January 27, 2026

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,431 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• The Financial Times cites multiple unnamed sources as saying U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has "indicated to Ukraine that US security guarantees are contingent on Kyiv first agreeing to a peace deal that would likely involve ceding the Donbas region to Russia." The news outlet says White House officials have denied the assertions, calling them "totally false." [more]

MINNESOTA | Amidst ongoing tensions associated with federal immigration enforcement operations and the weekend shooting in Minneapolis of U.S. citizen Alex Pretti by federal agents, the Trump administration said yesterday that border czar Tom Homan will head to Minnesota to oversee immigration-related operations. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who had been overseeing the federal operations and whose presence has been a focus of criticism by local protesters, is expected to leave Minneapolis as early as today. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | The Federal Reserve's interest-rate setting committee begins a two-day meeting today at which it is widely expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at about 3.6%. [more]

U.S. AIR DISASTER | The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to present its findings today on the causes of last January's mid-air collision of an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, DC, in which 67 people were killed. NTSB officials are also expected to make recommendations on what should be done to prevent future similar incidents. [more]

OREGON | A federal judge yesterday dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit that sought access to unredacted voter rolls from Oregon, saying "the federal government never met the legal standard to get these records in the first place" and that "Oregonians deserve to know that voting laws can’t be used as a backdoor to grab their personal information." [more]

U.S. AND NATO | NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte insisted yesterday that Europe is incapable of defending itself without U.S. military support, telling E.U. lawmakers in Brussels that Europe and the U.S. "need each other." The statement came amidst U.S.-E.U. tensions over President Donald Trump's push to take control of Denmark's semiautonomous territory of Greenland and calls from some E.U. leaders for greater strategic autonomy for the bloc. [more]

U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA | U.S. President Donald Trump said yesterday that he plans to increase tariffs on goods imported from South Korea to 25% because the Asian country has yet to give final approval to a trade framework agreed to last year. [more]

E.U. AND INDIA | In a deal that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi says "represents 25% of the global GDP and one-third of global trade," India and the European Union announced today that they have reached a free-trade agreement aimed at deepening both economic and strategic ties. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the deal, which is expected to cut up to 4 billion euros (or $4.7 billion) in annual tariffs on goods exported from the two countries, sends “a strong message that cooperation is the best answer to global challenges.” [more]

IRAN | According to updated data from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 5,777 protesters, 214 government-affiliated forces, 86 children, and 49 civilians who weren’t demonstrating were killed in the Iranian government's recent crackdown on widespread anti-government protests – a much higher number than the 3,117 casualties reported by government officials. [more]

SWEDEN | Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said yesterday that amidst increased recruitment of children into criminal gangs to carry out violent crimes without facing serious legal repercussions, Sweden plans to move forward with legislation that would lower the age of criminal responsibility for serious crimes from 15 to 13. [more]

VENEZUELA | Reports cite leading Venezuelan prisoners' rights organization Foro Penal as saying at least 100 dissidents jailed by the government of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro have been freed by Venezuela's acting government over the past two days. [more]

NIGERIA | The Nigerian military, citing findings from an investigative panel, said yesterday that several of its officers will stand trial on charges of plotting a coup to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu. [more]

E.U. AUTO INDUSTRY | European sales of fully-electric cars surpassed those of internal combustion engine vehicles for the first time in December, according to data released today by auto industry group ACEA. [more]

SOCIAL MEDIA | Jury selection is taking place this week in Los Angeles, California, in a case in which multiple social media platforms, including Meta’s Instagram, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Google’s YouTube, will face claims that they are designed deliberate addict children and are responsible for harm to users through pushing them into "self-destructive feedback loops." [more]

SOCCER | Amidst reports of growing fan concerns over immigration, visa, and international policies of the U.S.' Trump administration, former FIFA president Sepp Blatter yesterday voiced his support for a proposed fan boycott of World Cup matches to be held this summer in the United States. [more]

OLYMPICS | Following reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will have a role in diplomatic security operations during the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympic Games in Italy, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said today that ICE agents would not be welcome in his city as they are "not aligned with our democratic way of managing security." Reports note that the Homeland Security Investigations component of ICE has supported security operations for U.S. diplomats during previous Olympic Games. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1945, during World War II, Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland. Of the 1.3 million people sent to Auschwitz by Nazi Germany, an estimated 1.1 million were murdered. The anniversary of the January 27 liberation is recognized annually as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. [more history]