As speculation swirls over whether California Gov. Gavin Newsom will run for president in 2028, a business group on Tuesday unveiled a billboard in New York City’s Times Square, comparing the Democratic leader to one of the NFL’s most consistently underperforming – some would say sorriest – franchises: the New York Jets.
The California Business and Industrial Alliance (CABIA), which announced the ad, said it coincides with Super Bowl week and represents Newsom’s track record on homelessness and higher taxes.
A billboard unveiled in Times Square features California Gov. Gavin Newsom likened to the New York Jets, one of the NFL’s worst-performing franchises. (California Business and Industrial Alliance (CABIA))
“Before trying to quarterback national politics, Gavin Newsom should take a hard look at how his game plan worked out in California,” said Tom Manzo, founder of CABIA. “Much like New Yorkers feel about the Jets, Californians expected more than what they’ve seen from Governor Newsom.”
The billboard features a green background in Jets colors and features Newsom wearing a Jets Jersey with “California” emblazoned” on the front.
“His record is worse than the Jets,” the billboard states. #1 in High Taxes and Homelessness.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom has been increasing his social media presence in recent weeks.(AP Photo)
Newsom has been heavily criticized by Republicans over the state’s homelessness crisis, which has grown over the past few years despite billions in spending.
A 2024 state audit found that California failed to track results from an unprecedented $24 billion spent on combating the issue. In addition, California has one of the country’s highest tax burdens and costs of living.
Meanwhile, the comparison to the Jets is meant to highlight Newsom’s perceived failures at governing the state. The Jets finished the 2025 NFL season with a 3-14 record, frustrating the team’s already demoralized fan base.
The team lost its first seven games of the season before finally notching a win.
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez #6 fumbles in the first half when the New York Jets played the New England Patriots on Nov. 22, 2012.(Robert Sabo/NY Daily News via Getty Images)
The United Kingdom’s data protection authority launched a formal investigation into X and its Irish subsidiary over reports that the Grok AI assistant was used to generate nonconsensual sexual images.
This announcement comes after the ICO contacted X and xAI on January 7, seeking urgent information on the measures taken to comply with data protection law following reports that Grok created sexually explicit images using individuals’ personal data.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said today that it will examine whether X Internet Unlimited Company (XIUC) and X.AI LLC (X.AI) processed personal data lawfully and whether adequate safeguards were in place to prevent Grok from creating harmful, manipulated images.
The ICO also noted that losing control over personal data, when safeguards are not in place to prevent the creation of AI-generated intimate imagery, can cause immediate and significant harm, particularly involving children.
“The reports about Grok raise deeply troubling questions about how people’s personal data has been used to generate intimate or sexualised images without their knowledge or consent, and whether the necessary safeguards were put in place to prevent this,” said William Malcolm, ICO’s head of regulatory risk and innovation.
“Losing control of personal data in this way can cause immediate and significant harm. This is particularly the case where children are involved.”
As the UK’s independent data protection regulator, the privacy watchdog can impose fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of a company’s worldwide annual turnover.
Today, French prosecutors also raided X’s Paris offices as part of a criminal probe examining whether Grok generated child sexual abuse material and Holocaust denial content. The French authorities also summoned Elon Musk, X CEO Linda Yaccarino, and additional X employees for interviews in April.
In January 2026, the European Commission launched its own formal investigation to find whether X properly assessed risks under the Digital Services Act before deploying Grok on its platform after it was used to generate sexually explicit images.
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today’s big news
– Photo: Amar Ujala Graphics
Historic trade agreements signed between India and America on Monday After this, on Tuesday, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. The meeting took place ahead of the first Ministerial Conference on Critical Minerals. The weather of the country from north to south is showing many colors these days. At some places the effect of cold has intensified due to rain and snowfall, while at other places cold wave and dense fog have put life on hold. Due to the activity of Western Disturbance, the weather remains unstable in North India, while strong winds in the southern sea areas have increased the concern of fishermen. At least 14 people have died after a speedboat and a Greek coast guard boat collided near Greece’s eastern Aegean island of Chios. The Greek coast guard said Tuesday that 24 people were rescued and taken to hospital. Two Coast Guard officers have also been injured in this. It is not yet known how many people were in the speedboat. Read such important news of the country and the world at one place and with one click…
Marles announces government to sell off $3bn in defence owned property
The defence minister, Richard Marles, is announcing that the government will sell off $3bn in defence owned properties, which he calls the most “significant reform to Australia’s defence estate in our nation’s history”.
Marles says the issues around the defence estate have been known within defence circles for “a very long time”.
The sell-off comes after the government commissioned an audit of the estates. Marles says:
For any organisation, its home, its land, its infrastructure, its bricks and mortar, is fundamental to what it can do, and that is most certainly the case when it comes to defence.
What became clear was that defence as one of the largest owners of property in the country had a very significant estate, much of which was not being used.
Marles quotes from the audit:
Attempts to consolidate and rationalise property holdings in the past have been stymied by a lack of political and organisational will to overcome challenges … it is clear that maintaining the status quo is not an option.
Richard Marles. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images
Key events
Victorian government offers single day of travel – worth $11.40 – for commuters trapped on trains
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian transport minister, Gabrielle Williams, has offered a single free day of travel – worth $11.40 – for commuters who were trapped on trains for up to two hours yesterday.
Williams held a doorstop at parliament a short time ago where she also apologised for the inconvenience caused, particularly for the two trains that were halted near the overhead power fault at Armadale. For one train, this was a 90-minute wait and for the other, a two-hour wait before they were helped off and had to walk to nearby Malvern station.
She said:
The government will be offering compensation to those passengers and inviting those passengers to call the Transport Victoria call centre to get a ticket, which will effectively issue them with a day’s free travel.
So for anybody who was on those services, we again apologise. We appreciate the level of inconvenience and potentially even distress that was caused.
Williams said while investigations were ongoing, there was “no indication” it was related to the ramping up of the Metro Tunnel to full capacity, which occurred a day earlier:
Early indications are, it’s not related to the Metro Tunnel or the timetable at all. It seems to be at this stage, from what we understand, a cable fault near Hawksburn.
We will get an understanding in time of exactly what’s the cause. Some of our best and brightest are working on that as we speak, so that we can make sure that we are continuing to build a rail network that is reliable and gets people to where they need to go.
Labor’s beer excise freeze passes parliament
The government’s freeze on a beer excise has passed the House, but not without a touch of drama. The freeze, which will be in place for two years once it passes the Senate, will probably save consumers about one cent on a mid-strength pint.
The Nationals tried to move two amendments to the bill, which found support from none other than Andrew Hastie and a couple of conservative Liberal allies, including Tony Pasin, Terry Young and Ben Small. The amendment also had support from a few crossbenchers including Nicolette Boele and Andrew Wilkie.
None of the other Liberals were in the chamber to vote with the Nats.
Joe Hinchliffe
Rangers hunt last dingo in pack after death of Canadian backpacker
One dingo doomed to die remains at large on K’gari after wildlife rangers killed eight of its pack for their role in the death of Canadian backpacker Piper James on the world-heritage listed sand island off the Queensland coast.
A coroner’s preliminary assessment, released four days after the 19-year-old died in the early hours of 19 January after going for a dawn swim on her own, found “physical evidence consistent with drowning” as well as “injuries consistent with dingo bites” – noting these were unlikely to have been fatal bites.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the coroner was still “awaiting pathology results to further assist in determining the cause of death of Piper James” – a process expected to take several weeks.
A wild pure bred dingo on K’gari (formerly known as Fraser Island) in Queensland. The island is home to an estimated 200 dingoes. Photograph: Leamus/Getty Images
But a spokesperson for Queensland’s environment department said on Tuesday afternoon that eight dingoes had been “humanely euthanised”:
The operation is ongoing, with one dingo outstanding.
Jordyn Beazley
NSW Labor MLC criticises court delay over challenge to ‘draconian’ protest restrictions
A NSW Labor MLC has criticised the courts delay to hear a legal challenge on whether controversial protest restrictions are constitutional, saying the fact it couldn’t be heard until almost two months after it was filed was “a serious issue”.
Stephen Lawrence, who is also a barrister, pointed out to ABC radio on Tuesday afternoon that the state had agreed the case could be heard on 16 January but “after the judge on duty spoke to the chief justice, it was then not listed until the end of February”. He said:
The concern I’ve got is that very serious and draconian restrictions on the right to protest and assembly have been introduced. The people who seek to protest have not had the opportunity to have the court rule on it.
I’m a little bit surprised in the modern state of New South Wales that the supreme court, the court of appeal, can’t see a case, essentially in a sort of two-month period – that’s a serious issue.
Labor MLC Stephen Lawrence at NSW Parliament House in Sydney, 4 July, 2025. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
It comes as the protest restriction was extended for a fourth time on Tuesday ahead of a protest against a visit by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog. Lawrence said:
I’m just not sure that continually extending this thing to apply it to the visit of the Israeli president is actually going to make us more safe. I think it could be creating a flashpoint, and it concerns me.
Police were given the controversial power to restrict protests in 14-day increments for up to 90 days after a terror attack, after the Minns government rushed laws through parliament last year in the wake of the Bondi beach terror attack.
Groups the Blak Caucus, the Palestine Action Group (PAG) and Jews Against the Occupation ’48 filed the legal challenge against New South Wales laws restricting protests after terrorist incidents in early January, arguing the laws were invalid because they impinge on the implied constitutional right to freedom of political communication.
Prof Ben Saul has applied to join the case as an amicus curiae, which would see him provide expertise on the matter as a “friend of the court”. Saul is the United Nations special rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism.
If Saul’s application to join the case is accepted, Saul told Guardian Australia he would argue that the protest restriction is at odds with Australia’s obligations to protect the freedom of peaceful assembly under international law.
Housing ‘part of the opportunity’ from defence estate sell-off
Jumping back to the press conference in Parliament House:
Richard Marles was asked whether housing will be built on any of the sold off land.
The defence minister says while that could be the case, it was not necessarily the priority of the audit.
I expect that housing will be part of the opportunity that is created here. But I want to be really clear, that’s not why we’re doing this. [This is] around making sure we have a defence estate which is properly attuned to the capabilities of the Australian defence force.
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher, is with Marles – the finance department will be in charge of the sell-off. Gallagher says no decisions around what the land could be used for have been made yet.
The short answer is none of those decisions have been taken.
The divestment the land is coming to [the finance department], then there will be a piece of work done about what is the most appropriate use on those sites, and it will be varied. I mean, there are some prime locations. I imagine there will be a lot of interest and a lot of views about what it can be used for … It may be that some sites are suitable for housing, obviously, other sites will have contamination, heritage restrictions, other issues that need to be worked through.
The finance minister, Katy Gallagher. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
You can read more on the announcement from my colleague, Tom McIlroy, here:
Nino Bucci
Former NSW Labor ministers fail in high court bid to overturn corruption convictions
Former NSW Labor ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald, along with Obeid’s son Moses, have failed in a high court bid to have their 2021 corruption convictions overturned.
The high court ruled on Wednesday that the trio’s appeal against their convictions should be dismissed.
The men were found guilty of a conspiracy to wilfully have Macdonald, the former NSW minerals minister, commit misconduct in public office. The conspiracy involved Macdonald granting a lucrative coal exploration licence to land owned by an Obeid family company.
The court granted the men leave to appeal on a single ground – that the prosecution case at their NSW supreme court trial was “incapable at law” of amounting to a conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, given the prosecution did not allege there was an agreement for Macdonald to do a particular act of misconduct. In its judgment, the high court said:
For the reasons that follow, each appeal must be dismissed. The agreement alleged by the Crown in its indictment, as particularised during the trial, was a complete offence of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.
The alleged agreement contemplated acts to be undertaken by Mr Macdonald that necessarily satisfied the elements of the predicate offence, albeit that it was not known and could not be known at the time the agreement was made what “particular acts” Mr Macdonald would undertake to bring about the objects of the agreement.
Sale of defence properties represents ‘opportunity to return billions of dollars to the government’s purse’: Richard Marles
Marles says that the government has agreed or agreed in principle to the 20 recommendations in the audit.
He says that of the 68 properties the audit recommends selling off, just one – the Pittwater annexe in Sydney – will be retained, and three others partly retained. Three have already been divested, Marles says.
He adds that the government has spent millions of dollars maintaining the buildings, including from vandalisation.
If we do nothing, we will be spending $2bn over the next 25 years, in respect of such properties, without a single contribution to defence capability, that is clearly unsustainable, and yet, on the flipside, the divestiture of these properties represents the opportunity to return billions of dollars to the government’s purse.
Three of the big-ticket properties are the Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Marles says the public deserve to be able to access those significant heritage sites.
These properties are protected by law with heritage overlays, and they will exist whatever their future use is, but being opened up and being allowed to be seen by the Australian people is a tremendous heritage outcome.
Victoria Barracks in Sydney. Photograph: Damian Shaw/AAP
Marles announces government to sell off $3bn in defence owned property
The defence minister, Richard Marles, is announcing that the government will sell off $3bn in defence owned properties, which he calls the most “significant reform to Australia’s defence estate in our nation’s history”.
Marles says the issues around the defence estate have been known within defence circles for “a very long time”.
The sell-off comes after the government commissioned an audit of the estates. Marles says:
For any organisation, its home, its land, its infrastructure, its bricks and mortar, is fundamental to what it can do, and that is most certainly the case when it comes to defence.
What became clear was that defence as one of the largest owners of property in the country had a very significant estate, much of which was not being used.
Marles quotes from the audit:
Attempts to consolidate and rationalise property holdings in the past have been stymied by a lack of political and organisational will to overcome challenges … it is clear that maintaining the status quo is not an option.
Richard Marles. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images
Benita Kolovos
Victorian Liberals call train delays a ‘disgrace’
The Victorian opposition public transport spokesperson, Matthew Guy, has blamed the major delays on the train lines that travel through the Metro Tunnel yesterday on the government failing to upgrade rail power systems.
He says it was a “disgrace” that people were trapped on trains for up to two hours as a result:
Yesterday was a disgrace. It was third world conditions – 1,200 people trapped on high capacity trains in the middle of stations, and they’ve got one small ladder to get them off.
Guy says while Labor invested in the new tunnel, which only ramped up to full capacity on Monday, and the new high-capacity trains that travel through it, the power substance were “decades old”:
If you don’t upgrade those before you introduce new trains, you’re going to trip the system and on hot days in Melbourne. And I hate to break it to most people, our trains’ air conditioning systems in Melbourne are only there to suit mid-30s temperature, so when it gets warmer than that, they’re not designed for that. So when you’ve got all these new high capacity trains, which came on just two days ago into the network in full, in the big switch, you’re drawing a huge amount of power out of the system.
Victorian opposition public transport spokesperson Matthew Guy. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP
Abdel-Fattah to appear with Louise Adler at ‘Not Writers’ Week’ festival in Adelaide
Stepping away from federal parliament for a moment:
Palestinian Australian author and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah will appear at the Constellations or ‘Not Writers’ Week’ festival in conversation with former Adelaide writers’ week director Louise Adler on 1 March.
The Constellations event has been created at the last minute by a grassroots group of authors, publishers and booksellers in Adelaide after writers’ week was cancelled in January.
Abdel-Fattah’s invitation to appear at the writers’ festival was revoked by the board, leading to Adler resigning as director, and the festival being cancelled entirely.
Abdel-Fattah will also appear in the “Rivers of Reason: Blak & Arab Writers in Conversation” event alongside other writers including Melissa Lucashenko, Chelsea Watego, Ali Cobby Eckermann, and Daniel Nour.
Coal lobby-backed campaign group a ‘textbook example of Liberal astroturfing’ says independent MP
Independent MP Sophie Scamps, a “teal” who ousted former Liberal Jason Falinski in a blue-ribbon Sydney seat, has attacked campaign group Australians for Prosperity that was almost entirely funded by a coal lobby group.
Guardian Australia analysis of the Australian Electoral Commission’s transparency register found Australians for Prosperity, which attacked Labor, the Greens and teal independent candidates were backed by Coal Australia. Australians for Prosperity is connected with former Liberal MPs Falinski and Julian Simmonds.
Scamps told Guardian Australia “voters deserve honesty”.
Australians for Prosperity is a textbook example of Liberal party astroturfing. While it claims to be a grassroots movement “backed by Australians”, it emerged suddenly just before the last election with the purpose of attacking teal candidates advocating for climate action …
It’s well overdue the Liberal party came up with a few policies instead of relying on misleading tactics to win support.
In pictures: here’s who was roaming around the press gallery this morning
Minister for Finance Katy Gallagher speaks to journalists in the Press Gallery. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShadow Treasurer Ted O’Brien in the Press Gallery at Parliament House. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPNationals Leader David Littleproud speaks to journalists after an interview on Sky News Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Benita Kolovos
More on yesterday’s Melbourne train disruptions
We have some further info from Metro Trains on yesterday evening’s peak hour delays on the lines that travel through the new Metro Tunnel, which left some commuters trapped on trains for two hours.
They have confirmed the issues began at 5pm, when a fault on the overhead power supply on the network in Armadale affected trains on the Cranbourne and Pakenham line. The fault also stopped trains going through the Metro Tunnel and a section of the Sunbury line, as Metro Trains needed to suspend the line between West Footscray and Caulfield to undertake repairs.
Metro Trains said the two trains closest to the fault were halted and passengers were required to stay on board until the situation was safe. For one train, this was a 90-minute wait and for the other, a two-hour wait before they were helped off and had to walk to nearby Malvern station.
Passengers rush to board a train at Flinders Street station. Photograph: Joshua Stanyer/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Albanese: Beer excise freeze a ‘cost of living measure’
The bells have rung and the House and Senate are sitting, but there’s not a whole lot of drama happening so far today.
The prime minister is giving a speech to the House on Labor’s beer excise freeze that will knock about one cent off a mid-strength pint, which he’s branded a cost-of-living measure. The beer tax will frozen for two years.
Anthony Albanese says:
It took a Labor government to freeze the beer excise making sure that this was just part of our cost of living measures that we implemented, not just talking about cost of living pressures, but doing something about it …
It’s a way of people getting through their university days or just working part-time for people when they’re raising a family as well. So good for our economy, good for our jobs, good for our local community as well. And that’s why, from the front part of the beer garden, when you raise a glass, you can do so, knowing that our government won’t be raising the price over that two years.
Again, the freeze will save about 18 cents on a 48-litre keg of mid-strength beer.
The legislative agenda is a little on the thin side at the moment, also on the notice paper is the bill to establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (Atec) which was supposed to be established last month, and a bill to give coal mining workers long service leave.
Labor are probably pretty happy that the focus remains on the Coalition’s messy split.
Anthony Albanese. Photograph: Paul Braven/AAP
Benita Kolovos
Victorian premier apologises after major delays on Metro Tunnel’s second day of full service
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has apologised for yesterday’s major delays on the lines that travel through the Metro Tunnel, which only ramped up to full capacity on Monday.
During the evening peak on Tuesday, Metro Trains suspended services on the Sunbury line and there were major delays on the Cranbourne/Pakenham lines due to a problem with overhead wires near Armadale. Both lines run through the new tunnel.
Allan says:
As Metro Trains has also done this morning, I’d like to acknowledge and apologise to those passengers who had had a really difficult experience last night as a result of a fault of the train network, and the investigations are continuing as to what was behind the cause of the disruption last night.
Victorian government announces free ADHD top-up scripts
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is holding a press conference this morning to announce free top-up prescriptions for people with ADHD.
Under the plan, if someone with an existing ADHD diagnosis needs a new prescription urgently and can’t see their regular doctor, they will be able to dial into the Victorian virtual emergency department and have a free consultation.
The doctor will verify their current medication and dosage and send the prescription to their local pharmacy. The one-off refill will be for at least 30 days and up to six months.
It follows the announcement of a $750,000 plan yesterday to train GPs to be able to diagnose and prescribe medication for adults and children with ADHD.
Both changes come into effect in September. Allan says:
We’re doing this because we don’t want parents or kids to get caught out. We heard from Bronwyn yesterday about how she had to keep her little boy home from school for a couple of weeks when he had run out of the medication.
Jacinta Allan and Mary-Anne Thomas speak to media on Tuesday. Photograph: Michael Currie/AAP
The health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, says:
There are a range of reasons why people might not be able to access their medication, their script may have run out, they may have lost their script. This happens to the to all of us at any given time, but we know that there are real consequences for missing a medication that is designed to be taken every day, and that’s where the Victorian virtual emergency department … can step in to meet the needs of Victorians wherever they live.
One of the screenwriters of an Oscar-nominated film has been arrested in Tehran days after signing a statement condemning Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his regime’s violent crackdown on protesters.
Mehdi Mahmoudian, who co-wrote the script for the Iranian drama It Was Just An Accident, was arrested on Saturday, representatives of the film said in a statement. It is unclear what he is charged with.
In the statement, Mahmoudian and 16 others wrote: “The mass and systematic killing of citizens who bravely took to the streets to bring an end to an illegitimate regime constitutes an organised state crime against humanity.”
Among the signatories were journalist Vida Rabbani and human rights activist Abdullah Momeni, who were also arrested.
Image:Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr as Hamid, Majid Panahi as Ali, Hadis Pakbaten as Goli, from left, in It Was Just An Accident. Pic: AP
Mahmoudian’s arrest comes just weeks before the Academy Awards in March, where It Was Just An Accident is nominated for best screenplay and best international film.
It Was Just An Accident was filmed covertly in Iran and was inspired by director Jafar Panahi’s most recent stint in prison, where he met Mahmoudian. He said his co-writer was “a pillar” to other prisoners.
Panahi, who also signed the statement criticising the Iranian regime, condemned Mahmoudian’s arrest.
He said the screenwriter was “a rare moral presence… whose absence is immediately felt, both inside the prison walls and beyond them”.
One of the most acclaimed international filmmakers, Panahi has made films through various states of imprisonment, house arrest and travel ban.
Last year, he was again sentenced to a year in prison for “propaganda activities against the system”. Despite the sentence, Panahi, who has been travelling internationally to promote the film, said he will return to Iran.
The director previously spoke out about the recent crackdown on protesters by the Iranian government, calling it a “savage massacre”.
Estimates from human rights organisations and doctors on the number of people who were killed in the deadly protests range from over 5,000 at the conservative end to 33,000 by one count, and even as high as 50,000, according to one unverified claim.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a New Orleans Police Department recruit from Cameroon who was issued a firearm despite an active deportation order, just one week before he was set to graduate from the police academy.
ICE said in a press release Tuesday that 46-year-old Larry Temah was arrested Jan. 28 and remains in ICE custody.
The New Orleans Police Department recruited Temah and issued him a firearm despite federal law prohibiting illegal aliens from possessing firearms, according to ICE.
Temah entered the U.S. legally in 2015 on a visitor visa and was granted conditional residency the following year after marrying a U.S. citizen, ICE said.
Temah was ordered to appear in immigration court three times but failed to appear, resulting in an immigration judge ordering him removed from the country in absentia, ICE said.
ICE arrested a New Orleans police recruit from Cameroon who was issued a firearm despite an active deportation order, prompting a dispute with city officials.(Octavio Jones/Reuters)
ICE also said Temah did not have valid work authorization and remains in custody pending removal proceedings.
“This illegal alien from Cameroon, Larry Temah, is not only breaking the law with every step he takes in this country illegally, but the New Orleans Police Department hired him and issued him a firearm — what kind of law enforcement department gives criminal illegal aliens guns and badges?” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “It’s a felony for illegal aliens to possess a firearm.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blasted NOPD for issuing a firearm to an illegal immigrant, saying it violates federal law.(Charly Triballeau/ AFP via Getty Images)
McLaughlin said ICE is restoring law and order under President Trump and Secretary Noem and accused sanctuary cities such as New Orleans of protecting illegal aliens at the expense of American citizens.
A spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department disputed ICE’s claims, calling them misleading.
“The New Orleans Police Department verified Mr. Temah’s employment eligibility through ICE’s E-Verify system prior to hiring and was never notified of any ICE detainer,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “New Orleans is not a sanctuary city, and NOPD does not control jail operations or detainer decisions, which fall under the Sheriff’s Office.”
Gautam Gambhir Reaction Pakistan Boycott T20 World Cup 2026: Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to comment on Pakistan’s boycott stand against India before the T20 World Cup 2026. The Pakistan government has not allowed its cricket team to play against India in the tournament.
Gambhir’s reaction on Pakistan refusing to play against India goes viral.
New Delhi. There is an uproar before the T20 World Cup 2026. Pakistan, showing sympathy with Bangladesh, refused to play in the tournament against India, after which it is being criticized in world cricket. However, Pakistan has not officially informed ICC about its decision. Now what action ICC is going to take against PCB regarding this gimmick of Pakistan will be known later, but amidst this whole matter, a video of Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is going viral. In fact, when Gautam Gambhir was asked a question about Pakistan’s decision to refuse to play the T20 World Cup match against India, the reaction he gave is making headlines.
When Gautam Gambhir was leaving for Mumbai, the media personnel at the airport asked him questions about Pakistan’s refusal to play in the T20 World Cup against India, but the head coach of Team India was seen avoiding saying anything on this issue. However, Gambhir first thanked the media for wishing well for Team India. After this, when he was questioned about Pakistan, he moved ahead without saying anything and did not give any reaction. During this time, at one point it seemed that Gambhir wanted to say something, but he stopped. Its video is going viral on social media.
Mozilla on Monday announced a new controls section in its Firefox desktop browser settings that allows users to completely turn off generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) features.
“It provides a single place to block current and future generative AI features in Firefox,” Ajit Varma, head of Firefox, said. “You can also review and manage individual AI features if you choose to use them. This lets you use Firefox without AI while we continue to build AI features for those who want them.”
Mozilla first announced its plans to integrate AI into Firefox in November 2025, stating it’s fully opt-in and that it’s incorporating the technology while placing users in the driver’s seat.
The new feature is expected to be rolled out with Firefox 148, which is scheduled to be released on February 24, 2026. At the outset, AI controls will allow users to manage the following settings individually –
Translations
Alt text in PDFs (adding accessibility descriptions to images in PDF pages)
AI-enhanced tab grouping (suggestions for related tabs and group names)
Link previews (show key points before a link is opened)
AI chatbot in the sidebar (Using well-known chatbots like Anthropic Claude, OpenAI ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, and Le Chat Mistral while navigating the web)
Mozilla said user choice is crucial as more AI features are baked into web browsers, adding that it believes in giving people control regardless of how they feel about the technology.
“If you don’t want to use AI features from Firefox at all, you can turn on the Block AI enhancements toggle,” Varma said. “When it’s toggled on, you won’t see pop-ups or reminders to use existing or upcoming AI features.”
Last month, Mozilla’s new CEO, Anthony Enzor-DeMeo, said the company’s focus will be on becoming a trusted software company that gives users agency in how its products work. “Privacy, data use, and AI must be clear and understandable,” Enzor-DeMeo said. “Controls must be simple. AI should always be a choice – something people can easily turn off.”
Trump scolds CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins for not smiling as she asks about survivors of Epstein’s abuse
Frustrated by her persistence in asking questions about Jeffrey Epstein during an Oval Office event he wanted to use to promote himself and his party, Donald Trump scolded the CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins for supposedly not smiling enough in his presence.
The exchange began with Collins pointing out that Trump’s attempt to frame the disclosures in the latest batch of Epstein files as damning only for Democrats by pointing out that they also revealed that Epstein had close ties to two of his allies, Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick, his commerce secretary.
Trump shrugged dismissively as Collins mentioned Musk and Lutnick and said that while he had not read their friendly emails with Epstein, the late sex offender he was also friends with for 17 years. “I’m sure they’re fine,” Trump said, “otherwise there would’ve ben major headlines.” There were, in fact, headlines about the revelations that Musk and Lutnick were closer to Epstein than they had previously stated.
When Collins noted that “a lot of women who are survivors of Epstein are unhappy with” the way the justice department redacted the docuemnts, including, “entire witness interviews are totally blacked out”, Trump attempted to end the discussion by saying: “I think it’s really time for the country to get on to something else, now that nothing came out about me”.
Donald Trump chafed at questions about Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender he socialized with for 17 years, after signing a bill in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP
The president then suggested that there was “a conspiracy against me”, in reference to a previously disclosed email exchange in which the author Michael Wolff had urged Epstein to “help finish” Trump’s 2016 campaign by coming forward after the Access Hollywood recording of Trump’s claim that he liked to grab women by their genitals was published. Epstein, however, did not agree to do that, so there was no conspiracy.
When Trump tried to end the exchange by repeating, “I think it’s time, now, for the country maybe to get on to something else”, Collins asked: “But what would you say to people who feel they haven’t gotten justice, Mr President?”
“What did you say?” an irritated Trump shot back. He then launched into a personal attack on Collins, a former reporter for the conservative Daily Caller who he has repeatedly vented anger at during both of his terms in office.
“What would say to people the survivors who feel that they haven’t gotten justice?” Collins asked.
“You know, you are the worst reporter,” Trump said disdainfully. “You know, she’s a young woman,” Trump said the Republican lawmakers arrayed around his desk. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,” he said, turning back to Collins. “
“I’ve known you for ten years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face,” Trump said bitterly.
“Well,” Collins interjected, “I’m asking you about survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, Mr President.”
Ignoring her reply, Trump continued his rant: “You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth. And you’re a very dishonest organization, and they should be ashamed of you.”
“These are survivors of a sexual abuser” Collins replied.
Trump then ended the exchange by turning to another reporter who obliged by changing the subject away from Epstein, the notorious pedophile the future president called “a lot of fun to be with” at the height of his abuse. “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,” Trump said of his friend in 2002.
Trump’s aides were so proud of the tantrum he threw at Collins on Tuesday that they immediately clipped video of the exchange and posted it on an official White House social media account with a caption suggesting he had “nuked” her.
In 2020, Trump memorably stormed out of a news conference when Collins refused to help him take the floor away from another reporter Trump had cut off for asking what he called “a nasty question”.
Key events
Judge orders federal officers to stop teargassing ‘Portland chicken’ and other nonviolent protesters and journalists at ICE facility
A federal judge in Portland, Oregon issued a temporary restraining order on Tuesday that bars federal officers from shooting or firing tear gas at nonviolent protesters and journalists outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in the city’s residential South Waterfront neighborhood.
The case, part of a class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of a group of protesters and journalists, is titled Dickinson (a.k.a. “the Portland Chicken”) et al. v. Trump et al. in reference to one of the plaintiffs, Jack Dickinson, a protest organizer who wears a chicken costume draped in an American flag.
At the start of a 22-page order, US district Judge Michael Simon outlined what’s at stake in the case:
In a well-functioning constitutional democratic republic, free speech, courageous newsgathering, and nonviolent protest are all permitted, respected, and even celebrated. In an authoritarian regime, that is not the case. Our nation is now at a crossroads. We have been here before and have previously returned to the right path, notwithstanding an occasional detour. In helping our nation find its constitutional compass, an impartial and independent judiciary operating under the rule of law has a responsibility that it may not shirk. For that reason, and as more fully explained below, the Court grants Plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order.
In addition to Dickinson, who has been shot in the back with munitions, subjected to a barrage of pepper balls while seated peacefully on the sidewalk and pepper sprayed directly in the face twice, the other plaintiffs are: Richard Eckman, an 83-year-old protester whose walker was hit with chemical munitions; Laurie Eckman, an 84-year-old protester who walked home from one protest soaked in blood after she was shot in the head with a chemical impact munition while holding a sign; Mason Lake, a freelance video journalist who has been shot in the groin with a munition and maced directly in the face; and Hugo Rios, a freelance photojournalist who was shot with pepper balls approximately 20 times and had his camera broken while photographing officers firing pepper balls and throwing tear gas canisters at protestors who were dancing.
“Today’s ruling confirms what we’ve said from the beginning. Federal agents have used unconscionable levels of force against a community exercising their constitutional right to free expression,” Portland’s mayor, Keith Wilson, said. “Portlanders will continue to show up, stand with our immigrant neighbors, and win through peace. Peaceful civic participation isn’t a threat, and these new restrictions on federal agents are an important first step in ending the violence and harm we’ve witnessed in our community.”
Trump scolds CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins for not smiling as she asks about survivors of Epstein’s abuse
Frustrated by her persistence in asking questions about Jeffrey Epstein during an Oval Office event he wanted to use to promote himself and his party, Donald Trump scolded the CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins for supposedly not smiling enough in his presence.
The exchange began with Collins pointing out that Trump’s attempt to frame the disclosures in the latest batch of Epstein files as damning only for Democrats by pointing out that they also revealed that Epstein had close ties to two of his allies, Elon Musk and Howard Lutnick, his commerce secretary.
Trump shrugged dismissively as Collins mentioned Musk and Lutnick and said that while he had not read their friendly emails with Epstein, the late sex offender he was also friends with for 17 years. “I’m sure they’re fine,” Trump said, “otherwise there would’ve ben major headlines.” There were, in fact, headlines about the revelations that Musk and Lutnick were closer to Epstein than they had previously stated.
When Collins noted that “a lot of women who are survivors of Epstein are unhappy with” the way the justice department redacted the docuemnts, including, “entire witness interviews are totally blacked out”, Trump attempted to end the discussion by saying: “I think it’s really time for the country to get on to something else, now that nothing came out about me”.
Donald Trump chafed at questions about Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender he socialized with for 17 years, after signing a bill in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP
The president then suggested that there was “a conspiracy against me”, in reference to a previously disclosed email exchange in which the author Michael Wolff had urged Epstein to “help finish” Trump’s 2016 campaign by coming forward after the Access Hollywood recording of Trump’s claim that he liked to grab women by their genitals was published. Epstein, however, did not agree to do that, so there was no conspiracy.
When Trump tried to end the exchange by repeating, “I think it’s time, now, for the country maybe to get on to something else”, Collins asked: “But what would you say to people who feel they haven’t gotten justice, Mr President?”
“What did you say?” an irritated Trump shot back. He then launched into a personal attack on Collins, a former reporter for the conservative Daily Caller who he has repeatedly vented anger at during both of his terms in office.
“What would say to people the survivors who feel that they haven’t gotten justice?” Collins asked.
“You know, you are the worst reporter,” Trump said disdainfully. “You know, she’s a young woman,” Trump said the Republican lawmakers arrayed around his desk. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile,” he said, turning back to Collins. “
“I’ve known you for ten years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile on your face,” Trump said bitterly.
“Well,” Collins interjected, “I’m asking you about survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, Mr President.”
Ignoring her reply, Trump continued his rant: “You know why you’re not smiling? Because you know you’re not telling the truth. And you’re a very dishonest organization, and they should be ashamed of you.”
“These are survivors of a sexual abuser” Collins replied.
Trump then ended the exchange by turning to another reporter who obliged by changing the subject away from Epstein, the notorious pedophile the future president called “a lot of fun to be with” at the height of his abuse. “It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,” Trump said of his friend in 2002.
Trump’s aides were so proud of the tantrum he threw at Collins on Tuesday that they immediately clipped video of the exchange and posted it on an official White House social media account with a caption suggesting he had “nuked” her.
In 2020, Trump memorably stormed out of a news conference when Collins refused to help him take the floor away from another reporter Trump had cut off for asking what he called “a nasty question”.
Trump repeats claim that federal government should run elections in some states
Asked by a reporter to explain his suggestion on Monday, to podcaster-turned-FBI deputy-director-turned-podcaster-again Dan Bongino, that the US should “nationalize” elections and have them run by the federal government, Trump repeats his false claims that elections in states he lost in 2020 were “crooked”.
“I want to see elections be honest,” Trump said.
“If you think about it, the state is an agent for the federal government” in the conduct of elections for federal office, the president claimed, which is an incorrect statement of the provisions for elections in the US constitution, which give states the power to run their own elections.
Trump claimed that when there are “rigged crooked elections” the federal government should have the power to take control of the counting of votes. He went on to cite what he said were American cities where previous elections were corrupt, specifically naming Detroit, Philadelphia and Atlanta, cities with large numbers of Black voters.
In 2020, Trump lost all three of the states those cites are in, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia, to Joe Biden, but refused to admit that he had lost and instead shared conspiracy theories about the vote counts and pressed local officials to claim the results were fraudulent. In court, however, his lawyers failed to produce any evidence to support those claims in dozens of cases.
After his 2020 loss, Trump notoriously called the secretary of state of Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, and pressed him to “find 11,780 votes” and declare that they were fraudulently cast for Biden, to deliver the state’s electoral votes to him instead. As president, he had no role in the counting of Georgia’s votes, but he apparently now wants the Republican Congress to change the law to give him that right.
“If they can’t count the votes legally,” Trump said, the federal government should be prepared to step in.
When it was pointed out to him that this would violate the Constitution, Trump did not address the question but moved on to take another question.
Trump uses appearance to sign government funding bill to air grievances and campaign for Republicans
Donald Trump is currently speaking, at length, at a televised ceremony in the Oval Office to sign the spending package to end the partial government shutdown, using the opportunity to boast about what he calls his accomplishments, unveil a new red campaign hat and invite Republican lawmakers to praise him and tout what they call the policies that should deliver them success in the midterm elections for the House and Senate they are in danger of losing.
The cap has the slogan “America Is Back” on the front, the numbers 45 and 47 on the side, to refer to Trump’s two terms, as the 45th and 47th president on the side.
After Trump signed the bill, he took questions from the reporters invited to be present.
The funding re-opens the federal government and keeps the Department of Homeland Security funded for two weeks, to allow Democrats and Trump to negotiate reforms to how the administration’s immigration crackdown is conducted.
The White House press secretary just announced that Donald Trump plans to sign the funding bill to end the partial government shutdown in a few minutes, at 4:30 pm ET.
Here’s a recap of the day so far
The House narrowly passed a package of five annual funding bills, and a stopgap measure to keep the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) open for two weeks – ending the partial government shutdown. By a vote of 217-214, the package funds most of the federal government through 30 September. It includes a short-term bill to fund DHS until 13 February. The bills head to Trump’s desk for his signature, and tee up a bitter negotiation between Democrats and the White House over guardrails for federal immigration enforcement.
Donald Trump has continued to sow doubt in the election system. While appearing on former deputy FBI director Dan Bongino’s podcast on Monday, the president called on Republicans to “nationalize the voting,” in at least “15 places”, although he did not clarify which ones. In the interview, Trump repeated baseless claims that undocumented immigrants being “brought to our country to vote, and they vote illegally”. Later, the White House deflected and said the president’s comments were in reference to the Save Act – a piece of legislation which would require people registering to vote to present proof of citizenship in person, like a passport or birth certificate.
James Comer, the Republican chair of the House oversight committee, announced that former president Bill Clinton, and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, have agreed to appear for closed-door depositions as part of the committee’s ongoing investigation into the handling of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes. Hillary Clinton will give testimony first, on 26 February, and the former president will appear for his deposition on 27 February. Their respective testimonies will be transcribed and filmed.
Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, is running her own review into the 2020 election with Donald Trump’s approval, the Guardian has learned, working separately from a justice department investigation even as she joined an FBI raid of an election center in Georgia last week. Her presence at the raid drew criticism from Democrats and former intelligence officials, who questioned why the country’s top intelligence officer with no domestic law enforcement powers would appear at the scene of an FBI raid.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has vowed to challenge a federal judge’s ruling that blocks the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in the US. “Supreme Court, here we come,” said assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “This is lawless activism that we will be vindicated on.” Judge Ana Reyes, a Joe Biden appointee, issued a halt on the expiration of the program for more than 300,000 Haitian immigrants who are living and working with authorization in the US.
Renee Good’s brothers testify on Capitol Hill
On Capitol Hill, Renee Good’s brothers – Luke and Brent Ganger – are testifying before Democratic lawmakers at a hearing to discuss the violence and use of force by federal immigration agents throughout the country.
“The completely surreal scenes taking place on the streets of Minneapolis are beyond explanation. This is not just a bad day, or a rough week, or isolated incidents,” Luke Ganger said in his opening remarks. “These encounters with federal agents are changing the community and changing many lives, including ours, forever. I still don’t know how to explain to my four year old what these agents are doing when we pass by.”
Luke and Brent Ganger, brothers of Renee Good, who was fatally shot on 7 January by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis, attend a public forum to discuss the use of violent force by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents, 3 February 2026. Photograph: Kylie Cooper/Reuters
White House deflects Trump’s call to ‘nationalize’ elections, says it is in reference to Save Act
Speaking to reporters outside the White House today, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president’s comments on Dan Bongino’s podcast, where he urged Republicans to “nationalize the voting” in 15 states, were in reference to the Save Act. This is a piece of legislation which would require people registering to vote to present proof of citizenship in person, like a passport or birth certificate.
“The president believes in the United States constitution. However, he believes there has obviously been a lot of fraud and irregularities that have taken place in American elections,” Leavitt said, re-upping Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud. “Voter ID is a highly popular and commonsense policy that the president wants to pursue, and he wants to pass legislation to make that happen for all states across the country.”
Karoline Leavitt speaks to the media at the White House, 3 February 2026. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA
Speaking to reporters today, Walz added that federal officials have yet to confirm to the governor the identities of the officers who shot and killed Alex Pretti.
“This assault on Minnesota for whatever false reason they want to give, and it continues to change, they don’t care,” Walz said of the Trump administration. “We’re just the test grounds for this and what works here and what doesn’t work here.”
The governor had choice words about the arrival of Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar”, in the Twin Cities. Homan replaced the belligerent border official Gregory Bovino in Minnesota following Pretti’s death.
Walz said the “only reason” Homan was now in charge was because “Donald Trump was watching TV last Saturday, a week ago, saw the horrific aftermath of Alex’s murder, and told them that this doesn’t look good … This is reality TV for him, and he was losing in the ratings.”
‘This is called damage control’: Walz slams Noem as immigration officers issued body cameras in Minnesota
Minnesota governor Tim Walz slammed homeland security Kristi Noem at a press conference today. When asked about her latest update, that all immigration officers deployed will be issued with body cameras, Walz said Noem is the “absolutely worst choice for any cabinet position”. The governor also noted that he’s asked for body camera footage of Alex Pretti’s fatal shooting which he’s yet to receive.
“This is called damage control,” Walz said. “I put no stake in what she says at all. But here’s the good thing, every single Minnesotan has a camera. Keep filming. Keep keeping track of this.”
House narrowly passes funding bills to end partial government shutdown
The House narrowly passed a package of five annual funding bills, and a stopgap measure to keep the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) open for two weeks – ending the partial government shutdown.
By a vote of 217-214, the package funds most of the federal government through 30 September. It includes a short-term bill to fund DHS until 13 February.
The continuing resolution was met with severe pushback from House Democrats, who say that the Trump administration will not use the window to negotiate in good faith, and argue any guardrails on federal immigration enforcement (including the use of judicial warrants and the need for officers to remain identifiable) should be guaranteed now.
House oversight chair sets dates for Clintons’ depositions
James Comer, the Republican chair of the House oversight committee, announced that former president Bill Clinton, and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, have agreed to appear for closed-door depositions as part of the committee’s ongoing investigation into the handling of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes. Hillary Clinton will give testimony first, on 26 February, and the former president will appear for his deposition on 27 February. Their respective testimonies will be transcribed and filmed.
The Clintons’ concession follows a months long standoff between the pair and Republicans on the oversight committee, which included Comer marking up legislation to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress.
“Once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved,” Comer said in a statement. “We look forward to questioning the Clintons as part of our investigation into the horrific crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, to deliver transparency and accountability for the American people and for survivors.”
On Monday, the Clintons finally agreed to testify as part of the House investigation. “They negotiated in good faith. You did not,” Angel Ureña, a spokesperson for the Clintons, replied to Comer, in a post on social media. “They told you under oath what they know, but you don’t care. But the former president and former secretary of state will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone.”
Man accused of attacking Ilhan Omar appears in federal court
The man accused of spraying congresswoman Ilhan Omar with an unidentified substance at a Minneapolis town hall last week is appearing before a federal judge today.
The justice department charged Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, on a single count of “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and interfered” with Omar – a crime that carries up to a year in prison.
A magistrate judge today denied Kazmierczak’s request for release while he awaits trial.
In a criminal complaint and attached affidavit, signed by an FBI special agent, a forensic team determined that the substance sprayed at Omar was a mixture of “water and apple cider vinegar”. Court documents state that Kazmierczak rushed the lectern after Omar called for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be abolished “for good” and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary, Kristi Noem, to resign. “She [Noem] is not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart,” Kazmierczak said after he sprayed the lawmaker, according to the affadavit.
Ilhan Omar reacts as a man (not pictured) disrupts her by spraying an unidentified liquid in her direction during a town hall. 27 January 2026. Photograph: Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters
The president of world football’s governing body FIFA has apologised to British football fans after a comment which was criticised as a “cheap joke” by the Football Supporters’ Association.
Gianni Infantino suffered a backlash last month after joking that: “For the first time in history… no Brit was arrested during a World Cup. Imagine! This is something really really special”.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Infantino told The World with Yalda Hakim that the comments were “meant to be more of a light-hearted remark” aimed at highlighting that the 2022 Qatar World Cup “was a celebration” and “a peaceful event”.
Image:Gianni Infantino jokes about British fans
The FIFA boss firstly apologised to fans from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, saying that offending them was “not my intention”.
He went on to say that: “I’m a huge fan of English football”, adding that he had been wrong to refer to English people who “just go and riot around the world” at football matches as fans, instead referring to them as “criminals”.
Mr Infantino then highlighted and praised efforts made by England to tackle football violence.
Image:FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the US president with the body’s peace prize. Pic: Reuters
Analysis: Yalda Hakim speaks to FIFA president.
FIFA “goes hand in hand with peace”
Tackling violence and peace was a recurring theme for Mr Infantino.
The FIFA boss recognised the “strong reaction” to the organisation’s new peace prize but doubled down on the decision and the awarding of it to President Donald Trump.
The football president stated that FIFA’s slogan – football unites the world – “goes hand in hand with peace”.
Image:The two presidents have struck up a close relationship. Pic: AP
“So, whatever we can do to help peace in the world, we should be doing it, and for this reason, for some time we were thinking about [whether] we should do something to reward people who do something.”
Mr Infantino insists that person is Mr Trump, saying that “objectively, he deserves it”.
He then highlights Venezuelan opposition leader Ms Machado’s praise of Mr Trump. “It’s not just Gianni Infantino who said it… [there’s] a Nobel Peace Prize winner who said this.”
“He was instrumental in resolving conflicts and saving lives and saving thousands of lives.”
Mr Infantino praises Mr Trump for getting people on opposite sides of conflict into the same room.
He feels the same thing should happen in international football.
Image:The FIFA president has said he would like to see Russian youth teams playing across Europe. Pic: Reuters
“Never ban any country from playing football”
The FIFA president is unequivocal when asked if he would look at lifting the ban on Russia – put in place by FIFA and UEFA in 2022 following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We have to,” he says.
“Definitely.”
“Because this ban has not achieved anything, it has just created more frustration and hatred.”
He goes on to say that he believes “having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”
He is also against a ban on Israel, saying such a ban “is a defeat”.
The FIFA boss then goes further, saying he believes the organisation should look into changing its rules and “enshrine in our statutes that we should actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders”.
“Somebody needs to keep the ties open.”
For this reason, he’s also not in favour of boycotts.
When asked about those who are calling for a boycott of the 2026 US World Cup due to concerns over President Trump’s immigration policies and safety issues, he disagrees.
He says there is never any call for boycotts by businesses or on diplomatic levels, and asks multiple times, “So why football?”.
“I think, in our divided world, in our aggressive world, we need occasions where people can come, can meet around the passion [for football].”
Infantino is controversial but consistent – the FIFA boss places football above politics
In an exclusive interview with me, the FIFA president doubled down on the “peace prize” he awarded to Donald Trump, rejected calls to boycott the World Cup in the United States, apologised for a joke he made about the arrest record of English fans in major tournaments – and insisted he didn’t regret his speech ahead of the Qatar World Cup declaring “today I feel…”
Over the course of an hour, I asked Gianni Infantino about the nature of his relationship with Donald Trump and the decision to award the US President a peace prize.
He acknowledged that there had been a “strong reaction” but defended the move, stating that it was consistent with his belief that football – and FIFA – should acknowledge anyone who was trying to bring an end to conflicts around the world.
Mr Infantino speaks about how he navigates working with female players and progressing women’s football in some of the world’s most repressive regimes, like Iran and North Korea.
“These are things that take years,” and “you don’t achieve this with threats or sanctions,” he says.
“You achieve this by engaging.”
The FIFA boss explains how in Iran, he went several times to meet the president and officials, arguing in a “respectful way, without shouting and screaming” for women’s football.
He argues that “ultimately, we managed to succeed”.
Iranian women who were banned from entering stadiums since the revolution in 1979, are now allowed into stadiums, he says.
“And similarly, in North Korea, if you listen again to all our experts here, you shouldn’t have any relations with North Korea.
“I went to Pyongyang. I spoke to the regime. We spoke to them. And now we have these North Korean girls who are world champions in our youth categories.”
Image:Sky News has reported on the Afghanistan women’s football team training in England
“You integrate them and you make them feel part of the world, and I think this is very important.”
He says these maybe “some of the great achievements that we [FIFA] made”.
Mr Infantino also told Yalda Hakim about how he and FIFA helped to get women players out of Afghanistan after the Taliban regained power – some of those women ended up training in the UK.
“It was and it is the right thing to do.”
He explains how FIFA “developed women’s football in Afghanistan for some years”.
He says these women were “left to themselves” after the regime change and “we felt, that it was important to give a signal to help, to assist, all these Afghan girls and women who love the game”.
“Ultimately, we managed to, not just to help get these girls and women out and help them to have a new life, but also to give them a real, purpose in football.
“To have them coming together, train and play and represent somehow, their country with a team that is called Afghan Women United.”
Mr Infantino says FIFA must “just engage. But engage for everyone. Without taking sides”.
