The benchmark interest rate – still at 2.25 per cent – is considered “appropriate” for an economy both stung by tariffs, but growing modestly. Financial markets haven't reacted much to Wednesday's decision. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is up for review this year, and the outcome is highly uncertain – everything from a U.S. withdrawal to a renewal, potentially with major tweaks to trade policy. Gross domestic product is on a weaker track than previously projected, and the gap won't be closed. Suffice to say, a bad outcome in the USMCA review will bring more damage. The bank's new forecast, published Wednesday in its quarterly Monetary Policy Report, sees muted growth ahead, as economic activity is held back by trade uncertainty and slow population growth. There are also questions about how well, and how quickly, Canadian businesses and consumers can adjust to a world where preferential access to the U.S. market is no longer guaranteed. “The transition to the new trade environment could be smoother than we expect, with stronger business and household spending,” Mr. Macklem said. “Alternatively, the labour market could weaken further as trade impacts deepen, leading to lower household spending. Financial conditions could also tighten if volatility returns to markets.” The Canadian dollar did tick up slightly, to a more than one-year high of 73.87 cents US, but don't read much into that: the U.S. dollar was also ticking lower against major currencies as that high was reached. And we're seeing that lack of movement in the bond market play out in implied interest rate probabilities for where rates go from here. Overnight index swap markets still imply a consensus among traders that the Bank of Canada will remain on hold throughout the rest of this year - although there is a very slim probability priced in for a cut in April or June (around 4 per cent) and more robust odds of a rate hike by October (about 30-per-cent odds). The Bank of Canada kept its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday and offered little guidance about where monetary policy will go next as U.S. protectionism continues to reshape the Canadian economy. As widely anticipated, the bank's governing council kept the policy rate at 2.25 per cent, where it has been since October. Governor Tiff Macklem said this level “remains appropriate” given the bank's outlook for slow, but positive economic growth, and subdued inflation. But he was non-committal about how long the bank would remain on hold or what its next move might be. U.S. trade policy remains unpredictable, and geopolitical risks are elevated,” Mr. Macklem said, according to the prepared text of his press conference opening statement. Financial markets expect the bank to remain on hold through 2026. After cutting rates three times in fall, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in December that the central bank was now “well positioned to wait and see how the economy evolves from here.” Since then, stronger-than-expected U.S. GDP and employment data has reinforced the case for a hold. The President placed a close ally, Stephen Miran, on the Fed board of governors, and tried to fire another Fed board member, Lisa Cook. Earlier this month, Mr. Powell revealed that the U.S. Department of Justice had opened a criminal investigation into his handling of Fed building renovations and his testimony to Congress. Financial markets are betting the U.S. central bank will remain on hold for the next three decisions, before cutting again in June. By then, Mr. Trump will have appointed a new and presumably more dovish chair, willing to push for his vision of lower interest rates. The Bank of Canada sent a clear signal last month not to expect interest rate changes any time soon and Bay Street is running with this narrative. Interest rate swap markets, which capture expectations about monetary policy, see the bank remaining on hold through 2026, according to Bloomberg data. But markets have largely dropped their expectation of a hike this fall. This week, swap market data put the odds of a quarter-point hike by December below 50 per cent. Likewise, 26 out 35 economists polled by Reuters last week said they expect the central bank to keep interest rates steady this year. Some, however, think the bank could lower rates further if U.S.-Canada trade relations deteriorate. Bay Street isn't expecting fireworks from the Bank of Canada today. It held its benchmark interest rate steady at 2.25 per cent and said that further moves in either direction are unlikely any time soon. As far as the central bank is concerned, there isn't a clear rationale for either cuts or hikes right now. Inflation is running slightly hot, but not enough to really worry central bankers. Economic growth is muted and unemployment is elevated, but the country has not fallen into the recession many economists were expecting this time last year. With no one expecting a move today, Bay Street analysts will mainly be watching Governor Tiff Macklem's post-announcement press conference for hints about where rates might go from here, and parsing the quarterly Monetary Policy Report, which will contain the bank's updated economic growth and inflation forecasts. Read more about today's expected Bank of Canada decision. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

The U.S. central bank gave little indication in its latest policy statement of when borrowing costs might fall again The U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, citing still-elevated inflation alongside solid economic growth, and giving little indication in its latest policy statement of when borrowing costs might fall again. “Economic activity has been expanding at a solid pace,” Fed policymakers said in the statement after voting 10-2 to hold the U.S. central bank's benchmark interest rate in the 3.50 per cent to 3.75 per cent range following a two-day meeting. Both Governor Christopher Waller, a contender to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell when his term as central bank chief ends in May, and Governor Stephen Miran, on leave from his job as an economic adviser at the White House, dissented in favor of a quarter-percentage-point rate cut. Though the Fed noted that “job gains have remained low,” it also removed language from its prior statement saying that downside risks to employment had risen - an indication policymakers as a group are becoming less worried about a rapid downturn in the labor market. The unemployment rate in December fell to 4.4 per cent. Mr. Powell is scheduled to hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss the policy statement and economic outlook. Food prices are now driving inflation, which could complicate the Bank of Canada's rate path ahead.Carlos Osorio/Reuters We agree with the decision, though believe food price increases are likely to pose an ongoing challenge for the bank. Moreover, labour growth stagnated in December and the unemployment rate increased to 6.8 per cent, up from from 6.6 per cent. Philip Soper, CEO of Royal Le Page, says a "further degradation" of Canada's relationship with the U.S. could act as a damper on the spring housing market.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail For the past year and a half, scores of prospective first-time homebuyers have held back, waiting for both home prices and borrowing costs to reach bottom. With rates now on hold, many of them may finally decide to jump into the upcoming spring housing market. “A further degradation of the relationship with the U.S. or a clear indication that there would be no reasonable renewal of our trade agreement with Mexico and the U.S. could actually act as a damper on the spring market,” said Philip Soper, CEO of Royal Le Page. Still, barring any significant trade shocks, Mr. Soper expects homebuyers to come out of hibernation. Employment levels among the key 25-to-54-year-old demographic are healthy, Canadians' savings rates remain strong and far above prepandemic levels, and inflation is reasonable. Yet, especially in larger housing markets, the volume of home sales has remained well below historical norms. It means, “there's a lot of people that need housing and relatively few transactions occurring,” Mr. Soper said. But don't expect the release of that pent-up demand to result in bidding wars and escalating home prices. Instead, Mr. Soper expects prices to decline by another 3 to 4 per cent in Toronto and Vancouver this year, with most smaller markets registering low, single-digit price gains. “It is important to step back from the daily noise. It's clear that our population growth has come down and is going to stay lower. It's clear that new technologies, particularly rapid advances in AI, have the potential to have a significant impact on businesses on the economy. We are monitoring those risks very closely, and if a new shock comes along, or an accumulation of evidence that materially changes our outlook, we're prepared to respond.” Gold prices climbed above US$5,300 per ounce for the first ​time on Wednesday, driven by economic ‍uncertainty and a weakening U.S. dollar.Angelika Warmuth/Reuters People don't want as much exposure to the U.S. dollar. … And at the same time, you're seeing other safe havens, most notably gold, up a lot.” A view of the US Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC on Monday.MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images Look, why did I make a point of commenting on Chairman Powell and the U.S. Fed? A loss of independence of the Fed would affect us all, and for Canada, our financial markets are particularly integrated with the United States, so it would particularly affect us. I'm not going to go through every event, but the month of January has been pretty packed with new elements, new geopolitical risks. Through the summer, I don't want to say uncertainty was low, but you saw a little more stability. Recently you've seen more unpredictability in U.S. policy, with all sorts of threats, including on Canada. And then I think the CUSMA review is coming more into focus. So those are really the key elements that have increased uncertainty. U.S. trade policy remains highly unpredictable, and for Canada, what the outcome is of the review of CUSMA is an important risk to our projection. … We go through a number of possible outcomes for CUSMA. I would stress that we've done a number of scenarios.” “Tariffs and uncertainty continue to disrupt the Canadian economy. Household spending is expected to continue growing moderately, supported by past cuts in interest rates and rising disposable incomes. U.S. tariffs and related uncertainty have held back business investment. But we expect some modest strengthening in investment as businesses adjust to the new trade environment and governments increase infrastructure spending.” Employment weakened in the first half of 2025 as sectors hit hard by U.S. tariffs cut production and jobs. In recent months, overall employment has risen, led by hiring in services like health care, and slowing population growth is reducing the number of new entrants into the labour market. Still, the unemployment rate remains high at 6.8%, youth unemployment is particularly elevated, and relatively few businesses say they plan to hire more workers in coming months.” If we focus on recent movements, CPI inflation rose to 2.4 per cent in December, boosted by base-year effects linked to last winter's GST/HST holiday. The Bank's preferred measures of core inflation have eased from 3 per cent in October to around 2.5 per cent in December. Alternatively, the labour market could weaken further as trade impacts deepen, leading to lower household spending. Financial conditions could also tighten if volatility returns to markets.” “Monetary policy cannot compensate for the structural damage caused by tariffs, and it cannot target hard-hit sectors of the economy. But it can play a supporting role, helping the economy through this period of structural change, while maintaining inflation close to the 2 per cent target.” Food and rent inflation remains elevated, but the Bank of Canada expects both to ease in coming quarters – as noted in the latest Monetary Policy Report forecast.Carlos Osorio/Reuters The Bank of Canada published a new forecast for economic growth and inflation on Wednesday in its quarterly Monetary Policy Report. Here's how economists are reacting in written commentaries issued after the rate decision: “There won't be anyone surprised by the Bank of Canada's well-telegraphed decision to keep rates on hold today, or its assessment that rates are at the right level if their forecast pans out. They remain firmly neutral on where things go from here, saying that “it's difficult to predict the timing or direction of the next move.” But if there's a slight leaning here, it's still towards some worries on the growth front due to uncertainties on trade, and a bit more comfort that underlying inflation is decelerating. With both historical actual and potential growth revised higher, the output gap in Q4 is in the range of -1.5 per cent to -0.5 per cent, unchanged from October's estimate. We'll stick to our forecast for no interest rate moves by the bank in 2026, but see the odds of a further cut as more likely than a hike, given the potential minefield in trade negotiations ahead, and a starting point that still has significant economic slack.” “The Bank of Canada's largely unchanged economic projections are similar to our own, although we think the slow pace of economic growth this year will help ease core price pressures sooner than policymakers expect. We agree that the policy rate's next move will be upwards, but we do not expect this to come until 2027, providing that CUSMA renegotiations have been wrapped up by then.” That said, our baseline outlook is relatively in line with the BoC – below-trend growth helping inflation continue to moderate. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is up for review this year.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press There weren't many surprises in Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem's opening statement on Wednesday. The benchmark interest rate – still at 2.25 per cent – is considered “appropriate” for an economy both stung by tariffs, but growing modestly. Financial markets haven't reacted much to Wednesday's decision. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is up for review this year, and the outcome is highly uncertain – everything from a U.S. withdrawal to a renewal, potentially with major tweaks to trade policy. Gross domestic product is on a weaker track than previously projected, and the gap won't be closed. Suffice to say, a bad outcome in the USMCA review will bring more damage. The bank's new forecast, published Wednesday in its quarterly Monetary Policy Report, sees muted growth ahead, as economic activity is held back by trade uncertainty and slow population growth. There are also questions about how well, and how quickly, Canadian businesses and consumers can adjust to a world where preferential access to the U.S. market is no longer guaranteed. “The transition to the new trade environment could be smoother than we expect, with stronger business and household spending,” Mr. Macklem said. “Alternatively, the labour market could weaken further as trade impacts deepen, leading to lower household spending. Financial conditions could also tighten if volatility returns to markets.” The Canadian dollar did tick up slightly, to a more than one-year high of 73.87 cents US, but don't read much into that: the U.S. dollar was also ticking lower against major currencies as that high was reached. And we're seeing that lack of movement in the bond market play out in implied interest rate probabilities for where rates go from here. Overnight index swap markets still imply a consensus among traders that the Bank of Canada will remain on hold throughout the rest of this year - although there is a very slim probability priced in for a cut in April or June (around 4 per cent) and more robust odds of a rate hike by October (about 30-per-cent odds). The Bank of Canada kept its benchmark interest rate steady on Wednesday and offered little guidance about where monetary policy will go next as U.S. protectionism continues to reshape the Canadian economy. As widely anticipated, the bank's governing council kept the policy rate at 2.25 per cent, where it has been since October. Governor Tiff Macklem said this level “remains appropriate” given the bank's outlook for slow, but positive economic growth, and subdued inflation. But he was non-committal about how long the bank would remain on hold or what its next move might be. U.S. trade policy remains unpredictable, and geopolitical risks are elevated,” Mr. Macklem said, according to the prepared text of his press conference opening statement. Financial markets expect the bank to remain on hold through 2026. After cutting rates three times in fall, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in December that the central bank was now “well positioned to wait and see how the economy evolves from here.” Since then, stronger-than-expected U.S. GDP and employment data has reinforced the case for a hold. The President placed a close ally, Stephen Miran, on the Fed board of governors, and tried to fire another Fed board member, Lisa Cook. Earlier this month, Mr. Powell revealed that the U.S. Department of Justice had opened a criminal investigation into his handling of Fed building renovations and his testimony to Congress. Financial markets are betting the U.S. central bank will remain on hold for the next three decisions, before cutting again in June. By then, Mr. Trump will have appointed a new and presumably more dovish chair, willing to push for his vision of lower interest rates. The Bank of Canada sent a clear signal last month not to expect interest rate changes any time soon and Bay Street is running with this narrative. Interest rate swap markets, which capture expectations about monetary policy, see the bank remaining on hold through 2026, according to Bloomberg data. But markets have largely dropped their expectation of a hike this fall. This week, swap market data put the odds of a quarter-point hike by December below 50 per cent. Likewise, 26 out 35 economists polled by Reuters last week said they expect the central bank to keep interest rates steady this year. Some, however, think the bank could lower rates further if U.S.-Canada trade relations deteriorate. Bay Street isn't expecting fireworks from the Bank of Canada today. It held its benchmark interest rate steady at 2.25 per cent and said that further moves in either direction are unlikely any time soon. As far as the central bank is concerned, there isn't a clear rationale for either cuts or hikes right now. Inflation is running slightly hot, but not enough to really worry central bankers. Economic growth is muted and unemployment is elevated, but the country has not fallen into the recession many economists were expecting this time last year. With no one expecting a move today, Bay Street analysts will mainly be watching Governor Tiff Macklem's post-announcement press conference for hints about where rates might go from here, and parsing the quarterly Monetary Policy Report, which will contain the bank's updated economic growth and inflation forecasts. Read more about today's expected Bank of Canada decision. Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following.

Ukrainian forces struck the Khokholskaya oil depot in Russia's Voronezh Oblast and several Russian military facilities in occupied territories on Jan. 27–28, the General Staff said. Ukraine regularly strikes Russian military facilities, as well as oil infrastructure that helps Russia finance its war and supply the Russian army with weapons, fuel, and equipment. Damage from the strike is still being assessed. Ukrainian forces also targeted Russian troop locations in the village of Kolotilovka in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, as well as near the villages of Velyka Novosilka, Shakhove, and Hryhoriivka in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, and near the town of Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the report read. Huliaipole has been at the center of heavy fighting in recent months, even as Russian forces press their advance in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The city, however, remains under Ukrainian control. The General Staff previously confirmed that Ukrainian drone strikes inflicted damage on Russian oil and weapons facilities in widespread attacks carried out overnight on Jan. 22. Targets included Russia's Tamanneftegaz oil terminal, several radar stations in Russian-occupied Crimea, a drone storage facility in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, command and observation post of Russian military personnel in Donetsk Oblast. Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The Kyiv Independent's Jared Goyette speaks with a Colombian volunteer who spent two years fighting in Ukraine. Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv and surrounding areas, overnight on Jan. 28, local authorities reported. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow is prepared to ensure President Volodymyr Zelensky's security. The Chariot Tide, formerly known as Marabella Sun, was flying a Mozambique flag when its engine broke down on Jan. 22 in international waters within Spain's search-and-rescue zone. Russian forces have sustained nearly 1.2 million casualties since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, paying a steep price for limited gains, a new CSIS report finds. The Atesh partisan group sabotaged an electrical substation in Russia's Udmurt Republic, disrupting power supply to the nearby "BUMMASH" military‑industrial plant, the group claimed in a Telegram post on Jan. 28.

Editor's note: The story has been updated with additional details. An EU-sanctioned shadow fleet vessel was being escorted to Morocco by a Spanish rescue ship, Reuters reported on Jan. 27, citing Spain's maritime authorities. The Chariot Tide, formerly known as Marabella Sun, was flying a Mozambique flag when its engine broke down on Jan. 22 in international waters within Spain's search-and-rescue zone. The ship has been under EU sanctions since December 2024 for transporting Russian oil and "using irregular high-risk shipping practices." The news comes shortly after 14 European countries — excluding Spain — issued a warning to Russia's shadow fleet in the Baltic and North Sea and pledged to step up maritime security. The shadow fleet is a group of aging, poorly insured tankers that Moscow uses to evade international sanctions. Western governments have linked the fleet to Russian-backed hybrid operations, while experts say it poses environmental risks due to an increased likelihood of oil spills. Only last week, French forces boarded a shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying Paris would "not tolerate any violation." Several Russia-linked shadow tankers were also detained in recent weeks by the U.S. as part of Washington's crackdown on the Venezuelan oil trade. Tanker Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1, was detained by U.S. forces while flying a Russian flag on Jan. 7. Two Russian crew members detained have been released and are on their way to their homeland, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed on Jan. 28. Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. The Kyiv Independent's Jared Goyette speaks with a Colombian volunteer who spent two years fighting in Ukraine. Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv and surrounding areas, overnight on Jan. 28, local authorities reported. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow is prepared to ensure President Volodymyr Zelensky's security. The Chariot Tide, formerly known as Marabella Sun, was flying a Mozambique flag when its engine broke down on Jan. 22 in international waters within Spain's search-and-rescue zone. Russian forces have sustained nearly 1.2 million casualties since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, paying a steep price for limited gains, a new CSIS report finds. The Atesh partisan group sabotaged an electrical substation in Russia's Udmurt Republic, disrupting power supply to the nearby "BUMMASH" military‑industrial plant, the group claimed in a Telegram post on Jan. 28.