Deaths mount as ICE push intensifies

Plus, a modern Gold Rush.

Get full access to Reuters.com for just $1/week. Subscribe now. Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Claire Beers Hello. The Trump administration has defended the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, China investigates a top general over serious violations, and gold hits a record high. Plus, the sad toy bringing a lot of joy.  Today's Top News   Federal agents stand near the site where Alex Pretti was fatally shot. REUTERS/Tim Evans ICE in Minnesota A second fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis has thrust President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown deeper into the national political spotlight, forcing Republicans to defend the administration's hard-line tactics. Trump's administration defended the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti, even as video evidence contradicted their version of events and as tensions grew between local law enforcement and federal officers. Pretti worked as an ICU nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital. Reporter Brad Brooks spoke to the Reuters World News podcast from Minneapolis after hundreds of healthcare workers gathered at the site of his killing. Listen here. Trump's administration also opposed efforts to expand the use of body cameras by immigration officers and sharply cut oversight staffing. In other news A powerful winter storm spread a paralyzing mix of heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Ohio Valley and mid-South to New England, compounded by bitter, Arctic cold gripping much of the US east of the Rockies. Taiwan is monitoring what it called "abnormal" changes to China's military leadership after its most senior general was put under investigation.  A US document on security guarantees for Ukraine is completely ready and Kyiv is waiting for a time and place for it to be signed, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, indicating that weekend talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi made some progress. Israel said it will reopen Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt only after an operation to locate the body of the last remaining Israeli hostage in the enclave is completed. The border was supposed to have opened during the initial phase of Trump's plan to end the war.  Thousands marked Australia's national day by attending "Invasion Day" rallies in support of Indigenous Australians and calling for unity, while separate anti-immigration protests also drew crowds. Business & Markets   Gold surged to a record high above $5,100 an ounce, extending a historic rally as investors piled into the safe-haven asset amid rising geopolitical uncertainties. India plans to slash tariffs on cars imported from the European Union to 40% from as high as 110%, sources said, in the biggest opening yet of the country's vast market. India and the EU are close to concluding a long-sought free trade agreement. See the key elements of the trade deal here. Meta Platforms, TikTok and YouTube will face courtroom scrutiny this week over allegations that their platforms are fueling a youth mental health crisis, as the national debate about kids' screen time enters a new phase. Oil prices rose after climbing more than 2% in the previous session, due to production disruptions in major US crude-producing regions. LVMH shareholders are seeking clarity on how and to whom Bernard Arnault plans to hand over leadership of the luxury giant, saying the lack of transparency is increasingly becoming a risk. Samsung plans to start production of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, or HBM4, next month and supply them to Nvidia, a person familiar ‌with the matter told Reuters. The unusual rate check by the New York Federal Reserve that triggered a spike in the stubbornly weak yen has lowered the threshold for intervention, but coordinated Japan-US selling of dollars still looks highly unlikely at this stage. Russian strike on Ukraine leaves 1,330 buildings still without heat   Firefighters work at the site of a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine. Handout: State Emergency Service of Ukraine.  More than 1,300 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv were still without heating following a Russian missile and drone attack earlier this week, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. Russia has sharply intensified bombardments of Ukraine's energy system since it invaded its neighbor in 2022. Russia launched a vast attack on Ukraine's energy system over the weekend, rocking Kyiv with explosions overnight and leaving 1.2 million properties without power nationwide during sub-zero winter temperatures. Read more And Finally... Crying horse plush toys sit on display ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year. REUTERS/Nicoco Chan Customers are searching for an unlikely bestseller ahead of the Lunar New Year — a red plush horse with a downturned mouth. The toy has gone viral on social media after a manufacturing mistake turned what was meant to be a happy-faced Lunar New Year decoration's smile into a frown. Read more   Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website   Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you’ve engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions   © 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036

What the Greenland saga means for Europe

And Ukraine freezes under Russia's assault

Get full access to Reuters.com for just $1/week. Subscribe now. Weekend Briefing Weekend Briefing From Reuters Daily Briefing   By Robert MacMillan, Reuters.com Weekend Editor Welcome to the Weekend Briefing. There's plenty to read below, but first I recommend this story on grassroots activism among Minnesota's Somalis, the people President Donald Trump has described as garbage. Does the president have a case against JPMorgan for closing his accounts? Would you rather forget all about that and just take a trip to Lisbon? What the Greenland saga means for Europe   REUTERS/Marko Djurica New reality: Donald Trump may have backed off his threats to take Greenland by force and to hit European countries with tariffs, but Europe's leaders expect these kinds of issues to come up again. U.S. asset managers and corporate investors say they need to invest more in geopolitical risk analysis. One result of such risk: The price of silver surpassed $100 an ounce for the first time. Another: Big northern European investors are becoming wary of holding U.S. assets. Umbrage: Trump and the U.S. reinforced fear and loathing among some guests at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos this week. Some said they felt a few of his positions on global issues had merit, but they were deeply offended by the way he and his team presented them. Canada's prime minister delivered an impassioned speech on what he called the rupture of the world order. Business leaders say that's not what's happening and that everybody needs to calm down. Ukraine freezes as Russia talks yield no compromise Territory: Russian airstrikes plunged Ukraine into its worst energy crisis since the war began while negotiators from both countries met under U.S. mediation in Abu Dhabi to tackle their dispute over territory. The CEO of Ukraine's top energy firm said power outages are bringing the situation "close to a humanitarian catastrophe." Europe: Spain suffered four train accidents this week, including a high-speed collision in Andalusia that killed 45 people, leading to questions about whether rail-network maintenance is keeping up with demand. Prince Harry, Keir Starmer and others castigated Trump for accusing allies of shirking their front-line roles in Afghanistan. The owner of the Swiss bar that burned in a deadly New Year's Day fire was released on bail, prompting an outcry from victims' families and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Minnesotans hold economic strike to protest ICE Closed: Scores of businesses shut their doors and workers went outside in extremely cold weather to protest Trump's deployment of ICE troops in Minneapolis. Vice President JD Vance defended ICE's actions, saying "far-left agitators" and uncooperative local officials are to blame for demonstrations in the city. A U.S. appeals court lifted a lower court's order that restrained federal officers from arresting or tear-gassing peaceful protesters. Politics: Some Republicans worry that the ICE deployments could turn voters off in November's congressional midterm elections, while Democrats are concerned that calls in their party for ICE's abolition could hurt their chances among voters who are concerned about immigration and border security. U.S. threatens to starve Iraq of its oil money Influence: The U.S. warned of sanctions on its oil revenue if it included armed groups backed by Iran in Baghdad's next government. The U.S. also sanctioned nine vessels in Iran's shadow tanker fleet to put pressure on Tehran after the recent killing of protesters. Several U.S. guided-missile destroyers and an aircraft carrier are heading toward the region, U.S. officials said. Syria: The government seized large portions of territory held by Kurdish fighters after reaching a deal for Kurdish civilian and military authorities to come under Damascus' control. Forces from each side massed on the front lines as an evening deadline approaches to determine whether they resume fighting. Amazon plans another round of layoffs Second strike: The 30,000 jobs on the block amount to 10% of Amazon's corporate workforce. It put an earlier round of 14,000 cuts down to AI, but CEO Andy Jassy later told financial analysts that the reduction was about culture – read "bloat" – and not about artificial intelligence. Jobs, jobs, jobs: Business leaders at Davos predicted that AI will herald higher pay and more jobs for electricians, plumbers and steelworkers. Some delegates countered that AI could lead consumers to psychosis and suicide, while labor leaders questioned the costs of recent technology gains. Before I forget… Nearly half the U.S. population is expecting a winter storm by Sunday and Monday that brings the threat of power outages and icy roads. China is investigating senior military officials, including Xi Jinping's closest military ally, for what it called serious violations of discipline and law. The fire that killed at least 67 people and burned a mall to the ground in Karachi came after years of ignored warnings and a delayed response. Police in Indian Kashmir asked journalists to sign a pledge to not "disturb peace" in the region. A journalism advocate said it is part of a pattern of intimidation against the press. French investigators are probing the deaths of two infants who were fed infant formula that was subject to a recall. An Australian boy aged 12 died after being bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour. Manchester City players will pay back ticket costs to fans who traveled with them to Norway, only to see them lose 3-1 in Arctic weather to the Bodø/Glimt soccer team.   Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website   Weekend Briefing is sent once a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you’ve engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement. Terms & Conditions   © 2026 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036