“Montenegro could face fuel shortages due to region-wide protests and a blockade of the Adriatic port of Bar by truck drivers over restrictive EU entry rules that have left them facing deportation for exceeding Schengen visit limits. The port of Bar is the biggest entry point for overseas fuel imports into Montenegro, which has no oil refining capacity of its own. It also houses the country’s largest fuel depots. Blockades of border crossings in Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro and North Macedonia that began on Monday have halted transport along a critical road corridor linking the EU with Turkey and the Middle East. In a statement late on Tuesday, the Montenegrin Energy Ministry said it asked oil companies for information on stocks, and on the estimated period during which regular fuel supplies could be maintained.” (01/28/26)
“The top federal judge in Minneapolis backed off a plan to haul the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement into court Friday, but delivered a brutal condemnation of the agency for repeatedly defying judges’ orders in cases stemming from the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz tore into the agency in a Wednesday order for what he characterized as a pattern of unprecedented defiance — violating dozens of court orders in ways that abused the rights of immigrants facing deportation proceedings. … Despite the judge’s fury, his order amounted to a reprieve of sorts for ICE’s acting director Todd Lyons, whom Schiltz had previously ordered to appear before him Friday to address potential contempt of court.” (01/28/26)
“A South Korean court sentenced former first lady Kim Keon Hee to 20 months in jail on Wednesday for accepting Chanel bags and a diamond pendant from Unification Church officials in return for providing political favours. The wife of ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from office last year, was cleared on other charges of stock price manipulation and violating the political funds act. Prosecutors will appeal against the not-guilty verdicts, media reports said. The ruling comes amid a series of trials stemming from investigations into Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law in 2024 and related scandals involving the once-powerful couple.” (01/28/26)
“A private plane carrying a deputy chief minister crashed in an open field in western India on Wednesday, killing the official and four other people on board, aviation authorities said. There were no survivors. The aircraft was en route from India’s financial capital of Mumbai to Ajit Pawar’s home city Baramati when it crash-landed and burst into flames some 159 miles from Mumbai. The reason for the crash was not immediately known. Television footage showed smoke rising from the wreckage. … Pawar was a key figure in state politics and served as the second highest elected official in Maharashtra as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition in the state.” (01/28/26)
“Indian authorities said they had contained a Nipah virus outbreak after confirming two cases in the eastern state of West Bengal, as several Asian countries tightened health screenings and airport surveillance for travelers arriving from India. India’s Health Ministry said Tuesday that two Nipah cases had been detected since December and that all identified contacts had been quarantined and tested. The ministry did not release details about the patients but said 196 contacts had been traced and all tested negative.” (01/28/26)
“Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday that the automaker is ending production of its Model S and X vehicles, and will use the factory in Fremont, California, to build Optimus humanoid robots. ‘It’s time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge,’ Musk said on the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. ‘If you’re interested in buying a Model S and X, now would be the time to order it.’ After the original Roadster, the two models are Tesla’s oldest vehicles, and in recent years the company has slashed prices as global competition for electric vehicles has soared. Tesla started selling the Model S sedan in 2012, and the Model X SUV three years later.” (01/28/26)
“Amazon said Wednesday it plans to eliminate about 16,000 corporate jobs, marking its second round of mass job cuts since last October. In a blog post, the company wrote that the layoffs were part of an ongoing effort to ‘strengthen our organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy.’ That coincides with a push to invest heavily in artificial intelligence. The job reductions come just a few months after October’s layoffs, when 14,000 employees were let go across Amazon’s corporate workforce. At the time, the company indicated the cuts would continue in 2026 as it found ‘additional places we can remove layers.'” (01/28/26)
“Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the government is pushing ahead with plans to halve the number of jury trials in England and Wales because he had given his word to crime victims that he would tackle delays to justice. The government is facing a rebellion by Labour MPs over the proposals, which are aimed at cutting the huge backlog in cases that built up during the Covid pandemic. Opponents argue that judge-only trials for less serious cases would undermine public trust and have little impact on the backlog.” (01/28/26)
“A federal judge in Oregon dismissed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit against the state for refusing to provide its unredacted voter rolls. U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai, an appointee of former President Biden, is set to issue a written opinion in the coming days, according to The Associated Press. ‘The court dismissed this case because the federal government never met the legal standard to get these records in the first place,’ Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield (D) told the AP in an emailed statement.” (01/27/26)
“TikTok has settled a lawsuit accusing it and several other social media companies of designing addictive platforms shortly before the landmark case headed to trial Tuesday, according to an attorney for the plaintiffs. It is the latest company to settle the case and avoid trial, after Snapchat’s parent company similarly reached a settlement last week. The trial will now go forward with the two remaining companies, Meta and YouTube. … The plaintiffs have accused the social media companies of deliberately designing their platforms to induce kids to use their products despite research linking social media to youth mental health issues. ” (01/27/26)
